Newborn Photos

I am SO excited to share these photos! I decided to get some newborn photos done for Everett since babies change so much and newborn pictures always look so peaceful and pretty.

Jake and I learned how long it can take and the energy that is put into making these photos look so peaceful! We worked with Jen from JT Photography and she was AWESOME. The pictures came out great, but even more impressive was how easy she was to work with and how comfortable she made us ALL feel. Isaac took to her immediately and she was the "baby whisperer" with Everett. Plus, I ended up being a half hour late (!!!!!) and she was totally relaxed about it and so was my husband, so obviously she made him feel at ease as well. Such a joy getting to work with Jen.

And now for the pictures! It's amazing how much Everett has already changed. It's fun to see him so new and picture perfect. :)

Will Everett be interested in baseball, music, the medical field, flying or all the above?

I LOVE MY BOYS! :) (just missing Striker)

Love Your Spouse Challenge, Day 7

Day 7 (Final Post)

For my final picture of the love your spouse challenge, I chose our first family picture with Isaac. I chose this pic partly because we’re going to be doing this again in just a little over a month! There is a lot that a stressful situation can reveal about a person and there are few things that are more stressful than labor! Jake was a fantastic partner during my labor with Isaac. He was calm, loving, supportive and completely selfless (much how he’s been throughout our relationship). Thank you, Jake, for giving me reasons to respect and honor marriage. There is no one I would rather be in this covenant with. And as we prepare to have our second child, I am confident it will be a positive experience just because I know you’ll be at my side. ::kiss kiss::

Pregnancy #2 and family Photos!

About a month ago, Jake, Isaac, and I visited my friend, Renee, in Alameda. While there, Renee was gracious enough to take a few photos of us as a family and then of me with my baby bump. After the family photos Jake left with Isaac and I hung out with Renee and our good friend, Stephanie. I have been best friends with these girls since 1993 (Renee even longer) and it is ALWAYS fun and full of laughter whenever we get together. Here are some of my favorites from the session...

The "goddess" pose!

Lastly, I got Renee and Stephanie to do a "hands heart" with me

I love these women. This is what long lasting friendship looks like!

Thank you, Dee and Ron!!

I LOVE homemade gifts and admire those who take the time to produce them. Before Isaac was born, I had a baby shower and some of his and my favorite gifts from the shower were the ones that either my Sweet Adeline friends or my work friends had made. Then yesterday, Isaac was blessed with yet another awesome homemade gift from his first cousin, twice removed (but for simplicity sake), his Great Aunt, Dee. :)

We got the package while we were finishing lunch. The first item I pulled out were 6 cars. Isaac loves cars and as soon as he saw them he got excited, so I opened the truck and let him hold it.

Then I took out the next gift- a quilted play mat with a carrying pouch!

I, of course, loved the play mat immediately and I was a little surprised how much Isaac enjoyed it too! He went straight to it and started to push his new truck around, saying, "Vroom vroom!"

And lastly, Dee made Ike a bedtime quilt!

I still am not sure who was more excited about the gifts- me or Ike. It's pretty close... :) THANKS again to Dee and Ron! Isaac is truly a very loved little boy.

Birthdays

February is a very celebratory month for Jake and me. Jake jokes that February is an expensive month because of Valentine's Day and the many birthdays. It begins with his grandmother's birthday on the 7th, then his sister, Kate, on the 9th, his Mom, Betty, on the 13th, his sister, Sarah, on the 16th and me on the 25th. Twenty years ago I got a niece to join me in February (Suzannah Hasson, on the 23rd) and this year I got a late birthday present- Eden Elizabeth Feffer born at 6:44pm on the 26th. February is a very exciting month indeed!

Eden is my 7th niece, my sister's third daughter. When Ashlie became pregnant with her first daughter, Josephine, we hoped it was a girl partly because Ashlie and Adam were sure they were going to be blessed with boys. Then little Eleia Ruth came along and again most were shocked that it was another girl. In June, Ashlie became pregnant with her third child and didn't have near the morning sickness as she did with Jo and Lou (Eleia's nickname). Overall, she felt this pregnancy was different. September came and the ultrasound delivered God's desire for it to be another GIRL! Once again we were surprised, but blessed with a healthy baby. Now Eden has arrived, the heaviest of the three- 8lbs 8oz and 21 inches long. and she is a treasure. With their three jewels, Ashlie and Adam do have their three boys- Jo, Lou and Ed. :) Happy days at the Feffer homestead. SO thankful this girl has been born, as I had been waiting on pins and needles for the call to come to San Jose for her arrival. I truly love each of my nieces and nephews with a love that only an aunt can have. It is such a blessing. Welcome, Eden. Glad you could join the awesomeness of February. :)

First Full Hair Cut

When Isaac was a few months old he acquired what I called a "Friar Ike;" hair at the base of his head that refused to fall out. In April my sister, Ashlie, shaved it off for me and so that was Isaac's true "first" hair cut. Since then I haven't cut his hair and it has gotten longer and longer. Now, I hate cutting hair. There is too much subjective thinking going into it. My sister-in-law, however, is very use to cutting hair since she cuts my brother's and all of her children's. So this last weekend while I was in SLO, Auntie Kate Hasson gave Isaac his first full hair cut that involved his entire head of hair getting clipped.

It's fair to say that he didn't particularly like it, but he tolerated the grooming quite well. Jake and I LOVE it. I am a fan of a clean cut kid. Thank you, Kate!! They are moving to Minnesota next week, so we will have to make a trip out when it's time to cut Ike's hair again!

1 Year

Today marks Isaac's FIRST rotation around the sun!

It's amazing that one whole year has gone by since this little man graced us with his presence. We had a pretty mellow day: went to Music Together, opened a couple presents from Grandma and Grandpa Springsteen and Ike got his FIRST true dessert- a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting. 

Betty did the flower on the top :)

Mmmm. The cupcake is actually not that unhealthy; it has carrots in it (that has to count for something)! 

Isaac was not impressed and  a little unsure about the cupcake at first...

Then after exploring it some...

he decided it was quite a yummy treat!

It's been really nice having Jake's parents here and Ike has enjoyed the attention!

Ike tuning his first guitar

Ike loved his card!

I often think I couldn't love him any more and then I wake up to another day. Thank you, God, for continually growing my heart more than I could ever imagine.

Happy Birthday, Ike