“All I could see were boys in motion, a cloud of dust, and big smiles.”  ~ Bob Schultz

“God could have made man out of anything, but for some reason He picked dust.  ‘God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’  (Genesis 2:7).  The only difference between a man and the dust is the breath of God.  The man who sees himself on the same level as dirt, were it not for the breath of God, has a healthy opinion of himself.” ~ Bob Schultz

“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken:  for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”  Genesis 3:19

Sleeping on Friday……..

Oh. my. word.

This morning has been C-R-A-Z-Y busy.  If it wasn’t one thing (like Sarah crying or Sarah needing a change or Sarah needing to be nursed again) it was another (like Seth crying or Seth needing a change or Seth needing a sippy cup or Caleb getting hurt or Grace needing her hair fixed or Jacob needing to tell me information about Big Foot or the dog pooping in Grace’s room or the garbage never getting to the road or Ethan needing instruction, etc, on and on like a fast moving song).

I’m sitting here exhausted and rubbing my eyes but I am determined to catch up on my blog this morning.  It’s lunchtime now, actually.

Jacob, Ethan, and Grace went to their friends’ house today.  I had Ethan take the dog to his house and tie him up before they left.  I’ve been busy with Sarah mostly, it’s been one of those mornings where the baby was tired but the baby wouldn’t sleep.  Every time I put her down she would be awake and crying in five minutes.  She’s in bed now but since I started this blog I’ve run downstairs 2 times to make sure she was still asleep.

At one point I got her down to bed, started taking care of Seth, and the dog starting barking continuously so I had to go get him and walk him.  I had David keep Seth in the sandbox outside (I was able to keep my eyes on them as I walked the dog) and they had fun there, with Caleb, too.

It’s been so hot here, and humid, for the last few days.  This morning there is a welcome relief from the humidity and there is a nice breeze.

My dryer broke.  I’ve had it since Rich and I were first married.  He bought it for me.  I remember one time I was in the basement of our first house, doing laundry.  I carefully wiped down the dryer, cleaning it up from the lint and dust, I was in my own little world working away… and when I turned around, I saw that Rich was watching me.  He had a look on his face that I haven’t forgotten, like he was proud of me, watching me work, being married to me.  That was probably 14 years ago now.  So the dryer has died and I’m sad about it because I’ve been using it constantly for all these years.

But it’s been beautiful weather to hang clothes out on the line.  I enjoy doing it, too—the work outdoors, the smell of the clothes, using clothes pins, seeing the clothes blow back and forth, the feeling of using a scratchy towel that had dried on the line, and the feeling of accomplishment in a job well done.

Snoozing on Saturday

Dreaming on Monday

Yesterday I went out by myself with all seven children for the first time.  We went……..(drumroll please)….TO THE LIBRARY, of course!  LOL  It was so busy at the library now that it is summer vacation.  Sarah was crying by the time we got there so I sat right down on the couch with a big blanket (from Angie) and nursed her.  I sat there for a few minutes and then thought “where in the world is Seth” and had to have David find him for me. “He was making a NEW FRIEND.  A baby boy JUST LIKE HIM.” David said, when he brought him to me, with pride.  Seth messed his diaper while we were there.  Jacob needed help finding books.  He ended up getting a Guinness Book of World Records, and a couple of books about BIG FOOT.  He is really into Big Foot information now.  I think its the mystery that intrigues him, and scaring himself silly.  I notice they don’t go into the woods very often any more. 

Jacob is getting over poison ivy rash.  He has been so itchy.  That may be part of the reason why he’s not going on the woods, too, come to think of it.

One of Ethan’s quirks is that he likes to eat plants outside.  While I was helping Jacob yesterday w/his books, Ethan was hovering around us with Seth on his hip.  All of a sudden, Ethan said, “I found the PERFECT BOOK FOR ME!” And Ethan doesn’t normally say things like that.  The book is a big hardcover called EDIBLES and it’s about edible plants out in nature.  I laughed and laughed.  Yes, E, and hopefully after you study that book you will not eat anything that will make you sick.

I also got about 20 FREE Little Golden Books at the library from their “free box”…all books that I didn’t have in my collection!  It was exciting.  Also, the library gave Sarah a gift:  A bag with a book in it and an application for her first library card.  It made me laugh, it’s so precious.  I thought it was very nice of them to do that for her.  They even took down her name and wrote her age (four weeks now!).

We got a package in the mail yesterday.  And even though it was 91 degrees with 69% humidity, Sarah still really appreciated her new blanket from Uncle David and Aunt Maria.

I think it is the perfect size for her to carry around with her when she is a little older.  I like the colors, too, a soothing off-white and that pretty yellow edge.  THANKS DAVE AND MARIA!

Rich took the kids out last night for an hour and a half.  They went to the school track and ran.  All of them ran.  J, E, G, and D all went three miles and C went one and a half miles!  Rich was so proud of them.  Seth stayed home with me so he could go to bed at 8, and when Rich got home I was up with Sarah.  We passed each other by the door…I was coming out of our room and he was going in, when he stopped me to admire Sarah, who was sound asleep on my shoulder.  “Oh, Shan I wish you could see how sweet she looks.  Can I take a picture?  Where is your camera?”

And this was the picture he took:

We first met each other in the halls of public high school.  And now we have our own home and our own babies and he’s taking pictures of me and I love him so much. 

Early this morning:

While I nursed the baby, I caught up on some of your blogs and then Seth woke up and Jacob got him for me.  Last night I could not find his suckie anywhere so I had to let him borrow Sarah’s.  They’ll be swapping germs soon enough I guess they might as well start now.  Of course I will wash it before I let Sarah have it back but doesn’t Seth look funny with the pink?!  As you can see, Sarah can lift lift her head up and wobble it around now.  Grace took the pictures.

Seth actually drools and spits when he kisses.  You know that smacking noise we all make when we kiss?  He thinks it’s because we spit so he does it that way.  It’s just the most disgusting thing.  If I try to stop him from kissing her he gets upset and cries.

blissfully covered in babies……

Where ever I go, he goes.  Together forever.  best buddies.  my little side kick.  Yeah, I’m holding Sarah, too.  Same goes for her……(together forever, etc)……

Asleep on Tuesday……

Awake and screaming on Tuesday (five minutes after the asleep picture was taken!)

I love that all I have to do is touch her and start picking her up and saying her name, and she stops crying almost immediately.  She melts in my arms.  She’s safe there, and she knows it.

God is so close to me during these moments.  I’m so thankful for Him and I can talk to Him anytime, and thank Him for all the goodness He gives every day.

And when I am busy, I know He is watching over my family and is in control of every situation, big or small.  Every good thing comes from Him…and even when Rich’s arms around around me and he’s stroking my hair, I shut my eyes and thank God for the great love He shows me, through my husband.

The blue sky is His love.  The running water is His love.  The sun is His love.  The children are His love.  My friends are His love.  The love I give out to my family is His love, too.

How can I keep from smiling?

Blessings to you all, my friends!  Enjoy the day!

Love~Shanda

Time for tiger-lilies already?

The month is flying by.

Today was another wonderfully “lazy” summer day.  I made french toast for breakfast and Caleb helped me crack the eggs. 

After morning chores were done Jacob, Grace, Seth, and I (holding Sarah) went outside to let the chickens out, and to go for a little walk.  The children and I talk all the time, and my days are filled with laughter and conversation…unlike last week when everything was so quiet.

It rained during the night and the grass was still wet with the rain, and the dew.  When we walk around the ponds, frogs surprise us by jumping off the banks to hide in the water.  Last week I saw a snake.  The dragonflies are flying everywhere.

We can hear the chickens talking a mile a minute as we approach their coop.  We opened the doors and called, “Good morning!”  Jacob opened the windows and their little door and out they went, all but the black one who was busy laying her egg.

Grace took some dry bread and scattered it for the hens.

When we got back to the house after our walk, I took a few pictures of Grace and Sarah, in the garden.

The little purple pants that Sarah is wearing used to be Grace’s.  How thankful I am that I saved them for 10 years!

The boys found another tiny chicken egg.  We collect one now and then and it always makes us laugh.  It’s fun to fry them and have a miniature fried egg for a snack.

Later on, I took this picture of Sarah napping, because her arms were so cute.

My kitchen windowsill, with bouquets from Davy, and from Grace.

As Sarah napped, I took a little walk by myself.

I looked at my flower gardens.  In the springtime, before I had Sarah, I planted three packages of herb seeds in my flower garden.  Later on that same morning, I found the chickens scratching up all the seeds and feasting on them. 

That was the end of my gardening for the spring, but this morning I had a couple of pleasant surprises.  I found that the chickens didn’t QUITE get all the seeds and I had parsley growing, and cilantro.

(this is the cilantro)

Another surprise.  I found a patch of bee balm that I don’t remember planting.

And it’s pink!

As I picked a bunch of ferns to put on the kitchen table, George (the rooster) and a couple of hens followed me.

I went to the coop again, and collected some more eggs.

Ethan made brownies with them today.

We burned them.

The middle was still good, though.

After lunch we read another chapter of Little House in the Big Woods. 

Yesterday, I read this:  “In winter the cream was not yellow as it was in summer, and butter churned from it was white and not so pretty.  Ma liked everything on her table to be pretty, so in the wintertime she colored the butter.”

After I read that sentence, I stopped and asked, “How do you children think Ma colored the butter?”

David piped up immediately and said, “With crayons?”

(She used grated carrot)

When we got to the part about Laura and Mary making their beds like good little girls, I stopped and said cheerfully (and somewhat sarcastically), “You children make YOUR beds every morning, too!”

David piped up immediately and said, “No, we don’t!”  (like he didn’t want me to be deceived a moment longer).  I laughed until the tears came.  I just get surprised sometimes by the things they say.

We’re having a lot of fun reading our book.

After reading and quiet time, I went down to the pond with Grace, Caleb, and Seth so they could go swimming.

While she was swimming, Grace found a turtle that hadn’t been named.  The children write the names of the turtles on the bottom of their shells, with a permanent marker.  While she was gone to the house to get a marker, I let Seth hold the turtle.

Rich has to work late tonight and so we ate leftovers for dinner.  As I worked in the kitchen I had the children all sit at the table, to color.

Ethan and Davy have become very close friends lately and have been doing everything together, including today’s coloring.  I noticed Ethan patiently teaching Davy which colors to use, and how to shade.  They were so sweet, and worked on the same page together.

So that’s my day so far.  The children are all coming inside after swimming again.  Sarah is sleeping, and Seth is sitting on my lap in just a diaper, watching me type, and swinging his little leg. 

On Friday, my brother Isaac came over and met baby Sarah for the first time:

Yesterday after lunch I started reading the kids Little House in the Big Woods.  It was a long first chapter and Jacob was so cozy that he fell sound asleep as he listened.

Last night I sat out on the grass and watched Rich and Davy have one of their pull-up contests down at the playset.  Davy is amazingly strong but he lost to Daddy this time.

Someone at church needed an updated family picture so last night we got out the tripod and took a few.  This one was my favorite.

I haven’t felt like blogging lately.  I love journalling my life here but at the moment I’m focused on taking care of the new baby, and the housework, and now that my other children are back home (after spending a week at Grandma’s) I am spending my time with them.  I’m really tired but it helps to concentrate on loving the children, and doing things with them like eating our meals, walking to the chicken coop together, hanging out in their bedrooms together so I can watch them play as I nurse Sarah, reading, playing games, talking, etc. 

My goal is to continue taking pictures and posting them when I can, I love photographing my life and writing! 

This and that:

-I’m reading A Chance to Die, by Elizabeth Elliot.  It’s a biography about Amy Carmichal.

-My mom and I both think this homemaking tip is helpful:  When our kitchen dishclothes start getting a little stinky, we run a sink of water, add some bleach, and let them soak.  It helps keep them nice and bright, too.  I have some soaking today. 

-Every once in a while, you should check to make sure your dog’s collar isn’t on too tight.  Our dog had to go to the vet last week, with an infection.  Now he has to stay indoors with us until he is completely healed.  He is not a house dog and we have to keep a constant eye on him, my brain can’t handle anymore responsibilities, LOL.

-Sarah has to eat every 2-2 and a half hours.  She gets up at around 1-ish and 5-ish in the nights.  It usually takes me over an hour to get her back to sleep.

-I’ve been reading this blog a lot (her archives).  It inspires me.  As a gift after having Sarah, Rich gave me a laptop so I can sit on the couch and read articles as I nurse the baby. 

– I stopped to change 2 dirty diapers as I wrote this blog.

Sarah is starting to fuss so I better go for now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Shanda

“And what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days…….”  ~J.R. Lowell

Hello!  So sorry I have not been blogging the last few days.  My children are gone and so are my thoughts, it seems.  My mind has slowed waaaaaaaaay down, it’s been so nice, but I hope I can sit and write here & blog, without causing yawns. 

It’s a hot and clear day today.  And, it’s Friday!  After getting dressed I was struck with the urge to get out of the house so I ended up driving to my sister’s place and visiting with her, and her little ones.  It was wonderful to see them, and see Amanda’s house (nest) that she and her husband are constantly working on, and improving, just for fun.  They have such a nice home, inside and out.  I was also quite happy to gift them with the eggs our hens have laid the last three days. 

Jacob, Ethan, Grace, David, Caleb, and Seth are still at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  Having a wonderful time.  Playing games, going to McDonald’s, working with the horses, spending the night outside (or, trying to, until their scary stories forced them back into the safety of the house), being bathed and babied (if you are Seth), fed, adored, and entertained, by Grandma and Grandpa and the doting aunts and uncles.  I suspect I will see sad faces when they finally do make it home.  Rich and I are enjoying the quiet house but we do miss our wonderful children, too.

We are, of course, very much in love with our baby girl.  She is doing so well.  Rarely cries, still spends most of her time sleeping like a little angel (she is sprawled across my lap as I type, napping on her tummy).  She wakes up once in the middle of the night, and once toward morning (about 5)…I take her to bed with me and we snooze until about 7 or 7:30.  She’s such a little snuggle bug.

I have a lot of pictures to share that I took yesterday, and today.  I hope you like them!

My friend Dawn made Sarah this bonnet, remember?

I took her for a little walk yesterday afternoon.  We sat down by the stream in the cool woods, and sang some songs.

Here she is alert, after a good night’s sleep and a couple of big breakfasts;

She’s sneezing in this one;

Her movements are gentle and lady like.  Her hands wave around so prettily.

My beautiful niece, Naomi, adores the baby.  She wanted to hold her the entire time.

But she had to share with her Mama~

A baby is a wondrous gift, to be admired as much as possible…the little feet and hands, fuzzy hair, ears and bright eyes.  So sweet, and tiny:

While Rich is at work, I have been resting a lot with Sarah, but I have also slowly eased into some chores, as well.  It’s been so nice to work on small loads of (since most of our family is away) laundry, and hang it out on the line.  Water the plants, bake cookies, pick flowers and light candles for the table, straighten and neaten, wash a few pictures and windows, send out some mail to loved ones, look at magazines and books, nap a little in the afternoon, sit on the porch, go for walks, dream, pray ….etc….

Each day is such a gift from God.

I hope your week was a good one, too.

Blessing and love to each of my friends~

Shanda

PS.  Sarah helped me bake the cookies.  Chocolate chip.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.  The Lord is near.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

Philippians 4:4-8

I have a warm and tiny newborn girl on my lap right now, dressed in soft pink with polka dots.  Her cuteness makes me want to hold her nonstop, and squeeze and kiss.  I took this picture this morning:

Rich left on Saturday to go to his Mom’s house with the children.  His brother got married over the weekend and his Mom said, “When you come out for the wedding, leave the children with me for a week, so Shanda can rest.”

So, that’s what we did.  Jacob, Ethan, Grace, Davy, Caleb, and Seth are all at their Grandparent’s house.  It has been so slow and quiet here for the past couple of days.  I got my first emailed update this morning and it sounds like they are having a wonderful time (as they always do, at Grandma’s house).

Rich came back home on Sunday night, but while he was away, Sarah and I had a treat……my Mom came to stay with us!  My Dad had to work, and she drove out (4 hours) by herself, so that she could see Sarah for the first time.  Having her come made me feel extra-loved, and I cherish the time we had together, just the two of us, and our sweet baby girl.  We talked, looked at magazines, watched TV, ate our meals, went for a walk, took care of the chickens, cleaned Grace’s room…..just spending time, doing whatever we wanted to do.  It was cozy and nice.

My mom, Cindy, holding her 12th grand-baby;

Yesterday was very quiet!  Rich went to work and I was home all day with the baby.  It was wonderful to spend so much time with her, nursing her as long as she wanted, changing her diapers and clothes, holding and rocking, looking at her, loving her.  I did manage to get myself off the couch, and out of bed, a couple of times, to walk around outside.  With the children gone, it’s up to me to take care of our chickens, and the bunny, and the dog.

C.C., Grace’s bunny.  I pick clover for her, “bunny salad”, and she loves it.

George, the rooster:

The chickens are always thrilled to get out of the coop in the mornings.  They eat bugs and plants.

I enjoy collecting the eggs.  These are from yesterday afternoon.  This morning I collected three big brown ones.

These are elderberry blossoms. 

Yarrow, and daisies.

The weather is beautiful today.  I drank my coffee, wearing my robe, out on the porch this morning, with Sarah wrapped up in a blankie in my arms.  We listened to the birds.  I got to see a Scarlet Tanager way up in the top of a tree by the side of the road.  It was brilliant red, and was singing.  I also heard a wood pecker, but I didn’t see it.  We heard funny conversation down by the stream and pond, I wondered if it was frogs.  The air is clear and sweet, and the sun is shining.  It really is lovely.

A lovely day, a lovely baby, a lovely life.  So much to be thankful for.

Jacob is making spaghetti and fooling around with Ethan in the kitchen.

Rich is on his way home from a busy day at work.

David and Caleb are playing outside.

Seth is playing with toys.

The sun is starting to shine after several days of rain and clouds and chill.

I’m tired but content….tomorrow is Friday, we made it through the week, always only by the grace of God.

It’s been a wonderful week with our precious new baby, with ups and downs, smiles and tears, sleep and no sleep, hugs and kisses, and the first diaper blow-out.    All good!

So yesterday was Rich’s first day back to work and my first day of being a mama to seven.  It went really well, actually.  I spent time all day with the children, and also managed (with lots of help from the kids) to do five loads of laundry.  What else?  Oh yes, I made meals.  Not too rough of a day.

Sarah is turning out to be quite an amazingly content baby (so far?)….I really feel grateful to the Lord for gracing my life with such a blessing.  She sleeps good at night, and wakes up a couple times to nurse herself peacefully back to sleep.  Before I go to bed at night I get the couch all ready for the first feeding and set out a big glass of water, and diapers and wipes.  I still wake up all sweaty and I go shiver on the couch with her until the warm blanket warms us back up.  Sometimes I watch TV while I nurse.  I actually don’t mind the middle of the night feedings, and lately I have been calm enough to get back to sleep when I am done taking care of her.  (thanks for praying!)

Today is the first day that Sarah is more wakeful during the day.  It’s surprising to see her sit and look around, after her first week was spent almost continually sleeping.

I took all the pictures in this post this morning.

Are these two cute or what?!

My sister Amanda came over this morning for a couple of hours.  She watched the baby (and the rest of the children) while I took a shower and got dressed.  Then, we sat and visited in the house, and then outside for a while. 

This is my sweet nephew, Westin:

And, my niece Naomi:

Jacob caught a chicken (this one is Margaret) and showed it to Sethers:

I sat in my pink chair and watched all the action at the playset.  Yes, Jake and E have a chicken on the swinging bar.

Amanda, with Sarah:

Me with Sarah:

After lunch today, I got to take a little nap with Sarah in my bed.  It was so cozy I never wanted to get up.  She’s still sleeping and I just got Seth up from his nap.  I thought I would hop online and do a quick post with some pictures.  It’s been difficult to think about blogging but at the same time, I would like to keep up with these memories we are making here in our little house in Connecticut….sleepy hazy days with a newborn and her six older siblings.  Rich and I are both so happy.  It’s overwhelming at times but totally worth it!

How about all my friends here on xanga land?  What are you up to today? 

~Shan

Hello friends!  Thank you all so much for the warm congratulations, welcoming newborn Sarah into the world!  I’m so thankful for each one of you, for kindly praying for us during this exciting time.

I thought I would sit and type a little while, as Sarah naps peacefully by me in her playpen, and Rich has all the children outside with him, working and playing together in the garage.

Sarah was born on Sunday morning, after an easy labor.  I went into the hospital at about 1:30, after waking up at home feeling sick and starting to have contractions. 

I requested an epidural as soon as the doctor would let me have one, and it was put in place and working before the labor pains had gotten too intense.  Actually, the roughest part of the whole labor was when the first epidural was placed wrong and my pulse rate increased so much that it made me feel faint and scared.  The second one went in just fine, to my relief.

Rich was his typical quiet, supportive self during everything.  He does such a good job at keeping me calm, just by staying by my side and being there.  I’m so thankful for my husband.

We were both so excited when, in time, the nurses said we were ready to deliver, and the doctor came in.  All the baby-delivery things were brought out, the doctor put his scrubs on, the nurses were buzzing about getting the bed adjusted, all of which are such exciting moments, when you realize you are about to see your new baby.  The moment had finally arrived!

What a thrill it was to see Sarah’s little face as she was being born.  When I first saw her, I could not believe how much she looked like her brother Seth, and I wondered, just for a moment, if she was a boy!  The doctor delivered her so gently and as soon as she was born I looked and saw that she was for sure a girl.  Rich and I were so full of joy, I looked at him often, to see his smile and happy eyes.  After three(of the most wonderful) boys in a row, the joy was even greater, to have a daughter.

My sister and her husband watched the children for us on Sunday (and part of Monday, too), and they brought the kids all over to the hospital so they could meet their new sister.  Of course it was a very happy moment, when Grace met Sarah for the first time……….

Now we are nine…………

(the day she was born)

The hospital stay went well.  The nurses were so nice and thoughtful.  Rich went home to the children, to sleep at night, and during both of those nights, I had the nurses care for Sarah in the nursery so I could have a sleeping pill and try to sleep for a few hours at least.  As it was, I was very restless and didn’t get much sleep.  Sarah had to have one bottle, but it all worked out so that we only missed that one feeding together, during the night.

During the days, she was with me every moment, and I held her as much as I could. 

On Monday morning, when Rich came back to the hospital to us, he brought one of Sarah’s special blankets.  I didn’t tell him to do it, and I thought it was especially sweet that he thought of her.  This blanket was made by one of my friends that I met here on xanga, my dear friend Angie.

Rich left the hospital on Monday afternoon to go home to the children.  He ended up taking them out to dinner that night and I called him, lonely and crying a little, to ask him to please please stop by to see me.  I’ll tell you, it only took about 20 minutes of having all those busy children of mine around me before I was feeling back to normal again, and ready for them to leave.  Seth was running amuck, opening and shutting things, David was getting his sneakers all over my bed, etc, etc….it was so funny to send them away again, with a cheerful “Good luck!” to my slightly frazzled husband.

I did get this cute picture of Sethie, though.  He was impressed with his sister:

So, I got home Tuesday morning.  Today is Friday.  It’s been a pretty good couple of days.  Sarah’s first night was rough, I was up every hour of the night with her, she wasn’t crying a lot, but the two of us just couldn’t settle down.  I am having trouble sleeping, but I’m always like this with a new-newborn, the first weeks/month are somewhat nervewracking, especially the night hours.

Rich took this next picture.  I love how he adores her.

He also took this one:

I took this one Tuesday afternoon, right before I snipped off her arm band:

Did you notice the picture in the beginning of this post?  I love peonies, and that picture was the last one I took before having Sarah.  I had wondered this springtime, as I watched the flowers growing, if the peonies would be in bloom when she was born, and they were.  They are such big, feminine pink blooms and will always always remind me of the time she was born to us.

Yesterday afternoon (Thursday), Rich and I took Sarah to her first check up at the pediatrician’s office.  Everyone there was so encouraging and happy to see our new baby.  Doc said Rich and I were a winning combination of genetics, to have yet another healthy baby.  God gets the glory for all good things and I can’t express how humbled I feel, when I think of how GREAT God has been, so merciful and gentle with me, His daughter, and how He has blessed our family.

Sarah is 6 lbs, 9 oz, and she is actually measuring 19 1/2 inches, rather than the 21 inches.  I thought that was pretty interesting.  Apparently the hospital uses a tape measure and runs it down the back of the baby, curling it along…..the office uses a straight ruler type.

After the appointment, we came home just in time for an edible bouquet delivery, from Rich’s workplace.  We took this picture, to send along in a thank you email.

It sure hit the spot!

Rich has been home this whole week and it has been such a relief to let him take care of everything while I rest and concentrate on the baby.  Sarah has been eating and sleeping wonderfully, and the times we share, snuggled together, are precious and never to be forgotten.  There is something so tender and sweet about caring for a newborn.  I look at her….her tiny hands, ears, feet, and marvel.  I kiss her and feel her softness.  I smile at her little noises and savor the times when she is alert and trying to make her blinky little eyes work.

The rest of the children have been a delight.  They make me laugh; the laughter is healing, and feels so good.  Jacob, Ethan, and Grace get to go to a friend’s house today and I’m so happy for them.  It’s been such an exciting week for us all, and the older children have been especially helpful.  It will be fun for them to get out of the house for a while.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope each one of you has a wonderful day, and a happy weekend. 

Much much love~  Shanda

Our new baby has arrived, safe and sound!

Sarah Joy  was born on Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 9:46 am.

She weighed 7 lbs, 1 oz and was 21 inches long and is perfectly healthy.

The birth went well and we are so thankful for the prayers and love of our family and friends.

I’ll share more details eventually, once I am able.  For now, we rest and get to know our precious daughter.