Clara Irene

Clara Irene joined our family at 6:33 p.m. on June 24th! She weighed 5 pounds 10 ounces and was 18 3/4 inches long. We are all smitten with our baby girl, and adjusting to life with THREE babies!

Noelle is so excited that she gets a little sister, and will often ask if she can just sit and watch the baby. And Jonah's little voice telling people that this is our baby, and calling her baby Clara is so incredibly sweet. I love seeing them in the roll of big sister (again) and big brother.

The journey it took to get to this point has just made me extra aware and grateful for what we've been given. Every single baby is such a huge blessing, and my heart it so full knowing that Clara was God's plan for us all along. Even though I struggled with the emotions of infertility and trusting God, this is exactly what He wanted for us. It's certainly not the journey I would have chosen, but in His grace, He knew exactly what we needed to go through.

So far (5 days in) this has been our easiest transition with a newborn. We are SO thankful for how everything is going. Even in the hospital, she only fussed if she was hungry, or if she just wanted to be cuddled a bit. She's fought nursing here and there, and like we planned, we're supplementing with formula. But each day she's definitely getting better about nursing, and I'm pumping to keep up my supply. At her first pediatric appointment yesterday the doctor was pleased with her two ounce weight gain (up to 5 pounds 5 ounces), and how she looked overall. We're tired of course, but overall, she's already sleeping better than Jonah was at six months (#problemchild). I know that things can, and most likely will, get more difficult, but for now we're just soaking it up!

all the cousins!

Five Things

We've been keeping ourselves busy as we await the arrival of baby W! Some days I get through the day without thinking too much about it, but the closer we get, the more I dwell on how it really could be any moment. Like our due date is now 4 days away. Thankfully, this is the most physically comfortable I've been at the end of a pregnancy, which I think helps me a lot with not feeling as impatient. I've been able to walk in the mornings, and moving my body is so important to me and makes me feel so much better overall. With the other two I could hardly move at this point because of back pain (Noelle) or ankle pain (Jonah), so I'm thankful to be able to take one day at a time and move my body still!

one.

This past Wednesday was our first one without Holden. Mostly it was because I had kindergarten testing for Noelle and didn't want to worry about having both boys with me. But it worked out well because Jonah was a disaster all day on Wednesday and even with God's grace, I was still pretty cranky about it. (#truth) BUT usually we love having Holden be a part of our days- even Noelle and Jonah get excited to see him in the mornings he's here. And of course he fits right into our day, running errands and hanging out together. 

two.
Last Friday we met up with a few friends at a conservancy nearby to wander around saying hi to the goats, playing on the natural playground, visiting the little science center, and enjoying a picnic lunch together. It was fun for the kids, and I enjoyed being able to connect with some mama friends I hadn't really talked with in awhile. It's amazing how quickly over two hours can fly by when everyone is having fun!

three.
My sister. She is an amazing photographer, and kept asking me when we were going to do a maternity shoot. I knew I really wanted to do one, so last Saturday when she texted me asking if we wanted to meet up with her that afternoon, I said let's do it! I know Luke hates doing pictures, but thankfully he also knows how important they are to me. We brought candy to bribe the children and met my sister at the entrance of an area in nature mostly reserved for hunters, which also just so happens to be right between where we live (which when you're 5 minutes away from each other to begin with makes it extra easy.) Jonah was not super cooperative, but that lead to one of the best pictures! I want to do a post with all of them just have them somewhere all together. I LOVE THEM! And I know I'll cherish them because pregnancy is such a unique and brief time that I love and enjoy overall! I will miss this baby belly!

And just to compare from the maternity pictures when I was pregnant with Jonah- clearly there is some hesitation about welcoming a new member. :)

four.
Father's day 2017. I took 0 pictures that day. But it was busy and full, and I was hot, sweaty, and swollen, so I figure it's all good. We met up with our families and my sister's in-laws at the local park where we met up last year. Luke grilled us some delicious meat, and we had all sorts of yummy sides. Noelle and Jonah were covered in dirt by the end, and would have stayed longer if they could have. Luke and I were definitely thankful to come home to a cool house and put up our feet after the kids were bathed.

I love seeing Luke as a dad, and I so appreciate that he has way more patience than me! I'm looking forward to seeing him snuggle a newborn again. :)

five.
We celebrated our NINTH anniversary this past Wednesday! Poor Luke worked from home on Tuesday and Wednesday because he wasn't feeling great and hadn't been sleeping well, but it was nice to have him there. After my rough day with Jonah that day, I was ready to get out of the house and away for a bit, so thankfully Aunt Lyd came to watch the littles. Since Luke wasn't feeling great, we decided to keep it super low-key and went to Panera for dinner, and then grabbed ice cream from Twin Kiss to eat as we walked around the path of a local park. We didn't make it far before it started raining, but it was so good to be together just the two of us!

Some Recent Happenings

We've been busy and I've been tired, so I haven't been keeping track of life as well. But I just ordered my 2016 blog book, and it was my reminder to keep at it so we can remember all the fun, little things we do!

Memorial Day weekend included a cookout on Sunday at my parent's house, where Luke and Jason shot little rockets out into the yard, and Noelle and Jonah would go chase them down. It was hilarious, and actually got Noelle to move! On Monday, we went to a local parade, and then to Luke's parent's house for a cookout. Weekends that are long and filled with family are the BEST!

We had a teeny tiny birthday party for Noelle on June 3rd. I really wanted to give her a birthday party for turning 5, but I also wanted to make sure it happened with no chance of baby disrupting plans. She chose 5 girlfriends to invite, we sent out My Little Pony invites, did Pin the Tail on the horse, a My Little Pony pinata, and had cake and ice cream. And of course opening presents was a big highlight. She told me it was the best day ever, so I think that means it was a success!

We finally got the crib put together and the nursery set up. We've collected most of our dispersed baby items, including the bassinet, which Noelle and Jonah turned into a little bunk bed. I've washed a few baby clothes, packed a bag for the baby and the big kids, and even though there are probably a million more things I should do (like pack my own hospital bag), I'm feeling pretty relaxed about it all (that could completely change in 12 hours!)

Luke and I were able to attend the wedding of my best friend from high school this past weekend. It was fun to have some time just the two of us, watch Lauren get married, and catch up with a few people I haven't seen since high school. And I also met the girl who would have been one of my roommates if I had gone to Messiah College with Lauren as planned. It was a fun celebration, and I do really love being able to witness my friends begin married life! It's the best! Plus we're a little over a week away from our 9th anniversary, which makes June weddings all the more special. :)