The Rebarchik Family

Lilly's 3rd Birthday Party

2009-09-08T22:02:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Lilly's 3rd birthday party at the Treehouse at Glenview Baptist Church. It was awesome! The playscape was big enough that even the adults could climb and slide. I'm tempted to go ahead and book her party for next year already! Here are a few of my favorite pics from the party courtesy of Chris Gilbert. Thanks, Chris!
Birthday girl on the slides

Racing down the slide with sweet friends Savanna and Megan

Make a wish!

My Birth Experiences - A Side By Side Comparison

2009-08-28T22:37:00.008-05:00

I am so thankful to God for both of my birth experiences, because they make me the woman I am today. Thought it might be interesting to compare the two, side-by-side and blow-for-blow.

Laboring with Lilly: Notice my one pillow I dragged to the hospital with me, the IV in my right arm, the hospital gown I'm wearing, and the machines and monitors I'm connected to. 12 hours of pitocin and oxygen masks, lying in bed. (This picture was taken right when I arrived at the hospital.)

Laboring with Everett: Notice I'm wearing what I'm most comfortable in, the lighting is nice, I've got lots of comfy pillows, I'm drinking what I want when I want, and there isn't a needle in sight.

Lilly's delivery: I pushed for almost 3 hours because I didn't labor down, never ever felt the urge to push, just purple-pushed when a monitor told me to. OB cut an episiotomy without ever telling me. First hands to hold her were the OB's and nurse's, First thing she laid on was a chux pad, and I look just a little disconnected and stunned.

Everett's delivery: Labored down (trying to buy time for the midwife to arrive!), pushed for about 17 minutes. I only pushed when I felt the urge, sometimes strongly, sometimes more gently. This allowed plenty of time for natural stretching, so no tearing and certainly no episiotomy. First hands to touch him were mine. The feeling can best be described as glorious elation, and I think Frank's face speaks louder than words.Lilly's first bath: Under a warmer, given by someone we don't know. Lilly cried the whole time.

Everett's first bath: A warm, candle-lit, herbal bath with Mommy. Daddy washed his hair. He was calm and alert.Lilly's Vitals: 7lb, 4oz 18 1/2 inches long

Everett's Vitals: 9lb, 9oz 21 1/2 inches long (And doesn't that look way more cozy than the flat scale?)

Happy 3rd Birthday, Lillian Cate!

2009-08-28T16:38:00.004-05:00

I'm so thankful for my beautiful, smart, stubborn, silly, precious, loving, prayerful, honest, funny, perfect little girl. I'm so proud of the person she is, and who she is becoming. Mommy loves you, birthday girl!

Lillian Cate Rebarchik on August 25, 2006

Lillian Cate Rebarchik on August 25, 2007Lillian Cate Rebarchik on August 25, 2008Lillian Cate Rebarchik on August 25, 2009

Working Mommy and Other Randomness

2009-08-28T16:27:00.004-05:00

We planned very carefully (with the Lord's blessing) when we would like to have our second child, and because of that I strategically avoided being big-pregnant in the summer AND ended up with 5 1/2 months of maternity leave. I somehow thought having a long maternity leave would make returning to work easier. It has not. My time home with them has been wonderful, especially over the last six weeks or so, that it has really broken my heart to go back to work on a regular basis. Fortunately, I work with some really amazing people, so my time away is filled with good conversation, laughter, and purposeful work. So, all that to say it has been a difficult transition back for me, but we are settling in nicely. The kids are back at Tassie's house, and love it. In another week or so, Lilly will start preschool... that's a whole other post in itself! Say tuned.

Here are a few pictures, just to catch up. They aren't at all related to the post. I know, I'm random.

Aren't they beautiful! Lilly's wearing princess panties, a long-sleeved pajama shirt, and a swimsuit. Quite the fashionista.
As of August 5, Everett can sit up on his own! Way to go, big guy! On the 26th, learned to log-roll as a form of transportation. That's right, folks. Our little man is mobile!

Colorado Vacation

2009-07-25T13:10:00.008-05:00

The four of us took our first vacation together this past week to Colorado. Frank was being sent to Denver for a training Monday-Thursday, so since the hotel and car were already covered (thank you, City of Dallas) we got a fun fare and off we went. We left on last Thursday and spent the weekend visiting the Anthony family in Monument. It was so beautiful there. I don't think it got to 90 degrees the whole time we were there. So refreshing! Each morning, we had breakfast on their back patio, wrapped in a blanket, and enjoyed this view

While there, we visited the Focus on the Family headquarters, where there's an amazing interactive play area. Too bad I didn't run in to Dr. Dobson while we were there. I have a thing or two to pick his brain about. I'm sure he'll contact me once I send him this picture for the next cover of "The New Strong Willed Child"

After that, we visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. It's the only zoo actually built on a mountain. It was very cool, but kind of a beating to push a stroller on.

Once we were in Denver and Frank was in trainings, I set out with the two hoodlums by myself. I totally get now why single parents rarely vacation. GAH. First we went on a tour of the Hammond's Candy Factory and got to see them making candy canes. I was impressed, but Lilly was just concerned about getting her lollipop.
One of our favorite things to do was to eat dinner out together at restaurants with a patio. Having dinner, outside, not sweating, was awesome! Everett was even content in his seat as long as we were outside. Everett didn't really get that we were in Denver. All he knew was that Mommy and Daddy were happy and relaxed, and Lilly was excited, so he was a happy kid!

The kiddos and I enjoyed a trip to the Denver Children's Museum. Lilly's favorite part was playing, in costume, on the firetruck. She got to make the lights and sirens work, and drive the truck. But her most important job of the day was taking care of the (stuffed) firedog.

We also enjoyed dinner at the Downtown Aquarium one evening. What a beautiful restaurant! We sat next to a huge tank full of "Nemos and Dorys." The best part was when the diver came into the tank and fed the fishes right next to us. Then he gave Lilly a high five through the glass.

Our last night there, we went with the Anthony's to Casa Bonita, which is this really fun, really huge all-you-can-eat Mexican food restaurant. There's a waterfall inside, where a diver comes out and cliff dives about every 20 minutes. They had pirate shows, arcades, caves to explore, and mariachi bands to enjoy. The room we were seated in had a huge stage, with a magic show once an hour. The magician wasn't the best, but at least we got Abby volunteered to be his lovely assistant. Somehow, Lilly managed to find her way on-stage as well. Her favorite part was interrupting the "Miller Time" act to wave and yell, "HI MOMMY! LOOK AT ME!!!" from the stage. I was so proud. :)

Much to our surprise, the security line at the airport was unbelievable! So we missed our 3pm-6pm flight home. So we hopped on a 4:45 plane to Phoenix, then hopped on another plane to El Paso, then on to Dallas. We got home around 11:30 with two very tired little ones. Fortunately, they were amazingly well behaved. I was so proud of my little troopers! We were sad to leave Colorado, with the beautiful weather and the Anthonys, but it sure was nice to have everyone in their own bed (and in their own ROOMS) again!

Bellies in Bloom

2009-07-05T23:47:00.002-05:00

There are three reasons I'm putting up this link to my dear friend, Hannah's, website.

1. Her blog is an EXCELLENT source of unbiased information on natural childbirth, choices in vaccinating, circumcision, etc. Good stuff!

2. Hannah is a dear friend and a fantastic doula.

3. She's having contest on her blog, and even though I won her last blog contest, I'm DYING to get a pair of her homemade baby shoes. So here I go again!

PLEASE VISIT www.belliesinbloom.blogspot.com !

Happy Father's Day, Frank!

2009-06-21T22:13:00.003-05:00

Happy Father's Day to the most wonderful man I've ever known. I love you, and couldn't be more pleased that God chose you to be the daddy to our children. I wouldn't want to face this parenting adventure with anyone but you.

Some things never change...

2009-06-09T13:59:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I had the priveledge of spending the day with one of my dearest friends from WAY back. For those of you who don't know, Beth and I were inseparable from the time we were about 13. She moved to Ohio (booo....hissss!) toward the end of our Junior year in high school. Since then, we've only gotten to see each other a few times. This time was especially sweet because I got to meet her precious little girl, Amelia, and introduce her to my handsome Everett. Amelia is only 2 days older than Everett. We are currenly working on the conditions of their betrothal. We did lunch, drove around our old haunts, and got really, really silly. Boy, a lot has changed since we were 13... but I think we both discovered that some things never do. I love you, Beth! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Water Babies

2009-05-30T19:34:00.004-05:00

On Thursday, the small ones and I went out to Memere's (that's Frank's mom's French grandmother name) house on Lake Granbury. The pool was warm, so we enjoyed the first swim of 2009! Lilly wore her swimsuit with the built-in floaties. We call it her "suicide bomber" swimsuit. I'm sure you can see why...

I wasn't sure I was going to get Everett in the water, but once I realized it was nice and warm, we decided to go for it. He wasn't sure what to think at first, but after a few minutes he figured out how to splash and kick, just like his sister.

The four of us had a really good time. I'm thinking we may make a habit out of this!

After about 15 minutes in the water, Everett was wiped out. So Memere shaded him from the sun, and rocked him... poolside. :)

Catching Up

2009-05-15T23:41:00.007-05:00

I know it's been a long time since my last post! I had a glitch with my picasa/blogger, and couldn't get pictures up. Since I knew that's what everyone wants anyway, I just waited until I had a "free minute" (Yeah, right! What's that?) Now that I figured it out, you can see ALL our updated photos by clicking on the "Our Family Photos" link on the right.

But for you readers out there, here's our life in a nutshell:
Everett is 10 weeks old already. He's such an amazing little guy! At his 2 month check-up, he weighed 14lbs 8oz, and is 25 1/2 inches long. So in two months he's gained 5 pounds and 4 inches. Needless to say, nursing is going well. He's holding his head up well, and is very strong. He's got the most precious smile, and isn't afraid to use it. Over the last couple of days, he's started cooing at us more. He's so much fun!

Lilly currently holds the title of "Best Big Sister EVER!" She is wonderful with Everett, and tells him daily that he's her best friend. Her imagination has really blossomed over the last few months, which is so much fun to see. She really is such a bright and beautiful little girl, even if she is mine!

Frank and I were officially "prayed-in" as shepherds of our community group at church. It's been a smooth fit for us so far, because of the love we share with our church family. Frank is still loving his job, which makes me very happy. I'm enjoying being home with my babies, although there are days I really miss my girlfriends at work.

Everett's Unexpected Homebirth - March 5, 2009

2009-03-13T17:59:00.004-05:00

As a doula (still in training), I have a ton of head-knowledge about birth, and I totally believed that birth is a normal, natural, healthy thing. But my Lilly was born in the hospital (in my pre-doula days) with all the bells and whistles. So I had doubts deep down about whether or not I could really do it. My plan this time was for an unmedicated hospital birth. Fortunately, it didn't turn out that way. Here's my story:

I was 39 weeks on Thursday, March 5. I woke up at 3:00am thinking my water might have broken. I was finally sure that's what it was at about 3:30. So I called my doula, Gina Phillips, to tell her my water had broken, and that we were going back to sleep to wait for my body to do it's thing. By 4:15, I was feeling crampy and uncomfortable... enough that I couldn't sleep. So Frank and I got up, e-mailed work, threw a few last minute things in our bags, and basically wasted time. Then around 5:00, I noticed that my cramps were coming about every 4 minutes apart, lasting more than a minute, but I was going to wait to do anything until they had been that way for an hour. At 5:15, we called our doula and said things felt really intense, and that I thought I could use her help. We also called our friend Kim, who was going to watch Lilly, to come over. At about 5:30, I decided I needed a change of scenery, since I couldn't find a comfy spot in our bedroom anymore. So I got up and walked into the living room and laid down on the couch just in time for another "cramp." It was then that I felt the baby's head come off my pubic bone (which is where he'd been resting for several weeks) and slide all the way down. It was the most dramatic thing I've ever felt in my life. Suddenly, my body was pushing and I couldn't make it stop. I was scared to death, but stayed calm. My husband was oblivious, and I didn't tell him what I'd felt because I couldn't even explain it to myself in my own head. I crawled over to my birth ball and stayed there for several minutes. Kim came at 5:45, and I couldn't speak to greet her. My doula came in at about 6:00 and found me on the floor making "pushy sounds". She helped me get up and walk to the bathroom. Up to then, I hadn't had any bloody show, but boy, that had changed drastically! I was freaking out, telling her I was pushing and couldn't stop. I think she and my husband both just thought I'd lost control and was starting to panic, so she tried to get me to reach and see if I could feel the baby's head. I couldn't tell what I was feeling, so she offered to look, just to reassure me that he was not falling out. When she looked, she could see his sweet little head right there! She said, very calmly, "We have two options. I could call 911 and a paramedic could deliver your baby here. Or I could call my friend, who is a midwife, who lives 10 minutes from here, and she could deliver your baby here. Either way, you are about to have a homebirth." Thankfully, in that moment I firmly said, "call the midwife!" That was about 6:10. For the next 13 minutes, my doula had me on my back, blowing through the intense urge to push, trying to buy some time for the midwife, Ann Crowell, to arrive. She came in at 6:23 and immediately got in position to catch my little one. I flipped to all fours, then down onto my side (which was way more comfortable for me.) She coached my pushing beautifully (strong push here... gentle push here... breathe here....) At 6:40 am, my sweet Everett James was born into my arms in the comfort of my own bed. He was 9 pounds, 9 ounces, 21 1/2 inches long... and I had NO TEARING!!! It was the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. The next 2 hours were so amazing... nobody took my baby away, nobody rubbed goop in his eyes, nobody asked anything absurd of us. It was beautiful. We got into a wonderful herbal tea bath, and we felt so healthy and wonderful.

God gave me, not just the blessing of a healthy baby boy, but the gift of true belief... in His perfect plan, in birth, in my baby, and in myself. We thank God for this overwhelming gift. All the glory belongs to Him!

Here's a link to the picture montage of the birth.
http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=8354a766378ec560013157&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=email

Long Overdue Post

2009-02-19T16:40:00.003-06:00

I can't make any excuses for why I haven't blogged lately... unless, of course, you count being a zillion months pregnant, and having a two-year old, working, helping shepherd a cg.... then I guess I do have an excuse or two!

Lilly "ice skating" on our "pond" on the ice day, 1/28/09.

She just loves to blow the dandelions!

Big sister, helping Mommy open Everett's gifts at the baby shower at Mommy's work.

Isn't this the cutest thing!?! Thanks, Amanda, for such a sweet gift!

His name is on the door... we're ready when he is! For more shower and nursery pictures, visit our family photos link on the right side.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-28T17:27:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas from the four Rebarchiks (well, one of us was saying "bah, humbug!")
If I were with-it enough to send cards this year, this would have been on it.

Lilly's first face-to-face with the man in the red suit.

Our excited girl, first thing Christmas morning.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2008-12-16T16:07:00.004-06:00

We have been very busy getting things ready for Christmas. Here are a few hilights:

Our big girl, decorating the tree.
I love this face!

Decorating some Christmas treats, with a little help from Daddy.

Nothing beats popcorn and a good Christmas movie with Daddy. So proud of our very first Gingerbread House!

November Update

2008-11-24T19:02:00.005-06:00

I know, I stink at keeping the blog current. But really, you're only here for the pictures anyway, right? So, here ya go!

Lilly and Lydia at our CG Thanksgiving celebration.
Mommy & Daddy... we can't remember the last picture we took that didn't have Lilly in it!

Lilly decorating Mommy's tummy.

Kids home group night. So fun!

Baby Rebarchik FAQs

2008-10-25T14:07:00.006-05:00

Q. What are you having?
A. A precious baby BOY!

Q. Is Lilly excited?
A. In those rare moments she isn't completely thinking about herself, yes, she's very excited. She is two, you know.

Q. When are you due?
A. March 12... Frank is guessing February 23.... I'm dead set on keeping this baby in until March. Neither of us really have a say in that, do we?

Q. How are you feeling?
A. I'm finally done being sick! YEA!!! It only took 18 weeks to get past it, but he's worth it!

Q. Have you chosen a name?
A. Not yet... it's being discussed on a constant basis at our house. We're open for suggestions, but don't be offended if we don't use yours. And YES, we will tell you as soon as we have one picked out. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm in to all things embroidered and personalized!

Q. Will there be a Frank Edward Rebarchik, V?
A. IV has ruled that out. The legacy dies here.

Q. Have you felt him move?
A. Yes, lots of times. But he's not a mover and shaker like his sister was. We're hoping that he stays this mellow once he's out.

Handley Street Festival 10/11/08

2008-10-18T20:05:00.004-05:00

Our awesome community group had a booth at the Handley Street Festival, to sell cheap sodas and get the word out about our church. It was a TON of work, but we had a great time together.
Getting everything together....
Setting up the booth with Phil and Janet.
Lilly "helping" the storyteller on the children's stage.
Lilly loved climbing in the big old yellow fire truck!

Train Ride

2008-10-18T19:59:00.002-05:00

Our community group went on a train ride to Dallas to have dinner together. I can't begin to describe how much Lilly loves the train! Here are a few of our favorite pictures:

The worst blogger ever

2008-10-04T20:06:00.003-05:00

I know, I have become the worst blogger ever. Since I last posted, we've had a lot going on. On August 25, Lilly turned two. That same day, I went back to work. Everything's been a whirlwind since then. But since I know you only check this blog to see cute pictures of my girl, I'll cut the small talk and post some pics!
Lilly's first haircut 8-22-08. It's amazing how still she'll be for a sucker.
Happy 2nd Birthday, Lillian Cate!
Our beautiful, and very tired, birthday girl.
Lilly finding a comfey spot to watch the balloons at the Plano Balloon Festival.

Quiet blog...

2008-08-21T09:20:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything lately... between morning (all-day) sickness, destroying and rebuilding the house, Frank's new job, etc.... well, there hasn't been much energy left for blogging. Here are a few pics from the last couple of weeks to catch you up. Enjoy.
Helping Daddy wash his car.
1st time in her big girl bed.
Completely worn out.

Wash-it Hands

2008-07-31T21:46:00.003-05:00

This morning, Lilly decided it was time to "wash-it hands." So into the bathroom she went. After about 5 minutes, I decided to see for myself. She was "wash-it" hands, arms, legs, feet, face... She was one clean little girl!

Meet Frank

2008-07-19T19:43:00.003-05:00

Lilly's favorite stufftie is a blue turtle she's lovingly named Frank. Frank the turtle joined us for dinner last night. When I asked Lilly what Frank wanted for dinner, she remembered that the turtle at the zoo ate lettuce, so that's what she requested for Frank. Lilly and Frank had a lovely dinner together, along with Mommy and Daddy. I must say that Frank was significantly better behaved than his date, but we're working on it.

Pregnant Stick Figure

2008-07-11T13:29:00.001-05:00

Our Exciting News

2008-07-05T15:02:00.002-05:00

Our little Lilly is going to be a big sister in March!!!

The best $9 I've ever spent

2008-06-29T16:26:00.004-05:00

We bought this 3-ring inflatable kiddie pool. One word describes it... AWESOME! (I may be easily impressed these days, but who cares!?)

Congratulations, Chuck & Heather!

2008-06-28T21:19:00.002-05:00

Our dear, sweet friends, Chuck and Heather, were married this morning. It was a beautiful ceremony, and a lovely reception. They are off enjoying their Honeymoon in San Antonio. We can't wait for them to get back so we can enjoy them as Mr. and Mrs.!

Home Group Fun!

2008-06-26T21:16:00.001-05:00

We ended up having home group out in the front yard this week. We figured with 9 kids, ages 5 months to 5 years, it was a damage control measure. :)

Happy Father's Day, Frank!

2008-06-15T22:31:00.004-05:00

We love you, and we are so thankful for such a wonderful man to be the head of our home. You are a loving husband and father, hard worker, strong leader, and most of all a faithful servant of God. Your character inspires us to walk closer to the Lord.
With all the love two hearts can hold,
Nancy & Lilly

Triathlon #7

2008-06-11T13:55:00.003-05:00

We traveled to Austin this past weekend for the Danskin Women's Triathlon. It's a sprint distance tri (1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run). This was my 5th year to complete the Danskin. My goal was to complete it in under 2 hours. Last year my time was 2:02:22. This year it was 2:00:38! ARGH!!! Oh well, we still had a blast. Here are a few pics. You can see the rest of the pictures under the "Our Family Photos" link on the right side of the page.

Summer's Unofficial Start

2008-05-31T22:31:00.004-05:00

Swimsuits...
Sprinklers...
Being out in the yard...

Kool-aid...
Yep, summer has arrived at our house!

Cousins

2008-05-31T22:17:00.003-05:00

Lilly loved playing with her cousins out in the yard. Too bad baby Brady slept right through the fun!
Lilly & Mackenzie
Lilly & Michael
Lilly wins!

First Trip to the Zoo

2008-05-09T22:11:00.004-05:00

Lilly got over her case of tonsillitis (yuck!) just in time for us to have some family time at the Fort Worth Zoo. We had a wonderful time together. Lilly especially liked the turtle she saw eating a big piece of lettuce. Now if you ask her what a turtle says, she'll tell you, "num num!" (Of course, what else would a turtle say?)

Komen Tarrant Race for the Cure

2008-04-28T21:02:00.002-05:00

We got to celebrate JoAnn's victory over breast cancer on Saturday at the Race for the Cure. In all, Team Hallelujah had 12 members, and 3 in strollers. We had such a great time!

Brusha, brusha, brush-a!

2008-04-13T22:48:00.002-05:00

Lilly loves to brush her teeth with her Elmo toothbrush. It's so fun seeing her develop good, healthy habits!

Happy Birthday, Frank!

2008-04-13T22:23:00.003-05:00

Lilly and Memere were happy to help Daddy open his birthday present. Then we surpised him with a sushi dinner... and for the record, Lilly is not a fan of sushi. (Guess she takes after her mom!)

Beautiful Weather, Beautiful Girl

2008-04-08T21:51:00.002-05:00

Since it's been so nice outside the last few days, I decided to try to capture some of our backyard fun on camera. I probably took a million shots, but here are the 3 best ones.
My happy girl.

Lilly giving butterfly kisses to Daddy. I just love this picture!

I've been tagged!

2008-03-25T19:48:00.004-05:00

This is a little questionnaire that Heather tagged me on her blog to answer these questions...So here goes!

Where was I ten years ago?
I was a senior at dear old GHS, in the middle of contest season as a Fabulous Fillie. I'm pretty sure I was stressed about prom by this point, too. Boy, it's amazing how insignificant those "important" things seem to me now!

Things on my To-Do List today:
My day is almost done, but for tomorrow I'm going to work out, clean the house, go to work, spend time with my beautiful family... and Frank's mom is coming to visit. Should be a good day.

What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire?
First, I would stop worrying about what I'm going to do for work next school year! That would be great! We'd pay off the house, then buy a slightly bigger one. I'd get Frank the giant 4-door truck he's been wanting for so long. Give the remainder of the needed money to build the new children's building at our church. Form a scholarship fund at GHS in my mom's memory. We'd fully fund the Killoren's ministry in Sudan, Ambilike's ministry here at DTS, and the McKnight's ministry in Kenya. We'd also make sure our families were well taken care of. I could go on and on here....

3 of my bad habits.
1. MySpace/Facebook.2. Staying up too late and not getting anything accomplished 3. Doubting myself about everything

5 jobs I’ve had.
1. Mail/copy place girl 2. Assistant to Wedding Coordinator 3. College Tutor 4. Gymboree Teacher 5. Elementary School Teacher

5 Things you don’t know about me.
1. This is my 5th year to complete a triathlon 2. I'm getting certified as a doula, and hopefully soon as a childbirth educator 3. I'm super interested in learninig all I can about Heaven, both because I love Christ and because I can't wait to see my mom again. 4. I hate birds... and I don't really have a good reason why. 5. If I could be pregnant all the time, I would. I loved everything about being pregnant... even the morning sickness!

I tag Jenny, Hannah, Jane, Melissa, and Libby!

Easter Eggs

2008-03-22T20:23:00.004-05:00

The Rebarchik family had our first egg-coloring adventure. Who knew blue eggs were so exciting?
!

Pregnant?

2008-03-17T21:41:00.002-05:00

NO! NOT ME!!! (Not yet, anyway!)

Some of you know about the new calling God has put on my heart, but for those of you who haven't heard, I'm currently getting certified through DONA International as a birth doula. A doula is basically a childbirth coach whose sole purpose is to provide emotional and physical support to women during their labor and delivery. Eventually I hope to use my passion and education to bless mothers in unplanned pregnancies who made the couageous decision to carry their babies rather than choosing to terminate their pregnancy. But before that can happen, I have to finish my certification, which includes providing doula service for three moms. Here's where I need your help: If you know anyone who is expecting who would be blessed by having a doula present during their birth experience, please give them my name! I'd love to talk to them, and if we're a good fit I'm willing to provide my services for free. Doulas are great for every kind of birth, including hospital, home, and birthing center births, unmedicated, epidural, even c-section! So, spread the word! I can't wait to find families!
Thanks!!!

Serving Together

2008-03-17T21:30:00.004-05:00

This past Thursday, our home group went to help stuff Easter eggs for Mission Arlington. This was Lilly's first service project, and she did pretty well. Together, we stuffed about 2,500 eggs... which sounds like a lot until you realize that Mission Arlington has a goal of 100,00 eggs!
Serving, hand in hand
Lilly, Sarah, Jeff, and Nancy

Lilly and Noah having WAY too much fun with the candy!
Our offering

Train Trip

2008-03-17T21:21:00.004-05:00

Last weekend our community group took the train from our beloved Fort Worth to Dallas, where we got out, ate dinner, acted goofy, and barely caught the train back home. Lilly loved the choo-choo!
Noah and Lilly
Lilly, Mrs.Suzanne, and Mommy

Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the center aisle for the Lilly Show!

18 Month Update

2008-03-06T19:01:00.007-06:00

Lilly had her 18 month check-up with the pediatrician today. She's officially 31.2 inches tall, and 23 pounds, 8 ounces. I can't believe she's such a big girl! She's almost quadrupled her weight and is 13 inches taller than she was at birth. Must be Mommy's good cooking!

In other news.. Lilly went peepee in the potty for the very first time last night! Sure, it may have been purely accidental, but she did it! Nevermind the puddle next to the potty and the other puddle in the living room floor. As a reward she got to watch Potty Time Elmo, which is a little oogy, but Lilly loves it.

Proud (and very tired!) Mommy with our Potty Princess.

No news is good news

2008-03-03T21:31:00.003-06:00

I really don't have anything exciting to report. Lilly has been a very happy girl lately, and we are enjoying being her parents more and more all the time. We are so blessed!

Gifted?

2008-02-20T19:48:00.005-06:00

Now I'm not claiming my kid is a math genius or anything, but I have kids in my class that don't sort this well! This was at breakfast the other day, and was totally un-coached. She started with the blackberries (bla-beboms), then took out the blueberries (blu-beboms), and left the strawberries (sta-beboms) in the middle. Mommy was so impressed! Then to make it better, she ate them all, one pile at a time.

Cheesy

2008-02-08T20:33:00.000-06:00

Lilly + Shredded Cheese =

Yep, that's cheese in her nostril...

Lilly's Favorite Games

2008-01-31T21:31:00.000-06:00

Lilly likes to play this game, where we'll ask her, "Lilly, who's so big?" And her answer is always to throw her arms as high as she can in the air while we sing, "LILLY'S SOOOO BIG!!!" It's something simple, but it always brings a smile to our faces.

Her other favorite game is Peek-A-Boo from behind the living room curtains. This one is especially fun when our cat, Beamer, (who Lilly calls Beam-Bom) plays along.

She also likes to climb into boxes and laundry hampers. I wonder where her imagination takes her when she's playing? And isn't this picture great advertising for CTMH!?!

The EYES have it!

2008-01-24T21:13:00.000-06:00

Lilly had her first appointment with a pediatric opthamologist yesterday. Some well-meaning friends suggested that they noticed she had a lazy eye. I never really noticed it, but nevertheless, I took her for an appointment just to make sure. Lilly did really well at the appointment. The doctor was wonderful with her. And then the good news: Mommy was right! Her eyes are strong and perfect! She goes back in 6 weeks, just to make absolutely sure they are as wonderful as we think. But I am confident that they will find out what Mommy and Daddy thought all along... she's GORGEOUS and PERFECT!!! (We may be a little biased, but what are parents for?!?)

Ivy League Lilly!

The Big Trip to OKC!

2008-01-21T19:28:00.000-06:00

On Friday the three of us took off for a long weekend getaway to Oklahoma City to visit old friends and play a little bit. We stayed at a bed and breakfast that was nice, except that they had this giant bird... anyone who knows me well knows how I feel about birds! Anyway, we had a great time with the Carr and Brown families. Lilly had a wonderful time playing with Areta (3.5), Honor (almost 2), and Charis (7 months).

Here's Lilly and her friend, Areta, in the rocking chair.
Here's Honor, saying "hello."

This is Charis and her mommy, Jana.

We had a wonderful time, until we were on our way back to the B&B. That's when Lilly got very, VERY sick! Our poor little girl (and her poor parents) were up all night with a nasty stomach virus. This was Lilly's first stomach bug, so we weren't nearly prepared for how bad it would be. And being away from home didn't help! Finally about 3am, Lilly was done being sick and was able to sleep. Of course, she still felt the need to get up at 7am! Since we weren't sure whether or not she was contageous, we knew we couldn't go visit more friends... especially the kiddos and the preganant friends! So we decided to come on home a day and a half early. Bummer! Fortunately, Lilly has bounced back quickly, thanks to lots of prayers from our community group family. We took it easy last night and watched the Giants beat Green Bay. Lilly was happy to cheer for which ever team was scoring! I hear cheering on the TV, so I stood up and cheered, too! Oh, and I learned to take my pants off all by myself!!!

This is the "Mommy hold me!" face.

Not much new here...

2008-01-14T20:25:00.000-06:00

A big "HELLO!" from Lilly and her parents!

In an effort to keep the page current, I'll go ahead and post, even though there isn't much new to talk about. Frank is super-excited about the new Terminator TV series, which is a little odd to me, but hey... whatever floats his boat. Lilly's new favorite thing to say is, "Uh oh, Spaghettio," which sounds more like "Uh oh, Skeegoes!" I have a new domain name for my scrapbooking website: DFWScrapbooking.com. Come visit, and tell your friends! I've also decided to become a certified doula, which is a professional childbirth coach. So if you know anyone who would like a free doula for their birth experience, let me know. I need to do 3 births to finish my certification. I've got one lined up already (YEA!) but need a couple more.

Hmmm... maybe we had a busier week than I thought.

This weekend we're taking a mini-vacation up to Oklahoma City to visit old friends. We are staying at a pretty little bed and breakfast. All 3 of us are looking forward to it. I'll post pictures from the trip next week.

New Year's Resolution: Maintain Blog

2008-01-07T20:30:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know. I'm horrible at keeping up with this page. But I've decided that I'm going to work a little harder at keeping this current.
Here are a few pictures from our many Christmas adventures:
Here we are in front of our tree before our home group Christmas Party.
On Christmas Eve, Lilly and I made a birthday cake for Jesus.
Four generations of Cates. This picture makes me miss my mom!
How cool are we in our matching pjamas!?!
Lilly and her new bike! Thanks Papa and Nonni!

Teething Update

2007-09-15T23:42:00.000-05:00

Our current emerging teeth count has grown. We have observed 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom. Six teeth at once! No wonder she hasn't been feeling well!

Teeth at last???

2007-09-12T10:08:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Lilly woke up with a runny nose and had a low-grade fever. We thought maybe with the new cool weather came some allergies. We're starting to rethink that. We were playing with Lilly this morning, and during one of her big giggles, we noticed not one, but THREE teeth trying to emerge from her upper gums! (Well, Frank's claiming four, but I can only confirm three of them.) So maybe this is it! And not a moment too soon... I was online last night googling "baby dentures" and was not encouraged by what I found. Yikes.

Could this be the end of the big, goofy, toothless grin? We'll keep you posted!

Birthday Girl!

2007-09-02T23:30:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun celebrating Lilly's first birthday. We enjoyed birthday pancakes for breakfast, an awesome party with family and friends, and chinese food for dinner!+

Memere's New House

2007-08-07T17:15:00.001-05:00

We went to visit Memere's (Frank's Mom) new house. It's lakefront property on Lake Granbury. It's going to be beautiful! They were sheetrocking the day we visited. Lilly loved walking on the walls. She also impressed us with her stair-climbing abilities.

Our Little Get-Away and Adjusting to Our New Schedule (again!)

2007-07-30T19:57:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures from our family get-away to the Azalea Plantation Bed & Breakfast. We had a great time together, until bedtime. Lilly would not sleep... she doesn't do well sleeping away from home. So we ended up driving her around at 11:30 at night to get her to fall asleep in the carseat... I'm sure we'll look back and laugh... one day...

Now that Frank's working nights, Lilly and I have created a new schedule that we've really enjoyed. Lilly's getting lots of time in her jogging stroller, which she really enjoys. Works out well for mom, too, since I have a triathlon coming up on August 19. This one Lilly's going to be cheering for her mommy and her Memere (Frank's mom!) Daddy gets up every day around 4, and we have our whole evening together, including a great new bedtime routine. We are currently reading "Muppets Take Manhattan." I think Mommy and Daddy are more in to it than Lilly, but we're sure it's because she's tired by bedtime. :)

Our Gorgeous Girl

2007-07-17T17:09:00.001-05:00

This week Lilly's become a full-fledged walker. Frank and I can't believe how fast she's grown. It seemed like just a moment ago we were still swaddling her up and holding her for hours on end. I'm not sure she'd appreciate it if we tried that now! Here are a few pictures we took while playing out in our front yard.

Lilly Discovers Toilet Paper

2007-07-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

Now that Lilly is mobile, she's busy exploring her world. The other day she discovered the wonderful world of toilet paper. I know I should have stopped her from making a mess, but it was just so stinkin' cute!

Happy Sixth Anniversary to Us!

2007-06-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

We celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary on Saturday, June 16. We got all gorgeous and went to a fancy french restaurant for dinner. It's so wonderful to relect back on the six years God has blessed us with, and look ahead with joyful anticipation of what is to come. Then when we came to pick Lilly up from Nana's house, we saw her take her first steps! What an exciting day for the Rebarchiks!

Our First Blog

2007-06-14T14:19:00.000-05:00

This weekend we went to Austin for Nancy's fourth triathlon. This was definitely the best year ever! She finished in 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 20 seconds. Two years ago (the last time she did the whole thing) she finished in 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 12 seconds. Last year, Mommy had Lilly on the way, so she only did the swim. Here's a picture of the three of us just after Mom crossed the finish line!