How We Spent Our 12th Anniversary (and loved every minute of it !)

Welcoming the latest addition, our precious...

Bryce Endurance!

Happy Birthday little buddy!
Happy Anniversary dearest husband!


Our littlest Bug was born at 4:04am this morning; at home; attended by Daddy as able midwife, and two dear, precious friends - the hands that served us as Christ would have done if He were there in the flesh.



























I don't know how much he weighs yet, or how long he is. We don't have a scale handy, but we're betting he's around 8 lbs. 4 ounces.

Here are some other things we noticed:

He sleeps.












He has only pried his eyes open a couple times today.

He is rolly polly,












pink,













loaded with dark hair,

healthy,












strong,

and perfect in every way.

That's enough for us!

The children slept through it all and baby brother Bryce was cozied up beside me when they awoke this morning.
They were in and out of the room all day to get acquainted.

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Last Little Bit of Getting Ready

This is my beloved Great Guy, AJ.

















And how he spent his day today.
















For me.


I have been requesting some sort of co-sleeper for the baby, so our baby could sleep closer to us without being smothered. (AJ is a sound sleeper and I often pry his elbow out of my eye!)












Without a pattern and going only on my description, this is what he turned out.












Be jealous O' my friends! He really IS the best husband :-) And on the eve of our anniversary - just in time for baby!!

















Come ON Baby Bug!! We're ready for you now!

Girlie Stuff

Where were my daughters 12 years ago today, when I was readying myself for a wedding?

















My own wedding - the first day in a marriage of the greatest joy and bliss to my friend and beloved.

On this day 12 years ago we were setting up chairs in my parents yard; decorating with garden flowers and colorful banners.

I know a couple little girls today, that would have lent some lovely touches here and there...
Where were they 12 years ago?










I think I painted my nails but didn't have much experience there. I painted them white (?!).
I think my daughters would have helped me a lot in that department. A LOT.

This morning we all four had toenail makeovers complete with little flowery decals.
Before Daughters I didn't even know such things existed. Where were these prim princesses 12 years ago?

I washed my waist-length hair and let it air dry this day 12 years ago.
On the morning of my wedding I added a few curls, swept it back from my face and adorned my head with a crown of dried Roses I made from a bouquet AJ had given me some months before.

Look though, at the deftness with which Susanna Glory wove these wild Sunflowers into my hair today! Where was she 12 years ago?













My flower girls were darling - white and lavender, and periwinkle blue! But these my daughters... they spell femininity even in overalls.
Where were they 12 years ago?

















My daughters weren't yet a twinkle in their daddy's eye, but they were dreamed of by me.

I just never imagined such grace and beauty. So much PINK and PURPLE around the house.
I never imagined THREE (that I know of;-))!

On this day 12 years ago I was just beginning to learn the art of being a lady.
Of not wearing overly large plaid flannel shirts, and being comfortable loving the delicate and colorful; the flamboyant and festive. I never had red toenails with flowers on them, nor tied a purple silk sash around my waist. I didn't wear jewelry, but every little piece I own today is seen in a way I never saw it before.

These precious ones weren't in the picture 12 years ago and that's a very good thing!
However, from the vantage point of today, I look back on that time in my life a little differently.
Through Rose tinted glasses, if you will.
It was a lovely, LOVELY, and momentous time. I cherish all my delightful memories, but today?
Along with my beloved husband, I have two handsome and daring sons, and daughters...

Three lovely daughters.












Happy is the woman with a beautiful past, but happier is she who lives fully and wondrously in today!

I do, and it is delicious!

Dreaming of Our Baby Bug

Gramsie sent stuff for our baby.

Gramsie is always loving the new ones ahead of their arrival (and loving momma too!) so here is Carolina showing me (again) the darling two Jammie's she sent for "if it's a boy" and the sweet two Jammie's she sent for "if it's a girl".

















Then there are the shoes...

Don't you know that every newborn needs a fancy-dancy pair of tiny shoes?
Well they do. At least in our family, and here Carolina models those too :-)

















Amongst the pictures I didn't take but should have, is a perfectly lovely receiving blanket that Gramsie (AJ's mom) made for our little one. You will see it in later photos I'm sure, but it is wonderful!
She made it out of two flannels and crocheted an edge all around it. It's very sweet, and will be none too feminine if we have a boy:-)

I took a poll this evening, and discovered that most of us think BOY, and Susanna and Dad think GIRL. Uncle Wyatt wouldn't commit to a vote!

I hope we'll be knowing soon. I'm being so good and patient!

Why I LOVE Home Schooling!

(What teacher's heart swells with pride and tender feelings more than a mothers?)

Waiting....... . . .

Zachary asked me to join him drawing today.
He's more into the jungle scenes, so if I really want to oblige him that's the next thing I'll be drawing;-)

It was lovely to sit with him on the couch - we two with our clipboards and pencils.

That recent blog hop inspired me to pick up my drawing implements and see what the creative juices might bring forth. THIS is what is at the front of my mind lately (a bit all-consuming I admit), so my picture came effortlessly today.
Zack, on the other hand, drew and erased a whole picture in the time I drew mine. He's a bit more of a perfectionist!

My Carolina Draws

How perfectly wonderful to see the children do their own thing.
And how amazing to watch them do the same thing different ways!

I gave little Carolina a box of her own crayons along with each of her sisters.
I have been impressed at how she takes one crayon out, draws with it, puts it back, and takes another color, and on it goes until she is satisfied with the amount of scribbling she has done.

Today she actually asked me for "pay-puh momma?" and when I got it for her and placed her in her seat, it was the first time I heard her chirp "aink -you momma!"



I don't remember any of my other little Bugs getting this much color and variety on the paper at this age.











I think they are beautiful!

What is THIS?!!

Are you sure you want to ask?

The children were curious too and wanted to know WHY I was putting a toilet seat on a perfectly good chair. That brought up some interesting conversation!

I bet a few of you can guess;-)

This is my custom made birthing stool.
Technically I didn't make much of it, but I am proud of my handiness and ingenuity.
I bought this darling chair and a matching night stand while thrifting last week with Mrs Smith and ten children. I needed a night stand; and I intended to find a chair I could hack down for the birth stool purpose, but this one was sturdy and oh so cute! I couldn't bare to hack into it, so decided to make it work like this and recover and replace the seat after I'm done using it as a birthing stool.

I have used birthing stools a few times in the past (more along these lines) and I really like them. There are several reasons I like to use a chair of this sort during labor, but the main one is that I normally have pretty intense back labor.
If I am sitting up AJ is able to put downward pressure on my back where I need it, which greatly eases the pain.

Obviously this chair has a back so it will be interesting to see if it works well for this purpose, but perhaps I can turn around? I'll have to tell later if it was a success or not.
If not, no love lost - I still have a darling little chair for my bedroom.

And if all else fails?

We can use it like it is... in Idaho ;-D
















Before













After

39 Weeks...

I am feeling ready..
The nesting instinct is just amazing! I have been running full steam ahead the last week or so, and yesterday got things together enough that I feel truly ready for labor to commence.

If you can believe it, we have names picked out! You will have to wait a bit longer to hear what it is, but I am hoping not much longer:-)

Our twelfth anniversary is on September 20th, and Susanna's fifth birthday is on the 27th. Baby's due date is the 24th, and while I would prefer he/she has their own date... I wouldn't hold off just for that!
There are a number of other September dates we could aim for though: Mom and Dad's anniversary (today!! - Hey, that sounds good to me!), Uncle Ben-the-policeman's birthday on the 21st, my moms birthday on the 22nd...

I'll be posting more pictures of this and that, and some thoughts as my time draws near. This picture was MY sweet little yard sale find from last weeks excursion (50 cents). It just seemed right for this season, and I hoped there might be a perfect place to hang it near the baby supplies or something. For now I've been enjoying it by my desk.

















On the count-down now!!

Yikes! Boys - Sheesh!

Home from Church on Sunday, Daddy spots this guy in the middle of the driveway.
As he places the van in Park, Zachary flings open the sliding door, jumps out of the barely stopped vehicle, and beats dad to the chase.

Snatching up the (very long) slithering creature by it's tail, he proves he is a seasoned pro!












I looked at my husband with raised eyebrows "well? It seems that some of our training with that child has been successful!"

Zachary is all boy, but he is a fellow with fears that manifest themselves in a cloak of caution. Caution is good. Fear is debilitating.
As a wonderfully perceptive daddy, my Great Guy has been helping the children overcome their fears.
As a wise momma, I spend that time working very hard to keep my oar out ;-)












Daddy has been teaching the boys that man has dominion over all the beasts of the earth - God has given that privilege to man - even if the beasts have large teeth and claws (or are long, slithery, hissing...)

This Summer Zack was catching pint sized slitherers in Idaho on his very own initiative, but this particular Sunday my heart swelled with pride. He wrangled that big snake with no prompting. A snake longer that his own little self!
The boys know how to identify poisonous critters of the snaky variety, and this , we believe is a Bull snake, or Gopher snake.

I on the other hand, did not mind watching from the car ;-)