Just before taking a nap with Jaden today I was captured by just how sweet she looks and is. I had to capture a few on the camera before snuggling in. (And, if you look close, you can see a the little redness to her hair. A little firecracker in the making. Love it!)
She is a wonderful baby...sleeps a lot, feeds every three hours, does not cry much at all...and loves to be held. It is fun to have a snuggler! When she is awake she enjoys wiggling and squeeling with delight under the thunderdome. In fact, just yesterday, she rolled over from her tummy to her back. WHAT!? I think I propped her up in a way that made this more possible, because this is a bit early to do this...and she has not repeated the skill! Nevertheless, she is strong...very strong in her neck and core. She is just the best.
We have had a great first week at home...getting acquainted with Jaden, being a family of four, and learning the ins and outs of our new place!
It has been a fun week with Nana and Papa Dub, too. Nana came to the rescue for an entire week cleaining, sorting, cooking, unpacking, playing, painting (Rylie's furnature, etc). A huge help! Papa came at the end of the week and helped Chad with various tasks around the house, too. Their extra hands made a huge difference for us. Two kids is a transition in deed!
The six of us went to Home Depot, yes to do a little shopping, but also so Rylie could do her building project. They offer a free kid craft 1x a month, of which Rylie is now a regular. This time, Nana and Papa did the craft with (or FOR) her. They built a bug box!
And here are just a few favorites from the week:
Our sleeping beauty...
Time with Papa...
Time with Nana...
Our dear friends, Aaron and Anna had a baby boy Micah, two months ago. They came for a visit today. Loved the company, and to compare our babes. He is HUGE compared to little Jade.
They were friends in utero, and now they finally meet side by side. Here is Kylie Kate (Lindsey Bowdey's girl) and Jaden, getting acquainted for the first time. They are 3 days apart, and oh so cute together.
We are being blessed several times a week by dear friends, who have brought delicious meals. I wish I had a live-in cook to do this year round! This has been such a treat, and so appreciated!!! For exmaple, Melonie, a professional baker, made us a scrumtous meal...and closed it out with an incredible chocolate trifecta cake. It is a tripple layer chocolate cake, which has cream cheese and white chocolate frosting, with ganache, and other kinds of chocolate inside. IT IS INCREDIBLE. We are eating it every night after dinner (and sampling it thrughout the day!) Ha!
In the theme of trifecta, she decorated it in honor of my trifecta life: balancing Marriage, Motherhood and Ministry. Thank you Melonie for your incredible support and love...and this cake! AWESOME!
It has been like Spring here in Colorado...and what perfect timing, as we just gained a new yard! We have blown bubbles in the backyard, and colored with chalk in the front yard. We are quickly making this new house our home, and loving it.
We are just cruising along as a family of four. Jaden is wonderful. I forgot how much newborns sleep! It is all the time! For some reason it seems a bit easier this time around. Rylie did a good job at breaking us in! Of course check back in with us in a few weeks and we could be singing a different tune! So far so good!
This is likely more for our records than for others' interest...but here is Jaden's first bath...a quick clip.
Rylie LOVES the new HUGE bathtub...it is like a swimming pool to her. She would spend hours in here if we let her! So she was kicking and splashing away while Jaden was scrub-a-dubbing, too.
First, we want to say a big "thank you" to all of you for your prayers and support over the last week. It has been difficult to communicate all that transpired since the birth of Jaden, and we hope that we have not frustrated those that we asked, for such generic prayers. We have tried to keep this blog posted with updated information. However, as of this past Friday we were without Internet as we moved to a new home. (This is a whole other story, but we are thrilled to be in a house for our growing family! Jaden's first night home was all of our first night in our new home!!! How sweet. Besides, why not throw a move into this crazy week!?)
We wanted to report that Jaden came home on Friday, a day early! Jaden’s recovery is both a testament to modern medicine and the power of prayer. We may never know the extent that both played in not only saving her precious life but giving her a great chance at a healthy future. With that view in mind, we are now able to simply love her as though this all never happened, and are hopeful that it will all become a distant memory as she grows and develops into the wonderful child of God for which she was fashioned to become.
Who knew that Feb. 19th, the day she was born, would have not only been full of heartbreak, but would soon be redeemed by being the day that the Lord invited us on a ride to watch His handiwork, blessings, and miracles. To Him be all glory, power, and praise. HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE.
For those who have tracked so closely, we are in awe to report, that Jaden's: - EEG came back normal - Her physical exam of motor skills came back normal - She passed her hearing and seeing exams perfectly - Her MRI came back almost clean, showing some evidence of very, very slight "variations" in her brain stem. In other words, there were no major/obvious "hits" to her brain that would indicate significant developmental issues. However, what does her MRI scan mean long term? It is hard to say, except that the Dr. led us to believe because she looks and acts so healthy, that we can be "cautiously optimistic," and that she has every possibility of thriving like a any little babe. Isn't this incredible news!?
We cannot thank you all for your fervent prayers. GOD HAS HEARD them and we are so blessed because of His work in our lives, through all of this. There is so much to report, and we could tell you stories upon stories all about this last week. It was a life changer...for the good. Nevertheless, for now, please know that we are feeling blessed and loved by so many.
Thank you, only eternity will be able to adequately express our gratitude. Now, we cannot wait for you to meet her!!! Did we say we think she has red hair!? Ha! So fun, so fun. She is a wonder.
Jaden's new home: 2938 Shoshone Trail Lafayette, CO 80026
Here are some clips and pics from the exciting homecoming...
Here is a video of "Jaden Unplugged." This was a big moment for us, as we had not held our baby without lots of wires coming from her yet...
Here I am changing her diaper at the hospital...can you see how big my smile is, being able to do this simple task!? Oh the things I take for granted!
Here is Rylie's first encounter with her little sister. No signs of jealousy yet...Rylie likes to give her binki's and rattles, kisses and hugs. Adorable.
