Our times are in HIS hands-Psalm 31:15

It is so hard to believe that our Sawyer is already TWO months old! We love this boy so much.

One Month Old!

Sawyer and his cousin John Reynolds!

The Robertson Cousins-Drew Dillman, Sawyer, John Reynolds Hare and Ben Dillman

Cousin Graham and Sawyer rocking "staches"!

Sweet Boy!

Two Months Old!

SAWYER MATTHEW SHELBY

Sawyer Matthew Shelby made his entrance into the world on June 7, 2011 at 7:35 a.m.! Being new to the labor game, little did I know that when I woke up at around 2:30, thinking I just couldn't sleep I was in labor and having contractions. I felt them in the front and the back and they were so erratic I just did not think they were true contractions. We decided to head to the hospital just to see if labor was a possibility. I warned Matt that they would probably send us home. On the way there I begin experiencing pain every few minutes. We started to wonder if these pains were indeed contractions. :) We checked in at the emergency room, where my dear friend Kristin was actually working one of her last shifts as a Labor and Delivery Nurse, and I was soon told that yes, I was dilated and in labor! Everything seemed to shift into high gear after that. My water broke (sorry for too much information) and I begin to have contractions every minute and a half. My blood pressure was also high. They transferred me from Triage into a Delivery Room and soon (not soon enough :)) I received the epidural. Side note-I know that because of what happened in the garden that women are to experience pain in childbirth but I also know that God gives us all talents and gifts and someone out there used their talents to invent the epidural and for that I am thankful! Sawyer's heart rate was dropping a bit and so they had me shift from one side, then to another and back to see if it would regulate. It would not. It continued to drop. Although calm, I could sense the urgency in Kristin's voice as she determined the next course of action. It was soon decided that a C-Section was necessary. It all happened so fast! Soon, little Sawyer made his debut! Matt headed over with the nurses to check him out. Our little one was not doing so well. After working on him for a little while in the OR, they transported him upstairs to the NICU. The Doctor brought him over to me on the way out. That was a moment I will never forget, seeing my baby's face for the first time. We soon found out that we had a sick little boy on our hands and that he would need to stay in the NICU. It was later determined that Sawyer had aspirated a good amount of meconium and had an infection in his lungs. He stayed in the NICU for 11 days. Those days were both the hardest and the sweetest of my life (I would venture to say they were for Matt as well). It was so hard to see our sweet boy connected to all these wires and tubes. I had always dreamed of holding my baby in the delivery room, people we love coming to see him. In the NICU only parents and grandparents were allowed (of which we were very thankful). However, it was all the more sweet when we were able to hold him on the third day. Definitely, one of the sweetest moments of my life. It was also such an incredible time with Lord. We HAD to lean on HIM for our strength and it was a lesson I will not soon forget. Today, he is seven weeks old! He is truly a great baby and we are just loving life as a family of three.

Goodbye to Green Bay

This is it! Today begins our last week in Green Bay! We are thrilled to be headed back to Arkansas and our dear family and friends. We absolutely cannot wait to begin this next chapter in our lives. But...we are so sad to leave. Green Bay has meant so many things to us. It was where we began our lives together as a married couple, where we made our first friends together as a family, where we found our own church, where we discovered our love for all things local-the farmer's market, coffee, chocolate, beer, wine, brats, cheese (WISCONSIN sure knows how to make their own stuff). Our cup runneth over. Thank you, Lord for bringing us to this place. You REALLY do know what you are doing (why oh why do we ever doubt your love and faithfulness?)!

A pic of me around 22 weeks! THIS week will make 30 weeks! We can't believe it!

The BEAUTIFUL cupcakes that Michelle made for the Green Bay Shower last weekend.

Me with Brooke and Michelle, the sweet hosts of the shower.

Annie, Baby Rowyn, Me and Nicole. Our dear friends from Life Group and Church.

Just a few of the cute girls of Haven at the shower!

Me and my sweet mom at the shower!

Matt and DA YOOPER (Upper Michigan) boys at the Axford's on Friday night.

Jenny and DA YOOPER (Upper Michigan) girls at the Axford's on Friday night.

Brian, Matt, Andy and Cayden at our Fondue Lunch today at the Selner's!

The last few (months and months) in review....

So much has happened in the last few (months and months)! Below are just a few pictures of what has been going on with us!



Our first ultrasound picture of Baby Shelby!


My sister had a baby! Sweet John Reynolds was born in November! This is his recent two month picture. Love.


My sister-in-law had a baby too! Precious Graham was born in November as well! He is so sweet!


The Boys! This is a picture of my nephews, Drew and Ben when we were home for Christmas! Drew said, " I haven't seen you in so long," when he hugged me and I cried! Love these two boys with all my heart.


A pic of me and my dear friend Brooke at a Bachelorette Party in October!


Erin, Matthew John and Matthew Bradford. Erin and Matt came to visit us in October for the Packers vs. Lions Game!


Matt and I at the tailgate before the game! It was so fun!


A picture of our sweet, FIRST friends in Green Bay, Rob and Michelle, after a hike at Lake Superior in Upper Michigan. We love them!

So much to say...

Wow. June. That was my last post. I do not even feel worthy to blog today but I decided to give it a try. So much has happened. We took a trip to Upper Michigan with dear friends. Matt's parents came to visit. My parents came to visit. Erin and Matt came to visit. We went to our first Packer Game! We found out we are moving back to Arkansas! And...we found out we are expecting! All these things sure would have made for some great blog posts but I digress.... :) And so today begins my journey into the blogosphere once again. Won't you join me?

Prayers for Betsy....

Will you join me in praying for my old Bible Study Leader and friend? Please go to this link and read about precious Betsy Parkinson and pray to our Father for healing in her sweet body. What an extraordinary woman who has had an impact on so many lives...
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/betsyparkinson

Bathing Beauty

In honor of our upcoming vacation , I thought it only fitting to change our blog background to pretty much the ONLY thing that is on our minds this week...THE BEACH! The title of the background is called Bathing Beauty. Though Bathing Beauty I am not these days (too many brats here in Wisconsin I guess), I am still looking forward (though my body feels otherwise) to spending a week in the sand and sun! Seriously, Matt and I are just looking soooo forward to spending time with the Shelby Family (with a side trip to Auburn to see my sister Julie and Brother In Law Jason) and relaxing for the week! We are so excited!