Memorial Weekend 2011

It was great to spend this holiday weekend with my family.  Here is how our weekend went:

Saturday:

David and I snuggled with Ems in the morning then we slowly worked on picking up and organizing the house.  We still have a long way to go...didn't even make a dent...but every little bit helps, right?  Please say yes!

Dad took us all out for dinner at Golden Corral...yummy!  After dinner, Dad, David and Jason took Emily to a Rattlers Game (Arena Football League).  I won two suite tickets to the game from my work.  None of the boys had ever been to an arena football game before, so I thought it would be great for them to kick back and relax for the night.  They decided they wanted Emily to go at the last moment.  It does look like they had a great time.  As for me, I was able to spend a long time catching up with my BFF who lives in Japan.  We talked for over an hour, it is always a highlight of the day when I talk to her!  3 weeks until she is home!

 My friend Carol, won two tickets also.  Here she is enjoying the game with her hubby.

Proud Grandpa!

 Looks like she had lots of snuggle time with her Daddy and Gramps!

Sunday:

David and I didn't really do anything.  I had a headache most of the day, so we just laid low at home all day.  It was so great to be able to do this AND still have an extra weekend day for more family time.

Monday:

We went over to my Dad's house for a BBQ.  We can NOT have a family get together without there being way too much food.  So as not to disappoint, we were all stuffed by the time we were done eating.  But food and family was the plan for the day!

 My sweetie girl.  I just love her!! 

More Grandpa time!!

How cute are they all passed out together?  I just love this picture!

That was my weekend in a nutshell.  Nothing overly exciting, but a great time with my family!  

Weekly Photos - 10 & 11

I was so inspired by the Weekly Photo Project at Young House Love.  By the time I saw this post, I missed out on getting the photos like this for the first 9 weeks of Emily's life...but I still thought it would be fun if we started for Week 10.  I still haven't figured out the photo editting part of putting the numbers on the onesies...but at least now I have started her pictures.

10 weeks (Yes, the onesie is too big.  We couldn't find a preemie white onesie, so this is a newborn size)

11 weeks (Still too big).  This picture is so funny to me, I couldn't help but pick it.  Most of her other ones were really close to her 10 week picture.  I guess she hasn't changed that much in a week.

Welcome Home Party

Thank you to everyone who came to Emily's Welcome Home Party/Baby Shower.  I had second thoughts about it all the way until it started.  In the end, I am happy we had it.

 It was a lot of fun to be surrounded by some of our friends and family that have loved and supported us these last few months.  The day of the party, we also celebrated Emily's ONE MONTH being home!  I can't imagine being without her, she is just so cute and so fun to love.

WELCOME TO MY NEW BEGINNING

Since I have started a new chapter of my life, I decided to start a new blog.  I want to take a moment to share about the roller coaster that has been my life.

On March 8, 2011, in dramatic fashion, my sweet Emily Grace was born.  She came 9 weeks early and weighed in at 2 lbs, 8 oz and was 14.5 in. long.....and perfect!  She spent the first 5 1/2 weeks of her life in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit.  David and I were so blessed that she has never been sick, she was just itty bitty and needed a little help maintaining her body temperature and eating from a bottle.   She has been home now for a few weeks and is doing amazingly.  She doesn't cry much, she is just such a lover.  She melts my heart every time I see her.

Emily is 9 weeks old today, but I just have to share some pictures my awesome friend Christy Goetz took of her when she was 6 weeks old (when she weighed 4 lbs, 8 oz).

During my pregnancy, I was so lucky that I had severe pre-eclampsia which led to her being born 9 weeks early.  The reason I say that I was lucky is because my mom passed away 8 days after Emily was born.  It was completely unexpected and had we not gone through everything we went through, my mom would not have gotten to meet her beautiful grandbaby.  She was able to be with me the night Emily was born and also a few days later she was there when the nurses finally let me hold her for the first time.  It was a magical and final moment that God allowed me to have with my mom that I will cherish forever. 

These pictures were taken at my wedding a little over a year a half ago (also by the fabulous Christy Goetz). 

God is good, even when it hurts.  I thank God everyday for the good and the bad, and everyday God is ready to show me something glorious!!