Family Verses

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity."
-Jeremiah 29:11-14

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

One Month Old!






Caleb is now 1 month old! Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks. This past weekend Grandpa Brian and Grandma Mary came to visit and were here to celebrate his 1 month birthday. We went to Carrabba's to celebrate! Caleb likes Italian music and food. :) You can see that he is now smiling at us especially when you sing to him or "buzurp" his neck or stomach. He is such a joy!

(To see comments on the pictures, click on the balloon in the bottom left corner of the slideshow box.)

Four Generations

Great Grandpa and Grandma Redoutey stopped by to see Caleb for the first time recently. It was the perfect opportunity to get a picture of all four generations of Redoutey men! Caleb is following in the footsteps of some wonderful men. Jason and I picked Caleb's name because of its meaning in the Bible: "strong warrior" and "serves God wholeheartedly." We recently realized that the family name Redoute also means "strong warrior." Isn't that amazing?!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Back to School

Today Jason started his semester at EMU again. So... that means Caleb and mommy are bonding today! I took this picture yesterday and put his "I love mommy" onesie on because he pooped all over his sleeper he was wearing. That was a first for Caleb! It literally jumped out the top of his diaper and got all over his back. The whole time Caleb never made a peep. :)

I wanted to use this time to share with you how how we have been blessed so far and seen God work since Caleb has joined our family. So many of you have been praying for us, and we want to let you know that it's working!
  1. I really desired to go into labor naturally, so when my doctor wanted to induce me I had to adjust my expectations. Being induced allowed Grandma Mary and Grandpa Brian to arrive the night before Caleb was born. Caleb was obviously ready to come out because the induction went really well. I only had to push for 15 minutes!!!
  2. Epidural or not? - I had really struggled with this decision... in the end getting an epidural was the best decision for me. I endured the pain of labor for 10 hours and in the end was able to enjoy the process! I think Jason was glad that I decided to get one... I was squeezing his hand so hard. :) Actually, he didn't like to see me in pain.
  3. I was so glad to have the doctor I felt most comfortable with be on call the day I delivered. That was a huge praise!
  4. The nursing staff at the hospital was excellent! They kept Jason and I informed at all times and were so helpful. I have the utmost respect for anyone in the nursing profession.
  5. Caleb's pediatrician could not have been more helpful! Her flexibility and understanding has been amazing. She even came to our house the day after we came home to help us out! WOW! Jason and I can't be more thankful for her.
  6. Christmas Eve - Caleb slept completely through dinner (take-out Thai food) and didn't wake up until the last present was opened. Caleb truly made the meaning of Christmas more real to us this year!
  7. 1st Wedding - Caleb was so good! He slept through the ceremony, fed before the reception, fell asleep in the car on the way to the country club, then slept through the reception and all the way home. In fact, he was so passed out that I was concerned he wasn't breathing! He was... I just had to check. :)

Well, these are just a few of the blessings we have experienced so far. Hope to share more memories in the next blog.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Bundle of Joy





Our little bundle of joy is now 2 weeks old and we are 2 week old parents. So many people told us how our life would change, and it truly is indescribable. It's amazing how much you can instantly love someone! Life will certainly never be the same. Right now our days are revolved around feedings, sleeping, changing diapers, trying to figure out why he's crying, and taking care of ourselves. These are some of our favorite pictures so far.
Top - Caleb sleeping on his daddy
Middle - Caleb wearing new hat from Grandma Mary :) Do you think he likes it?
Bottom - Caleb sleeping again on his daddy - he's growing up so fast!
Good news - He had his second doctor appt. today and he is almost back to his birth weight. At least we know he is eating well!