...And the winner is...

Tricia

(And yes, that is a little fake smile from Another One - a little goofy but oh so cute!)

Name That Baby!

(Not the most flattering picture, but we love our stripe-y outfits)

I'm not too keen on the baby's bloggy name. I need your help!

What should I call him besides finale?

The winner gets the satisfaction of knowing the baby got a good bloggy name.

Baby Blues

This is us at a wedding when our first son was 4 days old. Daddy is holding him.

A few years ago, I had a really good friend who was expecting a boy about the time I was having my first son. We spent our pregnancies lamenting together (misery loves company, right?) and we talked about having babies, we even had a joint baby shower. We spent nearly the entire pregnancy at about the same stage since we were due just a week apart. After her baby was born (I was incredibly miserable and insanely jealous that whole next week and a half until mine was born) I went to visit her at home - he was a week old. I can distinctly remember feeling an overwhelming sadness so powerful that I teared up in her apartment. They were tired, the food had stopped coming from friends and the beautiful flowers that her husband had bought her had wilted and died. The newness was gone. My baby had not yet been born, but I was already mourning for the week after he'd be here.

It is now over a week after my second son was born and I hit that wall of sadness yesterday. My beautiful flowers wilted and died, my sweet baby wiggled and cried all night, the kids were bored and restless, thankfully we still have meals. I have to say I am so thankful for the Lord providing me some extra doses of happiness and contentment through this season. I am nowhere near as sad as I was last time. I am finding peace in my place as a full-time stay at home wife and mother in this short time I have it.

A week old - Photo courtesy of Daughter #2

The Finale!

I've added a new person to our blog! Welcome baby!

100%

Having insomnia makes you think a little too far through things you thought were okay. I've found myself questioning my abilities as a human and my willpower to follow through with what I am capable of. Since I've been working, there has been a constant pull between so many different things that I feel like I can never give 100% to any of them. I am so overwhelmed at trying to make a budget work with a family of almost six when the cost of living has risen so dramatically over the past 3 years, the pressure to home school (and home school well) is overwhelming at best and the seemingly constant criticism in my area of ministry can tackle the best of intentions and squelch your confidence. It's hard to be good at something when you seem to not have anything noteworthy you are good at - especially when you can never devote your whole self to that particular gifting. Couple that with raising a strong willed child, managing a full household, maintaining relationships and you have a recipe for disaster if something doesn't give. In the next few weeks (if only for that precious, short amount of time), I look forward to giving 100% to my newborn, children and home. I will try to find worth in my ability to care for and raise my children. Often I wonder why I was given these tasks, but I trust in the Lord's Divine plan to have me where I am and in the circumstances that I am in - and as the old saying goes I will do my best - to bloom where I am planted.

James 1:2

More Stencils...

Yes, more. We are having fun.

She's going to a baseball game for her birthday and wanted a shirt.

Note the awesome cape.

"Superman doesn't paint"

Machete

I haven't taken much time to blog lately. Maybe it's the preoccupation of waiting on a baby. Maybe it's the crazy wrapping-up-the-work-stuff-before-maternity-leave and starting-a-mothers-day-out-from-scratch thing. Either way, here is something I've been doing, at home at least.

For one reason or another, my husband has earned the nickname "Machete" at work and I've been on this freezer paper stencil kick lately. I don't normally do crafts but I guess the nesting has kicked in and I had been wanting to do some things with the girls before my life is all-consumed with infant care. He's been bragging that I was going to make him a t-shirt with his nickname. I guess he was thinking plain old frumpty t-shirt but I'm a bit of a shirt snob to do that. He was so surprised when he came home and saw it! I thought this turned out nice - don't ya think??

Toodaloo!