tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81756471979036888492024-03-13T22:24:04.327-07:00his grace abounds{without it I would be nothing}
{with it, I'm his treasure}His Grace Aboundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09003329978402994468noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175647197903688849.post-41155239755325815622019-04-03T07:20:00.001-07:002019-04-03T07:20:25.835-07:00Ever Changing Life <p dir="ltr">I began writing this post as a look back on 2018... back when it was still 2018! Wow, how quickly time is flying by as we are well into April and Adaline's first birthday is fast approaching. <br>
2018 was an incredible and full year. We began the year with the anticipation of our new baby's arrival and in April we welcomed our sweet Adaline. She has been such a joyful addition to our family. She has quite the personality and tries to boss her sister and the dog around. It is amazing to see Becca as a big sister and how much she loves Addie! Becca has changed so much in this past year. She has literally gone from being a baby to being a big girl... she is so full of life and energy and keeps me on my toes all day every day! She is funny and quick witted, and so very sweet. <br>
Trust. That's been a theme this year. So many times I don't trust in God's plan and wonder how or when or why. As the year came to a close I truly stood amazed at how he has been there for us at just the right time. He provided what we needed just when we needed it. He strengthens us for what we need to do right when we need to do it. <br>
There was a time in this year when I felt completely overwhelmed at life. For while we had two under 2, and it was just a lot. We got a new puppy to add to the craziness. When those times come, just hang on. It will get better! And sometimes those are times for personal growth. There's always something that could be better, or could be improved upon. </p>
<p dir="ltr">2018 was a year of growing and changing... and moving. In May we began pursuing the possibility of buying Mitchell's great grandmothers farmhouse. We moved in at the beginning of July and finally closed on it as our first home on October 5th. It was absolutely amazing to look back and see God's hand in all of it. We had first considered the possibility of buying it two years ago. And when we thought that door was closed, we moved on. It was just that God wanted us to wait for the right time. He is good, and we are so grateful. We are grateful for his hand in it all, his timing, and for the realization that we needed to wait on him. <br>
This house is full of potential projects, and sometimes I get overwhelmed at it all, or I just want it done now! <br>
But... we are going to tackle one thing at a time as we can, and it will all come together eventually. Our big goal down the road is to lift the house and put a full foundation/basement in, as it is currently a stone foundation. We'd like to tear off the existing attached shed and add a garage/mudroom/woodshed. That's the goal! We are trying to be good about saving so that we'll have the means to do so in the future. </p>
His Grace Aboundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09003329978402994468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175647197903688849.post-86621136507431647432018-04-28T18:37:00.001-07:002018-04-28T18:37:11.374-07:00Adaline Beth <p dir="ltr">Our baby girl has arrived! </p>
<p dir="ltr">Introducing Adaline Beth Collomy · April 23, 2018 · 4:29pm · 10 lbs. 4 oz. · 21 1/4 inches long </p>
<p dir="ltr">She is so sweet, perfect and precious...we are so in love with her! </p>
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I've been feeling good overall, I just get very tired in the afternoons and pretty sore at night. It feels like Addie is very low in my pelvis, so that adds to the pain and discomfort. <br>
A huge praise is that my blood pressure was perfect at my last doctors appointment. High blood pressure was an issue with my last pregnancy, which is why they had induced labor with Becca. We are trying for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean), so it would be ideal for me to go into labor on my own. The fact that my blood pressure was great is a huge relief! It had been slowly creeping up at previous appointments to a high normal, and they were just keeping an eye on it. But it was very good, and we are hoping it stays that way for the next few appointments ahead.</p><p dir="ltr">Becca is getting more and more familiar with the whole idea of a new baby, and she talks about her baby sister very often! I make sure to include her in things to get ready for the baby, and explain to her that, "This is for baby Addie!" Just today we took apart Becca's old carseat to wash the cover and get it all ready for the baby. Becca was excited to help! We have gotten their room that they will eventually share ready, and the bassinet is all set up in our room for the first months. Her clothes are all washed and folded in her dresser... Its little things like that that make it feel so much more real! </p><p dir="ltr">Braxton Hicks contractions are still very present, and can be annoying. But its encouraging to known that its my body getting ready for the big day! I've been doing better at keeping up my water intake, and trying to at least lay down and rest when Becca naps. I know it's going to be a lot harder to get down time in a few weeks, so getting all the rest I can now would be ideal. </p>
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It is also crazy to think that I am in the final stretch of this pregnancy. For those of you who don't know, it's a GIRL! We have decided on the name Adaline Beth. It was harder this time to pick a name, but we finally settled on one. We love the name Adaline, which means "noble." We chose the middle name Beth to honor a dear friend of my family that went home to be with the Lord recently. She was a precious, sweet lady who touched so many people. She was a faithful wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt and friend...to so many, and she was a true and shining example of someone who simply lived out her faith in Jesus Christ. She was deeply loved by so many people and is greatly missed. </p>
<p dir="ltr">As far as my pregnancy goes, I am so ready to have this baby! I have been feeling a lot more aches and pains as the weeks go on, and its been a little hard! I've been feeling a lot of back and hip pain, and in the last two weeks the biggest struggle has been sciatic nerve pain on my right side. I didn't have this at all when I was pregnant with Becca. It comes whenever I've been sitting for more than 5 or 10 minutes. It's pretty painful, but goes away when I get up and move around. Driving anywhere has been hard, because I can't move around to relieve it.<br>
Just like around this time in my last prregnancy, sleeping is getting harder. It is just difficult to get comfortable and stay comfortable, so I'm restless most nights. Thankfully I am able to rest when Becca takes a nap - I am so thankful that she is still a good napper! <br>
Little miss Addie is very, very active - just like her big sister was in the womb! It is fun to feel her moving all around in there. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I have my glucose test this week, to test for gestational diabetes, and I will start seeing the doctor every two weeks instead of once a month! That is definitely a sign that the due date is right around the corner!<br><br></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6vohTbgL-AyBbO3DSj0s2dC1fLsVovUp0tGuf5hvXGnE_zOcG-xlRy-QxEeayJDQhmlkq3A1SywnhTzDl7mRN8VFFmBKQtnzmrba7g0Eio7pK6DNPoUed92RAPqS48zzBBEJn43lPmA/s1600/IMG_20180128_191110_293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6vohTbgL-AyBbO3DSj0s2dC1fLsVovUp0tGuf5hvXGnE_zOcG-xlRy-QxEeayJDQhmlkq3A1SywnhTzDl7mRN8VFFmBKQtnzmrba7g0Eio7pK6DNPoUed92RAPqS48zzBBEJn43lPmA/s640/IMG_20180128_191110_293.jpg"> </a> </div>His Grace Aboundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09003329978402994468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175647197903688849.post-5381204933220849022017-09-18T04:27:00.001-07:002017-09-18T04:29:29.100-07:00Our News<p dir="ltr">We are so happy to announce that we are expecting baby number two in April of 2018! </p>
<p dir="ltr">I've been feeling good, and so much better than I felt in the early weeks of my pregnancy with Becca. I've had nausea pretty regularly every morning, and if I go too long without eating. So far no throwing up, which is such a relief! I was so worried about how I was going to take care of Becca and be sick all the time like I was before. God is so kind! He knows what I can handle. <br>
I had my first doctors appointment and blood work around 8 weeks, and I go back in a couple of weeks for my first ultrasound. I am so looking forward to that! It will be so nice to see the baby and make sure everything is going well. I am continuing to go to the same practice I did with Becca. </p>
<p dir="ltr">As far as Becca becoming a big sister, I think it'll definitely be an adjustment for her, but overall I'm expecting she'll do really well. Right now, in her mind, the world revolves around her (I think that's a pretty common condition for one year olds!). We are really trying focus on teaching and training her in the next seven months before the baby arrives. That way we'll have a lot established with her on time for our home getting busier after the baby comes. </p>
<p dir="ltr">That's our news! ❤<br>
</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">Thanks to Dayna Collomy for these great announcement photos! </p>
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<p dir="ltr">Edward, you and I have had our ups and downs over the years...we've had our share of being mad at each other, fights, and fun times. One minute we'd be best friends and the next arch enemies. Remember the tree house incident? The snowman competition, the ice cream sandwich problem, the bathroom closet. 😂 I laugh thinking about all of those times now! We did have some really good times! I am so thankful for the relationship we have now. You make me laugh a lot and yet we can also have serious heart to heart talks. Every rough patch on our journey has helped us be as close as we are now. 18 is a big birthday! Lots of forks in the road of decisions ahead for you. I pray that you will seek the Lord in all you do. He will give you wisdom! Trust in Him with all your heart, look to His word. In it you'll find the answers. God promises is that when we commit all we do to Him, He will establish our plans. You mean so much to me and I love you more than you'll ever know! </p>
<p dir="ltr">Elisha, (Elsen, Lisha, Elsa, etc.) 😁 <br>
You are one of my best friends (but you already knew that!). I can't put into words how grateful I am that almost 8 years ago, a 10 year old curly haired girl came into my life. From day one, I had a good feeling we'd get along pretty well. And we have...for the most part. We've had some bumps in the road, but they were always resolved very quickly (I think just about all of them were my fault!). We've had so many great memories together. Sledding at Dead Man's Hill, planning Rosie's baby shower and inviting over 90 people and sneaking into the basement to "do laundry", but we were really going down to "talk about the baby shower," because it was a surprise. Working at Veggies Galore, delivering eggs, getting bit [almost] by the neighbors dog, babysitting, organizing all things. You always finding anything I had lost (I miss that!!!). Going to Parable, rear ending that lady on the way home (not such a great memory), camping, you coming with me to all my pet sitting jobs. I never paid you enough for that! I could go on forever about all the best times we've had. Some of the most special and bittersweet memories were made while helping plan my wedding. You were always so excited to just sit and listen to my ideas, and to add your great ideas. We would talk for hours, just bouncing ideas off eachother. It's all bittersweet because there was so much joy in all of it, but also some sadness mixed in. Getting married and leaving home meant leaving my family who I loved so much...not having those late night talks and shenanigans. 😊 But...I am so thankful for the relationship we have now. You get to come over often, and we've made so many new memories. ❤ I am so excited to see what God has for your life. I wonder what the next year will bring for you? Seek Him in all you do, and it will be amazing to see how it unfolds. I love you, Ellie, more than words! </p>
His Grace Aboundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09003329978402994468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175647197903688849.post-75747400214629568732017-08-04T09:05:00.001-07:002017-08-22T11:34:02.539-07:00Becca - One Year!<p dir="ltr">Even as I write the title I can't even believe that the first year of Becca's life has already come and gone. <br>
We've had quite the year with our sweet Becca. <br>
One year of joy. One year of diaper changes. One year of successful breastfeeding. One year of sleepless nights. One year of playtime, bathtime, naptime. We've had our fill of laughs and giggles, of tears and tears that won't stop. Of happy times and sad, but the happy always wins out. One year of discoveries, one year of firsts.</p>
<p dir="ltr">We celebrated Becca's birthday with both sides of mine and Mitchell's family on July 29th. It couldn't have been a more perfect day! The weather was fabulous, and just about everyone we invited came (with the exception of a few people). We had a "You are my Sunshine" themed party. I made decorations to incorporate the words of the song with sun and cloud shapes. We had yellow and pink baloons and streamers....it was so much fun! We had a barbecue with burgers and hotdogs. I made a "smash cake" just for her! We sang her happy birthday and she LOVED every minute of it! She smiled and laughed while we sang, looking around at everyone. Then we gave her the cake for her to just have at it! She loved it! She slowly took it apart. After a little while, we cut off a piece for her to devour...and devour she did! She loved opening all her gifts...and loved the wrapping paper even more. My parents got her a kiddie pool, and she and her cousin Jolie (2) enjoyed playing in that for awhile! </p>
<p dir="ltr">As of Saturday, August 19th, Becca is officially walking! She had been taking about 6 steps at the most before that, but really took off on Saturday when she surprises us by walking across the living room floor! It was incredible! <br>
Becca can now say, "See it! See it!" while she points to whatever she sees. She definitely has her own language and way of communicating. She uses distinct sounds for different activities, things and wants. She climbed into the basket of her stroller this afternoon, and said, "I did it!" as clear as day! <br>
Some of Becca's favorite foods are peanut butter sandwiches, peas, cheese, pasta, scrambled eggs, and strawberries. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Becca loves to be outside. We got a swingset given to us, and now she loves to swing. But by far her favorite outside activity is her kiddie pool from Grammie and Grampa. She loves all things water, so we knew she'd have a blast in it! So we have an afternoon routine of going outside and bringing her swim clothes because I know she's going to get tired of her swing and want to go in her pool! She spashes and plays in the water and has the best time! Becca also loves "helping" me in the garden. She isn't too destructive yet, just mostly curious. She finds rocks and I make sure they don't make it to her mouth. :) </p>
<p dir="ltr">Becca is such a joy, and I'm excited for all the milestones and exciting adventures ahead for her. It'll be so fun to see what the next year of her life brings! </p>
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Becca has been making so many new discoveries in the last weeks. Some of her newest feats are blowing kisses, playing peek-a-boo, and waving (she's been waving off and on for a while, but she does it all the time now). <br>
Becca loves water of all forms....drinking it, playing in it, splashing. So she loves her new kiddie pool from Grammie and Grampa! It's been so fun to take her out and watch her splash around and have so much fun. Becca loves being outside. If she's a little upset, getting outside in the sunshine cures all! She takes everything in and loves to watch the cars go by. She loves big, loud trucks! </p>
<p dir="ltr">It's easy to get caught up in the day to day stuff, changing diapers, feedings, cleaning up, naps, fussiness, and sometimes a really rough day, but when I really stop and think, I am in awe of this little girl. She does something absolutely amazing every day. She is so smart, so silly, so beautiful. I love her with all my heart! <br>
How can it be that it's been a year since she was born? It seems like it was just yesterday, and yet I can't imagine a day without her in our lives. It all seems surreal that a year has almost come and gone! </p>
<p dir="ltr">I am looking forward to all the new things ahead for Becca. She is so very close to walking. She has taken about a step and a half, but still hasn't gone farther than that. It'll be very soon! </p>
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<p dir="ltr">Becca went swimming for the first time last week, and she LOVED it! I held her in the water, and she kept trying to get out of my arms! She would bend down and stick her tongue out to try and lick the water! She loves the bath, so I figured she would love the pond, too. The water was nice, not too cold. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Becca loves to swing, enjoying that as we've been to a couple of parks recently. She has no fear! She doesn't get scared when one of her uncles pushed her a little too high. <br>
Becca is always curious and ready for any new experience or obstacle in her way. <br>
Just yesterday, Becca said her first words. In the morning, as she was in the bath, she said "water" several times. At dinner, Mitchell would ask her questions and she would answer, "yes!" <br>
We had taken a walk out to the garden after dinner, and I was pointing out the seedlings to Mitchell. I said, "...and there are my radishes," and Becca immediately said "radishes!" as if she was trying to copy me! She then repeated it several more times! It was the cutest thing! <br>
Becca is right on the verge of walking. It'll be any day now! She walks along the couch and coffee table, but just hasn't quite taken that "step of faith," yet. She's very set in her ways of dropping back into a crawl if there's nothing to hold onto. She'll get it, though! </p>
<p dir="ltr">Becca is into everything! The cabinets are her favorite. Just this morning she unloaded ALL the bowls from one cabinet before she moved on to something else. At least they were bowls and not the cabinet full of cleaning supplies. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I've started going to the gym 3 times a week, and so during that time on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, Becca gets watched by Mitchell's mom. Becca loves spending time with Nana. It's been a huge blessing on many levels! </p><p dir="ltr">We took Becca to the races at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for the first time last week. We weren't sure how she would like the loud cars. Well....she LOVED it! We tried putting hearing protection on her...she wanted nothing to do with that. She would fuss until she ripped them off her head. She smiled and hollered, trying to match the sound of the cars. Those of you who know anything about Mitchell's family know that love of cars, motors and anything fast runs through that family just like blood runs through their veins. We found out that night that that passion truly does come with the last name Collomy. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Becca is such a joy in our lives. When she was born, we entered a whole new life. It's been full of intense challenges and deep blessing. New stresses that we had no idea about before, but also brand new joy that we had never experienced. It's been a wonderful 10 months. Mitchell and I have grown closer as a couple, and have learned (and continue to learn) new things about eachother. We have learned and are learning how to balance parenting with marriage, and how the two blend together beautifully, all part of God's plan for the family. It's a journey that has only just begun, but we are already seeing how rewarding it truly is. It's not an easy road. No, it takes effort. It's not a one-size-fits-all, either. Everyone's story is different. Everyone's love, life and family is different. But I'll be confident to guarantee that when you commit your story to God, the best love story writer, the best family planner, the best life giver in the business, your story, no, His Story will be BREATHTAKING. <br></p>
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I wanted to plant a small garden last year, but I was in the last months of my pregnancy and feeling very uncomfortable. I never got everything together, so it just didn't work out. <br>
So... Finally this year I am doing it...and I am so very excited! I get spring fever every year. Growing up we always had a big garden. I love watching things grow, caring for it, and reaping the harvest...this is something both my parents enjoyed doing every year. <br>
It's been a team effort...my mom blessed me by sharing her seeds, and when she came to drop off the mantis tiller for me to borrow, she also came bearing gifts! All kinds of veggie plants and flowers! Mitchell's brother William brought a load of manure, and I had some help from some of Mitchell's sisters, planting/watching Becca. We also were able to borrow a bigger tiller from our friends at church. </p><p dir="ltr">My biggest helper, though, was and is Mitchell. Gardening isn't really his thing, but he has made time to help me and be interested in what I'm interested in. It's been such a wonderful blessing. Even if he's been watching Becca and keeping her entertained, its a huge help for me to be able to get work done! </p><p dir="ltr">Over Memorial Day Weekend, we got the garden tilled and planted. It's been wonderful to have a project to work on together, and spend time outside. Lots of opportunities for great, deep conversation. I love it when we are able to chat, share what has been on our minds and hearts, and just to connect on a deep heart level. </p><p dir="ltr">As of Monday, everything is all planted. I am so excited to care for the garden and watch it grow. Some of what I have planted are kale, spinach, lettuce and swiss chard, carrots and radishes, tomatoes, peppers, green and yellow beans, corn, cauliflower and broccoli, cucumbers, melons, zucchini, yellow and acorn squash, and sunflowers. </p><p dir="ltr">It's going to be wonderful to have our own produce this year. There's something really satisfying about eating the fruit of your hard work and care. Here's to hoping everything grows well! Our next project is going to be building a fence to keep the critters out! </p><p dir="ltr"><br></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>His Grace Aboundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09003329978402994468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175647197903688849.post-19498956716503876782017-05-24T17:13:00.001-07:002017-05-24T17:13:05.596-07:00Becca - Nine Months <p dir="ltr">Little miss Becca turned nine months on May 8th. She is growing and changing so much! <br>
She now has four teeth, and she loves to bite! About two weeks ago, she really was on a roll of biting anyone and everything in sight. Arms, shoulders, feet, you name it! We've been trying our best to break her of that habit. She is doing better, but we still have to keep on top of it. She is starting to recognize when we say "no" in a firm voice. <br>
She listens so well for her age. She pays attention to everything around her. Walking through the grocery store is so entertaining for her as she watches each person go by. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Sleeping has been going much better than last month. She goes to bed at 8 most nights, and wakes up most mornings between 6 and 7. She'll have the occasional middle of the night wake up and feeding, but those are slowly lessening, and now she goes a week or more sleeping through the night every night. <br>
Most days she goes down for her nap around 1 and wakes up around 3 or 4. <br>
Becca now eats mostly everything! Scrambled eggs, strawberries, noodles and cheese are some of her favorite foods. She has tried so many things, and there isn't much she hasn't liked. She eats 3 meals a day, and still nurses a few times throughout the day, at bedtime and when she wakes up. She loves sitting up at the table with us at dinnertime abd eating what we eat. <br>
Becca is a little adventurer. She pulls herself up on the couch, chairs, etc. I don't think walking is too far down the road for her! <br>
She gets into the cabinets whenever she gets a chance, and pulls books off bookshelves. She loves to make a mess!!<br>
Whenever she hears music, even when I hum or sing, she bops up and down to the music...its the cutest thing! <br>
I'm excited for these warm months ahead...taking her to the pond to swim for the first time, and I'm sure we'll have some swimming days in my parent's pool! <br>
Fun times ahead! Here are some pictures from the last month. </p>
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It's been a struggle for me to accept my post pregnancy body. I've never been super thin, but I find myself wishing for the body I had before. After I had Becca, I was kindof shocked. After the first few weeks, I still looked....pregnant. Obviously I know how it all works. The uterus slowly shrinks back to its original size. And there was a LOT of stretching that went on to accomidate my big baby. So I should have expected this. However, I have always been by own worst enemy when it comes to criticism. I guess I never fully prepared myself for the change, and it was quite the adjustment. <br>
I gained a total of about 60 pounds while pregnant. This is above the normal, or what doctors recommend, but every body is different. I didn't exactly eat healthy while I was pregnant. I was turned off by a lot of foods, so I ate what I liked. Like ice cream. And ravioli. And Chinese food. Not exactly health foods.  <br>
The doctors weren't concerned with my weight gain. I do look back and wish I had eaten healthier, and stuck to a more consistent exercise routine. I did exercise off and on, mostly when I felt like it. I feel like if I had at least taken a walk every day, it would have helped...all my aches and pains, and probably the high blood pressure I dealt with at the end. <br>
Now, almost 8 months out from Becca's birth, I've dropped about 35 pounds, but still 25 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. <br>
I should be saying, <i>I'm</i><i> doing good. Over half way there.</i> But on many days I beat myself up. I look in the mirror and don't like what I see. The sagging skin. The extra weight in certain places. And...worst of all... I compare myself to others who seem to have it all together. Who've dropped their pregnancy weight in a flash. Doesn't someone else's grass always seem greener? <br>
This has been a growing and changing experience for me. What does <b>God</b> see me as? He doesn't see my earthly body. He sees me as His child, whom He loves. Because I am His, I can have peace with <b><i>who</i></b> and <i><b>what</b></i> and <i><b>how</b></i> I am, here and now. Yes, I need to take care of my body. I can't just neglect it and make bad choices. My body has been given to me for this life, and I need to use it to honor the Lord. <br>
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." <br>
I had a baby. Changes are inevitable. My body took 9 months to make this precious little girl, so it should take <b><i>at</i></b> <i><b>least</b></i> that long to get back to normal. And even then, for most women, its a <b><i>new</i></b> normal. It's a lesson in unselfishness. A lesson in realizing what's more important: having the body I want, or bringing the most precious little girl into this world? I think it's clear. But it's still hard to accept. Why does <i><b>that woman</b></i> bounce right back and look amazing? Why can't I be like that? It's not right to compare. It doesn't glorify God. It's not right to wish I had someone else's body. What example is that setting for my little girl? What do I want her thinking about what brings happiness? What do I want her thinking about her body?</p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Mom was never happy because she wasn't skinny</i>.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>I will only be truly happy when I look like "_________"</i></p>
<p dir="ltr">These are sad thoughts, but if I don't set the right example, these will likely be the thoughts that my daughter entertains. <br>
I want to be a mother who has true joy. Not because I'm happy or not with my body, not because I have my dream home, not because of anything of this world. But because Jesus has saved me. I am His. I have the promise of eternal life, and while I am on this earth, He has blessed me abundantly, with my amazing husband, my precious daughter, and countless other blessings, too innumerable to record. And even in the hard times, when life is rough, I have His grace, and sweet fellowship with Him. <br>
So instead of those destructive thoughts that I don't want my little girl to have, may she have godly thoughts. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Mom is happy because she is content. She has Jesus and she knows He loves her. </i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>I can be truly happy because God has made me. I am fearfully and wonderfully made</i> <i>in His image.</i> </p>
<p dir="ltr">I am learning that it is a balance of contenment and realizing it also takes effort on my part. <br>
On the contentment end of things, I need to be okay with where I am. I have to live with it every day, so I might as well accept it! I need not stay in the pit of self pity and feeling sorry for myself. And then there's the effort. I have to be the one to make the right choices that move toward the change that I want. I have to exercise regularly and make good choices in what I eat, and trust that all my effort will pay off eventually. It may be slow!<br>
I started light exercise when Becca was about 8 to 10 weeks old -- I would go out for a walk a few days a week or do some moderate exercises inside. I was still sore from my c-section. After awhile, I started doing exercise videos, which were quite intense. I stuck with those basically every day for many weeks. Then I got really, REALLY bored with them. Workout videos can be great, but there's nothing like being outside in the fresh air. Its hard when you have a baby to bundle up. But if you have a stroller and can try to do it at least three days a week, you won't regret it! I started training for a 5k run about a month ago. I've only gotten up to 2 miles, and I can't run all of it yet. I feel so unmotivated sometimes and wish there was an easier way. But I know that I need to do this. I need to stick with something if I want to see results. I've been trying to eat healthy. It gets a little tricky on the weekends, but mostly through the week I stick to fruit and yogurt smoothies for breakfast, salads with chicken for lunch, and a healthy dinner. For snacks I do apples with all natural peanut butter, or maybe a few slices of cheese. Its hard for me to remember to drink enough water, especially with breastfeeding, I should be drinking a lot of it! </p>
<p dir="ltr">It's hard for me to be open and share about my struggles like this. But I firmly believe that it is important to be transparent and honest with eachother, and maybe I can encourage someone who is in a similar situation. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So here are some pictures of my journey so far. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Picture #1 This was taken three days before I had Becca. Boy was I huge! <br>
Picture #2 This was taken three days after I had given birth. I wasn't really giving too much thought to what I looked like because I was soaking in my new baby and also was in so much pain. <br>
Picture #3 This was about two weeks postpartum. Our first Sunday back at Church! <br>
Picture #4 This was taken about a month and a half postpartum. <br>
Picture #5 This was taken just this week. </p>
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She is continuing to make leaps and bounds in her development. She continues to babble on, adding different sounds to her vocabulary. She's started saying "mama," which makes me so happy! Yay! She still says "hi dadda," all the time. Sometimes she still uses "dadda," to refer to both of us. <br>
She continues to use anything and everything to stand herself up. If she's down on the floor, she wants to be up on the couch, or the bed. But then once she's up, she wants to ve down on the floor! She'll crawl to the end of the bed, and we have to be careful because she'll just keep going and do a face plant on the floor. She's had a few of those, but still has no fear. She's so busy! <br>
I really don't think it'll be much longer before she's walking. My guess is 10 months. What do you all think? <br>
Everything goes in the mouth....which motivates me to keep the floor clean. 😊 We always have to watch her...she's a wanderer and an adventurer! <br>
She's been doing good at night. She mostly is up at least once in the night, sometimes twice or three times. But every few nights we do get a treat of a full night's sleep! </p>
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Becca turned seven months on March 8th. Over the course of this month, she has mastered sitting up on her own, crawling, and has begun to try to stand up. She'll grab onto the nearest chair, stool or whatever she can find (basket of socks, rocking chair, dresser, car seat, etc.) and proceed to stand up! This has resulted in many bumps on the head. For example, the other day I had put Becca in her crib to play while I took a shower. As I was getting ready, I could hear her grunting and making noises like she was hard at work doing something. So I decided to check on her. To my surprise, she was standing up in her bed, and had used the side rails to get herself up! This was the first time I had seen her stand up, so I was very surprised! I decided to capture the moment, so I took pictures and videos. I looked away for one second, and when I looked up again, she was falling out! The crib matress was set at the highest infant setting, so it's easier to reach down and grab the baby. Time to change that! I reacted just in time to break her fall, but she still got quite the bump on her head. <br>
For about a month, Becca had gotten into some bad nighttime habits. She was waking up and wanting to eat 3-4 times a night! This was taking its toll on Mitchell and I -- especially Mitch who has to get up and get ready for work at 4:30! We thought it might be because of her teething, so we'd give her baby tylenol before bed and have baby orajel at the ready for when she woke up. This didn't really help. We thought she may be too cold, so we'd put layers on her and keep our space heater on low in our room. She still got up. Finally, Mitchell had the idea of moving her into her own room at night. We prayed with her, sang a song together and kissed her goodnight. She fussed for a little while, but fell asleep and slept through the night, and has done that every night since, for about a week now! It's so refreshing to be able to get a solid night's sleep after not having that for so long. We have heard her wake up and cry a little bit, but she always goes back to sleep after a few minutes. <br>
She has become very, very verbal over the last few weeks! She says "dadda" all the time, and even says, "hi dadda!" to Mitchell! She loves to ramble random sounds and it seems like she's trying to tell us a story! <br>
Becca crawls all over the place now! If she's on the floor in the livingroom, it doesn't take long at all for her to make it down the hall and into the bedrooms or bathroom. We try to remember to shut all the doors in the hall so she doesn't get into something she shouldn't! <br>
She eats lots of different foods now, usually taking part in something we are eating for dinner, or if there isn't anything she can have, then eating baby food. She loves to pick up pieces of food from her tray. I'm still nursing, and hope to continue that at least till her first birthday. <br>
Becca officially has two teeth! I think her top two aren't too far behind. <br>
There's been a lot to update on this month! I hope I'm not forgetting anything! Becca is still just the happiest, most good natured baby I've ever met (and I'm not just saying that because she's mine!). She brings so much joy and so many smiles into our lives every day. <br>
I'll let the pictures tell the rest. 😊</p>
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She is growing up WAY too fast, and I can't believe that in another six months we'll be celebrating her first birthday! <br>
As of this past weekend, she is "officially" crawling! I say officially loosly, because up until this point she had been scooting, pulling with her arms and getting around quite efficiently. Now, her crawl is an army crawl, where her belly is still on the floor, but its a crawl nonetheless! Needless to say, its getting harder to keep track of her as she becomes more and more proficient in her mobility! The other day, I was in the kitchen for two minutes, and she had crawled from the middle of the livingroom and was underneath the coffee table across the room! <br>
She's been loving her bouncy seat, and gets herself going pretty fast in it! She loves all the toys attached to it, and its a good way to keep her active and occupied (and contained!) while I'm working on dinner or doing dishes, etc. She loves to be able to see and interact with me, and make sure I'm still there. The bouncy seat is great, because I can just pull it into whatever room I'm in. <br>
A huge milestone that Becca has had lately is that she has cut her first tooth! It was right around Valentine's Day that I started to notice a tiny white speck. It was hard to check, though, as she would always be squirming and trying to bite my fingers! But now I can definitely feel a pokey pearly white! It'll probably be awhile before I can get a picture that shows it. <br>
She's still loving food, but peas are still her favorite. She also LOVES her dissolving rice crackers. They probably feel good on those aching gums!<br>
She's becoming increasingly verbal, experimenting with different sounds. Her most used "word" in baby talk is "ba-ba" or "buh-buh." </p>
<p dir="ltr">"This job [of motherhood] has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God's way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness."<br>
-Elisabeth Elliot</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtA71t7iCqAN9rmSRx7SLwtF1f9MANG5lo15XLd_IaaokuKc0qmiNSVJ29ik2UbXPaN9y1DlI1V5mEj9wZ2Zw5fwdX8-D-s9A8UkUIQjsztIFrzxvU-AYgzegGteHOCEQm3uGYcv0JwU/s1600/IMG_20170220_171529_678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtA71t7iCqAN9rmSRx7SLwtF1f9MANG5lo15XLd_IaaokuKc0qmiNSVJ29ik2UbXPaN9y1DlI1V5mEj9wZ2Zw5fwdX8-D-s9A8UkUIQjsztIFrzxvU-AYgzegGteHOCEQm3uGYcv0JwU/s640/IMG_20170220_171529_678.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvkTV1WJ7igrI3wTZWWN8i6QxlLYpdmPupaHg_6LPi7vkdLeqbHdGNcQKsViUNpCFFkvNgS2Fcem8ODx2MEAHk6dSqQu8s-iGnfsCTwI9pHZAaEFPiHC2ld6PgCVBfNJR-akBTziNE7o/s1600/0219170932a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvkTV1WJ7igrI3wTZWWN8i6QxlLYpdmPupaHg_6LPi7vkdLeqbHdGNcQKsViUNpCFFkvNgS2Fcem8ODx2MEAHk6dSqQu8s-iGnfsCTwI9pHZAaEFPiHC2ld6PgCVBfNJR-akBTziNE7o/s640/0219170932a.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbWWtLKPHPbUk6JzrTbpV7DfgDq8AEuGx38Ug2zTKd0qy15wwWMk-x3juNJ-0P7gbPID_giD1OdiKlg0v3nbzECdnVedsj9eVreYFwDnm2BY3cWP36HkZjx39pgk2Wss_65B68gRTpSQ/s1600/IMG_20170215_201859_979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbWWtLKPHPbUk6JzrTbpV7DfgDq8AEuGx38Ug2zTKd0qy15wwWMk-x3juNJ-0P7gbPID_giD1OdiKlg0v3nbzECdnVedsj9eVreYFwDnm2BY3cWP36HkZjx39pgk2Wss_65B68gRTpSQ/s640/IMG_20170215_201859_979.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQ4hDYQhsfucPTEbPCM_ER2-WOlCiGWoh0ETcl2QKGd4KW4mQ72IzMKlzgK6ZgvsgCSlz_KfF1_zNIIhQ_s7KywokmnHIP3FYIBLtkF1wOECwKKcxHyq3fNLxNn1fSwrpYzUTVdhT2-U/s1600/0214171230b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQ4hDYQhsfucPTEbPCM_ER2-WOlCiGWoh0ETcl2QKGd4KW4mQ72IzMKlzgK6ZgvsgCSlz_KfF1_zNIIhQ_s7KywokmnHIP3FYIBLtkF1wOECwKKcxHyq3fNLxNn1fSwrpYzUTVdhT2-U/s640/0214171230b.jpg"> </a> </div>His Grace Aboundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09003329978402994468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175647197903688849.post-62190638982783074412017-01-16T09:29:00.001-08:002017-01-16T13:41:38.184-08:00Becca - Five Months<p dir="ltr">Little miss Becca is already 5 months old! I know I say this every time, but I can't even believe it! Time flies! </p>
<p dir="ltr">Becca has had a lot of new and exciting experiences lately, including trying her first foods! So far she has tried sweet and regular potato, squash, and peas! She has really liked them all, but her favorites that she's really gobbled up have been the sweet potatoes and peas. </p>
<p dir="ltr">She's been doing a lot of "singing" lately, where she'll make her voice really high and sing out! It's so cute, and she has such a sweet voice! </p>
<p dir="ltr">She is really, really trying to crawl, but hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet. It won't be long, though! She already gets around by rolling all over! She rolls over from her back to her front and front to back! Before I know it she'll be across the room! </p>
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<p dir="ltr">On December 8th, Becca was officially four months old. Was it really four months ago that she entered this world? <br>
It was right around this time last year that we found out we were expecting. Sunday, December 6, to be exact. It was around 7am when the test was positive. It seemed like an eternity we had been waiting for that positive test! And finally, there it was, as definite as it could be. I was so overjoyed I cried. Mitchell was ecstatic. We had both prayed for this child, and the Lord heard our request. We were so excited, we couldn't keep it to ourselves. We were going to wait a week before telling our families, but just couldn't keep it in. So we decided to tell one person from each of our families. I told Brittany, and Mitchell called and told William. They were the first besides us to know! Then we thought, how can we expect them to keep it from the rest of the family? So we ended up telling them all that Sunday morning. What joyous news! We waited a week, though, to tell (basically) everyone else... Church friends, other friends. </p>
<p dir="ltr">And thus began our journey, that we are now full fledged into. Becca is a joy and treasure. She lights up every moment with her smile and giggles. Still growing, she weighed 14 lbs. 14 oz. at her last doctors appointment. She's started on rice cereal, and loves it! She tries to grab the spoon and feed herself! She rolls over constantly, "talks" our ears off with her cute sounds, and is getting closer to crawling every day.<br>
We've had quite the eventful last weeks, as we lost Mitchell's great-grandmother, great-uncle, and two family friends. Then just recently, Mitchell's dad suffered a mild heart attack. Praise the Lord that he is well and recovering. We are so thankful for God's provision and care. </p>
<p dir="ltr">More photos to come soon! </p>
His Grace Aboundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09003329978402994468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175647197903688849.post-34998755396858280892016-12-20T09:13:00.001-08:002016-12-20T09:13:32.138-08:00Becca's First Thanksgiving! <p dir="ltr">*sorry this is so late! We are already days from Christmas, and I'm just now getting this published! I guess it goes to show how fast this holiday season is whizzing by!*</p>
<p dir="ltr">We had a great holiday weekend, and celebrating Becca's first Thanksgiving! She was so cute in her shirt that said, "everyone is thankful for me!" How true that is!! We had a lovely thanksgiving dinner at my grandparents on Dad's side. It was nice to see them and my aunts and cousins, who we don't get to see very often. And Becca got lots of snuggles and kisses! </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IA8Wm6irRR_grycLMwxUdcX-_56AbRnoHo40MirIFq25bl8rAi0o2RpW7dlIqLBH6g2oQ4f3wGCzaQmv26_-jvF72fZueatmKr14vWUbj3GApzeuePeaUwFo8ZaG8k5U-IML4otnuWU/s1600/1124160955a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IA8Wm6irRR_grycLMwxUdcX-_56AbRnoHo40MirIFq25bl8rAi0o2RpW7dlIqLBH6g2oQ4f3wGCzaQmv26_-jvF72fZueatmKr14vWUbj3GApzeuePeaUwFo8ZaG8k5U-IML4otnuWU/s640/1124160955a.jpg"> </a> </div>His Grace Aboundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09003329978402994468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175647197903688849.post-49458634343904751902016-11-22T10:54:00.001-08:002016-11-22T10:54:39.258-08:00Picture of the Day<p dir="ltr">Many times I've looked at my phone to find a text message that says, "I'd love a picture of Becca today!" or, "Any chance you could send a picture of my granddaughter today?" I won't name names, you all know who you are. 😉<br>
So as you can probably tell, I've learned from experience that those doting relatives really appreciate a snapshot of their little pride and joy from time to time. Usually I find one of those cute little onesies to put her in that have a cute message on the front. For example: "is it cute in here, or is it just me?" or, "I know my finger is small, but I got daddy wrapped around it!" </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bOiGdYSrKW8/WDSUaUw85ZI/AAAAAAAACJQ/s1600/1103161014b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bOiGdYSrKW8/WDSUaUw85ZI/AAAAAAAACJQ/s640/1103161014b.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdiwCORnQ-p15RF0WjN7dUE9N4vgN_YRZwHR3XgFD_7MWzhZjJhKi6SVR6Grcs8lpKYDot03nemUqIxyPv30LLQsDlTsElQfO5aUZ0fl36wkzvAt4CjaQEYFL1dagZ8YXBH86_FHZRCs/s1600/1116161023a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdiwCORnQ-p15RF0WjN7dUE9N4vgN_YRZwHR3XgFD_7MWzhZjJhKi6SVR6Grcs8lpKYDot03nemUqIxyPv30LLQsDlTsElQfO5aUZ0fl36wkzvAt4CjaQEYFL1dagZ8YXBH86_FHZRCs/s640/1116161023a.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9CGpiIVGeVtgHDt-PJGSTg7eZgTff99B5r9yeLSk7a4fWIppEnoEyA1TDeNfV0zNWiVaoB5_pdTwJ40wUPHtjXM8-gyKZYyguDrBGgkMMZrqZtj_WJ4BCEAlLCIkY50mrUIUcAmzzLU/s1600/1122161154b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9CGpiIVGeVtgHDt-PJGSTg7eZgTff99B5r9yeLSk7a4fWIppEnoEyA1TDeNfV0zNWiVaoB5_pdTwJ40wUPHtjXM8-gyKZYyguDrBGgkMMZrqZtj_WJ4BCEAlLCIkY50mrUIUcAmzzLU/s640/1122161154b.jpg"> </a> </div>His Grace Aboundshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09003329978402994468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8175647197903688849.post-3198621734311711462016-11-16T09:53:00.001-08:002016-11-16T10:06:42.175-08:00Becca - Three Months <p dir="ltr">Little miss Becca-boo is already three months old. I can't believe how fast time flies. She has changed so much, even in the last month. She smiles and coos all the time, and she even had her first <b><i>real</i></b> belly laugh the other day. She now knows for sure if she's not being held by mommy or daddy, and sometimes fusses if she can't see us. But she won't take her eyes off of us until we "rescue" her from whoever it is that she doesn't quite recognize yet. There are a few people, though, that she's been super content with from the very beginning. It also depends on what type of mood she's in. <br>
She's on a really good schedule, usually goes to sleep around 9pm, and sleeps till 7 or 8am! (I know I'm super lucky!) When she wakes up in the morning, she eats and sometimes even falls asleep again for another hour or so. That's when I get ready for the day! Usually she is awake for the rest of the morning, eating about every 1.5-2 hours. Yup...she eats a lot! Most days, she takes a 1-2 hour nap around 1 or 2pm. That's when I get things done around the house...or, on some days, take a nap right along with her! Then she's up until her bedtime! <br>
It's been <b><i>so</i></b> nice to have a solid night's sleep since she was about 8 weeks old! When I went for my 6 week post partum checkup, my doctor said that me being able to sleep well so early on probably helped me heal from my c-section even better/faster. I'm so thankful that there weren't any complications with my healing process. It's still hard for me sometimes to accept the fact that I had to have a c-section. But Mitchell is always reminding me that God was in control of it all, and that He wanted me to trust Him....even if it wasn't my best laid out plan. And look at the reward! Becca was worth every pain, every contraction, every fear and every tear. All the unknowns and all the waiting. All the difficult days. The hard nights. She is worth it all. <br>
Becca is SUCH a good, beautiful, precious girl... She brightens up our days and makes us wonder what we ever did without her in our lives. It's hard to imagine a time when she wasn't around. God has given us this amazing gift... We are so blessed! 😊❤</p><p dir="ltr">Thanks to Auntie Dayna for these pictures! </p>
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Becca had her two month appointment this past week, and she now weighs 12 pounds, 15 ounces! She is so interavtive, makes eye contact, and follows voices. She holds her head up and takes in all her surroundings. She likes to push up with her feet, getting her legs all strengthened for walking someday! <br>
I can't believe Becca is already two months, almost three. She's growing right before our eyes, and I'm already seeing how it all goes way too fast! </p>
<p dir="ltr">Thanks to Becca's Auntie Dayna for these great pictures!<br>
</p>
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She has changed and grown so much in the past weeks. <br>
She smiles a lot and even giggles sometimes. She is so interactive, and makes eye contact more and more. She loves music, especially to be sung to. She loves to be cuddled and held. <br>
She is really an easy, good baby. She is content mostly all the time.<br>
As you can tell, everything is going so well! There are times when it can be overwhelming and tiring, but I know that's very normal. Becca is a joy! <br>
I'm recovering well, I'll have my post-partum appointment coming up. I'll be able to start more exercise soon, which will be nice, but I've just got to find the time to set aside and do it. Its hard to really have much of a schedule when I have a little one who wants to eat all the time! </p>
<p dir="ltr">I finally got a chance to take a few one month pictures of Becca today. She's so cute! </p>
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We are so enjoying getting to know our baby girl! We can already see her personality peeking through! <br>
We are amazed at how perfect she is. Knit together by the Lord in the most wonderful way. We are so grateful for her and that God gave us this treasure that we truly don't deserve!<br>
Becca has been doing amazingly well.....she is doing 4 and 5 hour stretches of sleep at night which is amazing! <br>
She had her first doctors appointment on Wednesday, and she is doing wonderfully! She was 8 lbs. 15 oz., so getting right back up to her birth weight. <br>
Nursing is going fabulously well....and I am so extremely grateful! Becca has taken to it super well, and now we are a great team. :)</p>
<p dir="ltr">And of course....here are some cute pictures of our precious one!</p>
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