Our Family Grew By Two Feet

On August 15th at 10:22pm (that's 22:22 military time) we welcomed into the world our precious daughter, Natalie Ann, weighing 6lbs. 13.5oz, and measuring 19in. long. She apparently did not want to share my birthday with me (the 16th), seeing as she was born after just 3 1/2 hours of hard but fast labor!Aaron and I weren't quite sure how we could love another child as much as we love Linnea, but let me tell you, the love has come all too easily. She is so precious and a treasured gift from God...yes, we are SO in love! And Linnea hasn't once looked back; she LOVES her little sister to pieces....always giving her hugs and kisses, asking to hold her, and asking were she is when she is not in direct eyesight (well actually, if I'm being honest, she asks where she is even if she is staring right at her...not sure why :)).

I'm finally starting to feel pretty well recovered and "normal", other than being tired all the time. But hey, this just comes with the territory. It is marvelously, wonderfully, magnificently fantastic to say that I finally have my appetite back!!!! Yeah!!!! One downside, though... I forgot what it was like to struggle with self control, because my body apparently wants to make up for all the ice cream it didn't eat over the last 9 months...uh-oh!

One blessing of these past couple weeks has been having precious time in the Word. I know...you would think this would be one thing to easily let "slide" in the new adjustment to life, but when the doctor tells you not to do any kind of work for the first few weeks, it kind of forces me to rest, giving me extra time with the Lord. So if there is one prime reason to be thankful for a somewhat painful recovery, it would definitely be that! Through some difficult circumstances this summer and an exhausting past couple of weeks, the Lord has really revealed something to me: the times that life is the hardest are the times when I am most dependent on the Lord and my relationship with Him is the most precious and beautiful thing. So I honestly can say that I am so very thankful for the trials He gives, because they cause me to strongly thirst for Him! I wish I could say I always thirst fervently for Him, but it is harder to do this in times of ease...when life is going pretty smoothly, it's harder to see our need for Him (there is no excuse, though!).

Here are LOTS of pictures from the first 24 hrs. of Natalie's life!

Linnea going to meet her little sister and bring flowers to Mommy. The flowers weighed a ton...can't you tell? :)

Holding Natalie for the first time.

Once she saw there was snack to be had, she was done with the baby. :)

Not too happy about the car seat!

So thankful...