A Noble Nine Months

Webster's dictionary defines noble as "possessing outstanding qualities" and "very good or excellent." I would say yes to both when reflecting on the last nine months with this precious baby. Her visit to the doctor this morning went wonderfully. She hardly cried with her two shots and the growth stats are as follows:

Head Circumference: 44.5cm - 65%

Height: 28 inches - 75%

Weight: 22 pounds, 12.5 ounces - 90%

We took a trip to the barn this afternoon to celebrate by looking at the six new ducks we have on the property. Ducklings grow seriously fast! Just a few days ago, they were half that size!! Naomi loves them and demonstrates the perfect balance of loving to touch and look at them but being gentle and quietly observant.

Naomi, you have brought inexpressable joy into our lives. We are in awe of your beautiful, sweet personality that develops each day. We gave you life so that you could live it and it fills our hearts with gratitude to watch you take in the world around you and grow. Our cup runneth over...

[May] the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

LOTS of before and after pics...

This blog post is really for my mom. And I'm sure my sisters-in-law would get a kick out of it too. But sorry to the rest of you, for the boring pics. After all, if Naomi's not in it, what's the point? :) For those of you who do care - surprise - Grant and I are so blessed to live on the lower level of this home which is located on the property of the ministry in Kentucky we are involved with. Another family will soon live upstairs, but for now, we are enjoying the quiet by ourselves! Here are some before/after shots of the downstairs level and the changes we've made to it to better fit our family... Before office picture that became Naomi's room...

After -

The kitchen was a BIG project. That stone bar that was there took some real manpower from my hubby and his friends. Talk about the blood and sweat of the project! After - there is still an island in the making, a white subway-tile backsplash to come, and also floating, exposed shelves that will wrap around that corner to the left of the microwave.

Before of the dining/living room area -

After. The door behind Grant is now my walk-in pantry (my favorite place in the house, I tear up getting ingredients out for dinner), and we still have to put a transition strip down between the carpet and wood floors.

Before living room...

After living room. I LOVE my paint color - golden ecru from Porter Paints. No, they didn't pay me to say that. The color gives you that warm and cozy feeling, and it gets multiplied when there's a fire in the fireplace! Yes, it's almost May and Grant and I are still having fires. We'll open the door and windows just to get a breeze so we can justify it. Lol.

Part of the bathroom - not much to show.

But I did take down that hideous mirror all by myself, ripping the sheetrock while I was at it. Have no fear - I take after my mom. Grant was out of town, so I just grabbed a trowel, got up to my elbows in mud, sandpaper, and paint and VOILA! The finished product! (Grant said he's taking me with him on trips from now on... heehee)

Our bedroom was the biggest project by far. It used to be the side garage you see on the lower level of the house. There was obviously a weight machine and a garage door, but not anymore!

You seriously wouldn't even know it's the same space! We put in French doors, new carpet, Grant framed in and sheetrocked all the walls and also two closets to the left of the French doors. Crown molding and curtains that actually fit the door are yet to come!

Another view of the room - there's a fun nook on the left side there where we have a couch, desk, and bookshelf. It's so nice and spacious. And with hardly anything left in boxes and just a tad more organizing/small projects to be done, it's really feeling settled now. Tomorrow is Naomi's 9-month well visit at the pediatrician's office, so stay tuned for stats!

Happy birthday, Daddy-O!

My dad is the greatest man. He carries such wisdom, is more encouraging than anyone I know, and has poured his life into his children. How many fathers ended up with four kids who (without any drastic drama:) became well-adjusted grown-ups and all love the Lord? Our success in life is a direct reflection of the leadership he modeled in our home. His life is truly one to be celebrated.
I love you, Dad!

You Made A Match!

My wonderful brother and sister-in-law got Naomi this fun LeapFrog toy for Christmas. We just got it out for her this week and she loves it! Crawls straight for it at the refrigerator if she's in the kitchen. I love her open-mouthed wonder... Sweet girl! Thank you Uncle Matthew and Aunt Lindsay!

He Is Risen!

He is risen indeed - Happy Resurrection Day!

Testing... Testing... 1-2-3...

Well, we got a flip camera for Christmas but because of computer issues, we are just now downloading everything we have recorded on it! So this is a test blog post with a clip from January, when Naomi had taken her first nap in her crib (for those of you who weren't aware of our journey, she slept for the first six months of her life in a Pack 'n Play because we were transitioning between homes). Watching home movie footage sure helps it sink in how quickly she is growing! Gone are the lovely days when she was stationary... :)

Easter Brings Fun Things in the Mail!

Naomi got an Easter package from her fabulous Aunt, Uncle, and cousins the other day. The Steen family is always looking out for her and we wish we lived closer to them so we could hang out more often! She scored on a cute sundress, flower headband, and even a dollar for her piggy bank! Here she is, decked out in her loot... (that first face cracks me up!) I can't tell you how many times it took to get that picture, with the headband actually ON the head. Lol. Thank you, Chad/Cyndy/Aly/Hanna! We love you guys!

Crawling Has Paid Off!!!!!!!!

What a celebration this afternoon is! Prior to today, Naomi was a little too fluffy for jeans. (That's the terminology we would use in the hospital for our moms in labor who were on the heavier side. :) Her thighs were just a bit too substantial to get them on. But NOT ANYMORE!!! I noticed last night that she was looking longer and leaner, as she's been crawling speedily for two weeks now. Thought I'd try the jeans today after her nap - and they fit! Still a little snug, but so cute!

And she's on the move just as fast!

Photo Catch Up

Some other fun going-ons of the week... a few days ago, we hosted a Passover seder for our Bible study group. It actually was a rough day in more ways than one and didn't quite have the effect for which I planned, but it was a blessing I believe regardless. :) I love the Passover/Easter season and look forward to this weekend as its culmination. A group pic - Paul and Sarah are the couple on the far left, who we have become quick and easy friends with since we moved here. Sarah is my workout buddy, for whom I'm very grateful. Next to them are Jenny and Matt, Shelley and Gregg, Mark (a pastor from Louisiana who is relocating here for the ministry with his family), myself (Grant's taking the pic), and Jessica, my friend from college. It's a fun group with whom we are growing and being challenged every day!

This last Sunday was my mom's birthday and our hearts ached to not be present at the celebration dinner at my brother's house. So with the glory of technology, we video skyped and got to be a part of singing happy birthday - we even met our newest neice, Ruthie, over the computer that night. And yes, all three of us donned our Spongebob birthday hats in honor of my mom! Happy birthday, Bestmom!! The pre-skype birthday party set-up:

And some fun sleeping pictures of Naomi - my flexible, chunky babe...

This pic was taken when we got in the car after church. She was soooo tired, but as ever, in a sweet and happy mood.

Not even kidding. 15 seconds later:

Extremely Welcomed/Slightly Unwelcomed Visitors

I might need to get pregnant sooner than I thought. Lol. We had some great friends from Muncie come into town for the worship night last weekend, Josh and Stephanie. Josh is one of Grant's buddy's from the internship at MAC and we just love their family, including their two precious girls and a baby on the way! Naomi, however, wasn't so sure how she felt about their visit. I think the day they came was the first cranky day I've ever seen her have. Claire and Sophia loooooved her, but the feelings were definitely not mutual. They wanted to dress her, put bows in her hair, play with her toys, wear her tutus, and just be downright best buds for the trip - she wanted anything but.

She never outright cried, but constantly made wailings/noises of complaint, frowned, and stared at the girls with looks that begged for them to just leave her alone. It was to the point that I was almost embarrassed! (Not that I really had grounds to be - she's only 8-months old and had no idea what had just happened to her quiet, only child world!)

But it definitely got my gears turning... it's no wonder the first borns are the way they are. Naomi has hardly been around other little ones (exceptfor 45min in the church nursery), the house is typically very quiet (yes, even with Grant present), her room is always clean and picked up, and when she needs something, she gets a fairly instant response.

Poor kiddo. If she thought she was tired after we said good-bye to the Lindstrom's at Chick-fil-A, she doesn't know what's coming to her in the future when a brother or sister joins the fam!

Iron Bell is up and running!

We have been so busy these last two weeks, we've hardly known what to do with ourselves. Grant and the rest of the team worked SO hard to complete all of the renovations on the barn here at the property. The dedication service for the barn and the first worship gathering were held on April 14th and 15th - both evenings were extremely special and turned out wonderfully with 115+ people attending.
This picture above of Grant was taken just a day or so prior to the dedication service and we literally did not know if we were going to pull it off! There was stuff EVERYWHERE and it was amazing to see what group effort in the face of panic from a deadline can pull off! Here, Grant is hanging a large iron bell outside in honor of the community name - Iron Bell. (Go figure!) This was one of the best parts of the evening for me - Grant's introduction/debut of the coffeeshop... He built this cool stand, had professional introductory pamphlets explaining the mission of the coffeehouse made up, and served incredible coffee using beans from local vendors. He has already had interest expressed (by a church and others) to partner with him in using his coffee once everything gets up and going! I am so proud and thrilled for him. We are currently praying about sending him on a missions trip to either Nicaragua, Thailand, or Ethiopia to serve their local communities and also forge relationships with bean growers there. A shot of the quickly cleaned up barn with the beginnings of the setup. These aren't the greatest before and after shots - man, this place has completely been transformed!

A quick family pic opportunity since we were all showered and happy. We have taken so few of these! (Our house is up on the hill and we're standing in front of the barn.) It was a great week, but it sure has taken us a few days to recover! We are so excited that the ministry has officially had its kick-off and that God has been so faithful in allowing us to be a part of this journey.

wow...

so that's what everyone means when they say naomi looks like me!

Impromptu 9-Month Photo Shoot!

Long story short: I've been looking for a photographer in Louisville for a few weeks. We had some new friends at our house this weekend. Found out one of them shoots weddings for a living. And the result? A fabulous almost-9-month photo session this morning. What a fun surprise - and Darla gave us rights to all 100ish photos for a blessing of a cost. Thank you, Darla!!!

If you live in the area of Huntsville, Alabama, you should check out Darla and Daniel's website (husband-wife team) - authenticphotograph.com. They are a wonderful couple with loads of talent - obviously!