Emma's Newborn Portraits

You may have seen a few of Emma's newborn portraits in the background of the pictures from our shower, but I am thrilled to share Emma's beautiful newborn portraits.

My dear friend, Jenny, took these the day after we got home from Missouri. 

Jenny has prayed with us for our family to grow for years, and it was so special to have her take Emma's pictures.  We both had many tears during Emma's photo shoot--it just seemed so amazing that Jenny was actually taking pictures of our baby girl!  A hope fulfilled!

I love this huge flower on her head!  I had a lot of time to browse around on Etsy while we were in Missouri, and this is one of the treasures I found.

My Grandma Dolores made this cap for Emma.  It is very special to me, because my Grandma Dolores' mother was also Emma Victoria.  I showed my grandma a picture of a cap similar to this one from Etsy while I was in Minnesota last month.  My grandma crocheted it while were in Missouri, and it came in the mail just in time for Emma's portrait session.  My grandma also crocheted this afghan several years ago while we were praying for a baby.  (And, she made this one that we used in Isaac's newborn pictures.)

Ahhhhh...I could look at these pictures of Emma forever!  I am so thankful to have these memories of when Emma was so new, and I couldn't be more thrilled with what an amazing job Jenny did! 

Jump over to Jenny's blog here for some other portraits of Emma that Jenny featured on her blog...including one of our sweet baby doll in a doll bed!  

Our Funny Boy

I've posted a lot about Emma recently, but I also wanted to share a little bit of what Isaac's been up to.

Yesterday afternoon we did some "corn syrup painting" (idea from one of my favorite blogs, Playing House, here).  Here are a few pictures of this sticky, but very fun, project.  :)

first, color on heavy paper

stir food coloring into corn syrup

start painting!

It was fun to see the crayon "shine" through the corn syrup paint.

Isaac discovered that it's even more fun to just pour all the colored corn syrup right onto the paper and try finger painting with it!  ;) 

Isaac's creations were definitely too sticky to hang on the refrigerator.  I kept them on a cookie sheet until Daddy came home to admire them last night. 

And, in case you were wondering, Isaac says that this is a "road for all the cars to drive on." 

And...Isaac seems to be on a hilarious roll of stories!  His imagination is really taking off.  Here are a few of our favorites from the past few weeks...

**Bedtime seems to provide some of Isaac's best stories. One night he told me he couldn't go to sleep because there was a mouse living under his bed. The next night he told David that he couldn't go to sleep because there was a spider living on his fan. (Isaac was on a spider kick for awhile, because a few days after that he said that the reason Emma was crying was because a spider crawled on her head & scared her.)

**Another night, in another an effort to delay going to bed, he sat down on the rug in his room, patted the ground, and said, "Sit down and talk."  (Someday, his wife will love him for saying that!)  ;)

**In January, I made a Shutterfly book of our vacation to the beach.  There are a few pictures of dolphins in the book from our visit to the Texas State Aquarium.  One morning, Isaac and I were doing his animal flashcards at breakfast.  When we got to the dolphin flashcard, I asked Isaac where he'd seen dolphins, and he said "on vacation."  Then, he got a far-off look in his eyes and said, "More vacation, please."  :) 

**On Monday morning, I woke Isaac up early and told him that we were taking Emma to the doctor for her cough.  He immediately said, "I have a big, bad cough too."  He coughed on and off all the way to the doctor's office.  Right when Dr. Dalton walked into the room to see us, Isaac said, "Hi, I have a bad cough today."  Dr. Dalton was a good sport & checked Isaac out, too.  ;) 

**Yesterday afternoon, when I went in to get Isaac after his nap, he said "I was crying on my bed, but I'm better now. My teeth are better, my head is better, everything all better!"  (I'm really glad everything is all better, because I didn't even know anything was wrong.)

And, one more picture of Isaac--this was on a night he wanted to help with dishes!

Can you tell he's my boy?!  ;)

Isaac, we love you and all the laughs you give us! 

Showered!

I really don't think my feet have hit the ground since I got home late last night from the *beautiful* shower that our sweet friends threw for Emma & me!  Okay, really my feet haven't hit the ground since we met Emma...but, I am so excited to share about our shower!

My sweet friend Corrie wrote this poem for the invitation:

Dave and Bethany prayed for a baby so sweet

God answered their prayers and they got to meet

Precious Emma Victoria, their daughter and joy

Now part of their family, forever to love

Thank you, God, for this gift, straight from above

(Corrie is awesome at writing poems--remember this one she wrote for Isaac and Landrie's Gotcha Day party?)

My dear friend Jenny hosted our shower.  I walked in and was amazed --Jenny's house was transformed into everything pink and girly imaginable! 

The punch bowl is filled with mocha punch--I think I could drink it every day! 

(Thanks to Candace for introducing mocha punch to us!)

These pink poms were hanging from the ceiling!



My friend Summer made these adorable cookies for the favors.  I think she must have spent days cutting them out and decorating them! 

My sister made the amazing desserts for the shower!  I love this Strawberry Shortcake one with all the hearts!  And her Honeymooner (coconut) and Death by Chocolate cupcakes were beyond delicious.  Dave was so excited when I brought some home from the shower.  ;) 

(If you live in the Twin Cities area, check out her baking company's website here!)



It was so special to have Emily in Texas for the shower...and not only for her baking!  ;)  Isaac was thrilled to soak in lots of fun time with his Aunt EmEm while she was in Texas last week.

These friends showered us with so many fun girly gifts!  I had so much fun opening them all!



Including this adorable bow holder, Emma's room now has three bow holders/bow towers.  I think we came home with well over 50 bows from the shower--I love it!  :)

After opening gifts, everyone surrounded Emma and me and prayed over our family.

These friends have loved us and prayed us through the hardest parts of the last year, and it was so special to now have them pray over us in this time of blessing and rejoicing!  It was a time I'll never forget.

Thank you to these dear friends for throwing us such a fantastic shower!  These girls knew what I'd love (meaning, anything and everything pink!) and went all-out!  I feel so blessed.

Dave and I are so overwhelmed by all the love we've received in this adoption journey.  And, I feel happily overwhelmed with all the fun pink things flowing out of Emma's closet and throughout our whole house!

Emma: 1 Month Old

How has it already been one month since our sweet Emma was born? 

This past month has been completely filled with joy...it has been so wonderful getting to know Emma and seeing Isaac love on his little sister.  Seriously, Isaac is just the sweetest with her.

Emma is such a calm baby.  The only time she cries is when she is really hungry...but most of the time, she just wakes up and starts to stir when she is ready to eat.  I really can't get over how mellow she is!  We are so thankful for this sweet girl and are still in awe that she is apart of our family.

Happy 1 Month, Emma Victoria! 

We love you to pieces!

A Week with Nana!

 Dave's mom and dad first met Emma on the day she was born....

and then we were so blessed to have my mother-in-law, Nana/Susie, fly to Texas last Monday and stay with us for the first full week that we were home! 

Here are a few pictures from our week together...

Susie did TONS of cooking and baking for us!  My freezer is completely stocked.  :)

Isaac loved being in on the action and "helped" Nana make quiche, cream puffs, Monterey Chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetable sandwiches, green smoothies--and those are just the things I can think of this early in this morning!  ;)

"These are really yummy potatoes, Nana!"

Susie bought this cowboy hat at F.M. Light & Sons in Steamboat and brought it for Isaac.  It goes with his cowboy boots perfectly, and he is so proud to wear them together. 

We also spent a morning at the mall...

with Isaac and Emma in their new stroller!  If you ask Isaac about this, he'll tell you he is "the leader and that's why he sits in the front."  :)

Nana also took Isaac on several bike rides.  Isaac is getting so fast on his Strider bike that Tim & Susie gave him for his birthday.  It's quite a jog sprint to keep up with him!

And, of course, Nana spent lots of time snuggling and singing with Emma...

Nana is going to get lots of snuggling in this year with two babies--Jon & Kristy are expecting a sweet baby boy in July!

We LOVE you, Nana,

and can't wait to see you (and Papa, too!) again soon!

Getting to Know You

Getting to know you,

Getting to know all about you.

Getting to like you,

Getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you,

Putting it my way,

But nicely,

You are precisely my cup of tea!

Getting to know you,

Getting to feel free and easy

When I am with you,

Getting to know what to say

Haven't you noticed

Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?

Because of all the beautiful and new

Things I'm learning about you

Day...by...day!

And, if you want to watch a video of this song on YouTube, click here.  Isaac loved watching this with me this past week and kept saying, "She sing, Mama!" 

He also loved when all the characters bow to each other. ;)