Our time home - Part 1

This year we were able to spend 11 days in Washington and the entire trip was wonderful! We arrived in Seattle on December 24, greeted by lots of snow, which really made it feel like Christmas. Eric's parents had received 40+ inches over a few days in Spokane! We went straight to the Reinstra Christmas party and had lots of fun opening gifts, showing Lily off, and eating great food. After a long day of traveling, Lily did surprisingly well at the party. The best part was getting to see everyone and their kids together--we hadn't seen some of the family since our wedding!

On Christmas day we opened gifts and enjoyed a leisurely morning at the Olsons. For our entire Western Washington trip, Bob and Joann opened their beautiful home to us. They are both such great hosts, we felt very comfortable! We spent the afternoon at the Smith family party in Arlington and getting there was quite the adventure! The streets had not been cleared so the snow had packed down and frozen, leaving the road much like a children's carnival ride. It was bumpy and slick to drive on, people were getting stuck or nearly colliding into parked cars...but it was also a good time bouncing around in the Trooper!

After four busy days, it was time to head back across the mountains to spend New Years in Eastern Washington. We were sad to say goodbye to the Reinstra and Smith families and hope to be back again soon!

Our Christmas Letter

Happy Holidays, family and friends!

We hope you are all well and ready for this Christmas season. For us, each passing year is even better than the year before and 2008 is no exception! With job changes, buying our first house, and of course the arrival of our darling daughter, Evelyn Lily, there was hardly a dull moment!

Eric took on a new role with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad this year as a transportation manager. It has been a great learning opportunity for him and allowed him to expand his network. While he didn’t get to golf as much as he would have liked, he had a busy summer working on the inside and outside of our new home. It’s surprising how much effort goes in to maintaining a house (even if it is new construction) but we both agree that the work is more rewarding as a home-owner than as renters! This fall he spent time bow hunting, and while he didn’t get his buck he still loved being outdoors.

At the end of March I made the decision to leave Cerner Corporation and spend six months enjoying my husband and my pregnancy. Although it was a difficult decision, all the free time Eric and I were able to spend together over the summer really allowed us to bond even more as we made preparations for parenthood! I know there is no greater “job” I will ever have than raising Lily and I am so thankful for each day that I get to nurture and love her. She has changed my life entirely and now I understand my own purpose even more!

Regardless of late nights, diaper disasters, and all the craziness to come, Lily truly is the most precious gift from God! As first time parents, we were filled with worry over the unknown—How would we know what to do when she cried? How much time should a newborn spend sleeping? What if she doesn’t like us?—But she has brought more joy and love into our lives that we could have imagined! She fit so perfectly into our lives it is hard to believe we were ever able to live without her! Like most people tried to reassure us before her birth—God really does give parents the patience, common sense, and intuition to know how to care for a baby! His plan is so beautiful—we are in awe that He would choose us to participate in her life and the purpose He has for her!

We look forward to our trip home this month and hope to spend at least a little time with each of you. May your year be richly blessed and memorable in 2009! Merry Christmas!

All our love,

Eric, Sarita, and Lily

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all our friends and family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Nativity Story According To The Gospel Of Luke

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,14 "Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Adventures in Babysitting...

After Lily's first babysitting experience, we were unsure whether or not we could leave her with someone anytime in the near future. She is generally a light sleeper (like her mama), we do not normally bottle feed her, and I always carry her around the house with me. I love spoiling her with attention and affection, but I know that not all babysitters or friends will be able to do the same when she is in their care.

I am tempted to not leave her until she is a few months older and can communicate better...but at the same time, I know Eric and I need a date night once in a while. Without family around to care for Lily, planning a date with Eric is actually pretty stressful--which negates the whole point of the evening!

Two weeks ago our friend Tara organized a progressive dinner party for the girls so Eric watched Lily for six hours straight all by himself! In preparation we worked on giving Lily a bottle once a day so she would be comfortable with it by Friday. He only called once to find out when I was coming home--It sounds like the night was pretty difficult, but the important thing is that we all learned from it. The time away was relaxing and allowed me to "recharge my batteries" and Eric gained more confidence in his parenting skills. I realized that too often, I jump in and try to "help" by telling him my way of doing things and he doesn't get to try things his way. I know my way isn't always the best way and its certainly not the only way for things to get done, so I am working on letting him figure out how he likes to dress her, change her diapers, and put her to sleep without giving unsolicited instructions.

Her next babysitting experience, last weekend, was with our friends the Webbs. They also have a little princess, Alexa, so they have experience with baby girls. I was a little nervous because a few hours before dropping her off, I left Lily with Eric so I could get a manicure and pedicure. When I called home to check on her, it sounded like she was upset. I didn't want that to be foreshadowing of what was to come, but the Webbs said she did really well and when we picked her up, she was sound asleep!

While it is nice to get away together, we actually really miss her when we're gone! We always love love love coming home to her! Its so amazing to me how much a baby changes things!

Snow Day!

Lily's first time in the snow! It was cold and windy!

Cell phone pictures

I just transferred over all the pictures from my cell phone to our computer and these were a few that made me laugh. I can't believe how much she's changed in only three months! I remember each of these moments so vividly. I'm glad I was able to capture them in pictures because I don't want to forget the emotions I was feeling at the time.

This was right after eating breakfast one day as she was about to take a nap. When Lily was first born she would fall into a coma-like sleep right after eating, regardless of what time of day it was. I'm guessing the smile on her face is the satisfaction of a full belly?

This was right before her bath. Lily loves being in the water and also loves naked time. That morning we took an extra long bath so she could play in the water. Oh yes, the bed also got peed on while I was changing her diaper. I'm a lot faster at changing diapers now!

This was early one morning as we started our day, right before eating breakfast. I remember sending this picture to my family with the caption, "My favorite morning breath!" because she always smelled so sweet! This was before she started babbling so the only communication was these little sighs she would make.

This is a picture of Lily when she was only ten days old, on our way to get her pictures taken. We have so many pictures of her with a hand under her chin, she must have a lot on her mind! She's always looked mature for her age!

Holiday

Our Thanksgiving holiday with the Sarasch family was really fun! Jessica put so much thought into planning the entire day--everything turned out fabulous! She organized games and prizes, crafts, a delicious meal, home-made decorations, and of course she was a wonderful hostess!

Lily did really well with all the new people she met. It was so great to see Jessica's parents with Lily! They are absolute naturals! I think they're ready for a grandbaby of their own!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family!

We are so thankful for the lessons we've learned this past year about ourselves, about each other, about God's grace, and life in general. We have been blessed in our marriage, blessed with a new home, and greatest of all, blessed with a new baby!

Thank you to our friends and families for such amazing support during this past year! The encouragement when we were nervous, the patience when I was emotional, the love you all showed Lily when she was born...It means so much to us!

Thank you to our moms for coming out and helping us that first month of parenthood! The cooking, cleaning, prayers, advice, all of Lily's care...We were spoiled by your service and love!

Thank you to my wonderful husband for working so hard to allow me the opportunity to stay home with Lily!

Of course around the holidays Eric and I end up asking ourselves why we aren't closer to home. We've been praying about a move for three years now. We love our lives in Kansas City...but it would be nice to raise Lily around the family. Maybe the fact that God hasn't "opened a door" allowing us to move back home is His answer to our prayers??

Hugs and Kisses to everyone!

3 months old today!

(Double click on image to enlarge it)

Today Miss Smith is three months old! Its hard to believe how quickly time has passed. She is now 24 inches long and weighs 13.4 pounds. For the past month she was interested in her hands, but just today she started showing more interest in her feet. Its amazing to watch her become more aware of her body each day!

Life at the Smith residence continues to be absolute bliss! Now that she's getting older she smiles a lot more and interacts with us both. She won't have a problem voicing her opinion when she grows up because she's already pretty good at it!

This week was the first time we left Lily with a friend and it unfortunately it didn't go so well. About two hours into our evening we got a call because she was crying, but wouldn't take her paci or a bottle. We weren't sure if it was gas, trouble taking the bottle, or just adjusting to the new place, but we ended our night out early and brought our baby home.

Of course, we were already missing her so it wasn't too bad!

Our busy weekend

This weekend was Lily's first sleepover. Parker came over to play and just showered Lily with hugs and kisses! He is very sweet and loving toward her. We know that as they get older these two are going to make a great pair!

Lily got out of the baby-cradle-carry stage pretty quickly and has preferred sitting up for a while now. Back in October we discovered that she also loves standing up and she supports her weight very well! It seems like she is growing up too quickly! I thought babies stayed...well, baby-ish for a lot longer!

This weekend we got to visit our friends the Webbs and spend time with Miss Alexa. She's a year older than Lily and is such a big girl! She has so much energy and so much to say, its amazing to see what a difference 12 months makes as children develop! We don't get to see Alexa very often, but each time we do, her little personality shines brighter and brighter!

After all this action, Lily was exhausted!

Bedtime! (7 weeks old)

This is a video of Lily as we got her dressed for bed. It sounds like she was trying to negotiate for us to extend her bedtime. She's very clever like that!

Playing at home

November

Lily got her first lesson in civic responsibility on Tuesday as she accompanied me to the polls. She was so quiet and polite while voting, they even gave her a "Future Voter" sticker. The next day was her two month check up and also the day she got her vaccinations. The shots were probably harder on me than they were on her, but she handled them very well and didn't cry for too long. She slept most of that afternoon, but thankfully didn't suffer from any side effects.

Our first week home after vacation has been a peaceful one. We had to work on Lily's schedule because she was operating on PST for a few days after we returned! Now, she's back on track and we are falling into our routine again. She is currently fascinated with her hands and is always wringing them...as if she was plotting or scheming. It is so cute! And she continues to be as chatty as ever--I'm not an expert, but I believe she is already learning about conversation patterns. She babbles, then pauses as if waiting for a response from us, before continuing on. This little cycle gets repeated throughout our day and it is so fascinating! Not only does she change her tone and volume, but she repeats some of her "words".

Old friends

The first picture is with our old friend (and groomsman), Jared. The second picture is with our new friend Bayley and her dad, Brandon.

Trick or Treat!

Lily (aka Kitty Kokonuts) on Halloween with her cousin Caleb, the turtle.

Our Trip Home

Here are a few pictures from our trip back home (Double click on the image to enlarge it). It was ten days of chaos and bliss!

We were a little nervous about flying with a 2 month old, but she was just wonderful! The hardest part was definitely the increase in luggage.

Our first two days in Spokane were very relaxing. Lily had the opportunity to meet her cousin Caleb and Auntie Carli for the first time. Although Caleb wasn't too impressed with Lily, he was very sweet and gentle with her. He was practicing for when his baby sister comes in January!

Then we were off to the Tri-Cities for four days for Lily to be reunited with Grammy, meet our kind friend Larry, meet the extended family, and be introduced to her Grandpa Delgado and his new family. While in Kennewick, we also celebrated Auntie M's 20th birthday, carved pumpkins, met Auntie M's boyfriend Robert and played with the lovely baby Grayce.

We headed back to Spokane for two more days of family time with the Smiths, a visit to Auntie K's school, an open house with Grandma and Grandpa's closest friends, and the chance to meet Uncle Landen.

From Spokane we headed to Portland, Oregon for our friend Brent's wedding where Lily got to meet a few of our college friends. The bride was beautiful and in seven years, I've never seen the groom happier! Everyone agreed, its a strange thing that we are all married and starting families because it seems like only yesterday that we were freshman! Although Lily was a bit tired at the rehearsal dinner, she was an absolute doll at the wedding.

To answer the question on many people's mind, we ARE considering relocating back to the Northwest. We certainly love our Kansas City life and will be sad to leave our home, our favorite places, and most of all, our dear friends! However, as expected, having a baby has reminded us of how important family is and we are faced with a decision of what type of family structure we want for Lily. We are still in the very early stages of planning and are praying for God's guidance.

Little Miss Sunshine

Almost eight weeks later

This is Lily watching football with Eric.

Its hard to believe that almost eight weeks have passed since Lily arrived and changed our lives! While I truly enjoy watching her grow and discover new things each day, another part of me feels as if the time has passed too quickly! Everything about having a baby has been incredible and I absolutely love love love every minute of this experience!

Honestly, we expected these first few weeks to be much more work than they actually were! Once we were able to spend time together as a family, the parental instincts developed naturally and very quickly.

Lily is just the latest of many many many blessings God has bestowed upon us! She is a great listener, whether we read her Good Night Moon or Leaves of Grass and she always has something to contribute when we speak. Lately she has shown a greater awareness of herself and actually put her thumb in her mouth (previously she had only put her little fist near her open mouth and it was never for more than a few seconds).

Lily loves listening to music! I believe I helped her develop this interest--From the very beginning of my pregnancy I used to put an earphone by my belly when I listened to iTunes at work so she could hear the music too. I know there is no evidence to support my theory, but she has shown a preference for the Continuum CD and Jack Johnson...

Is this merely a coincidence??

Home video

Home movies

When we're not busy taking pictures of Lily, our next favorite hobby is filming her! She has already grown and changed so much in the five weeks she has been with us, I don't want to miss out on anything new she might do or say!