Little Christmas child

Thank you Oma & Opa!

Update

Emily is over 16 lbs now. Wow! She is growing so fast. We are blessed to have a healthy, happy baby.

Last night was a milestone. Emily quietly fell asleep at 11:00 and slept until 10:30 this morning. This was the first time that I was able to get ready for the day before she woke up.

Emily is also playing with toys, putting her hands on her knees, smiling, laughing, and almost sitting up. She is so much fun to have around.

Thanksgiving

A glimps of Thanksgiving pictures

I haven't had time to make a slide show, so here is a taste of great things to come.

Laughing

Before Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

It has been a great time here in Michigan. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family. The trip took 9.5 hours with Emily sleeping 6 of those hours. She did a good job riding in the car. Praise the Lord!

Thursday morning we prepared for the big dinner at Mom and Dad's house. When I say we, I mean Mom. :) Everyone came around 1pm and stayed through the evening. Emily was a big hit and she interacted well with the family.

Friday, we slept in and the Mom and I went shopping. We found some cute red dresses for Emily to wear with her Christmas tights. In the afternoon, we visited Grandma Wentz. Emily is her 55th great grandchild. In the evening, Ben and his wife Jessica and their two kids came for dinner.

Saturday, Eric and his Dad went to buy tires for our car. We got them just in time for the snowy trip back to Wisconsin. We visited Oma and Opa for tea. They loved hugging and playing with Emily. She was happy for most of our time there. Thank you Oma for the warm blanket for Emily! Ben came back to play games with Eric. In the evening, Eric took me on a date where we saw the tridge, drank coffee, and walked along main street. Mom and Dad watched Emily for us. Thank you!

Well, it's Sunday. We have been watching the weather and we think that it is going to be too snowy to go back to WI today. We still are not sure when we will be coming back. It depends on the snow.

Great pictures to come.

Emily is playing with toys!

Emily & Larisa

Emily's snow suit

Wednesday weigh in

Drum roll please.....

14 pounds 1 ounce!

Praise the Lord for our healthy little girl.

Emily's new noise

Oma came to visit.

Transition/Weekend revelation

These last two months have been difficult transition into staying at home full time. I've been struggling with finding God's will for my life. What does He want me to do with my days? In the past, I would visit people when I had days off. So, I have continued this pattern almost five days a week which means that my household responsibilities are always last and usually don't get done. Well, this weekend was a breakthrough.

First, on Friday, I visited a friend who has just had a baby and also works. Her house was in impeccable order. I started to compare myself with her and found myself lacking. I know that the Bible tells us not to compare ourselves with others; however, that is easier said than done.

Second, Saturday night's sermon was on the rich man who built barns for his grain only to find that his life was required of him that night. The man had put his hopes in things of this earth instead of in eternal things.

Friday and Saturday night, I started to think about what I am doing with my life. I don't feel like I have a purpose and my mind started to make a list of all the things that would make me feel fulfilled...new carpet, clean house, organized house, yummy meals every night, decorated house, etc. After this list of things had gone though my mind several times, I realized that they were not thoughts from God but from Satan. Even if I did/got all the things on my list, I would still feel empty.

A still small voiced whispered, "Your fulfillment comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Your hope is in Jesus. In Him you will find fulfillment and purpose." I realized that praying, reading God's Word, and thinking about Him is the only way that I will feel fulfilled in this new life I am leading. When I am listening to God, He will show me what I am to do with my days.

I have also made a list of all of my goals for each day of the week. I want to be able to look back in a month and know that I have accomplished something and that my relationship with Jesus is better than the month before.

What I learned: My fulfillment comes from my relationship with Jesus. Seek first His kingdom and all these things will be added unto you.

Two months old

First sickness/2 month appointment

Emily was congested last night. We listened carefully all night to make sure she wasn't choking and was breathing. Even though she had trouble breathing, she was still able to sleep and eat. She slept from 9-2 and 2:30-6. Pretty good.

We went to the doctor today. Emily weighs 13 lbs and is 24in long. She is 91% in both weight and height. Praise the Lord she is growing well. The doctor also said that her congestion wasn't too bad.
Our next appointment is 4 months. :)

Emily Video - Responding with Smiles

We are sleeping!

Emily slept from 10:30 p.m. until 8 a.m.!!! Wow! She also has slept through the night all last week. (except for Friday night) We are so excited to be rested. Today, after waking up, Emily ate, played with her toys, and then went back to sleep for about an hour. We are happy that she is sleeping, but I never count on it. :) I've heard that as soon as we figure her out, she will change.

Hope your day is filled with thoughts of our Savior.

Week 7

Weigh In Day!

Emily weighed 12 lbs 2 oz today! She is growing and healthy. Praise the Lord!

Emily Video - Smiling

Emily has started smiling! I hope you enjoy watching her as much as we do.



-eric

Are we sleeping yet?

Yes! Emily has slept between 7-8 hours for the last three nights. Last night was from 10 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Eric and I are thrilled to be able to go to bed together again. For what seemed like a long time we were taking 1/2 hour shifts until Emily finally fell asleep. It seems we have turned a corner. However, I have learned never to count on anything. As soon as I think I've figured Emily out, she changes. :)

Thank you for all of your prayers. We are blessed to have great friends and family praying for us. Parenting is challenging and I can't do it without the Lord!

Six weeks old.

Four & Five weeks old

Three weeks old

Emily Video - Uncle Donny & Me

How can she sleep through this?

Emily Video - She's sure a squirmer

Weigh In Day!

9 lbs 11oz! Emily is growing! Praise the Lord! I, on the other hand, fit into my jeans today! It feels great.

Pictures of Emily at 2-3 weeks old.

Weight update!

Emily and I went to breastfeeding support group today. Emily weighed in at 9lbs 3oz. Way to go little one! Last Thursday she weighted 8lbs 8oz. She is obviously eating well. We praise the Lord for our healthy baby girl.

Emily Video - Wide Awake

Not everyone gets the privilege of seeing a wide-awake Emily.

Here's what she looked like the other night at 10:40 pm.




-eric

Emily Video - Hiccuping

I'd heard that children may make some strange noises from time to time. I wasn't really prepared for this. FYI, she kept hic'ing like this for a while.


-eric

Thanks for the Ham

Today, Andrew & Abby brought Ham & Rolls over for lunch after church. Thanks! They were delicious.

As "reward," they got to hold Baby Emily

And I even held her while everyone ate that delicious ham!

Why is Emily sunbathing?

Jessica and I visited the pediatrician today because Baby Emily had elevated levels of an enzyme that suggested she was jaundiced. When we went to visit today, the blood work showed she's doing alright! Praise the Lord.

The Doc suggested a little time in the sun which my mom and dad were happy to facilitate.

-eric

Emily Video - Rocking

Here's a video of me rocking Emily. Sorry the sound is so quiet. Enjoy



-eric

Emily Video - Only Hours Old

Here's video that I took yesterday as Emily was exploring her new world. Enjoy!
-eric

Visiting the Hospital

FYI, we are not checking out of the hospital today. I took everyone's advice about staying as long as possible and we're staying till Thursday sometime. Stop by for a short visit, if you like, after noon today.

Also - my computer stopped turning on, so I'm gonna spend an hour today trying to get that figured out.

Thanks for all your prayers.

(and yes, I'm typing this from home, which means I have my cables now.)

-eric

My first game with Emily (Session Report)

Last night I tried to play my first game with Baby Emily. It was Let's Chat from SimplyFun Games. (Our friends A&J Palmer are SimplyFun consultants and we headed over to a party they held a few weeks back since SimplyFun makes one of our favorite party games - Eye to Eye - which is basically reverse Scattergories.)

In Let's Chat, you ask questions of one another and then get to know one another better through the answering of the questions. This is how the game went.

Eric: What's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Emily: aah (I think she meant "Mommy gestated me for 40 weeks plus 4 days!")

Eric: If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
Emily: goo (translated as "inside Mommy.")

Eric: If you found $1000 on the street, what would you do with it?
Emily: ngh ("give it to mommy")

Eric: What's the nicest vacation you've ever been on?
Emily: aah aaar ("Right now, I'm sure. I've been visiting all of you in this chilly place called 'outside the womb' and I am really looking forward to going back home!")

I'm not sure who won our game; I think it was close. I can see why she answered the way she did though!

-eric

Welcome Baby Emily

edit: We are not checking out Wednesday. We'll be at the hospital all day. Come see us after noon. -eric

Jessica and I welcome baby Emily to our family.
She was born at 7:41 this morning after a medication-free labor & delivery. She was measured at 8lbs & 20 inches. I have been able to hold her. I've taken pictures of her. I have video of her. Yet, I cannot show you b/c I left all the cables at home! Argh!

Jess and I were admitted at 8:45 last night which means we had a long night of active labor. Jessica and I enjoyed Orange Juice to celebrate Emily's original birthday party!

Hopefully we'll be able to head home tomorrow sometime. Today we're going to spend some time recovering and we'll take visitors tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers!
-eric

Contractions

So, I think they have started. :)/:( They are not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. Needless to say, they make it difficult to think. So I thought I would just let you all know so that you can pray for us tonight. Eric is doing a good job of helping me to relax when a contraction comes. They are so much easier when I relax.

Lord willing, we will have a baby with us soon. (whatever soon means) :)

Thanks you for your prayers.

Uncomfortable

Hello family and friends,

Baby Wentz is enjoying his/her last few days in the warmth of mom. I must say that today has been pretty uncomfortable so far. My back has been hurting off and on. Back labor? Maybe. :) Please continue to pray for us. If this is just the beginning of the discomfort/pain, I really can't imagine what it's going to feel like when we actually give birth. Thankfully, God is my strength and I will lean on Him. He will give me strength when I need it.

Sunday Update

No baby yet.

Jessica is going to visit Brookside Baptist this morning with her grandma M. I'm off to church because the first Membership meeting in over a year is this morning! I'm excited about it because it will give us another chance to connect and touch the people who are interested in being part of Fox River.

Pastor Don Mingo is preaching this weekend and Jess and I enjoyed listening to his message on How to be a Hero. I'll post it to the church website later today. (Here)
-eric

Well...

The baby hasn't arrived yet. I just want to let you know that I'm not going to post much more until baby does come. I'm sure you are feeling the disappointment of checking this blog and seeing that there is still no baby just like I am. Ok, maybe not as much. :)

Eric and I are doing our best to enjoy our time together without the added resposibility of a baby. We are sleeping in, playing games, going for walks, doing chores, and visiting friends.

We will definitely let you know when the baby comes. God has the birthdate picked out and we are waiting to find out what day it is. :)

Please continue to pray for us. I'm going to be trying not to eat too much sugar in the coming days because I think it will just make the baby gain more weight. Please pray that I can control sugary desires. Thanks. :)

Blessings!

What's that baby doing?

Jess and I ate some steaks w/ some friends at Nashotah House while we wondered 'What's that baby doing?' We think it must have had wireless internet installed and is now finishing up watching reruns of 'Heroes' and is planning on coming when the new episodes start airing.

oh well.
-eric

Another new day!

I praise the Lord for another day. This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. I have discovered that I need to be busy in order for my days not to drag so today I'm headed to Elkhorn to visit my friend Amy. It's about a 1/2 hour drive so I'm thinking that maybe the labor will begin because I am not so close to the hopsital. :) Isn't that how life happens sometimes.

Baby Wentz has been very quiet during the days, but he/she makes up for it right around bed time. Last night, I thought I had a break dancer in my belly. I even thought that it was moving enough we could catch it on video, but we already had the lights out so no video.

Please continue to pray for Baby as we wait. Please pray for his/her health, safe birth, and that this little one would grow up to love Jesus.

Thanks for reading my blog and writing encouraging comments. It has been fun keeping you all updated. It's very cool to know that someone is reading this. :)

The due date

Well, it has come and almost gone with no Baby Wentz to hold. I have gone on two walks today and tried to stay active. We will let you know if anything happens.

Intersting info: After talking to my mom today, she said that she had no prelabor. She went to the doctor and he told her to go to the hospital. After intense contractions, Mom had me about 3 hours later. Maybe this will be the same with us. I'm glad the hospital is only 10 minutes away. :)

The day is here, but Baby Wentz doesn't have a calendar. :)

Well, we are still at home waiting. I've been going to the gym with Eric in the morning hoping that exercise will help. Yesterday, I went went on two walks and the day before three, but still nothing. However, the baby is moving, so I'm assuming all is well. This little one is in the hands of our Lord. His timing will be perfect.

Nothing

I thought you might like an update. Nothing is happening. I though yesterday we were going to have the baby because I was so uncomfortable and was feeling some contractions, but it didn't happen. Please continue to pray for my patience as I wait for God's perfect day to bring His precious one into the world.

Appointment: Week 39

The appointment went well. I am measuring at 31 cm. The baby's heart rate was 136. I am 80% effaced and 1-2 cm dialated. The doctor said this is good. If she were to give me a empire score it would be about a 9 out of 14. She said it is a good score if it is over 6. As of right now, I'm pretty uncomfortable. My back is hurting quite a bit, but I'm hanging in there. Thanks for your prayers!

God is Good!

Early last week, Eric informed me that he would need to go to Chicago to start his final class at Trinity on Wednesday, August 27th. As you can probably imagine, I was a little worried, but trying to trust that God has everything under control, and my due date isn't until Thursday. Well, today, Eric checked his schedule and the class doesn't start until October! Praise the Lord! He did work it out. Not really as I would have expected, but He is continuing and will continue to take care of us.

Trust. I'm learning that I need to trust in the Lord at ALL times. He has a good plan for me. He loves this baby more than Eric and I do. It's not easy to trust, but God is trustworthy. He has proven Himself over and over. He is God!

No Baby Yet

Well, we are waiting patiently. Eric has put the car seat in his car and I started to pack my bag. I have all the food ready that we are taking to the hospital.

This weekend we have been busy. I went to my uncle's birthday party yesterday with my family, and today Eric and I went to another birthday party for a friend's daughter. We had a good time.

We also visited my dad today. He is doing better although he gets tired really quickly. We are praising the Lord that he is experiencing little pain.

Tomorrow we go to the doctor and she will check to see if I am dialated. I will let you know what we find out.

Thanks for all of your prayers.

Only 6 days left (maybe)

This has been a unique week. Eric hasn't been feeling well and my tummy feels like I have a bowling ball in my lap. I've been feeling the baby move quite a bit. Sometimes the baby is low and sometimes there is a foot or hip in my ribs. I am really looking foward to meeting Baby Wentz. I pray that the Lord continues to give me patience as I wait.

Last week

On Thursday, Eric and I went to visit our friends in Racine. While we were there, Eric helped with the cement on their house. Because Marsi is also pregnant, we were not much help. She is due with twins in December. We really enjoy hanging out together.

My Dad

Thank you for your prayers! I just wanted to update you all. My dad is doing pretty well. He will be released from the hospital tomorrow afternoon. The surgery went well according to the doctors and dad is learning how to use his whole body in order to move and look one way or the other instead of just his head. May the Lord receive the glory for his quick healing.

Please pray

I just wanted to let you know that my Dad went in for neck surgery today. As of now, I don't know how he is doing. Please pray for his recovery and God's grace in his life. Thank you!

Monday Update

We went to the doctor today. All looks good. The baby's heart beat was 152 beats per minute. I gained about 3 pounds since last week and I'm measuring around 34 cm. Next week she will check to see if I am dialated. I'm feeling pretty good although it is difficult to get out of Eric's car and roll over in bed, but over all, God has been good.

Thank you for your prayers. Baby will be here in less than two weeks, Lord willing. :)

Updated picture

I was looking at pictures from several weeks ago and realized that my stomach has enlarged. :) Here is a new look. :)

The Bedroom

Baptism!

Every year our chuch has a picnic at Phantom Lake Camp and people are baptized in the lake. This year Eric had the privilege of baptizing several of the people along with Pastor Guy and Pastor Rob. There were 52 baptized! Praise the Lord! God has been doing great things in the lives of people at Fox River. I am so thankful that Eric can be apart of it.

The baby has dropped!

Eric and I went to the doctor Monday. She said that I was measuring 31 cm and I measured 35 cm the week before. The baby has dropped 4 cm. Dr. Davis doesn't think that the baby will drop any more. It's almost time!

I've been feeling good lately. However, I'm a bit sore in my hips and back, but God's grace has been evident. I slept fairly well last night even with getting up alot.

I've also been excited about drinking coffee. I've had three coffee drinks in the last week. If you don't know, I lost my taste for coffee in the first month of pregnancy. It was sad that I didn't enjoy it anymore, but the taste is coming back!

Only 17 days!

We have been doing well this last week. It's amazing how busy life can be even when you are not working full time. We have been to the church picnic/baptism, (52 people were baptized. It was awesome to see.) a baby shower, a going away party, a welcome home party, and tonight we are headed to a Cedarville reunion.

The baby seems to be doing fine. We are now going to the doctor every Monday. The heart rate last week was 132 beats per min. The doctor, Joi Davis, hasn't estimated on the weight, but I think I will ask her today. Has the baby been moving? YES! I have a hip or something that continues to be in my ribs. I think they might even be bruised. :) Sleeping has also been a challenge. I am up about every 1.5 hours. That makes for a pretty long night. Thankfully, Eric can sleep through all of my moving. I went to the gym this morning with Eric and walked for 25 minutes. I should have been doing this all summer, but I think the summer has disappeared.

We are praying for this baby to arrive in God's timing. Eric and I (along with many others) are looking forward to meeting Baby Wentz soon!

Eric's comments about the crib

This is our first video. We hope to improve over time. :)

More baby shower pictures!

Grandma and Pam were enjoying themselves. Thank you for coming!
My Mom, Ginny, is going to have so much fun reading to the new little one. :)

Kathy is about to write in my encouragement book. All of the ladies wrote some advice or encouragement for me in the same book that they wrote wedding advice. It was great! Thank you!
My Aunt Dar and her girls bought the bedding for the baby's room. Thank you so much! We put it all together on Saturday. Pictures will come soon. :)

Baby Shower on Wednesday!

Abby, my brother Drew's girlfriend, was my gift writer. Thank you so much!
This is the new glider that I will have the privilege of rocking my baby in. Thank you Mom and Grandma!
Kylee, my photographer, took all of these great pictures! Awesome job Kylee!
A lady at my mom's work made the cake. It was excellent! Vanilla & chocolate with fudge in between. :)
These are some of the ladies who came to celebrate the coming of the Wentz baby.

These are newborn outfits. If we have a boy, I will dress him in the red one that says, "Dad's Team." If it is a girl, I might use the yellow one with a duck. I haven't decided yet.

I want to thank all of the ladies who came to the shower. I had a fabulous time! Aunt Dar hosted and prepared the food. Thank you so much! You all have been a blessing.