The Diedrich's House

The Diedrich family has such a special place in our hearts. They are not only great friends but they are also supporters of our ministry in the Dominican. They have been so generous and gracious and they really just mean the world to us. When I think of Christmas, I think of the Diedrich's house. It's so cozy. Fireplaces, a barn with horses, homemade cookies...I get excited just thinking about going to their house. (I'll have to post some pics of their family later!)

But this afternoon, we were just relaxing by the fireplace and I had to snap some shots of my little family. What an incredible blessing this time in the states have been. Although we came home under some undesirable circumstances, God has definitely blessed us while we've been here. Enjoy a few pics of our little family!


Content little Emi


There is just SOMETHING so adorable about a little baby's cry...for a short time anyway :)


The "bobo" that she only likes sometimes...not like her brother who had it attached at all times!


I just love, love, love this picture. Landon and his lizards, Dad hanging out and Emi passed out without a clue!


Our little guy plays so well by himself...definitely like his Daddy in that sense.


Such an imagination (he gets THAT from his Mama!)

A Daddy and his Girl

Had to post this picture. So adorable.

2 Weeks!

Our little girl is two weeks old!

One Week Old

What a quick week it has been.

Nohemi is a week old already! She is eating well, sleeping about 23 hours a day and fitting in so perfectly with our little family.

Nohemi Ruth Braisted

Our little Emi is here!!!! And she couldn't be more beautiful. She arrived by C-section at 8:09am. She weighs 8 pounds, 1 ounce and is 19 inches long. Everything today went beautifully and the staff here at Lewis-Gale Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia are taking incredible care of us! Thank you for all of your prayers. This day couldn't have gone more smoothly.

36 weeks

And the countdown begins...the waiting game is here. She could really come any day but I do have the benefit of knowing she won't come any later than November 21st. So we have 20 days left. And believe me, I am ready!!!!! I have loved this pregnancy so much and being pregnant with a little girl made it that much sweeter but I am ready to have a normal body again and hold my baby girl. I am SOOOOO uncomfortable. It feels like she gains a pound a day. Back pain, heartburn, 18 trips to the bathroom, tossing and turning at night, leg numbness, contractions that lead to nothing.....nothing fun about the last month of pregnancy. Some women just exude loveliness through their pregnancy, I just am not one of those people, I guess. Maybe it is partly because of having a toddler as well. Trying to work through all those pregnancy issues while still attending to a very energetic little boy who needs my attention. THANK GOODNESS I have Mike. He has been such a huge help these last few weeks. Letting me take naps when I'm exhausted, taking over the night shift if Landon wakes up crying, playing with Landon and wearing him out so he's not so much to handle....I have thought so many times, I have more and more respect for single mothers who do such an amazing job raising their children without that second person there.

Not much news to report other than at our last visit we had an ultrasound and she was already 6 pounds and very healthy. I had gained another 5 lbs in 2 weeks (ugh!) and am up to 20 lbs gained so far. She was also in the head down position (which I already knew from the constant pressure on my pelvis).

My belly is just all baby. When she moves you can see her little foot or butt change the entire shape of my belly. If I've been sleeping on my side, you can see this huge bump of her body on that side and the other side is flat. It looks a little creepy.

This will probably be the last photo I'll post of the belly until Nohemi is here. How sad and exciting all at once! We can not WAIT until she is here. Thanks for taking this journey with us.

32 weeks!

So technically, I'm 34 weeks today but the picture was taken when I was 32 weeks pregnant! Seriously??? Are we really that close? My little counter at the top of our blog says we have 37 days left. That is just insane. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone. Pretty soon we will be the parents of two. But I don't want to start thinking about that yet....I'll feel too overwhelmed.

I can't emphasize how different this pregnancy has been compared to Landon. I was uncomfortable with Landon for much different reasons (i.e. still throwing up) than with Emi. I've gained a total of 15 pounds so far, which I couldn't be more thrilled about. I've done so much better with this pregnancy about not just eating to eat and choosing better options. Now, I sometimes have had days where all I want are ice cream, candy and caffeinated soda...but for the most part, I have been pretty healthy.

I also attribute my overall well-being to chasing around a two-year old. I always used to think it was such a crock when mother's said they kept skinny from chasing their kids around. I CERTAINLY did not stay skinny taking care of Landon. But now that he's almost 2 1/2, I literally will look at my watch at 2pm and go, "oh man, I didn't even eat lunch yet." For those of you who know me well...those words would have never come out of my mouth before!

I have been having an INSANE amount of Braxton Hicks contractions. I don't remember them at all with Landon. Maybe just because this time around I'm more in tune with my body. But I literally get them everyday, several times a day. And they aren't the most comfortable things in the world. I don't know what those stupid books are talking about, painless tightenings of the uterus...bah!

I am in full on nesting mode and have had to refrain from wanting to buy everything under the sun! A missionary's salary helps to reign me in :) But girls' stuff is SO much cuter than boys' stuff and I have just found myself (yes, the tomboy that I am!) looking at anything and everything pink that I can find!

We have a scheduled C-section planned for November 21st at 7:30am but I am secretly really wanting her to come a bit earlier. As wonderful as this pregnancy has been, I am really feeling quite done with being pregnant. I still have five weeks to go and I just don't feel like I have room in there for her anymore. I think she feels the same way (she lets me know by frequent jabs to the ribs and hips).

But we are just around the corner from holding our little girl. You can be praying for this whole process, obviously for health and safety of Nohemi and I, but because as happy as this occasion is going to be...it is also going to be so bittersweet without Joe here to be part of it all. Just yesterday, Debbie played the song that Joe picked out for Emi's dedication and it had all three of us bauling and hurting and missing him all over again (not that we need a reminder, we are constantly reminded of how much we miss him). It's just so painful still and I imagine it will be for a while. So I covet your prayers that God will reign over this whole season in our lives. Filling us with nothing but joy and love and gratefulness for all the blessings that He pours on us daily.

The Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we took Landon to his first pumpkin patch. What a great place. It had a petting farm, hay ride, corn maze and pumpkin patch. Lando was in heaven! Priceless memories that will have to be repeated every year, I think.

Little Man

I just had to post this picture. He's just such a little man now. Not my little baby. I'm experimenting with a new lens and don't have it down yet so most of my photos are a little blurry but this one I just loved despite a little blurryness.

Life of Joe

Life of Joe from Amanda Braisted on Vimeo.

I put together a video of Joe for the funeral yesterday. It was so therapeutic to look through photographs, old and new, and remember what a special man he was.