Sisters

As anticipated, having two little girls is simply amazing... I love seeing my girls be sisters!

After a morning of being taken care of by Grandma and Aunt Megan and a good nap at Grandma's house, they brought Hadassah up to us. In thinking about adding another baby, I knew that initially after not seeing my firstborn all day from labor, I'd want my arms free to give her a hug and have her reunite with Mommy. Then, we went over together so that Hadassah could meet the new addition...

She was absolutely enthralled. We pointed out all of the cute little features of baby Ellie, and Hadassah was so happy that, after ALL of the talk, Eliana had finally come out of mommy's tummy to see her!

 Hadassah wants to share everything with Ellie. Even her beloved "ni-night" lamb blanket - she wanted to lay it by Ellie while she slept. :)

 Ryan has been amazing. Incredible. He's regulated me to the upstairs to help me really rest (which, much as I tease him about it, has been so good for me). He gets up after being woken up multiple times by the newborn to get the toddler up and going in the morning. He makes breakfast and brings it upstairs so we can all eat together. He takes care of laundry and the morning dishes, and so much more. And it definitely helps having grandparents just down the hill who take turns with Hadassah and provide lunch and dinner for us! We are so blessed.

And we love being a family of four. Hadassah was intrigued when we told her we were a family of four now, and loved counting us over and over.

 The girls are already pretty taken with each other. It's so much fun watching them interact!

 I am now a mother to TWO. Two girls... my lap is full and it feels amazing. I remember growing up and all I wanted to be was a wife and mommy. I hoped to have girls at least at some point, and what fun having two to start with! Thank you, Lord...

 Gramny Wolfe bought matching outfits - and oh what cuteness to see them matching!

Somehow their arms ended up the same way, which made for too much adorableness. But the challenges of a two-year-old with a baby are definitely there too. To be completely honest, the photo shoot had to stop just after this, because Hadassah's stroking Ellie's head turned into pulling her hair... Yes, still working on learning gentleness! ;)

Thank you, Lord, for giving us two little girls who get to grow up as sisters...

The Miracle of Life...

 Perfect little lips and a cute button nose...

 Tiny ear that recognizes your voice...

Chubby cheeks and a mouth born knowing how to nurse...

5 little fingers on each perfect hand...

 5 little toes all in a row...

 One little eye peeking at the world...

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

(Psalm 139:14a)

Introducing Eliana

Introducing Eliana Grace Wolfe, born today (November 5th) at 11:20 AM. She's a sweetie who weighs 10.1 lbs and is 21 inches long! We are all doing well and praising the Lord for this gift of life!

Eliana is pronounced "El-e-ah-na" and means "My God Has Answered." We'll call her Ellie for short smile emoticon

Barefoot Walks

When the light hits right, some trees look golden...

 I grew up in the country. Happily so. Down at the end of a dirt road that scares first time visitors, it was peaceful and secluded. Safe. The long, winding "driveway" to our place was the perfect setting for walks where I'd memorize Scripture, talk on the phone (cell phone coverage didn't work well in the valley!), or just pray and try to sort through emotions. Often, those walks took place barefoot, because really, there's nothing like a barefoot walk.

Fast forward 'til now. Somehow, God decided that this happy-in-the-country girl should live in the 5th largest city in the world. Granted, we live in more of the "suburbs" but there are still people everywhere. Paths are concrete. And life in an apartment means no quick trips outside, so walking outside barefoot is out of the question (not to mention the looks/comments I would get from well-meaning grandmas if I took my daughter out without shoes!).

But here, we've been blessed to be immersed in nature once again. We still notice how amazing it smells. And I love taking my daughter out to explore, walking on the roads now becoming familiar to her as well, eating raindrops from small pine trees, throwing rocks and sticks in puddles, and examining little bugs and creatures we find along the way. Except for snakes. Even at 38 weeks pregnant when we came across one, I could still jump and run!

 One of the nice things about Ryan currently working remotely from home is the ability he has to go for family walks with us in the late afternoon. He often works some in the evening (morning back in Shanghai), so this provides a nice break and time to be together. We start out in shoes, to get over the more rocky ground...

 We happened to get out right at the perfect gloaming light yesterday...

 Once we reach the top of the hill, Hadassah's pleas for "take off shoes and walk in the nice sand?" begin. :)

 And she loves it! A daughter after my own heart. :)

 She likes to walk with her on one side and one of us on the other. Ryan and I often hold hands (so nice to just let Hadassah walk and not worry about cars or bikes or people running into her!) and sometimes if we're not for a moment, she'll notice and say "Mama Dada hold hands?"

 This site never fails to make us thank the Lord for His beautiful creation.

 Though it be November, it is warm and we have very little fall color. But this tree always makes me think of a turkey, with its many colors.

Walking barefoot does have its risks. We've learned about ant bites. And I can still carry my biggest daughter briefly if the need for a cuddle arises. :)

 Family togetherness and time in the country. Such a blessing!

Sewing for My Girls

Nothing quite so cute as trim for little girls!

 Knowing that life in the states would be easier - less chores (especially due to staying with family), easy access to fabric stores, both with a car to drive there and being able to understand how things are set up (not to mention everyone speaks English!) - I made plans to make matching dresses for my daughters. I was always a little sad that I've done hardly any sewing for Hadassah, after finally having a daughter of my own, so I hope to make it up now that I'll have two girls who can match!

So a few weeks ago, two friends (and former dance students, sisters of a girl I taught to sew who then taught them!) met me at Hobby Lobby. We spent over an hour deciding on patterns and fabric and trim, but had a wonderful time. I could definitely get lost in that store happily... And it was so nice to have people to brainstorm with and get excited about the cuteness together!

And I spent way too much on one trip to Hobby Lobby, but I  found a gift card in my wallet which helped, and knowing I just had limited time I didn't have time to wait for a lot of sales. Plus, I've been saving so much money on clothes for next year from thrift stores, I figured it was okay. ;)

 After picking up lunch, we headed back to start the long process of cutting the dresses out! Very very ambitiously I thought we'd get everything cut out and a good dent of sewing done, but cutting out took most of the afternoon while Hadassah napped. But hey, it's always the part I enjoy the least, so it was really nice having company to talk with while doing it and to knock it all out at once.

 Last week I finished sewing the first set. A friend in Indiana gave me this fabric, which may fit soon after Ellie is born, and will hopefully last through Valentine's Day. :)

 Then I ran into issues with the pinafore (to go with gingham dresses for Easter), and the only time I had to work on sewing I was too tired to think much. So, I kinda procrastinated... But finally today my mom watched Hadassah for an hour in the morning and I was able to figure it out with a clear mind, and get excited about sewing again! I only finished Hadassah's, but made some headway on Eliana's.

This fabric + lace combination may be my favorite. :) Sized bigger, intended for summer, one of the girls started this dress, then my sister-in-law Megan worked on more of it when she joined me for an afternoon of sewing, and finally I finished it today. Again, I need to make little Ellie's matching dress, but it's smaller so should hopefully go faster!

Last week a mom and two daughters came over to help make these felt paper dolls + clothes. I'd seen the idea here and thought it would be fun for Hadassah and to give as some Christmas gifts. But I knew I'd probably never get around to it unless I made plans to do it with someone, and I was right. Plus, busy hands help aid conversation, and we got way more done than I'd ever have made myself (these plus 2 more outfits per doll!). 

It has been so nice to have time for more crafts and sewing, and it gives me something to distract myself from wanting to just have this baby already! ;) Plus I have more incentive to sew this week and hopefully finish more dresses, knowing time is quite limited until a baby will fill my arms! 

Looking forward to our Little One

In addition to taking Hadassah's 2 year-old pictures, our friend Lexi from Griffin Photography also blessed us with a family maternity photo shoot! Armed with pinterest ideas, we had such fun! Lexi's sweetness and laid-back personality was so easy to work with. Pretty crazy to think that I taught her ballet when she was little and now she's taking our pictures!

We had to put off the pictures twice due to plans changing and then rain, so I was relieved to still be pregnant when we finally got them in, right on the 39th week of pregnancy mark!

Lexi managed to capture some great shots, despite fading light and a toddler's fleeting smiles! Below are some of my favorites.

 I couldn't walk through pregnancy without this man. He literally has my back, knowing how to pop it in just the right places, and giving me massages that prevent (or help take away) headaches... My husband is such a blessing!

 It's still so amazing to think about a BABY being inside of me. Even having gone through it makes the realization so much more amazing... I will miss feeling her sweet movements inside soon, but not her feet in my ribs! ;)

 We are blessed to be parents to TWO children... one in and one out!

 One low, one high :)

 All because two people fell in love...

 So thankful for this gift of life.

 I love our Eliana Grace so much already!

 And he loves her too :)

 It such a blessing to be able to look forward together!

And even with young children, the romance doesn't die... love and life together just gets better!

 I'm so excited for Hadassah to be a big sister... Already she loves giving Ellie hugs and kisses through the belly :)

She seems to sense the excitement of it all.

 And she loves to feel her little sister move when she can. I can't wait until they can see each other!

 Pink booties soon to be used again... 

We are so thankful and excited! We'll be holding another little one in perhaps just a few more days!!

Celebrating our 2 Year Old!

 Not knowing if we'd have a newborn for Hadassah's birthday or not, I didn't plan anything big or fancy. It also works with the plan I have (copying what my parents did) to do a big party every-other year and on the off years do something small, with a special activity of their choice as they're older.

So, we had a small party for lunch, with Uncle Elijah & Aunt Megan coming and some fun cupcakes!

It was somewhat of a rough morning for the birthday girl, though. Guess it goes with being 2... She woke up with a slight cold, fell down 2 stairs and got a mark near her eye, and bumped her head on the dog house (after eating a piece of dog food...) and got a bruise. But she was always very happy and excited when it came to doing birthday things!

Selfies with Daddy! We had been talking about turning 2 for a month now, so she was pretty excited that today was her birthday finally!!

 We had puppy dog cupcakes (idea found on Pinterest), which Hadassah helped me decorate, putting the eyes and nose on between eating pieces of chocolate. ;)

We also had little kitty cats. Definitely didn't turn out perfectly (the mouth/whiskers should have been thinner) but a 2 year old doesn't care and was pretty thrilled!

 Lunch was some of her favorite foods: pizza, spinach, and strawberries. And of course she ate the spinach first!

This time she didn't have any trouble blowing out the candles and was quite excited to do so! Amazing how much a year changes things...

Did you  know that ice cream tastes better eaten with your hands?

 She was a pretty happy girl!

 Happy girl with grandparents!

 It's wonderful to have family around to celebrate with!

 Presents! She was blessed with many great books...

 And a doll family! We'll see if I'm able to get around to making a cardboard doll house for Christmas...

 Even on birthdays, you still have to take a nap. It's so nice to have our own space in the guest house just up the small hill from my parents' house!

 Hadassah did this puzzle with Grandma at least three different times that day. She so enjoys the ABC's and knows them all without me even really trying to teach her.

 We saved our present to Hadassah until supper time, to make things not all at once. She was quite ready to climb into the chair to open it. And in fact, today, after a leftover cupcake for dessert, she went right over to the chair and climbed in and said "presents?" We had to explain that some things only happen on the actual birthday!

 Daddy makes everything more fun, so he had to be in on her first tea party with an actual set!

And she faithfully took care of her special travel puppy, making sure he got what he needed. :)

All-in-all, it was a great day of celebration, and I am pretty glad our daughters didn't end up with the same exact birthday, as people always teased would happen. But now I'm definitely to the point where I'm telling Ellie she can come any time...