answered

Prayers. it's always a YES, NO, or WAIT.......these prayers have been answered just as I hoped! God always knows best.... and His plan for us is perfect......my sis is gonna be a mommy too!

my text this morning from linds:
WE SAW THE HEARTBEAT!....baby is younger than we thought, just now 6wks. due OCT. 16.
...................CHARLOTTE IS GONNA HAVE A COUSIN!!!!! still praying for you though baby Leif. we can't wait to meet you and already love you sooooooo soooooooooooo much!


sis is gonna be looking like THIS soon! oooohhh i can't wait to see how cute and funky she's gonna be all preggers! I hope she sports a bikini with her belly hanging out! Lindsey, you are one girl who could pull it off!

.........and then, after the baby comes you will be looking like this. middle of the night feedings, when you wonder when exactly you are supposed to brush your teeth again, because there really is no sense of morning or night, and then you end up just not washing your body and not hair in the shower because it would take to long(and you just did it like 3 days ago...or when? no wait it was 4its all a blur), and what if the baby cries and you still have to condition? oh the crazy beginning is never ending yet goes so fast. I can't wait to experience your story with you sis!

good times. crazy times, but good times. it all goes soooooooooooo fast. every moment of mommyhood.

Grandpa too

Grandpa Ribbens also was here on Valentines Weekend... We love it that he has to come out to Southern CA every three months for his job.
Charlotte even got to wear her valentine dress from Grammy Ribbens to church and out to brunch with Kim, Tom, and Grandpa.

Here you were getting tired, lately you've been putting up a fight right before you fall asleep. I am glad I am getting to know your little quirks well, it helps me to feel a little more confident about taking care of you!

You've also been QUITE the drooler. I'm constantly wiping your sweet little drippy lippys.
and you and Daddy, what a cute combo. pictures like this make your mamma feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

and you with my daddy and your daddy. pretty neat.

Great warm sunny day. family. just hanging out. Full tummys. blessed. so very blessed.

Auntie Kim and Uncle Tom

We had a great Valentines weekend at our house! Aunt Kim and Uncle Tom came to visit....and meet their little niecey poo for the first time!
this first pic is the FIRST time that your aunt Kim held you. You are always a little unsure at first when you meet new people, you furrow your little brows and study them for a while before just jumping into a relationship.........but you liked your auntie Kim right away! you were nervous but you didn't fuss a bit....


and here you are thinking it's even kinda nice to sit on her lap
And Uncle Tom is pretty fun too.....he calls you silly pickles, and you like it.

and you just couldn't get enough of her. She and uncle Tom held you and played with you so much and you just loved every bit of it.

Look at you gazing at your auntie.

We were glad they decided to come see us. So much fun! We even took you to the beach for the first time (blog to follow). It was so nice to hang out, and we wish St. Louis wasn't so far away!

Praying

praying for you , sissy, and for your baby.

my heart hurts for you.

green dress

I can't help it. I know Charlotte looks like she dressed herself, but I just have way too much fun putting clothes on her and then before you know it, she looks like a beautiful disaster. As my grandma Lois would have said, "she's such a dolly"................and she is. She's my dress up doll. She's my little buddy. She's my audience. She laughes at me when I act silly. She looks at me like I'm the greatest thing in the world. I am SO BLESSED.


She got her cute little green dress from aunt Lindsey, they picked it up on their anniversary trip to Puerto Rico

She's my little green dressed drooling munchkin.

................and yes, those purple leggings do not match

and her uggs. wickedly cute and pretty funky for a little 3monther.

I made daddy take pictures of us before church last Sunday. My baby and me.

lovely gingies

..............Charlotte took an extra long mid morning nap so I could finally use the dough I made last Sunday night and make Valentine Gingerbread cookies! yay for gingerbread all year long, and not just at Christmas! Lindsey and I polished off the gingerbread cookies mom made us when she was out here before Christmas in no time.....and I have this really cool new mixer.........................and.....these remind me of my dear family so far away!

I am also excited to have Aaron's sis and her husband fly out here tomorrow..............hopefully they like gingies?

These two are the real reason my day is filled with love! Daddy was working from home a little this morning and he let Charley sit by him. She did start making noises during a phone call and Aaron had to tell the guy sorry. hehe. LOVE IT.

letters from daddy

Daddy's been gone for work quite a bit lately, while I was pregnant with you daddy and I would talk about how maybe he could take us with him and we could hang out when he has to stay in the hotel over night. Well, he left us on Sunday, but........
Charlotte, you are one special girl! you got a letter from your daddy this week, and it made mommy cry. I took you out to get the mail and sorted the letters, and came upon this one...at first I was a little confused, wondering why the Holiday Inn Express sent you a letter....oh your daddy is an awesome father (pretty darn cute too if you ask me). So I opened the letter and this is what it said:
Dear Charlotte, I miss you so much! Mommy was hoping that she could bring you along this time but we didn't get your stuff together in time. We need alot of things to take care of a little girl like you! Next time you can come up here with daddy. It's a desert up here. That means it's really dry and sandy, windy too. It's not as nice as the place we live in. But there are alot of things that you and mommy can do while I work. There is a shopping mall, a target store across the street(mommy likes those), and there is even a theater here like the one in Poway that has a special morning for little kids like you!
Remember to be a nice girl for your mommy, especially after dinner. I know you're tired then, and it's not nice to feel tired,but just listen to mommy's singing and close your eyes. We don't like it when you're not happy.
I can't wait to see you in a couple of days and hear about the fun things you did with mommy while i was gone! I love you! -Daddy
Sniffle sniffle, tear, sniffle.......for some reason this letter just makes me cry! Maybe it's just the fact that your daddy would even think to write you a letter like this, he just loves you soooo much! I love him! you got a good one, Charley Mae. I love our new little family! God is good.