A Fun Christmas Season!

This past month was full of Christmas cheer, especially with the little Lucie around to enjoy it. I'd have to say my favorite thing lately has been baking in the kitchen with Lucie. Her aunties and I had a sugar cookie decorating party Christmas Eve--Eve, and Lucie and I whipped up a bunch of dough here at the house before hand. I wore her in front of me in my sling and she watched as I mixed ingredients in bright colorful mixing bowls with wooden spoons! Her hands were waving and her feet were kicking in excitement! I even put the spoon in her hand and helped her stir and pat the dough. When I stopped patting, she would try to pat again. What fun! Here's Lucie doing a bit of "kitchen time" while watching Daddy cook omelets on CHRISTMAS MORNING:

*Picture Update*

I FINALLY found the plug for my camera so I can put some pictures on here! My dad had put it away in a drawer somewhere, not knowing what it was for. So here is an update from the last few weeks.....

"THE LOOK"
This is Lucie's already famous "look" she gives people.


AND HERE SHE IS ON HER FIRST CAR RIDE EVER!
(2 wks old)
Lu: "Hmm... this should be interesting..."

"I think I'm getting bored..."

"Actually, I think I want out of here!"
A
"Is it over yet?"


FIRST BATH
She also had her first bath at 2 wks. She didn't like it so much... :( But since then I have made a few adjustments and she is enjoying her bath better lately. Here I am comforting her after that first "traumatic" bath experience. Poor little baby...


HANDMADE
And look at this lovely dress handmade by Lu's Auntie Rachel! Too cute!


LUCIE SPARKLE THARPE
*in a bow from Mama May*


HER DADDY'S FAVE
lu laundry.....

three weeks young

Look at this little cutie!

Well...

I've got pictures on the camera that I've been wanting to post, but I can't find the right plug to get them on the computer for the life of me! I can't seem to find anything "important" these days! Papers, plugs, receipts, bills, etc... You know, the kinds of things that make the "world" go 'round.... My own world that I'm in right now is very small and very FULL and there's little time for anything else... I'm not an accomplished multi-tasker so all these new things to do with a newborn are surely keeping me busy!

In other news...

BRIAN AND I ARE MOVING INTO OUR OWN PLACE!!! Oct 7 we'll be moving into our own apartment! YEE-HAW! I'm very much looking forward to it, as Lucie moving in has made it extremely crowded in this small bedroom of ours! (I thought it was crowded before! ha!)

And for the MIRACLE RECORD...

We didn't have a bed to take to our new apartment, but we knew that somehow God would make a way for us to get one. Well, Brian was on craigslist last night and he found someone who was willing to barter for a brand new KING SIZE pillowtop bed!!! Today Brian has been painting some rooms in their house in exchange for it! THANK YOU GOD! How cool is that!?! :o)

Must run. Pray I find that plug so I can put some pictures on here! L.J. is already growing so much!!!

ta ta!

BIRTHDAY PICS

Our brother Aaron took some great shots the night lucie arrived.
Check them out here.

~BabyLu~

ONLY MINUTES OLD...

CELEBRATING HER FIRST 24 HOURS!


SHE LIKES HER DADDY.

LITTLE SCRUNCHY YUMMY CUTENESS!

Our little Lucie is here!!! We welcomed her at 12:17am on Saturday, Sept 5 (one year to the day of when we miscarried our last baby Jinja Rosemary... isn't that cool?) She weighed 7lbs 4 oz and measured 21 inches long! She is PERFECT! We like her so much! :)

T minus 12 days?

Helloooo BABY!
YES, she is STILL growing... isn't that what babies do!?!?!?!?

36 weeks!

I know what you're thinking...
"Wow, she's about to pop!"
You and the rest of everyone else...
I hear it every time I venture out into public.
Smiling faces, interested expressions... "Oh, when are you due?"
.......(my answer).........
"Oh HONEY, you're NOT gonna make it that far!"
Oh brother, here we go again.
I've already been hearing it for a month...
and I still have a month to go!!!

Whatever you may think,
about "how" I'm carrying, or how "big" my belly is,
I'm not getting my hopes up for any early showing of this little girl.
Brian and I BOTH were born more than 2 weeks past our due dates.
So I'm just hoping that she'll come ON TIME!

I did dream she was here last night though.
And today I am missing her, as if she was here but now she is gone.
You can come anytime you want, Baby Lucie.

Preparations for her arrival are dwindling down...
Now it's time for more WAITING. :o)

Check out what arrived at the front door last week!
A total surprise from Brian's Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Corky!
For me, it was like CHRISTMAS DAY!
THANK YOU SO MUCH AUNT DOROTHY!!!!!



And the weekend before that,
Mom and me and my cousin Jennifer ventured out
to Babies R Us to do some returns and get a few necessaries.
We happened upon a good price for a cute little changing table
that fits right outside the door of my room!
(name letters courtesy of Rachel Tharpe,
my fantastic shower #2 planner)



I look forward to the day when I'll get to set up all this stuff
in an actual nursery! For now, God has graciously planted some contentment in my heart,
even as I anticipate the day I'll have my own home!

I can't wait til Lucie's here!

Double Shower Weekend!

This past weekend was a BLAST! Totally wore me out--I planned to post a blog immediately but have been recovering from all the fun! :) Saturday, was my very first baby shower, and as one friend said, it is probably the first of "many more showers to come." Check out this FANTASTIC cupcake tower in all the right colors!!! And I made the punch myself--isn't it lovely!?! (Well, I did have some help from Jennifer H. after all my cherry floats were drowned by the extra ice I added!)


Me and my True Blue who did such an amazing job with the decor for the shower! It was perfect!

And Rachel came up with some fun games to play for our entertainment!

Lucie got so many cute outfits at this shower! And some very nice blankets, and other things that make a new mommy world a better place. :o) And we had some time for prayer and blessings over our family which was a beautiful. Thank you so much to all who came and to all who gave and to all who prayed!


These are the girls who helped out with my second shower on Sunday! Another fantastic shower--such fun!

And Caren made all these LOVELY cupcakes by hand! They were AMAZING. We had lots of good eats and drinks at this shower!

I am so grateful to everyone for their hard work to put these showers together, and so thankful to everyone for their generosity. Lucie Joy is one blessed little baby! And I am her blessed mama. :o)
I want to give a shout out too, to my Aunt Nellie for coming out before a busy work week and representing the fam. Thank you for coming! It really meant alot to me!

And last but not least, here I am in all my 34 week glory! Almost there! Only 6 more weeks to go!

LUCIE IS COMING!!!

* * * B A B Y C O R N E R * * *

This week I've finally been able to satisfy some of my "nesting" instincts. I've been working on getting my room ready for little Lu and I'm so grateful to my mom and Mama May for helping me to get some things set up for the baby corner. :)

My mom took me to get these great drawers for storing Lucie's clothes and a shoe organizer to save space!



I literally had to clean out my closet probably 10x in order to finally make space for both me and Brian, and now a baby! You really have to live a minimalistic life when your whole world is crammed into one bedroom! :)

Mama May then took me and got this cute little cube organizer for Lu's things, and this little table which I'll use for a night stand--I love it!



Here's the bassinet Mom found on ebay. $25! :)



Now I'm all ready for baby showers this weekend! I'm so excited!!!

And last but NOT least, THANK YOU to Meme for making THIS possible!!!





ahhh... pedicure. :)

Here's To Lucie!!!

30ks

She is growing CROWDED in there! I'm getting all kinds of pokes and jabs and it's getting harder for me to move around!!! I've definitely slowed down, and feel all kinds of aches when I get out of bed in the morning!
HELLO 3RD TRIMESTER!

Good news is: Only 9 more weeks to go!

Aren't these the cutest outfits? Mama May bought them for Lu on a shopping spree last month! :)

30 weeks

my midwife apt went very well today. :)
little lu is in good position with her head down
and her body slightly to the left which is good
b/c when she moves toward the center, she is more
likely to stay facing the correct way for labor. :)

i'm slightly anemic so she says i need to pump up my iron
and take chlorophyl and yellow dock...
i'll be saving some money to buy those from the herb shop!

otherwise, everything is a-ok. said my diet is very good
and everything looks very good.
i'll start seeing her every 2 weeks now
since i am 30 weeks already! :)

it hit me the other nite that i can't believe how drastically
my life is going to change in such a short time from now!!!
a little over 2 months and i'll have a real live baby that will be
mine for always.............. WEIRD. :)
it's a good thing i'm getting rather used to my life changing
drastically quite often these days.

i'm definitely excited. here goes nothing!


(i just took a few belly pics but we're housesitting right now
and i don't have the proper cords to put the pics on my computer!
i'll try to post them soon though!)

God is Good.

TWENTY-SEVEN WEEKS this week and Lucie is ever growing! By now, I have completed the blanket I was crocheting, in addition to another smaller blanket made out of very soft stretchy orange yarn. My mom found a bassinet for $20 online and also a crib for only $50! I've been working on my baby registry at Toys R Us and boy, that can make your brain crazy... too many things to look at, that's for sure. Thanks so much to those of you who have generously blessed us with things for the little lady already!

Brian is busy getting a lawn mowing business started. We were down to our last penny in the bank account with bills due and the Lord put it on someone's heart to bless us with a check... Thank you, God for meeting all our needs! Not only were we able to pay our bills this month, but Brian has been able to purchase some refurbished lawn equipment and he is working with a kid from down the street. I don't know how he does it out in that heat!!! My hardworking man...

I've been going on walks in the neighborhood most days... but my usual afternoon routine is definitely going to need some adjusting. I can't bare the heat anymore. It's amazing what humidity can do. Africa was definitely hot. The sun was definitely closer. But there is nothing like hot AND humid. Thank God for air conditioning!!!!!

I'm doing hair here and there... mostly at my parent's house where I have a salon chair and huge mirror. I don't have a car so it is difficult for me to get out and around, plus it's a whole lot easier on this growing body of mine to work on hair when the chair moves up and down and all around. That being said, if anyone wants their hair done, and doesn't mind coming here, I'm in the business! :)

Lucie is a bit of a wiggle worm these days. Not extremely active, but I do feel her every day. Lately I've been getting little pokes up in my ribs! What a funny feeling. I like her, and think she is probably going to be a funny girl. :)

That's pretty much the catch up on here.

Ta-ta for now!!!

Birth Image

Yesterday, Brian and I went to our first childbirth class! Even more fun is the fact that we are taking the class together with our friends Chris and Julie who are expecting their baby Aug 4th (or earlier) and also planning a home birth! So it's cool to be able to do it together with them.

Last night, one of the exercises was to hold ice cubes in our hands for a full minute to see how we respond to pain. The dads had to do it too--and boy was it funny to watch Brian squirm!

Then we were all instructed to take some time putting our "strongest image of birth" onto paper with pastels. Here is what I made:

For a little explanation, the story starts in the bottom left hand corner where the purple represents "intensity" and the little "curls" also have the same tense feeling. The curls then begin to open up and relax represented by the blue "peaceful" color. The journey then moves up into a calm place represented by the blue in the upper right hand corner, swinging around back to the left again where that big explosion of light is my Lucie Joy with all her sparkle whose light then keeps going left towards the beginning of a new journey! (My scanner wasn't able to capture the whole picture so some of it is missing, but you get the jist of it)

We have three more classes left, and I can't help hoping that there are more art projects involved! :)

Just thought I'd share...

She's Still A Girl! :)

I interviewed with a midwife today to talk about doing my prenatal care with her and possibly a home birth. Anyway, we were able (by the generosity and grace of God!) to get a sneak peak ultrasound at our little baby and she's still a girl! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and her name will be.........................

LUCIE JOY!!! :) :) :)

(our "joyful shining light")

We can't wait to meet you, Little Lu!

20 weeks!

HALF WAY THERE! (CAN THIS BE?!?)
I haven't felt any DEFINITE kicks in there yet, but if I push on my belly, and leave my hand there, I can feel a little pressing back... it feels like a strong pulse to me, but it only happens once, not in a pattern like a heartbeat. :) Today I ended up laying on my stomach for one moment but I quickly hopped back up because I could feel a "form" in there! :) It was so strange to not just feel like I was laying on a big belly, but on an actual "being"! I could tell where she was, as if I was laying on something that was really on the bed! Crazy!


This week has been a very enjoyable one. After a refreshing prayer meeting on Monday night, where both Brian and I received a good dose of lovin' from our friends through insightful prayers and specific words of encouragement about where God has us right now and how He is going to take care of us, we came away realizing how important it is to live IN the moment, not in the past, and not worrying about the future... I've been reading Luke 12 where it talks about not worrying about your life, and not storing up treasure on earth... and we've been endeavoring to walk in that kind of trust, knowing that if God cares about birds and lilies, how much more does He care for us!

We've been taking walks around my parents' neighborhood almost every day. (Good exercise for the pregnant mama!). On Tuesday, our friend Linda Lu invited us to go fishing with her, so we spent the day with her and our other friend Todd Peroud, out on Lake Conroe catching fish, snacking on chicken salad and other picnic treats, and soaking up the sunshine and beautiful day!

Wednesday, I did hair at the house most of the day. Brian cooked an AMAZING spaghetti dinner and the Crouse family plus a few guests sat down around the table to chat it up and enjoy the tastiness! Our friend Diane was over and I think we ended up all chatting til 12 in the morning! Good-good times...

Here's Han's new haircut (pre-color)... It's real cute. ;)



Today I tried my hand at making banana bread muffins, and they turned out quite tasty indeed! I'm really enjoying being home, and having time on my hands... time to be productive, and to do things I wouldn't normally take the time to do... it's nice to live here, with all the conveniences and treats of our western world, but without allowing the stress of the usual fast paced American lifestyle to be in charge. It's a blessing to be here at my parent's house and we are going to be cooking dinner more often to show our appreciation!!!

Home Sweet Home

We are home and it's GOOD TO BE BACK! I've definitely been enjoying the tastes of Texas! And it's been quite a convenient time, as I have really noticed my appetite increasing these last two weeks! I'm 18 weeks today and GROWING. :)

Yesterday was my first day "out and about" on my own. Brian had some things to do, so I borrowed my mom's car and went driving wherever I wanted! I checked out the Conroe shopping scene after grabbing an iced Passion tea from Starbucks. I hit up Hobby Lobby just to do some browsing and happened upon the YARN isle where there was a huge sale... all this yarn for only $1.99! This was VERY convenient for me, since I have been crocheting a baby blanket with some multi-colored yarn my mom sent to me in Africa. I had been wanting to get some orange yarn to go with it and there it was... 2 rolls of the exact same brand as my multi-colored yarn--on sale! I bought that up! Now that I'm home, I work on the blanket during late night conversations with my parents, at prayer meetings, and at band practice. It's coming along nicely!

After Hobby Lobby, I headed over to Old Navy, TJ Maxx (THAT is the place to get everything!), and random shoe stores... I was behaving myself and not spending money though I would have liked to buy the whole world! Need to wait 'til we have some sort of income before I start depleting the small savings we're floating on right now. It was still fun to look around though.:)

Then, I headed toward the Outlet Mall, where I browsed the Motherhood maternity store. (I actually tried on a pair of pants that were too SHORT for me. That has NEVER happened before! EVER!) My last stop was Carter's which I had been hearing about from new mommy friends, and I looked around for a while before deciding that I HAD to buy at least one thing for my baby (my first baby purchase ever). Isn't this cute!?!

All in all, it is WONDERFUL to be back home in the U.S.A. Brian and I are seeking God's direction for this next season of our lives, and we can't wait to see what He has in store. For now, we are staying at the Crouse House (THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!) and taking care of the small things that are in our hands until we know a little bit more about our future living/working situations. Please keep us in your prayers.

Here are a few bonus pics of us during our layover in London on the way home.
We rode the underground "tube" into central London and froze as we walked around trying to soak it all in... We ate at a little hole in the wall GENUINE Italian restaurant, and the food was VERY tasty... but I couldn't help feeling self-conscious that I didn't know how to use a fork and knife "properly". :) Here we are:

FUN TIMES!