12 Month Pics

As usual, Tarrah did another wonderful job!  I cannot wait to see the rest of them.  When Tarrah came I told her how much Emma Claire loves the camera, well we could not have paid her a million bucks for a smile yesterday, but Tarrah definitely captured her personality and I love them!

Emma Claire was weighed on Tuesday and she weighed 15 lbs 13 ounces, however the Nurses for Newborn scales are about 6 to 8 ounces less than what the pediatrician has, so we will see her weight on Monday when we go for our Synagis shot. 

Remembering a Friend

Our sweet and beloved friend, Judith, lost her battle with cancer on January 27th.  She was loved by many and we are so blessed to have been touched by her and Michael.  JJ had battled cancer for the past 12 years and what a wonderful woman and friend.  I could sit her a write a list of things which describe Judith but I always come back to compassionate.  She was compassionate about so many things which included virtually being by our sides during our unexpected arrival of Emma Claire last year to name one of those moments.  I'll never forget hearing her sweet voice on the phone when I was admitted and her checking up on me each and every day.  The last day there, a package arrived which in it I found a prayer shawl and just not any prayer shawl, but one which was prayed over specifically for her during one of her battles with breast cancer.  I could not believe it and I just sat and cried every time I would wrap the shawl around me.  I could feel her presence during those times.  She blessed us beyond any words I could write or even tell her at the time.  During our time with Emma Claire being in the hospital Judith started to loose her vision.  We would have prayer calls and I would wrap the shawl around me and pray.  After Emma Claire came home, I mailed the shawl back to Judith as I knew she could use the blessings and comfort it provided.  

Looking back, God had opened up my eyes to so many things (yes I'm crying as I type this).  If Emma Claire had been born on her due date, Judith would have never been able to fully see her.  It was no coincidence she was born early, God ALWAYS has a plan.  I just stand in awe every time God's brings this to my mind which lately has been daily during my prayer/quiet time.  I will never understand or know why Emma Claire was born so early, but I know God used our situation for his glory and that is the only thing which does matter.  Our situation can mean different things to different people but for Judith it meant her giving her life over to Christ.  I never knew this until recently when she told me on the phone.  She said she saw us go through a great struggle and she was amazed by the amount of faith we had that Emma Claire was going to be okay, she gave her life over to Christ.  I had no words to say and still don't.  We are no means taking credit or putting ourselves up on a pedestal, but was a testimony of God's grace and power.  HE can do all things and all he asks of us is to have faith.  

God could have completely healed Judith and I fully know that, but that is not the story her wrote out for her life.  I know through all her her battles and the ones she did overcome God used those to touch people and people she may never know or met, but I know he did.   It was a sad day and I'll miss our talks together, but I rejoice in the fact she is running on the golden streets of Heaven and rejoicing with our Heavenly Father!

And She's Off....

I apologize for the lack of posting in the last week or so, but we are busy or I should say I'm extremely busy with work (which is not a bad thing).  Nothing new to report on our end.  Emma Claire is growing like a weed or at least I think so!  She received a walker for her birthday and she is non-stop around the house and it does not help we have all hardwoods through out our house.  I really like when I'm having a hectic day and I look up to see this beautiful, smiling, laughing face come through my door at 90 mph!

I'm sure she will be walking sooner than we think.  Matt and I actually got her to crawl forwards last night in her bedroom which is the only room in the house with carpet.  She was not fast moving, but none-the-less it was in the 'correct' direction.  She is really, really trying to pull up by herself on furniture and is actually taking a couple of steps if you hold her hands.  It still just amazes me to see how fast she is catching up and to think this time last year, she was still just under 2 lbs!  How time flies!

Tomorrow our Nurses for Newborn comes to check us out, so I'll have her statistics (weight and height), so I'll post it tomorrow for all of those which like to know.

There is nothing else with us, shocking I know.  It has been nice to just slow down at night and just spend time together as a family and not have anywhere to be.  

Oh, one more thing, our friends, the Brown's welcomed their 3rd boy (and final) boy to their family on Thursday.  I have not missed any of the other boy's births and I was not about to miss this one.  Lucas Alexander was born on 2/3/11 and weighed 8 lbs 5 ounces and 19 1/4 inches long.  We love you Brown family and Lucas is another beautiful addition to y'all's family

Here's is another pic to just confirm Emma Claire looks nothing like me

She definitely loves her daddy and she DOES have him wrapped around those tiny fingers of hers!

12 Months Old

Well, after a wonderful birthday weekend celebration, we topped it of on Monday, January 17th her actual birthday with a visit to the pediatrician for her 1 year Well Baby Check Up!  Dr. K was extremely pleased with how wonderful she is doing and how far she has come since being home.  Here are our stats and what Emma Claire is doing these days:

• Weight: 15 lbs 5 ounches <5% percentile
•  Length: 28 1/4 inches 30% percentile
• Head Circumference: 16 3/4 <5% percentile
• Wearing size 2 or 3 diapers and 12 month clothes
• Moving to whole milk; now we mix 1/2 formula and 1/2 whole milk.  She loves some milk!!!!
• Eat a fruit + oatmeal in the morning; 1 1/2 cubes of vegetable for lunch and dinner + a bottle...this girl loves to eat and will eat anything we put in front of her
• Eating Avocados, Apples, Pear, Peaches, Eggplant, Zucchini, Carrots, Peas, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Regular Potatoes, Blueberries, Bananas, Yellow and Butternut Squash, Shredded Cheese and pretty much anything else she can gnash with her gums as we still have NO TEETH!!!
• Moving and ALMOST crawling on all fours.  EC will backwards crawl and get stuck everywhere and any day I'm sure she will be taking off forwards...say a prayer for us when it happens!
• Will stand up holding onto something and even by herself for a few seconds when she wants to, of course!
• Moved to her 'big' girl carseat and loves it is an understatement
• Really watches what is going on around here and noticing more if mommy and daddy are not in the room
• Loves to laugh and really making more sounds.  EC really really tries to mimic the sounds we make and is doing a good job.  I would be shocked if she was not a talker!

That is pretty much the high level things of what is going on with Emma Claire at 12 months.  She just continues to grow up so much and is changing in looks.  She is so grown up looking and losing her baby look.  She is a joy to be around and is so happy and that makes us so thankful.  It is sometimes hard to believe just a year ago, how tiny and small she was but Dr. R hit the nail on the head telling us how feisty she was and how she has never stopped.  Well, I better get busy doing my chores before heading back to work this afternoon.  I just got back from a business trip and today I'm trying to get work caught up which has bee a good kind of insane!

Thanks to everyone who continues to follow us and lifts us in prayer, we cannot wait to see what this year holds for our sweet and precious baby girl! 

Happy 'Birth'Day Emma Claire

Wow, I cannot believe we just celebrated Emma Claire's First Birthday yesterday.  We have had a wonderful year full of so many joys with the highlight of the birth of our sweet baby girl.  We have had ups and downs, but we are so thankful for everything God has done for us.  After our 100 day stay at Big B in the NICU, we brought home a wonderful, joyful, sweet and most importantly HEALTHY baby girl!  God has blessed us this year tremendously and we are so thankful and give HIM all of the Honor, Glory and PRAISE!  We are also thankful for all of y'all who are and continue to be prayer warriors for us, our friends, old and new and family.  We have made some incredible friends this year and we are  so blessed.  We have found strengthened relationships with our existing circle of friends too and we are forever grateful to each and everyone of of y'all.  

We celebrated EC's birthday on Saturday with a small party of our close family and friends.  I took a couple of pictures and a huge thanks to my mother in law for getting most of these pics.  We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed being surrounded by those who love us and have been there for us.  

Not sure what to think of icing in her mouth!  She was so funny!

 Mommy, Daddy and Emma Claire

 EC loving the icing now

 

 These are the cupcakes I made with icing and snowman sugar cookies.  If you cannot tell by now, we had a winter/snowman themed party

 The party favors!  Melting snowman s'mores!  Thanks Alyson/Heather for the cute idea, they were definitely a hit among the party goers!

 Displaying the items from Emma Claire's stay in the NICU.  I could not believe how tiny her things were and they were big on her!  How far we have come!!!

 Emma Claire's primary nurses on days and nights.  These wonderful ladies took the best care of our sweet girl.  I cannot tell them how thankful I am for them.  They took care of her of when we could not be there.  There was so many other staff members, nurses, RT and doctors and we are equally as thankful for, but these three were at the front lines with Emma Claire always give us hope and loved celebrating each day of her life with us.  Let me just tell you, we ate, played and laughed our way through our NICU stay.  Thanks Barbie, Stacy and Jess!

 Jake and Emma Claire on Sunday.  We went out to eat for Jake's birthday on Sunday.  It's so neat to meet EC is born so close to both of her uncles birthday's.  My brothers is the 12th and Jake's is the 16th.

  To top off the wonderful weekend celebration, on Monday (EC's actual birthday) we meet Christin, Calee, Cohen, Barbie and Houston for a wonderful lunch at Red Robin.  It was a wonderful way to again celebrate!

Again, thanks for everyone who has impacted us this year and in our lives.  We are so thankful for each one of y'all.  We cannot wait to share our adventures this year and please continue to keep us in y'all's prayers. 
We love each and every one of y'all!!!

Hello

I could not really think of a more creative title today.  All I can say is I'm glad Monday for work is over, it has been a day!

Since I have not blogged since last year...HA, we just spent ringing in the New Year lazing around the house.  Matt and I were both off on Friday, New Year's Eve, we went to an early dinner at Chili's and then back home to just relax and enjoy our time off. 

The rest of the weekend we pretty much did nothing and I loved it.  We don't get these types of weekends very often, so when we can just do nothing, we take full advantage of it.  

It was nice to finally get back into the swing of things at work last week and actually work a full week.  Emma Claire had a repeat follow up hearing screen on Friday and passed with flying colors.  So proud of our little girl.  We go back in 6 months again for another one.  

That is pretty much what we have been up to in the start of our New Year.  I am working on getting everything together for Emma Claire's First Birthday Party which will be Saturday...more pictures and fun things to come! 

Praying for Baby B

I know I have not posted in a week, GASP, but I have some posts coming up.  Right now I would like all of our readers and prayer warriors to keep the F Family in your prayers and thoughts today.  Please pray for Bennett as he is undergoing surgery as I type this for a G-Tube and Nissen.  You can read more about this on their family blog Another Ordinary Miracle. 

Here is a picture of sweet baby B.  I know they would covet our prayers and thoughts today. 

I know I keep going back to this verse, but it just speaks volumes to me

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work with...in us