We are adding an act to the circus

One more baby!!! We are so excited to add another baby to our life. We love our family and we love being parents so the news are thrilling and fun for us. I can't get over how beautiful my family is, I can't get over how blessed I am. We have crazy days, rough days, but every night we go to bed and think "this is a good life." God is good and he has been faithful to His promises to us. We know the journey has just begun and we are looking forward to what is ahead while enjoying today.

Baby # 3 we can't wait to meet you and see what kind of fun you add to the Luehmann Circus.

Photo Cred: The incredibly talented, has never taken a bad pic, Alexandra Marie. I honestly don't think she could have done a better job, she exceeded our expectations yet again. We love love love Alex! 

To the big sister

Today there was a lot of crying in my house. Pregnancy hormones just ran rampant and tears came and went. 

After I put Antonella down for a nap and instructed her not to get out of bed because she was a big girl now, I realized indeed she had to be. Today was the last day in her life I was going to put her in her new exciting toddler bed as an only child. She will never again be the only Luehmann girl, and I cried. I cried because my baby is growing and I seem to miss most of it, and I cried because she's about to receive the most amazing gift one could be given, a best friend for life. 

I wrote to Antonella right before she was born here, and I will do a belly progression for Emiliana and share what I wrote to her. But I thought I needed to write to my first born today. 

Nothing could have prepared me for the last 18 months, no book, no movie, no story. Nobody could have ever explained the type of love I was going to feel for you. Everyday I seem to fall in love with you more and more, and unaware you do new things that make me realize you own such an enormous part of my heart, you can wreck it with just a smile. 

For 18 months I've looked down at you while you sleep and I've prayed for you. I've prayed for wisdom, I've prayed for a unique sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, I've prayed for you to see yourself through the Lord's eyes and not your own, I've prayed for a life full of adventures guided by His hand. And over and over and over again, my prayers turn to thanksgiving. I see your father standing next to me praying just as fervently for you and me, then I look back at you and every time without fail I tell God: THANK YOU! I don't deserve this but thank you! 

So my daughter; crazy, curious, rambunctious, wild daughter; I have enjoyed every second of us 3 being a family. I have loved getting to know you and learning everything about you. It has been an honor to parent you alongside Papa. And I cannot wait to see you as a big sister, I have no doubt you will be the most fun, most encouraging, most supportive, most incredible big sister. 

Antonella from now on it is 4 of us, you have to teach Emiliana our ways, you must show her all of our dance moves, secret bird calls, and weird words. You get to introduce her to papa's amazing grilled cheese sandwiches, and momma's ok food. From tomorrow on you will have in Emiliana the most incredible ally, the best of friends, and the most fun of partners. You will never have to feel alone because you will have a sister that will stand with you always, she will be able to read your mind, and know everything about you. You two will make everyone wish they had what you will have, and together you will take over the world and do all the Lord has sent to you do. 

I love you, momma. 

High Chair

 

 To begin the year Antonella decided she was ready for a high chair, and she sat there for a good 20 minutes and she was so amazingly good. We were excited for the possibility of having dinner without carrying a baby, we'll see how that keeps working out for us.

First Date

For our first date without Antonella, after we got Antonella we went to see Dralion and it was perfect. Erin watched A and we were so consumed with the show we were able to not think about A for minutes at a time haha.

Antonella week 13

This past week Antonella and I officially put away the newborn clothes and some of the 0-3 month old clothes and we pulled out a few 3-6 months. It was sad putting clothes away and seeing that she has grown so much. She also started rolling over this week, she isn't that good at it yet and her hand gets stuck under her body but soon she will get it. Every day we fall in love with her more and more. 
This coming Saturday we are going on our first date without her, I may be freaking out about it but we agreed we would when she turned 3 months, so here we go... blog to come.

Antonella Week 12

 

Antonella is almost 3 months old already! Time has gone by so fast, I feel like just yesterday she was born. She is such an amazing baby girl. She sleeps 7 hrs at night wakes up, eats, gets changed and burped and sleeps for another 3 hrs. So at night time she is a doll! Naps during the day however are a different story, she fights them so much she ends up exhausted and a little cranky, and then she starts sucking her thumb and she puts herself to sleep. She is so much fun, I love spending my days with her just getting to know more and more about her. 

Late nights

 

When Caleb and I were pregnant we decided that Antonella was going to adjust to us more than we were going to adjust to her, at least as much as that was possible. Well because of that agreement she ends up going with us to prayer meetings and Community Groups and staff meetings and all kinds of things. Sometimes it gets late and she's out with us, so we put her in pajamas and keep going, but not without having some fun with her.