Conversation with a monkey ...

Home ... sweet ... home

We have moved into a home ... our home that we've owned for 2 years and finally are enjoying it again! I love it!!



We have so much more room ... probably double the size of our last apartment. We have a front porch that looks out on farm land & some green rolling hills (and some apartments but they are pretty and new and a little bit away). We bought two beautiful white rockers to give us a way to enjoy our front porch even more.


We also a have a great view of fields, trees and "mountains" out back which should never be obstructed because the interstate is just beyond/below us. We'll be putting in a little white picket fence to give Jude some playing boundaries. It will be a tiny little yard but oh so much fun!

I also am LOVING have my own non-coin operated washer and dryer! Praise the Lord!!



I've enjoyed planting flowers in window boxes that we attached to the front porch railings. I also planted some bright fun flowers/plants in teracotta pots for the front and the back patio.

There's something about having a home that you can call your own. I love it! :)

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I saw this on a friend's blog and I LOVE this dress! This dress company is really unique and I really appreciate their desire to make really feminine dresses with modesty in mind. Check out Shabby Apple and enjoy the beauty of the feminine side! :)

Loving it ...

I have been loving this Spring.

I have loved having a baby during this time of year. I'm not sure if it's the weather or just having a sweet little girl who has been a really good baby, but I have not had ANY baby blues this time around. Praise the Lord! I have woken up every morning with more energy than I've expected and most of the days are just filled with a positive mood.

I have really enjoyed having a toddler AND a newborn.

Who says things like that?! (especially after the last picture!)

But it's true!!

I was not expecting the peace and enjoyment I've had as I've moved through my days taking care of two. God has been SO good to give me much grace. I was VERY much dreading this life change and now I almost like it better!

It's been sweet to have Jude who understands most of what I tell him... (as you can see by the picture above)...

and makes life interesting with all his discoveries and wonderment...

AND

... to have little Naomi who needs me in a different sort of way and is already showering me with smiles and coos. I am just so blessed!

Mother of two ...

I have been a mother of two children for 3 and half weeks now!


I was blessed to have my mom stay with us for 2 weeks and then my sister-in-law, Jill, for a week. It was a sweet time of fellowship, resting, and preparing for the time when I began to fly solo with these two munchkins. So today marks the third day of being on my own (of course Josh has been here too and he is such a HUGE help in the evenings after he gets home from work).

The first day was definitely a crash course of learning how to discipline a year and half year old while trying to feed my 3 week old at the same time. Jude is a smart cookie ... he knows when I am not mobile and when I get mobile he gets moving too! :) But (praise the Lord!!) these last two days have been MUCH better. Jude is a kid of routine ... so I having been praying for a routine that will work for all of us. As of right now we do have what seems to be a new nap time established and both the kids have slept during this time giving me time to rest with Jesus, take a shower, paint my toe nails (hey! with this warm flip flop weather ... pretty painted toe nails are important!), check my email and catch up on a few blogs I've missed these past several weeks, laundry, packing (we're moving to our townhouse next month ... wahoo!), and many more things. It sounds like I'm getting a lot done but really it's been slow going. Yesterday all I was able to accomplish was a devotion, a shower, and painting my nails. But I am SO thankful.

Thanks for all your prayers for our little growing family. Naomi continues to be a sweetheart. She loves being held and is still doing that newborn curl up in a ball on your shoulder thing (which is adorable!). She is a great eater and has been putting on weight like a champ. As far as sleeping at night, at this point she is eating about every 3 hours and will usually fall right back to sleep after she's burped. She continues to be very alert when she's awake and today I swear she was really focused on watching Jude as he pointed out things in a book he chose to "read" to her. Her eyes were practically glued to his face. It was so sweet! I think she admires him already.

Well, it's late and Naomi and I are going to hit a HUGE annual yard sale early in the AM tomorrow. I'm excited ... yard sale season here we come!! :)

Easter Pictures with a New Addition

The family together for our first Easter



Naomi Sleeping



Naomi Awake



Naomi spending time with Big Brother Jude



Jude is pretty excited about this little girl.



No, this is not a baby doll, she is OUR Baby-doll

NAOMI JOY

Today- April 8th 2009 at 12:15pm Naomi Joy came into the world.
She weighs a little more than her older brother when she was born.
She weighs 6.62 lbs. and is 18 inches long.
I was privileged to be in the operating room when Naomi was brought into the world. She was wide-eyed and vocal from the get go.
I will give another update with more pictures soon.

More pictures...

peek-a-boo