Amelia Marie

before we get to the cute baby.... 

I just want to share that:

I'm quitting Facebook (at least for now, and maybe forever?) beginning tomorrow,

and I'm recommitting to my blog...

because I want to share real life with real friends & family, and not waste time reading about the 95% of my Facebook "friends" with whom I just don't have a real relationship. 

I'm also hoping to hear back more from you, 

my friends & family who are reading,

so please leave comments and/or shoot me an email!

I do hope you enjoy. 

And please, from what I can tell it's a compliment when people link others'  blogs to their own, but don't share mine. I'd rather it just be between me and you, real people I actually know and love.

Thanks (and gig 'em) (as all of my siblings would say).

The past two months:

in pictures.

Tim & I. For the last time.

Me in labor, headed to the hospital for the 3rd time on April 16th.

We were admitted shortly thereafter.

Amelia Marie Thomas on the first day of her life after birth.
(She was born at 4:24 a.m... at which point I had been awake for almost 48 hours, including a 2 hour hike and 30 hours of labor. Hooray redemptive suffering!)

Amelia means 'work of the Lord,' and she definitely is one.
So much love & gratitude.

After we slept for a few hours, the visitors began to arrive! 

Gina (our teammate) was very excited to meet the baby she watched grow all year.

Grandma Rose Thomas loves her first grandbaby.

Dressed up in the outfit I bought for her and the headband I made for her, ready to go home.

Two days old.

Being in a tiny little room for two days was rough.

Even with the cute little bundle.

I was so, so ready to go home.

I was never more grateful for our apartment than when we walked in with her.

Napping with Grandpa John Thomas

My Mom (who became a Grandma to a third lucky little girl!) came up a week later when Tim had to work for the weekend. Amelia's blurry, but I like this photo a lot for some reason.

Team offsite (end of the year wrap up) at the retreat house our priest's own.

First road trip at two weeks old.

Audrey visited! We were so grateful for her visit and her taking care of us!

Even if Amelia doesn't look like it in this photo.

We stopped at the Searle Farm in Indian and Amelia met her great-grandparents. 

Grandpa told me that his mother's Baptismal name was Velma Amelia Marie! So cool!

Amelia's name came from Tim's great-grandmother originally,

so now she's named after TWO great-great-grandmothers.

We made it home to Wichita, and my Dad was able to meet Amelia!

And get her to calm down, outside in the Kansas wind. 

Aunt Liz came up to meet her first niece when Amelia was one month old!

And on May 20th, our daughter became a daughter of God!

And she is blessed with wonderful godparents!

Her Grandma Searle sewed the gown out of Grandma Thomas's wedding gown, and I made the little rosettes.

I turned out beautifully and will be a treasured heirloom for sure!

Then we came to Illinois, where Amelia is the youngest baby (ex-utero) in attendance at FOCUS New Staff Training! And we got assigned to Pitt again this year. We're excited!

And suddenly, Amelia sleeps 6-7 hours per night.

Is EIGHT WEEKS old!

And, has become a drama queen.

Note the red face.

Our new trick is being perfectly happy, getting a tiny bit mad, holding our breath for 12 seconds, screaming once very loudly, and getting over it.

So cute. For now.

And with the magic of the swaddle and the pacifier, 

we are happy and peaceful again.

The End.

Better eight weeks late than never, right?