To Whom Much Time is Given...

...Much is Required!  So I've found many new ways to stay accomplished in my new life as a stay at home mom.
I garden:

I craft:

I shop for nutritious ingredients at the farms:

I cook nutritious meals:

 I take care of my sweet girl:

And I do a bunch of other less picture worthy stuff too! (Like couponing, exercising, cleaning, bill paying, blogging, bible reading, etc.)  Life is good!

Happy Easter Lena!

Lena's first Easter was so much fun with all of her cousins.  Her newest cousin was  born on Good Friday.  Meet cousin Owen Benjamin!  He is grandchild # 9!

Lena wasn't quite old enough to participate in the egg hunt this year but she did like touching them. 

Five Months Old!

Lena continues to develop her social and physical skills this month and has become much more interactive.

 At twelve pounds she now loves to sit facing forward in her big girl stroller!  She has really enjoyed watching everything and being an active observer and participant.

She also got to try rice cereal for the first time this month.  We are still working on the whole eating from the spoon thing,

Lena is drooling lots and lots and occasionally gets cranky from some teething activity.  We pretty much wear a bib all day.  =)

She loves putting blankies up to her face and gets into a zen zone when she takes her bottle.  She drinks about 4 oz at a time about every 3 hours during the day. 

This month she also had her very first family vacation to Palm Desert, CA where she had her very first swim in her red and white heart bathing suit. She enjoyed the water and we are excited that she is a flexible baby and seems to travel well. 

She loves her daddy time and he really knows how to get her talking and giggling.  (Don't you just love those father-daughter baby blues!)

 This last week we finally packed up all of the newborn clothing and unpacked the 3-6 month clothing.  She is wearing mostly 0-3 right now and moving into 3-6 soon!  She is in size one diapers and wears size 1 shoes.  We have so many fun wardrobe options now and Little Miss Lena knows how to rock the fashions. 

 We love you Lena Joyce!  You are the best part of my day!

First time....swimming!

Yesterday Lena had her very first swim in a pool with mom and pop.  She was somewhat indifferent about it.  She seemed to like it well enough and definitely didn't fuss at all.  She looked super cute in her little red bathing suit!

Happy Transfer Day Lena!!!

The Miracle of Embryo Adoption:  

Our Journey to Lena Joyce

(All the pictures in this post are of Lena.) 

  ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 
-Psalm 139:13-14

"Because after all; 
A person's a person 
no matter how small." 
-Dr. Seuss 

2006 –   Lena is created in a lab through the IVF process using her genetic Dad’s sperm and an egg from an egg donor and is placed in frozen storage 18 hours after fertilization.

July 2009 -  Dan and Elizabeth begin the adoption process.

November 2010 – Lena’s donor family decide that their family is complete and donate Lena and 11 other embryos from her set back to the IVF clinic for adoption.

December 2010 -  Our doctor at the IVF clinic matches us with Lena’s set of embryos.  

February 2011 - Our legal “adoption” of Lena is complete.

March 5, 2011 – Lena is thawed after being frozen for nearly five years.

March 9, 2011 – After growing for five days in a petri dish, Lena is transferred to Elizabeth’s body.

March 19, 2011 – We find out that the transfer was successful and Elizabeth is pregnant with Lena.

April 1, 2011 – We see Lena’s heartbeat on the ultrasound for the first time at six weeks.

June 21, 2011 -  At 18 weeks we find out that Lena is a healthy little girl!

November 3, 2011 -  Lena arrives three weeks early and is born by c-section at 8:57pm at 4lbs 3oz

Thanksgiving 2011 – Lena continues to be a beautiful and healthy blessing to her mom and dad.

December 2011 - Lena is one month old.

January 2012 - Lena is two months old.

February 2012 - Lena is three months old.

March 2012 - Lena is four months old.

We can't wait to see how our Lena will grow and change.  She is such an amazing little person and we are enjoying watching her grow up. 

Four Months Old!

Lena has changed the most between months three and four.  Her big milestone is that she has learned to roll over.  She talks so much!  She especially enjoys "talking" to Grandma when we visit every Sunday.  She now reaches for her toys and puts a death grip on them.  She loves to lick everything but especially her fists.  She rejected her pacifier over a month ago.  If we try to give it to her she just stubbornly pushes it back out with her tongue.  She also survived her first illness this past month when she got congested.  We are starting to get glimpses of her personality:  She is pretty laid back and will be content to just sit on our lap, stare off at something, or play in her floor mat gym.  She has some toughness in her which I witness when we change her diaper.  Instead of crying at the shock of the cold wipes on her bum she tenses up and clinches her fists at each wipe until her diaper is changed.  She is also very joyful.  The nurse asked yesterday if she was always so happy and generally she really is.  She loves seeing new things and is not happy anymore when I cover her car seat in the stroller when we are out for a walk or running errands.  When she unexpectedly hears or sees something new her eyes get really big.  She loves little blankies and likes to put them up on her face, especially when she takes her bottle.  Her favorite toy right now is still her gym floor mat.  She will work herself into a loud chorus of shrieks and yells as she plays.  It is pretty funny.  She loves to blow bubbles with her spit and does this funny gurgling sound almost likes she is rolling her tongue.  At the doctor yesterday she weighed in at 10 pounds 8 ounces and is now 23 inches long.  Her head is in the 10th percentile, her height in the 3rd percentile, and her weight in the 5th percentile.  Her head is now large enough to really start wearing all those bows I've been stockpiling for her and now that she is finally moving into 0-3 month clothing she has also been wearing more big girl clothes instead of just jumpers all day.  We have modeling sessions at least once a week.  It is so much fun and Lena just lets me put on and and take off outfits for at least 30 minutes straight without fussing.  She continues to be such a good baby.  We love our time with her and love watching her as she changes.

Favorite Things: Little Lily Hair Bows

Lena wearing one of her Little Lily Hair Bow headbands.

If you are looking for some cute bows and headbands for yourself or your little girl head over or Little Lily Hair Bows (on Facebook) and check out the selection.  Lisa, the owner, is a friend from college and does great custom work!  My favorites are her felt and ribbon flower headbands.  I just ordered this new St. Pattie's flower headband.  I love that it is St. Patrick's but it is not overly themed and can be worn all year.

I also ordered this new natural flower headband to go with Lena's Easter dress which is natural light brown and white. 

There are many cute bows in the stores these days but I love ordering from small business owners.  They customize their products to your needs (Lisa can change the colors and size of the flowers and the headband to your specifications.) They are much better quality and I like supporting small business owners/stay-at-home-moms like Lisa.
If you don't have Facebook you can order by emailing Lisa at: lilygyouandme@gmail.com

Lisa - Owner of Little Lily Hair Bows