E-Man Update

This outfit came from Aunt Allison and Uncle Chris...they bought it big...and Ezra is almost long enough to fill it out!  He is growing SO FAST...see for yourself!

Ezra is going to be one month old on Wednesday!  Where did the time go?!?!?

Things I have learned in the last month:

• Ezra is W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L!
• Who knew a selfish human could love 4 kids so much?!?!?
• Six hours of sleep - even interrupted - is do-able, however undesirable!
• Ruth, Shalom, and Anna LOVE to help!  Anna will even go so far as to throw a fit if she wants to help and can't!  Such servants hearts!
• Final thought, but don't tell anyone:  I am capable of much more than I thought I was!

God has given me SO much.  Who am I that He is mindful of me?

Ezra and the Girls

 Ezra and his big sisters, the morning after he was born.

 A picture of the girls.  This picture was taken so my cousin could make a Christmas present for my Grandma.

Ezra, up close and personal.  Yes, his right eye is discolored.  Because his hand was right next to his face when he was born, it created a whole lot of pressure on his eyes.  Both eyes were red around the iris, but the right eyes was definitely the worst of the two.

A family picture.

Two weeks have past since we brought our Little Man home!  We are all SO glad he is part of our family, and I - for one - can hardly believe it has only been two weeks.  Feels like I have known him for a lifetime...and in reality, I guess I have...HIS lifetime.

Ezra Nehemiah Larson 12-15-10

I sit on the love seat in wonder.  God has given me a Little Man!!

We went to the weekly midwife visit...10 days post due date.  The midwife (Robin) gave us our options, and two little bottles.  I was 5 to 6 cm.  She didn't want to just break my water, because that was no guarantee to start contractions.  She instead had given us an enema bottle, and castor oil as two options of getting things started...and then she stripped my membranes REALLY WELL!

We left discussing our options and ran some errands.  Our second stop coincided with some cramping that came and went...every 7 minutes.  By the time we were leaving stop #2, they had gone down to 6 minutes, and 15 minutes into our 30 minute drive home...they were 3-5 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds.  All this took place from...2-3:30pm EST.  We got the girls home and settled with our neighbors/landlord, and left the house at 4pm.

The next few hours flew and dragged at the same time.  Contractions puttered around at 5 minutes apart for a good long time...I had to stand to get them to do anything.  By the way, when we arrived, I was at 7cm.   After a while she checked me again, and I was at 8.5cm with a definite cervical lip all the way around.  Robin (mw) suggested standing in the shower...after 1 contraction I opted to fill the bathtub - with jets!  The contractions were good and strong, and I could readily believe/imagine/picture them as a turtleneck being pulled over the Baby's head.

I felt the need to get out of the tub (I know, right...I wouldn't have believed it either).  The second my feet hit the floor...Josh became my pillar as a contraction hit me H-A-R-D!  I made it to the bed, had another big one, and then the midwife checked me.  She had me push...and then after that contraction - it was show time!  Josh did a great job giving me a play-by-play - I didn't really listen though till he said the words "I can see it's head!"  Next came a BIG push...then no pushing in order to ease the head out.  Robin took one look at the size of his head and KNEW he was a big boy!  With the next push Josh mentioned a cheek and a...HAND!  (just like big sister, Anna)  The the shoulders and then..."IT'S A BOY!!!!"  Our little Help and Comfort of Jehovah, Ezra Nehemiah had arrived!

He has a big mouth and small ears (Shalom) and...DARK hair like Mama!  His face was all bruised as he turned in the canal, then after his head came out, and then again after his shoulders were out...our little Corkscrew!

Ezra Nehemiah 9lb 10 oz  20.5 in. long Born at 8:05pm

Preggo Shot 37w4d

It's mid-November...aka, Happy Birthday, My Love!

Sheesh.  Life flew by...and I don't even remember blinking.

We are in the apartment, 95% settled.  The only things we really need to unpack are the Baby clothes...maybe tomorrow!  : P  It has been emotion city here the last week or so.  Josh is working now, which is a very good thing (I shall explain), and the girls are missing him something awful!  As a good friend tried to tell me, all the upheaval of the last month - even the time-change - and the new Baby coming is messing with us all...big time.

God has provided a van for the Larsons!  A friend from CMTS has a van that needs the transmission rebuilt (which this friend does very well!).  We will be getting the van for...the cost to rebuild the transmission!  And God is TOTALLY providing for that with Josh's job!  Seriously, in one month...we have a van worth $6000 PAID FOR based on the cost to rebuild the transmission.  You can find out what Josh is installing by checking out this site!  Josh - hired as part-time/full-time being his choice - has been working some long hours, being gone 12 hours (give or take half an hour) every day for two weeks.  That is a long time for my girls who love their Papa so!

Speaking of our wonderful Papa...today is his 31st birthday!  So, in honor of the wonderful Man God has given me, I am going to post my favorite pictures of him and his Girls!  Enjoy!

Taken in a Mall's photo booth.  Ruth and Shalom spotted it, and a friend pushed Josh into it, and paid for the pics.

Engaged.  Probably about 8 weeks before we got married.  We were "reunited" after a separation of 3 weeks while on a medical missions trip to Haiti in Jan/Feb of 2005.

Our first "family picture" taken before we took our little 2mo Ruthie~Bear to Israel...by ship!

Family picture from 2008.  We were the "models" for a friend taking pics at a mutual friends wedding.

Early 2009...Spring, maybe?

Josh spending time with our new little Anna~Bear.

June of 2010.  Final family pic...Littlest Baby Larson was still quite hidden at the time.  Picture taken at a friends home in West Virginia.

Next blogpost explosion should be in another two or three weeks!  Next up on our agenda...the Announcement of Baby Larson #4!!!!

Fairview Hotel (aka It's been a while...)

It has been a long time since I last wrote.  A whole lot has happened since I wrote the post sharing the lesson Ruth (well, mostly Mama) learned.

The Larsons are moving.  As of Sept. 23, we are no longer working with CMTS.  We have spent the last month packing up our home, and working on the apartment we will be moving into.  The above picture is an O-L-D picture of where we will be living.  It is the Fairview Hotel built in the 1850s.  Some friends from church own this house, and are graciously allowing us to live on the 2nd floor.  We will be using outside access to get in and out of the apartment.

The  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G  carrot we got out of our garden.

 Mamas and their Babies.  (Non-negotiable Baby name options on the Fridge next to Mama)

My Big Girls

 The cuteness called Anna!

A Gentle Reminder from My 4 Year Old

Wednesday night, Josh was dishing out sorbet for the girls to eat whilst I read to them. Ruth - as I braided her hair - was telling her Papa how much ice cream to give her, and to make sure it was... a lot. I quietly reminded her that Papa was a kind Papa and would not be stingy with this treat.

Suddenly - like a lightening bolt - it hit me that God is the same with us. How many times have I specified how much of a "gift" or good thing I want from Him - the Giver of good things - and fail to remind myself that God is NEVER stingy ...with His good gifts?

Doesn't the Bible say that every good and perfect gift comes from our Father in heaven?

Papa lovingly protecting AND teaching his girl.