Old friends.... New joy!

Had a beautiful time yesterday with a friend that goes way back!  Dixie Brewer became a kind of spiritual mom to me many years ago, early in my marriage.  I was part of her women's bible study group on marriage and later worked with her at the church.  But over the years, grew in relationship with her.  Well she and her husband moved to Coeur d'Alene about 4 years ago.  I haven't seen her since then.  But she has been on my mind for the past year in that I just HAD to tell her about our Miracle, Emery.  I've recently become friends with her daughter-in-law, Ally, who told me they were coming to visit.  So yesterday, I drove to Caruthers and spent half the day with these two beautiful women.  It was a wonderful time of catching up, sharing the good stuff and the bad, and praising God together for the tremendous things God is doing in our lives.  I could sense the pride and love she has for me and for Emery.  I only wish she was still living her to be a part of our lives.  But I love her so much and feel so blessed to have had the time with her yesterday.  So thank you, Ally, for letting me come invade your home for the day.  What a blessing!

... and Ally's kids jumped in too!

Here are some random pics of Emery just hanging around the house....

First time hanging out on the tile... she didn't mind it!

Look at that face!

LOVE IT!! 

these were my own baby clothes I found!!!

And some fun video for your viewing pleasure!!!

she cracks me up!!!!  (you'd think she was Italian! lol)

My HALF accomplishment!!!!

City to the Sea Half Marathon 2011

Well I did it!!!  I finished a half marathon in under 3 hours only 8 months after giving birth!  Some said I probably wouldn't do it.  They were trying to be nice, and I suppose, "realistic", in helping me have grace for myself in the first year of being a mom.   But, though I respect their efforts, I didn't take their advice.  I was back at bootcamp after my 6 week checkup and starting running a few months later to get ready for the Half.  We weren't the fastest.  But that wasn't my goal.  My initial goal was to run at least half of it.  Well we ran way more than half of the Half. lol  In fact, I kept setting personal goals as I was running at the start of the race and I made it 5 miles without stopping!  An all time first for me!   

 You see last year I signed up for the Nike Women's Half marathon in S.F. but ended up 6 months pregnant.  I was so sad as I watched my friends and all those runners take off at the startline (ok, I sobbed).  So this was a makeup for me and my good friend Kristin.  And we did it!!  I trained each time with Emery in the stroller.  Man, its so much easier without her! lol  

The best part was seeing Sean within a mile of the finish line!  He walked a bit with us and then we took off again.  I almost took Emery with me across the finish line. :)  It meant sooooo much to me that my husband and our daughter were there to celebrate this achievement with me.  I can't even express it in words.  But it meant the world to me!

  There's John, Kristin and me (don't know the girl in front) lol

That's us!!!

Crossing the finish line!!!  

Best siting of my day!!!  :)

 

 Traci, Kristin and I at the finish line

Amy ran the 5K but waited for me at the finish and cheered me on!

 My blue-eyed baby!!!

 Me and my training partner for the last month

And this is Claire..... we first stayed at her hotel (referred to us by Brent and Lisa) last summer when we went to SLO for my birthday.  I was pregnant then and she was just so excited for us (Lisa told her our story).  In the past year we have stayed with her a few times.  She is so amazing.  I think she is from Lebanon and she is truly a doll.  The most precious woman!  People keep coming back to the Peachtree Inn for Claire alone.  

 Claire (our hotel's manager) had her turn loving on Emery also!

Emery was trying to help Claire on the phone!

on the move!!!!

Emery is officially beginning to move today!!!! Well actually I noticed it first last night.... but today she has done it every time I try to have her take a nap. She starts at the center of the mattress and within 20 min she is head smack dab in the corner! I think she is pushing with her feet. She's always kicked and stuff but not actually moved herself! Yikes! Well... no more couch for her! Its all floor baby!!! This little baby of mine (ok, ours, in case your reading, honey) is growing so quick. Its really true... that all of the sudden they start changing with every passing day. I think it started right at 6 months. In just two weeks she was sitting up all by herself. She's now in a big girl high chair. And now she's moving!!!! What next? A wedding?!!!! Sheesh! Ok. Slow it down girl. You have at least a few more years until you have to worry about that one. Well we just LOVE watching her grow and change. It is sooo much fun. And I am amazed every day of what a marvelous little being we created. Man! God is so good! And faithful!

Emery's First Wedding and our first trip to SLO as a family!

This past week has been filled with fun and excitement. And with that.... exhaustion! :) You can never have fun without being tired. This past weekend we attended a wedding in Cayucos. All five couples went together to celebrate the marriage of our sixth couple in our Life Group bible study. It was Emery's third vacation! And her First wedding!!! I was more excited of course. I found and bought her beautiful dress 3 months ago!!!

Saturday most of us met up in downtown SLO and ate at Woodstock's Pizza!~ So yum!!! Then walked around a bit. Then we all headed to Cayucos to help take care of our friends' twins while they were at the rehearsal. After that we headed to Avila Beach to have dinner at the Custom House. Though it was 'cold', we sat on the patio (it felt sooooo good!). It was a beautiful evening!!! Such great company!!!

Dinner at the custom House

The day of the wedding was busy and hectic.... whether someone was setting up the wedding and reception or just plain taking care of babies! (we had 4 babies under 7 months old!) It was a tiring day. But the ceremony was beautiful, there on the beach, and the reception was a fabulous time eating, celebrating, and dancing! The twins and Emery were worn out by the end of the night... as were we! All but two of us couples returned home that night after the wedding.

Our family on the Cayucos Pier

The babies at the beginning of the evening!

The Newlyweds! ~ Lazaro & Niermin Santana!

Mommy and her daughter

Daddy and his daughter

My two favorite people!!

And.... the babies at the end of the night.... lol

But the next day, the Taylors (and twins) and we bummed around the hotel awhile then headed into SLO again, ending up at woodstocks for lack of seating at Firestone. We got our coffees at Peets and took off for Avila Valley Barn. Though it was really fun to finally experience this place, I had the privilege of taking home one, very undesirable memory.... A painful, itching, swollen arm. Something either bit me or stung me. It was so painful! (It continued getting worse over the next couple of days with intense heat, hardness, extending redness and swelling and unbearable itching. Went to the dr and got a shot in my butt and 10 days of abx! yippee!!!! :))

Me and Lisa with the babies at Avila Valley Barn

After that we headed toward home... but we had to make one stop....

.... Cass Winery!

Yes, I had to stop and get a couple bottles! :) Sean and I tasted in order to decide. I was worried that Brent and Lisa might think it was a wasted drive. But I LOVED sharing that time with them at my favorite winery. I just wanted them to experience the beauty and peacefulness there. I figured we could hang out and taste and have snacks and feed the babies. But of course nothing turns out the way you think. But I think they still enjoyed it. I know I did! Thanks guys! Then it was on to home!

Tuesday Emery and I were exhausted. She woke up and ate and went right back to sleep for 3 HOURS!!!!

On a random note.... I looked over at her this morning and she looked up at me with her toy still in her mouth and tons of spit up coming out of her mouth and gave me that huge sweet smile. There's truly nothing sweeter.....

back to mommyhood.....

just for fun.... our friends showed off their amazing swing skills!!!! :)

(Love you Lis!!!!....)

Lots of Firsts!!!!

These last couple of weeks, I can't believe how much Emery is changing. She has had lots of 'firsts'. A couple weeks ago we started her twice a day on homemade baby food (no more playing around!). She's taken right to it. I guess when I started trying rice cereal at 4 mos she was just not ready for it. Now she eats oatmeal twice a day along with a food. So far she's had sweet potatoes, bananas (which stopped her up), and green beans. She has liked them all so far. Next up... Peas!!! She ate her first cracker. She sat in a high chair at a restaurant for the first time a week ago (and again friday night at Luna's!). She is now taking, on average, 5 oz a feeding, sometimes 6! Although there's always at least one that she only eats 3-4. This happened over night! And she's been letting me sleep, once again, this week. Oh! And she's also starting to sit up on her own for 5-10 seconds. I'm working with her everyday. She'll even catch herself when starting to lean. She's getting bigger, stronger and waaaaaaay more active every day! The days of eating dinner with her on my lap are now a thing of the past! Unless I want it on my lap! She grabs for anything and everything that gets close to her.... even our nose, lips, and hair! OUCH!

I just love her so much! I just sat down on our stairs the other day and watched her play on the couch. I had to make myself go back to the days (17 years worth!) and her not being there! Its amazing how those years now feel like nothing. I can't even remember the lonely days at home without her. I sat there in awe of this little one that can bring so much joy and happiness to all that see her. Whether we're in the store, a park, bootcamp (she's the mascot!), church.... I mean I know "who doesn't like a baby?". But I'm still in awe of it! She's made me more outgoing with strangers, taking time to talk with them. Its so much fun! What did I do for fun before? Gosh, I was so lonely. Its amazing what you see in retrospect. I love my life. I love my husband. I love our daughter. I love our God. And He loves me. More than I can ever imagine!

Random thoughts by Amy....

Man, it feels so many things going on in my head at once. Every day its something new... or just something that's grown bigger. But every day, with every struggle, comes the beauty of my little one, who even now, lays in the her crib in the other room, squealing and cooing up a storm when she's supposed to be going to sleep. But I guess I should be happy that she can at least rest for an hour and a half in her crib. If only I could have used this time a little more wisely to do what I actually wanted to do... my bible study. But I stay in the loft, waiting for her to go to sleep and THEN I will go down stairs and have my quiet time with the Lord. But sleep doesn't come. And soon she will be up again. So here I sit, writing this blog. (I posted her talking on FB. so stinkin cute!)

Today I visited my friend in the hospital who just gave birth to her brand new (and third) beautiful daughter, Madeline Hope. I could hardly believe, looking at this 6 lb 6 oz beauty, that Emery was once that small (wow, that sounds so cliche, but whatever). Seriously though, Madeline is so tiny and yet Em was even smaller than that. It brought tears to my eyes once I was home and had Emery in my arms, taking in her features, height, weight, hair, beauty. I was overcome with the miracle, once again, that life is, as I looked at little Madeline, in all her newness. Life is so precious. So innocent. So magnificent. (even Bono sings about this in his song "Magnificent"!!!! :) As I think about the possibility of having another, there are fears and great excitement all at once. But only God knows what He has in store for us. So I will not worry about tomorrow. But give glory in today!

I also, for some reason, I felt a pang of anxiety for the first 5 min I was there. Not sure why. Could've been the hospital room (memories, although good ones, from my stay there). Maybe the thought of being preg again so soon. Maybe that Madeline was breastfeeding at that moment (which ultimately I was ok with, but you never know whats going on in the subconscious.) Anyway, it subsided and I was so blessed to have been there with my friends taking in this celebration! She blessed me so much by the fact that she asked her hungry husband to wait to eat so he could hang out with Emery while I visited (babies aren't allowed). So sweet. So precious. I am truly blessed indeed by these friendships.

I'm not sure at all what this post is about. Just random thoughts because I had some time. (and some people keep asking for new posts... lol) I want to blog/post/journal more. But feel I have nothing worthy saying. Its just life. Although big changes coming for us Nobles. New jobs, new schedules, maybe new home. Lately... new church. Not all right away. But a lot is up in the air. Ok. blah blah blah. Emery's up now and I'm going to go hang out with her.

Here's some random pics from July! Oh! and btw... she's 6 months today!!!!!

The Little Gym playdate!

Playing with all the babies!

Waiting for her pics to be done... staring at one of her outfits...

Pure perfection! (yes, I'm biased)

Totally making me laugh! She's got such a funny sense of humor already!

Happy birthday to ME!!

I'm going into my birthday weekend. And I couldn't be more content. Even if we did nothing at all but I had my hubby and my beautiful daughter by my side, I'd be more than happy. Its amazing to me where I've come from. I still remember only 7 years ago that begin my downward spiral of hating my birthday. 31, 32 and then finally on my 33rd birthday I made a choice that I was taking back my birthday. You see, I LOVE my birthday! Yes... I would celebrate all month if 'they' let me. As it is, Sean lets me celebrate for a week. :) I love the celebration. I love having all those who I love the most around me. I've never been big on strictly 'family' birthdays. I have to have my family and my closest friends with me. I love the joy it brings. Who is ever in a bad mood at a birthday party? So the thought that I had let satan steal MY birthday from me was appalling. (I'll back up for a moment... my two bad birthdays were the two years following the loss of our adopted daughter, Brianna, and the near fatality of our marriage) So in 2006, I made the choice to take it back! And I invited our friends over for a bbq and bday celebration. And I finally had victory!! My birthday was once again mine and has stayed that way ever since.

Last year the reality and knowledge that I was actually carrying our daughter inside my womb, on my birthday, was such an answer to so many desperate prayers and was the highlight of my day. This year.... well this year is so far beyond comprehension for me. Here she is. The long awaited Miss Emery Rose. And I get to take her to the Little Gym and spend my day with HER. For real. In my arms. Talking. Cuddling. Playing. Laughing. Maybe even crying. But that's ok. Because I'll take it ALL!

This week in my bible study on David, we studied the scripture where David pulls himself aside and cries out to God.... "Oh Sovereign Lord, Who am I.... that you would bring me thus far." And I cry out... "Oh Sovereign Lord... WHO AM I... that you would bring me thus far? You have seen me through the hardest, darkest moments of my life. You have carried me, comforted me... and all along used each circumstance to grow me into the woman of God you created me to be. Not one moment was wasted by you, that you used each difficulty (not brought on by you, but allowed by you) to grow me into the Mother that you have created me to be. For such a time as this... that you have brought me thus far, through the long years of yearning for a child, through the loss, pain, grief. And now... this blessing that blows my mind each and every day. Who am I that you would bless us in such a way? Thank you Jesus. I praise your holy and magnificent name!"

So I have no qualms in saying "Happy birthday to me"!!! I'll make no apology. ;) Funny, when I started this post, this was not even on my mind. To God be the Glory!