Happy Valentine's Day!

One of my favorites from our recent trip to California...

lots of lovin' from Sebastian!

Hope you're feeling the LOVE today and everyday!

P.S. My hubby rocks. I woke up this morning to yummy pancakes that he and Sebastian made for me... in the shape of a heart! How sweet are my boys?!?

What will this year bring?

Just added another year to my belt... and I said the following to my husband:
When I was 30, I got engaged.
When I was 31, I got married.
When I was 32, I got pregnant.
When I was 33, I had a baby.
What will this year bring?
Hmmm... something fabulous, wonderful, exciting, I'm sure! I'm so thankful and blessed beyond belief. And spoiled by my super husband. I had a fantastic birthday weekend. All because of him. Thanks, Timmy. I love you and can't wait to see what this next year of my life will mean...for us. Thanks for sharing the journey with me. Mua!

2 months and 2 years...

Today is our 2 year anniversary! It's so hard to believe how time flies and how much has happened in our lives over the past two years. With each new day, I love Tim more and feel so blessed to have him in my life. If it weren't amazing enough just being married to the guy, now I also get the opportunity to parent a child together with him! I'd say I'm the luckiest gal in town, or maybe in the whole - wide - world!

Sebastian just had his 2 month well child check yesterday. Again, it's incredible to comprehend how fast time is flying by, how old (relatively speaking) he's getting, and how much he's growing. We had taken bets on his weight and height from our family and friends over the past week or so, and we were surprised to find out that no one was close on his weight. I think everyone we asked guessed over 13 pounds for his weight. I guess those cloth diapers add some extra weight, huh? So here's his shot on the scale:

He weighed in at 12 lbs, 7.5 oz... rounded up to 12 lbs, 8 oz, which is the 65th percentile. Our guessers seemed to do much better at his height, which was 24.5 inches (92nd percentile). So, he's turning out to be tall and lean, just like his Daddy.

Sebastian has taken to sucking his fingers these days. He sucks on them so hard and pushes them in so deep, that he often gags himself. I'm working on behavior modification... but he just hasn't quite gotten it yet. ;) Those fingers must taste good, and I haven't put anything tasty on them!

He had some shots yesterday as well, and he did just fine. Of course he did. Much better than his Mama. I'm guessing this is how many things in his life may turn out...

Tim & I are going out tonight for the first time since Sebastian was born. When I say "out," I mean out alone, no baby, just the two of us! Seems like an impossible task, but we're actually going to have our first date night since Seb joined our family. And what a better choice of nights than our anniversary?!?! Again, I'm sure this will be one of those things that will be much more difficult for Mama than for the babe. Eek! But, he'll be in good hands; our dear friends Rachel and Peter have agreed to keep him for a couple of hours. So thanks in advance. :) I'm sure he'll be well behaved for you!

So much goodness to celebrate! Which is a great thing right now, because there are other things going on around us that could potentially get me down - like thinking about going back to work (in 19 days...sigh), craziness at work that's been brewing while I've been out on maternity leave, witnessing domestic violence disputes in the street outside our church and having to call 9-1-1 (with a small child physically caught in the middle - literally), a messed up health care system and bad economy, PBS wanting to get rid of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, and much, much more.

But really it's so much better to focus on the good things in life - because there are so many really good things! ...like a wonderful marriage with a wonderful husband, a beautiful, healthy baby, a house with a roof, clean, bountiful running water, projects that are making progress around the house, jobs with benefits, awesome family, grilled beets, corn on the cob, ice cream (had to throw some of my summertime favorites in there), a new chest freezer, restful nights, state representatives that go to bat for us (yeah, Mike Sturla), great friends, the best group of partners a doc could ask for, and the new phones that Tim got for his birthday that can double as an intercom system so I can be three floors away from my little guy while he naps and hear him when he wakes up! (I know they make these things called monitors, but why bother when you have technology working for you already in your home.) Anyways, there is so much to be thankful for... and so many good things!

And just to refresh your memory... a blast from (not-so-distant) past:

Happy Anniversary, Timmy! I love you more with every day! And happy growing, Sebastian! You bring us great JOY!

Surprise! We pulled it off ;)

Last Sunday, we had a surprise 40th birthday party for Tim. It was labeled as a "Father's Day get-together," and he had no idea what was waiting for him when we arrived at his parent's house. The party was also 11 days after his birthday, and we had already celebrated the big day, so Tim was totally unsuspecting. When we pulled into the driveway, Tim saw all the people and the decorations, and he just kept saying "oh my, oh my, oh my word..." and then he asked "did you know about this!?" Ha!!!
It turned out to be a great party - lots of wonderful family and friends, good food (and I'm so, so, so thankful for all the good eatins that everyone brought to share), fabulous music by the Old Time Liberation Front, games and trampoline-jumping for the kids, sunshine, and the beloved birthday boy! Tim had a terrific time and was blessed by all that were there... not to mention surprised! Hooray!
I could never have pulled it off without the help of so many, especially Tim's parents and his sister, Jill (decorator extraordinaire), my parents, and Marvin (thanks again for the Costco run!), Doug & Lydia, and many others, I'm sure. Thank you, merci, gracias, danke, tusen takk!
Check out the slide show of all the fun!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

When we first got married, Tim casually mentioned that it would be nice to reach the milestone of having our first child before he turned 40. We all know that God's timing is perfect, and He was totally in control of planning the conception, pregnancy, and birth date of our beautiful baby boy. But I believe he's a pretty groovy God, having allowed us to birth our first son just 17 days before Tim's 40th birthday - right on time!

So this year, Tim got the best birthday gift ever - a little early - but right on time! Sebastian has filled our lives with tremendous joy. As I watch Tim father him, love him, swaddle him, talk to him, read to him, care for him, change his messy diapers, calm him, hold him, kiss him... I grow more in love with the man I married each second of each new day. Tim has had a heart for caring for the fatherless for many years - a gift that God placed upon his heart and equipped him for...just one of the many reasons I fell in love with him from the start. And now, he also has the opportunity to care for his own son, which is a holy and beautiful thing to witness.

Today we celebrate Daddy Tim's big day and we celebrate Tim! We love you and give thanks for you! Now come home soon, so we can get some partying done! :)

P.S. We got started with the partying a little early last night at Tim's parent's house, where we enjoyed great family time, a delicious meal (many thanks to Sylvia, Jill & Harold), and lots of fun - even with sparklers!

Our little guy is growing!

It's hard to believe we haven't posted anything since we left the hospital. Everyday I write a blog entry in my head, but it never seems to actually make it to the computer...
Sebastian is 10 days old now! I'm constantly amazed at how wonderful it is to be a mother, yet how time consuming it is to keep this little guy fed, diapered and content. At least for now, not much else gets done (by me, that is!). I'm recovering well, taking it one day at a time, and off pain meds now. Hooray!
Tim went back to work on Monday, which was a bit traumatic for me - getting easier each day, but we've been hugely blessed with daily help from Grandma J and Grandma M. I am so incredibly thankful for their presence and their willingness to help out in so many ways!
We're all learning together - each day brings new joys and challenges. Just when I think I've figured something out about Sebastian, he changes his routine up on me, and the guessing game starts all over!
Anyways, I wanted to share the sequence of his weight checks... he really is growing well, and that brings much comfort to a new mama's soul!

Here is a shot of his birth weight (7 lbs 15oz):

When we left the hospital, he was 7 lbs 5oz... and then we had a weight check when he was 5 days old - he weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz:

And here is a shot of his weight yesterday at his first official well child check with Dr. Donna (we were up to 8 lbs 3 oz!):

As you can tell, he totally digs being on the scale!

Here's one last shot I can't resist including - I think it's a beautiful picture of Sebastian and his daddy the day after he was born (thanks to my sister-in-law for snapping this one!). I just can't get over how much I love these two guys!

The photographer on the beach...and some lovin'!

My friend, Julia, and I went to beach to watch the sunset on Monday night. It was lovely, and we got some great shots...including some that we took of ourselves together - you know the deal... hold the camera out, try to sort of center yourselves and snap the picture, right?! Well, we were pleasantly surprised when a woman passed by and offered to take some pictures for us. We said, "sure, that'd be great." She asked if our camera was a "single lens reflex camera," and we confirmed for her that it was. Of course, this made us believe that she knew her stuff about photography, because she knew the lingo, and that's half the battle! So, we got all cute and posed on the beach in front of the sunset, and our photographer told us how great of a picture she was getting. Julia had one arm around me and her other hand was on my belly making small talk with the baby. Our photographer friend continued to tell us how good the photos were: "I think I got some really nice ones!" She handed the camera back to Julia and went on her merry way. We were anxious to check out the "really nice photos." I thought I hadn't heard the shutter open and close, because of the crashing (albeit small) waves behind us. But much to our dismay, the last pictures on the camera were ones that Julia had taken. And that was it. Nothing else! Apparently the photographer lady was under the impression that she was taking fab photos, when all she was doing was looking at the two of us through the view finder! But, boy, we must have looked pretty darn good ;). We couldn't stop laughing at our new photos and the expertise of our photographer!

Even though we never got to see the photos that our photographer took, we did get some fun ones on our own... and a good story to tell as well!

To add a little sap for today's post, I have to share my beach-written message for my love, Timmy Dean, who is at home working very hard to get more and more projects done, while I'm learning all about infectious disease, hanging with my friend, Julia, and soaking up some sun! This is what I sent to Tim, for him to find in his inbox when he opened his e-mail on Tuesday morning! :) I love lovin' Tim (and baby loves him, too)!

Happy Birthday Tim!

Today I celebrate Timothy Dean Martin - my husband! What a wonderful man God has blessed me with! Tim showers me with love, caring and service.

• He's a man of God, who has a servant's heart.
• He is faithful and incredibly dedicated to the people he loves and the things he holds dear.
• He puts others first, even when he's fatigued or suffering.
• He listens - really listens.
• He loves children, and they love him.
• He is patient and kind.
• He knocks down walls and puts new ones up again.
• He doesn't take any medicine (that's good and bad for a doctor's husband :))
• He prays the most sincere and earnest prayers; he prays for the people of the world and the people we encounter in our daily walks.
• He asks for cleaning supplies for his birthday - warms my heart.
• He walks to church and car pools to work.
• He has taught me the beauty of composting.
• He refinishes hardwood floors and he redesigns closets.
• He has a heart for missions and cultures of the world.
• He supports my jewelry business and always lends a helping hand.
• He loves ginger brew!
• He sometimes starts laughing uncontrollably when he's lying in bed and overly exhausted - the smallest thing (that may not seem so funny under less tired circumstances) sets him off.
• He reads reviews about most things before purchasing them.
• He uses spreadsheets.
• He introduced me to g-mail!
• He's expanded my family and my circle of friends.
• He is my life long partner and my best friend. I love sharing life with him. I love you, Timothy!

Happy birthday, my love.