Going to the Outlets

This weekend was Finley's first trip (of many) to the outlet mall!! She wanted to wear her new Zutano outfit and matching bow & although both are still a little big, mommy gave in & let her. Doesn't she look so cute though?

Granna and Papa came to visit!!

I am so glad that my Granna and Papa came to visit me this last weekend. Even though they only got to stay for less than 48 hours it was so fun to have them here. I don't think I was put down 1 time!! They are the best and I can't wait to visit them next week and see where they live.
-Finley

Happy Birthday Love!!

Happy one month birthday to our sweet baby girl! One month ago today marked the happiest day of my life when I met Finley Grace and fell in love instantly. In some ways I can't believe that it's been a whole month since I looked at her sweet face for the first time but in other ways it seems like she has been here forever and it's hard to remember life without her. I think she smiled at me for the first time yesterday which melted my heart.... and it might have been just gas?? and last night during bath time she made a couple of coos sounds . It seems like she is changing so much each day and I wish that I could just bottle it all up. I can't wait for her to laugh, sit up, reach for me and all the fun stuff yet to come. I feel so privileged to get to be her mom and I love waking up each morning and serving her.

Richard and I have learned so much about being parents this last month--- some things have been fun and others have been more challenging but we have loved it all. We have bonded as a family and many happy and grateful tears have been shed. It's hard to describe the love you have for your children until it's right before you. We feel so blessed and are learning more each day about each other.

Ah..... Ah..... CHOO!!

Who knew a sneeze could be so darn cute????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojBswCM5wsA

Daddy and Finley Time

I just love to watch Richard with Finley. He is such a wonderful father and he loves her so much. He has even become an expert diaper changer and swaddler!! Here are some images I've captured of them together.

Fun Weekend

We had a fun laid back weekend with good friends, food and many photos taken. Friday night our friends Ben and Courtney came over to meet Finley and we got take out PF Changs and watched "The Notes from the Underbelly" (how appropriate!!). And then Saturday Tom and Katie came over to finally meet Finley and brought us good Lasagna and all the fixins. We miss them so much since they moved to Bethesda and we love it when they come visit. Finley approved of both couples with 2 thumbs up!!!

Rub a dub dub....

Finley has finally embraced bath taking... which is a good thing. She despised being naked in any way during the first few weeks but now she doesn't mind it so much. She's getting to be such a big girl!! Here are some of her latest bath pics..... Enjoy!

Dear Finley.....

I hold you in my arms, young princess. You sleep in sweet, heavenly peace. Yet I wonder if you'd be so calm if you knew the truth: I am your mother. And I don't have the slightest idea what I'm doing. You are my first baby, my only daughter. I was just getting used to being pregnant, and now here you are! And you are so very, very real.

Your dad and I have been preparing for your arrival for months. I've read the books Well, some of them. A few pages. I've listened to my friends, who give me endless advice. They're all experienced, you know, because they have their own babies. But, you're different. You're my baby. And they don't know a thing about you.

I do. I know all about the way you kick and wiggle. I've already memorized the way you smell, like a fresh from the earth daffodil. I know about the way your lower lip quivers when you're about to cry. I know that your wispy hair is the most luxuriously soft thing that has ever touched my cheek.

Yet I admit that there's much I don't know. In the hospital I had to be instructed how to nurse you. Last week my mother showed me how to bathe you in the sink. I don't have a clue how to clear up diaper rash. I get queasy at the sight of blood. I don't sew. I 'm not good at salt dough maps. My math skills are atrocious. And you might as well know right up front that wiggly teeth give me the heebie-jeebies.

However, I am very good at baking cookies. I know how to make indoor tents on rainy days. And I have my mother's wonderful sense of humor, so I know how to laugh and make you laugh. I'll sing you sweet songs in the night. I'll pray for you every day. I'll let you keep any animal you catch, as long as you feed it. I'll call your imaginary friends by their first name. I'll put love notes in your lunch box, and I'll swim with you in the ocean, even when I'm old. Perhaps the best thing about being your mother is that I get to share these privileges with the most incredible man in the world....your father.

Any credentials I have to offer can't be earned over coffee with friends...they can't be taught by a book. to me they are tender intuitions, whispers from God, eternal insights only a mother can know when her baby is cradled in her arms as you are now in mine. This is where the Lord will teach me how to mother you by heart.
I love you!

**This was forwarded to me from a friend and although I did not write it I could not have said it better myself.

To all you American Idol fans out there....

Finley is for Blake Lewis all the way!! We have ourselves a Blaker girl!!

Happy 2 Week Birthday Finley Grace!!

I can't believe how much she has changed in just 2 weeks that we have known her. Today is my first day home alone with her and I must say I am a little nervous. My mom left on Sat. morning and we already miss her (and I think that she misses us too!!) We have had many firsts this past week... first trip to the mall, first trip to starbucks, seeing the Easter bunny for the first time, first trip downtown to see the cherry blossoms, first real bath, and many more. I think I have found my true calling in life.... and I'm loving every minute.

Finley had her 2 wk check up today and she is back over her birthweight at an massive 6lbs. 9oz. and they said that she looked perfect. We feel so blessed!! We are just falling more and more in love with her everyday!!

Where does all this love come from?

"The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy" --Psalm 126:3

As many of you already know, our new love, Finley Grace, arrived Monday morning (3/19) at 9:33 a.m. and weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz. and is absolutely perfect. I am so sorry that I haven’t posted before now but I am just too busy staring at my beautiful baby. I am so overwhelmed with how much I love this little 6 lb. bundle and I can’t imagine life without her now.

I have loved every minute of this past week. From spending time with family to just being with my baby at all hours of the night. I love seeing Richard cradle and kiss her and believe it or not he’s even pretty good at changing diapers. Below I wrote the Story of Finley and how she arrived into this world... enjoy.


Finley’s Story
We feel so incredibly blessed! After a really easy labor of only 2 hours (yes, start to finish) Finley arrived and was extremely healthy. I spent the night in the hospital on Sunday night so that I would be ready to go in the morning when they were to start the pitocin (drug that induces labor) at around 8 the next morning. They gave me a cervadil the night before to help get my cervix ready and I guess that was all I needed. I woke up the next morning just in time to start watching the Today Show and noticed that I had a few light cramps. Then at around 7:30 they began to get worse and in the matter of 10 minutes I was having full on contractions. The nurse came in and checked me and found that I was already 7 cm dilated. She ordered my epidural and the anesthesiologist came in around 8:30 and I think I have decided that whoever invented that should win the Noble Peace Prize. By 9:10 I was completely relaxed and feeling no pain. Shortly after I was comfortable the Dr. came in a checked me and found that I was ready to push. My water had not broken yet so she broke my water and I was ready to push at around 9:30. After just 4 pushes Finley had arrived at 9:33! It was such an amazing feeling to finally lay eyes on her and we all fell in love instantly. Richard and my mom were such great coaches and I’m so glad they were there in the room to help welcome Finley into the world. I’ll post some pics below but finleyvanhook.com has the whole scrapbook.

Thanks to everyone who has prayed for our daughter. Your prayers were heard and the Lord has blessed us beyond our imagination.

My mom with Finley

My dad with Finley

Ready to go home

Richard's mom and sisters

Richard's dad and stepmom

Her cute mittens

Going home outfit

Shower for Finley

Here are a few pics from the lovely shower my friends up here threw me and Finley. It was so much fun. They had lots of fun games and lots of good food. I love these girls and am so glad the Lord has placed them in our life to be our "family" while we are up here! It's so fun to see other people get excited about the birth of your child.

Finley got lots of fun, girly things!!

Katie and me! (a little swollen!)

Partaking in the goodies!

Katie smelling the baby food.

Trying to identify the "dirty" diapers.

Yes, we had to try baby food... it was a very humbling experience!

38 Week update

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Well the countdown is on. I am officially entering my final week of pregnancy. I have so many mixed emotions. I'm so ready to meet her, but I have really enjoyed being pregnant. Although my waddle has hit an all-time peak, my legs cramp a lot, my toes look like little smoky sausages, I have to use the bathroom constantly, I don't think Richard would say I'm as sweet as I used to be, my ankles are now "kankles", my bootie.... well, I won't even go there, I find that I don't mind at all.

I am so thankful for this little miracle inside of me. I love feeling her move and kick and I think I will really miss it. I can't wait for Richard to feel and get to know her like I have these past months. I want treasure every memory that we have had with this 1st pregnancy..... telling Richard, feeling nauseous every minute of the day the 1st trimester, seeing the heartbeat for the first time, feeling her kick for the 1st time, hearing the doctor say "it's a girl!", watching my body change and transform to provide for her.....It's all been so exciting!

Richard and I have tried to cram as much as we can into this past final weekend without children or family here. I have found that I have had this sudden burst of energy and I want to make sure everything gets done before she arrives. We cleaned the house good, completed the nursery, (except for the bed which is on backorder, so it's won't we here until a week after she is born) and ran errands that needed to be done. We also went on our final date, but it seemed every other thing out of our mouth was "Can you believe we're about to be parents?" or "I can't believe you're/I'm pregnant?" .... I guess it won't really set in until she's here.

I'm supposed to be induced a week from today, the 19th.
Please pray that she will wait till then so our family can all be here and for a healthy and safe delivery. Thanks for all your prayers thus far.
We will post as soon as she arrives!!

My Love

I have found the one whom my soul loves. Song of Solomon 3:4


Although I rarely give "shout outs" to Richard, I feel like it is probably long overdue and
I can't think of a better day to do it than today. I don't know if its all the hormones that are going through me or just the fact that I realize now more than ever how much he does for me and loves me.

It's crazy to think back when we got married almost 5 years ago and how young we were. I thought then that I couldn't love him more than I did that day but I look at him today and I think that I didn't love him very much compared to today. I hope that it's always like this and I will always love him more tomorrow than today. It's so neat to look back and see how the Lord has planned every step that we have taken together and how much we have learned, how much we changed, how many mistakes we have made, and how very blessed we are.

Richard is everything that I ever pictured my husband would be and he makes me such a better person. He has been absolutely wonderful throughout my entire pregnancy and even loves to go out for late night cravings with me- you can't get any better than that!! I can't wait to see him as a father. I know that he will be wonderful.... he already is. He talks to Finley every morning and occasionally I will get him to bust out in song for her(he'll kill me for sharing that!). He loves to feel her moving and kicking and says the sweetest prayers for her. We know that our lives are about to drastically change and we are ready (sorta), but I am so thankful for the past 4 1/2 years we have grown together just as a couple.

Happy V-day Richie... I love you!!

32 Weeks and Counting....

As the days are decreasing, that darn number on the scale keeps increasing.... I can't seem to figure it out. This week I went to the Dr. (gained 4 more pounds in 2 weeks) and she scheduled an induction date of March 19th. Wow... hearing that date makes it all that more real to both Richard and I. I requested a date so that our families could be here and luckily she was fine with it so 7 Weeks from tonight I will be in the hospital getting ready to explode, I'm sure, in more ways than 1.

I've been saying for months now that I am so ready for her to get here just so I can meet her and touch her (and also to be more comfortable) but really there are so many things about being pregnant that I have really loved. I love feeling her move around. I feel so connected to her and I just love feeling her respond to my laughter and movement. There are so many things that I find myself wondering about.... Does she like the sounds of our voices? Does she like it when we sing to her? Does she think we're weirdos? So much to think about and worry about in the days to come so please continue to pray for us as we prepare for this new chapter in our lives. We are so excited but very overwhelmed at the same time.

We got a 3-D ultrasound a few weeks ago and here are a couple of the images we got... I think she's gonna be a cutie (and very active)!!

Nursery

The beginning of the nursery transformation has officially begun. We finished painting the bubblegum pink room last week and I have a couple checked off the list. I'm a little stressed because the bed and glider are not supposed to be in till the week she is born so keep your fingers crossed that they will get here on time. We have much more that has to be done to make sure that the princesses room is perfect so I'll be posting as we complete each task.

"Before you were conceived I wanted you. Before you were born I loved you. Before you
were here an hour I would die for you. This is the miracle of love." - Maureen Hawkins