Crystal, Agus and Ovidah

It is hard to believe that it has been three weeks since little Ovidah was born. Tonight we got the opportunity to take some dinner over to the newly formed little family of three. I just can't express how very much in love with little Ovidah I am; she is just so sweet. It is an incredible gift to me to watch them all together. Her mommy, Crystal, has been one of my very best friends since we first met back in the 7th grade. It is so hard to wrap my mind around the fact that she is now a mommy. :)

I had to take a couple of photos tonight; really, I just had too. I love the contrast in color between the three of them. It will be several months before little Ovidah's full color comes in; isn't it neat that even that changes a bunch in the first few months of life?

Little Ovidah, I really enjoyed getting to snuggle you for a few minutes tonight. I love you!

Emily Getting Anna to Sleep

There are those moments I have when I wonder why I ever thought I could handle parenthood. Those are the moments when everything seems to be going wrong, the kids are ill tempered, or I am wondering how to get through to a kid. Then there are the other moments, the moments that are sweeter and more rewarding then I ever thought possible. Today has been filled with those sort of moments and I am so thankful. :)

I have been doing a lot of kitchen catch up, catching up on all those tasks that I have let slide. Anna was playing in her high chair, and Emily was "helping" me clean. Everything turned super quiet, and I turned around to see Emily massaging Anna's head to help her fall asleep. And you know what; Anna did just that! I smiled at Emily who said, "Shh, Mom, I am getting Anna to sleep like you do. She is such a sleepy baby. Am I a good big sister mom?" I am sure this will prove I am a goober but tears filled my eyes. In that moment I was reminded that for all that we do wrong, we also must be doing something very right. Yes, Emily you are a great big sister, and Mommy is so proud of you!

Anna and Petra

Today we got to hang out with Petra, Anna's birth mother. I realized not long ago that it has been forever since I had taken any photos of Petra and Anna interacting. (It's crazy how fast time flies.) Today I got to remedy that. :) It is a kinda surreal experience for me. I find myself watching and often wondering how I came to play a role in their lives at all. Words will always fail to describe how incredibly blessed we are.

I do believe both Anna and Petra had a bunch of fun today. I hope that one day Anna will be able to look at all of these moments with a firm and awesome understanding of how very many people love and adore her. Thanks for coming and hanging out with us this afternoon Petra; we love you! And again and always, thank you for our amazing gift in Anna.

Anna

We have started a new family tradition, walking in the parks several evenings a week, and I am loving it. Today as we where hanging out at the park, I sat down with Anna on the grass. Believe it or not this was Anna's first experience touching grass with her hands. She was so funny and cute! After sitting her down so should could crawl, and after she attempted to eat some of the grass, she lifted her hand up and started talking to the sky. I believe that she was praising God for the experience! :) We all cracked up. It is simply impossible to not smile with Anna around. I join her in praising God for the wonderful evening tonight and some relaxing time with my family. Amen.

Greg Tossing Anna into the Air

One of the sweetest things you can watch is Greg and Anna interacting. They are so sweet and fun. Anna loves it when Daddy tosses her into the air. It keeps them both in giggles, I do believe. In fact, you can't help but smile and laugh yourself at watching the two of them. I don't think I could ever get tired of watching such things; these are the fun moments in my life that I will always be grateful for. What are yours?