Patience

The title of this post has several applications, as I know that you (meaning you who are not yet on facebook) have had patience with me waiting for the introduction of our newest family member, and also as I have prayed for patience a lot of times over the past few weeks! :)

First of all, I would like you to meet Isabella Marissa Adela Alfaro. She was born on November 10th (which a number nerd like me LOVES because it's 11-10-9) after six hours of labor.

From inside my tummy, she seemed as though she was a bit different than her sister... she moved and kicked ALL of the time, and she seemed to like touch, curling up under my hand, a book, the seatbelt, anything resting on my stomach. Ivy was VERY different. She only moved a few times a day and if something rested on my tummy, she thumped it and quickly moved away. Isa continued to show her differences by waiting patiently (and requiring a bit of pitocin) to come out (labor with Ivy was 4 hours). Since her arrival she has had no trouble with formula (I however have had the same issue with milk supply only making about enough for one bottle a day), she has created more dirty diapers than Ivy did in the first year, she has slept more than Ivy slept in 6 months, and she is a blondie from birth whereas Ivy was a brunette!

Of course there are a MILLION pictures I could share with you, but I doubt you really want to see them all, so here are a few of Isa's first weeks at home...




Not to be forgotten, here is Ivy at her Thanksgiving program. I guess this is the last time she'll be in the Trinity program, because next year she'll be in PreK at the BIG kids' school!
And here is a picture of our little blessing on Thanksgiving Day.
We have also enjoyed decorating for the Christmas Season now that Thanksgiving is behind us. (I’m just not one of those people who can decorate for one holiday before the current one has been thoroughly celebrated!)
Yes...she's on the roof.
The numbers hadn't lit up yet...but it was 31 (taken on Thanksgiving night).
Ivy has adjusted to life as a big sister remarkably well, and she shows her love and care for her sister each and every day in the sweetest ways...

"Here, Isabella. You can have movie night on the floor with me!"

"Oh. I can give her a bath!"
"Isabella, this is how you squeak the pig."

However, life is definitely smoother for Ivy when it follows a bit of a pattern. The past few days of Thanksgiving Vacation have been difficult for her because there has been no normalcy given the fact that our "normal" has changed and that is evermore apparent when she's not in the routine of school. This, and a lack of continuity in my sleep for a few weeks now, has caused me to pray for patience often. I'm trying very hard to remember that Ivy's world has changed and that as a new three-year-old her coping skills are not that well developed... Heck, I'm a not-so-new thirty-one-year-old and my coping skills with this new adjustment have been challenged! Please continue to pray for us, that patience is abundant and grace overflows!


We are starting to feel a little rhythm in our days now, and with the holidays behind us (and ahead of us) there is so much to be thankful for and no matter the stress, I'm keeping the blessings at the forefront of my mind!

How truly lucky we are...

Thankful for Thirty

So I took the challenge and then I had a baby. So... Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 have come and gone, and the chances that I'll be in a place where I can post on Nov. 26 are slim, so I'm going to take advantage of this moment and finish out the month. Believe me, it will be an easy thing to do! I'll warn you though, we're going with free association which means no rhyme or reason to the order!

Today I'm thankful for...
*the newest angel that God blessed our family with
*being able to see the bond between Ivy and Isabella grow
*a good husband and father with whom to share this journey
*any night where there are more than 2 consecutive hours of sleep
*a soft bed to rest in
*closed captioning which means I can watch TV while feeding Isa in the middle of the night...it sure helps the time pass more quickly, and it doesn't stimulate Isa
*a baby who is consolable when fussy
*a precious little girl who turned three years old last weekend and has taught me more about love and patience than any other person in the world
*the tears that still flow too freely from my eyes...they remind me of how deeply I can feel love
*friends who have kept me sane, just by checking in to say "How are you?"
*an affordable plane ticket to bring my wacky, loveable mother to visit
*a wacky, loveable mother who is willing to put her life on hold to keep Isa for a month
*unbelievable in-laws who will be staying with us to keep Isa for three months
*my aunt and uncle who have inspired such a unique heart (and vocabulary) in Ivy
*friends who share everything from nursing pads and maternity clothes to the humor of a pitifully low milk supply (which negates the need for nursing pads).
*the memories the word cajun evokes. Wow....can you say Eunice?
*a job that I love that's waiting for me in January.
*that at home there are no nurses waking me up every hour
*a doctor who understood exactly what was important to me in Isabella's delivery
*a sister who has checked in just when we needed her
*friends who provided dinner and save me from a mini-meltdown over trying to decide what to feed the family when feeding Isa was the only thing on my mind
*clean water to drink
*an herbal tea doesn't taste bad
*chocolate
*shows that I look forward to on TV...it's a nice distraction
*cousins...I cannot believe the bond we've developed even though the miles between us are so great
*facebook for bringing those who are far away in to my living room (and my heart) each day
*skype for allowing Isabella and Ivy's extended family to be part of their lives
*the modern conveniences like the telephone and internet that keep the feeling of isolation at bay
*each and every breath I get to take

Thankful Thursday

Accepting Sarai's challenge to list 10 things I'm thankful for every Thursday this month, I'm going to put my list here and encourage you to do the same on your own blog, in your journal, or just in your heart here and now...

*My family, near and far, crazy and sane
*A warm, clean home
*The clean, fresh water in the bottle in front of me
*The opportunity to enjoy pregnancy
*Unexpected lunch with my sister yesterday
*A soft place to lay my head
*Gas in my car
*Food in my panty/fridge
*This moment of quiet
*The promise that God is watching over me

October's End

Our little Dorothy posing at the front door with Ghostie Girl and Mr. Pumpkin. Although she didn't really know who Dorothy was until we watched The Wizard of Oz earlier in the week, she was totally agreeable to the outfit because of the Ruby Slippers! She wanted to wear them everywhere!

Our All Hallows' Eve actually had weather befitting of spooky times... it was gray, dreary, and misty most of the day with periods of all out rain in the afternoon. Luckily, there was a break in the rain just about 5:30 when Ivy and our neighbor, Samantha, met up to hit the houses in the neighborhood.

Here they are posing on our front porch, and Ivy is in the middle of clearly explaining that she "...will smile for her Momma, but not for you, Papa!" Oh, what a mess she can be!
They were back in about 20 minutes, and Ivy enjoyed some of the spoils...
and then our funny little girl declared that she did not want to go to Aunt Shirley's to trick-or-treat, nor did she want to go to the festival at her school... so we stayed in with a Tinkerbell movie that Papa surprised her with.
Thanks to the late movie night, she handled the time change as if nothing were different at all! Hooray!

And so, October ends and we are still a family of three...but do you know what that means??? It means that Isabella will be in eight days or less! Oh. My. Goodness! I don't imagine I'll post again until she's here...so, so long (for the last time) from the Alfaro three...