November Blue

I've fallen like the leaves ~ I'm warm beside your smile...

Those lyrics are mostly taken out of context, but they warm my heart & make me smile just the same. They're from the Avett Bros. song "November Blue". We first heard it sitting on the dewy grass at Walnut Creek, under the stars, stretched out on a blanket, holding each other close - the chill of fall finally in the air. At 39 weeks pregnant, we were emotional for the obvious reason but the beauty of this song brought us both to tears. Against Dr. advisement, I'm glad we had that moment under the stars - just us - before embarking on this newest chapter...

There's a lot I could say about Ella's arrival. But the sum of it would be that it was much better than anticipated. The labor and delivery were good, hospital stay got old, I missed John and I was so thankful when all of my family was finally able to sleep under the same roof. She's whole and healthy - we have been blessed with 2 beautiful, healthy children and we thank God each & every day for this. I love being home with her, getting to know her sweet face, seeing her grow & change a lil' each day. She's grunting on the floor here next to me as I type. To be so precious, she's by far the rootin'est tootin'est thing I've ever seen! I've taken to calling her "Tenacious E" - she does nothing half-way...you'll never not know when she wants/needs something - that I'm learning.

Most days, it's quiet on the home-front & I do miss John & Seth when they're not here. John continues to make us so proud. We can't help but smile when talking about him - he amazes and impresses us more each day. We confess that having him has made it so much easier to love and welcome Ella into our hearts. He's proof of the joy that awaits. We still find ourselves perched in the glider and stretched out on the floor in her room after putting John to bed. We're still basking in the glow of these beautiful angels - the littlest one now cradled lovingly in our arms. We're still dreaming of all the love & life that awaits. We're still laughing together - best friends who've been given the best things this life has to offer...

I have some big blue eyes staring hungrily at me - so I'm gonna wrap up. Just wanted to drop a note in the early days of this new month to say a quick "how we're doing". A final kinda funny...Seth has a "joy jar" that I gave him for Christmas last year. It was a homemade gift w.365 "joys" - one for each day. Yesterday's gave us both a chuckle - it was "A good night's sleep" - something that's kinda far & away for us these days. For the whole first year & a half of John's life - good sleep, also remiss. I told Seth I was probably laughing at the absurdity of that long lost "joy" as I was writing it!

At any rate, life's good. We're enjoying each other. We've enjoyed some visitors - bestowing company, good eats and heartfelt love & congratulations at our new addition. With family not close by, God has surely blessed us with good friends. My heart is warmed thinking of their thoughtfulness. Hope everyone's Fall is off to a good start. As the song on Nick Jr. says, "feels like I'm falling for Fall" - certainly ringing true. Even amidst the sleep deprivation - I'm certainly smitten right now...soaking it up like a sponge, for sure ~

My heart is dancin', to a November tune
And I hope that you hear it, singing songs about you...