Full to the brim with gratitude.

This morning, I woke up around 3:30am to go to the bathroom, as I do every morning. This morning however, my body and mind would not allow me to return back to sleep. I layed there in my bed, I watched my Beautiful Scarlett Paige sleeping so peacefully next to me. I couldn't stop thinking about how very much I love her. Every bit as much as the day we brought her home from the hospital. But really so much more than I did then. I am so grateful to have been there the day she said her first word..."hi", took her first step, got her first tooth and the first time she smiled at me.

Last night, I received some very saddening news that Joe's cousin's wife was killed in some sort of accident in the desert at the Rawlins family reunion. She was about our age and they had not yet the chance to bear children though they have been married several years. My heart as a pregnant mother ached for this loss. For her mortal life to be over having never been able to experience those joys.

Apart from this very sad news, Yesterday was such a wonderful day for me. My wonderful wonderful friend Lizette threw me the most fantastic baby shower ever. The food was amazing, and decor so beautiful. We played a word scramble and word search game with baby words and played the "guess how big my baby belly is" game. Lizette, with lots of help from her awesome Husband Paul made the most delicious cake! We still have lots more, please come over and help me eat it!

We had the party out on their back porch and between the two shade tents and afternoon shade of their tree and house, the weather could not have been better. I truly felt so blessed to have so many of my closest loved ones there. They were all so very generous to "shower" me with gifts!

Eloise will definitely have all of the nice things that a baby needs, and I already love her so much that I feel like my heart could burst at the seams.

Lizette had Joe bring his fancy camera, and I was a bit anxious that nobody would be able to figure out how to use it,but then it dawned on me that my fantastic friend Nina is a photography pro! She picked up that camera and became an instant event photographer. It was so fun looking through all the pictures after the party was over! There will definitely be a post to come with lots of pictures once I can get Joe to show me how to load them on the computer.

I even got to catch a post-shower Movie with some of my girls!! I am so grateful for Joe being willing to watch Scarlett so I could go, even though he has had a really tiring work week. We saw "Life as we know it" which of course also helped me to appreciate all the small and precious moments we get to share with our children.

Lots of love and gratitude to all who came on Saturday. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!