Magnolia Mae SHOE

LABOR... Oh the word.. does it really sum up what you go through.. the pain.. emotions.. all that work!.. but the end result.. SO WORTH IT... These pictures are not really in order.. This first picture is RIGHT when Maggie came out.. 5:18 am.. But before I go there.. Let me tell you about my night...

May 30th.. I went to bed wondering HOW MANY more days I will go past my due date.. for now I am over a week late.. I started that Monday with a LONG walk in such heat and humidity.. I actually didn't know if i could make it anymore.. We spent the day at home for the most part.. Playing outside with Ella and doing the whole waiting game.. no signs of labor... like the past few weeks.. So the day goes on... Come night I decide to not stay up too late JUST INCASE this babe decides to come I want to make sure I have PLENTY of rest...

1 am... first contraction.. LASTED A LONG time.. ( or at least it seemed..) fell back asleep..

3 am.. up to go to the bathroom... Contraction again.. and then again.. by after a few I had ross start timing it just incase... 7 minutes apart.. over a minute long.. As we laid in bed I told Ross.. if it continues like this I am going to be in labor for a LONG time..

Went to the bathroom again around 3:30.. Contractions pick up.. NOW 2 minutes apart.. we waited 30 more minutes before calling Linda ( my midwife).. She was just finishing up at another birth when we gave her a call.. She asked if we were ready for her.. I told Ross I do believe this is it and its getting pretty intense so YES.. I AM READY..

She arrived around 4:30am...

This was So much more intense than my first pregnancy.. I was having SUCH a hard time relaxing.. When I stood Magnolia's heart rate would drop SO they wanted me to lie down.. WHICH WAS THE WORST position!.. BUT thats what Maggie liked best... sometime while Linda was here I mentioned I had to go to the bathroom.. and she told me.. I do believe you are ready to have this baby.. and I would say no I really need to use the bathroom.. So she checked to see how far along I was.. at this point I am about 6 cm... So I was allowed to use the toilet.. while I sat on the toilet my water broke AND my mucus plug came out.. and THEN I was ready to push.. everyone kept telling me to get out of the bathroom but I did not want to.. i was ready to have that baby right there in the bathroom.. BUT they got me back to bed.. Linda checked me again.. since not even 10 minutes ago I was only 6 cm... but at this point I am pretty much fully dilated.. This was around 5 am.. Linda told me to try not to push.. (THAT IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO DO...!) My body wanted to push and for me to blow out those pushes was so hard.. FINALLY at 5:12 she told me okay give in and push when you are ready.. SO I pushed and at 5:18 am Magnolia Mae was born.. 8 lbs. 12 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long..!

More pictures to come soon!...

Ella's morning bible study.. =)

Words Ella can say..

Can you put your toe in your mouth?

We practice everyday SO when she is 80 she will still be able to put her toe in her mouth.. =) we all got to have life goals.

Needing LOVE and yet lack of it..

Once again my heart is full and my lack of education makes me wonder if I should even try to type up what is on my heart.. We are born needing love and as we grow it only continues.. we search to be loved from parents, friends.. from everyone and yet we have no idea how to love someone properly. Our sinful hearts makes us love ourselves more than anything that if it will hurt us or make us some what uncomfortable we tend to not give love to another and the cycle goes on..

BUT we have hope.. for not only do we have someone who loves us unconditionally but also is the perfect example on HOW to love others.. Through out the Bible we see verses like.. "Love your neighbor as yourself." I have been struggling with loving myself too much and loving others a bit less!.. As a Mom and a wife I am constantly pouring myself into my family.. AND there are days where I just want to scream.. "WHAT ABOUT ME??!.. doesn't anyone care about what I NEED..?" As a new baby will be coming in a matter of weeks God has been once again showing me my selfish heart helping me be more like him.. IF I try to take care and LOVE my family with my own strength then you will see me reacting.." what about me..??" BUT if I love my family like Christ then that would not be the case.. Philippians chapter 2! an amazing chapter getting my heart focused off of me and onto what really matters.. WHAT life is truly about.. If you have been going through something with people and think I can't do this anymore.. TRULY look at the situation.. Do you say that because it makes your life too uncomfortable? Not feeling loved? don't allow circumstances to make you compromise the WORD of God.. allow circumstances to make you more like Christ and focus on the Kingdom of God!..

Miracle Baby that NEEDS your prayers

Baby pierce born at 23 weeks.. and is fighting.. For those parents out there I KNOW you must feel like grabbing your little ones and holding them close..

PRAYERS please

to view this family's blog and to see pictures of baby pierce click the title of this post

Noah and the ARK...

I am not good with words or grammar or anything that has to do with writing ..! but my heart is full tonight and if you can get by all my grammar mistakes you might find something to take with you!..

I have been studying in Genesis and the past couple months been focusing on Noah.

It has been an amazing study, but the timing of this study in my life is no accident. As most people, Christian or not you have heard about Noah and His Ark..

My thoughts of Noah growing up:

He was very old..

built and ark

lots of animals.. and not much else... but as I dig into the Word of God, I am seeing a whole different side of this event in history..

EVERYONE has days that are just hard.. circumstances .. life... things happen and it affects us..

In my life I have a 17 month old who does not require sleep.. I am 34 weeks pregnant and completely exhausted and to add hormones makes each day something I really need to think about..

As I was doing my study today I started with praying.. AND pouring out to God on how tired I am of the every day and not sure how many of these days I can take.. And then something came to my mind.. Noah and his life..

Noah lived in a world that was full of wickedness and violence..

God's Word says "The earth was filled with violence..."every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.."

AND to top that off Noah chose to live a life that found favor with God.. He was not one to follow the crowd which means his life most likely was not easy..

BUT God found favor with Noah and told Noah he was going to save him and his family but he had to built and ark.

Noah then had some time to build the Ark.. from looking at around Shem was born to the time the flood began people say it could have taken him about 100 years to built the ark..

SO for 100 years Noah is building something that condemns everyone who seems him.. We live in a world where stepping on toes is not very good.. Wanting to make everyone happy and at peace..

BUT Noah choosing to obey God would have brought hardship..

Hebrews 11:7

"By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."

Now lets head to the Ark.. Noah and his family went on a BIG BIG SHIP.. with one window 18 inches.. with lots of animals..

the smell from animals..

poop..

How did they see? What kind of light did they have on their ship..

The noise from the storm...

motion sickness from the water and waves

FOR ONE YEAR Noah and his family lived on an ark.. The trials and hardship that would have come with that..

Time to get off ark..

to a whole new world.. everything they ever known is gone.. the climate.. the landscape.. having to start fresh.. Never able to go 'home'....

Life for Noah was not easy.. BUT by Faith Noah trusted God and did all that God has called him to do.. He is in the list of people in Hebrews KNOWN for their faith..

Hebrews 12

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."

I have Noah's life and other lives in the Word of God and all around me to SHOW ME I am surrounded by people who did not allow circumstances or life to get in the way BUT ran the race set before them..

I love running but it does take endurance..

AND whats the definition of endurance?

noun

1. the fact or power of enduring or bearing pain, hardships, etc.

2. the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina: He has amazing physical endurance.

3.lasting quality; duration: His friendships have little endurance.

4.something endured, as a hardship; trial.

That is How we should live the Christian life.. Being a follower of Jesus is not a walk in the park.. it is work.. its hard.. BUT the hope we have.. What is your eyes set on?

I know my eyes gets set on things of this world.. MISSING what LIFE is truly about..

SO for those true followers of Jesus.. let us lay aside anything that will hold us back and lets RUN with endurance..

33 weeks Pregnant

My sister Becca took some pictures of me and Ella when we went to visit her.. I was 33 weeks pregnant here.. Ella is 17 months

Eleanor trying to let me know what she wants to do

I am the baby translator.. " Ma, do you see that cool play thing out there.. I want to go play on it.. please, please, lets go! Come on! Let me off this deck!.."

Ma says, " No, Ella that belongs to the neighbor but lets see what Auntie Becca has to play with.."

Ella's response!

TRIP TO BOSTON

This peaceful picture only lasted a moment.. On plane for 2 hours.. for an hour and a 1/2 it was a constant battle.. She fought and fought and fought.. and screamed and was not very good.. BUT for 30 minutes she played nice and was a sweet thing.. DON'T LET THESE PICTURES FOOL YOU.. This child KNOWS how to put up a fight..

Coffee UNDERGROUND with Uncle Toma

Need to scratch your Bum?

Ella dancing with her cousin Emma

When you are on the HUNT!

I have been on the hunt for some new dishes for a while.. A few years back Ross and I saw some dishes we both really liked and the price was amazing, but at that time in our lives we did not have the money to be buying dishes SO we saved for them and when we finally got the money we went back only to see they were no longer there.. SO the hunt began again..

My Sister in law, Brandi came to town for a few days so we wanted to take her to our favorite antique store.. AND Ross and I both found dishes we liked and once again the price was VERY affordable! BUT THIS TIME we actually had the money.. So my sweet husband let me pick them up.. Once I brought them home I realized I had no room in my cabinet for them and the yellow and the flower were just so pretty I wanted them out..

Brandi is VERY gifted when it comes to decorating.. ( you should see her house)

So she saw my Hoosier Cabinet and said.. " put dishes in here and keep it open!.."

AND SO I was inspired!

Thank Brandi for the idea!...

Check out Quick Update from Tokyo

Hi,

I want you to take a look at: Quick Update from Tokyo 

Ellie's First bike

March has begun..

Stumptown Whitefish, MT. 02.09.2011

28 Weeks.. Magnolia Mae

Another girl!.. As much as I wanted to wait to find out.. Ross talked me into finding out what we are having and NOW I am so thrilled i did..! A sister for Eleanor... how much fun!.. I have reach my last trimester and its crazy that I am in the last stretch before meeting my other daughter..!

Lake Lure Eleanor with a LEMON

Lake Lure, N.C...

My Ma and two sisters, Breanna and Kelly came down to visit for a few days.. AND whenever we have people come to visit us I love using the excuse of them visiting to head to Lake Lure, for the Brownie Sundae.. ITS SO AMAZING..! The weather was amazing.. so off we went!.. here is Eleanor and her "Cheese"...

Kelly, Bre and I ...

Ross and Ryan..

Zoo

Greenville, in february.. 75+ degrees... We headed to the park on Friday to get a walk in and since we are zoo members to take a walk thru the zoo.. Ella's favorite thing to do at the zoo is climb on the fence.. she doesn't seem to care for the animals just yet.. BUT its always a nice thing to do in Greenville...

Dinner at the Shoes

I normally would not put a video on with the family and kitchen SUCH a mess, but my little E is just a cute little button.. a normal night of dinner in the Shoe home..

Eleanor is not one to eat but LOVES TO PLAY

Just a few minutes

I am about to go work out.. get dressed and head to the airport! I can't believe my Montana trip is over... 2 months in a winter wonderland is more than I could have asked for.. And I did not just have snow but I have got to spend time with family.. I am go on and on and on of all the things I am thankful for.. Of all the things that brings such joy and happiness to my life.. The sky is gray.. snow flakes are lightly falling.. A PERFECT day to say goodbye.. I am going home to sunshine and humidity SO I will take clouds any day!... Well.. Turbo Fire is calling my name.. ( don't worry Brandi I am doing the 20 HIIT one.. ) Until Next time..

MONTANA

Church

Tom and I at the top at "church"

Last day in winter wonderland

Last day in my winter wonderland.. I woke up to see cotton like snow falling from the sky.. Made for a perfect last ski day.. We took off and headed into the trees..! I could not believe that I have been able to ski as long as I did.. While Ross and I waited for everyone else.. Ross made this look like an animal.. Can you guess what animal he made?

playing in the snow..

I have kind of lost count on what day I am in.. BUT I wanted to show you some more pictures of my Montana trip..

Day 49 SNOWSHOEING

I don't have any picture to download tonight.. BUT I can share about my day.. Everyone took off to do some skiing and I took Tracy out for her first winter activity!.. We went snowshoeing.. The view was lovely.. the weather could not have been more perfect and of course the friendship was delightful!.. We went for a little stroll down the mountain and then back up.. SO of course we probably went a bit further than we should have since the way back was more of a trek than when we first left the house.. BUT over all the day was very nice.. Great weather and great friendship.. with a little bit of snowshoeing in between!...