This week I stumbled upon a new site Good Morning Girls and look what book they are going to be studying! I've joined a group of women to study with and I can't wait to dig in!! I've read this book before maybe a year or so ago but I know this is the perfect time to go back and reread it!

Life has been so busy here......I've been enjoying having a newborn around again and I am really just savoring every moment.....as I know how fast this time is going to fly by. One thing I love watching is the relationship and bond that has formed so quickly between all the kids and Hannah Grace. They all love her in their own special ways. She is never alone and never left to cry or get upset for very long.....there is always a sibling to scoop her up and coax her into being happy again. What a very lucky baby she is!!!!

And so these are some of the gifts I am counting this week......gifts that make my Mommy heart so full!!

big hugs from big brothers

story time

new haircuts

baby surprise jacket on the needles

a beautiful rainbow to remind us of Gods promises

a mothers day portrait

hanging out

this young man is going to make an awesome Dad

more loving from Jacob

I have been knitting like crazy and have gotten pretty far.......I never would have been able to do this pattern without the help of this knit along found here. I am so thankful for both of these women and the time they are taking to walk us all through this!!
I can finally see what this sweater is going to look like! And I think the size is going to be great for my little Hannah Grace this coming fall!
I still need to put together the other 2 sweaters I made, it's just easier for me to knit and nurse then it is to sew together things.....I will post pics when I finish them!

 Today I am posting for the Yarn Along and with it an update on my baby surprise jacket. I went to the local yarn shop and picked up this wonderful organic cotton yarn to do the sweater in. I am loving how it feels as I work with it and think it will make a wonderful jacket for Hannah Grace! I have made so much pink for her that I went with this very warm beige color for this project.


I picked up this book last week and have just started it.....hoping it will guide me into a more organized life. I wish just reading it would change things around here but I think it's going to take more than that!

Well, it's been a while but I am still over here and I've been working on project life in bits and pieces.....more recently I've been taking to knitting! And so I am joining in the Yarn Along over at small things so I can share what is on my needles and also what is in my book basket!!


I am currently working on a the playtime hoodie that I found over on ravelry.....here. I am knitting this one up for Caleb and I am really liking the way it is turning out. I also just found the spud and chloe blog....... I ordered some yarn and will be starting spud the sheep very soon! I would love to get all these cute animals knitted up for Hannah Grace, so she can have them all to play with when she is a little older. It is an adorable book with a cute story in amongst the patterns.


Here is a pic of the sweet Chloe shrug I just finished. Hannah Grace wore this over her Easter dress and it fit perfectly!! This was my first attempt at knitting a sweater and I am really happy with how it turned out! Thanks to Emily (my 17 year old and amazing knitter!) for being there to guide me through it all!!
I will leave you with a little picture of my cutie in her Easter shrug!

So I've  had 3 people looking for the recipes for the pictures I posted Monday on my gift list. So I figured I should post them here on my blog! So here they are!

http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/

http://kirbiecravings.com/2010/06/sugared-doughnuts-using-pillsbury-biscuit-dough.html

http://steamykitchen.com/168-no-knead-bread-revisited.html

There you go! I hope you all enjoy these!!!

I am continuing to count God's gifts to me ......every day He reminds me how much He loves me.........

 little ones loving one another
 a cozy house to learn and grow in.......
 fog which means warmer weather is coming......and spring!
 homemade cinnamon and sugar donuts.......sugary sweet goodness
 hands that can create and nurture......Yes Lord thank you for these!
 Spring snow storms and the road that leads home.........
 early morning naps..........
 after spending time in the childrens hospital with Hannah Grace I am so very thankful for children who are healthy and can dig their hands into pretzel dough and create anything.....including turtle pretzels!
 So very thankful for this girl and her help as we get used to a newborn in the house
 Crusty, warm pot bread!
 I could do this all day..........and some afternoons I have!!
 early morning baking..........so the children wake up to warm buttery cinnamon bread!
 a visit from Uncle Mark! Just to meet Hannah Grace!
A spring photo shoot and an impromptu duet to welcome the warmer weather!

So many gifts.....so much to be thankful for.......and all from my heavenly Father who delights in me!!!  counting these gifts daily has helped me to truly focus on being thankful during a time of stress where worry could have easily been my constant companion. It is a choice......and sometimes I have to make it again and again....daily.......and that's ok!

I've had these next few posts in my head but it's hard these days finding the time to get them posted.....but I am determined to keep up......especially with these notes to Hannah......

Well 3 weeks found us in a place I did not think we would be again........I took Hannah Grace in for her weight check on 3/18. Brian and I both thought she was looking a little yellow again but Dr. Chi was concerned and sent us for another lab work up to check her levels........she also had not gained any weight since she had left the hospital almost 2 weeks before........
We were shocked to haer that her levels were even higher then before! Elaina was with me that day and Dr. Chi sent us over to Morristown Childrens Hospital to go under the lights and have the specialists run tests as to what was going on. I thank God Elaina was with me........I was a  little upset and we had to drive from Hackettstown to Morristown and she really was a blessing as we talked and prayed on the ride over. I also called Brian and he left right away to meet us there.
We had to go in through emergency and that is when things started getting bad....We got there around 5 and for the next 8 hours we were in a little emergency room as they ran tests........tried to start an IV (yes, I did say start.....they never did get it in.....after 8 people tried and my poor baby screamed......it is something I'd rather forget!) They took blood and urine samples and all the while kept telling me we would have a room upstairs soon........she needed to be under the lights and yet that is about the only thing that was not happening.......I have very bad memories of that emergency room and I just thank God Hannah Grace is not going to remember it! I finally sent Brian home with Elaina and Garrett around 11:00pm......and I finally went upstairs at around 2am. And finally she was put under the lights....her poor little fists were bruised from the poking......and her heels from all the blood they took. I was just exhausted and sat up by her isolate most of the night. Her level was over 23 when we went in but immediately started coming down under the lights......I had to pump to feed her so she could stay in the lights......Through all this she was so good and mostly happy and she never acted like she was sick at all! They ran all sorts of other tests and everything came back negative! They decided it must be breast milk jaundice and we came home on Monday afternoon with a normal bili level and a weight gain of a few ounces.
So on your 3 week birthday you were in the hospital under the lights. Not the place I thought we would be and I am so glad it is over!
It was such a crazy weekend and I could not even bring myself to pray the way I wanted to.....all I could do was ask God to hold us and protect us.......looking back I had so much time just sitting there waiting and in the midst of it all I just found it hard to pray. I was lucky to have others lifting us up before God's throne.
We are so happy to be home and getting settled again.......the other kids are catching up on the hugs and love for Hannah that they missed all weekend. I love watching how all their relationships are forming and growing.....what a blessing to have a big family! There is always so much love!!!