b.e.l.

So, we think its pretty appropriate that one of our first posts be about the most important person in our life - Bayley Elisabeth Lohr!  We had been praying about a baby for several months, but were still kind of surprised when we found out we were pregnant.  We weren't really trying to have a baby yet, but we had decided to leave it in God's hands as His timing is always perfect and just over a year ago, we found out we were becoming a family of 3!  Needless to say we were a little shocked, COMPLETELY thrilled, and a bit overwhelmed at the thought of having a child, but our lives have just continued to get immeasurably better since that day!
Bayley was due on 9/5/10, but she decided to do things on her own time.  We were scheduled to be induced on 9/9/10 at 8am, but Sarah woke up with some pretty bad back pain around 1:30 that morning and we were so thankful she decided to come on her own!  It was a fairly quick labor process, and after just half a push, she was born at 10:55am weighing in at 6lbs 14oz, 19in long and absolutely perfect!  We were so amazed, it was so surreal.  This was our daughter,  After years of praying and months of waiting, she was here, in our arms, and she was beautiful!  And there we were, our family of three, our hearts overflowing with joy and love!

Its hard to believe this picture is from almost 5 months ago!  Before B arrived, everyone kept telling us to just relax and enjoy it, because time flies, and we had no idea just how true that was.  But it seems like only yesterday we were getting her nursery ready and talking about how we can't wait for her to get here...  These past few months have definitely been some of the most hectic, crazy months of our lives, but life has never been so amazing as it is with B.  She truly is the light of our lives, and makes everything indescribably better!  We feel so incredibly blessed that God entrusted this precious little angel to us!

Bayley is by far the coolest person we know, she never ceases to make us smile, and even on our worst of days, just seeing her look up into your eyes and give you her big gumless smile, so big that her eyes close, that just seems to make everything alright.  

Since we're starting this blog when B is already almost 5 months old, we thought we'd add some pictures from the last few months of our life with Bayles, especially for our family and friends that we don't get to see very often, we miss you and love you and miss sharing this special time in our lives with you!

She has always been so alert, she loves looking around

she is definitely a cuddle bug, and LOVES her daddy!

tummy time has not always been her favorite, but she's getting better

in her cow halloween costume from Uncle Ben and Aunt Sarah

after church, happy baby

her first snowfall - she wasn't a big fan

Thanksgiving in PA 2010

First Thanksgiving at the farm

Grammy and Papa with their 3 great grandchildren - John Mark, Katie, and Bayley

(Anna will be joining the mix in just a few short weeks!!)

Bayley has the biggest smiles, she just melts our hearts!

Bayley's 1st Christmas - 2010

all dressed up in her Christmas dress

she really loves music, so Santa brought her a CD player

Christmas morning 2010

playing in the box of clothes from Uncle Ben and Aunt Sarah

Christmas morning 2010

just chillin on the couch

This is how we spend our Saturdays - playing with toys and having fun!  It has been so amazing to watch her explore and discover the world around her - she is discovering everything for the first time, and it makes you realize how amazing our world is, and how we so often take things for granted - it defnitely changes your perspective looking at the world through Bayley's eyes

She is so happy and content to play on her playmat and she just lays there talking to the animals that hang above her, its precious.

So, that is our life with B over the last few months in a nutshell.  Our lives have changed drastically since her birth.  There is not a decision we now make without first considering her, we are a little more sleep deprived, a little busier, our house may not always be perfectly clean, we now sport a pink diaper bag everywhere we go, and we've exchanged date nights at the movies for quiet nights at home reading goodnight moon and rocking our daughter to sleep.  Our lives have probably never been so busy, but our hearts have never been so full and we have never been so happy and thankful for the amazing life God has blessed us with!  Its always something new, and we're learning as we go, but we're on this journey together, our family of 3 (and our beloved puppies) and we're loving every moment!!!