Rub-a-dub-dub

This girl has had a serious aversion to water since the day she was born. There has not been a bath or shower experience that didn't end in screaming yet! But a few days ago she decided that water wasn't that bad after all. I won't say she had fun, she was still seriously trepidatious, but there was never a any screaming. I call that a success :)

Goodbye 2008

2008 -
It was my last year of teaching (for now) after 13 years in the classroom and 8 years at NCA
Sadie Mae was born and I became an aunt for the fourth time
We celebrated our 1 year anniversary
I had a (mostly) great experience being pregnant
I experienced my first surgery (C-section)
We welcomed Tobren Lyse into the world and I became a mom for the 1st time
And now I'm staying at home and loving it

This has certainly been a year like no other for us. Becoming parents has been a marvelous blessing. I know Ben and I had both hoped to have a family of our own but we never wanted to completely allow ourselves to believe it would happen. There were so many reasons why this might not have been a reality for us, but God was so good to us. We feel completely blessed to have this little life entrusted to us. My favorite memory of our days in the hospital was the night after Tobi was born and Ben was sitting next to me in the hospital bed with Tobi resting on us...and Ben said "I always wanted a family"... and it hit me just then just how real that was...a family. Tobi means "God is good" and we have seen this evidenced to us through the gift of this little one. Lyse means "God's promise" and we have seen that God is faithful to what he says he will do. May 2009 be a year where you experience God's goodness and faithfulness in abundance.


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Christmas Pictures

This is the video/slideshow I made (with a lot of help from my "friends" at ANIMOTO) for Ben as a little Christmas gift:

We've been waiting for you...even if the nursery isn't quite finished.

I've been meaning to do this for a while. Ryan introduced me to this great website that makes slide shows out of your pics. These are some pics from the first month of Tobi's life. The song is one I heard a while ago. (If you want to watch the slide show I would recommend pausing the song player...it's painful to listen to both). I had to laugh listening to the lyrics because she specifically mentions several times something about taking home the baby and showing her her finished room. It's a good thing that Tobi won't know that we still don't have her room done. It's actually worked out quite well to keep her in our room. She sleeps so well and it means less travel for me in the mornings...so we really haven't felt the pressure to finish the nursery yet. The walls are painted, the furniture is assembled and she evens naps in her crib...but we still have several things to do before we can really say it is finished. Today would have been the day, but instead it was consumed with snow removal. Oh well, I don't think she feels any less loved or safe even though she is still without a finished room. We were waiting for her and we are so very glad she is here.

'Tis the Season

We put up our Christmas tree today and Tobi was a big help decorating this year...as you can see. After all she is getting pretty big these days. At her 4 month appointment (last week) she weighed 15.4 lbs (76th percentile) and measured 25 inches long (65th percentile). She has her older cousin Sadie out-sized already and Tobi is 3.5 weeks younger...so much for hand-me-downs!

Thanksgiving Weekend

From Hooksett to Deerfield to Concord MA to Billerica and back home...it's been a great weekend!  Lots of time with family and friends...lots of delicious food... and even some time to rest (kinda sorta?)  

Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad R-B's house. There is always so much amazing food there...and of course we came home with lots of leftovers.

Aj and Tobi 

Shay and Tobs

Tobi's first Thanksgiving wore her out!

 

Tobi and Sadie catch up on all the latest baby news.

All the Mangin & Bengtson kids + 1 Tobi and 1 Grandma :)

She's growing up...

I'm looking back at pictures from a couple months ago... and already Tobi has changed so much.  She'll be 4 months tomorrow.  Last year at this time I didn't know it, but I was already pregnant.  Perhaps hosting Thanksgiving for 17 people, painting our dining room and staying up until the early hours of the morning may not have been the best way to spend the first few weeks of pregnancy...but who knew?  Tobi's first thanksgiving (on the outside) will be at her Grandma and Grandpa R-B's house.  Mmmm...my mouth is watering just thinking of all the deliciousness.  Sorry baby, you'll have to wait until next year to get to taste the turkey!   

(Top picture - 1 month, bottom picture 3.5 months)

Happy Birthday Baby!

Tobi turned 3 on Monday...months that is. (Lots more pics on Flickr) It has been so much fun getting to know this little one. She had started showing her personality more and more. It will be fun to see how much of who she is now will stay with her as she grows. She has this raspy little voice when she oohs and aahs and she has a real baby doll sounding "wah wah". She loves to sleep (just like her mama). She is pretty cautious...anything new is met with a very worried stare and a furrowed brow. She loves to be held and she loves to snuggle...she is most apt to fall asleep in the arms of her mom or dad. This might spell trouble later on...but we really like it now :)

I caught the end of Oprah yesterday and saw this video that is on YouTube of a Dad reading a letter to his son who was born with Trisomy 18...a fatal condition. I can't tell you how fast I broke into tears watching it. Ben likes to make fun of my "crying chin". When I am trying to hold back tears apparently my chin does something that he finds quite entertaining. When I watched that video I totally bypassed the crying chin and went right to sobbing. I watched the whole clip on YouTube today (because apparently I thought I needed to cry some more). It was so evident that this couple was determined to enjoy every day of the 99 miraculous days that their son lived...and in the end praised God for his short little life. I just can't imagine. I kept looking at Tobi and I had to pick her up even though she was sleeping and just hold her tight. I have seen several friends in the last few years who have gone through this same or similar kind of loss...and I can't help but wonder "why???". But the reminder to me came clear... nothing is certain except for God's sovereignty and so I will do my best to cling to Him no matter the circumstances and I will do my best to celebrate every moment I have with this precious gift.

If you want to see this amazing video you can see it here...but I warn you, you will cry or at least get a painful lump in your throat. It reminded me to really think about what can I do today to love my baby and make this day count for eternity! Blessed is the one who gives and the one who takes...blessed be the name of the Lord.