Noelle's 1st BDay

I can't believe that Noelle's 1st Birthday is just around the corner. Today we had her birthday party and it's just amazing to me how fast these little ones grow! Noelle has been such a joy over this past year. I never thought I could love another baby the way I love this little girl. Noelle's party was sweet and sassy just like she is, with a hot pink and zebra print theme. Her cake was just as delicious as it was beautiful! She and her friends got to decorate sugar cookies and have a fun afternoon of playing and present opening!

Summer '09

As I glance back over this summer, all I can do is take a deep breath and thank God for the ride of our lives. This has been a summer full of worries, prayer, more worries and more prayer!! Marshall and I made the decision to put our house on the market in June and to start building a house at the same time! God allowed us to sell our house with in a month of being on the market, allowing us to proceed in building our new house. He has also worked out for us to stay with some sweet friends rent free until we move in to our new house, allowing us to save money and pay off Noelle's medical bills. All the while, we have had our days full with our 2 beautiful children. Noah just turned 2 on August 6th. And Noelle will soon be 5 months old! She came into this world malnourished due to the umbical cord being wrapped around her neck 3 times, and she now weighs more than Noah did at his age! I start back to work tomorrow as I get ready to teach 4 year olds this year. I am so excited about this school year and the changes it is bringing. Marshall and I have spent many nights this summer just praying together about our future, and I have to admit, it was easy to doubt God through all of this. But once again, we smile and we can admit that God is unbelievable yet undeniable.

Sweet Pics

I couldn't resist posting these sweet pics of Noelle.

The Kids go to the Zoo!

Last week Noah got to go the zoo with his BFF, Kaleb. Noelle got to go too-but she slept the whole time:) Noah and Kaleb had so much fun together seeing all the animals. It was so much fun just seeing the difference in personalities between Noah and Kaleb. Kaleb was so engaged and would point to all the animals and wave with this huge adorable grin on his face. Noah would just sit there with a somber look on his face and just observe all the animals quietly. At the petting zoo, Kaleb ran up to all the animals and fearlessly pet every single one of them. Noah, on the other hand, was terrified of the animals and would run away from them! Noah has always been a pretty cautious child- but come on! He needs to lighten up a little! haha! Noah's favorite animals were the "Moo Cows" and the monkeys! Infact all day he was saying "Moo Cow!" But I think Noah and Kaleb's favorite part of the day was when we let them play in the play ground at the zoo while we fed Noelle and Sophie. They had so much fun running around that play ground, dripping in sweat while Carie and I chased them around while feeding the girls. Talk about multi tasking!

Noelle had her very first experience at The Bridge on Sunday. It was a day of many firsts for her. Her first time to wear a dress and a head band and she looked oh so beautiful. She is melting her daddy's heart day by day. Last night Marshall had her grinning from ear to ear. That little girl is getting some chubby little fat rolls on her thighs. It makes me laugh! It's so fun to watch her grow and to see how she is changing. We love our little family!

Life is GOOD!

The past few weeks with our new addition to the family have flown by! Noelle is 4 weeks old today and growing chubbier and more beautiful by the day! Her 2 week check up was awesome. She not only gained back her birth weight (which was 5 lbs. 13 oz.) but she weighed in at a whopping 7 pounds! She is only in the 10th percentile- but now that the cord around her neck is gone and she is eating 4 oz every 3 hours, she will not stay in the 10th percentile for long! She is such a content baby! We have so much fun together each day talking, singing, going for nice long walks on beautiful days, and reading all kinds of interesting stories! She also gets lots of cuddles from her daddy when he gets home from work each day. Noah still absolutely adores her! He gives her hugs every day! We could not be happier than we are right now. Noelle is the perfect puzzle piece that completes our family...until the next one comes along. (Haha! That's mostly a joke to scare Marshall!) God has proven his faithfulness in our lives yet once again. I remember a time not so long ago when I was still pregnant with Noelle- and I would wonder how I was going to handle 2 little ones. God's grace is always enough! I feel so highly blessed with where I am in life. There is nothing greater than knowing that you are living a life full of purpose. My 2 babies are the greatest purpose in my life right now and I couldn't ask for more than I have right this moment!

Noelle's Story

On Tuesday March 24th, I went to the Dr. for my 38 week ultrasound. They saw that Noelle was measuring a little small for her age (25th percentile) and that the cord was wrapped around her neck-which may have hindered her from getting all of the nutrients she needs to grow. So, my Dr. told me that I would be checking into the hospital the following night to be induced! Marshall and I arrived at the hospital at 8 p.m. on Wednesday night where they started the induction process. The labor was progressing slowly through out the night and the next morning- and those nurses had me in all kinds of crazy positions to try to get this baby girl to drop! There were a few complications during the labor. Noelle wasn't getting enough oxygen and her heart rate started to drop, so they had me on the oxygen mask for a while. Finally, a nurse came in and told me that I was at 9 cm and that I needed to push through the 9- b/c this baby girl needed to come out. I only had to push for maybe 20 minutes and Noelle made her grand entrance. The cord was actually wrapped tightly around her neck 3 times. She was soo tiny! 5 lbs 13 oz- compared to her big brother who was over 8 pounds! Even though sweet Noelle had a rough time, God's hand was over her and she is perfectly healthy. Petite- but perfect! She is absolutely the sweetest little girl ever! I didn't think I could ever love a little girl the way I love Noah- but Noelle has proved me wrong!

We were a little nervous about how Noah was going to react to another baby in the house- but he has been so sweet! He LOVES his baby sissy and is so sweet to her! We are having so much fun with our new family of four!

Spring is officially here and Noah LOVES to be outside any chance he gets! I love how grown up he looks in these pictures! He's getting sooo big! Right now he has a pretty big obsession with Elmo, Big Bird, and Grover. His hobbies include playing in the toilet, throwing toys down the stairs, and screaming at the top of his lungs. He has also been loving Mommy's growing belly. He loves to pat it and say, "Ball!" Noelle's due date is just 2 weeks away, and we are so excited to welcome her into our family and begin a new season of life as a family of four!