Pumpkin Patch

David's days off are few and far between. We took advantage of a recent holiday and joined friends on an adventure to a pumpkin patch. Your typical patch here is made up of a cement parking lot + orange tarp + jumping castles + a few rows of pumpkins + a couple hay bales. We opted for a drive farther up north in the country to find a "real" patch. Something that at least had pumpkins on the vine and maybe a hayride. 

Marlowe and Becky have been close friends years and made the day far more enjoyable with their laughter. 

 Such a goober, waiting on her pizza to arrive. 

Marcus and Jacey were running non-stop. The heat didn't deter their exploring. 

I think I had more fun in the corn pit than Jacey. Brings out the kid in you...."Unfortunately" the kid in me is out more than the adult side. Just enjoying the life God's given me. :)

We were laughing so hard at the guys' antics. Apparently only one set of pedals worked, so they took turns. 

These two melt my heart.

~Happy Fall~

Photo Shoot

Jacey had her 1 year pictures taken not too long ago and they were turned out great! 

This baby loves to read. If I happen to be sitting on the floor, it's highly probable that within minutes, I'll end up with a book and baby in my lap :) 

Icing from ear to ear...that's how good it was. 

O-N-E

Baby Girl is now one...and what a year! When asked by her pediatrician how I would describe her personality, I was stumped. How can I narrow it down to just one thing? 

 Happy: When she hears Daddy's voice, there's no stopping her squeals and wiggles to get to him.

Inquisitive: There's so much to discover at this age. Trash, sewing, powdered sugar, syrup, plastic wrap, etc. You name it, she's found it. 

 

Teething is never fun. Especially when you're popping 2 at a time.

 Musical: She hums (and howls) whenever she hears us singing. Loves books, but especially the songbook and ones that make music. 

She loves to eat. As soon as dinner prep starts, it triggers her tummy and the begging ensues. Her favorite munchies are fruit, cheerios, and Daddy's chocolate chip cookies. Oh, and icecream, which her grandpa spoils her with during every visit. 

Adventurous: No fear of heights, water, bugs and such like. She loves the outdoors. Climbs, stomps bugs, loves her bath, runs downhill on cement, attempts stairs, jumps on the bed, etc. I'm tempted to wrap her in bubble wrap and never let her out of my sight. 

Sweet: She cuddles with her peeps, blows kisses, waves at everyone, and it too cute for words. 

 Independent: She's been walking running since 10 1/2 months and loves her freedom.

My description? She's "perfect" cause she's ours. 

My heart still sings

December 30th dawned cloudy and rainy, but my heart was singing. There was new life growing inside. My sleepy husband groaned, " Just 10 more minutes of sleep..." 

"You're gonna have a lot of sleepless nights in about 9 months," I warned. (technically 7 1/2)

"You're pregnant???"

 And so the excitement began. 

A day trip to Tilden Park was already planned for. Rain or shine, the place was gorgeous!  Slippery stone staircases made for an adventure with the stroller. The place was speckled with little bridges, benches to rest and reflect on what a wonderful Creator we have, and a myriad of botanical life. 

I was nearly bursting to tell someone the news of our baby. How many times I asked my husband that night at church, "Should we tell them, should we tell them?" He says I'm a glutton for reaction and in that, he's probably right. At least a glutton for a good reaction.

New Years Eve was upon us and there I sat, browsing web page after web page, searching for the perfect "I'm a big sister" shirt for our little girl. The photo card, announcing our little one, was picked out. It was going to be great. 

 Friday morning we had a sweet little brekky date at a coffee shop. Then off to school to prepare for the coming semester. Friday nights are our time to spend with Jacey's grandparents, Dad & Mom Warner.

Timing is in God's hands. Little did I know that my 2 days of pure bliss were to be cut short. On New Years Day, my precious new little one went to rest in the arms of Jesus. I may not know why or understand it all, but I can trust my Saviour. He knows what's best for me. 

While I never held my baby in my arms, my heart will forever hold him. It's still hard. Random moments of weeping over our loss. An ache that just doesn't seem to go away. Not to mention pregnancy hormones.  While going through our loss, Jacey was cared for by her grandparents. David came home from work to be by my side. I feel I am never grateful enough for this man of mine. I love him so. Later, while at the ER, Jacey was looked after by our pastor's family. God is good through it all.

 Saturday and Sunday were hard. Every song sung or played spoke on loss, peace or heaven. Our church rallied around us and shared verses that helped them get through their own personal loss & prayed with us.When all I wanted was a hug from my mom, the "moms" in my spiritual family wrapped their arms around me and comforted. 

Do I question God? How can I?  God is the Creator of life. His plan is far above mine. Psalm 113:2, 3 says, "Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised." 

Job 1:21 "And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

In a way, I am thankful. My child never suffered. I need never fret or pray for his salvation. Heaven is so much the more sweeter. 6 weeks on earth vs. an eternity praising God? How can I complain? God is so good. And yes, my heart is singing, "How Great Thou Art."

4 Months

Our darling baby girl is now 5 months, but I couldn't resist posting her 4 month pictures. Our pastor's daughter did an amazing job with these (thanks, Juls!). Getting a baby to smile, sit still and look at the camera is a task not easily accomplished. Jacey is a wiggler. Just ask anyone who's tried holding her :) 

This tutu was super easy (and cheap) to make. Pinterest success. Every little girl needs a tutu. 

The teething has commenced.

My mommy heart melts with this girl. She is our beautiful gift from God. 

Birth Story

At my 38 week appointment, Baby J wasn't moving as expected and failed her NST (non stress test). We were told to head to the hospital and be prepared for a possible induction and early delivery.The  20 minute drive to the hospital had my mind flooding with worries, possible complications, etc. As soon as we were hooked up to the monitor, the baby sailed right through the NST. Apparently someone was sleepy and just taking a nap earlier. All my worries were in vain. I am so thankful for a husband who helped make decisions and keep my head on straight. And hey, practice runs help prepare for the actual time, right? They also do a number on a woman's mind, as my man says :)

 At 40 weeks and still no hint of labor, my doctor scheduled an induction. I was hoping Baby J would kick start things naturally. Many times we pray for our own will to be done rather than being surrendered to God's will. It is my constant struggle. 

On the morning of May 21st,  I was awoken with sharp back pains around 5 am. Is this it? Are they real? So I began timing. An hour later and bored of just sitting there with a stop-clock, I called home in Africa to talk to my mum. Finally woke up my husband around 7:30. He kicked into motion right away and began prep work. Bosses, co-workers, friends, and family were called. By 10 am, the contractions were steady at 2 minutes apart, holding for almost a minute long. When the nurse told me over the phone to wait till they were that way for 2 hrs, I thought she was kidding. What does she know??? This baby's coming any time. Right. First time mom here. Contractions fluctuated and spaced even farther apart. Great. Let's walk. So, off we headed to the shopping plaza. We walked and walked, stopping every so often to let a contraction subside. 

By 2 in the afternoon, they were about 4 minutes apart and a good minute long. I was exhausted. My husband was the strong one. Constantly timing each contraction, applying pressure to my spine, cold compresses, coaching and encouraging me through it. I couldn't have done it without him. It was time. We were going to have this baby. Or so I thought. The drive to the hospital was brutal. Then I was only 3 cm dilated and they don't check you in till you're 4. We waited in the Triage room for an hour and by then I was between a 5 & 6. My friend, Katie, came to assist in the coaching and be our moral support. She was amazing.  

Hour after hour passed. Walking (my original plan) was out of the question. The back pain was too great. I begged them to check me. We had only progressed to an 8. I was given 2.5 doses of Fentanyl through the IV. It lasted 15 minutes each. Enough to catch my breath. We tried a hot shower. No go. It was awful. Baby was in position and bearing down, but we still had too much cervix in the way (Don't push, they told me. Yeah? Try and stop me ;). The okay was eventually given & around 30 minutes later, at 23:23 on Thursday, May 21, 2015, our precious baby girl made her entrance. 

Jacey Dea Warner

6 lbs. 6.7 oz 

21.5 in.

41.3 wks 

8-9 Apgar

David tells me I kept saying, "My girl. My baby girl."  They say you forget the pain when you hold your baby. Not quite. Instead, an incredible feeling of love and joy overshadow the difficulty. Motherhood is an amazing privilege. Worth every exhausting moment. 

Our pastor and his wife were her first visitors. We are so blessed with a loving church family. 

Saturday afternoon, our new little family made the trek home. 

Home Stretch

Almost there! Just a few weeks ago, Baby Warner & I reached our 3rd Trimester. We're now down to a mere 7 weeks till the due date (though I have a feeling Baby Girl is gonna go late like her mommy). Besides the newity of it all, this pregnancy has gone exceptionally well. Practically no morning sickness, pain, exhaustion, etc. She is one active cookie and apparently loves coffee and her daddy's voice :) 

In between doctor visits and ultrasounds, life has carried on. In January, we studied the life cycle of a butterfly in preparation for our science fair. The kids were enthralled from the get-go and "metamorphosis" became the favorite word to spell :) 

Spring is here and though some days are a bit brisk, I'm loving the freshness in the air. All the creepy crawlers are peeking their heads up too. 5 snakes spotted in one day. Guess California isn't all that different from Africa, only the unwanted guests here aren't as deadly as their foreign mates. 

More to write, but it'll wait....