Brooklyn Mae Burgin

So Brooke is finally here!!! Here are the stats on my baby girl:
Weight: 7lbs, 7 oz
Length: 19 1/4 inches
Time: 10:27a.m
Date: 01/06/09
Other: She's got a full head of hair, beautiful eyes, that where open for about the first 2 hours (she was really peaceful and just looking around), she only cried when they poked her and bathed her.

This was a very peaceful delivery. Of course it was a c-section and planned, but the process (including Alicia's recovery) seems so much easier. We are back at home. Alicia is doing fabulous and up and about. Brooke is being extremely curious about her surroundings constantly looking around.

Ray is taking good care of his baby sister and makes sure she has plenty of kisses. He even gave her his favorite blanky to borrow for a little while. He has acted out a little, but I think this is because Daddy has been up at work and comes home and goes to bed as I am up helping Alicia feed, burp, and clean Brooke every 2 hours. So we don't get our good rough housing time in and haven't gotten it for about 3 days now. Tomorrow is a day just for him so he is well cared for and he'll have plenty of opportunity to beat me up.
Here are some pics:

New Year 2009!!!

What a year this will be!!!
I'm going to try to not concentrate on this last year as it was one of the harder years I have had. It was a great year for God to show His blessings in my life and to show how He can carry us through. I still cannot believe my store is open after some of the hard times, but just as though God wanted us to depend upon Him, He gave us the hard times and gave us just what we needed to get by.

Just a review of the amazing things that happened in 2008:
1. We became pregnant with Brooke and are expecting her any moment
2. We bought our first house! Glad we didn't take the lenders advice and get into a bigger house.
3. We found a great church that really has ministered to us as though we were in Acts 2.
4. As a family we drew closer to God and each other.
5. I am in great physical health and plan to continue getting in even better health!

The plans for 2009:
1. Enjoy our new edition for 2009 - Brooke Mae!
2. Continue to grow in Christ!
3. Get physically stronger and compete in a Body Building show!
4. Start worshiping God more with the gifts he's given me, even if it means leading worship in a church! (I have grown to dislike the modern churches idea of contemporary worship and what is expected for a typical service...i.e. worship whip-lash)
5. Join Woods Baptist Church.

Mostly everyday is started looking at the positives in life. I need to attract more positive energy. I've got a blessed life and I often focus on everything else but the blessings! As American's we are blessed beyond comparison. Even when the market crashes we are more blessed than 98% of the countries out there. There is no greater place I'd rather be than right where I am at.
You are blessed and I hope you find that blessing daily. Start each day off with positive thoughts and see how much better each day becomes. The things we worry about are not ours to worry about. Do you think the bird wonders and worries all day about where it will sleep at night or if there will be food or if my windshield is going to be the cause of its demise? So what is keeping you from reaching your full potential, go and get what God has promised you. You know the promises He has for you. Maybe today it is Salvation, maybe you are promised a hit song, poem or book. Maybe have been promised a fulfilled life, so just look around and look at how fulfilled we are.

May you be blessed in 2009!!!