Sarah { two months }

Can you believe our little Sarah is two months old?? We can't! She grows bigger (and squirmier!) every day. We grow more in love every day. It's a win-win!

It's hard to believe that she can change so much in just a month, but I absolutely love watching her grow and become her own little person. She has developed quite a personality, laughing and smiling often. It just melts my heart when she smiles at me, not just smiling for no reason. And I think she has started to recognize Eli and I! Talk about cute!

Three weeks ago, I went back to work (tear!) and Sarah started going to a sitter three days a week. Ms. Linda goes to our church and is just wonderful with Sarah. She keeps her at her house, which is very close to our house and only about 10 minutes from my school. On Mondays and Fridays Eli keeps Sarah while he's home from school. He really enjoys this time to bond with Sarah. He's such a great Daddy!

My favorite time of the day is coming home from school and seeing Sarah. In the past week or so, she has smiled when she first sees me. You don't know how happy this makes me! My daughter knows me and loves me!

We had Sarah’s two month check up this week. She now weighs 11 pounds 6 oz and is 23 inches long. This puts her in the 75^th percentile for both weight and length. Still growing like a weed!

 

Along with her check up, she got a nice round of shots. I was really worried about these shots because of the stories I had heard from friends and family. I was anticipating a very upset, feverish baby for days after the shots, but Sarah really handled them well. Yes, she screamed (VERY loudly) when the nurse stuck her, but she calmed down quickly when I could hold her. She only had a fever that night, but after a little baby Tylenol she slept through the night and was fine the next day. I am so thankful for a content, peaceful baby. I’ve been told to enjoy it now, because our next kid will most likely be opposite!

Sarah is still eating great. Since she is at the sitter or with Eli during the days, I am pumping at work and she gets 3 bottles while I am gone. We started out giving her 3 ounces at a time, but she is now taking 4 ounces. I can tell she enjoys the bottle because it's easy and she doesn't have to work quite as hard. This makes me a little sad. I would love to nurse her exclusively, but I am thankful that I can make it work with pumping and we don't have to supplement with formula just yet.

Most of Sarah's clothes are now in the 0-3 month range. She has a few newborn things that still fit, but they won't for much longer. It's sad to think that such cute clothes have such a short lifespan, but she has bigger clothes that I can't wait to see her in! She's also moved up to size one diapers. She wore newborn diapers until she was about seven weeks. Then when she exploded out of three diapers in one day, we decided it was definitely time to move up!

Our routine has settled into a pretty consistent pattern. Eat, change diaper, play, change diaper, cry, change diaper, sleep, repeat. I'm serious on the diaper changes. This girl is not dehydrated and she hates to be in a wet or dirty diaper. As soon as the line turns blue on her diaper (aren't those diapers awesome??), she starts crying.

She has started staying awake for much longer periods, sometimes two or three hours, with little 15 minute cat naps a couple times throughout. She really doesn't sleep much during the day, which I'm not too upset about because she is a great sleeper at night. Our nighttime routine looks something like this: around 9 pm, we usually bathe her (a couple nights a week), feed her, and swaddle her. Between 10 and 11 pm, we put her in her cradle and let her fall asleep on her own. Although, about half of the nights, she has already fallen asleep in one of our arms. Then she sleeps til 5 am. I'm pretty sure she has an alarm clock hiding in her cradle because she gets up within a 10 minute window every morning without fail. This works for me though, because I can feed her, then get a shower and get ready for school while she takes another hour (or more) long nap.

She is so alert after she eats during the day. She loves to smile and has started really laughing and "talking" to us. She also talks to the animals on her swing mobile. It's so adorable to watch her. We've decided that her favorite place to be is on her changing table. It's so funny - she smiles bigger than ever when she is there. I guess she just knows that good things happen on the changing pad!

We try to do tummy time several times a day. She's fine for the first few minutes, but then quickly gets upset. I'm hoping she'll learn to enjoy being on her tummy soon so she can strengthen her neck more and start rolling over.

I've been keeping track of when her "firsts" and big milestones happen and trying to take pictures when I can. In the past month she has:

• started at the sitter
• gone to her first football game. Go CRU!
• outgrew her first outfit
• switched to size 1 diapers
• started laughing
• started "talking"
• pushed up while laying on her tummy
• stayed with both sets of grandparents while Eli and I went on dates
• celebrated her first holiday (Halloween)

We are so in love with our sweet girl. She continually reminds us how big God's love is that He would bless us with this gift.  Looking back at month one, I am amazed at how much she has changed. I look forward to month three and beyond!

Sweet Sarah, 

Oh what a joy it is to watch you grow and change. It seems like just yesterday we brought you home from the hospital, all tiny and wrinkly, and sleeping all the time. You continue to amaze me as you become who God made you to be. I love our sweet time together in the mornings when it's just you and me, with Daddy still sleeping next to us. I can't get enough of those lovely smiles! I love that you trust us to take care of you.
You have such a sweet spirit and we love you dearly. We still pray for you every night, asking God to mold you into a beautiful, godly young woman. Always know that you are loved. Always.

I love you, sweetheart. 

Love Momma

Reflections from a new mom

It's often said, but the transition into motherhood has been both one of the best and most challenging times in my life. Since the arrival of Sarah, I cannot imagine life without her. The blessings and overwhelming love I feel for her are so real.

In the seven short weeks that I have been a mom, I have learned so much more than I thought I would. I knew having Sarah would be a life-changer, but I didn't realize what all that would entail. Now that I have been through a small piece of the parenting puzzle, I can reflect back on a few things I have learned.

1) Babies are forgiving. A good friend told me this while I was pregnant and Eli has reminded me a few times since. It's something I need to hear when I think I'm not doing this parenting thing right. Sarah still loves me even when I don't realize her diaper has been wet for a while. Even when I get overwhelmed and let her cry for a little bit while I take a deep breath. Even when I accidentally clip her finger nails too short.

2) Saturdays are not for sleeping in. When baby's up, everyone is up.

3) You can't do parenting by the book. Sure you can listen to advice from every other mom, grandmother, blog, and parenting book, but in the end my baby is not their baby. No one knows her better than her Daddy and I.We may not know all the answers, but we do our best every day to learn what is best for her.

4) There isn't just one way to do things. Daddy has his own way of swaddling, diapering, burping, etc. and it's okay.

5) It's okay to cry. We are not made to feel 13 emotions at one time. And sometimes crying it out helps, even for Momma.

6) The Baby Bjorn is a wonderful invention. We've been able to grocery shop, clean house, get schoolwork done, and maintain a little more sanity because of our carrier. Eli even wore it to play XBox with his brother. Hey you gotta do what works!

 7) All schedules are tentative. As much as I've tried to get Sarah on a schedule, she is the ultimate decider of how our day goes. She really is a great baby, but we have had to work around her idea of a schedule. Just face it, you'll always be late. (Or is it just me?...)

8) Everything else can wait. I don't want to look back on this time and regret filling it with work when I could have been spending every possible minute with my baby. It really is okay to let things go. Our house is still clean, we still eat, and we still wear clean clothes.

9) Take lots of pictures. Of everything. All the time. You can normally find me with my camera close by, but now that I have a really cute baby (and a new iPhone!), hardly a day has gone by without at least a few pictures! I'll never get these days again and I want to be able to remember every detail.

10) Trust your instincts. It's strange to have a feeling and just know. But you are the mom, and you really do know best...not because you're the boss or all-knowing, but because you know your baby, better than even you realize. It's not a cliche...you just do!

11) A smile makes up for all those lost hours of sleep. It doesn't matter how much she cries, how late she wants to stay up, or what crazy hour she thinks is time to wake up. The second Sarah gives me one of those big gummy grins, my heart melts and sleep doesn't matter that much anymore. My daughter loves me. That is enough. 

12) Feet are your new hands. They are excellent at picking up burp clothes, pacifiers and rocking your baby to sleep. 

13) Mom friends rock. I would be totally lost at this point if it weren't for some great friends who are either going through the same stages or have small children. These are the ones who you can text at 2 a.m. with questions (because she's probably up feeding too). No question is too awkward or dumb. Mom friends won't judge. They are just awesome. 

14) Going back to work is hard. There is no way to sugar coat it. It really hurts. I went back last Tuesday and dreaded every minute of it. I am thankful that I have a job and I can provide for my family, but just when it seemed like I was getting (somewhat) used to being a new mom, I had to leave my baby with the sitter for a whole day. Every time I cry and dread going to work, I just have to remind myself that my family needs me. I can't be selfish. And this is what motherhood is all about.

15) I have a new appreciation for my own mom. I look at my mom in a whole new light. I now know a little of what she has gone through and endured for our family. I also know that I can count on her to be there for me when I go through every new stage because she gets it. And it makes me love her even more. 

16) It takes a village. We have been so blessed to have wonderful family and friends to support us. In the past six weeks, our friends and family have loved us by bringing meals (on many occasions), washing laundry and dishes, cleaning the house, helping us maintain some sort of sanity, and praying for us. We could not be more grateful for their love and encouragement.

17) There will always be something to worry pray about. We are continually learning how to be the best parents for Sarah. A lot of the time, this involves giving it to God. I take that back - ALL the time. Instead of worrying about things, we need to take them to the Lord who loves us so much. Being a parent won't always be easy, but who other to turn to than the greatest Father ever?


We have been entrusted with taking care of Sarah and raising her in a godly home.We will never know all the answers. We will often stumble and make mistakes. And we will always learn how to improve. I am in awe at how God created Sarah so perfectly for us. Becoming a mom has awakened a deeper and richer love in me that I didn't know was possible. I do know, though, that this love will only grow deeper when we trust God to carry us through. I am so very grateful for the opportunity to take part in God's plan for our family. I am excited to see how it unfolds!

Lovebug, your Daddy and I are learning so much about how to be your parents. Thank you for being patient and gracious with us as we try to figure this out. We love you more every day and can't wait to watch you grow. You are so loved. 

Always, Momma

Sarah { one month }

I can't believe one month has already gone by with our little girl (one month and one week, actually). In the past month Sarah has changed and grown so much and we have fallen more in love with her everyday.

When Sarah was born, she weighed 7 lbs 15 oz. When we left the hospital, she weighed 7 lbs 4 oz. Now? She is a happy, chunky 10 pounds 6 ounces! It blows my mind how much she has grown in just 5 weeks. And to be honest,  I think she's going through another growth spurt now. We've got a little weed on our hands!

Sarah eats great. Most of the time. We've had a few set backs along the way but we've made it through so far. I am nursing throughout the day and Eli feeds her a bottle at night before bed. He really enjoys this time with her and it helps her to calm down and sleep better. We've been trying to read her cues to tell us she's hungry. We think we do a pretty good job, but sometimes we miss the cues and she LETS US KNOW she is hungry! I really do think she's going through a growth spurt because she is hungry more often and takes more milk at night in her bottle. But I'm not complaining about our growing girl!

She is still mostly in newborn size clothes, with some 0-3 month onesies mixed in. However, she'll be out of her newborn clothes before too long - I actually had to take a zip-up sleeper outfit off of her today because the pants turned into capris and it was tight to snap between her legs. It's a shame too, because that was a really cute outfit!

Right now, our routine is mostly baby-led,but she's fairly consistent. She cycles between eating, playing, and sleeping. After she eats, she will usually stay awake for a good 45 minutes to an hour. This time is getting to be quite fun! She likes to look around, recline in her bouncy seat, be carried in our Baby Bjorn carrier, and make lots of really cute faces! When she is alert and content, she loves to look around at faces, lights, and our ceiling fans. Anything that moves really catches her eye. It's fun to watch her take in her surroundings. I just wish she could tell us what she thinks about it all.

She has been smiling for several weeks now, and I think she's finally smiling on purpose (not just as a reaction to gas!). She also loves to stick her tongue out, which is one of the cutest things ever! We love when she interacts with us and responds to our silly faces and noises with her own. I cannot wait for her to start laughing and giggling! I'm sure it will happen very soon!

Sarah is a wonderful sleeper! During the day, she takes shorter naps, usually around an hour long. Sometimes if she has had more stimulation, she will sleep longer, but she seems to be a big fan of those short naps. We've been working to find a good schedule for nighttime. She was going down around 11 pm and getting up between 8 and 9 am, with one feeding around 4 am. We are trying to get her to sleep earlier in the evening so when I go back to work, she'll be ready to get up earlier in the morning. Last night she actually slept from 11 pm to 6 am without waking up! I'm hoping that she will continue to sleep longer stretches at night. It was so wonderful getting a full 7 hours of sleep!

Sarah is generally a very content baby. But like a nurse in the hospital told us, "when this baby gets mad, she's gonna get MAD!" She definitely lets us know when something is bothering her, like a wet diaper, when she's hungry, or when she is sleepy. And apparently, when she is done with her photo shoot!

We are so thankful for such a wonderful baby girl. We could not imagine her being any different or any more perfect for our little family. We know God has blessed us and is continually teaching us how to love deeper and depend on Him. I am excited to watch Sarah learn, explore, and grow into the beautiful person God created her to be.

Not everything is the same each day or each week. I go back to work this Tuesday and she starts with a babysitter three days a week, so things will change again. I will admit that I’m excited to get more routine back in my life, because I only shower every other day right now and going to the grocery store is an adventure away from my typical days on the couch.

I've said it before and I'll continue to say it - aside from salvation and marrying Eli, Sarah is the best gift that we have received. Our hearts continue to grow with love for her every day and we pray that we can learn to be the best parents for her.

Sweet Sarah,

I'm so glad you became a part of our little family just over a month ago. Thank you for making me into a mommy and for blessing me with your sweet spirit every day. We keep praying for you to grow strong and healthy, physically, mentally and spiritually. We pray that we can show you the love of God each and every day. Stay sweet, baby girl. We love you more than you know.

Always, Momma

Sarah's Birth Story

I debated whether or not I wanted to publicly post Sarah's birth story. It is such a personal and special time for us and is so full of emotion. I know I will never forget the day our beautiful girl joined our family but I decided that, if for no other reason, I wanted to write it down while it is all so new so I will always remember the details. Just to let you know - this is a long story with a lot of details, some more personal than others. If you make it to the end, you're fantastic!

Early in my pregnancy, my doctor gave us the due date of August 29th. This date was so special because it's also my dad's birthday. We kept saying how neat it would be if our baby and her grandpa got to be birthday buddies! As we got further in the pregnancy, though, we started to wonder if this date would pose a problem. I know, I know - how could any particular day be a problem? Well, it turns out that my insurance renewed on September 1st, just three days after our due date. I had already paid off my deductible from the previous year and any hospital time after August 31st would count toward the new deductible (meaning insurance would cover less...) After talking to my doctor, she suggested inducing on my due date if I hadn't already gone into labor. I hoped to start labor on my own and not use any medication, but we agreed that an induction would be best to save money for our new family.

Skip forward to the end of August. Wednesday the 22nd we had our 39 week prenatal appointment. Dr. Manning checked me and it looked like our baby was just as comfy as she could be inside me. I wasn't dilated very far and she was not engaged at all. We decided to go ahead and plan for the induction the following Monday night.

On Monday, I had an appointment at 3:45 pm to have a balloon catheter inserted into my cervix to stretch it and prep for labor. Trust me when I say, this was not a comfortable procedure! I will spare you the details, but I hope that was a one-time thing and doesn't have to happen again! In some cases, this is all that is needed to start labor and the mother's body takes over and does the rest. Not my body. The catheter did what it was supposed to, but nothing more. We checked into the hospital, catheter and all, and spent our first of many nights there. Every time I had thought about giving birth, I never imagined we would have plenty of time to pack our hospital bag, just stroll into the hospital, and casually change into a hospital gown. No, this was not anything like I had planned. However, it was nice to go at a relaxed pace. Just not like I thought it would be.

Tuesday morning at 5:00, our nurse Sally came in, woke me up and said we would be starting the pitocin soon. I'm not going to lie. I was really nervous about the pitocin. I had hear that it would increase the contractions and make them closer together. On one hand, I was optimistic because this might kick it in gear and we'd get to meet our daughter sooner. I was also scared, though, because this was it. No turning back! We went ahead and started the pitocin and waited to see what happened.

At 8:30 am, Dr. Manning came in and checked me. I had only progressed to 4 cm so she broke my water to help me along. Around this time, Eli's mom and my mom showed up to the hospital. Little did they know they were in for a LONG day!

For the next several hours we played a long, drawn out waiting game. The pitocin had kicked in and contractions were pretty strong already. Going into it, I knew contractions would be painful, but it's not something you can really describe until you have gone through it.

Right before noon both of our dads came and joined our moms in the waiting room. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family to support and love us. They stayed with us and continued to encourage us throughout the day. Eli was my constant supporter all day, holding my hand when contractions became very painful, encouraging me when I thought I couldn't do it, and reminding me that our baby girl would be with us soon. Looking back now the pain was all worth it to have our daughter here and healthy, but this was by far the worst pain I have been in in my life. I tried laying in bed to fight through the contractions, but the pain in my back was too much. We brought an exercise ball with us, which helped. I sat and rocked on the ball for several hours, standing up every now and then when I could. But most of the time I rocked on the ball and held (squeezed the life out of) Eli's hands. My mom came in a few times to relieve Eli and comfort me. I needed her there and was so thankful for her. Other than those times, Eli stayed right by my side all day. He was my constant, my anchor. I could not imagine going through this without his encouragement and support.

Sally, our nurse, continued to check on me all afternoon, showing very little progress at all. My contractions were right on top of each other, coming about every two minutes and growing stronger and stronger. I was still only dilated to a 5 by 4 pm. I did not want to use an epidural, trying to keep everything as natural as I could. I knew my body was made for this and I wanted to be able to go through the process without interventions. But since I didn't start contractions on my own, and my body wasn't completely ready for labor, the contractions were stronger than they would have been without pitocin. Sally took me off the pitocin for a little bit to see if my body would take over, but the contractions only got further apart and slightly less intense. The opposite of what we needed to happen.

At 5 pm, Sally checked and I was dilated 5 cm, 90% effaced, and Sarah was at +1 station (she would need to be -4 to be born). At this point, I had been laboring very intensely for almost 12 hours and so discouraged that my body wasn't cooperating. It was starting to sink in that we might have to try more intervention to have this baby. My other nurse told me at this point I could expect to progress one centimeter for each hour of labor. But only if my body cooperated. I was so exhausted, physically and mentally, and I wasn't sure I could make it 5 more hours with this much pain. Eli and I prayed about it and decided around 6 that it was the right time to get an epidural.  At 6:30 the anesthesiologist came in and gave me the best relief I could ask for. As much as I didn't want an epidural, I could finally rest and hope that while my body relaxed, it would make more progress.

Unfortunately, when my doctor came back to check on me, my body was still not working like we had hoped. By 10 o'clock that night, I had topped out at 7.5 cm and Sarah was still not ready to come out. Her heart rate was fine, but her activity level had dropped. The nurses didn't show worry, but the pace and emotion in the room quickened a little and I was put on oxygen to wake Sarah up and get her moving. Dr. Manning mentioned a c-section for the first time at this point, but said we would up the pitocin quite a bit and watch for a couple more hours. I wasn't feeling any pain due to the epidural, but Eli and I were both scared at our next steps to have Sarah. I began to worry. What if something happens? What if she's not okay? What if I have to have a c-section? We literally poured our hearts out to the Lord, praying for strength and peace. We didn't understand what was going on, but we had to trust that God was in control.

I'm sitting here right now, tearing up as I remember how hard those few hours were. The emotions and anxiety I felt then were stronger than the pain I had felt earlier. I did not want to have a c-section, but more than that I just wanted my baby to be healthy and safe. I was reminded of the story in the Bible of the boy who was demon possessed. His father begged Jesus to heal his son. He spoke a powerful line, "I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief." I felt his pain at that point. I knew Father could protect Sarah, but I struggled to fully grasp it. I don't think I have prayed as hard as I did that night. But we are told to cast ALL our cares on him because he cares for us. And he did protect us.

My plans for this birth were simple: go into labor on my own, push through contractions without an epidural, and have a natural birth. The funny thing is, nothing happened like we planned.

But God's plans are bigger.

At 1:00 Wednesday morning, Dr. Manning came in my room one last time to check me. My mom and mother-in-law had come in to relieve Eli and keep me company. I asked them to step in the hallway while I was checked. I was still at a 7.5 and had not made any progress since 10 pm. She looked at me and said very calmly, "I think it's time to have a birthday party for this girl. We need to do a c-section." I just remember feeling alone and a little helpless. I asked for Eli to come back and when he did, the nurses threw a gown, hair net, and foot covers at him. He was just as shocked as I was and had no idea what was going on, but we knew this was the best thing for Sarah.

I was wheeled down the hallway to the OR and prepped for my surgery. Every emotion rushed through me as I realized what was about to happen. But God was in control. Eli had to wait outside while they made the first incision to make sure I was completely numbed. When Eli was allowed to come back in, my emotions switched from anxiety and worry to excitement and anticipation. My whole body was shaking from the adrenaline and pitocin running through my body, but I trusted my doctors and nurses. I knew everything would be okay. It also helped a lot that the whole operating team was singing to Bon Jovi on the radio and talking about their weekend plans!

After what seemed like hours but was actually only a few minutes, Dr. Manning said, "Alright, you're going to feel a lot of pressure..." The next thing I heard was the most beautiful, loud cry from Sarah as they pulled her out. She was here! At 1:59 am on August 29th, Sarah Elizabeth Jackson entered the world. My heart swelled with more love than I knew I was capable of. I was now a mom.

As they were cleaning me and stitching me up, one nurse asked Eli if he wanted to go see her and take pictures while they cleaned her up. I'm so glad he got these!

She had some great lungs right from the start!

I could hear everything going on, but I hadn't gotten to see Sarah yet because of the silly curtain in my face. Finally, Eli was allowed to bring her over by my head. I was so in love. In love with our beautiful daughter and in love with Eli, seeing him as a Daddy for the first time.

Our first time as a family of three. 

Our sweet baby girl

Eli, Sarah, and the nurses went to the recovery room while the doctors finished working on me. Around 2:30, I got to see Sarah and hold her finally. This was such a precious time that I will never forget. My mom told me earlier that I would forget all the pain as soon as I got to hold her. While I still remember the pain, it was definitely all worth it for her!

I was worried about having a c-section, but I am reminded every time I see my incision scar of the fight I fought for my child. I guess you could say it is my little battle scar. It is something that is very important to me and it reminds me that we belong together and God is always in control, whether we see it or not. 

After it was all finished, nothing went the way we planned, but like I've said and I'll keep saying it, God's plan is so much bigger.

My precious Sarah, 

I cannot explain how blessed your Daddy and I are to have you here with us finally. Your birth day was one of the most challenging, yet absolutely wonderful days in our life so far. Our love for you is something we will never be able to explain or comprehend. And it will only grow stronger. We have been praying for you for over two years and will continue to pray as you grow into the beautiful, smart, godly woman God designed you to be. Thank you for making us parents and for being patient as we learn how to raise you. I am excited to watch you grow and spend life in awe of our God who created you so perfectly for our little family. We love you more than you know.

Love always, Momma

Sarah Elizabeth

I can't believe it's been almost three weeks since our baby girl joined our family! Some days, it seems like I've known her forever and some days I can't wrap my head around this new adventure we're taking part in. Either way, we are so blessed to have a beautiful, healthy daughter to call our own. God is so good!

I've been wanting to put up a post for about a week and a half now, but our internet has been out at home for almost that long... Wonderful time for the internet to not work, right? It's not like I'm at home ALL day with a baby who sleeps great or anything. I've watched entirely too much TV and would really love just a little connection to the world. You never realize how much you enjoy technology until you don't have it. So I'm taking advantage of a little time at the in-laws and writing a short update about our little family.

If you're reading this, you probably already know that little Sarah Elizabeth joined us on August 29th at 1:59 am. We were so ecstatic to finally have her in our arms after a very long, difficult labor. When she was born, she was 7 pounds 15 ounces and 20 inches long. We might be a little biased, but we think God did a pretty amazing job in creating her!

Going through my pregnancy, I planned to have as natural a birth as possible. I'm glad, however, that God's plans are better than my own. I'll write more later on how Sarah came into the world, but to make a long story short, her birth was anything but natural. After being induced, 20 hours of labor, an epidural, and a c-section, Sarah made her grand entrance! God definitely took care of us and gave us a beautiful, healthy baby. We are so grateful and blessed.

 Thank you to everyone who prayed for us along the way and during our time at the hospital. We are blessed to have friends and family who love and support us. When we get out internet working again (or when we steal someone else's), I'll write more and share lots of pictures!

maternity pictures

About a month ago, we made the trip up to Stephenville and, in between a baby shower, buying a new car, a wedding, and seeing family, we managed to squeeze in a quick maternity photo session with Mikka Hill. She posted some of the pictures on her website shortly after, and sent the rest on a disc to us.

I am so in love with these pictures! Mikka was amazing and really knows how to connect and take awesome pictures!

Here are a few of our favorites (but I have to admit, it was really hard to narrow it down. She did such a good job!)

** Spoiler alert... If you haven't read this post yet, read it first so you know her name before you see these pictures!

I think this is my absolute favorite!

Our next family pictures will include a sweet little cuddly baby. I really cannot wait!