I'm Still Here!

I haven't been blogging a whole lot recently and I'm sorry about that. I guess I haven't had a lot to say, although I've had a lot on my mind.  Nick and I are in a strange spot in our life right now, just praying a lot and trying to see where God has us next...this still, awkward place we are right now is very uncomfortable! I have been thinking a lot that maybe we just need to be reminded again that we are not made for this earth...we were created with eternity in mind! Please pray for us as we have no clue what direction our lives will take! We are "waiting in the wings" for His timing!

James 5:7-8 ESV

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Adrian is growing into a very happy, outspoken, precious little boy.  He is almost sitting up by himself, and he is rolling over and starting to scoot on his belly.  He is extremely vocal and excitable! I did not take him to his 4 month well check because he is...well! Basically since we have chosen not to vaccinate him, there was no reason to go since he is totally fine.  I have been a little sad the past few days as I've looked at him and seen that he is growing soooo fast. I wish the little baby stage lasted longer, but at the same time I'm really looking forward to him growing up. Each stage is so much fun!

I bought a used sewing machine and have enjoyed sewing different little things.  I've made several little stuffed toys and have experimented with other ideas. I'm playing around with the idea of opening an etsy shop.  What do you think?

So that's an overview of what's going on in the Fasciano household lately.  Thanks for reading!

Adrian Rolls Over!

Yesterday Adrian decided to roll over - it's his new favorite thing! He has been rolling all over the living room all afternoon.  Sorry for my annoying voice, but you know...I'm just so proud of my little boy!  He is 4 months and 1 day old.

Bear Island

We woke up this morning to the most perfect of days...crisp, cool, breezy.  Perfect for our planned beach trip to Bear Island!

Unfortunately, babies can't wear sunscreen until they are 6 months old, so we had to make sure he was good and protected.  Of course, our almost-always-jubilant (except when tired, hungry or teething) little Adrian didn't mind!

We had to take a ferry to the island, which was lots of fun to start off the day. We kept looking for wildlife as we traveled along the waterway, but didn't see much more than a few graceful storks.

It was a half-mile walk to the beach. We enjoyed even that.  We laughed at baby as he rode with his legs stiff out in front of him the whole time. We don't know why, but it was oh so cute!

We spent the day enjoying the water, the breeze, and the fact that we were some of very few people at the beach during summertime! How nice! Nick even got to snorkle (sp?) a bit, which is something he's been wanting to do for a while. I was really hoping to see some dolphins, but we didn't.  Maybe next time!

Adrian loves the beach. He's such a little beach bum already!

I love this picture of Nick and Adrian.  I love trying to capture the beginning of this oh-so-special father/son relationship! Nick is such a precious daddy.

Happy Saturday Everyone!

    

"Who builds his upper chambers in the heavens and founds his vault upon the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth— the Lord is his name". Amos 9:6

If someone in your life gives you a gift card to Michael's (in my case, my mom), one suggestion is to make a wreath. 

Tips: You probably don't need a whole lot of flowers. Buy them at the end of the season, and pull the heads off the flowers and use hot glue to put them on the wreath.

Experiment with multiple looks. Blend colors from the room you plan to hang the wreath in.

Have fun!

Approx. cost = $12 depending on wreath size.

My living room just got a little bit brighter!

Emerald Isle Adventure

I love our Saturdays.

Right now, Nick is able to be home with us all day Saturday and Sunday and we love it.  Since we went to Emerald Isle last week with Andrea, Nick had been aching to go back and swim in the waves.  Soo, yesterday we went back to make a day of the sea air and the salty water. 

It started to rain on our way to the beach (about an hour and a half), but when we found a break in the clouds we stopped, hoping to have a little while in the sunshine.

As soon as we carried the stroller down to the beach and all our stuff and got set up under the umbrella, we noticed the storm coming fast in our direction.  I knew how badly Nick wanted to swim, so he got about 5 minutes in the water before the storm was on top of us.

We had to pack up quickly, which was kind of funny to be carrying so much stuff across the beach in the rain.  Surprisingly, Adrian slept through the whole ordeal.  We started to head back since the rain seemed to be letting up, and realized that Hammocks Beach Park is much closer to us than Emerald Island, so we stopped to check out the visitors center. 

We are planning to take a ferry from there to Bear Island next weekend...which is an uncommercialized island famous for the seashells, sea turtles, wild horses, and dolphins.  Hopefully not many other people are planning the same trip so we can have a lot of time to ourselves! 

One thing Nick and I have been talking about when we discuss our future as parents, is how exciting it is to us to be able to make conscious decisions in deciding what kind of parents we want to be.  We, together, get to decide and orchestrate what our family chemistry will be like.  The understanding of the responsibility can be overwhelming to me sometimes, but very exciting at the same time.  Being a mom, a wife, and part of a parental unit must be very selfless. 

Thinking of this makes me realize how desperately I need Jesus, and how desperately I need him to carry me and guide me through the day.  I want to be a loving and patient mom, and a devoted wife. I can't serve my family in the way I want to on my own.  I can't love my husband enough, I can't love my son enough, without the love of my savior. Remembering that it's not something I'm supposed to do in my own strength is such a relief.  I'm glad Christ is such a perfect strength. 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Taking the plunge - Cloth Diapers

In my never-ending quest to save money, Nick and I have decided to switch to cloth diapers.  I'm a little scared! But, if I can figure out how to do it, I think I'll love it.  Nick is totally on board.

I'm (honestly) not a huge "green" person, but I'm a very very thrifty person.  I like to search for the best quality for the least price.  It's a fun game for me! As I started researching cloth diapering, I realized many moms do it more for the environmental or "cute" factor than the money - because apparently it's really easy to get addicted to all the sweet styles.  It's really overwhelming when you start researching all the options cloth diapering has to offer.

I've decided to start out with the "prefold" option...which is the cheapest option and the easiest to care for.  It's the old fashioned way.  If this method works, we could save anywhere from $1500-$3000 from now to potty-training, plus, we can re-use the same diapers for our next baby.  Mmm I like that!

I will post pictures and tips I learn as I go.  If you have any tips or thoughts to share, they are welcome!

One year ago today...

My life changed a year ago today.

A year ago today I found out that Nick and I were going to have a family.  Yes, I was pregnant.  Overwhelmed with joy and fear, I put down my cup of coffee and walked around as if my body was made of eggshells.  As Nick and I held each other and cried (probably with both fear and joy), we knew we had been blessed with the greatest gift, introduced by those two pink lines...but of course we had no idea :)

I have often thought that we should change the way we measure age.  Of course, that would completely rock the current acceptance of "life begins after 24 weeks gestation" belief.  But if the world believed that life begins at conception, my little Adrian Samuel would be over a year old.  Crazy thoughts.

The past 16 weeks have been the craziest, most exhausting, happiest, most love-soaked weeks of my life.  At 16 weeks, Adrian has found his fingers, found his toes, loves cuddling and hugging, smiles all the time, fills 6-9 month clothes, laughs when you play peek-a-boo with him, and adores his baths,  He can roll over, and loves to sit up (with assistance).  Of course, I am super proud of every tiny milestone...but that's my job :)

This fall we are looking forward to two baby nephews.  My sister in law is expecting sweet baby Jack in November, and my sister will soon welcome baby Levi the beginning of September.  I'm looking forward to all of the memories Adrian will make with his cousins so close to his age.  What fun!  We are a blessed family.

Thanks for reading!

"It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."Lamentations 3:26

Happy Independence Day *Pray for our Soldiers*!

By the end of the summer, many of our Marine friends will be serving our country overseas.  Deployments are so difficult for everyone involved...kids missing their daddies and wives missing the love of their life.  Let's keep them in our prayers! Chris Teague, Lincoln Hughes and Cory Collier are already deployed, Michael Whiteford and Tim Miller are deploying early tomorrow morning, and Randy Brewer and Josh Munsee will be deploying in the coming weeks. 

If you have a name you would like to add on the list, email me!

Chris Teague serving in Afghanistan
Cory Collier serving in Afghanistan
Michael Whiteford serving in Afghanistan
Tim Miller serving in Afghanistan
Randy Brewer
Josh Munsee serving in Afghanistan
Lincoln Hughes
John Fabbri
Victor Mask
Calvin Carlson

"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14

We tried to come up with a fun and different way to celebrate the 4th (one of my very favorite holidays), but reality hit us when we remembered that we have a 3 1/2 month old who requires a whole lot of "stuff".  We'll go see fireworks at the beach in a couple of years.

We went to the nearby park for fireworks.  Guess who was there?  Remember the couple from our anniversary date who shared our table and witnessed my mortifying vomit episode?  Welp, we seem to be stalking each other.  So much for the comfort of, "at least we'll never see those people again".  *sigh*.

Adrian seemed both fascinated and scared by the fireworks show, but fell asleep before they were over.  I'm sure he'll appreciate them more next year.

Happy Independence day!

Our 2nd Anniversary

Proverbs 30:18-19
There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.

Two years ago today, I was anxiously getting ready to marry my very best friend.  My family was excited, I was excited, my friends were excited.  The moment I had dreamed of and planned for my entire life was so so close.  Nick and I had decided not to speak to each other until the ceremony, and I could not wait to see him, and for him to see me.  The anticipation was incredible. 

When the doors opened to the sanctuary and I could come down the isle, I had to keep reminding myself not to trip.  Half way down, Nick almost ran to meet me to walk with me towards the pastor.  That day ways the happiest of my life! I'm so thankful to the many, many people who helped us pull off such a wedding on a budget.  There is not one single thing I would change about that day!

Nick and I exchanged anniversary cards this morning, and mine said "turns out the millionth kiss is so much better than the first".  True story.  And the first was good!  We had decided to wait to kiss until our wedding day and by the grace of God we made it.  It was so special.  I am truly a romantic when it comes to weddings, but it was also amazing to finally be able to join in covenant to the one my soul loved.  Nick had walked right out of my prayers into my life. 

I found the one whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go…
Song of Solomon 3:4

Growing up, I had a very cynical, hyper-realistic view of marriage...although I hoped to have one that lasted, I expected us to be satisfied at best with each other, deal with the difficulties that life through at us, and die old, with barely having had a conversation more serious than the weather in twenty years.  Sad, but yes, this is what I thought I deserved.  I was afraid to believe that I could be happy in marriage when the majority of marriages around me were sad and hanging on by a thread.  I was terrified to hope that *I* could have a loving, fun, solid marriage.  But I do!

God is a romantic.  God is the one who created the poetry we long for in relationships.  He is the author of those mushy feelings we often push aside, dubbing them un-authentic.  However, it was our King that instilled the desire to love and receive love.  How precious is it that we cannot love the one He gives us to share our life with if we do not first fall in love with Him?  We cannot.  It is impossible.  Marriage is NOT meant to be between only one man and one woman without the Lord as the glue between him.  It is this thought that brings me to tears when I think of Nick and I...when I see how much Nick really adores me and when I think about how in love I am with him.  What a gift.

Most of you reading this have been married much longer than we have.  I know that we will have "good years and bad years" ahead of us.  Even the two years we have had have not come easily in any sense, because life is hard and we are human.  Honestly though, I can say I look forward to us being old, stinky and wrinkly, rocking on the porch side by side, holding hands and making jokes about being old and stinky.

To celebrate our two years of marriage, yesterday we went to the Aquarium on Emerald Island. We bought a year membership on our anniversary last year, and so we wanted to go at least once more before it expired.  We were really glad we went! It was a lot of fun and nice to get out of the house for some free fun (the membership has already paid for itself time and time again).  I have been anxious to bring Adrian to the aquarium because I love it so much, and thankfully he did seem to appreciate it.  I'm sure he'll like it more when he's older, but at least he liked the shiny fish scales :)

To celebrate today, Nick and I went to a hibachi steakhouse as our gift to each other.  I've wanted to go to a Japanese restaurant where the chefs cook in front of you for quite a while, and it was much cheaper than our usual celebratory restaurant: The Melting Pot.  It was so much fun!  We shared the table with another couple.  Nick ordered shrimp and I ordered Filet Mignon. Yummy! 

However, the very most embarrassing thing happened to me....I randomly (and without warning) threw up everything I had eaten in the middle of our dinner.  In front of the other couple. In front of the chef. In front of the entire restaurant.  I was (and still am) mortified. Thankfully I was able to duck under the bar to cover myself.  Seriously though, it was definitely the most embarrassing moment of my entire life.
All in all...it was a good day :) Thanks for reading!

"Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for"
- Love is Not a Fight (song from our wedding)

Wedding photos by Derek McClelland.  Highly recommend him. http://www.derekshanefotos.com/