Welcome to the world, Ellie Christine!!

Ellie Christine Schulze
born July 12, 2014 at 4:00pm
7 pounds, 5 ounces ~ 19.5 inches long

Our sweet Ellie arrived on July 12th and we could not be more in love!! We are so grateful to God for a perfect, healthy baby girl and for a smooth, albeit painful, delivery :)

Considering her sister came 2.5 weeks early we were ready to go at 37 weeks! Bags were packed, everything was washed, car seat was ready to go, etc. I can't tell you how many times we said, "this could be our last day as a family of 3!" Ha. Little did we know Ellie would be in no rush and would wait until just a few days before her due date to make her debut.

The week leading up to her arrival I had definitely been having contractions but they would only last a little while and then fade out. At my 39 week appointment that Tuesday I was dilated to 2cm, but of course that doesn't mean much.  Then that Saturday morning I woke up and started making muffins. My high school friend Brittany was in town so I was having her and our other best friend, Liz, and their baby boys over for breakfast. (No sense in clearing the calendar when there's no baby yet!) As I was making muffins I noticed that I was starting to have contractions. But I honestly didn't think much of it since that had been happening all week. About an hour later Britt and Liz arrived and we sat down to eat and visit. After a bit, Britt asked if I was having contractions and I told her yes but that they were mild and I figured they would stop soon. But I decided to start timing them just in case :) Well it's a good thing I did because once I started tracking them I realized that they were about 8-10 minutes apart!! I called the doctor and he said that this was probably the real deal but to keep monitoring and to call back when they got a bit closer. 
At that point I called John Paul, who was playing basketball, and told him he should probably head home. I proceeded to put on some make up and get dressed while Liz and Britt entertained Libby and got her dressed - thank goodness they were there! But in my mind we still had tons of time because I'd only been having contractions for less than 2 hours and with Libby I labored at home for like 8 hours before my contractions became 5 minutes apart. Well people are not kidding when they say the 2nd one comes faster! John Paul got home and asked if he had enough time to hop in the shower to which I replied...sure, we're good! Well literally in the span of time that he was in the shower, things took a turn! All of a sudden my contractions went from 8 minutes apart to 5 minutes apart and they hurt...BAD!! They were so much more intense and it freaked me out how they were so much closer together. I called the doctor back and said I was coming in and told John Paul we needed to leave, NOW. We dropped Libby off at my mom's house and made our way to Presby! The contractions I was feeling were no joke and that car ride felt forever long. Sweet John Paul was so calm and reassuring but I'm sure I was freaking him out.
We got to the hospital and they sent me to triage first...after the nurse saw how bad my contractions were she gave me a fast pass to my own room :) Bless her. Here's where it got fun. They checked me once I was in the delivery room at 1:00pm and I was already dilated to 6cm! I was shocked. When I got to the hospital with Libby, after having labored for 10 hours, I was only at 1cm! No wonder my contractions were so strong. So I promptly asked for my epidural. They started my IV's and fluid and I waited. And waited. And waited. No anesthesiologist. Our sweet nurse was so apologetic but she informed us that the anesthesiologist was in a surgery that had a complication and he wasn't legally allowed to leave.... Noooooo. Thanks for coming on a Saturday, Ellie ;) An hour and a half after I got to the hospital, I got my epidural. It wasn't a pretty hour and a half. There were tears. Contractions every 3 minutes. Major props to the mamas who go natural. I feel like I got a little taste. Anyway, I ended up getting my epidural and then found out I was already 9cm dilated. Thank goodness it kicked in just in time for me to push. After 20 minutes of pushing, our Ellie girl was born! She was beautiful! We couldn't get over her FULL head of hair and how much she looked like her sister. We got to have some precious family time, just the 3 of us, and then the rest of the family came in to meet her! 
Such special moments that we'll never forget. 

Finally got my epidural...now I can smile :)

the waiting room!

Here she is!!

Sweet daddy getting a good look at his daughter. 

Not too happy to be exposed.

That face...

So in love!

Bright eyes.

YiaYia Libby!

Papa K and YiaYia with their newest granddaughter.

Aunt Nicki and Uncle Peter too! 

Uncle Nick, Melissa and Mikey getting a good look.

Uncle Chris getting a video of her first moments.

We have 2 kids :) 

Uncle Michael was in town...yay! 

Ellie with her YiaYia who she's named after!

Aunt Nicki

Sleepy girl.

Uncle Chris.

Papou and YiaYia Tina arrived from Shreveport!

Papou Bobby

Cici made in from Corpus, hooray!

My girl.

YiaYia Tina.

Such a blessing that the Carby's just happened to be in town!

First bath...in our room.

Uncle Peter! 

 And then Ellie got to meet her BIG SISTER! My family brought Libby up to the hospital after her nap and John Paul brought her in for the big introduction. And oh my word, was it the sweetest thing ever. As soon as Libby saw Ellie she started saying "that's my baby sister! that's my baby sister!" Followed immediately by, "I wanna hold her." My heart just about burst open right then and there. The next few minutes were some of the sweetest moments we've ever had as a family. I hope and pray that these two are the best of friends and love each other deeply.  Then Ellie had a present for Libby - a Doc McStuffins doctor kit that she quickly became obsessed with and that was the end of the special moment. :) 

 Finally, to our Ellie girl ~
I want to make sure you know where your name came from and what it means to me and Daddy! 

We loved the name Ellie and also loved the fact that it means "light". 
This verse sums up our prayer for you, baby girl. 
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your 
good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16
We pray that you will be a light in this world by knowing Jesus, the One 
who IS the light of the world. That the way you live and love your God and 
others will make a mark on this world.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in 
darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Your middle name, Christine, is after your YiaYia Christie whose name is Angela Christine.
YiaYia is such a special part of our lives and we love her so much! It was a no brainer for us to want to give you her name. You will find out soon enough but there are so many great qualities about YiaYia that make her so wonderful! Here are a few things about her that I hope and pray you possess:

-Her thoughtfulness, generous heart and willingness to serve. Your YiaYia is always thinking of and serving others...especially those of us who are her family! Whether it's cooking a delicious meal for everyone, babysitting, helping me pack boxes to move or organize closets (she says she actually enjoys this!), hosting gatherings and events in her home, printing recipes that she thinks I'll like, picking up a date night gift card for mommy and daddy, etc. In fact, last week she came to family dinner with a gift bag for all the girls that had her favorite spray from Bath & Body works! Just an example of a little treat that makes people feel thought of and special. She is constantly giving away her time and energy and love. She loves us so well!
-Her desire to keep learning and growing as a person. Some people shy away from this or don't take the time for it but not your YiaYia. YiaYia loves to read as one way that she keeps learning...about God, about being a mom and a wife, about lots of things. She wants to grow and that takes humility and discipline.
-Her goofiness and ability to laugh at herself! After being a mom to 4 kids for so long, poor YiaYia has endured her fair share of being made fun of -  often times for her dance moves :) However, she is the first one to laugh and not take herself too seriously. Being able to not take yourself too seriously is so important! I also love that YiaYia is silly and goofy and will soon do WHATEVER it takes to make you smile or laugh! Just ask your sister :) We have so much fun with YiaYia and don't know what we'd do without her!
I know that you and YiaYia will have a special relationship soon enough and I hope you always know how blessed you are to have her!

So there you have it, Miss Ellie Christine! Your name means a lot to us and we are so excited to see you grow into the little lady that God has created you to be. Just don't grow too fast :) Daddy and I are so glad that you're finally here and we love you more than you know.

2 years old!

Libby,

Well little muffin...you're 2 years old! I can hardly believe it. It seems like Daddy and I just brought you home from the hospital. The past 2 years have been a joy with you. You make our lives better and we thank God that He brought you into our family. Sometimes it's easy to be sad that you are growing up so quickly but you are so much fun at this age and it just keeps getting better! I am so thankful that I get to spend my days with you. You're my little buddy and you seriously make me laugh all the time with your cuteness and funny ways. You are the spunkiest, busiest, silliest, chattiest, sweetest, girl I know. You are soaking up everything lately and learning so much that I am constantly amazed. There are so many things I want to remember about you at this age so I'm going to do my best to document them!

So let's start with your 2 year stats:

-22.6 pounds (5th percentile) - still just a peanut!

-33 inches (30th percentile)

-size 3 diapers

-12-18 month clothes in shorts/pants, 18-24 month in tops and most dresses

-loves all food! Eats with a fork and spoon for the most part.

-sleeps 12 hours at night...usually 8:30pm-8:30am. You are still a good sleeper and mommy is so thankful!

-1 nap from about 1:30-4/4:30pm

-still has paci for nap and bed time

-just moved to a big girl bed two weeks ago and you love it (thank goodness)!! More room for all your stuffed animals...or "friends" as you call them :)

**Huge thanks to Lori Wilson Photography for these sweet pics of Libby!**

Here's what I want to remember:

You love your Daddy A LOT. And he loves you too. He was just out of town for a week and you could barely stand it. You would wake up every morning and ask "where daddy go?" and then proceed to answer your own question - "He at work. I miss him." You want to mow with him. Cuddle with him. Dance with him. I love seeing you two together...it makes my heart happy.

I love how you pronounce every syllable in certain words. For example: brocc-o-li or chic-o-late

I love how you tell me and Daddy to "sit by you" and pat the seat or floor.

And if anyone gets up, walks away, etc. you immediately tell them to "come back here".

You get excited about and are amazed by everything. It's the best. You see the moon or a plane in the sky and immediately exclaim "Oooh amazing!" It's as if you've never seen such a thing before. And if you eat something good it's always "Delicious!". You also love to exclaim "can't believe it!" as well as "best ever!" at times and it is just the best. No idea where you get this stuff! 

You randomly ask for guacamole and chips. A lot. And you pronounce it perfectly.

You ask "whattayou doing?" about 100 times a day in the squeakiest little voice. And you don't just ask me - you ask EVERYONE everywhere we go. The checkout girl at Target, the man in line behind us at the post office, the people dining next to us at a restaurant, etc.

Actually, you just love talking to people period. You are always saying "Hi, I Libby" to random people wherever we go. And if you walk by a group of big girls you confidently throw out a "hey girls". You totally brighten people's day, sweet girl!

If someone compliments you, you give a very sincere "thank you!" without being told anymore. You also never miss an opportunity to say "bless you" after a sneeze. We're still working on consistently saying please instead of demanding things. :) 

You'll grab a book and say "I read" and then proceed to list random letters with complete confidence. "L, B, D, R"

You are all about picnics. Picnics outside at your table or inside on the living room floor. You think they are awesome and always ask "mommy, have a picnic?" with a big squeal.

I love that if I ask you if you want something you often say "No thank you, I'm fine." very matter-of-factly like a little grown up.

I love that you bounce when you run. And side note: you're seriously fast, especially for your very pregnant mama.

I love that sometimes you gently rub my back when I hold you. Melt my heart.

I love that sometimes you grab our faces with two hands to give a kiss.

You ask mommy to "scratch a back?" now. Sounds like me when I was little!

I love that you ask to pray to Jesus now. I love that you took the top off the little tea pot that came with your play kitchen and when there was nothing inside you said "mommy, tomb empty - hallelujah! praise the Lord". It brought tears to my eyes to know that what you learned at Easter was stored up in that little brain of yours. I love that you're learning these truths already and pray that they take root in your heart early on! 

I love that you are concerned for others. If you hear a baby crying you immediately ask me "baby crying?" and then you usually tell them "don't worry". It's the sweetest. And one night Uncle Chris was pretending that you were pushing him over and you kept saying "you ok?" You are also regularly concerned about Bubble Puppy after one episode where he got sick and had to go to the doctor.

I love that you hold your puppy like a baby and sing Rock a Bye Baby. Precious.

I love that you ask me to hold your hand. Even though you're getting so big that you don't really need my help with stairs or playgrounds anymore. Tear.

I love that you really think our kisses heal your boo-boos.

You now have opinions about the radio. Ever since we turned your car seat around you have had no problem announcing "no like-a this song" whenever you don't approve of what's playing. It's rather hilarious but also a bit demanding. If it's a slow song...forget about it. You need a dance beat. So we're working on you not always getting your way, which can be interesting :) 

You regularly instruct me to "mommy, dance" while in the car. I love that you proceed to say "go mommy....go mommy" to encourage my moves. I'm sure other drivers think I'm nuts, but it's ok.

You LOVE to dance. Anywhere, anytime. And you have some moves. One of your favorite things is for us to play Pandora on the patio. You literally pull me and daddy up if we are sitting down. You want full participation. And if the music stops you immediately ask for "more songs".

You also love to sing. Currently Twinkle, Twinkle is your favorite. And I am amazed by how well you sing the words now! Sounds about like "Twinkle, Twinkle, little star, How are you what you are, up above, like a diamond in the sky." Another favorite is Wheels on the Bus :)

You love a microphone (could you be any more like your daddy? ha). You actually sang Twinkle, Twinkle on a microphone at Uncle Michael & Aunt Holly's rehearsal dinner as well as at your birthday party when the Manos's and Fedro's got you a princess karaoke machine. You were beside yourself with happiness.

I love that when we put you in a dress, you immediately say "I a princess". Which is immediately followed by "I go show daddy." Sweetest thing.

You love princess everything. Princess tiaras. Princess wands. Princess jammies. Accessories.

You compliment people. You love to tell mommy "ooooh pretty" when I get dressed and if I have a dress on you say "mommy like a princess". 

I love when walk around the house saying "moooommmyyyy, where aaaarrreee yooouuu?" or when you call this out after you've woken up from your nap.

No idea why but sometimes when we ask you a question you say "hmmm maybe" and put your little finger up to your mouth. So random and hilarious.

I love that you informed your stuffed animals of the rules around here by telling them "be sweet, be kind, listen and obey" the other day. So hilarious. I guess something is sinking in? :)

You love babies now! Hooray!! You were not a fan a few months ago but I do believe baby Vivian changed your mind. You just look at her and say "awww baby, cuuuuute". You love to help give her a paci or brush her hair. And you talk about her a lot . It's adorable. 

You love to randomly list people according to their family association. For instance, you'll be in the back seat just listing off "Alli, Hatch, Vivian, Blake" or "YiaYia, Nicki, Papa, Howie, Peter" and most recently after a trip to OKC "Russell, Lindsay, Kenna and baby too!" got added to the rotation. 

I love that you rarely say bye without a "see you soon!"

I love that you've started saying "awesome, dude...totally" out of nowhere.

I love that you will bring me my phone or my shoes or a snack from your kitchen and say "mommy, I got for you."

I love that as I put you down for a nap a few weeks ago we sang Jesus loves me and you stopped and said "Jesus" - so I said "yes, Jesus loves you". And you said "and daddy loves mommy....we a family". My heart about burst at the seams. 

I love that when we picked you up at church last week, Mrs. Suzy asked me if I was having another girl and if her name was going to be Ellie? When I replied yes, she told me that Libby kept telling the class "Mommy having a baby. baby sister Ellie." Cue the tears. What a sweet big sister you're going to be. You have finally warmed up to the idea which is an answer to prayer. You love to say "hi sister" and "my Ellie" and kiss my tummy now too. Major progress from "no baby, mommy" a few months ago :) 

I love that you are fearless. Although it scares me sometimes, I love that you are so brave and will try anything. This is especially evident at your swim lessons where you just learned to swim under water for 10 seconds! I'm sure it helped that your daddy was there with you. 

And just the other night you were watching kids jump off the diving board at Northwood and after each one would swim to the edge you'd walk over, clap and tell them "I so proud of you!". I mean, could you be any sweeter?

I'm sure there are a million other sweet and funny things that I'm forgetting but this will have to do! What a gift it is to be your mommy. You are such a reminder of God's love for me. He is so gracious to allow us to experience the joy & blessing of parenthood. Daddy and I pray that we will teach you and lead you well and daily point you to Jesus who you were created to know and worship. We won't be perfect by any means and we already have to apologize sometimes, but we love you more than you could ever know. God has made you to be so special and I know it will continue to be a joy to watch you grow!! 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On your actual birthday, daddy took the morning off and when you woke up you got to see the play kitchen that mommy and daddy spent 4.5 hours putting together the night before! Then we took you to Crossroads Diner to get birthday pancakes before daddy had to go to work. You're really into headbands right now so I found one at Target that had a birthday cupcake on it and you sported it proudly in your princess jammies!! We had such a special morning celebrating you and the 2 years God's given us with you!

Easy meatball recipe!

So I don't normally post recipes on this blog (mostly because I've never been known for my cooking, ha) but this one was just too good not to share! If you're like me, I don't make meatballs that often just because they usually require a lot of steps and mess. But these were super easy and really yummy! Thanks mom for sharing the recipe!

Buca di Beppo Meatballs

1.5 lb ground chuck (I just used regular ground beef b/c that's what I had)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 eggs

6 cloves garlic, blanched, peeled & chopped (I definitely used minced garlic from a jar)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

32. oz marinara sauce (I used Classico organic Tomato, Herbs and Spices)

8 oz. water

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine first 7 ingredients and mix thoroughly. Don't over mix - this will cause meatballs to become tough. Divide into equal portions and shape into 6 meatballs. (This recipe was apparently for GIANT meatballs...I divided my meat into 12 meatballs and they were still a good size.) Place meatballs on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until a dark brown crust forms, 13-15 minutes.

2) Transfer meatballs to a Dutch oven. (I just used a baking dish.) Combine marinara sauce and water,  and pour over the meatballs. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until meatballs are cooked through, 35-45 minutes. 

Here's how mine turned out! I cut into the one on the bottom left :) John Paul and Libs really liked them and so did I! Plus we had leftovers which is always great.