thankful

There were so many things I was looking forward to witnessing with the birth of our little Ryleigh, but one of the most exciting things was watching Jason be her dad. He loves me so perfectly, and I couldn't wait to see how that love would grow and be given to her. From the moment he saw her I knew he was smitten. We both were! He is so amazing with her, and I already know that she's going to be a daddy's girl. He's gentle, loving, and so patient in all situations. He has this calming presence that I know keeps her content, and when he snuggles her my heart melts. 

I thank God everyday for this wonderful man that He brought into my life, and for the dad he is  and will be for our little girl! 

Our one year anniversary is coming up, and as I sit here reflecting on all that has happened, I realize how blessed we are, how happy we are, how there is so much more ahead of us, and how lucky I am to be sharing this life with Jason. 

Time flies

Wow, I can't believe it's been 10 days since Ryleigh was born?! She's already changing so much and time certainly flies especially now that my sleep schedule is completely on Ryleigh time:)  She's so beautiful, and I think I fall more in love with her every second if that's possible. With every coo, and sleepy smile, I just thank God for this wonderful gift and pray that he continues to bless her with good health, and contentment. 


She's sleeping well, and eating very well...about every 3 hours like clock work. Jason and I seem to have a routine down that is working for us, and we're both able to sleep as much as we can. It's been really nice having Nana Neel stay with us a couple of nights to help us so that we aren't so sleep deprived. The many visitors, gifts, and dinners from family and friends have been so wonderful and we appreciate everything! We're so blessed to have so many people around us that love her as much as we do! 


We had our first doctors appointment last Thursday and she grew a 1/2 inch and gained 6 ounces since leaving the hospital. The doctor said she looks great and she's right on track, so that made us feel great! She's in the 70th percentile for height so I think she's going to be very tall like her daddy! 


It was our first time out of the house since bringing her home and I welcomed the opportunity as cabin fever is slowly setting in. I'm slowly working up the nerve to take her out again by myself... I think I'm almost ready:) 


I'm trying to capture every precious little moment with her being so tiny as I know time will only continue to fly by....the camera is out!

I love my daddy! 

Tummy time with mommy!

She's here!!!

Ryleigh Anne Kingma

9/16/11

7 lbs 12 oz and 20 inches long! 

We are so in love with our little girl! She is the most precious gift and we thank God for this miracle everyday! 

My water broke and contractions started at 12:30am, and after waiting at home for a bit we headed to the ER around 4:00am. They admitted me and the LONG day began. I labored until 4:30ish later that afternoon as Miss Ryleigh was born at 5:29pm! I will say, the Epidural saved me, the nurses were amazing, and my Doctor was fantastic! I am so blessed to have had the best experience possible while bringing my little girl into the world. Of course I'm biased, but she is the most gorgeous baby I've ever seen:) 


She's so loved already and has no idea just how spoiled she's going to be, especially by all of her grandparents! 


We packed up and brought her home on Sunday and made sure everything was where it needed to be to start the week ahead. I was anticipating a weird schedule as we did take advantage of the nursery while we were in the hospital so that we could rest and sleep to be on our A game when we got home! She seems to have her days and nights mixed up a bit, but I'm sure it'll work itself out as long as we keep on a good feeding schedule. Grandma Neel came to stay with us because Daddy was called in for Jury Duty (ridiculous timing we know) but it is what it is and we'll deal with it the best we can! 


You think you'll be prepared for the lack of sleep part of all this, but man, it's hard! I am so sensitive to her sounds now that I don't think I actually sleep when she's near me for fear that I'll miss something...but Daddy helped out a ton last night and I was able to get a couple of hours in, and it's amazing what 4 hours can do! 


So, that's the update for now, and I'm sure there will be more to come as we face each day of this wonderful journey with Ryleigh. Thank you for all the well wishes, prayers, and congrats, we are so blessed to be surrounded by so much love!

simple words, big meaning

Thank you Pinterest for  this little gem. It's so simple, but so true! Sweet little reminders of how easily we can choose to live, love, listen, and speak... I know sometimes I'm incredibly guilty of doing the opposite of these and that's when I'm not feeling as close to God, and I need to refocus and get back to what is important instead of focusing on all the trivial and not so important distractions that have been in my way.  Prayer is a safe haven every time. 


Praying that with all of the new adventures Jason and I will soon encounter that there will be every chance to show our little girl what it means to follow these so simple rules and to grow in her relationship with God every step of the way. 

impatiently waiting and reflecting

Well, it seems our little girl is going to take her own precious time to get here...I thought she would have made her debut by now (especially when Michigan scored their winning touchdown last night) but it seems we're still hanging out...preparing while impatiently waiting. 


I am in the early stages of labor according to my doctor! I won't get all technical on here as I believe that can be TMI...but things are in motion which we do feel great about. The backaches are getting more intense, and I'm getting more and more uncomfortable...but Sept 19 is still 8 days away so stay tuned! 


Today has been a quiet day in the Kingma household as we've been resting, reflecting, and remembering 9/11. 


I've been glued to the t.v. today watching all of the memorial coverage and documentaries...even some of the commercials have had me crying. It's amazing to think that it all happened so many years ago. The one true beauty in it all is that in the midst of war and hate there has been growth in a love for our country. Through the pain comes strength. I also am thinking of my brother today and am just so proud that he is serving our country in Iraq. Praying for his safety and that with every mission he's sent on that he returns safe. 


As impatient as I can be, it's days like today that show me that things don't always go as we plan, and that one day can forever change you. 

September is here...finally!

Well hello September! With you comes the most wonderful time of the year...football season! But, you're being overshadowed this year by our baby girls due date!!! The countdown is on and we are so excited to meet her! These past 8 months have been a blur I have to say, but I'm very very ready to have this baby! The swelling, killer heartburn, backaches, stuffy nose, and my new waddle are all things I can't wait to put behind me! I admit after having our hospital tour last week I'm getting more and more nervous about labor...but no matter how much pain I go through in the end we'll have our little miracle and I can cuddle her, and kiss her, and we'll grow together in this new relationship as mother and daughter. 


As I anxiously await her arrival I have so many things pop into my head that I can't wait for...

seeing her and holding her for the very first time

watching Jason be a daddy

her first smile

reading to her, and praying with her before bed

watching as her personality forms...will she be sassy or shy?

her first words...will it be mama, dada, or go blue? 

How cute are these game day outfits? Tutu and onesie courtesy of Auntie Cindy, and the cheerleading outfit is from Auntie Hannah, Rachel, and Becky! 

Thanks ladies!!! 

2 day countdown till Michigan vs. Western Michigan and even though I graduated a Bronco, I still want my Maize and Blue to get the W! 

GO BLUE! 

Best weekend ever...filled with surprises!

So wow...this past weekend was amazing and a bit of a blur at the moment as my preggo brain is still trying to comprehend everything that happened! We had shower's 2 & 3 Saturday and Sunday and our baby girl is so incredibly spoiled. I have no idea how I was able to get everything into her closet...but I did. It's like a jigsaw puzzle and I'm afraid if we take one thing out it's going to explode haha! 


Saturday Grandma Kingma, Auntie Stace, and Auntie Erin threw us a shower with amazing food, decor, and the group of woman surrounding us were so happy and excited to celebrate our baby girl! She got so many adorable outfits, toys, and so many things that we still needed! Thank you to all who were there and for everything that was done to make that day so special! 


Aunt Erin surprised us all the way from Colorado for the weekend! We were all so excited to have her home and I am so blessed that she took the time to be there for beanette and me!!! 

After filling my brother's truck up with no room to spare we headed home to unload everything and found out that the power was out after a storm that had passed through. Not ideal! But we managed to get everything into the house and sent my Mom and Keith out to dinner to celebrate their 24th wedding anniversary!!! Jason and I had plans to head to Kalamazoo to celebrate Jenn & Bo's engagement at Bravo for dinner. The second surprise of the day was that it was NOT an engagement party, but a full blown WEDDING celebration! What an amazing surprise and we were so honored to have been a part of their special day! They are so happy and in love and I know God will bless their marriage for years to come!!! 

After partying it up with all our friends on Saturday night to celebrate Jenn & Bo....we were tired, but the weekend still wasn't over. We headed to Real Food Cafe (my fav here in GR) and made church our second stop. After that we headed back over to Grandma Kingma's for shower #3 given by Auntie Stacey and Auntie Cindy (who flew all the way home from Atlanta to help with the shower!!!) I am so so blessed to have the friends that I do....they all came from near and far and it meant the world to me to have everyone under one roof to celebrate this miracle to come! I love you all so much and appreciate every effort you made to be there that day! 

From diaper cakes, books, Michigan gear, snowsuit, and more necessities we were so blessed to have the truck filled to the top once more. (I admit I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to fit anything else into her room....but we did it! Pictures to come!) The shower was amazing. Aunt Stacey made the most delicious food and everything was purple and perfect! So blessed is this baby to have so many Auntie's that love her already! Thank you a million times over for everything! 

Best weekend ever! Full of love and surprises, and everything purple:) 

So blessed and thankful are we! All three of us! 

Pre-Baby Getaway

If you ever get the chance to go to Boyne City, Michigan...GO! Jason and I ventured up there this past weekend in hopes for some much needed R&R before life gets really crazy with the arrival of our baby girl in just 5 short weeks! Mr. and Mrs. Noffsinger are wonderful and let us stay at their cottage. It's gorgeous and we immediately felt right at home! 


We must be gettin' really old because when we arrived we checked things out, unpacked, and took naps! Then walked downtown to look for something good to eat and watched the Tigers.  The next day we had coffee on the porch and just enjoyed the peace and quiet. It was raining, but I didn't mind...with that comes a cooler day and man oh man did I need that! It also means fall is coming which excites me to no end. I love when the leaves change colors, and Michigan football starts!!! 


We met our friends, Marvin and Lindsay, for lunch at the Water Street Cafe (I was told this was a must by my friend Jess) and boy was she right! Delicious!  Later we took a drive to Petoskey for some window shopping and then headed back and had dinner at Cafe Sante (another must I was told) and we ate like kings again for the second time that day! Sunday morning we joined Marvin and Lindsay for church and then made our way to Boyne Mountain so that Jay could do a little golfing! I was the designated driver...I don't golf and I think my belly would get in the way if I would have tried anyhow! 

We had the perfect weekend! I hope that we can go back sometime after Baby K is a little older so that she can play with Hayden and Hudson Simms (the Noffsinger's grandsons) oh the trio they will be :) 


Update: 35 Weeks
I had doctors appointment today and I'm measuring at exactly 35 weeks and everything is looking great! She's moving around a lot and I'm sure it's getting pretty cramped in there! I feel pretty good for the most part, but it doesn't take much to make me tired. No swollen feet or stretch marks so I feel good about that:) 


The countdown is on!!! 

What's going on...

Yay! Comcast finally works! We've had a love-hate relationship going on for the past week and after about 16 phone calls we're in business!


The Kingma household is doing well!  I've had busy days, lazy days, emotional days, and I'm sure I'll have more of each to come. The house is wonderful. We're settling in more and more each day...adding things here and there and making it ours. Jason loves to work outside and I've been trying to put personal touches on each room when I can find the energy. Our next couple of projects will consist of painting a bookshelf my dad made me when I was 16 to put into baby K's room, and also adding some decals to her walls. Jason will also be painting and distressing a coffee table we found online...that should be quite the project, we'll see what happens! 


We're at 34 weeks right now and I'm feeling pretty good majority of the time. The heat let up (thank goodness) so that's been a huge blessing. I've just been pretty emotional lately, but I guess that comes with the territory right?! Jason is wonderful and is always so loving and patient with me! 


Speaking of baby K, we had our first shower July 31, 2011. It was given to us by my mom, a.k.a Grandma Neel, and her best friend Joy. It was an amazing shower and baby K was so so spoiled! She got so many adorable outfits, reading books, must have care items, blankets, and Joy's husband Tom made her the most gorgeous cradle (I broke down and cried of course) It was such a special day and I was surrounded by an amazing group of women who all have meant so much to me over the years. It was such a blessing to have them all there to help celebrate this next chapter in my life! 


This coming weekend Jason and I are going up north to Boyne city for a before-baby-getaway! The Noffsinger's are allowing us to stay at their cottage for some R&R! We are so excited....stay tuned for more on that....

Baby Shower Invite

Baby Shower Shots

Baby K's Closet...she's spoiled already!

Project Headboard

On top of all of the other little things we've been doing around the house, and all of those other little things that still need to be taken care of...I want to add a DIY project to the mix...


Subject: Headboard


To tuft or not to tuft...that is the question? 


If you aren't sure what I mean here are some pictures of headboards I've fallen in love with while obsessively pinning on Pinterest! (I just can't stop!) 

Tufted Headboards

The top right is my absolute favorite! It just looks so...cozy to me! Don't you think? I've seen this DIY project done on many shows on the HGTV network, and there are millions of blogs out there with precise instructions. I think Jason and I could handle this with my dad's help and nail gun...as long as I'm not the one using the nail gun! haha

This is what our bedroom looks like right now...pretty bare, but I love our bedding! You can't see it, but there is a small white headboard behind our massive amount of pillows. I love the pillows and they are staying, so we'll need to make the headboard pretty big....just not sure what color would look best? I'm thinking cream???

We also need to get a new dresser, and nightstand...just a few things on our to get list:) 
Any input would be great. I'm going to think about it over the weekend and hopefully we can make a decision and get this project started!!! 

Playing House

Well we've been at 3054 Stonewood St. just over a week now and we're absolutely in love! The move took place last week Friday, and with the help of family and friends everything was moved in, put in place, and looks amazing! Thank you to everyone who has helped make this a smooth transition for us, we could not have done it without each and every one of you!!! 


All of the big things have been put into place and we've made a list for the things we'd like to tackle and we're going to take things slowly to make sure it's just the way we want it! So far, I think the kitchen/dining area are perfect the way they are. We might add some things here and there, but I thought I'd start here with before and after pics! 

BEFORE

AFTER

We had to get a new fridge (Thank you Mr. Mejeur!!!) but all of the other appliances were left for us which was incredible! The previous owner also left a washer, dryer, second fridge in the laundry room, and mini fridge for the wet bar downstairs! We got really lucky! 


I'll get to the other rooms asap, but here is a sneak peak of Baby K's room! Grandpa Neel helped daddy Jay put together the crib last Sunday. The crib was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Neel and it's beautiful! We love the bedding we picked out, and Jason painted a couple purple accent walls to brighten up the room. 

Baby K's Room Progress

It's all coming together! Stay tuned....

I like color

Tomorrow is moving day and we are so excited! It's been a busy week full of packing and painting and more packing....I hate packing...but there is a light at the end of the tunnel! We won't have to do this again for a LONG time:) I'm sure our friends and family are happy for this too as they have all helped Jason and I move around the country a time or two, or four!

So in the spirit of moving into our new house I have been looking for decorating ideas online constantly. I find myself at both extremes...very neutral colors and then boom I see something so out of the ordinary (at least for my taste) and I just fall in love! A splash of color is just what each room needs to give it some character...

I love the bright purples, blues, and greens! It makes each room, but I'm just not sure if I'm brave enough to incorporate these into our new home yet? We'll see! There is a very large mirror that the previous owner left behind that could use some creative TLC...we could paint it white and hang it, or try selling it??? I'd love any and all suggestions...

As for the nursery, we've decided on lavender, white, and gray! The walls were gray to begin with so we just need to touch them up, and paint 2 of the smaller walls lavender to match all of the bedding we've purchased. My mom and step dad have graciously purchased our crib for us so we'll have that on Sunday! Then we can start putting everything together!

Wish us luck, and more before and after pictures to come!!!

Shopping for Mini Me

Baby clothes are adorable. Going into a store that has baby clothes is dangerous. I went to Babies R'Us today to shop for a friend and came out with the gift I'd intended on purchasing and.... a few things I bought for our beanette! I immediately called my mom to describe every detail and it turns out she's having trouble keeping her wallet closed too! We actually bought the same purple outfit! Go figure.


Jason insists I have a funny facial expression when I see something cute and hold it up to show him...and so what if I do?! Clothes are cute, but baby shoes are the best. It is impossible to walk by them without stopping to pick them up just to see how tiny they are sitting in my hand (probably making this face Jason says I make) and then oooo-ing and ahhhh-ing and then I have to laugh at myself. 


As I am still incredibly obsessed with Pinterest...I found these cute shoes that I would love to have for our baby girl someday! The lil'purple boat shoes and the aqua crocs are my fav! 

Chances are, you're making my face right now, and it's ok! 

Rewind

Wow, what a perfect weekend we just had! Everything about it was wonderful, and I'm paying for it today...I'm exhausted and yesterday my feet were so swollen I looked like I didn't have ankles! Welcome to 30 weeks of pregnancy!!! Let's rewind a bit...


Jay and I were so busy last week...We spent time with my aunt and baby brother on the 4th of July which was awesome:) She made the most adorable things for our little girl and we can't wait to use them! (Pics to come...) It was also so great to spend time with my brother, but it was bittersweet as we had to say goodbye the next day because he had to get back to Texas and prepare for his next year long tour in Iraq. I was a mess at the airport and cried the entire way through security...but I'm so glad I had that time with him. I am praying day and night for his safety and am so proud of him and the man he is becoming. 


I was at the airport the following day to pick up my best friend Cindy Lu who flew in from Atlanta. We'd been counting down the days and were just so excited to see each other it was so nice to just spend some time catching up in person and hanging out like old times! We met Ms. Jenn Harp for dinner and fell back into our old banter, and it just reminds me how blessed I am to have the friends that I do and how lucky we are to have such strong relationships after all these years despite the distances between us. 


Friday came quickly and we got into the car to head to Chicago!!! (We got out of the city just in time...I don't know if anyone outside of Grand Rapids, MI heard about what happened, but a man snapped and went on a killing spree that lasted from 3pm to midnight. He killed 7 people before killing himself and leaves a wake of grief and questions unanswered behind. Read more here) We are continuing to pray for the Heeren family and all the others that were closely effected by the events that occurred that night. 


On a happier note, we made it to Chicago in record time and had an amazing dinner with our newly married friends the Boonstra's. We headed out to the Kerryman and met up with all my girls and Miss Walters, the bride to be! Friday afternoon we finally made it to Kuma's Corner...we were stoked! Jason and I lived in Chicago for 2 years and never made it there to try the cities best hamburgers...what in the world were we thinking???  Best hamburger EVER!! The pretzel bun did me in...I really think that every other hamburger joint in the world needs to make this a priority, that's just my personal opinion. 
Friday evening we attended Ash and Brett's beautiful wedding downtown at Pazzo's. We are so happy for them and had such a wonderful time celebrating with everyone! 


Saturday we headed out to the burbs to catch up with our Chicago friends with burgers and Arnold Palmers (I drank Izze...no worries!) Then headed back for what was one of the best dinners I've ever had in the city at Carnivale! The Guac was killer, and the Ribeye was mouth watering...let's just say it was a pregnant woman's dream. 


Sunday came too quick and we headed out after having one last breakfast with Amanda and Smaka at Twisted Spoke. It's an absolute must for Sunday brunch and it never fails to make us full and happy. Then we made a pit stop in South Haven to unwind on my Dad's boat. The water was a very cool 70, but I braved it to try and help the swelling that had taken over my feet. We stopped by our house to water the flowers (trying to be responsible homeowners) and collapsed into bed. 


*I just realized that I have been talking a lot about food in this post. I'm pregnant, don't 
judge me. 

Now it's go time...we're working, packing, and moving all week long! Packing is a pain. Necessary, but a pain nonetheless. As I type this, Jason is being a wonderful husband and he's painting our master bedroom at the house right now...I needed to take a break from the packing. Being 30 weeks preggers is kind of crazy. Only ten more weeks until we get to meet out little girl, and I'm getting more and more excited with every kick I feel. I feel huge, tired, hungry, and uncomfortable pretty much all day everyday, but I'm keeping a positive attitude. It's all part of the process, right?! We finally chose the bedding. Our little beanette's room will be gray, purple, and white! We're so excited to put her nursery together!! 


All in all our entire week last week and weekend was perfect! I love my husband, and I have the best friends that any girl could ask for. Life long, pick up where you left off, funny, sincere, blunt, beautiful, crazy, and always entertaining friends! 


I am going to end this post before I start rambling...more updates to come and say a prayer for us and our move!! 

Things I like on this 4th of July

I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July weekend! It's hot...so I'm trying to stay as cool as possible so I don't swell up!  Jason isn't feeling very well, poor guy...how does one get a cold in the summer??? 


Anyway, I'll keep this simple and sweet and just show you all that I love that is red, white, and blue! Yummy treats, stylish home decor, and a cute top! I really want to try and make those strawberries...maybe next year when my lil'one can get in on the fun!!! 

Progress

Wow it's been a crazy couple of weeks! We've been busy working on the house and we're so happy with the progress that's been made! Last Sunday our parents came over to help with cleaning and fixing the landscaping (which was incredibly unruly...the owner just let everything go after he'd sold us the house...irritating, but out of our control!) My dad was there this past week helping to fix our french doors, trim around the house, and just making sure everything was safe and stable. We also found out we had a bit of a bird problem in our attic....he took care of that thank goodness! We're so blessed to have all of the help that we have had, all of our parents have been so wonderful! 

So here are some before and after pics of the front of the house....

Jason is working on the outside trim that we'll have to repaint, and Keith is trying to expose our porch...all of the trees and plants were so overgrown and it honestly looked like the porch had been swallowed up! 

Surprise...we do have a porch! It looks so amazing! Jason's dad brought over some new mulch, hanging baskets, and flowers that we still need to plant!

We're still working on the inside...we need to paint our master bedroom, the babies room, and the guest room downstairs. We're waiting until my dad is done making his adjustments and we'll get in there asap! We're shooting for a July 17th move date...so stay tuned! 

And so it begins

Last night Jason and I were able to walk over the threshold together into our new house!! We were so excited all day and the moment was finally here! After walking through the front door, Jason led me downstairs and uncorked (twisted off the top of) a bottle of sparkling grape juice:) We clinked our plastic cups and took a tour. We hadn't been back in a couple of weeks so it was so fun to visit each room and discuss our ideas. Especially when it came to the nursery!!! 


This evening we headed over to Lowes and got paint for the downstairs bedroom, and the upstairs bathroom. We're still not quite sure what color we'd like to paint our room....but we've decided to try a couple of different shades of an aqua type blue....to be continued! 


My dad, David C. Hall builder extraordinaire, will be coming over to Grand Rapids at the beginning of next week to take a look around and see what he wants to add:) I'm sure he'll have a plethora of ideas and we can't wait to see what he suggests! 


I admit, the thought of packing is pretty overwhelming...but we'll be able to do this slowly as we have our apartment for another month. We'll be recruiting help within the next couple of weeks so if you are reading this, and you are bored and want to lend a hand, we'll gladly accept and pay in pizza and beer:) 


Pics of our progress to come! 

Prayer

Jason and I participated in our first prayer session this evening through a 24-7 prayer commitment our church has thoughtfully orchestrated to continue on for the next month. It was an hour full of promise, hope, and praise. We have so much to be thankful for, and yet there are so many things going on around us that we wanted to make it a priority to focus our attention on those things as well. We prayed for wisdom in certain situations, health for family members, prayer for the oppressed, continued progress in seeking God intimately everyday, and the encouragement to grow in our personal relationships with Him while keeping him at the very center of our marriage. 


I am thankful for this uninterrupted time that I could spend with Him. I am thankful that I could share my heart, and hear what is on Jason's heart as well.

Twas the night before closing...

...and I can hardly contain my excitement!!! Tomorrow at 12pm Jason and I will be homeowners! God has blessed us and this entire process and tomorrow everything will final. There are a couple of cosmetic things we'd like to take care of on the outside of the house...painting the trim, power washing the siding, and fixing the landscaping a bit....and we'd like to paint the bathrooms and bedrooms...but other than that it's pretty much move in ready. I promise I'll post pictures just as soon as we can get in there, but here is a picture of the outside...we fell in love with it!  It's just right for us and we hope to make it a wonderful, safe, and very cozy home for our baby girl!!! 

the little things

Morning kisses from Jason when he leaves me in the morning.
Feeling our baby girl moving around inside me. I fall in love over and over again. 
Sunshine however brief it may be these weird June days. 
The color purple. 
Oreo Balls. 
Thinking up ideas for decorating the house we'll own as of June 15!
Pedicures and ice cream dates with friends. 
Dresses.
Cards, both sending and receiving, just because. 
Jimmy Johns. 
Journaling my thoughts and prayers on becoming a mother. 
New shampoo. 


And most importantly...
Lucky charms because they really are magically delicious!