Connor Update: 2 Months Old

As you can see, I have been terrible updating the blog.  Being a mom is a full-time job, consuming much more of my time than I had expected.  It has been wonderful, don't get me wrong.  During the day, I tend to have time to do the necessities of life- nursing, burping, changing diapers, calming a fussy baby, laundry, attempting to put a wide-awake boy down for a nap, or taking a nap myself when Connor finally does take one of his rare long naps- and not much more.  At this moment, Connor is sound asleep in the front pack, which is his favorite place to take real naps.  (I'm very thankful for my Ergo front pack!!)  So I decided to write a quick post since many people have asked about a Connor update.

It is hard to believe that he is already two months old. Time sure flies. He is growing! As of his last week, he weighs 7 lbs, 9 oz and is 20 1/2 inches long. Though it still seems small since that is roughly the average size of newborns, Connor has gained over three pounds and grown almost three inches. He is still eating often around the clock, with a rare 4-5 hour stretch during the night. He smiles frequently, has started cooing, and is just extremely cute!

Well, he just woke up. Signing off for now...

Connor Ray Toews has arrived!!

I know that this is LONG overdue, but things have taken me far longer to do as a new mom. Better late than never. Right?!

On November 24, 2012 at 2:10am, we were blessed by the arrival of our son, Connor Ray Toews.  He was 4 lbs, 15 oz, 18 in long.  Small but healthy!  He is now almost a month old and is eating lots, sleeping well and is an absolute joy!

About an hour old- after his first bath

2 weeks old- doing what he does best

That's all for now as Christmas shopping must get finished, laundry should get moved to the dryer, dinner needs to be begun, and a little boy requires yet another meal.

Fall 2012 Newsletter

A Tree Planted by the Water

There are many unknowns in life.  As you can imagine, with a baby arriving soon I have been thinking about the future more than I normally do- what kind of mom will I be, how will my daily routine change, what will my ministry look like now that I have a child, how will I know how to be a good wife and mom simultaneously...the questions go on and on.

Unfortunately, I all too often rely on my own strength, and I try to figure things out myself in times of uncertainty.  This is one of my strongest weaknesses and why the Lord loving and constantly brings Proverbs 3:5-6 to the forefront of my mind.  He says to trust in Him with all my heart and not to lean on my own understanding. In all my ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make my paths straight.

When I trust the Lord with my life, He is faithful to direct my paths.  It is a time of peace and assurance that my loving God, who knows what's best for me is in control.  So why do I not trust Him all the time but rely on myself?  Relying on myself and what I think I know only has led to stress, worry, anxiety, and failure.  It is a matter of letting go of self and completely surrendering to Him.  With every minute, I need to be surrendering myself and my future to the Lord, trusting Him to direct my every step and know that He will sustain me wherever He leads me.  Where He plants me, He will faithfully provide everything I need to grow.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord.  For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit."  

-Jeremiah 17:7-8    

(These verses were one of the Lord's loving reminders to me yesterday as Jeremy and I were reading our devotions together.  I love how the Lord speaks to us through His Word, giving us exactly what we need at just the right time.)

11 More Weeks!

29 weeks down, 11 weeks to go!  We can't wait to meet our little boy!!  It is so hard to believe how quickly the time has passed.  As reality has been setting in about the fact that we are having a baby in less than three months, we have begun the process of transforming our office/spare room into the baby's room.  Jeremy and his brother Nathan moved out the furniture a couple of weeks ago, and now we are slowly setting up the room for our son, piece-by-piece.  Last weekend, Jeremy assembled the dresser/changing table.

Today, I washed and sun bleached all the cloth diapers that family and friends generously passed on to us.  (I needed to take advantage of the hot sun while we still have it.)  Hand-me-downs is one perk to starting a family a little later than family and friends!

We have been blessed by so many people passing on things they are no longer using- pre-fold cloth diapers, a mini crib, an infant car seat, and 0-3 month clothing.  Thank you!  If he were born today (which we hope he isn't because he needs more time to grow), he would have all his basic needs met- food, diapers, a place to sleep, and clothes to wear.

Well, I won't continue to bore you with details of our preparations, but I'll take a moment to warn you- this won't be last baby post.  It is the beginning of many, many more to come.

Dust Storm Rolling Over Phoenix

As many of you know, Jeremy and I flew back to Oshkosh, WI to represent Spokane Turbine Center at the EAA Air Venture Fly-In at the end of July.  We had a layover in Phoenix, AZ before continuing on to Milwaukee.  As we were waiting to board our plane, we noticed the weather changing and the sky becoming more cloudy.  Well, we barely got out before the Phoenix airport was closed down due to a dust storm rolling over the city.  What a spectacular view from the air!  We had never seen anything like this before.

If you want to see some pictures of what this looked like from the ground, check out this link: http://www.weather.com/news/arizona-dust-storm-20120721

Summer 2012 Newsletter