A little busy around here!

So, I cannot believe I haven't posted anything yet! My baby boy is 5 1/2 weeks old already! Goodness! We are just plugging along. It's been a little tough adjusting to having two kids, with a baby that doesn't necessarily like to sleep a whole lot at night and then a two year old who likes to get up early and ready to go for the day! =) We have fun..

I need to upload more recent pics.. But here's a few cute ones for now.

Handsome boy..

Big sister "feeding" her Baby Will.. =)

Now.. both kids are sleeping.. who know's how long it's going to last. time for mommy to close her eyes! =)

Drawing closer..

So, this season of bed-rest has been fun. It really hasn't been so bad. I'm so blessed with wonderful wonderful family and friends who have gone above and beyond with helping us out. I've had so much help with Brynn, (She's going to miss all these fun outings!) and meals brought and friends coming to clean my house.. It's been amazing. It's so humbling to have to lay on the couch while others do your job, but it's been good. I'm so grateful for the help. I have 4 days left. I cannot wait! I dream about cleaning out and organizing my kitchen and my bathroom.. haha.. I guess the nesting is hitting.. I have so much I want to do when I get off this couch. I hope William gives me time to do it! If not, I'll be ok though. ;)

I had an Ultrasound yesterday. I am 36 weeks. William Charles is such a precious baby. I never got to have an ultrasound so late in the game with Brynn and I was shocked at how well we could see his face. He is so so so adorable. I will post pictures as soon as I can get George to scan them onto the computer for me. He looked like he has good sized nose and lips! haha.. and he has chubby cheeks. =) Can't wait to kiss those cheeks! The Ultrasound said that he measured at 6lbs 9oz. We will see! That's a good size for 36 weeks. =) My boy. Big already. Brynn was 7lbs 2oz at 40 weeks.

Here are some pictures I've been trying to post for a few weeks now. For some reason my blog didn't want to upload pictures for a while there.. Thankfully it's fixed!

Brynn and I do a lot of playing on the couch together, we read lot's of books..

Oh I love her, and I couldn't be more proud of her and the way she's handled this season! Such a good girl.. Thank you Jesus!

Back when we used to get out of the house to play...

Sweet cousins..

Haha, gotta love the way the shadow is looking these days..

My Two Year Old...

So, I finally had Brynn's 2 year old pictures done. =) I found this really cheap photographer.. Me. =) I decided to give it a try and came out with these pics.. I'm pretty happy with them. She's just so darn cute.. She makes it easy.

She's an angel.. This is an interesting season, this past Wednesday night, William decided he wanted to come see us, and I started having contractions.. after about an hour of noticing I'd had a lot of contractions I started keeping track of them and realized they were every 2-3 minutes.. After two hours of that we went to the hospital so see if they could get them to stop, or find out why I was having them. Long story short, after spending 4 hours there they found a medication that slowed the contractions enough to send me home on strict bed-rest. So, there's been a ton of laying around going on here. I'm still on the medication, and still having irregular contractions. :-/ I have an appointment with my midwife tomorrow, we are hoping to find that there is an infection that's causing the contractions so that they can put me on an antibiotic and we can get past this. I'm so hoping to not have to be on bed-rest for the rest of the pregnancy. I am 32 weeks, and don't want to be having a baby until hopefully at least 37 weeks. Thankfully we are past the point where we know he'll be ok, but would for sure have a NICU stay if born now..

As I said, Brynn is an angel. She's doing so well adjusting to mommy not doing anything for her. She come's up to me and says: "Doctor say, no no no out couch Mama.." and she also comes up to me and talks to my belly and says: "No no no, Baby Will Out.." =) I love it.
God is Good, and He knows the day my son will be born, He knows where we will be and the hour.. He has not been surprised by any of this.. I wish He could have given me a heads up so I could've been a little more "ready" but oh well! ;) I'm overwhelmed by the help and care of my family and friends already.. Especially my husband. He's been amazing, taking great care of me.

it's just too fast...

Somebody please tell me why they have to grow up so fast...

Playing with my new camera.. still have a lot to learn, and these are with no editing.. =)

watching a movie while mommy makes dinner

pretty girl..

just love that face..

Chicago trip

We just returned from our wonderful annual getaway to Chicago to see my Aunt and Uncle and family. I wish I could accurately express how wonderful it is to get to go up there every winter. We just love the time with their family, we just love the time in the snow, and we get to relax so much while we're there.. =) We are so spoiled.

Thank you Aunt Nene and Uncle D for all your hospitality and for having us up year after year. We love you guys!!

Here are some of our highlights!

We got to go out to Hot Doug's for some famous Chicago Hot dogs..

They were very yummy

Everyone was happy..

Then. We got a very special treat..

We've been talking about going out to this forest preserve to go for a horse drawn sleigh ride for a few years now, and we finally got to do it! =)

Brynn was thrilled!

My handsome hubby with some beautiful landscape..

Nene and Uncle D.. =)

SO Beautiful, and SO fun...

Loving it!

Neigh!

Family shot with the Neigh..

My snow girl

Watching Uncle D shoveling snow..

Time to go out to play!

=) all she wanted to do is eat the snow..

Our Yearly family snow shot..

Beautiful home away from home..

Some fun..

I have just a few fun pictures that I've been wanting to post..

Brynn is two years old, + 2 months.. So hard to believe how fast she is growing up.

She's talking like a maniac all of the sudden. Funny how they do that! She's putting words together and making sentences, lot's of time it takes alot of pointing and guess work to figure it out, but we are getting there. =) I do a lot of interpreting these days.

I am having so much fun being her mommy. Can't believe that this season of just me and Brynn is coming to an end. How I want to enjoy these last few months with only her. It's such a unique season! I'm grateful for it!

Pregnancy is going picture perfect. I am 27 weeks and counting... It's beginning to feel like I have no more room to stretch, yet I am in for the most stretching still most likely! gah! =) We are so excited to meet William. It's hard to wait patiently. He's already a busy boy. Always moving and moving! Can't wait to snuggle him. =)

Hope you enjoy these little memories.

This was my attempt at getting a picture of how long her hair is when I wash it! But it is so curly it had already begun to curl up by the time I took the picture!

Here she is in "room time" sitting so nicely on her bed reading books.

Oh how I Love these moments.. =)

We went to a friends house, Margaret, and they got pedicures. Here they are soaking their feet while they read a nice book.

Love it!

Getting ready for some color!

Cutie Pie, Margaret..

So Pretty!

The Movie face.

These are old, but such a great Memory, I had to get it on here. While we were in NJ, Brynn and I took an evening when it had warmed up a bit to go out just the two of us and build a snowman(or "schnowguy" in Brynn's words). I wish I could express how much fun it was. I loved getting time just us to do something so different. We had a blast.

Here she is with her Heavy snowball!

Helping get him all ready..

taking a break. =)

finished product! Pretty good, if you ask me, for two Florida girls!

Oh I love her.. and that cold red nose

Choosing to SEE

I have been reading "Choosing to SEE" by Mary Beth Chapman (Steven Curtis Chapman's wife). As you might know, it's been close to two years since they lost their youngest daughter (5 at the time) in a horrible accident in their own driveway. She writes wonderfully about her life, struggles and triumphs she's had, and also very much so about losing Maria. Now you know where my last post came from. =) I have loved reading the book, it's so good, and very well written. It is entertaining and heart wrenching. It has definitely had me thinking. A lot.

Since my last post I've been thinking about how nothing will ever be enough. In the years since losing Maria, Mary Beth talks about how much she misses her slobber, and her silliness and will just randomly say, "Oh, to kiss that little neck again." I cannot begin to fathom the gaping hole that is left when a child moves to Heaven without you.. But. No matter how much I "enjoy" my girl now, no matter how many times I kiss that little neck (which I soo love to do), It would never be enough. I can't kiss her enough, I can't remember each word and how she says it soo cute right now, I can't enjoy every moment to last forever... I feel a bit like I've been trying too hard, or too focused on "enjoying her" but have maybe let it get a bit into not Trusting. Not Trusting my Sovereign King. He knows our days. He knows when our last day will be, and He's chosen for me to not know our last day on earth. I don't know. While I want to live every day like it's my last, I can't live in fear, or without Trusting that God has even the amount of kisses ordained. =) God is Good. I know that, and I am so grateful for that. And I'm grateful that He will always be good, even through all the suffering He has for me in my life.

Thank you Jesus, for the gift of life you've given to my family. Thank you for your Sovereign Care. Thank you that you know when my last breath will be, and my husbands last breath, my daughters last breath, and my sons last breath (after he takes his first, Lord willing).. Help me to Trust that you know best. Thank you for the Hope of Heaven. Thank you that I do not have to despair when I think of such things, but that there is such Joy in thinking of these things. All because of the work you did on the Cross for me. Let me worship you today in ALL that I do.. You deserve so much Honor and Praise.. so much more than I'll ever give.. Thank you.

I'm going to go kiss that little neck again. =)

rambling..

I know that every Mom thinks about the future. I also know that every Mom has likely had the thoughts that I've been having.. It's still hard to believe that I fall into that category. Mom.

It's amazing to me the capacity that God has given us to love. It's amazing in so many ways. I know that God, loves me, more than I love anyone. Because I'm not perfect. He loves me with a perfect love. Unfailing and Good, ALL the time. It's amazing. On top of that, He's blessed my life abundantly. But. I live in this fallen world. Where suffering seems to follow us. Where life will never be "easy." This life is hard. Sometimes I wonder why we have to keep enduring. Can't we just all go to heaven already?! Yet, my life is so abundantly blessed. My life is so easy compared to so many. Look at the orphans all around the world who will never have a home. Look at the persecuted Church all around the world who are awoken in the middle of the night in their homes, and torn away from their children and families and taken to jail, only because they believe that Jesus Saves.

My question is, how can I live each day to the fullest? I do not know what this day holds. I do not know what this month holds, let alone this year, or this life. Will I live to see the day Jesus comes for us all? Will I live to see the day that my baby girl goes Home to see Jesus before me? People walk through that, every day.. losing their baby, their children.. My heart cannot fathom it. I hate not knowing if that would be something the Lord would have for me to walk through in this life. It's so easy to fear. How can I not fear? I cannot even begin to fathom the heartache and pain of losing a child. I don't want to. I don't need to. But I do want to live each day to the fullest. My little girl is two years old. as I write this I'm listening to her wake up to this new day, bright and talking away.. who knows about what, but she's awake, and happy, and ready to tackle this day. Am I? Am I ready to live this day as if it were my last? Or her last? How would I view things differently? How will I spend this day?

Yes, we'll get the laundry done, Lord Willing, and we'll clean her room, over and over... but I can say there will be lot's of hugs.. lot's of kisses, lot's of fun had, lot's of enjoying. Her. :)

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (Jesus speaking)

I know one thing to be true. HOPE. I know that this life will be hard. But I have the Hope of all Eternity with my Savior. Because He has ALREADY overcome the world.. Praise Him!

New Jersey continued...

We have been enjoying a wonderful trip here in New Jersey..

Brynn's second day in the snow.. she loves to eat it!

love this shot..

shoveling boys..

On the train on our way into New York City!

We started off the day by meeting up with the Twinings, what a treat!

Then we went to Macy's on Broadway,

I'd never been inside, it was beautifully decorated!

Time Square..

George and Alyssa, can you tell they're related?? =)

I love him..

John's Pizza.. Mmm

Princeton University

Such a gorgeous campus

Love this snowy shot.. if only Brynn wasn't looking for the moon..

Danny, George and Robert.. Cousins, and great friends..

Brynn's new cousin Naomi