The NEW Leah

So, my sister Leah has been staying with me for a week and tonight she decided to cut her hair off!  Here's the before and after pictures.  She hasn't had her hair cut since 7th grade!  Doesn't she look hot?

Bling Baby & Rock Star

"Grandma Sue" bought these shirts for Wyatt and Annelise.  Thanks!

Update from Zambia

Here is an update I received from Matt and his team.  Thanks for praying!

Things are going great over here. We've had a full weekend. On Saturday we worked on several houses. We demolished a house that was half down, moved brick and poured a cement floor. Needless to say,  we were pretty tired that night. The team is healthy and enjoying the people here and playing with kids as well as  experiencing a  unique worship-style at church. I had the opportunity to preach in church yesterday. 

All the students are soaking in the culture and enjoying one another. Continue to pray for strength and endurance as we go to a remote village and hold a youth rally. Painting and futbol are on the agenda as well. Give all the parents our greetings and love.

~ Matt, for the team

Day Four

Since Daddy's been gone, Annelise has progressed by leaps and bounds!  Here's a few new things she's doing lately...

• She found her fist and now loves to "eat" it constantly!
• She is a TV junkie.  Someone please help me.  The child loves the boob tube.
• She can play with toys!!!  We bought a new swing and a carseat toy - both of which she can reach out and touch the toys.  We sometimes here a giggle from the back seat.
• She sleeps through the night.  I had to blog about this one, because Matt will never believe it.  She slept 10 hours the night he left and another 10 the next night.  Since, she's been sleeping at least 7 hours at a time.  Mommy loves it!

We also went to visit my Aunt Sue and cousin Angie this weekend.  It was a lot of fun seeing cousins Ty and Wyatt.  We'll hopefully post pictures soon (when Ang emails them to me *hint hint*).

Day One

Daddy's gone and Anne slept through the night last night!  Let's pray she keeps this up.  Mommy might experience the best nights of sleep in nearly 3 months - all while daddy is half way around the world!

Keep praying for Matt and his team.  United Airlines cancelled 52 flights out of Chicago last night - one of which was supposed to take our Zambia team to London!  Fortunately, they got all 8 travelers on another airline.  I won't hear until later this weekend whether or not they made it. But, as always, no news is good news.

We'll keep you posted!

A Few Days

Matt leaves for Zambia this Wednesday.  For those of you that read this blog, we would appreciate your prayers for:

• Safe travel - they are taking 5 students with 4 adults.  Its a good ratio, but there is always risk of someone getting lost when traveling that long.
• Safety in country - they will be doing manual labor after Katrina-like disasters have struck Zambia.  Dehydration, illness and fatigue will all be factors during this trip.
• Spiritual renewal - for both the team and the people they minister to.  Many of the villagers they will visit are stricken with HIV/AIDS and haven't had visitors in months. Our team will be a fresh breath to them during their struggle.  Pray also that the students will be encouraged spiritually - and challenged to grow in their faith and relationship with Christ.
• Pray for Annelise and I.  We will be home for 10 days without Matt.  My sister Leah will be staying with us to help out.  Pray that God would keep us safe and that the baby would do well for me.  

Thanks in advance for your faithful prayer support!  We'll keep you posted as we hear from the Zambia team in the coming days.

Blondie?

No, I'm not talking about the dessert (for those of you wired like me)!

Do you think my kid is going to be blond?  I was looking at the comparison of these two pictures and it seems like her hair is getting lighter.  Who would have thought that I would have a blond haired, blue-eyed girl!

My Ornery Little Girl

Annelise hasn't been feeling like herself lately.  She is very congested, which has turned my once happy baby into a rather ornery one.  One minute she's laughing - and two seconds later she bursts into tears.  Being the kind mommy that I am, I took some pictures of her in action.

HAPPY...

NOT SO HAPPY...

REALLY NOT HAPPY.

Shots

Yesterday was a sad day for us.  Annelise went for her 2-month doctor's visit and had to get 5 shots!  I knew it was going to be sad, but I didn't realize how hard it would be for me.  Two nurses held her down to give her the shots simultaneously and Matt stood by her head, calming her.  Mommy hovered in the corner, fighting tears and praying her "silent screaming" would stop and she would begin breathing again.  As soon as they were done, they said "Ok, someone hold her."  That's all I needed to hear.  I scooped her up and cuddled her for most of the night.  One good outcome was that she slept 10 hours last night!  So, we all got some rest after the big ordeal.

By the way...she's now 10 pounds exactly and 23 inches long.  Tall and skinny like her aunts!

My Coworker

A New Cousin

Congrats to James & Pam Wickman (my cousin) on the birth of their first child.

Evan Philip Wickman was born this morning weighing 8 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 1/2 inches long.  Welcome to this wonderful world!

9 pm - 6 am

Annelise slept through the night!  I think that's all I need to say...

Lots Going On

Another Sunday has gone by and I can't believe we're starting another week. Not much is new around the Neal household. Annelise has been sleeping really well lately. She finally dropped her late night feeding and is only getting up once in the night. Mom is certainly happy about that - although dad doesn't seem to notice it much! She's also been a much happier baby - content to lay on her play mat. She's beginning to notice her toys now and is starting to laugh. We're really beginning to enjoy her smiles and interaction.

Today, we said goodbye to our pastor of 13 years. Pastor Mark took the lead pastor position at College Park Church in Indianapolis. It's a wonderful opportunity for their family and will allow Mark to spend more time teaching and writing. We have truly enjoyed being under Mark's teaching and shepherding for so many years. We know that God has something wonderful planned for our church very soon!

In other exciting news...our school is celebrating the ground breaking of their new high school facility tomorrow evening. I graduated from Calvary 8 years ago and have anticipated this day for many years. It's so exciting to be a part of this expansion. A new school building will allow us to minister in more unique ways to both our students and the community around us. God has finally blessed us with that opportunity! Matt will start the 08-09 school year in a brand new building. He might even have his own classroom!

Lastly, as many of you know, Matt leads the high school spring break trip to Zambia, Africa each year. This year he will be traveling with 5 students and 3 other leaders April 2-11. Annelise and I aren't looking forward to daddy being gone for that long (and I'm sure he's not looking forward to leaving us either). But, we're excited at the opportunity he has to minister in this unique way. Please pray that God would keep him and his team safe during their travels, that they would have an effective ministry, and that they would be able to raise the remaining funds needed to go. If you would like more info about this trip - or would like to know how you can be a part of making it happen - please feel free to email Matt. Here's a picture of their team.



Well, I'll post more pictures/video of Annelise tomorrow. She is growing so quickly!

My Twin?

My friend Kate posted a blog yesterday about my "secret double life."  I guess the cat's out of the bag.  Don't tell Matt.

Sunday Blues

What an oxymoron!  I know, I know...Sunday is supposed to be a day of rejoicing and rest.  It's the Sabbath, right?  Why is it then that we find it ok - and even praiseworthy - to fill our Sundays with church meetings galore? I used to feel bad about sleeping in on Sunday mornings or skipping out on small group.  If the doors were open, I should be there.  Now that I have a young child, I have seen the light.  The light of Scripture that is.  We're to keep the Sabbath holy.  Resting in the Lord.  This day is supposed to be different from all of the other days of the week.  But, too often we get up early, rush to church, subject our children to a rigorous schedule of Sunday school and worship, rush home for a quick bite to eat, run out the door to a Missions meeting, change our clothes and head out to small group, then get home and frantically prepare what we need for the next day at work.  If I'm lucky, I can find 30 minutes on a Sunday relaxing.  But, all too often, the only rest I find is 15 minutes in the rocking chair, nursing my child.  How did we let it get this way?  Sometimes I feel like we're guilted into this busy lifestyle by the church.  Like the more we participate in, the holier we are?  Of course, no one would EVER say this out loud.  But don't we think it in our hearts?  "We missed you at church last Sunday" or better interpreted as "Where were you?  Sleeping in?!"  At which time I find myself making up some excuse like, "the baby didn't feel well" or "we had a rough week." Why can't I just say "We felt like getting some rest and spending time as a family." Fortunately, this Sunday, I am home for a few hours in between church and small group.  My daughter is actually napping in her crib (rather than the car seat) and I'm sipping a cup of tea as I write this. BUT, my husband is at a Missions meeting and when he gets home, we'll turn around and head out to small group.  Do any of you ever feel this way?

This is How We Roll...

Annelise is a great office companion.  We spent most of the day at a fundraising event for the Mission.  She was held by just about every woman in the room.  Trust me, she loved it!  Now, we're home and mommy is finishing up a few projects before we call it a day.  Here's a few pictures of "how we roll" in the office together.

Update: First Day Back to Work

The work day is finally coming to a close for me  at 8pm.  My first day back was...interesting.  Oh how the tables have turned.  It used to be a day in the office was filled with accomplishments and coming home was full of distractions.  I must say that today was quite the opposite.  My babysitter happens to be in the Florida this week, so my normal Tuesday morning in the office was filled with baby's cries, wet diapers, and much more!  Anne had to come to work with me today.  It was crazy - I felt like I got nothing done.  BUT...we came home around 2pm and I got more accomplished in the next two hours than I did all morning at the office.  She slept soundly in her crib while I hurriedly typed emails, designed brochures and created "to do" lists, never knowing when her whimper would turn into a full fledged screech.  She slept the entire time - THANK YOU LORD!  So, overall, how did my day go?  Very well!  Thank you for your advice and for praying!  I made detailed lists for the day and it seemed to help immensely.  Now, we'll see how tomorrow and Thursday go...

Back to Work Jitters

This post is probably a little premature, but I wanted to get some advice from you ladies, so I thought I'd post it today.  I'm headed back to work on Tuesday and I'm feeling a little nervous about the transition.  In the last few days, I've felt extremely overwhelmed with the thought of balancing work responsibilities, my child's needs, my husband's needs, my own needs, cleaning the house, doing the laundry - the list goes on.  I think part of my concern is that I'm going to be doing what was a 40 hour a week job, in 25 hours mostly from home.  I know several of you that read this blog have gone back to work since having your baby.  How do you do it?  Any tips on how I can maintain my sanity (if there is any left) and do a good job at all of this?  My fear is that I will be stretched so thin, I won't be good at anything.  If you know me, I hate to let people down and I'm afraid my quality of work will suffer, having to tend to a child each day - although she does have to be my first priority.  I welcome any and all advice!  

Don't Laugh - Daddy Dressed Me

It appears our friends and family know Matthew all too well.  We received not one, not two - but THREE of these onesies saying "Don't Laugh Daddy Dressed Me!"  

Diggs Visit

Matt's cousin Dawn and her family came to visit Annelise yesterday.  It was so nice to see them all.  Here are some pictures for the family to see!

Annelise Smiles

Here is a clip of Annelise smiling for the camera.  I am really annoying in this video, but it was the only way I could get her to smile.  So, if you need to mute your computer, I don't blame you. Matt and I decided that once Anne gets old enough to understand what the word "beautiful" means, we should probably stop calling her it so often.  We don't want our daughter to think more highly of herself than she is!

HELP!

Please tell me what I'm doing wrong.  Annelise is 5 weeks old today and she seems to have regressed in her sleeping habits.  For a while, she was sleeping 4-5 hours at a time during the night.  Last night (the worst yet), she slept a total of 3 hours - and they weren't consecutive.  I ended up sleeping in the guest room with the monitor, so Matt didn't have to wake continually to her crying.  Am I doing something wrong?

One solution I've thought of is to put her to bed after her 8pm feeding.  We typically let her stay up until her 11pm feeding, because she's wide awake.  Do any of you have any insight?  I go back to work in one week (and counting) and I'd like to get some sort of schedule in order.

On a positive note, she's eating like a champ and has established a great feeding schedule. Here's a picture of her first smile (captured on camera).  Yes, she looks a little cross-eyed because of a toy I was holding above her head.  

Uploading Videos

I finally got around to uploading videos of Annelise.  I haven't done it lately, because it takes so long to upload on blogger.  Does anyone else have this problem?  Or is it just me?We have high speed wireless internet at home, so I'm not sure what the problem is.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong?  If you have any ideas, let me know.  

Candace, Cydney, Janelle...I know you all post videos.  Does it take you forever to do?

The Nursery is Finally Finished!

Wow!  What a crazy busy week.  With all the snow up here, we enjoyed the first two days of the week home with daddy.  I haven't wished for a snow day so much since I was in high school. But, now that my husband's a teacher, I secretly pray for them all the time!

We finally bought a used crib for Anne and put it up yesterday.  With all the craziness of life, we just haven't had time.  So, her nursery is finally complete!   

We love all the bright colors.  And yes, this is my little girl, kicking and screaming in her new crib.  Grateful little brat, isn't she?

Oh and here's Annelise with her new little friend, Acacia Joy.  Acacia's mom, Lisa, and I were best friends all through high school.  This is her second little one - born just a week and a half after Anne.  We were hoping to spend some time in the hospital together, but Anne came too early.  Here they are sleeping in their car seats next to each other.  I have a feeling this is the calmest picture we'll get of the two of them...ever!

Nanny & Papa Visit

Matt's parents were here over the weekend for their first visit with Annelise.  Boy did they spoil her!  She not only got to sleep on the couch with them, but she also enjoyed being rocked to sleep and picked up at every whimper.  She was cuddled more than any child should be and was definitely sad to see them go.  Matt was a proud papa showing off his little girl to his parents.  Now, we're all recovering.  Anne is getting used to sleeping in her crib again - and mom and dad are getting used to less sleep. 

A New Template

I finally gave in to the temptation and changed my blog template.  I saw so many of you update yours and you know I can't pass up an opportunity to "upgrade" anything.  So, this is our new design.  What do you think?  Hopefully it'll be a fresh, eye-pleasing change for those of you that read our blog often.

And, I wouldn't dare post without including a recent picture of Annelise.  So here you go!

What a peanut!  She looks so much like her daddy.

We Don't Shake Our Baby

Matt took this picture and when we pulled it up on the computer, we had a good laugh.  You see, Anne has two toys that hang from her swing.  We forgot to remove the "shake me" tag from one of them.  It happened to be the focus of this picture, where Anne is crying.  Ironic.  And yes, very funny.  And no, we don't shake our baby.

First Bath

Ok, so before you think I'm a bad mom - or gross for that matter, let me explain.  This isn't really Anne's first bath.  But, it was her first bath without tears.  Normally when we give her a bath, she screams, literally.  She hates to be cold and naked - which is something I don't mind (especially when she's older).  But right now, even changing her diaper initiates torture like sounds from our little princess.  So, this was rare occasion in our household and we hope it continues.  Aren't bathing babies yummy?

Mom-Do

Every new mom needs a new "do" right?  Well, here's mine!

Peace

Sleep:  does it get any better than this?

Cousins, Cousins

This weekend, Annelise and I went on our first outing since her arrival.  It was a big deal!  We drove 3 hours to my cousin Pam's baby shower.  Pam is due to have her little guy in just 5 weeks.  My cousin Angie also just had her baby, Wyatt James, on January 23rd.  It was fun to get the three cousins together in a few pictures, with the babies.  

Congrats Pam and Angie!

Cousins: Angie and Wyatt, Pam with baby inside, Rachael and Annelise

Cousin Pam with Wyatt James and Annelise Louise

Could they look any different?  They both look like their daddies!

Angie holding Annelise and Rachael holding Wyatt

Wyatt was born 3 weeks early and is about a pound and a half smaller than Annelise.  I thought she was small, but he is tiny!

Gas

Help!  This is the face of one unhappy little girl.  My sweet precious baby seems to have a bad case of gas.  If you read my post earlier this week, I thought it was due to some salsa I had eaten.  But, the gas hasn't gone away.  I can only assume its gas, because she arches her back, straightens her legs and lets out the world's worst blood curdling scream.  Its heart wrenching.  I've been giving her Mylicon gas drops for about a day now, but they don't seem to be helping.  I've pumped her legs, rubbed her belly, padded her back...any ideas?  I don't want to be too quick to call my pediatrician.  But, that's my next resort.  Have any of you struggled with this?  (As an FYI, she is having a normal number of wet/dirty diapers.  So, I know its not constipation.)

Otherwise, life at home is great.  We're still in the midst of a snow storm, but are inside, staying warm.  Hope you're all enjoying your Friday!  TGIF!

Awake

I'm sure the day will come when I wish my daughter would sleep during the day.  But right now, she seems to sleep ALL DAY LONG!  Yesterday, Aunt Leah came over to visit with Annelise.  She was awake the whole time.  So, here are some pictures of her with eyes wide open.  It doesn't happen often.

Baby Update

Annelise is growing, growing, growing!  Yesterday, she discovered her hands and learned how to hold her pacifier in her mouth, all on her own.  Now, if she could only learn to grab it and stick it in during the night. 

We also received a wonderful gift in the mail today.  Friends from California sent a "seaside" outfit for Annelise to wear.  It's absolutely adorable!  She's going to look beautiful in it.  Thanks Jacqui, Mali, Toni and Tim!

Lastly, thanks to all of you for your advice on nursing.  I think I ate something yesterday that might have made Annelise a little tempermental.  In fact, I know I did.  I ate a big bowl of chips and salsa - not thinking it would affect my milk supply.  How stupid!  Anne was awake most of the night with a tummy ache and even threw up.  I felt like such a bad mom.  But, I will chalk it up to experience and learn from it.  Today, we're eating super healthy and drinking lots of water to see if we can flush out the bad milk and bring in the good.  Sorry, Anne.  Mommy will learn soon enough!

Back to Work - Back to Reality

After a wonderful week at home as family, Matt had to go back to work today.  Daddy was a little sad to leave us this morning.  Thus, reality sets in.  I think we were all ready for a change - or at least looked forward to getting back into a routine.  Although, this is definitely nothing like the routine we had before.  

To add to the change, Annelise hasn't been sleeping or eating as well the last few days.  And last night, we tried really hard to let daddy get some sleep.  I'm not sure it worked.  She has started eating less each time she nurses.  She does about 5 minutes on each side and is done.  Which means she wants to eat more often.  Help!  Any suggestions from you moms that have gone before me?  I've tried stripping her down to her diaper to wake her up, burping her in between breasts, changing sides more frequently so she doesn't get bored fast.  Nothing seems to help.  I would love any suggestions you have!

She Changes Everyday

Eyes Wide Open

First, let me say that Annelise SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT last night!  I had to wake her up at 2am and 6am for her feeding.  Otherwise, she was out like a light.  Mommy and daddy were very grateful for a full night's rest!

Secondly, being a parent is amazing!  I love to watch how much Annelise has grown in just one week's time.  I can't believe how much she changes day in and day out.  Every morning I wake up to a new facial expression or sound.  I'm taking as many pictures as I can, because I want to remember these days forever!  

So, here's another picture from today.  Grandma bought Annelise some very cute clothes yesterday and we loved this outfit.  It's very yummy!

Our Story

I've been tagged by cousin Pam to tell our story - so here goes...

Matt and I are 6.5 years apart in age.  It surprises most people, until they hear how we met.  After a year at community college, I transferred as a sophomore to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.  I was a fresh faced barely 19 year old.  Matt also transferred to Moody a year earlier, but made the decision to attend Bible college later in life.  He was 23.  We met in a sort of by accident - although we know God purposed it.  One of my floor mates was trying to "set me up" with a guy that lived on Matt's floor.  It turned out that neither of us was interested in the other, but as a group, we had a great time out together.  That was my first experience hanging out with Matthew. Throughout that first semester, Matt and I spent a lot of time together by hanging out in small groups.  During that time, I never suspected that Matt was interested in me - and I hadn't event considered him an option.  So, I was doing anything but trying to impress him.  We laugh because generally when we would hang out, I would wear a hat, no make-up, sweats - pretty much anything that I was comfortable in.  I figured I wasn't looking for a relationship with this guy, so why impress him.  Later, I found out that Matt thought I was just so comfortable around him, that it didn't matter whether or not I impressed him with my looks.  He was even more attracted to me because of this!  To make a long story a little shorter, after hanging out together in groups, I started to get weird signals from Matt - and I found myself returning those signals.  Flirting or focusing our attention more on one another than the group, I realized that maybe this guy was interested in me - and I in him.  One awkward night, Matt asked me to go for a walk - alone.  We had never spent time together alone.  My ignorance quickly subsided and I realized what this "walk" meant.  I was nervous beyond belief.  As we walked, he began to tell me how he felt about me, that he would like to date me.  And I also expressed my interest in dating him.  After that night in February 2002, things moved quickly.  We dated for about 4 weeks and I found myself becoming very attached to him emotionally.  Having been in these kind of relationships before, I gave Matt and ultimatum.  We need to determine whether or not we're in this relationship for the long haul - and if not, then we need to end it.  I was getting smarter with my heart and wanted to guard against giving it to someone that wasn't going to be my husband.  Matt wisely took our spring break as just that - a break to determine whether or not we should continue our relationship.  After much prayer, seeking wise counsel and examining his own heart, Matt decided that he wanted to continue in the relationship.  Though he failed to tell me for 4 days after we returned from break!  It was killing me to know.  He asked me to go for a walk that week and I was again nervous beyond belief, not knowing what his answer would be.  He took me to the top of an apartment building in Chicago, overlooking the city and told me he wanted to date me exclusively and pursue a long-term relationship.  I was thrilled!  Then, I hit him with another request - he had to call my dad and ask his permission to pursue this relationship.  He did (which spoke volumes to me and my family).  We were engaged a year and a half later and have been married for 3.5 years now.  As I sit here, with my week-old daughter on my lap, and my husband sipping coffee beside me, I can't help but thank God for the unique ways he brings us together to fulfill his plan.  I have said before that God's choice for me was so much better than I could have chosen for myself.  He has provided a husband for me that loves the Lord first, his family second and is compassionate towards others.  We have a heart for ministry and want to see many come to know the Lord personally.  

Pam - Thanks for tagging me to tell this story.  Its a great reminder of God's sovereignty in our lives!  

A few more...

Update

We left the hospital yesterday at one to come home with our little girl.  It's so strange how you can enter a place a family of two and leave as a family of three.  When we got home, I think I was a little ambitious and decided to get on the computer, cook dinner, put things away...before long, I was on a downward spiral.  Around 6pm I kind of lost it - physically, emotionally, and mentally. The exhaustion was a little more than I could handle.  But, God granted us a few hours of sleep last night (and I mean a few).  They were just what we needed to get through another day at home.  Annelise is doing so well!  She's breast feeding like a champ - which any mom out there knows can be such a frustrating time the first few days home.  She didn't sleep much last night, but dad and I are happy to have enjoyed a much needed nap today.  The weather here in Michigan in blizzard-like, so its been nice to be inside a warm house together.  We're spending lots of time snuggling our little one.  I've been told you can't spoil a newborn - although I intend to try.  Keep praying for health of Annelise - and for my quick recovery.  Each day is exponentially better than the one before.  I'm sure you'll be seeing many new pictures/videos soon!

More Baby!

Our Precious Little One

Annelise is doing great - and mommy is feeling much better after a good night's rest, hot shower and food!