Showering Kira & Baby Girl with Love

This past Thursday I threw a baby shower for a beautiful friend of mine...Kira is the type of person you feel instantly comfortable with, she makes you want to be better, she has an awesome sense of humor, she'd do anything to help a friend, she's a super mom, and she finds beauty in everything around her. She is one of my best friends and is such a blessing in my life. Kira has two sweet children that joined her beautiful family through adoption...we adore both of them. And now she has a miracle baby girl growing in her belly! I still remember when she told me she was pregnant, and thinking about it I have tears in my eyes! Adam and I have not struggled with infertility, but people we love have and it makes my heart ache, and definitely reminds me to not take it for granted. So knowing that Kira is now experiencing pregnancy and will soon give birth for the first time, to her third child, puts butterflies in my stomach!

Family and friends of Kira's came over for an evening to shower her and her baby girl with love. :) While enjoying a nutella fondue spread, cupcakes (thank you Karen!), and raspberry lemonade (thank you Adriana!) they wrote words of wisdom and love notes on baby blocks I decorated for little Miss J. Then we played a couple games...the first one was a Madlibs birth story we all created for Kira, and it made for some good laughs! Then everyone became baby sketch artists and drew a baby girl I described to them...but their canvases were paper plates they had on their heads, which made for some hilarious, picasso-like portraits. ;) Then came the generous gifts from everyone! It was so fun ooing and awing over everything and imagining Baby J being in Kira's arms so soon. :) And as a little "thank you" for everyone coming to the shower, they left with a facial masque and some chocolate they could enjoy after they had a relaxing shower at home. ;) Kira, you and your little girl are SO LOVED. Can't wait to meet her and soak up her newborn sweetness!

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I absolutely loved planning the shower for Kira! And I wish I could say I came up with all the details on my own, but some of them were inspired by creative ideas I found online...thank goodness for Pinterest and Google. :) 

Nutella Fondue recipe: here, I tripled the amount of nutella it calls for

Cloud cupcake-topper idea: here

Hanging cloud centerpiece idea: here

Baby block memento idea: here

Madlib Birth Story idea: here

Baby Sketch Artist game idea: here

Mama to-be Lindsey

Saturday afternoon Ava and I went to the most lovely baby shower for a sweet friend of mine.  Gorgeous Lindsey is expecting a baby boy at the end of July and I am SO happy for her!  She and her husband Jed, a childhood friend of Adam's, are two of our favorite people...yet we don't see them nearly enough, and I think we need to change that. Maybe another Texas Roadhouse and deep dish cookie a la mode night soon. :)  We absolutely know they are going to be awesome parents. 

After enjoying delicious food, fun shower games, and watching Lindsey open up presents (goodness I can't get enough of darling baby boys clothes!) I picked Brooks up from spending some time with Daddy at work, and we headed home. As soon as we walked in the door, Brooks wanted to help me get little, crying Ava out of her carseat...and he loved on her 'til she was all smiles! I about melted into a puddle on the floor. And it's little moments like that that get me over-the-moon excited for Lindsey to become a mother. <3

Sweet moments at the hospital

in no particular order...

Walking into our room // Our first family photo

Relaxing with my baby girl // Flowers from loved ones

Mama time for Brooks, Capri Sun in-hand // Tender kisses from Grandma Stum

Sweet dreams after a good feeding // Walking Ava back from bili-light treatment in the nursery

Brooks being introduced to Ava, a bit unsure // Little B loooooved my hospital phone

Sweet Daddy & Brooks snuggled, singing songs // Lots of smiles from Dad & Mom

Counting Ava's ten, tiny toes // Looking up at her loving Grammie Kjar

Ava's first kisses from her big brother // Daddy's cuddles in the sunlight

Uncle Ben came to meet his newest niece // Baby Brooks & Baby Ava

Girl time with Aunt Mandy & cousins Emma & Grace // Sweet Kira came too

Great-Grandma Smoot (and Great-Aunt Shauna) got some snuggles // Brooks our entertainer!

Beautiful cousin Kalia holding baby Ava // Daddy kissing his "girlfriend"

Holding Daddy's thumbs tight // In Mama's arms

Leaving the hospital as a family of FOUR // Buckled up & ready to go home sweet home!

This post was made possible by my incredible Mom who's been staying with us...cooking, cleaning, folding laundry, playing with Brooks, and snuggling Ava...so I can nap, nurse, get one-on-one Brooks time, and right now, blog :) Love you Mom!

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Spiritual Health:

Read "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance" by Richard G. Scott

"I witness that as you gain experience and success in being guided by the Spirit, your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear."

40 weeks...then in my arms

Dear Baby Ava,

I really did think I'd be writing you (as the baby in my belly) a 40-week letter. But this letter comes to you now that you're here!! You are here and in my arms. I'm actually writing the text of this letter on my phone as you nurse. Feeding you in the middle of the night is tiring, to say the least, but I absolutely love this time with just you and me, in the still, quiet darkness. I'm in heaven listening and feeling your sweet little nose breathe right up against my skin, your tiny hand with long fingers is resting on to my chest, and I've only had to tickle your feet twice to wake you up to keep eating ;)

I can't believe just 5 days ago you were in my belly. A part of me misses it...but OH, I am loving having you in my arms finally! When I hold you real close, your little movements, especially your hiccups, feel so familiar to me. Last night your sweet Dad was holding you and you started to get the hiccups...he was so worried because they were jolting your little body. I assured him it was okay, and that I remember feeling you have hiccups a lot toward the end of my pregnancy with you. The worried look stayed on his face though until your tiny body relaxed. He sure loves you little one.

And Ava thank you so much for being such a calm, sweet baby. You had high levels of bilirubin at the hospital, so now that we're home we've had to have you spend most of your time in a bili-bed (your little UFO, as Dad calls it). You're such a trooper and have been wonderful to sleep so much, and so well, in it. Your easy going nature has also made it so that your big brother still gets lots of Mommy and Daddy time too :) We're still working on helping Brooks understand that you're his sister, but soon enough I know he's going to be loving on you all the time and you two will be the best of friends!

Oh Ava girl, I'm so grateful your loving Heavenly Father sent you to us. This Momma of yours is head over heels. So thrilled you are ours forever! But now I've got to put you back to bed...sweet dreams little one.

Love,
Mom

PS - Here are some photos your Dad took...a fun before-and-after comparison don't you think? The left is just an hour before you joined our family, and the right was when you were barely 2 days old, both in front of the hospital bed you were born in :)

say "hello" little one...

Our beautiful baby girl Ava Lu was born Tuesday morning at 7:24am.

She weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

She has her Mama's nose,

her Daddy wrapped around her finger already,

and the best big bother who's still figuring all this out.

With every sweet breath we're falling more in love with her tiny body and giant spirit.

Ice cream, chess, and coaxing with kisses

The night before last, Adam and I stayed up much past our bed time...we played chess on his iPad and ate [my very favorite as of late] crushed vanilla bean ice cream from the carton.

It made for a good night :)

But the combination of not getting sleep and eating too much sugar has resulted in this pregnant mama feeling rather sick. Ugh... How did I ever survive college?? ;)

I had a tickle in my throat yesterday, and today it's all sorts of soar and I'm slightly congested. Thanks to vitamin C, peppermint tea, and a good, long rest while Little B napped, I feel a bit better. But I'm just praying I get back to 100% before this baby arrives. I want...no, I NEED to be able to smother him or her with kisses! Any and all good-health vibes sent my way would be much appreciated :)

Oh, and smooth-labor vibes are welcome too :)

Today is our babe's due date! He or she is definitely still cooking. But we've been doing lots of coaxing with sweet kisses from big brother. Come out little one! We're ready for you!

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Spiritual Health:

Read "The Power of Scripture" by Richard G. Scott. LOVE HIM.

"Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ."

bits and pieces of our babe's nursery

I loved adding the last few finishing touches to our babe's room this morning :)

And do you want to know what my favorite part is??

Those teeny-tiny diapers that are ready to cover a teeny-tiny bum :)

A couple aspects of the room were inspired by pinterest...the "Sunshine" prints idea from here and here, and the "I Am a Child of God" print idea from here. I really enjoyed using picnik.com to recreate them! And because I'm personally a big fan of free printables, I couldn't help but share...

They're all cropped to an 8x10" size...if you like, just click, save, and order from wherever you get your photos printed :) Heads up though, if you print at Costco, right before you check-out, make sure to edit the "print options" and check the box that says "Do not AutoCorrect my prints"...otherwise some of the colors will come out distorted.

I'm linking this up over at WhipperBerry :) Go see what others are sharing!

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Spiritual Health:

Read Moroni 10 with Adam this morning...incredible chapter that alway gives me a little boost.

Verse 18 is one of my favorites: "And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ." I'm so grateful for His gifts, both spiritual and physical.