We Love You Daddy!

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of Andy coming home from his deployment and meeting Samuel for the first time. Samuel was 4 and half months old, one day shy of 20 weeks old. It's so hard to believe it's already been a year. That day was so emotional for Andy and I. The day we had prayed for for months had finally arrived. Everything was finally as it should have been all along. I remember that day so vividly. I remember the butterflies I had and the pacing around the house! I felt like it was my wedding night all over again, but this time was better! We were just about to begin our life as a family, not just a couple.

He had missed so much, my last month and a half of pregnancy, Samuel's birth and everything that followed. We mourn that lost time, but know it will never have to happen again. Andy is thrilled beyond words that he has not missed a single day of this pregnancy nor will miss the birth of Joseph. What a blessing! Knowing I will have my best friend there with me during all of this is more than I could ever hope for. We are not taking this gift for granted. We are so thankful that we have been blessed with another child and Andy will be here to experience it all.

Here are some photos from his very first day back last year.

And these are some pictures we had taken the next day for our Christmas cards.
For Andy's welcome home sign I had quilted a sign that said 'WE LOVE YOU DADDY' from Samuel and the dogs. For his anniversary this year, I quilted it into a blanket. And we gave it to him last night as a gift. He was so excited to have the quilt as a representation of such a wonderful day. I will post some close ups of the quilt later, I just haven't taken them yet. And, yes, that's a cell phone in front of Samuel's face. He won't go anywhere without it.

Of course Samuel and Gamba had to stand right in the middle of the quilt every shot I tried to take. And what are those 3 blobs at the bottom right? well those are the boys foot prints. First is Samuel's, then Lutalo's, then Gamba's.

Monday is Weekend Recap Day!

Please take note, I beat Andy at something! We played Mancala this weekend and I crushed him. At one game at least. I take just a tad bit of pride in this, because, well, he's good at EVERYTHING. I rarely beat him at anything. We played best out of 9 and he came out on top 5-4, but if we were counting by points, I would have won, so I don't know, let's consider it a tie :)

Bagels have been on the baking request list for quite some time. And this weekend I finally bit the bullet and made them. They were initially intimidating to make, not sure why, but I have avoided making them. I made no promises as to their taste, but surprisingly enough, they were delicious! We made cinnamon raisin, plain wheat, chocolate chip, parmesan/oregano/crushed red pepper, and blueberry. I have committed to making everything with whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar, so I don't feel quite as bad baking so much.

Samuel has loved helping out with baking lately. But, he especially likes the taste testing!

And, in the world of baby Joseph, I have hit my 3rd trimester (26 weeks completed)! I have 97 days until I'm 40 weeks. Double digits, I can hardly believe it. Here's a not so great picture. The shirt I was wearing was not very belly revealing, so you get the fleshy, non-facial version of it all! The no face included might have also had something to do with the fact that I was having a horrible hair day yesterday :) But, when you hit 26 weeks, it's a time to celebrate, bad hair day or not!

I'm still feeling wonderful. Please continue to pray. I also have two blogging buddies that are pregnant too. So, while you're praying about my little bean, keep them in your prayers as well. Jackie, my good friend from high school, and Jennifer, an internet friend from NC. These miracles need as much prayer as we can give them.

And I just can't talk about friends being pregnant without mentioning a friend who just had her baby boy, Arden. He is absolutely adorable! Go see more pictures to get your baby fix!

Since I've had quite a few requests lately for posting some recipes, I am going to start posting some of my recipes so you all can try them out.

Advent Begins December 2

With November being so fun filled with our Alphabet Animals, I wanted to do something similar for December. I immediately thought of an Advent calendar, but I'm not very familiar with the celebration of Advent, so, I did some research. Here is a great site that seems to explain it well:

Advent is the period preceding the Christmas season. It begins on the Sunday nearest November 30, the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle, and covers four Sundays. Because the day it begins changes from year to year, so does the length of each Advent season. In 2007, Advent begins on December 2.

The word advent, from Latin, means “the coming.” For centuries, Advent has been a time of spiritual reflection as well as cheer and anticipation. Even as the Christmas season has become more secular-with advertisers urging holiday gift-givers to buy and buy some more-Advent still brings joy and the observance of ancient customs. Christian families find quiet moments lighting candles in the Advent wreath, and children use Advent calendars to count the days until Christmas.

Now, I know Samuel is only 16 months and won't have a clue what most of these things are, but I truly believe it's never too early to start teaching the true meaning of holidays. I have compiled the following list from two lists that I've found online. They were extremely similar, but I just made a few adjustments. I am so excited to dig into the Bible and read Samuel the story that has to do with each day. What a great way to prepare for the birth of our KING!

The sites are here and here.

ADVENT GIFTS

Dec. 1 Quarter
A quarter! That equals 25 cents. But 25 also stands for the number of days till Christmas, when God gave us his best present. Jesus told about one woman’s gift and the way she gave it.
Read Mark 12:41-44

Dec. 2 Grape juice, grape gum, or grape candy
Grapes make jelly, juice, raisins & wine. But Jesus didn’t need grapes to perform his first miracle.
Read John 2:1-10

Dec. 3 Smiley sticker
Here’s a smile! A smile usually expresses happiness. Jesus gave us many instructions to keep us happy.
Read Matthew 5:1-12

Dec. 4 Fish toy or fish ornament
Fish! Well if you were surprised to find this fish, wait until you read the story today! Others were surprised to find fish also! Read Luke 5:4-7

Dec. 5 Birthday candle
A birthday candle? As you know, we are getting ready to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Remember he did not remain the babe in the manger but lived a full abundant life so that he might be our example in everything. However, Jesus talked about something else that is related to the candle. Light!
Read Matthew 5:14-16

Dec. 6 Jingle bell
You could make some noise with this. But it would not have bothered a certain man until he met Jesus.
Read Mark 7:31-37

Dec. 7 Goldfish crackers
This would not go very far if you were really hungry! But Jesus could make much out of little. Surely He knew how to multiply!
Read Matthew 14:13-21

Dec. 8 Cotton balls
These cotton balls would be helpful in a thunder storm, wouldn’t they? We could use them for ear plugs to muffle the loud noises that thunder makes. But we know someone who doesn’t need cotton. Jesus can control the weather.
Read Matthew 8:23-27

Dec. 9 Torn map
People needing to use the other parts of this map are in trouble! Don’t you get lost today!
Read John 14:1-6

Dec. 10 Soap bar
It’s soap! Do you like to wash your hands and face, behind your ears….? Washing turned out to be a happy time for a man who met Jesus.
Read John 9:1-7

Dec. 11 Hearts
Wordlessly, they speak of love, don’t they? Jesus spoke some commands about love.
Read Matthew 22:37-40

Dec. 12 Cross
We use the cross as a symbol representing Jesus. Do you know why?
Read Phillippians 2:1-11

Dec. 13 Salt
Ordinary salt. Yes, Jesus related salt to us and our behavior. He also gave us some advice.
Read Matthew 5:13 and Colossians 4:6 (Notice that he doesn’t recommend pepper!)

Dec. 14 Sand
Don’t try to eat this! It’s sand. It reminds us that Jesus knows something about architecture and about buildings…and building lives.
See his instructions: Matthew 7:24-29

Dec. 15 Flowers
Flowers are pretty, aren’t they? Jesus used flowers to teach us a reassuring lesson.
Read Matthew 6:28-34

Dec. 16 Raisins
Many children are given raisins instead of candy for a snack. That’s because they are a health-promoting and delicious fruit. Jesus told us how we can product good fruit.
Read John 15:1-5

Dec. 17 Package of seeds
Jesus told a story about seeds that a man planted. Then he explained it, revealing its deep meaning.
Read Matthew 13:3-8 and Matthew 13:18-23

Dec. 18 Christmas carol
Christmas is just about a week away! And here is an appropriate song. Sing it loudly!
Then read Psalm 100

Dec. 19 Rock
A hard stone! Can you change this stone into a piece of bread? Do you think Jesus could? Jesus was asked to do just that. Do you know how He handled it?
Read Matthew 4:1-4

Dec. 20 Aluminum foil
Try to smooth out this piece of aluminum foil and use it as a mirror. It’s hard to see your reflection plainly isn’t it? Many circumstances are hard to understand, but someday everything will be clear.
Read I Corinthians 13:12

Dec. 21 Angel sticker, ornament, etc
Angels have served as messengers for God to send news of coming events, past events, as our guardians and also for songs of praise.
Read Luke 2:13-14

Dec. 22 Dove ornament
We’ve learned that the cross represents Christ, but do you know what the dove stands for?
Read Matthew 3:13-17

Dec. 23 Wool fabric item
The threads that compose this fabric came from the wool of a sheep. Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd. So you know who his sheep are?
Read John 10:7-18

Dec. 24 Marble
A marble! Do you know what is sometimes called the “big Blue Marble”? The World. God made the world for us. What does God continue doing to the world? And who is the world?
Read John 3:16

Dec. 25 Baby Jesus in a cradle ornament
Isn’t this baby cute? When he was born, he made a whole family happy. Jesus was born a baby too! He came to make the whole world happy!
Read Luke 2:1-20

Does your family celebrate the Advent season? If so, what are your traditions?

100 Days Left

I am uploading all of the November pictures of Samuel to our shutterfly account today and found some cute ones of the past week so I thought I'd come on here and post them.

While I was at it, I thought I'd check on the countdown to baby Joseph's arrival. Much to my surprise, there are only 100 days left! I will be the first to admit, I am no longer a due date fanatic. Samuel's due date was set for July 9 and he didn't show up until July 17 and was no where near 'overdue.' He was 7lbs 1oz and neither of us had any signs of being too far along. But, I have to admit, that 100 days left is sure an exciting day to celebrate! Tomorrow I will be down to double digits!!!

With Samuel to take care of, the months have flown by. I can only imagine what the next 3 months have in store. We are so excited for the arrival of Joseph and for the chance to attempt a homebirth. There are a few reasons why we would have to transport to deliver in a hospital, but as of right now, I do not have any of those signs or symptoms. So, please pray for everything to continue to go smoothly. But, most importantly, please pray that we continue to seek the Lord in all of our decisions.

But, for now, enjoy our latest Eckert Escapades:

Samuel loves my headband. He tries so hard to get it to stay on. And with a little help from mommy he gets it 'just right.'


We surprised Daddy at work yesterday for lunch. We hadn't been to his office yet, and since he left his lunch at home, we thought it would be a great day to surprise him and bring it to him. Samuel had a great time exploring his office and stealing the hearts of all the women in the office.

To celebrate the 32 degree weather yesterday I thought it was only appropriate to make some baked potato soup. Winter = Soup, soup and more soup!!!

Giving Thanks

We have so much to be thankful for this year. It was our first year celebrating Thanksgiving as a family. Last year Andy was deployed and still had not meet Samuel. This year, we were all together and now we have our new addition, Joseph, to be thankful for.

We had a wonderful time in Colorado for Thanksgiving with Nana and Poppy. We celebrated Christmas also while we were there because we won't see them over the holidays. Samuel had a blast opening his presents. I have a great video of him, but I am having a hard time getting the video to work. I will hopefully get it posted soon.

Nana got a new cell phone, so she gave Samuel her old one. And of course, it's his favorite gift. But, it looks like it's going to have to end up being mommy's, since my cell phone went to Colorado with us, but did not return! Poor Samuel.