well, hey there.

i'm back. :)
we've been without the internets for almost 2 weeks and i'm starting to get a nervous tick.

almost 2 weeks ago, lighting {we think} took out our computer, modem & wireless router.
it's been quite the process to get all of those things back.
finally got internet back today . . . after spending 2 glorious hours on the phone with the internet peeps yesterday and then having a service tech come out today.
our new laptop is en route as i type.
and hopefully we'll secure a new router sometime this weekend.
sigh...it's been a process.
 silver lining...i get a laptop. :)

 i feel super out of the loop on reading all my favey blogs....i foresee a fun weekend of catching up on said blogs.

i had 2 friends loan me their moby wraps.
holy cow.
the moby just changed my life.
i had a sling from when sawyer was a baby.
it looked similar to a moby so i didn't think it would be any different.
ummmm, it is.
there is something magical about that big ol' piece of stretchy fabric.
i got it wednesday and life has been good since wednesday.
little ruby girl loves loves loves to be held....at all times.
when i put her in the moby, she is out...like out, out.
thank you, Jesus.
it's the little things, right?

so i feel like i'm coming up out of the just-had-a-baby fog a little bit.
like i am over the first hump.
and i feel like i'm gonna make it.
i think the next leap will come when she sleeps through the night....lets hope it's in a manner of weeks and not years like one of my dear children.

we watched pride and prejudice last night.
i always loved that book.
the movie was great...you should watch it.
aj even enjoyed it, which is saying something.

i think i'm finally getting over this dang cold that has plagued me for 2 weeks.
not the greatest timing...but i guess there's no good time to get a cold. 

so. happy. it's friday.
looking forward to some fun time with family and friends.
hope you all have a lovely weekend.....



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i'm alive

....and totally disconnected. last week was a doozy. It started Sunday night with a strike of lightning taking out our computer and wireless router in one fell swoop. so.. I haven't had a computer or wifi all week....still don't. I've had a gnarly cold all week. I won't bore you with the details....it's just been one of those weeks. And I am seriously having blog/pinterest withdrawals. i'll be back soon....I have a fun tutorial coming! Pin It

instafriday

wow, it's friday already....this one went really fast.

monday morning sawyer had an eye doctor appointment.
i think he really liked the extra attention.

he's been in many a doctor's office because of his arthritis. 
he has always been a stellar patient....thankful for that.

i wore ruby in the sling for the first time.
we both loved it.

love her scrawny little legs.

sawyer loves to play games.
i am working to slow myself down and play with him.
i know it's most important....but it is still hard for me to sit still.
his playmates are now at school five days a week . . .  i am now his main playmate. 
i'm choosing a slower pace of life these days.

we adopted a sweet, one year old doggy this week.
a little mending for my boys' broken hearts.
his eyes are so dark you can't even see them.
so far, so good.

old richard scarry busy people video buys me half an hour to throw in some laundry & put breakfast away.
love those sweet, little feetsies.

this makes me happy.

jeannett asked us to link up something we love.
i love this cup.

yes, it's a cup.
my bff, erin, brought it to me at the hospital.
that is the perfect hospital gift.
i have become attached to this cup and i promise it has caused me to drink gallons of water over the last few weeks.
i can't explain it, but i love it.


lastly, i want to say thank you to all my sweet readers.
thank you for your comments.
i love them.
i read every one.
i'm sorry i don't always respond....but they mean so much and keep me writing....so thanks. :)


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watch these.

happy thursday, friends.
just wanted to share a couple of videos with you for your viewing pleasure.

there are so many, many stories from 9/11.
this is one of them.  very touching.




and then, one of my very favorite youtube videos.
just try to listen to this song and not raise your hands.



oh mercy, i love an old hymn sung well. 
that's a little bit of heaven, i tell you.



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today.

i love this little three week old girly.
people ask me how i'm doing.
i'm doing pretty good.
i'm tired, obviously.
sometimes ruby is a super easy baby.....she sleeps super hard and nothing disturbs her.
other times.... she gets pretty fussy and can't fall asleep or stay alseep and i can't figure out what to do to help her.
we're just figuring each other out i guess.
some of my favorite times with her, even though i'm not getting good sleep, are in the middle of the night, when she's snuggled up close, sleeping beside me.
she's so warm and cuddly.
i love it.

i still feel like i'm in a bit of a fog as far as juggling life.
and i'm not even having to cook yet.
our wonderful community of friends and family and church are providing meals for us.
that is huge.
i feel like i'm not accomplishing much of anything in a day and that's hard for me.
i'm trying to let stuff go and do what's most important..... and give myself a break.
i know that it's more important for me to stop and look in sawyer's eyes and play a game with him, than it is to have clean sheets on the beds or every toy picked up.
it's definitely an adjustment to go back to the baby stage . . . a slowing down of my pace.
but it's good. so, so good.


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a wreath for fall.

i love a good wreath.
in the wee hours of the morning when i am up nursing a newborn, i scroll through pinterest on my phone.
it keeps me sane, y'all.
i got total midnight inspiration to bring some fall color into our home with a new wreath.

if you go to pinterest {you can click my P link up there >>>>} and search for yarn wreath & felt flowers, you can find a bunch o' tutorials. 

basically, the jist of it is, you wrap and wrap and wrap yarn around a wreath form...no gluing on that part.
then you make yourself some flowers and hot glue them on.
i picked up a 14" straw wreath, mustard yellow yarn and a few sheets of felt from joann's to make mine.
fyi: if you use a straw wreath {which i recommend} don't take the plastic off....just wrap the yarn right around the wreath form as is.

we have this little area in the back of our living room that has the boys' shoe bin in front of an old door {that used to be in sawyer's nursery}.
the door needed something.

it's just a happy little pop of color over here. love it.

see? pinterest is good for something.
that's for all you naysayers out there. ;)
it's time to get on the pinterest bandwagon, people.


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her birth story

august 23rd finally came. 

after days and days of counting down on our kitchen chalk board, it was finally time to meet our ruby jane.

we had to be at the hospital at 6 am.

we rolled up at 6:10.  typical.

we were so so excited.
we checked in and i got to change into my sassy hospital gown, robe & bright yellow socks.

over the next couple of hours, i was monitored and prepped for surgery.
i really do not enjoy getting the i.v.
pretty quickly after they gave me the i.v., i started feeling really panicky and wanting this part to be over with.
the reality of what was about to happen {major surgery while i'm awake} started to sink and i was a ball of nerves. 
the nurse brought me a warm blanket and i tried to relax. 

it was finally time to go into the OR.
aj walked with me down the hall while i rode on the gurney. 
he held my hand and gave me a kiss before we parted ways.
the nurses got my big self all situated on the bed in the OR.
that is always such a weird feeling....being in such a steril, unknown room, wondering how it's all going to go.

i held a sweet, older nurse's hands and i'm pretty sure squeezed them way too hard while the anesthesiologist gave me the spinal.
mercy, i didn't remember it hurting that bad before.
but, i'm a good patient and didn't say a word, just took deep breaths.
i feel like i've gotten tougher over the years and am able to handle a lot more pain than i used to.
they quickly laid me down on the table and got to work getting me all ready.
the blue sheet went up and more and more people were showing up in the room.
i was so ready for aj to get there.
i could feel them messing with me and i asked the anesthesiologist to make sure i was good and numb because it took a while for me to get numb on my last c-section. 
he upped the dosage of spinal to account for that.

i started feeling like i could. not. breathe.
i could not take a deep breath for anything and i could not breathe out of my nose at all.
the anesthesiologist said that is because of the extra spinal....something about my diaphragm being numb and tricking my brain into thinking that i couldn't breathe.
he said he was watching my levels and i was breathing just fine.
well i still felt like i couldn't breathe so that was pretty rough. 
i spent the entire time until i got to recovery, taking little bitty shallow breaths and wishing i could get one deep breath.

finally aj came in and i was so relieved.
the first thing i said to him was, "i don't ever want to do this again."
he made a play list for delivery day called, "welcome ruby."
he put the ipod on the bed right next to my ear so i could focus on that.
it helped so, so much.
i just turned my head towards the music and tried to fill my thoughts with the words of the song and ignore everything going on around me.

aj kept encouraging me and telling me i was doing good.
and then all of a sudden, just as all creatures of our god and king, was playing on the ipod, she was born.
it was an amazing moment and the perfect song for that moment.
my first words, "is she still a girl??"
the doctor said, "100% girl." :)
then he did the coolest thing, he said, "i'm about to come around with the baby, reach out your hand and you can touch her."
i got to caress her sweet head, right after delivery....something i was never able to do with my boys.
that was such a sweet moment.

then they took her over to the table and aj went over there to watch.
i listened to the music, listened to her first cries, and thanked Jesus for our sweet, precious, perfect gift.
pretty soon, aj brought her back over to me, all bundled up for me to love and kiss on.
i just kissed her sweet face over and over and told her i loved her

it seemed like it took forever for them to get finished stitching me all back up. 
then they put my numb self back on the gurney and took me to recovery.
i honestly have no recollection of recovery.
when it was time, they took me to our room and pretty soon after, they brought my ruby jane.

it was so wonderful to finally get to meet and hold our precious daughter.

she was really sleepy but she nursed like a pro right away.
pretty soon, family and friends started filtering in.
my precious daddy prayed a blessing over our girl.

ruby and i slept on and off throughout the day.

it was so good to have the c-section over with, have our daughter, know that she was safe and begin the process of recovery.

 

 in the afternoon, my boys came up to meet their sister. 

it was so sweet to watch them each hold her.

they had prayed for her and anticipated her arrival just as much as we had.

the first picture of our family of six. :)

the day of ruby's birth was such a wonderful day that i will treasure.

my phone buzzed all day with texts and messages from people congratulating and letting us know they were praying.

we felt so loved and we know that it went so well because of all the prayers on our behalf.

The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy   ~Psalm 126:3

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instafriday

hey there.... hip, hip horray, it's friday.
which means it's time for my weekly roundup o' cell phone pics. . . i.e.: instafriday .
you should join the instafun over at life rearranged. all the cool kids are doing it.
:)



last weekend all of aj's family came here.
his dad, {his mom was already here}, his two sisters and their families.
it was crazy and fun.
we always have a blast with them.

our brother-in-law chris, showed up with a sweet stache.

i hope he keeps it forever. it is awesome.

it was beautiful on saturday.
ruby and i hung out in the shade while everyone swam.
it was good for us to get out and breathe some fresh air after spending over a week inside. 

how adorable does she look in her little sun suit?! :)

my husband is a very frugal guy....he grew up mennonite if that tells you anything.
he rarely spends money on himself and usually i have to make him.
he works at a bank and keeps a close eye on our finances.
but i am his weakness, i tell you.
we were walking by the candles in target on monday and i said something like, oh those smell so good. he looked over and said, "get one." :)
he just makes me so happy, that guy.
he spoils me rotten all the time.

i have been burning it every day.
i usually have a candle burning pretty much all of fall and winter.
it's cooled down here after our heat wave summer.
my windows are open all day and that combined with this fally smelling candle is just pure happy.


so little ruby girl is a little sleepy head.
a cutie cutie pumkin pie sleepy head.
when she's out, she's out.  she's cuddly and warm and i love to just sit and hold her sleepy self.
i did that all week last week.
this week has been my first week on my own, without family help.
it's actually gone really well.
you'd think with my two big boys at school every day i'd have all this free time.
nope.
a 2 year old and 2 week old will give you a run for your money.
it took me until 11:00 today to get a shower and get the 3 of us dressed.
we definitley haven't figured out our new "normal" yet.
i'm trying to just slow down, relax and be okay with things taking a lot longer.
i want to be in the moment with these sweet kids and lower my standards of what needs to get done.

see our little moxie dog in that picture?  ^
she got hit and killed by a car this week.  :(
so, so sad.  especially for my boys who had grown so attached to her in the few short weeks that she'd been here.
she was such a good, sweet dog, so this has been pretty tough.
but the boys are troopers and we've had many good conversations about Jesus and Heaven and pain and suffering.

sawyer started mother's day out yesterday.
he was so. ready.
he'd been talking about his school for weeks.

he was pumped to wear his backpack and carry his lunch box.

okay now, guess what i'm gonna make if i ever get a moment to myself again slash ever have the brain power to concentrate on anything again?

does anyone else find it strange that vanna has a line of yarn??

okay peeps, if you made it this far, 1000 points to you.
happy weekend, friends! Pin It

nursery {and life} update

hi y'all.

thank you all for your sweet comments, well wishes, and prayers for us the last couple of weeks.
they mean so much.
i have sure seen God's faithfulness and care for me lately.
and i fully believe that things have gone so well because so many people have been praying for us.
so thank you....so, so much.



i want to show you a beautiful addition to ruby's nursery.
my dear friend, ashley painted this gorgeous canvas for her.

i. love. it.
it is perfect.
this verse is very special to me because my daddy wrote this verse for me in my Bible years ago.
i have always held onto this verse and found it to be so very true.
God has overwhelmed me with the desires of my heart . .  . over and over again.
a huge part of this verse is delighting in the Lord simply because of who He is.
He wants us to enjoy Him and be with Him.
we don't always receive our desires, but it sure is wonderful when we do.
ruby is one of the desires of my heart and i want her to spend her life fully delighting in her Savior.
i want her to taste and see that the Lord is good {psalm 34:8}.

ashley is so talented.... these pictures don't do the canvas justice.
i love the colors.
i love the hint of florals. 
i love the gold details.

ashley brought it to the hospital and we had it up in our room while we were there.
so many nurses commented on it and what a great verse it was. :)

ashley paints custom canvases and other adorable items...you should check out her shop. :)


and now to leave you with a photo that i looooove of ruby and her daddy.
she is just a week old in this photo.

 i love how little she looks in his big, strong hands.

this is how she keeps her feet all the time...tucked up under her and usually crossed at the ankles.
she had her ankles crossed on the ultrasound so it's amazing to think of her all tucked inside me like that.
she's such a little lady. :) Pin It

instafriday

it's already time for instafriday again.
my life currently consists of sitting on the couch, recovering from my 4th c-section, and feeding a sweet little girly baby.
life feels weird and strange right now.....but it's good and sweet.
i'm trying to soak up these moments with my girl because all too soon i will be on my own again, learning to be a mom of four. 

so here's a little glimpse at our week as seen through the lens o' my cell phone.



waking up with my baby girl on our first morning home.
she's so cuddly.  :)

we took a little drive and thankfully she is friends with the car seat. 
she passed. out. 

sweet, sleeping girl.
her wrists are so dainty.

grandma is here.
praise Jesus. 
sawyer is getting lots of playtime and attention.

she's awake!
she watches so intently when i talk and sing to her....love that.

this is my daily view from my recovering from c-section hang out.
and look, i have ankles!

my birthday was wednesday.
aj surprised me and popped by in the middle of the day with flowers. 
he said he thought i needed a little attention. 
i did. 

i actually left the house that night and we went out to eat for my bday.
my sweet four boys enjoying my birthday dessert.  :)

my avery has prayed for a baby sister for years.
he loves her so.

join the insta-partay here. 

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