Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!

When I went to bed last night, there were rumors of snow on the way.  In fact, we were under a winter storm watch.  That's never good.  4 days ago, it was 60 degrees out and the grass was green.  Today, it's in the 30's and we have 9 inches of fresh snow.  Welcome to Minnesota!  

 Actually, as much as I'm not ready for snow, it's hard to deny the beauty of a fresh snowfall.

When I woke up, it was completely white and still outside.  There were hardly any cars on the roads because the plows weren't out yet and the snow was falling fast and furious from the sky.  Big, wet snowflakes were everywhere.  It seems too early for this much snow, but it really is beautiful.  

 When Ava woke up, I took her right to the window and let her take in the dramatic scene outside.  Needless to say, she was a little stunned!  She stood at the window forever and stared at all that snow falling.  It was so funny!  Then the plow showed up to plow our lot and she was completely fascinated by that.  We were also keeping a look out for Daddy, who was on his way home after being gone on a leadership retreat.  Yes, that's right.  I survived my first overnight alone with both kids :) 

It was a big morning and we were both glued to the window taking it all in!

 Because of the weather, Travis came home early and had the exact same idea I did.  

Let's take the kids outside to play in the snow!

Last winter, Ava was too little to really notice the weather, so this is truly her first experience in snow!

She was really good about letting us put her in a snowsuit and she loved the idea of wearing boots.  

Mostly because she's a little shoe-horse already!

She looked so stinkin cute all bundled up!

 Daddy was just as excited as she was to play in the snow!

She spent lots of time just walking around in the snow, checking everything out.

But of course Travis showed her all kinds of fun things you can do in snow and she loved every minute of it!

 Even Carter came out with me to enjoy his first snowfall!

Thanks to Aunt Shaye and Uncle Troy, he had a great new snowsuit for the occasion :) 

My little snow babies :) 

 Our sweet neighbor saw us outside taking pictures and she came out and offered to take some for us too!

So here we are, on the first snowfall of 2010!

 This little nut had a blast!

And this little guy did pretty well too :) 

 It took us forever to get this circus show all ready to go, but we did it!

And when we got back and took everything off, my heart smiled at the sight of this.  

What fun to have a house full of big people and little people too!  

Hard to imagine all the boots and hats and scarves and gloves we'll accumulate over the years :) 

...I'm going to start praying now for a big mud room someday!!

One Month Old!

Dear Carter, 

It's hard for us to believe but you are already one month old!  These last 4 weeks have been full of so many sweet moments with you and lots of memories that we have tucked away in our hearts.  You are a wonderful addition to our family and we are so grateful that the Lord chose to make us your Mommy and Daddy!  Here's a slice of what you've been up to during your first month of life...

This is the first of 12 pictures we'll take with your new bear!  We did the same thing with your sister, only she had a pink bear and a pink blanket, and we loved watching how she grew month to month!  Speaking of growing, you are getting bigger by the minute!  Right now you...

-Are definitely over 10 lbs!  Two weeks ago you were 9lbs, 5 oz but you have grown considerably since then.  We keep laughing because you are much bigger than your sister at this age!

-You are no longer in newborn diapers, I moved you up to size 1 about 2 weeks ago.

-You are also out of almost all your newborn clothes. 0-3 month things fit you perfectly.

-People love to tell us how big your hands and your feet are, and it's true!  You are going to be a big boy and it won't be long before you catch up to your sister :) 

With each week you are growing more and more alert and also predictable.  You like to eat about every 2-3 hours during the day, but around dinner time you eat every 2 hours until bedtime.  You are a great eater too!  I have loved nursing you because you are easy and you let me know exactly when you are ready to go!  The only time we see you get impatient and mad is when it's time to eat.  You always let me know that you are NOT waiting any longer by letting out a few grunts and snorts and eventually some screams  :)   You are MUCH louder than Ava ever was...You grunt so loudly all day long!  When you're sleeping, when you're eating, or even when you're just hanging out.  I can't believe how noisy you can be, but I guess that goes with the territory of being a boy!

For the most part however, you are incredibly easy going and mellow.  You love to look all around now and take in your surroundings.  You turn your head when you hear our voices and you love to stare us down and study our faces.  During the day you are napping 3 or 4 times, for a couple of hours each time.  You love to sleep in your swing or your bouncy seat, but not flat on your back yet in your bed.  You usually wake up crying soon after we lay you down.  We'll get there I'm sure.  Last week, when you were 3 weeks old, I think you went through a little growth spurt and you hardly slept at all during the night because you wanted to eat constantly!  This week, you have settled back down again and are falling into a nice routine.  I feed you around 9:30 and then we put you to bed around 10pm and you usually wake up to eat about 2:30am, then again at 5:30 or 6:00am.  It's not bad, but we're anxiously awaiting the day when you give us a good 6 or 7 hour stretch...You can do it Carter!!!  

By far, the most comments we hear about you are regarding your incredibly cute head of hair!  It's wild Carter and we love it :) You have a lot of dark hair, just like your sister, but underneath that we can see lots of blonde roots.  I'm sure it will slowly lighten with time but we love the "look" you have going on right now!  I have to wash it frequently because it gets greasy often now, mostly because so many people like to touch it.  We joke about having to get some "product" for you just to tame it a little bit :) As soon as I wash it and comb it, it just naturally does this little feather thing that resembles a bit of a faux hawk!  You're so handsome buddy, just like your Daddy!!

This is your newest trick and we love it!  You smiled for the first time with your Texie and then your Daddy, but two days ago you smiled for me and I just happened to have my camera in my hand to capture it!  This picture makes us laugh Carter, it's an unfortunate angle for you, but we think you look like a chunky monkey here!  

Of course that belly and those cheeks just mean there is more of you to love!  

We discovered this month that you look like the men in the Armstrong family :) 

Your eyes are just like your Great-Grandpa Armstrong and so many of your other characteristics remind us of your Grandpa Armstrong and your Daddy.  

 It's a good thing we chose your Daddy's middle name for your middle name too!  

I pray that you'll grow up to be just like him in many ways!  He's blazing a wonderful trail for you and Ava to follow, Carter.  We are all blessed to have Daddy in our lives, as the leader in our family.  He and I talk to Jesus daily about you Carter and we pray that you will never know a day when Jesus was not part of your life.  

  Your sister lights up every time he walks in the door and I know it's just a matter of time before you do too.  You respond to your Daddy's voice already and you love it when he cuddles with you at night and holds you close.  He is so good about walking and walking with you when you are fussy.  It calms you to be in his arms.  One of my favorite things about the night you were born is that you and Daddy got to spend some precious alone time together, before I woke up to meet you.  He stayed with you from the minute you entered this world and my first memory of you is when I was being wheeled into our room and there was Daddy to greet me, holding you in his arms.  I know he loved to introduce you to Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Jennie and your sister Ava.  But I know he also loved the time he got to have alone with you.  That was a gift from the Lord Carter and Mommy is thankful to see it as that.  Your Daddy will have a tremendous impact in your life and in the kind of man you become and I'm so grateful that you have been blessed like your sister, to have him present and involved from the minute you were born.  

 Of course as soon as I laid eyes on you, I was ready to hold you in my arms and cuddle you close too!  I  loved all of the time we spent together in the hospital, snuggling and getting to know each other.  And Grandpa and Grandma gave us a wonderful gift when they took care of your sister for awhile so that we could get some time together.  It's a wonderful gift to have a son and I'm so proud that you are mine. 

Your first month has been a great one Carter!  

You are a relatively easy baby and such a joy to our hearts.  God surprised us with you and you've been a reminder of His overflowing and abundant grace to us from the minute we knew we were expecting you.  In fact, if you were a girl, we would have given you "Grace" as a middle name!  Your sister reminds us of God's faithfulness and you remind us of God's grace.  You are so dearly loved Carter and we celebrate these 4 weeks, asking and believing that we'll get many more with you.  

Happy One Month Buddy!

We love you!!

Finding Our Place

Happy November from our little family to yours!  

Wondering if we're still alive?   It's been a while since I've posted anything and probably for good reason.  I have been on a technology fast, not necessarily out of obligation but due to survival.  Last week was one for the record books I'm afraid!  It started out so calmly but quickly became something of a circus.  After a few days on our own, Travis flew to Florida for Karen's funeral on the same day his Mom arrived for a visit.  The timing was perfect and totally of the Lord, but it was busy and poor Ava reached her breaking point on the day Texie got here.  I think the culmination of the last 4 weeks finally caught up with her and she was nothing short of difficult, mixed with glimpses of sweet :) Add a tired, grieving Mommy and an absent, grieving Daddy to the mix and you can imagine the fun we've had.  At least poor Carter slept through most of it!  During the day anyway...he chose to get his one on one time with me in the middle of the night.  I can't say I blame him.

 As we adjust to becoming a family of four, I'm finding that each of us have days that are good and days that are hard.  The tricky thing is that they rarely all occur on the same day!  When I'm at the end of my rope, Travis seems to have the patience I lack and the reverse is also true.  Ava has been very easy for these first few weeks, while Carter consumed so much of my time.  But now that he is becoming more predictable, my little Ava threw us for a big loop by refusing to nap and therefore becoming overtired, incredibly whiny and pretty demanding.  It's been a roller coaster ride over here to say the least, but I think we are finally coming out of the fog of the first month and I can start to see better days ahead...at least that's what I tell myself at night so that I can sleep :)   

Thankfully, Texie arrived at the perfect time to give us an extra set of arms and an extra dose of love.  

And no one was more appreciative than this little peanut, who was willing to do anything for a little more attention!  

I'm realizing how hard it must be for her to give up the life she's had and all the one on one time for the last 18 months.  I don't regret that or feel like we spoiled her, it just comes with the territory of being the first born.  But, having a new brother has also ushered in her first introduction to the concept of sharing.  Also good, just hard to teach to an 18 month old!  

In the same breath that I worry about Ava dealing with all the transition and I wonder how I can give her more of my time, I also worry about little Carter and have had to stop comparing "his experience" to hers.  They are two separate little people and I have to remember that they're going to have separate journey's. Neither one is better or worse, just different.  

Thankfully, the Lord is sovereign over it all and they aren't able to process any of those things yet!  They're' just happy to get attention from whomever is available and to know that they are loved.  I can confidently rest my head at night knowing that I might have failed at everything else that day but not that.  My time is divided but my babies are loved!  

 As the big sister around here, we've been celebrating the new milestones that Ava is reaching too!  

We are not ready to potty train quite yet, but Ava is definitely interested and Texie bought her a little potty of her own to get used to.  It took her all of 30 seconds to love it!  She plays on it, with it, and likes to sit down by sticking her foot into the bowl first.  We may have some re-training to do already :) 

 She is very interested in Carter now and today I caught her leaning over him saying, "Hi Buddy!"  

 She especially loves his gear and likes to play with it...

 ...or tell him all about it!

And he's very sweet to politely listen :) 

He turns his head toward all of us now and even toward his sister when we talk to him.  

 We're still working on the whole "let's love each other" thing, but I'm sure we'll get there eventually!  

Like in 18 years or so :) 

 Life with two under two is not easy for anyone....

...but it's the beautiful gift we've been blessed with and we're all finding our way as we adjust.  

I'm so thankful for all of the family we've had who have surrounded us and helped us manage this new reality, but I'm finally ready to do this "new life" on our own.  

Most days I still can't believe the Lord has given us two little ones to raise and love, but I'm so grateful He did.  Yes, we're tired and still fumbling through each day, but as I was reminded last week, He is faithful in everything.  Even the little, seemingly insignificant parts of our day.  He cares and He sees.  

I'm happy to say that today, on our first day alone again, He has blessed our day already!  Both kids have had a wonderful morning and they've both been sleeping for a couple of hours this afternoon...Hallelujah!!!  

Who knows what is in store for the rest of the day, but I'm sure we'll find our way and get through it :) 

Happy Wednesday!

Is It Friday Yet????

Ahhh, where to begin???  

-I'm tired.  Physically.  Mentally.  Emotionally.  Spiritually...  

Tired.  

And I know it's just a season and I know it will soon pass.  

But still, I'm tired.

-On Tuesday afternoon, we learned that our sweet friend Karen lost her battle with cancer and went to be with Jesus.  While we rejoice in her ultimate healing and we're so thankful to know she is no longer suffering, because these last few months have been full of suffering, we are very sad.  I just find myself thinking about Forrest and the boys constantly and feel like my heart keeps breaking over and over.  I also hate that we've been so far away and in her last months we couldn't do anything to serve them or love them, aside from praying and encouraging them from a distance.  I know that mattered too, but there is something hard about not having a tangible way to love someone you care about.  Travis flew to Florida very early this morning to be there for the funeral tomorrow night.  While I'm glad he's there, I'm also sad I'm not.  It was a blessing that we could send him, and this is truly not my season to be able to quickly leave when I've got 2 little ones, but I still wish I was there.  My arms ache to hug the boys and to be able to say good-bye to Karen.  I can't say much more about it because it makes me cry...It's been a hard week to focus on much, I'm just trying to get through the days.  

-Thankfully, Trav's Mom arrived today to be with us for awhile.  I'm so thankful to have an extra set of arms around here, especially while Trav is gone.  But, it's also great for Ava and Carter to get some time with her.  And speaking of Ava...

...after a relatively smooth 3 weeks, today was the day that she decided to fall apart.  I don't want to  dwell on the details or they will also make me cry!  I'm trying to remember that her whole world has changed and she's only 18 months, but seriously I had to take a deep breath about every 5 minutes this afternoon. Naturally she decided to pull this stuff out on the day that her Daddy left and her Texie came to visit...She is doing the best she can I suppose and really, she's been pretty great through the chaos of the last 3 weeks.  But, I'm hoping tomorrow is better.  Or at least my patience is greater :) 

-Carter is doing well, doing a lot of this right now.  He must be growing again because I can hardly keep him awake!  He's been more alert this week and is starting to really respond to our voices.  I discovered today that he looks A LOT like Trav's Grandpa and Dad.  I saw the evidence in some old pictures and it was pretty funny!  He's definitely an Armstrong :)   I love him so much.  He's such a good baby and such a cuddle bug.  I love holding him and nursing him.  I am grateful for this little guy who has stolen my heart!!  

-It's 11pm and I should be sleeping, so I think I will.  Here's hoping we have a good night, since I'm solo without Trav.  I may or may not have begged Carter to cooperate after the day we had with his sister...I'm not sure he's old enough to take bribes from his Mommy yet but we'll see!  

Happy Friday!  

At least I hope it's a "happy" Friday :) 

Before I forget...

In all the excitement of Carter's birth and the chaos of the last 3 weeks, I didn't want to miss the chance to post about the end of Travis' wonderful soccer season!!  In fact, it was quite the weekend for Travis...On Saturday, October 9th, his team played in the finals for the Conference Championship.

 Thankfully for me, my sister Jennie was with us that weekend and she chased Ava around the whole time so that I could enjoy the game!

Although it wasn't so enjoyable until the last 5 minutes!  It was very, very close the whole time and still 0-0 with only a few minutes to go...When you are the coach's wife and it's the end of the season AND you're 9+ months pregnant...that is STRESSFUL!!  

 But, in high drama, we scored the only goal of the game on a penalty kick and WON!!!!  It was totally amazing and such a great fun way to end their conference play.  Our school has never won the championship until now, so it was a big deal for everyone and despite the fact that I was having contractions the whole time, I was up on my feet jumping up and down after that goal!  It's no wonder Carter was born the next day, right??

Travis and his team.  Loved all those guys and their parents!  

 Conference Champs!!

With his assistant coach Ryan.  Great job both of you!!

 Ava and Aunt Jennie, waiting for the celebrating to end so we could see Trav and celebrate ourselves!

Thankfully, it was unseasonably warm and a beautiful afternoon.  Ava did great through a loooong game and had a blast running around the stands and the field.  And having Aunt Jennie to play with didn't hurt either!

 Checking out that big, 1st place trophy!

 We were so proud of our coach!!  

Kissing Daddy after one great season!!  

After the conference play ended, we went on to win our first round of section play and then lost to a team who eventually won.  It was a history making season for Southwest and one that we all enjoyed so much.  Overall, they finished the season 12-3-1.  After this big win, my labor started the next morning and we welcomed Carter into our family!  It was my goal to get through the season so he wouldn't have to miss any games and amazingly we did it!  What a fun, memorable weekend for all of us, but most of all Travis.  Tonight we get to attend the end of the year party and celebrate a job well done with his team and their families.  This was a fun year and next year should be great too!  Only 3 seniors are leaving us, so he'll have tons of experience coming back!  Who knew we'd be back on the sidelines of a soccer field, but I'm so glad we are.  We love high school sports and it's fun to be back in that world again.  Next year I'll have 2 little monkeys to chase on the sidelines...I might have to start praying for patience to get through it now!!  

Congrats Travy!!  

I'm so proud of you and happy for you too.  I love watching you coach and I really love watching you win!  It was a fun win and a weekend I'll never forget!  From coaching on the sidelines to coaching at my bedside, you are the best :) 

Go Stars!!