Growing Girl

~Growing into her carseat!~

~Love play time with Daddy~

Our little girl seems to be growing right before our eyes these days, and we are loving every minute of this joyous process.  Perhaps that perspective seems somewhat unrealistic, but this does not mean that we are perfect or have everything under control or that we are never tired or exhausted with the normal, new parent issues.  We still experience all of that and must work through things just as any other set of parents or married couple.  What it does mean is that when I am tempted to look to myself and be selfish in any way, God directs my gaze to the precious miracle in my arms and consequently that gaze turns upwards to Him and can then only praise Him for all that He has done and is continuing to do in our lives.  He is working to change us, to stretch us and grow us into fit vessels for Him; and this process has not stopped simply because we have left the stresses of the NICU and have our baby in our arms.  I am so grateful for a God who uses multiple ways in our lives to conform us into His image and look forward to these coming years as we endeavor to raise Noelle for Christ and consequently become molded, changed, and stretched in completely new ways entirely!

~"I have no idea how this happened, Mom!"

Noelle finally seems to have settled into life with oxygen again.  She still does not appreciate the cannula in her nose and is forever inventing ways to get it out; but she does not get upset quite like she did those first few days after being put back on it.  She has become a master at getting the cannula off while she is sleeping, and I am constantly amazed to find it sitting neatly beside her head {as if I just laid it neatly beside her} or around her arm or completely out of her bed.  While she wears it the majority of the time, it certainly helps that she is not required to wear it when she is awake and not eating; and she can fully enjoy her playtime without any hindrance from the pesky thing. 

~Caught a wink & a smile~

She is smiling more and more every day, but they are difficult to catch on camera.  If she catches a glimpse of the camera, she stops looking at you and stares only at the little black box, which she seems to find quite fascinating.  We capture those sweet smiles whenever possible though!!

~My Grandpa Hummel's cradle~

For the past several weeks, Noelle has been sleeping in the bassinet which is a part of our stroller system.  It sat neatly on my nightstand right next to my head and was perfect for our situation when she came home.  In the meantime, my mom and grandma made a bumper pad {which attaches at the bottom so there are no spaces under which Noelle can slide} to fit this very dear cradle of my Grandpa Hummel's.  We believe this special piece was used even another generation before him, but we know for certain that Noelle is the fourth {if not the fifth} generation to sleep in this cradle.  I have fond memories of this piece as my mom used it for me and my siblings, and I am so thankful to be able to now use it for Noelle.  My task was to finish sewing the buttons onto the bumper pad, which I completed last week; so Noelle transitioned from the bassinet to the cradle a week ago and has done really well in her larger space.  She is still sleeping in our room and will continue to do so for the next few months, and I am in no rush to move her from our room or this cradle!!

~Walking outside with Gigi (Great Grandma)~

We finally were able to take Noelle on her first short trip to my grandparents home {approximately 90 minutes away} and spend the day last weekend.  We love visiting here and spending time with my grandparents and are so excited for Noelle to have the experience of growing up close to them, knowing them, and playing in the gardens.  Noelle's favorite part of the day was snuggling with Gigi {Great Grandma} and getting to know a voice that will soon be very familiar to her.What a blessing it is to have them so close to us!!

~"Can you just pat my back forever?"~

While newborn clothes still have plenty of room for her to grow, we are excited that her preemie clothes are becoming too small; and we have begun the transition into the next size.  We look forward to one day soon being able to report having reached the 6lb. mark!  Thank you once again for your continued prayers for our precious, growing miracle!!