Of Babies, Birthdays, & Blessings

Jerusha helping out at
diaper changing time

Adjusting to two children has gone surprisingly smoothly.
Jerusha loves little Eowyn and is happy watch me change diapers, outfits, feed, and burp her. Jerusha tries to be helpful and is always wanting to pat Eowyn or give her a head-lockish hug but I know she means it with love.
Last week was rough for me but not because of the girls; I'm sure it was simply post-partum hormones combined with Wesley's absence.
Wesley had to spend the week in Iowa, for work, which left emotional me home with our girls. I cried a lot, in fact, I may have cried more last week than I did through out the entire #babybumpthesecond pregnancy. Maybe?
Every time Jerusha would bring me her book titled "I Love My Daddy Because"; I cried, each meal time as I would pray for "daddy to be safe while he is away", as I folded and put away his laundry, and especially on Thursday as he was away on his birthday.
You may remember from last year that birthdays are special to me and how much I enjoy watching loved ones celebrated. Needless to say I was probably more sad and disappointed on missing his birthday than he was. I had planned in advance to make him a peanut butter pie, a newly discovered favorite of his, I had picked out and ordered his gifts what I was hoping to be far enough in advance and one had arrived; then Wesley was given his schedule and I realized I wouldn't even see him on his birthday :(
In the end his second gift arrived over the weekend and when Wesley headed out Monday morning he stopped to check the mail and ended up taking the package with him; so, he at least got to open a gift on his birthday.

birthday gifts: a new wallet
& watch

Friday he arrived home and opened his second gift but it was too hot to want to stay home in our little un-airconditioned house so we spent the evening at my parents. We filled up on pizza and had no room once home for peanut butter pie.
Saturday was sure to be a busy day with a graduation cake for me to decorate, two graduation open houses to attend, and a church softball game to be played (watched by me;)) so we had pie for breakfast :)

Things have been easier on me this week and hopefully they will continue to be. 

I can't possibly convey to you, my reader, the warm fuzziness that fills my heart as I watch Jerusha drop her toys and stand by Eowyn's bed at the slightest whimper from her sister. Or seeing Jerusha's face contort in empathy if Eowyn's cry becomes more insistent. It is going to be the greatest of blessings to watch my girls grow up, so close in age, and I pray close in heart. I long to see them grow close to God and to watch them serve Him, someday. 

I am absolutely in love with the life God is giving me. The husband who works hard to provide for my heart and spirit as well as our physical needs, he who is the daddy to my girls. I love attempting to care for the home He has blessed us with and know that I ought to be doing a better job of it. I am just thrilled with where God has put me and what He is filling my bubble with.

I hope you enjoy reading my little tid-bits about it.

~Haley

sweetly sleeping Eowyn 

The Waiting Has Ended

I hadn't posted in a while because my time was primarily occupied with caring for Jerusha and taking naps and, well, that just isn't very interesting. I kept trying to work on my rug but the only thing to say about that is... hand stitching is going slowly. I continued my "nesting" re-cleaning and re-organizing all area's of the house. Really, not much, besides my size, changed throughout the month of May.
My grandparents came through town on their bi-annual visit the weekend before my "due-date" and I was hopeful the baby would come so Grandma Jan would get to meet it. However, the baby wasn't ready to join us yet.
I was 40 weeks on the 23rd but 40 weeks wasn't when our baby wanted to come either.
We kept waiting and the busiest weekend of May approached. The 27th I spent baking for our Farmer's Market and then the rest of the day I worked on preparing for my brothers high-school graduation open house. The work didn't induce labor.
Saturday, May 28th I got up and made cinnamon rolls and spent the morning at Market before heading to my family's and once again preparing for the open house. 4:00 arrived and people came and went and everyone commented on not only my brother's accomplishments, awards, and achievements but also my size and apparent appearance of misery. The baby still stayed put.
Sunday I paced myself, hoping that by resting more my body would decide it was ready to face labor; it didn't agree.
Monday, Memorial Day arrived and with it my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew from out of town. Again, I had hoped the baby would have come so they could have met it. I spent the day with family and friends attending my brother's baseball games, our traditional Memorial Day service, eating, sitting in the water at my parents beach with Jerusha, and bemoaning the end of May as I had so hoped for a May baby.
Tuesday, May 31st, I woke up at 12:37 with contractions that, although not very intense, were coming about every six minutes. Maybe I will get my May baby! I thought but soon found the contractions relent and myself waking up over an hour later. My thought was well, I guess not. But then I realized what had awoken me again was another contraction and it may not have been as close as the last ones it was more intense. I kept waiting and soon realized that every eleven to fifteen minutes I would have another pretty intense contraction. Eventually I woke Wesley up and consulted him. If I prematurely called the midwife and it turned out not to be labor that would be embarrassing. As it neared 5AM the contractions had remained painful, intensified, and were coming every seven minutes so I decided to call the midwife.
12:51, Tuesday, May 31st, 2016 sweet little

                    Éowyn  Harper  Smith

                                                                                       joined our family.

She weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 and 1/4 inches long. 

The labor was much easier than Jerusha's (or so I am told, it was all a long painful blur, to me ;)), Jerusha excitedly accepted the addition to our lives and enjoys patting little Eowyn and would love me to let her hold her more, and the transition hasn't been too rough from mommy-of-one to mommy-of-two. It does feel like over night Jerusha suddenly grew up. As I type she just climbed up onto the coffee table, since when could she pull herself onto furniture?! She came home after the birth and pulled herself right up onto the couch, last night she climbed up and down our front steps unassisted, and suddenly so many of her babbled words have become clear. 

I want to issue a huge thank you to my sister-in-law Suzannah who starting in January encouraged me to walk 3 miles twice a week and joined me in the endevour. In the last month she was unable to do it with me but still supported my intentions to try and do it on my own and although I slacked a little I did stay much more active than I would have otherwise. Thank you so much Suzannah; I am sure walking helped me maintain a better weight this pregnancy, and helped with stamina through labor, at the least I know it helped me feel better about myself.

Also, thank you to my mommy who offered advise and help continually through the pregnancy and labor.

Thank you Mrs. Smith for attending the birth of your newest granddaughter and giving me quick drinks of gatorade between pushes; it truly did help energize and prepare me for the next contractions.

Thank you Shelby who is forever and always my helpful little sister who gives selflessly, babysitting Jerusha, catching up on my laundry, fixing meals, and doing anything I ask of you.

I'm certain there are more thank you's I could issue; to the midwives who attended the birth and cared for me and Eowyn throughout the pregnancy, labor, and deliver, the siblings who came to visit us and joyously welcomed their newest niece, the friends who have brought food, and I'm sure there are yet others.

Wesley; thank you most of all for being the daddy of our little girls and supporting me and caring for us all <3 I love you.

Now I will put down my computer and go back to enjoying my girls.