Ezra's Birth Announcement

Back when Ezra was born, we debated about sending out a traditional birth announcement, like we did with Olivia and Gabriel. Well, I argued that we technically already did when I "live" blogged the delivery and posted all the pertinent info within 10 minutes of his birth. Rebecca still wanted to do a nice picture to show everyone, so we took this one:

(notice the #3 on his arm :)

For anyone who may have missed it, here's Ezra's birth stats

Ezra Joel Sarine

May 22nd, 2010 4:11pm EST

Weight: 7lbs 9oz

Length: 20 3/4 inches

Ezra at (a little over) One Month

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. Ezra is more alert, starting to interact more and holding up his head. My mother in law pulled out a baby picture of Jeremy the other evening and they look almost identical. :)

VBS fun

Olivia went to VBS at a local church last week. She had a great time! The theme was Saddle Ridge Ranch and Got Questions? Ask God! It included lots of crafts, fun and games, and lots of good scripture messages and songs. here are some of the song clips if you are interested in hearing them: http://http//www2.lifeway.com/vbs2010/yourvbs/index.php/multimedia/

Cloth Diaper Brothers

Aren't they cute?!

Gabe and Ezra are wearing the same cloth diapers. I just love the way those fluffy bottoms look! :) We switched to primarily using cloth diapers around Gabe's first birthday. With Ezra, I used disposable newborn diapers for about 3 weeks. I just bought two boxes and used those up. Now he too is in cloth diapers. I really enjoy them. They seem far more comfortable for the boys. I enjoy not throwing away all the used diapers. And I really don't find them too hard to take care of. We got one size diapers with snaps and inserts that self agitate out in the wash. Yes, there is definitely more laundry as we have to wash diapers about every 2 to 3 days. I am stuck on my Smartipants. We wanted to keep it all the same if we could.

Touch-A-Truck Day in Summerfield

The Town of Summerfield had a "Touch-A-Truck Day" today and so I brought the kids while mommy sold a bunch of stuff at a yard sale.

There were firetrucks, a semi, a dump truck, a motorcycle (sort of...2 wheels in front...), an Army Humvee, a garbage truck, a tractor, a police car and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement SUV. 

"How do we turn it on, daddy?"

The kids all wanted to know why you had to turn a handle to get the windows on this antique firetruck to go up...

The garbage truck was one of Olivia's favorites: "This is where they stand to ride!"

In the semi: "Daddy, there's a bed and a fridge and a tv in here! It's like a whole house!"

Thanks, Uncle Greg!

A few weeks ago, Uncle Greg taught Gabe to eat without hands.

Thanks, Uncle Greg. Thanks a lot.

Sleepy Baby to Awake Baby

Ezra has gone from sleeping most of the time to being more awake and alert. He seems to like evenings and nights best, of course. :)

3 days

8 days (or so)

19 days old

Baldwin Family Visit

On Memorial Day, I took the kids to my grandmother's house. My parents, aunts, and cousin met us there. It was a fun visit. Aunt B and Aunt Kelly, I am sorry I didn't catch you in any of my pictures. Hopefully Mallory has a few I can add. :)

A Surprise Trip

Jeremy's cousin got married in DC on May 29th. Due to Ezra's due date being the 28th, we didn't think we would make it. Since Ezra chose the 22nd instead, we decided to make a surprise trip to DC. We wanted to see Jeremy's siblings that live in other states and we don't often see as well as many of his other family members. It turned into a great surprise when we showed up at dinner on Thursday night. Thanks to facebook messages, we knew right where dinner would be that night. :) We got to spend all of Friday with family exploring DC and celebrating with the bride and groom at the rehersal dinner before heading back home.

At the Air and Space Museum

Carousel on The Mall

Cousins

Olivia's choice for a place to sleep at the hotel. Yes, thats a luggage cart. :) It was right near Gabe's pack n play. She told me she wanted to be near him.

Gabe at the rehersal dinner

At the zoo

What's in a Name?

A friend of mine did this post recently and it inspired me to look up the meanings to all of our names and share how our children received their names.

JEREMY: His name means "God will raise up; God will set free". Jeremy is an amazing husband and has been raised up as the leader of our household. I have been so blessed to see Jeremy seek after God for himself and our family. JR's middle name is Richard which is a family name.

REBECCA: Well, my name means "to tie or to bind". hmm, I am open to what that could really mean for me, although I don't want any smart remarks. ;) Actually, I pray that I am bound to my father God. I desire to know him more intimately each and every day. May I never unbind myself from the firm foundation that God offers me. "In Him I live and move and have my being" (Acts 17:28a) My middle name is Marie and it is a family name.

OLIVIA HOPE: Jeremy chose the name Olivia and I chose Hope. Olivia means "peace" and we desire that she be filled with a peace from God that will never go away and will sustain her through all of life. I chose Hope because I desired that she know the hope (confident expectation) that God gives and that she may keep her eyes on the things of God and not the things of this world. We also desire that she share that peace and hope with those around her. Olivia's hope flows out of her easily to those around her. She always sees God's hand in the world around her and tells others often. And she is definitely a little girl that has a peaceful heart. Olivia's bible verse is Psalm 33:22, "Let your unfailing love surround us Lord, for our hope is in you alone."

GABRIEL JOSIAH: Jeremy chose Gabriel and I chose Josiah. Gabriel means "God's able-bodied one; hero of God". It was the name of the angel in the bible who delievered God's message to Mary (about Jesus). Josiah mean "Jehovah helps" and in the bible Josiah was a boy king that turned his people back to God and pulled out the scriptures that had been forgotten and had them read to the people. We pray that he would serve God and that he would always lean on him for help. This is interesting because Gabe desires to do everything on his own and can become very upset when that doesn't work out for him. Little One, we desire that you learn to lean on God. Gabriel's bible verse is 1 Chronicles 16:11, " Look to the Lord and His strength. Seek His face always."

EZRA JOEL: Well, this time around we picked the names together. Ezra means "helper" and was a scribe in the bible. Joel means "Jehovah is Lord". Both are books in the bible. Ezra covers the time in when the Israelites returned from captivity and rebuilt the temple to worship God. Joel is a prophetic book that calls the people to repentance and speaks of the future blessing of God as he will pour out his Spirit on his people. We pray that God's word would be inscribed on your heart in a special way and that you would always worship Him and never turn away. May your ears be tuned to God's voice. We also pray that the Spirit of God would be powerful in your life and may you always remember that He is coming back. At this point, we have noticed that Ezra keeps a thoughtful expression most of the time and is quick to hear things around him. Ezra's bible verse is Ezra 7:28b, "I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me."

Mom, Dad, MIL and FIL, feel free to comment on how/why Jeremy and I received our names if you will. I'd love to know. I know that my dad prayed for my future husband and our family starting many years ago before our paths even crossed. I am thankful for the amazing family heritage that has been left to us on both sides.