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.

7 Weeks

Tobi when she was a few days old

I was going to call this blog entry "1 month of motherhood"...but now it is actually 7 weeks, so that pretty much sums up my "month".  It is so hard to believe that 7 weeks have gone by.  Tobi has really changed in these last few weeks.  She is outgrowing her clothes, moving up in diaper sizes, and becoming more and more alert.  The school year has officially started and I am officially not there.  There are some aspects I miss...the students, my friends on staff, the fun events...but then there are parts I definitely don't miss...having to get ready at the crack of dawn and drive to work while trying to keep my eyes open, worrying about students following rules or paying attention or caring at all about their education or behavior, and the Sunday night "I have a stack of papers I never graded and need to before I head back to work" blues!  Taking care of Tobi is constant but there isn't the "things I still have to do" factor with her...it is just a very present job, we do things when they need to be done.  I look forward to our days together...(and hope for less interaction during the nights).  It is just amazing how captivating every facial movement can be...I can just watch her as she sleeps and be totally entertained!  It's crazy how much has changed in me even in a month, or two, of this grand thing we call "motherhood".

Tobi at 6 1/2 weeks

A day (or 2) at the beach

Finally! Some nice weather.  It seems crazy that it is mid August and this is only my 3rd trip to the beach.  Sunday- Ben, Tobi and I went to Plum Island.  We were here 2 months ago, but things have changed a bit since then..I'm a little smaller and we had to carry some extra items with us this time :)  

On Monday I went to Ogunquit with Mom and Dad and Ryan and Sarah and gang.  Just when I thought Tobi was looking bigger, Sadie had to remind her how really tiny she is.  What a beautiful day... this is how summer should be.  (To see more beach pics click HERE)

Tobi's first week at home!

It has been a full first week of life for Tobi.  All sorts of friends and relatives have been in town and have been so excited to meet her.  Saturday she went to her Uncle Jesse's wedding.  Sunday she went to church and then to her Grandma and Grandpa R-B's to see her great aunts and uncles and cousins and uncles and aunts and so on...who were in town for the wedding.  Then she got a chance to meet her great-grandma Bengtson (Mima) and her great aunt and uncle and cousin Josh who were here visiting all the way from Japan.  It was a great week to be born so everyone could meet her.

Tobi and (2nd) cousin Josh

Tobi and Mima

Tobi's first bath at home (it did get better :) )

Daddy time!

With Uncle Jesse at his wedding

The girls...Cousin Sadie (1 month and 5 days old) Cousin Kayla (2 yrs. old) Tobi (9 days old)

This shot says it all :)

Tobi's Second Day

It's been another exciting day...lots of visitors, and check ups, and lots and lots of sleeping!  

For pics of day 2 click HERE. 

Here She Is!

Introducing: Tobren Lyse Runnion-Bareford

Pronounced: Toe-bren Lee-seh Run-ning Bare-foot

Meaning: Tobren (Nickname - Tobi) "God is good" Lyse "God's promise", "God's perfection", "God's satisfaction"

Stats: 6 lbs. 1 oz., 19 inches long

I came across the name Tobren in a book quite a few years ago. The book wasn't any award-winning piece of literature. I'm pretty sure it contained dragons, dwarves, and wizards, and that most of the people who read it lived in their parents' basements, dressed as Star Wars characters, and didn't kiss girls until they were...well, never. It was a stage, OK?! I've filed the name away since then with the plan that if, in fact, I was blessed with a little girl, she would be named Tobren, with the nickname Toby. Yeah, in my mind her nickname was spelled that way -- more on that later. Anyway, when my niece Makayla was born, just over 2 years ago, I told Shauna the name that I hoped my (future) little girl would have. Well, OUR little girl...but at that time, Shauna and I had known each other a week or so -- no need to rush things. I already was pretty sure I was going to marry her, so I didn't want to freak her out too much by discussing our children...give that a month or two at least! As it turned out, Shauna was amenable to the name; however, she thought that Tobi as a spelling would be a bit more feminine. OK, I can see that. However, if Tobi ever starts dotting the "i" in her nickname by making a heart, I'm rescinding my acquiescence.

Her middle name, Lyse, was chosen for a few reasons. First, it's Swedish, and we thought that it would be neat to give her a name that reflects anscestry on both sides. Second, it has a great meaning. Third, we think it goes with Tobren, which was somewhat of a challenge in and of itself. Finally, we feel it holds a slight edge over Helga, Aslog, Gunilla, or Fredrika. The pronunciation was really the only sticking point, as technically it is Lee-seh, rather than the commonly heard Lee-sa (Lisa). We'll see how that goes...the poor girl already has to explain the rest of her name, as it is, so let's just make it the whole thing!

For more pics of her journey thus far click HERE.

This is why I don't gamble...

I had a few issues with my laptop...again!  So I brought it to the shop for repairs.  Now mind you, I have had this computer for almost 3 years now but I have had to have it repaired at least 4 times.  Thank goodness I invested in the 3 year warranty plan which has covered some major repairs.  The last 3 times I have opted to pay the $50 to have everything backed-up just in case they had to replace the hard drive and couldn't save the information on my computer.  I've never needed it before.  Well, this time I thought...this doesn't seem like as big of an issue as last time and the last two times they replaced the logic board and all of my information was untouched.  Well, when I picked up my computer this time my heart jumped into my throat as I turned it on to see that they had indeed replaced the hard drive and reinstalled the operating system.  I actually just closed the computer and waited for Ben to help me, hoping that there was some way that all of my info. could be on there just hiding and waiting for the magic way to come and find it.  But alas...it was gone.  

On a very positive note I had backed up my hard drive about a year ago and we were able to retrieve all my pictures and music that I had stores up to last August... but there are still things that I had on there from the last year that are irreplaceable.  It was one of those moments that I knew I had done something silly to save a few bucks... if I could just go back to that one moment where I checked "No back up" - and just realize the possibilities of what could happen and say "oh what's $50 anyway"?  

Thankfully I managed to find quite a few pictures from the last year on Flickr, saved on my camera and on this blog.  Here are a few pictures from July....

Fourth of July... Sadie (3 days old) & Kayla

Me...36 1/2 weeks along

This picture does not really show it...but these are some seriously puffy feet!

A trip to the beach....not many beach days this summer but

the weather was good enough this day for a trip to Ogunquit.

To see more pics click HERE