whew!

So it has been a few weeks since I have posted and lots has happened in that time. Ava had a urinary tract infection and high fever and was admitted to the hospital for 3 days. She is doing better, but will have to have a procedure done on her bladder in order for her "reflux" or urine backing up into her kidneys to stop. It is a common procedure and is not invasive. No cutting or anything. I am not sure when it will be scheduled but I'm sure dr.medford's office will call us today or monday to figure that out.

Nick got a large raise at work and we are so very very thankful because he no longer has to work at united on the weekends and in the evenings. PRAISE GOD! we are so thankful.

I am craving fall. All things fall. I posted about it last time. I am so ready for cool mornings, cool evenings, crock pot wonders, baking, crafts, pumpkins, decorating the house (13 days til decorating day) haha! yay!! I am going to be crafting and making gifts this year for christmas! I am trying to stay on a one income budget gift plan this year and seeing that I have an art degree, I'm sure I can think of something. If I didn't have a degree I'm sure I could still muster something up. haha I'm excited though, to get things going and when the evenings cool down I'd love to go out to the garage studio and get working while nick watches our sweet Ava inside. (they like to watch old spiderman cartoons) hehe

I've also decided that pintrest is one amazing website and a treasure trove of inspiration and ideas!! I love it and I feel so inspired every time I get on and see all the pins other people pin and then finding pins as well. I am excited to try some things out this fall!

It is entirely too hot to do anything else this summer. I just keep the curtains and blinds closed most all the time now, to keep the cool air in the house and I am even keeping the lights off half the time too. depressing. I'm ready for natural light, breeze and taking Ava to the park in the mornings for walks! (and evenings to daddy can go too).

Overall, loving life, loving my Ava, getting inspired to be creative, and all around happy, blessed and just down right spoiled. :)

love you all,

shaina

This Fall...

Can it come soon enough?! NO I don't think it can come soon enough. I am so so tired of this heat! With that being said, not only am I ready for cooler weather, but I am ready for all that is going on this fall! Here is my list of fall things that I am excited about!

Anything below 100 for the high

soups, stews, anything crock pot cooking can make

baking

layers

football

thanksgiving

trip to the mountains

fires in the fireplace

art lessons (The gallery is starting to offer art lessons for kids) yay!!

painting in my garage studio

pumpkins

family

friends

blankets

snuggling without sweating...hahahahha

Here are some of our family pictures Lauren Paris took! She is amazing! We love her for many reasons, this is just a perk!

So many amazing pictures! So little frames! :)

A small sidenote:

The G@llery- Fine Art & Design is going to be offering ART lessons for kids this fall! We will introduce young adult/adult lessons after we see how the kid lessons turn out! We are excited to offer this and will be getting details out soon!

Aunt Staci comes home today! We are all excited and since it is mom's first day back at work, Nick's work has been crazy today and Dad is soo wishing he was retired today, we are all in need of some EXCITEMENT! :) yay sissy!

love...

shaina

craftiness...

So my mother has been an amazing helper the last few weeks. She has been off of work for the summer and I am so thankful she has been able to come and help me get my house in order now that I am a stay at home mommy. :)

We decided to do some decorative stuff to the walls, windows, put the mantle up, mom made decorative pillows, we organized closets, the kitchen, hung up things around the house, etc. etc.

Here is one of my favorite things we have done.

The empty frames that are hung diagonally will have family pictures in them soon. :)

Here is part of the process...starting with a blank wall. the blankness has been there since the day we moved in...finally corrected! :)

mom stenciling the background....

finished stencil background...

i took a cheap frame and painted it like the w's I painted. easy!

Overall the project cost around 30 dollars. I did not get any close up pictures of the "bookshelf". There are some easy DYI tutorials online for making them though!

Thanks to mom for her help and craftiness! and pintrest for so much inspiration!

enjoy!

shaina

I confess...

I hate breastfeeding. there I said it.

well...that was weird!!

So, we did not make it to our due date of July 14...that is in 2 days...haha! Nick and I had Ava Renee' Weisgerber on June 9, 2011! That would be 5 weeks early! There were things going on, like high blood pressure and swelling that led to bed rest for me. About a week after being put on bed rest, we had her! The C-section went well and they even found out that Ava's cord was wrapped around her 3 times. PRAISE the LORD that he got me in to surgery in order to deliver her, because she could have died, with the cord wrapped so much. God is sovereign and so amazing!! We thank Him and praise Him for his hand on our daughter and on me through the whole surgery, recovery, and for Ava while she was in the NICU for 6 days. The whole time she was in the NICU we felt the Lord with us and knew he was with her. She grew, got rid of tubes each day and did so well! I could write and write about the whole experience, but I won't. It was a learning time, a time of true faith testing and trust. We also realized the amount of support, love and encouragement that was surrounding us the whole time. WOW! God is so amazing to provide such sweet and thoughtful people in our life.

So, life since June 9th. I have been at home with Ava and will continue to be a stay at home mom. I am thrilled and so blessed to be able to do this! Wow! Nick is one amazing husband, dad, provider, worker, etc. He works so much for us to be able to do this, but still manages to make time to help out, love on our sweet Ava and myself, and serve. Such an amazing man and we are so thankful for him!

Here are some pictures of our journey so far!

That is nick getting ready...

off to surgery...

nick showing her off...on the phone of course...Ava went straight to the NICU

things went great! :) he looks a little tired haha (not as tired as i was)

recovery...feeling yuck still, but on the mend....can't wait to meet Ava (saw her for a second, but then didn't see her again for 1.5 days)

feeling like crap still...hahaha

Miss Ava Renee' - all grubby from birth, but doing fairly well at this point.

day after her birth, she was on a C-pap machine for her breathing. it regulated it for her and the next day she got to take it off.

nick and his sweet girl before bath in the NICU. She weighed in around 6 lb 6 oz then. We were happy to get to "hang out" with her for awhile.

mommy got to hold Ava :) (this was a day after we got discharged, I had held her a couple times before now, but this was a good few minutes of snuggling) and make up makes a girl feel amazing sometimes

going home! :)

one of my favorites now that we are home together... :) squooshy face haha!

Again, thanks for all of your prayers, support, love and care. We are thankful and just want to let you all know that! I will try to keep this updated for everyone! Lots of stuff to write, but I better get back to other things.

love,

Shaina, Nick and Ava

bed rest day ??

haha. so I have been put on continued rest probably until Ava gets here. Parts of me, like my feet, legs, knees, abdomen, hands, fingers, head, and stamina are glad about it. My always active and going and doing something mind, heart and will are struggling. I get emotional being alone all day at home while Nick is out working his butt off for our well being. I get to where I want to do something around the house and I get part of it done and then get so tired, so I stop and rest for awhile. I know people are telling me to soak up the rest, the quiet, the being waited on hand and foot, etc. and I am in my own way, but I am desiring to be back to my "normal" self in many ways. I would love to lose all of the fluid retention, I desperately desire to meet my sweet baby, I am tired of pregnancy hormones, I want to be able to tie my shoes, ok WEAR my shoes. haha.

I am thankful for this time of being quiet, of being surrendered completely and still learning to be even more surrendered to Him. I am thankful for the rest. Don't get me wrong. I will desire rest again soon I know. I also know that being home with Ava I will have the opportunities some don't, to rest in the day with her, to soak up as much time with her as she grows and develops than some people because of the sacrifices we are about to make financially. Nick is so amazing to want this as well and work for it.

So this evening I am trying to do some small chores so that when people come visit, the house won't look too horrible. :) haha. I do have visitors coming tomorrow and thursday so that will be nice. Sweet friends and family.

I just can't thank nick enough for all he does, for all he is doing and what he is becoming for our family. I pray that I am becoming the wife, mother and woman that God wants me to be during this time of transition, emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc. I feel like we joined hands and jumped off the cliff into parenthood, stay at home mommy-hood, 2 jobs to provide-hood etc and nick's face is like WEEEEEE and mine is like HOLY CRAP!!! haha. :) He is so patient and quietly full faith and strength. I am weak and a cry baby! We fit well together, God knows that full well. :)

guess that is all for now.

shaina

You Are Good- Nichole Nordeman

When the sun starts to rise
And I open my eyes
You are good, so good
In the heat of the day
With each stone that I lay
You are good, so good

With ever breath I take in
I'll tell you I'm grateful again
When the moon climbs high
Before each kiss goodnight
You are good

When the road starts to turn
Around each bend I've learned
You are good so good
And when somebody's hand
Holds me up helps me stand
You are so good

With every breath I take in
I'll tell You I'm grateful again
'Cause its more than enough
Just to know I am loved
And You are good

So how can I thank You
What can I bring
What can these poor hands
Lay at the feet of a King
I'll sing You a love song
It's all that I have
To tell You I'm grateful
For holding my life in Your Hands

When it's dark and it's cold
And I can't feel my soul
You are so good
When the world is gone gray
And the rain's here to stay
You are still good

So with every breath I take in
I'll tell You I am grateful again
And the storm my swell
Even then it's well and You are good