2 months old

You're two months old Emma Kate!  Your favorite activities include eating, pooping, smiling, blowing bubbles, hitting the elephant toys on your bouncy chair, dancing with mommy in the kitchen, looking in mirrors, and still staring at fans :) You have become so alert and responsive and it's really fun to watch you discover new things. You now weigh a whopping 10 lbs. 9 oz and you are 21 and 3/4 inches long. You are a happy camper in the mornings and you show us your wide and passionate range of emotions in the late afternoons :)  Excited to see what growth and changes your month ahead brings!

laying low

I haven't written in a while, so I thought I'd drop in and say hi.  Since it's snowing out, Emma Kate and I are laying low today and having fun at home.  My "if I get free time" goals include write a blog post (check!), order birth announcements, finish the wreath I started last year, and maybe order some baby leggings online :) Oh, and I should add shower and brush my teeth to that list!

Last night was my work Christmas Party, tonight is a friends Birthday party and tomorrow is Adam's work party. Don't we sound like such the socialites?  Actually Emma Kate is the real socialite! We don't stay very long but she loves seeing new people and falling asleep to the murmur of people talking.

Now that Emma Kate is more alert and responsive, we are finding new ways to entertain her. Her new favorites are lots of kisses from mom and dad in the mornings, spinning ceiling fans, and her owl toy who she loves to look at and coo at.  Here's some recent pics for your viewing pleasure :)

Dear pre-pregnancy jeans...

Dear pre-pregnancy jeans,

I miss you! One day we will be reunited but for now, this waistline is committed to elastic waistlines and sporting that " I bet that girl just got out of a yoga class" look :) 

1 month

Emma Kate, you're one month old today! New developments from last week- you are definitely a morning person, lots of smiles and cooing. Some nights you think that 1am to 4am is social hour with your momma. You now weigh 8 lbs. 4oz. and you are starting to fit into more of your cloth diapers = less blowouts.  You are also starting to grow too tall for your newborn sleepers. How are you already growing and changing so quickly?

I love 7am diaper changes!

bow compliments of BonBon

big tummy

the bow might be a little too big ;) 

Good morning!

Emma Kate woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning! She also decided that the hours between 1am and 4am are great hours to be awake, look around and socialize.  This makes for one tired momma, but the morning smiles and coos make it all worth it! 

3 weeks old...

We celebrated 3 weeks with a snow day indoors today! Emma Kate is able to focus on our faces which brings us so much joy! Adam had the last 3 days off of work so we have been settling into life as a family of 3.  Here's some pictures from our snow day :)

a few tears

2 weeks old

Sweet Emma Kate,  I want to share the whole story of how you arrived in style, but you are about to wake up from a nap and so I will make this one snappy and share the story another day.  Happy 2 weeks my sweet girl! I can't believe how fast time is flying by. You are one sweet and spunky little girl. Your facial expressions could entertain me for hours. I'm loving every second of getting to know you as the unique little person God created you to be. What I have learned so far is that you love to snuggle, you don't like diaper changes, you are pretty content and easy-going, and you also are very expressive and we always know exactly how you feel ( a trait you inherited from you mom ;)  We love you deeply and are so thankful for you!

41 weeks...count it out

That's right! Most people would be posting a cute picture of their week old baby wrapped in a blanket laying in a basket by this point but that's not how we roll :) The Bean is still holding out for a later birthday. I'm hoping this means I have a very content and laid back baby :)

Bonbon left today to head back to San Antonio.  What a tease for her to have to leave without meeting her first grand baby! But- she's coming back on the 18th to help out while Adam goes back to work which will be a huge help!  It was actually a sweet gift to have laid back time with my mom before the baby came. We went on walks, cooked dinner, hit up the farmer's market and relaxed all week, (with just a few tears here and there from yours truly :)!

I'm going in for a massage this afternoon so hopefully the Bean will want to move on to bigger and better things besides my belly. 

Our 1st Anniversary 10.9.11

Yesterday Adam and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary!  We were expecting to be a party of 3 by now, but we got to celebrate one last date night with dinner at Table 6 (the brisket is a-m-a-z-i-n-g) and then dessert at D-bar. It was fun to reminisce over the past year and think about all that God has done, how much life has changed, and all the fun we have had along the way.

I can't help but recognize that God has been so so so gracious to Adam and I over this past year. He has provided for our e-v-e-r-y need, given us a lot of fun memories together, blessed our communication with each other, continued to show us that He is in control, and loosened our grip so we can enjoy this journey He has us on.  Even though we have experienced a lot of change in the past year, I also feel like there has been a sense of simplicity and peace in our lives and our marriage that I am so thankful for.

Adam is such a gift! He knows the depths of my brokenness and yet has shown me God's graciousness, delight and tenderness in a way that I have never experienced before. Adam has taken me on adventures, supported me, sacrificed for me, listened to me, and loved me even when I'm not the most lovable person in the room.

Last night we watched our wedding video and recommitted our vows to each other as a reminder for the year ahead of how we want to love one another. Now when I think of these vows, there is actually life experiences behind it that make them feel even more sacred than the day I first said them.

"I Amy, take you Adam to be my husband,

my faithful partner, my constant friend,

and my love from this day forward.

By God's grace and power working within me

I promise you my deepest love,

my fullest devotion, my tenderest care.

I give myself to you completely.

I offer you my solemn vow to love you without reservation,

in sickness and in health,

in plenty and in want,

to stand together in our times of joy and sorrow,

always to be open and honest with you,

to laugh with you and to cry with you

and cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

patience |ˈpāSHəns|

patience |ˈpāSHəns|noun1 the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset: you can find bargains if you have the patience to sift through the dross.2 chiefly British term for solitaire ( sense 1).
So I guess the Bean decided it didn't really like the sound of October 2 for it's birthday- which I can understand. Birthdays are a very permanent thing in a person's life, so one must choose wisely. 
In the mean time I am getting a lesson and practice sessions in patience. I had a midwife's appointment yesterday and the Bean's head is at 0 station. So now it's just a waiting game.  Yesterday I had a lot of practice labor contractions so I was hoping maybe last night would be the night. But I woke up this morning still pregnant (insert tears here) and still practicing patience.  Bonbon came in town on sunday and I'm hoping the baby arrives before she leaves!  We have made the most of our time though! We've gone on lots of walks, gone out to eat, my mom cleaned all my exterior windows, I "trimmed" a tree in our back yard with our kitchen sheers :)
To all pregnant ladies out there- being overdue is not the end of the world! It can feel disheartening at times for sure but it's not worth being anxious over. I heard lots of stories about how much more uncomfortable it is once you pass your due date, but thankfully that hasn't been my experience. I have more swelling and still have pelvic pressure- but nothing any worse than I would imagine someone who delivered on-time would feel.  But I guess since this is my first baby,  I don't have much to compare it too :) 

my view for the past few days...

So here is to all the mommas who are overdue and learning to wait graciously :) Hopefully, next time I post something, it will be a picture of our little one! 

39 weeks

Today Adam, the Bean and I had our 39 week appointment!  They asked if I wanted to be checked to see if I had progressed any but we decided to hold off until next week and see what happens. I figured if I wasn't dilated I would feel discouraged and if I was dilated I would be on high alert from here on out. So I decided to keep my sanity instead and live in the unknown- a rare decision for this nosey girl- I like to know e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.  But as the past nine months have progressed in growing this baby, hopefully I have progressed in learning how to rest and live in the unknown and the things I can't control.  

At our 38 week appointment, they did a head check with their ultrasound machine because they couldn't tell if they were feeling a really big boney butt or a head. Turns out the head is down and in position and the Bean just has a rather big bottom!  Can't wait to get a cute cloth diaper on that! Adam and I are SO SO SO excited. Did I mention we are excited?!   We can't wait to meet this little life and know what he/she looks like, what type of personality it has, what funny quirks it has, etc...

I've decided that if the Bean comes before it's due date then it takes more after me and if it comes after it's due date then it takes more after Adam. I have a family trait called the "wim-wams"- basically it's an unexplainable and instant impulse to quickly leave wherever you are and get somewhere else. Adam, on the other hand, could stay inside all day and is very content with small spaces.  We'll see how my theory plays out :) 

Our biggest prayer at this point is that we would experience God's presence and peace in the whole labor process and that we would have a healthy little baby at the end of it all. And Bean, if you could put your arms down by your side and suck in that tush- it would help a ton! 

What to say when you're 94

 My Papa turned 94 last friday and this was a little poem he wrote to celebrate the occasion :):

FRED C. ANDERSON On His 94th BIRTHDAY

Wow! I have reached the ripe old age of 94. Am I getting old? No! Not Me! In fact, I feel much

better than when I was 93!

But, something happened the other night that sure scared me. I caught the grand old reaper slipping

and snooping around my front door.

My response to him was , hit the road buster, and don’t let me catch you slipping and snooping

around my front door any more.

I’ve got news to the old man they call the grand reaper. I intend to finish 94, and with the Good Lord

willing, a whole bunch more.

I wrote this little rhyme the other day to create a few smiles and laughs on my birthday. So to

celebrate let’s have a party, tip a few, like we always do. Let’s all have fun and see if we can put them

old blues on the run.

Grandma and Papa will celebrate 71 years of marriage this year!

35 plus weeks

I should have posted these 2 weeks ago but better late than never right?!  Here's an update of the past two weeks in photo form :)

cupcakes from my baby shower

Emily and Christine were great hostesses :) 

opening gifts :)

We totally forgot to get a group pic but here are a few of us! I'm so thankful for these girls! 

My sister flew out for the shower! Jacob really wanted in the pic. 

Thanks Pam for the awesome cloth diaper cake!

35 weeks!

We just happened to be wearing blue and pink.  Kinda fitting since we don't know whether the Bean is a boy or girl.

I was so glad Sarah came out! It will be the last time we see each other before both of our babies are born! 

baby face

Happy Friday! 5 weeks left until our due date!  I cannot wait to find out whether the Bean is a boy or girl and what it looks like! I've been staring at these baby pics of Adam and I to try and get an idea but who knows! It seems like most of my friends new babies look e-x-a-c-t-l-y like their hubbies. So, for the record, I will be totally happy if our baby looks exactly like Adam :) 

Adam in all his cuteness

me in my fat roll glory