elise lenore

wow is it amazing to type her name! for those who haven't heard, we had the baby...and it's a beautiful girl! her name is elise lenore. "elise" comes from j's great aunt elise and "lenore" is also my middle name picked out by my father when i was born. i have to laugh reading my last entry...because not even 9 hours after i made that entry, did my water break. yes, we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas morning with the sells, came home and did Christmas together, and as we were getting ready to head over to my mom's, i decided to take a quick nap. no sooner had i laid down on the couch than my water broke. of course i was oblivious and didn't realized what had happened, until j said, "do you think your water broke?" as he said it, the "ah-ha" look came over my face...he was right!

we stayed home for a while because i had no contractions. we took a walk around the block (almost 3 times actually)...met some of our neighbors in the process...had my mom and doug come over (and they brought dinner...which was a delicious "last meal")...we watched a movie...and finally headed over to the hospital at 7pm...still hardly any contractions.

i can give the rest of the details to anyone who'd like to hear them, but the short version of the rest of the story is this: justin, vanessa and my mom were in the delivery room with me the whole time. contractions started around 9:30 pm, we endured naturally until about 5/6am when the doctor told me i was only 6 cm. with my muscles twitching uncontrollably, the pain increasing, and my strength gone, i asked (more like begged or demanded!) an epidural. this gave us all a chance to rest until about 9am. with some petocin we got to 10cm and after pushing for 2 hours, little elise was born at 3:02pm on december 26th.

she is beautiful! so here are some pictures. we are falling in love with her more and more each day and can't thank the Lord enough for all He's done in creating her and bringing her to us.

christmas eve

we spent christmas eve with j's family for lunch which was very fun. they have such great traditons with having the grandkids (or greatgrandkids now) decorate nan's tree. the house was full of people and i loved it.

then we spent the evening with my family. marmo took some great pictures that i'll share soon. even my brother came over which was fun. he adds a fun element to the mix that i enjoy. after dinner (russian shrimp of course!) we went to church for the Christmas Eve service. it's the first time that we've even gone since joining our church because last year we couldn't make it. it was wonderful. i'm so thankful for our church family. just worshipping with them and giving and receiving hugs from people we have come to know so well, and love so much, was amazing. Lord, thank you for the body of believers.

it is now about 5 o'clock in the morning. i'm wide awake as j continues sleeping. a good friend said to me last night that when you start waking up every couple of hours, it's God preparing you for when the baby comes. really, it's His kindness. as i sit here, wide awake, i agree with her. i'm sure i'll be exhausted later on today...

no baby yet...but i think it's coming soon...

lists

normally, i'm the type of person that has lists going of things to do...lists at home...lists at school. but now that it's Christmas and the baby is due so soon, my lists are more numerous and more extensive... pack the hospital bag, finish getting the baby's room ready, wash all the new baby stuff, get the Christmas decorations up, finishing getting things ready at school to leave for the sub...and the lists go on. my amazing husband has been incredible in helping me to cross things off those lists, and in getting things accomplished, i find myself very thankful and getting more and more "ready" for the baby to arrive (quotes are necessary because how "ready" can you ever be?!)

i wanted to share the latest things we've gotten done around the house. just the other night we finished the tree and the lights on the front of the house, as well as the lit garland on the steps and on the mantle. i love Christmas. i love the coziness of the season, i love being on the couch, looking at the lights and watching the room take on the warm glow from the tree and decorations. not to mention that jay found an amazing (and very large) tree this year...I LOVE IT! so here's our first year of decorating in our new house (as well as an updated belly shot). i hope you enjoy.

"that's Jesus' birthday!"

when talking with a little boy the other day, I told him the baby was supposed to come on Christmas. i loved his innocent, but very excited response: "your baby would have the same birthday as Jesus!" you don't hear that name much in the public these days...you can hardly say, "Merry Christmas!"...so it was music to my ears to hear a little one say the name of Jesus without hesitation! and with our due date being that special day...we are already less than four weeks away! at our appointment tonight they officially gave us the "36 week paper" which told us when to call with our contractions, how far apart they need to be, for how long, what number to dial, what color clothes to wear, how to do my hair...just kidding on those last ones. but already here we are...less than four weeks to go. the baby is head down still...doesn't seem to want to move out of that position, as evidenced by the butt bump i often feel right under my rib cage.

we had our last baby shower yesterday. the ladies i work with threw me a surprise shower...and they did surprise me! (pictures coming soon) we got the best gift...a message board full of MONEY! they had collected money but instead of getting a group gift, we got cash. it was so neat (and so creatively presented-thank you joanne!) we also were given a book basket which i loved, as well as a number of other individual gifts. what a blessing to feel cared for and so supported by those i work with. i am so thankful for joanne and pam who worked so hard (and so secretly) to pull it all together.

so with that, we start the countdown..."little one" is due in 26 days :)

we were showered with blessings again

this past saturday, justin's family threw a baby shower for us. what an overwhelming blessing it was. God has provided for us and this baby in so many tangible ways. the love, support and care i felt by so many at this shower was amazing.

this is the cake Aunt Bonnie made (the best cake there is!) with justin's christening shoes on top

here are the ladies that put it all together. THANK YOU!

i couldn't have made it through all of the presents without marm's and eva's help (at times i wasn't sure who was more excited about the gifts...me or them!)

my sister was the photographer of the day (by the way mare, i think we have the same noses)

i'm so glad mom and mare could be there too

my, how time flies

just this weekend, we went to a child care class at the local hospital. i was so thankful for the detailed information about what to expect in labor. i'm sure i'll still be surprised and overwhelmed and a ton of other emotions, but it did make me feel better to be more informed. we were then realizing that this "little one" of ours is going to be coming very soon! Thanksgiving is next week and six weeks from tomorrow is Christmas! woah! and what if this baby comes early?! it's amazing how fast time goes...and there are so many details to take care of before we welcome this baby into the world! Lord, give me peace and faith that it will all get done.

there aren't words

yesterday, i was "surprised" with a baby shower thrown by my church care group. they were kind enough to release me from having to do thank you notes (which is quite a blessing), but i still want to thank them. thank them for the gifts? yes, of course. what a reminder of God's provision, to have friends and family around us providing so much for the baby yet to be born.



more so, i want to thank them for their hearts and their prayers. we spent a good amount of time praying. they prayed for me, for jay, for the baby...they encouraged me, uplifted me, pointed out evidences of God working in me...and my eyes teared up multiple times. they read a letter that my husband had written, which made me tear even more. i cannot express in words how my heart was touched by that meaningful time with them. to think that we've only been at this church for a year and a half or so, and the Lord has been so faithful to provide us with fellowship, friends, accountability, and support. it was such a gift to be the recipient of such encouragement and love. then to add to it, there were women there who have known me since my high school years (including my mother who has obviously known me longer :). one woman in particular thanked God for His faithfulness to my mother and me over the past ten years or so. and all i could think was, "Lord, she's right. Were it not for you, I would have fallen away. The only reason I'm still walking with You is because You've kept me close."

some others commented on my evident love for my husband. i heard that comment a few times and it struck me..."Lord, with my background and history...is it possible that my husband and i are marked for the love You've given us?" anyone who knows me at all, knows this is an unbelievable blessing...that God has not only changed the family patterns, but made Himself so evident through our marriage.

i came home and struggled to find the words to express to my sweetheart, how i had been touched by the few hours i had spent with those ladies. i continue to struggle for words even now as i write this. i cannot thank them enough for the time they invested to prepare and their generous gifts...but more so, for their hearts, their love, their friendship, and their hearts for the Lord that continue to point me back to the our heavenly Father as well. God thank you for caring for me and showing Your love in such tangible ways.

latest belly shot

i appreciate everyone's encouraging words regarding the size of my belly and how i look thus far in the pregnancy. it certainly is encouraging, despite the increasing weight. you gotta love going to the doctor and watching them move that little black thing on the scale further and futher to the right, until she finally has to move one of the BIG black things over and you've reached a new level all together! it's all good though. i know the weight gain is necessary and means the baby is growing. and i honestly praise God that the gain doens't bother me more. it's all vanity anyway...but it is a blessing, that my heart and minset aren't discouraged or too focused on it. this "little one" is growing and kicking and hiccuping (that's a weird sensation!) and i praise God for what He's doing!

my cup runneth over

it would be easy to write about the "stuff" going on right now. i could write about justin going back to work, or how overwhelming it can be at times being a teacher, or how little projects around the house are getting done, or how josie chased a stray cat out of the yard yesterday (yes, in case you thought she couldn't run...she's still got it in her!)...


but yesterday, two things happened that seem to outweigh everything else that's currently on our plate. first, jay got to talk with a guy he works with, about Jesus! it started with, "so how long have you been a christian?" they talked the remainder of the afternoon about Jesus, going to church, and their stories to this point in life. it was such a wonderful opportunity for jay to share his faith and life with this man, who has a wife and kids, and feels like he should go back to church, he should turn to God, but he just won't. i pray the Holy Spirit continues to work in his heart and lead him to the truth and i'm so thankful for a husband who is not afraid to share that truth when given the chance.


the other awesome thing that happened, was that a man we know came to know the Lord after 20 years of being married to a christian woman, holding on to his Jewish faith, and resisting the gospel. through conflicts going on all around them, he asked his wife, "tell me who Jesus is." then he asked God to reveal clearly to him if Jesus really is who he said he was. the rest is a beautiful story of a life transformed, a man brought to life, and reborn as he said. his wife is rejoicing and on another honeymoon as she put it, to simply pray with her husband, see tears of joy streaming down his face as he prays, and to see him grow in faith and knowledge of his Lord, Jesus Christ.

simply put...despite anything overwhelming going on...or any worries or fears that may consume my mind on a daily basis...at hearing these, "my cup runneth over."

baby movements

aside from the constant, "how are you feeling?" question, the other two major questions folks are asking me is, "what names do you have picked out?" and "have you seen the baby move?" to the first questions, yes, we have names picked out. the girl name is set, but the boy names are still up in the air. as for the latter question, yes i've seen the baby move many times. it's amazing and breathtaking to watch your belly move on its own, knowing that you're not causing it to do so. the baby inside is. but people have specifically asked if i've had one of those full body movements where you can watch a wave ripple across your belly from one side to the other as the baby turns or switches positions. i can finally say, "YES!" to that one.

we were at care group the other night and has just sung "He is Exalted." Everyone was praying and right in the middle of the prayer, i opened my eyes to watch a a large bulge ripple under my shirt from my right to my left side. as everyone sat there with eyes closed, i was wide-eyed and staring at my belly. what an amazing thing to witness! i only hope jay gets to see it sometime soon. so often the baby moves right after he's looked away. i am so thankful to feel the baby's movements. what a reassurance it is, that all is well in there. thank you Lord for that gift. the baby continues to get bigger because i can feel bigger movements now, and weird sensations right before the baby's about to move. it's amazing. there are no other words...just amazing.

baby shower

what a blessing yesterday was! my mom, sister, and two dear friends threw me a baby shower. it was perfect. i had a chance to talk with the ladies there because it wasn't too big that i couldn't see everyone. the food was fantastic. the favors were chocolate (which my sweet tooth loved)! and the diaper centerpieces were amazing. i am not all that crafty myself when it comes to stuff like that, but my one friend is amazing. she is my hero of hot glue and ribbons...and now add diapers, bottles and alphabet blocks to that list! my sister made a fantastic photographer. my other friend made adorable invitations and knows me so well, to make me feel comfortable, even when i was the center of attention opening presents (and she knows i don't necessarily like being in that position). and my mom was such a blessing. i appreciated all of her time, money and efforts to put this together for me and her grandchild to be. we were blessed with so many wonderful and useful gifts. how amazing that God provides such wondeful friends and family to help provide and get us prepared and ready for this next phase of life. Thank you Lord!

my husband

even as i type this, the sounds of hard work can be heard from the basement and back yard. my husband is like no other. i cannot express the overflowing thankfulness i have in my heart for him. his carpal tunnel recovery has been long, frustrating at times, but also a great time of seeing God's hand. his time at home (especially these last few weeks) has also allowed him time to catch up on work around the house. not only has he been hammering away at our "to-do" list, but he has also taken over grocery shopping, making dinners, and much of the cleaning as well. what a blessing that has been for me, as i've adjusted back into teaching as a pregnant mom-to-be. his work has allowed me to take it easy when i come home. so as he goes back to work this monday, i want to make sure he knows that i not only admire and appreciate all of his hard work, but it also makes me feel so loved and cared for as well. i am so grateful to the Lord for a God-seeking, faithful, hard-working, loving husband. i am so blessed and thankful.

(and i hope i haven't embarrased him too much by writing all of this :)

September

i can't believe i'm already facing the end of september. i am so thankful for the sound of the wind chimes in the wind, the leaves changing color, and the cooler weather finally coming around. oh how i love fall!

september has been a busy month for us. justin has had carpal tunnel surgery and is recovering wonderfully. his patience and good attitude in dealing with it have amazed and inspired me. what a blessing he has been!

school also started this month and it's interesting to be back in the routine already. i say "interesting" on purpose. some moments are wonderful and some are hectic and energy-zapping. i have asked the Lord specifically to work in my heart and prepare me to leave school when it's time. i've asked that my heart would rejoice and look only to the future and not look back when it's time to leave. He's already answering my prayers :)

september has also brought some fun family events. last weekend many females from justin's side of the family celebrated nanny's 75th birthday by spending two days in Lancaster. we shopped and ate and shopped and ate and antiqued and ate some more. it was great fun to all be together and there is no one quite like Nan. i love her spunk and energy. i could joke and laugh with her all day!

after returning from our trip, we had a baby shower for laura. it was so nice to see so many faces we haven't seen in a while...but even more so, i enjoyed having laura around for the few days she was here. it's not the same with her and robert so far away, though i know it's where the Lord has them for now. she and i are due with our babies on the same day (crazy, i know!) so it's fun comparing our bellies and pregnancy tales. it will be so interesting to see the Lord's timing in bringing these two cousins into the world! 2 Christmas babies? who knows!

tears of joy

as church ended today, i had tears of joy trickling down my cheeks. i was lost in thankfulness to the Lord for Jesus and His finished work on the cross, His love for me and how He continues to work in my heart. i was thankful for my husband who loves God and whom i love dearly. and i was thankful for our church body. they had an altar call this morning for those who know the Lord as Savior, but have not let Him be "Master of the House." in other words, they don't allow him into certain areas of their lives or to interfere with their plans because it's an inconvenience. anyone who's been at an altar call before can testify that they can be intimidating or embarassing...but today, i stood in awe. people walked down the aisles in humility, asking to be prayed for, because they desired to let God rule in all areas of their lives. then the amazing part happened...friends and family members came down as well to pray for them and with them...it was such a display of love, fellowship, accountability, and genuine care that all i could do was cry. then add the worship songs we sang, along with watching countless people pouring out their hearts to the Lord with hands held high...it was amazing and all i could do was cry tears of joy and thankfulness. what a great God we serve.

american idol

you've seen the tv show for sure...but have you experienced the auditions? a dear friend of mine was brave enough to audition for the infamous american idol this past week. the first step was to get registered. but of course, it was on the hottest day of the summer when the heat index was through the roof! praise God though...we were there and back in two hours with our wristbands on! now, did you know that once you get that wristband, you have to leave it on and can't even get it wet for two days until the actual auditions! that was interesting...especially when you're washing your hands or trying to get a shower!

finally, the day came and around 4am we were off. we saw the sun come up from the parking lot as we waited outside with thousands of other people. after a couple hours outside (in the nice breeze i might add) they herded us in, checking our bags as we went. it almost felt like airport security. (we played the pregnant card though and were allowed to bring our own food in...another blessing from above!)

once inside we waited some more, did large group filming shots, saw Ryan Seacrest and around 11am, they started auditions. what a scene! huge sections of seats were corralled down to the main floor and 4 people at a time were sent to sing 10-40 seconds of a song for one of many producers. you were then told yes or no and that was that. around 7:30pm, my brave friend got her chance. she sang her heart out, and felt she did her best. they told her no thank you though, as they did to about 98% of the thousands who auditioned. they turned away many talented folks that day. (they allowed quite a few strange ones through to the next round though...all for good ratings i suppose.)

all this to say, i couldn't be more proud of my friend. she was more brave than i would have been. she allowed them to hear her clear, strong voice that i adore so much. and i trust the Lord has other plans for her gifted vocal chords. i'm thankful i could stand by her side.

josie girl

as most of us realize, August is almost over. i've been in my classroom lately trying to get it set up and ready for a new school year to start. that's a strange thing for me because i love setting up my room, but i also know this school year will be like no other...i won't be finishing it! "little one" will be here before the mid-year mark hits and i'm am certainly getting more anxious and excited for that to happen. as my belly grows so does my excitement and anticipation!



but as for the title of this entry, josie continues to be my source of companionship many days. what will i do at school all day not being around her? yes, some of you might know about josie's incredible loyalty to justin and her protective nature. but she and i have "bonded" (if i can say that about a dog) since living in the house together. what will i do all day at school without her following me around from room to room? will i worry all day about getting home to let her out? will she be bored? oh, if dogs could talk, it would be so much easier.



well, in case you haven't seen her lately, here's our josie (i took her picture and she definitely got annoyed and walked away afterward!)

"great giggles"

mom, mary, justin and i returned from visiting nana yesterday for her 83rd birthday. she recently entered a nursing home and it seems to be the best place for her. between stomach issues and her incresing dimensia, she can't live alone any more. it's amazing how many services they offer from physical therapy to manicures, from a greenhouse to biweekly trips to the hair salon. what a comfort to all of us knowing that she is being taken care of like she needs to be.

i didn't know quite what to expect in going to see her. though she has been growing more and more forgetful, i was still struck at her lack of ability to retain information from one moment to the next. i wonder if it's frustrating for her to have such a terrible short term memory, or if she is even aware of it. she is however, aware of how she looks, as seen by her fixing her hair in the car mirror after lunch and not wanting to use her walker. these glimpses into the nana i remember, brought a smile to my face.

the title of this entry, "great giggles", came from our time with nana in her room after lunch. she seemed to be more comfortable with less people around, and she seemed to be remembering us a bit more, if that's possible. as we talked, she seemed to giggle at the littlest thing. if you've ever been a situation where someone is ill and things are a bit awkward at times, when that person starts laughing, you can't help but laugh too. we all laughed about all kinds of things. but then we told her that i was going to have a baby. "oh really?" she asked, though she's been told this multiple times. i confirmed and then asked her what she thought it would be, a boy or girl. she hesitated and i didn't think she was going to respond, or if she waited too long, she might forget the question i asked. but she surprised us all and after a moment or so said, "make it a boy." i told her that she was going to be a great-nana when this baby comes. but after all her laughter, we told her we were going to call her "giggles" and the new baby...well he/she will just have to call her "great giggles".

healthy ultrasound

as i sit and type this, there are six ultrasound pictures hanging on our fridge. we were in awe to say the least tonight. we saw the four chambers of the baby's heart, both sides of the brain, two legs, two arms, an adorable nose, fingers, toes, ribs, a spine, kidneys, a bladder, a stomach and the list goes on. how amazing that they can measure different parts of the baby and then tell you his/her weight (and yes, i wrote his/her...our will power held strong and we did not find out!...but the nurse who did the ultrasound knows!) our baby is a healthy 15 ounces-almost a pound! doc said that puts us at about a 7 pound baby at delivery time. sounds good to me. most importantly, they said everything looks healthy. what a blessing. so here are two pictures of our little one. the first is of the feet and the second of the whole body with the baby's feet above his/her head. the baby was moving around quite a bit so it was hard to get some of the shots. at one point, the baby was actually holding on to his/her feet and it was adorable! enjoy the pictures and if you pray today, please thank God with us, for a healthy ultrasound.

the cape

after spending four days in the cape with my family, i thought it appropriate to share a few highlights. we did some day trips and visited great towns while there. we shopped, shopped, shopped, took some pictures, ate some ice cream, and shopped some more! while in the vineyard, we spend the day with an amazing family who graciously gave up their day to be with us. i so appreciated their kindness, humor, generosity, and obvious love for the Lord.

a few reflections and memories...my mom continues to strike me as one who loves to give. she is so generous and giving and i so appreciate it. doug's humor continues to strike me when i least expect it...and the "constipated bert" impression will forever live on! ashley, i did not know so well, but now that i have spent more time with her, i can say that i greatly appreciate her straightforwardness and her smile. marmo...what to say about mary? she laughs more than anyone i know, she enjoys every minute of life, she's kind, compassionate and though i gave her quite a hard time here and there, i'm so grateful she's my sister. last but not least, is my husband. what did i learn from him or see in him on this trip? i saw his gracious and gentle way with me once again, in helping me, taking care of me, and just spending time with me. and i saw him relax and rest, which i am so thankful for considering all the work he faithfully does.

and with one updated pregnant pictures...a great vacation now comes to a close.

before and after

now that we're living in the house, it seems a good time to show some before and after shots, especially for those who are far away. i just recently finished a memory book of pictures detailing the entire process, so here's just a taste.

the kitchen before...and after

the downstairs bathroom before...and after

as you can see, God has certainly blessed dad and justin with amazing talent and skill.

can't believe i'm doing this

well, it seems to me that a great way to keep up with friends is through a blog...and since our family is going through some major changes these many months, it seemed like a good time to start one. justin and i are in our first house and have jumped head first into all that entails. he and dad have worked vigilantly to fix everything in the house and what a blessing they've been. i cannot say enough how blessed i am to have such a determined, hard-working, and diligent husband. not to mention, a father-in-law who would spend countless days here, long past dark, helping his son and daughter-in-law to get into their new house. we have the longed for CO (certificate of occupancy) in hand now and have enjoyed 2 weeks here in our new house. what a blessing!

as if that was not enough, we are also expecting our first baby! baby baloche or "little one" as i have been calling him/her is due at Christmas...on Christmas! we'll see if we have another holiday birthday in the family. this baby business is not what i expected. i cannot seem to wrap my arms around the reality of a little person being made and growing inside of me. the Lord's handiwork is more than evident and i am in awe of His working within me...yet i cannot grasp it...some moments it's more real than others...like the first ultrasound when we saw that little heart pumping at 7 weeks old! or the second ultrasound when "little one" rolled around frantically, turned, and waved at us with both hands as if to say, "here i am mom and dad! can you see me?!" maybe when i'm feeling like this is all just too surreal, i'm just to focus on God's work in all of this and remind myself of those little moments. for so long i have clung to psalm 139 and how many times i have read "He knit you together in your mother's womb"...and now i'm watching and standing by as my belly grows and He creates another one is His image. praise God!