No greater love!

I love my children!! But, God loves them more than I ever could. He loves my sons (and you and me) so much that he gave his only son to die an awful death on the cross. He did that so we could be set free from our sins. The bible says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. I can't imagine sending one of my sons away knowing that he would die (even if it were to save others)! What an awesome love that God has for us! What an awesome gift He has given us through Jesus! May your Easter be blessed!

Praying hands

Cute picture while daddy was holding me this afternoon! Check out my little praying hands!

Bathing beauty

Eli's little umbilical cord finally fell off last week and he was able to get his first full bath. I did the bathing, Jacob helped wash his hair, and Matt was standing by with the camera. He did a great job in the tub and didn't even cry. He's our little fish!

Lovin' on Pappy

Pappy came to visit us from Pennsylvania. It was great to have him here with us. We were still so busy getting adjusted to having a new baby, but Pappy was understanding and so helpful! Jacob and Eli had a great time with their Pappy!! Fun abounds when Pappy's around! :)

He made a great nap buddy! Looks like Eli is even sneaking a smile!

He also made a great project partner for Jacob. They worked on his map project together.

Bountiful Blessings!

Thank you so much to all the wonderful people from our church, C3 Church, who have blessed us for more than two weeks with meals! It has really taken the pressure off Matt and me. Neither one of us had to stress over whether we had a dinner prepared for our family! I'm overwhelmed at the outpouring of love from our amazing church family! Special thanks to Jenny for organizing these meals and for being a great leader in the Open Arms ministry while I am out with my new little one! We are blessed and grateful!!

**Updated to add**
Another wonderful blessing has been my parents. My mother has given so much of her time to help us adjust to having a new baby in our home. She's held and rocked Eli when he was unconsolable (see picture below), folded laundry, unloaded the dishwasher, dusted, vacuumed, and so much more. I'm not sure what we would have done without her. We are so thankful for her!!

crying with Mema

smiling with Mema

Submitting

The 24-hour period of Elijah's birth did not go as I had planned! Despite that fact, in the end (thanks to God) I have a beautiful, healthy baby boy. I was not in control!

We've been home for almost two weeks and have been dealt another unplanned situation. My milk supply is low and is not satisfying my hungry boy. We were given a supplementer in the hospital and have been using it for these two weeks. It's a really neat tool that consists of a small bottle attached to a tube that I affix to my breast. It has been difficult to get Eli to latch-on correctly to not only my breast, but the tool, too! I've also tried herbal supplements to increase my milk supply with some success. We rented a scale to weigh him before feeding and after feeding to see how much milk he gets from me, only to discover that he's getting only one and a half ounces. Eli is a hungry boy and one and a half ounces is just not sufficient. Due to the difficulties and pain associated with the supplementer, we offered Eli a bottle for the first time last night. He ate readily and his daddy was able to enjoy the opportunity to feed him. This was not the feeding situation I had planned. I am not in control!

But, good news...God is in control! The bible says in Jeremiah... "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Even when my plans fall through, God has plans. It's so comforting to know that his ways are higher than my ways and that his thoughts are higher than my thoughts! Things may not be going the way that I had planned, but Eli is doing great. His delivery was safe and we are both healthy. He is not hungry anymore. He is content and no longer cries for hours long stretches. I thank God for guiding Matt and me as we journey through parenthood together! I thank God for being in control and for having plans for our family! I thank God!!

Happy Birthday, Elijah!

Here's a pic from Eli's one-week birthday! Happy Birthday, precious one!