Matthew, Tessa & Monroe: 2013

Hi Monroe Ciele!!!

Our piece of HEAVEN

Monroe Ciele 6 lbs. 5 oz. And the biggest eyes you ever saw. J

The teeny and absolute love and sunshine of our lives came to play on Oct. 27 at 3:30 am J Best day of my whole life. Her middle name is too perfect, she is HEAVEN ! (french) MOE has brought the sweetest, softest spirit to our home. And she has brought the best laugh attacks ever ! When she sneezes 4 times and then looks at you so confused, or hiccups and sounds exactly like a little frog ‘ribbuting ‘ , or when she is doing tummy time and is a little bobble head with her neck that reminds me of a turte I laugh my head off ! It is hard work holding that big thing up (in her case it is still the tiniest thing ever but still).

Matt is the worlds greatest dad and is so in love, completely wrapped around her itty bitty finger. He wakes up in the middle of the night to just hold sleeping Moe. Between us, she is never sat down. We call each other frantically saying ‘Hurry hurry !!!!!! You gotta see this !!!’ The other one drops everything, comes flying into the room and there she is, J J, breathing. Maybe gently moving her hands. And we still freak out and then kiss her face off J

She is a mini-matt.

Her furrowed brow all the time and funny thumbs that bend so far. What killed me is when she first sneezed in the hospital and she let out the loudest yell before she let the first one go. Scared me to death ! I have always thought people that do that could control it and the yell was unnessesary, but now that my tiny tim does it, I believe ! haha. She is absolutely wondermous. Can’t stop staring and kissing and snorting and squeezing her. Her soft little sounds, eating her fists, and bedhead melt me into a puddle.

Can't help but tear up some a those times. ha.

Monroesy has been smiling at me after nap or singing time and I get soooo excited and tell her how wondermous she is and her eyes go just HUGE and she studies me so very still, forgets what she was smilin’ for. Haha

Heavenly I tell ya!

Laughin, cryin, blubberin :)

Proud Grandpa Steve

Her head seemed just bigger than a golf ball, truly. Teensy tiny goodness.

Headed home, can't believe they let us have her.

1st time out, 3 days old

Her eyes say it all, it is a crazy world out there.

1st bath for rubber ducky

Tummy timin it, yay for a teensy dimple!

You crack me right up

Too good

Grandma Jules
2 of my favorite ladies :)

Twins/besties

Moe asleep on our drive to Montana for Thanksgiving haha! Wonder baby :)

Moe in the car with Aunt Ash in Montana :)

Grandma and Grandpa Mecham serving the Lord in Montana!! Recruiting the newest tiny missionary called! Go Sister Mecham!

Love me Montana

Happy Thanksgiving little pumpkin pie!!
I am soooo thankful for you and your daddio!!

Oooh, It's a wonderful daaaaayy!

haha Okay, so I always sing that phrase to Matt in the exact same, really squeaky, kinda gross tune and he loves it. Well, kind of. But that is the only thing running through my head right now as I am thinking of our happy news! Matthew and I are having a little girly friend come to our family!! It is soo fun to talk about HER! She is the heart of my thoughts, gratitude, excitement, and love! Having her with me every day for a few months has meant having a constant prayer in my heart for such a sacred experience. It is already one of the most blessed, humbling experiences! We couldn't even be a pinch happier. :D

En-croy-awe-bleh.

Yes, please go back and try to read that aloud. If you pronounce as I made it fool proof, you are saying INCREDIBLE in French! Which is exactly what Matt and I think of our lil' tike and of Matt's mission! haha So I will try to do a quick version of our adventure to France. Baby girl turned 17 weeks there. :)

I had been in France a total of 4 seconds at this point. Hadn't slept on the plane like I'd planned, had my toes turn into little round balls. Startin off with a bang!

The gorgeous Mourier home we stayed in. Neatest family. Incredible members in France.

We went straight to the Eiffie, which was my favorite thing in Paris!

This was Matt's apartment on the mish. Sweet.

He was the best tour guide! He walks faster in France that's for sure. It's a French thing. I do it now too. haha jk no I don't. I just stayed close on his heels because those Frenchies mean business.

The next day we travelled to Cinque Terre, Italy. This was our breakfast. We had gelato every 5 minutes. We stayed in Vernazza and luckily it was my favorite of the 5 cities (thus, "cinque"... just learned that) We hiked between the cities and it was the most beautiful place I've ever seen! Looked like the caribbean but with the yummy italian food and accents.

Not too shabby. Just behind me a few hundred feet is where I was standing just hours before.... as lost as a blonde, American can look. Matt had left me with the bags in search of the man we were renting our room from. Ya right were we going to find the right guy in a sea of randoms!! Tons of people were walking by and one of them turns, looks at me, and starts speaking with a thick accent. I don't know why accents make me nervous because I can't understand them even when they are speaking English! So I kind of frown and shake my head slowly as he is talking to me, warning him that I will hardly be of any help. I was 2 seconds away from 'shooing' him away. Then I understand one word: "Matt!" haha Whoops, there was our guy.

View of Vernazza as we were trekking to Monterosso (below)

Monterosso! Took maybe an hour to hike and WA LA! At the beach! We both jumped in the Mediterranean because you have to and yaba daba doo. It was chilly.

ow ow

Mmmhmm

Hiking back to our place. We didn't know that we had been burnt to little crispies.

Unreal!

Gelato on the dock

This was the most curious cave in the middle of the city that led straight out to an empty beach. It was our rainy, exploration day!

Only pic at a train station even though we basically moved in. Lived on trains in Europe.

Notice the egg.

Matt got the biggest kick out of his pose! We were at the very top of Riomaggiore (1 of the 5 cities) and they had this little kid park! Such a riot up there.

Crepe in Manarola. Delightful.
Below is the city of Pisa, we woke up at 3 this morning and were now it is like 7 and we trucked our bags a few miles on cobblestones to see that leaning tower.

Matt did a really great job with his moment with Pisa. I on the other hand, was in hysterics when I saw what I thought was a really awesome, pretty convincing 'lean' on the tower.

One of our eyes squints more than the other when we havent slept in days I guess :)
Heading back to France because we had only there a few hours.

This family is the neatest!!!! Flo, Dennise, Chengis. Best meal I ate in France, most incredible experience! They don't speak English but I loved every minute. I loved seeing Matt reunite with them, he could not have been happier.