Graduation to the bath tub

Since losing her umbilical cord, Ryleigh has also lost her hatred of bath time! And I'm so thankful, because I LOVE bath time. Having to lay out in the cold during sponge baths were no fun, but now she relaxes as soon as she slides down into the warm water. Ahhh, someone to share my love of baths...

Ryleigh during her 1st bath at home with Mom and Dad

Bath time with Grandma
not liking the cold air...
but trying to be good for Grandma
Are we almost done yet?

GRADUATION!

We LOVE bath time now!
Just chillin' out in the warm tub
checking herself out in the mirror
I have the cutest baby girl in the world!

One month later

I cannot believe a month has passed since Ryleigh Ann entered our lives. So much has changed, and life will never again be the same as it once was. She has brought more happiness, fear, frustration, uncertainty, giggles, and love than I could have ever imagined. Not only that, but by learning about her and how to parent her, I have learned more about myself. Characteristics that I "knew" I possessed have become blantantly clear since becoming a mom. It is as if Ryleigh somehow holds up a mirror and forces me to deal with what I see. Who would have thought this parenting learning process could also be a real-life, "self-help" session?

Ryleigh is doing great. She definitely has a distinctive little personality, and I look forward to watching her grow and develop into her own little person. I think she is going to be a curious toddler, who studies everything to learn every little detail. She is very attentive when you get her attention, and she will stare deeply as you talk to her. And though she likes cuddling when she is tired, I feel she will be very independent. I can tell she does not have much patience (much like her parents) and seems to get frustrated easily. And as I stated when I was pregnant, I believe she will be a very active child, and will probably excel at sports...those legs of hers are always moving and kicking! Ryleigh will probably run before she ever crawls or walks. :)

We have been working to get on a more consistent schedule, though we're still not there yet. At this age, I am pretty much on Ryleigh's schedule, so I feed her when she's hungry, put her to sleep when she is tired, etc. It has made for some long, hard nights and a zombie mommy, but things will get better. Last night she gave me a 4-hour stretch, and I was thrilled! I know this is all part of it, but so far I must say the lack of sleep has been the hardest thing to get used to. I dont know what I'm going to do when I start back at work in a few weeks!

All in all, it has been an incredible month of many ups and downs. It is absolutely amazing to me that despite moments of extreme frustration, I still look at her and my heart jumps with love. Sometimes I tear up just looking at her and realizing that she is mine. Other times the enormous responsibility I have to God to raise this little bundle of joy is overwhelming. I guess that is the word I would use to describe the month in a nutshell: overwhelming. Every fiber of my being is in over-drive and every emotion is the extreme. Especially the unconditional love that overflows my heart.

Here are a few new pictures to share:

Ryleigh in her crib

Aunt Julie and I had a mini photo session and posed Ryleigh
Falling asleep on Daddy's chest
Very content in Granddad's arms
'lil Aggie looking super cute

Introducing: Ryleigh Ann Shulse

FINALLY! Our little one has arrived, and our life is suddenly filled with more emotion than I could have ever thought possible. I know most of you already know about Ryleigh's grand debut, but I thought I would fill in the details for those who don't know. (Sorry in advance for any/all gruesome details that may be TMI...)

Sunday, May 2o I woke up having pretty severe abdominal cramping; not contractions, mind you, just constant cramping. That morning we were supposed to go to Champion Forest for church, because Julie was "walking" with the graduating class at church. Since her real graduation was so close to my due date, I didn't know whether I would be able to attend or not, so I knew I had to be at the church ceremony. Needless to say, I sat there hurting and crying for a good portion of the service. After the service, I went to the bathroom and noticed that I had lost my mucous plug. I called the doctor and the nurse suggested taking some medicine to see if it would help the cramping. Sure enough, the cramping stopped and life resumed.

Monday afternoon, the cramping returned. I had bible study that night, and I did not think I was going to make it through the whole thing. I was hurting pretty good, and again, it was a constant hurt- not like a contraction that is supposed to come and go.

Wednesday was my doctor's appointment, and we had scheduled an ultrasound at that time as well, to check the condition of the placenta and see how big the baby was getting. Sure, it was just an estimate, but when the technician told us the baby looked to weigh around 7 lb 15 oz, I started panicking. We were sent out to the waiting room to wait on the doctor's appointment, and I sat there with Jesse rehearsing my speech for the doctor. I had planned on telling her how much I wanted the baby out, ask about inducing ASAP, tell her to strip my membranes...the works. I had it all planned out. When we went back to the room and Dr. Norton came in, there were little words said. She immediately measured my stomach and did her exam to see if I had any cervical change (since I had not had ANY change in the preceding 4 weekly visits). While examining me, she said, "ah- good girl. You are now 2-cm dilated and 70% effaced." I was so happy! Then she started doing something that HURT. My face got all red and I began squirming, confused as to what she was doing. Dr. Norton looked at Jesse and said, "I'm helping her..." Then she finished her exam, threw her gloves in the trash and said, "okay- I stripped your membranes. I will see you tonight or tomorrow morning!" Ummm...WHAT? They hooked me up to a monitor, and no contractions happened, so I was not feeling confident about her time line. When I went to check out, the nurse who normally schedules the appointments said that Dr. Norton wanted to see me back in 6-weeks. She didn't even schedule an appointment in case her stunt didn't work- she was that confident!

We left the doctor's office kind of stunned and in a daze. Hayden and Lauren wanted to go work out at the YMCA, so we went with them; Lauren and I walked around the outdoor trails while the boys worked out. I had a few cramps during our walk, but nothing to write home about. After we left the Y, we decided we might want to go ahead and get the car ready in case the baby should come as Dr. Norton predicted. So, we cleaned it out, detailed it, vacuumed...the works. And FINALLY put the car seat in the car. My cramping started to increase, and seemed to come and go more like contractions. After that, it was starting to get a little late, but we still had so much to do! Chase and Rebecca were giving us a chair that they decided to not take with them when they moved; since they were going to be leaving soon, we knew we would not have another opportunity to go get it. So, we headed up towards their house, but they were not home! There is a Super Walmart by their house, so we went and walked around for awhile, trying to make sure we had everything we needed for the baby. By this point my contractions were getting much stronger, and actually started to hurt. We headed to Chase and Rebecca's, picked up the chair, and headed home. Jesse kept asking if we needed to head to the hospital, and I kept refusing. I was determined to NOT get sent home, and wanted to make sure this was the real deal before heading up there. After taking showers, making sure the house was decent, and Jesse asking again about heading to the hospital (which I still refused), we went to bed around 11:30. Well...Jesse went to bed. I was hurting too much to fall asleep. Finally around 12:15, I got a watch and started timing the contractions. They were coming every 4 minutes and lasting about 1 minute each. I woke up Jesse and told him we should go, and apologized in advance if it was a false alarm. He quickly threw some of his things in a bag, loaded all our stuff in the car, and we were off.

By the time we got to the hospital (1:00 am), I was having a hard time walking. When they checked me in at the labor & delivery area, I was struggling to even stand up, much less sign any paper work! Within 10 minutes, we were in a triage room, and things started happening. The triage nurse hooked me up to the 2 monitors- one for the baby's heart rate and one for the contractions. After being on the monitors for awhile, she came back and checked for cervical change. Sure enough, I was now 3-cm dilated and my contractions were getting stronger and closer together. She assured us we were not going home (9 out of 10 people they check in triage get sent home the 1st time!) and then they moved to officially get us admitted and moved into a labor & delivery room. At this point (2:00 am), I was probably about a 7 or 8 on the pain scale. The worst part was when I started throwing up while having contractions...not too fun. Luckily, Jesse has gotten pretty quick at grabbing a bag to throw up in! Within an hour of being in the labor & delivery room, I had dilated to 5-cm and the anesthesiologist came in to give me an epidural (I didn't even have to ask!) No, I never saw the needle- I had no desire to look at it. Jesse was only allowed to stay in the room if he sat across the room, looking at me, not the needle. I did have a hard time sitting still while he stuck the needle in my back. I must say, having super strong contractions does not make it easy to sit still! However, I managed, and within 10 minutes, I felt my legs begin to go numb. The nurse thought perhaps we would be able to get some sleep now that I had the epidural and was not in as much pain. Jesse laid down and I tried to shut my eyes, but I think we were both too anxious to sleep. A little bit later, I noticed that there was one spot that was not numb, and it hurt pretty good. The nurse came in and helped me relieve the "hot spot," while also giving me an extra dose of the epidural medicine. I was really numb! She checked me again, and I was dilated to 7-cm...moving right along. Around 7:00 am, Dr. Norton came in to check on me. We laughed when she said, "what did I tell you? I said I would see you later tonight or tomorrow!" (Never again will I doubt the woman!) At that point, I was still at 7-cm, but the baby had dropped to 0-station, which was progress from the -2-station I was at earlier! Dr. Norton went ahead and broke my water at that point, and told the nurses if I did not pick up dilating again, to add pitocin to my IV. Luckily, there was no need. By 8:30 am, I was 10-cm dilated and 100% effaced...I was officially "complete." At 9:00 am the two nurses casually said, "okay, we're going to start pushing now." One sat on one side of the bed, Jesse sat on the other side of the bed, and the other nurse was at the end of the bed. I honestly thought we were practicing or something, because it just seemed so informal! After pushing through about 6 contractions, they called the doctor. Within 10 minutes, Dr. Norton was there and so were 4 other nurses! The entire atmosphere of the room changed. It was kind of scary, because I honestly did not think it was the real thing! I was still completely numb and not feeling anything while I pushed. The worst pain was in my neck from trying to hold my head in the right place. Suddenly Dr. Norton said, "our little girl is in trouble, huh?" And both labor nurses shook their head 'yes.' Jesse and I both were confused- they had not told us she was in trouble! What did that mean? Dr. Norton came over and explained that the baby's heart rate had dropped pretty significantly and might possibly have the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She explained that if that was the case, she might have to use the vacuum to get her out. I started tearing up and getting really nervous. Jesse just came and held my hand, assuring me it would be fine. The nurses got me in position to push again, and Dr. Norton watched me push through one contraction. Then she got down there, and talked me through the next contraction...suddenly they laid the baby on my chest. I'm not kidding- I did not feel a thing. Not one ounce of pain! Honestly, I was surprised to see her on my chest because I never felt her come out! It turned out that the umbilical cord was caught around her ankle, and so when the doctor had to pull a little harder to get her out, it accidentally broke her right clavicle. Luckily though, all the pediatricians so far have said not to worry, and it will heal just fine on it's own within a few months.

God truly blessed me with a relatively easily labor and delivery. Ryleigh Ann was born on Thursday morning, May 24, 2007 weighing in at 7 lb 4 oz, and measuring 20 1/4 in long. She is absolutely beautiful, with light brown hair, (currently) blue eyes, long fingers and toes, and the cutest little nose ever. We are both head-over-heels in love with our little girl.

Now, we have her home with us, and though things are not perfect, they are getting slightly better every day. I feel like I'm healed and moving around much better. Ryleigh might have a bit of colic (though it is still early to tell), but definitely struggles with gas and fussiness after meal time. We have her 2-week well baby check-up this week, and we'll confirm that she is healthy and growing on schedule. So far, so good!

Here are some pictures for those who have not seen these yet.

When they laid her on my chest; my first time to see her.

Daddy's first time to hold her. Such a proud papa!
I just kept staring at her all day...I still do. What a miracle and amazing gift that could only come from God.
This is my favorite picture of her so far. How cute is she?
Going home from the hospital in her Texas A&M gear...onesie, socks, hat, blanket- the works!
Back at home, safe and comfortable in Daddy's arms.
First bath! Ryleigh is not incredibly fond of bath time yet. Those sponge baths probably make for extra cold babies.
First trip to the doctor, and first outing since coming home. She is so tiny in her car seat!
Gotta have at least one "sleeping baby" picture
Does she have some crazy facial expressions, or what? She makes all kinds of faces all day long.
Well, I think this post has been long enough. If you made it this far through my rambling, I am impressed! I'm sure there will be many more pictures and stories over the weeks and months to come. :)

Thank you all for your love and support throughout this pregnancy. It was tough for me, and I couldn't have gotten through it without each and every one of you and your encouragement. I love you, and little Ryleigh will love you too!

So close...

...and yet so far!

We are in the final days, and are definitely sitting on pins and needles. Every day I wake up thinking, "could today be the day?" And though my body seems to not be preparing the way I had hoped, it is getting ready. The non-stop cramping in my lower abdomen for the past 2 days tells me that SOMETHING is getting ready!

The nursery is ready and waiting. I had the cushions made for the rocking chair by the same lady who my mom found to make the cradle bedding. I think they turned out great! Going to make those feedings much more comfortable in a padded chair. :) We also went and got the matching bouncer for her, and I can't wait to sit her in it next to my desk as I work during the day.
The changing pad and diaper genie are in place for plenty of stinky diaper changes...
We even have her radio and CD player ready, with nursery songs and bedtime lullabies waiting close at hand.
I can already tell we will be spending a good bit of time in this room...even more so than I spend in there now. :) (Yes, I'm the dork who will go sit in the rocking chair and just imagine.)
Hurry up little one! We are anxiously awaiting your arrival, and cannot wait to meet you!

Pretty girl at Prom

Julie had her senior Prom last weekend, and it was much harder for me than I thought it would be. It is still so strange to realize that she is 18-years-old, grown up, graduating, and moving away for school. I still picture her as a small child who used to follow me around a lot...not anymore. She is a beautiful young adult, with a full life ahead of her, and I cannot wait to watch and see how her life plays out.

But enough of my gushing; back to Prom. Julie wore a beautiful light pink strapless dress, with soft makeup and curls. I thought she was absolutely gorgeous.
Her boyfriend, Cody, looked very handsome as well, and even wore a pink vest and tie to match Juls. They are a pretty sweet couple together.
Mom and Dad's baby has grown up....(and grown some serious assets in this picture, I might add!) I imagine it was rough on them knowing this is the last dance for any of their girls.
Another picture of the handsome couple at Raveneux.
I'm sure we will all miss these occassions to get together and be girly. Good times, good times.

Jesse's 26th birthday

Yesterday was Jesse's 26th birthday. He is officially in his "late 20's." Last year, his birthday was spread out over a week of celebrating, and this year neither of us had it in us to celebrate for a week! So instead, we invited both his family and my family over to our house last night for dinner and small birthday. I made crockpot spaghetti sauce (thanks, Aunt Kathy!), salad, and garlic bread...easy meal that easily fed a lot of people. Here is a picture of part of the group hanging out on the patio after dinner.
Jesse and I... I was squatting down, hoping you would not be able to see the stomach taking over the piture! Not sure it was very effective.
Jesse cutting his cake after we sang him happy birthday and he blew out the candles.
Jesse with his nephews being silly.
(from left to right: Caleb, Jesse, Jansen, and Major)

Since my stomach has started growing larger, Caleb seems to be the most interested, concerned, and confused one of the kids. He is very much aware that something funky is going on, and he wants to get to the bottom of it! Every single time I see him, the very 1st thing he does is look at my stomach, note how large it is, then ask me when the baby is going to come out!! (He has been asking now for about 4 months...so he's getting slightly frustrated with me about it!)

Well, last night in front of everyone, he put this toy up his shirt and walked over to me, saying he was also going to have a baby! It was absolutely hysterical, and we got a picture back-to-back of our matching "pregnant tummies." Sadly enough, mine is still bigger. :)

Jesse received gift cards from everyone this year. He recently sold his road bike because it did not fit him properly, and has been looking into purchasing a new one that fits him better. Unfortunately, they are extremely expensive, and there is no way we can just go out and buy him one right now. So, everyone pitched in and now he has a nice amount to put towards it! For his birthday, I got him a membership to the YMCA. He has been wanting to get back and shape, and we had been planning how we would do that together once the baby gets here. Luckily, the YMCA has free infant childcare on site, and there is a gym right by our house! We are going to get back in shape...him probably sooner than me, but both of us in good time.

All in all, it was a fun night, and we enjoyed celebrating with both families in one sitting. I think Jesse had a super birthday! :)

More BlogThings

I did a few of these "BlogThings" awhile back, but ran across some new ones that were fun. Thought I would share. :)

What kind of flower are you?

***You Are A Lily***
You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?http://www.blogthings.com/whatflowerareyouquiz/

Are you like your Mom?

***You Are Somewhat Like Your Mom***
Believe it or not, you and your mom are pretty darn similar. It may not seem like it at times, but you and your mom have a lot of common ground. Over time, you'll probably get closer ... especially if you emphasize the things you like about each other.

Are You Like Your Mom?http://www.blogthings.com/areyoulikeyourmomquiz/

How does your Interpersonal Intelligence rate?

***Your Interpersonal Intelligence Score: 63%***
Your Interpersonal Intelligence is High. You are definitely a "people person." You enjoy spending time with others. You instinctively understand people, and you are both a good counsellor and mediator. However, there are definitely times when you've had enough. And that's when you cherish being alone.

How Does Your Interpersonal Intelligence Rate?http://www.blogthings.com/howdoesyourinterpersonalintelligenceratequiz/

How Intuitive are you?

***You Are 40% Intuitive***
You're definitely an intuitive person, but you never go on your gut alone.You tend to be more analytical than intuitive - possibly because your intuition has failed you in the past.When you don't have enough facts to make a decision, you don't mind listening to your gut to figure out what to do.

How Intuitive Are You?http://www.blogthings.com/howintuitiveareyouquiz/

What does your favorite color say about you?

***Your Favorite Color Green Says About You:***
Balanced, Relaxed, Flexible, Compassionate, Philosophical, Humble, Loyal, Inventive, Unique

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourfavoritecolorsayaboutyouquiz/

Funny emails

I have received a few good emails lately that had me chuckling. I'm sure you have seen these, but I wanted to pass them on for a laugh just in case.

ONE WISH...
A biker was riding along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said, "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish."

The biker pulled over and said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want."

The Lord said, "Your request is materialistic. Think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking, the supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific, the concrete and steel it would take, and it would nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of something that would honor and glorify me."

The biker thought for a long time. Finally he said, "Lord, I wish that I could understand my wife. I want to know how she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says nothing's wrong, and how I can make her truly happy."

The Lord replied, "YOU WANT TWO LANES OR FOUR ON THAT BRIDGE?"

LONG MARRIAGE
A couple was celebrating their golden wedding anniversary on the beaches in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Their domestic tranquility had long been the talk of the town. People would say, "What a peaceful & loving couple". The local newspaper reporter was inquiring as to the secret of their long and happy marriage.

The Husband replied: "Well, it dates back to our honeymoon in America," explained the man. "We visited the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, and took a trip, down to the bottom of the canyon, by horse. We hadn't gone too far when my wife's horse stumbled and she almost fell off. My wife looked down at the horse and quietly said, "That's once." We proceeded a little further and horse stumbled again. Once more my wife quietly said, "That's twice." We hadn't gone a half-mile when the horse stumbled for the third time. My wife quietly removed a revolver from her purse and shot the horse dead. I shouted at her, "What's wrong with you, woman! Why did you shoot the poor animal like that? Are you crazy??"

She looked at me, and quietly said, "That's once."

"And from that moment.....we have lived happily every after."

Baby Shulse's 1st bed

My parents gave us the cradle that I slept in as a baby for Baby Shulse! They had it all cleaned up, and my mom even had special bedding made to match our room and style. It sure turned out pretty, and will be the perfect bed to bring Baby Shulse home to.

Isn't the bedding just beautiful? Not to mention neutral, should we ever dare to try this again in the future...!
I cannot wait to see her sleeping soundly in her new bed. Hopefully, I will be sleeping soundly (for the 1st time in months) in my bed right beside her...here's to wishful thinking, anyway! :)

Shulse family and friends baby shower

This weekend Jesse's parents hosted a couple's baby shower for us at their house, inviting several of Jesse's family, family friends, and other friends. It was very nice to see people get to love on Jesse a bit, and watch him get excited about the baby's quickly approaching arrival.

It was pretty cute to see my in-laws also get excited about the baby. I liked that everything was focused on "Baby Girl," rather than just "baby." I guess it is the first time they have gotten to celebrate the birth of a little girl in their family, and you can tell that everyone is very excited.

Yum! I bet you can't guess which one I tried first...
Jesse's cousin Bryan and his Grandma Gertie

From left to right:

JD (Jesse's dad), Mr. and Mrs. Joachim (Jesse's boss and wife), Mr. Farrington (lifetime friend), Gina (Our sister-in-law)

Jesse opened all the presents...you can tell which things he liked and the things he could care less about. Most of the clothes were handed directly to me, lol. Guess those were not high on his list of priorities.
Practicing his reading skills...Goodnight Moon is such a great, classic book!
Yea! The "man bag" diaper bag. I figured the only way I would get Jesse to carry the diaper bag in public was to make sure it was manly enough.
We received a lot of great gifts, including the Windsor pack-n-play, the Windsor high chair, bath stuff, many cute clothes, the Baby B'Jorn carrier, gift cards, toys, medical kits, diapers, and more. It was a fun night, and we really enjoyed hanging out and celebrating with some of the special people in Jesse's life.

Thank you all for everything! I keep saying this, but it is true. We are SO blessed.

May Day!

Hooray! May is finally here!

It feels like I have been pregnant forever. I can remember when I found out I was pregnant and calculating my due date which seemed so far away...and it was! I wish I could say that time has flown by. Sure, there have been months that seemed to move faster than others, but time has certainly not flown by.

Jesse and I are starting to get anxious now; not nervous, just anxious for her to arrive. 10 months of waiting and preparing...waiting and preparing...I think we're ready to move out of this phase and into the next phase (even if it is the long, hard days and sleepless nights). We are ready.

Please pray that these last few weeks either fly by or I suddenly feel a strong wind of patience, which can only come from God. I'm getting edgy, irritable, tired, and cranky...I'm "over" this pregnancy. And though I know that I should enjoy these last few weeks with my husband, and I know life is about to drastically change, I find I'm impatient nonetheless.

Thank you all for your continued love, support, and prayers throughout this pregnancy. I know I could not have gotten this far without my friends and family. Let's hope Baby Shulse makes her appearance soon so that she too can thank you!! :)

Friends baby shower

This weekend my girl friends threw me a baby shower. Rebecca and Lauren co-hosted, and Heather even came early to help them set everything up and get ready. There were a bunch of people who were unable to make it, due to previous engagements, but everyone was there in spirit, and still made me feel special regardless of their physical absence. I have some of the greatest friends ever!

Rebecca, me, Lauren, and Heather

We played the most hilarious...and yet disgusting...game ever! The girls had melted 10 different kinds of chocolate bars in 10 diapers. We had to look/smell/taste the "poop" to figure out which chocolate bar had been melted in each diaper. I am a chocoholic, and I cannot tell you how much having the chocolate in a diaper messed up the whole chocolate factor! I thinkErin was the only one brave enough to taste each one, and sure enough, I believe she got all 10 correct!
Erin gave me this cute animal train that sings songs and moves across the floor. She said Hayley loves it, and right on cue, Lauren started singing every word to the main song, demonstrating how much it is played at her house. When they all came over Saturday night, we got it out, and sure enough all three babies (Hayley, Avery, and Natalie) were mesmerized by the singing animal train!
Rebecca handmade this quilt for me and Baby Shulse...she had never tried it before, and I cannot tell you how impressed we all were! This is going to be the perfect quilt for any occassion, and one I can already tell I will use a lot.
Thanks, Rebecca for such a beautiful gift!
Sarah could not be at the shower, but she sent a present with Mom and Julie to give me. Yea! I have a cute boppy now!

Lauren and Heather compiled this basket of "Hayley and Avery's favorites." There were some great goodies in that basket, that will surely come in handy very soon. :)
If you remember (if you have been reading my blog for awhile), for both Lauren and Heather, we all participated in stitching a square for a special quilt made just for them, by their friend Brittany. Though I know Brittany, I do not know her very well, and was not expecting to get a special quilt of my own. And to be even more honest, I didn't think I knew enough people who would participate to make one! I cannot tell you how I shocked I was to pull out this beautiful quilt, in which most of my friends and family each made a square.
Here is a close up of the colors and designs...
There were 30 individual sqares total...though many squares had combined people, otherwise the quilt would have been too large! I keep looking at it over and over, seeing each initialed square and feeling so special that this person would take time to sew a square for the quilt. It is absolutely beautiful and means more than I can say.
It was a very fun shower, and quite a special day. All of our friends came back over to the house afterward to hang out and cook hamburgers.

If there is one thing I have learned throughout this entire pregnancy experience, it is how lucky I am to have the love and support of our friends and family. It never ceases to amaze me how much people care and how much they make a special time in our life even more special by simply being a part of it. We are so blessed. :)