30 April 2010
29 April 2010
Ryan and I were playing with Hazel this morning, trying to prop her up so she could look (and bat at) her toys. It was then that we realized a play mat would come in pretty handy at this stage, but that the play mat we had borrowed to use for Oliver had been returned to it's original owner and we were completely sans play mat.
But, necessity is the mother of invention, right?
I already have a lovely quilt that I made for Hazel this fall (thanks to a LOT of helpful suggestions from y'all!), so I thought that I could add to it's usefulness by making it also a play mat. Clever, eh?
I sewed long strips of fabric (and stuck a few loops in the seams for attaching toys) together and used them to cover two pipe insulators I bought at Home Depot a while back. (These suckers cost less than a dollar each!)
I even attached the arches long-ways so that Oliver or one of us can have room to join Hazel under there.
So far, so good.
Enter, Mouse-with-beans-in-belly (as we affectionately call him at our house).
As soon as I hang him on a loop (or any other toy, for that matter), everything flops.
And this, my friends, is where we sit.
Back at necessity.
Time for another invention.
And so, I'm calling on y'all, my incredibly creative and helpful readers for ideas! What should I do? I need something like boning in there to keep the arches standing strong, but boning is too weak. I'm thinking Home Depot is my best bet for an engineering miracle, but what do they have that would work? I need help thinking outside of the box!
Ideas???
28 April 2010
Yes, it was a blessed day, indeed!
This past Sunday, our Hazel was baptized! Oh, how we have waited for this day...
This day, we acknowledged our own as well as Hazel's need for the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit.
This day we claimed God's covenant promises for her, looking in faith to the Lord Jesus - and only the Lord Jesus - for her salvation.
This day we consecrated our baby girl to God, vowing in humble reliance upon his sovereign grace to set before her a Godly example - vowing to pray for and with her, to teach her the good hope of the gospel, to open to her the truth of the Scriptures, and to strive by every means of grace God provides to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Covenant baptism is instituted by the Lord Jesus as a sign and seal of the covenant of His grace—and thus of the promise of our ingrafting to Him, of our union with Him, of our adoption by Him, and our regeneration in Him. This is a wonderful promise made to believers and their children—thus showing us that every member of the covenant community is given access to His means of grace in the visible Church.
Oh, it was a joyful day! Sweet Hazel wore her big sister's gown and bonnet, with Evie's monogram on the front (we will add Hazel's now as well). It was special to have a piece of our heritage there with us on such a momentous day - after all, Evie's life is a part of Hazel's story too!
“For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. ‘And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto you and to your seed after you.’ Therefore, believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your house.” (Acts 2:39; Gen. 17:7; Acts 16:31)
27 April 2010
Happy 6 weeks, baby girl. We adore you!
At six weeks you are:
- sleeping better and better! You usually sleep one 5-hour stretch, eat very quickly (about 12-15 minutes), then go right back to sleep for another 3-4 hours. Daddy usually plays with you in the morning after that so Mama can catch a bit more rest before the day begins.
- a champion eater! This morning our home scale said you weighed 11.4 pounds! You have rolls everywhere, eat very quickly, and are almost completely out of your 0-3 month clothes. We're so grateful for such a healthy girl!
- not a big crier. At night you never cry (you just let me know you're awake by grunting and squealing) and when you fuss during the daytime you're pretty easy to figure out. You usually either want to eat, sleep, burp, have a fresh diaper, or cuddle. No problem - we can do any of those things for you!
- smiling at us a lot! You've been consistently giving us good, reactive smiles since about 5 weeks old (before that is was very sporadic). Now we can count on getting lots of smiles during your happy awake time and it's such a fantastic payoff!
- baptized! (But we'll talk about and share photos of that in a bit...) :)
- fitting in to the family quite well! When we asked Oliver this week how long he wanted to keep you he said "forever!" and we feel the same way! While big brother has had some trouble adjusting with Mommy and Daddy, he's just completely smitten by you and wants to hold you and help with you any chance he gets. You are adored!
Man, I still can't get over seeing photos of me with my baby girl.
It's so neat to see myself as a mother with a daughter- it just doesn't get old!
25 April 2010
Ryan and Rebecca (my sister) and a few of our friends have been training the past few months, and yesterday they all ran in the Country Music 1/2 Marathon.
The weather was gorgeous all morning but by the end of the race everyone was literally racing the clock to beat the hail and heavy winds. A bunch of the marathon runners actually had to be cut short because of the weather - bummer!
Fortunately, our runners all finished before the rain hit hard. It was a great race - and Ry and Rebecca both finished right around 2 hours and 34 minutes.
We had a blast watching, but next year I definitely want to be in the race and not in the crowd!
(Ry's Dad with me at mile 2)
Oliver saw Ryan running past and before we could stop him he started running after him. Ry said it was one of the highlights of his race :)
The cutest part of the cheering section:
Me and my girl watching the full marathon 1st place finishers come across the line
(I think the winner finished the FULL 26.2 miles in 2 hour, 15 minutes or so!!!!!)
At the very last stretch of the race Ry passed us and grabbed Oliver out to finish the race with him. He carried him for a few steps and then set him down so they could run across the finish line together.
(O especially enjoyed all the fantastic snacks waiting for
the runners just across the finish line!)
One of the runners was wearing a shirt that read "Run like there's a tornado chasing you!" and boy was that right! By the time we got home that night the weather was really nasty and we were so glad to hit warm showers and have a safe roof over our heads.
Great work, Ryan, Rebecca, Danielle, Nolan, George, Heather, Kim, and JoEllen!!!
24 April 2010
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
Tomorrow is a big day for our family - it is the day our Hazel will be baptized!
We're so excited. What a glorious day that will be!!
20 April 2010
I hinted in my last post that two wonderful things arrived in the mail last week.
Can you guess what they are??
Does this help?
Yes, that is what you think it is...
Enormous canvas wraps of two of my all-time favorite photos!!
If you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you probably already already know about my love affair with Mpix online photo lab. We've never had a bad experience with them - they're super quick, have really reasonable prices and their quality is in a whole different playing field.
So, you can bet that when I had such lovely images of my children from Hazel's newborn session, I wasn't going to leave the developing to just anyone.
Only this time, I did more than order enlargements. (Though I ordered a slew of those as well.) Ry and I really wanted something a little more gallery-like for our family room. We wanted to display these favorite images on a large scale, but wanted them to stand alone without mats or frames. So, we decided to give Mpix's canvas gallery wraps a try.
We ordered a 24x36 gallery wrap of Oliver kissing Hazel. Every time I see this picture my heart skips a beat - I knew I wanted to have it big and in a place of prominence as a reminder of these early days with my precious babes.
And we were thrilled to find that we could order a 10x30 canvas (a perfect fit!) for the photo of our eight feet all in a row. Another definite keeper.
You can imagine our wriggly delight when they arrived!
(Well, I did most of the wriggling, but I know Ry was wriggling inside for sure!)
Aren't they just right?
I love that they wrap the photo all the way around, instead of leaving just plain white or black sides. I think it looks more finished.
I couldn't be more pleased!
And, because I'm just so doggone happy with my big, gorgey canvases, Mpix is offering all y'all a 25% discount on Gallery Wraps using the code raechelblog10 at checkout through next Wednesday, April 28th. Thanks, Mpix!!!
19 April 2010
Stay tuned... I just got 2 beautiful somethings in the mail that I'm dying to share!
AND, I had some killer garage sale finds this weekend that are worth showing off! :)
14 April 2010
And yes, I realize it's Wednesday and I went garage sale-ing on Saturday... we're moving slow in the Myers' house these days... :)
It was definitely a successful trip for our first Saturday of the season! I was pretty geeked!
Here's the rundown of what I snagged:
$8.00 - Bumbo seat with tray - I'd just told Ry the night before that we should get a Bumbo seat for Hazel. What a treat to find one for eight bucks with a tray!!
$2.00 - itzbeen baby care timer - Brand new in the box! I've seen these before and wondered if it would be useful, so I figured I'd give it a try. I've used it for a couple of days now and I really like it! Very handy to keep track of how long it's been since I fed or changed Hazel or how long she's been sleeping. Works out well when my sleep-deprived Mommy brain can't even think clearly enough to put the orange juice in the fridge and not the pantry.
$4.00 - A-dorable Ralph Lauren top and jean skirt - it's for size 18 months, but I'm happy to wait. We'll have one cute toddler come next summer! :)
$1.00 - 3 pair of leggings
$1.00 - 3 pair of leggings
$1.00 - 5 pairs of pretty socks - man, girl socks and leggings are SO much cuter than boy socks!
And my very favorite purchase of the day...
$15.00 - a nearly new Kate Spade diaper bag!! - Isn't it pretty? I love green - and the best part is that Ry's willing to carry this one! :)
So, have y'all started your garage sale seasons yet? Are you interested in linking up your posts on here again so we can share the joy through the summer? If there's interest, I'm in!
Happy spring!
Oh, and Happy 4 weeks to that little girl I adore.
(Is it just me or is she just wonderful?)
08 April 2010
Yesterday was a hard day for us. It marked 2 years since our Evie went to heaven from inside my womb.
It's a difficult day for me because I still remember clearly those last movements up high in my tummy. I remember thinking to myself that they were significant - that I would be wise to take notice and appreciate them. I am so glad that I did. I'm grateful to have these memories - so grateful to the Lord for every memory I have of our Evie girl. And yet, having such clear memories of that day is also difficult. I know what time it was and where I was, and how my afternoon and evening proceeded from there.
As the clock counts the hours and minutes of the day I can't help but recall what I was doing at this time two years ago... planting flowers, cleaning the porch fan, playing with Oliver in the yard, sitting at the computer while Oliver rested...
And then she said goodbye.
And all the moments after that... worrying and waiting for another movement, making phone calls, telling Ryan what I thought had happened, and heading to Nashville to confirm our fear.
April 7th is a hard day to relive. Harder in many ways than the 9th -the day we finally said hello and goodbye to Evie. It's complicated that it's a three-day anniversary, but they are all a part of the story God wrote for her and we grieve and are comforted each day differently as we remember what the Lord has done. His timing is perfect and his ways are perfect.
Yesterday was no exception to this.
As I was missing my Evie girl yesterday afternoon, the UPS man arrived at our door with a package. And it was filled with something amazingly beautiful...
And I was reminded of His great goodness.
It's been two long years since our Evie left this earth. Two years of breathing in and out and putting one foot in front of the other. Two years of God's faithfulness to our family. And two years of His comfort in our pain.
And on the day we grieve the Earthly loss of our baby girl, we received an announcement at our door, reminding us of God's faithfulness, great love for us, and continued blessing on our family.
(Well, really two announcements, because I'm terrible at making decisions
when there are so many lovely choices...)
Holding these cards in my hands, yesterday of all days, announcing the birth and life of a healthy daughter was a tangible reminder that our God is a good and loving God. And, He is the same good and loving God this week as we was two years ago at this same time. He has not changed.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
James 1:17
In the early weeks and months of my pregnancy with Hazel I battled a great deal with fear and worry. A dear friend encouraged me to surround myself with God's promises and I took that exhortation quite literally. I claimed scriptures, printing them and posting them in prominent places in my home. I had Psalms on the refrigerator, hymns by my sink in the bathroom, and this passage from Psalm 27 on my dresser:
"I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD."
Psalm 27:13,14
And now, two years after we said goodbye to our precious Evie Grace, and in the meantime consecrated two more precious tiny babes to our Father, we are reminded of His great love for us. Not to replace Evie Grace or to fulfill our desire for her (for that desire will never be fully satisfied on Earth), but to fulfill our desire for more children - and for a daughter to care for on this Earth. Our desire for our Hazel - she is here!
Isn't it amazing the way the Lord works? Sometimes in very subtle, almost indiscernible ways, and sometimes, by sending a man in brown to your doorstep with an in-our-face reminder of what God has done and is doing in our lives. And today, as our family reflects on God's constant presence and work in our lives, I am reminded of the verse He gave me that first time I visited Evie's grave site, and I claim it once again:
"The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands."
Psalm 138:8
He was not finished with us in Evie's death, and He is not finished with us in Hazel's life. He will continue to fulfill His purpose for me.
Lord, do not forsake the work of your hands!
...............................................................................................
On a much lighter note, I'd like to express a huge and sincere thanks to Tiny Prints for printing those absolutely fabulous birth announcements that were such an encouragement to me yesterday. We are so pleased. So many gorgeous choices, it took me forever to decide (hence only being able to narrow it down to 2 styles...)
Not only do they have great designs and gorgeous finished products, they also have a neat option for busy families. Get this: You can upload your address book to their website, place your order, and they will address AND ship your cards directly to everyone in your address book for you! Seriously.
Thank you for doing beautiful work.
05 April 2010
If you were just hankerin' for some pictures from our weekend, you are SO in luck! Pictures are about all I have time for this morning, so we'll just call it (nearly) Wordless Monday. :)
Enjoy!
Easter lovelies.
Hazel's first Easter in the most wonderful purple smocked Easter dress I've ever seen.
Thank you, friend ;)
A lovely lady with her pink Easter basket (and her Mama and Papa).
Hazel spit her dewey out for the photo. (Didn't want to look like a baby!)
This is where Hazel hangs out while we get ready in the mornings.
She's (almost) usually a good sport about it.
"Lives again our glorious King,
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save,
Where thy victory, O grave?"
-"Christ the Lord is Risen Today"
Text: Charles Wesley 1739
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