December Pics & Bathtime Video

Baths are Cool from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.

The Raven: A Christmas Story

 I posted this two years ago... We just watched this episode again... it has become a tradition:


http://gscraft.blogspot.com/2007/12/legend-of-raven.html

Some Pics from November

Some recent pics from November

Video: Violet-Cecilia すみれ, Her Day & E=mc2 ?

Some recent videos :)

Talking with Violet-Cecelia すみれ about her day...

What did you do today? from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.

Violet-Cecelia すみれ trying to relate mass-energy equivalence to a sweet and silly mommy ;)

Why aren't you listening? E=mc2 Mommy! from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.

"Squeakers" & Smile

Why we call her "squeakers":

Squeakers from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.


Squeakers 2 from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.

Violet's official!

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't made a post in a while....someone has been keeping me a little busy. I am happy to be busy though. Violet has been a joy and I love spending my days with her. I can hardly believe she is already a month old. Last weekend we went to Tokyo to have her registered as a US citizen and get her first passport. Everything went really well and we were blessed with many kind acts of friends and strangers. First, last week we went to get her Visa in Morioka and our dear お父さん　and お母さん　offered to drive me and Violet there. We had a wonderful day together and were so happy that Violet and I didn't have to take the bus. Then when we got to Tokyo we couldn't find our hotel. We asked a couple on the street and instead of just telling us where to go, they decided to walk us all the way there! People are so kind.
We were thrilled to get her passport taken care of too. So many people are turned down because of missing information or incorrect photos. Gabe worked very hard though and we had everything perfect. Her little picture is so cute. She is so serious! She is a serious baby so far. When she does give us a smile it is truly rewarding. She also started laughing in her sleep lately and laughed while she was awake yesterday. We were talking to her Aunt Maya and when Maya said goodbye she laughed! It was so cute! She is also holding up her head very well and pushing up with her legs when we hold her up.
Today I went for my 1 month follow up and I got a good report. The doctor said that I could resume my normal life again. I was thrilled to hear that! Tomorrow we go for Violet's 1 month check up. I am hoping she gets a good report too!

this pic was taken by our friend Matt. He is a great photographer. Click here to see the pics from our photo shoot with him.

Here is Violet with her favorite friend, Mahatma the bear. This is her one month birthday picture.

And here are some other recent pictures.

 

 

 

Thank you all for your love and prayers! We love you all.

Violet-Cecilia すみれ: 22 days

22 Days from Musclecars & Meditation™ on Vimeo.

Violet-Cecilia すみれ: 14 days

 

 Violet Cecilia すみれ　Craft

October 1, 2009

2:32

6lbs. 12oz.

19.8"

I want to start out by thanking God for the most amazing 2 weeks of my life. Violet Cecilia has been with us for 14 days now. It seems she's always been here. She is an amazing and beautiful miracle. How can someone so small steal your heart in only 14 days. We are cherishing every moment with her. Thank you all so much for your love, prayers and support over these past few weeks. We really felt your love surrounding us and protecting us through it all. Now I will share our birth experience.
My water broke at 11:14 on Monday 9/28, our due date. I called Gabe at school and he quickly came home and we decided what to do next. We made a few phone calls and were on our way to the hospital. I was feeling excited and ready for the challenges ahead. Gabe was being so supportive and encouraging. Mutsuko met us at the hospital at 1:00. The doctor checked me and said I was officially in labor but I was only 1cm dilated. Still, they wanted to admit me because my water had broken. So we were sent to the labor room to be monitored for an hour and then we would be placed in our private room. My contractions were mild and about 10 min. apart. So we got checked into our room and Mutsuko went back home since it didn't look like we were going to see any action for a while. We walked around the hospital and laughed and enjoyed our last moments (so we thought) before Violet joined us. That night my contractions started to come more close together and much more intensely. We didn't sleep all night because they started coming back to back. But then morning came and they slowed down again. I was checked by the doctor and he said the baby still hadn't dropped and that I was still only 1cm. I felt frustrated that I had gone through all those contractions only to have made no progress at all. But still we were hopeful and also thankful that it was now Tuesday and the English speaking doctor was going to be on duty until  Wed. morning. So we walked the halls and stairs of the hospital hoping she would drop... The contractions were 5-7 min apart until the evening when they came back to back again. My doctor came in and said he was hoping to deliver our baby that night. But again I was checked and only 4cm and she still hadn't dropped. By 9am the next morning we were exhausted. We hadn't slept since Sunday night. The doctor checked me again and said that she was still too high and that I was only 4cm but fully effaced. He suggested we go ahead with the c-section. I was devastated. I felt so tired and yet still so ready to give birth naturally as we had planned. He said it would be safe to wait one more day if that's what we wanted. I asked about being induced but he said that it wouldn't help because she wasn't dropping. So we walked back to our room and I cried and cried. We prayed together about it and decided to have the c-section. It was Gabe's birthday 9/30. But then we got an unexpected visit from our dear pastor Rev. and Mrs. Yoshida. We talked and prayed together. After their visit we felt refreshed and rejuvenated. When we walked back to tell the doctor our decision I said, "I want to try one more day please." He obliged and they kept me on antibiotics for safety from infection. We walked around the hospital with renewed strength. Mutsuko brought a birthday cake for Gabe and we celebrated in the hospital library. Then we walked and walked some more. That night the contractions were the strongest they had been so far. My friend Machiko came by. She is a pharmacist and specializes in Chinese medicine. She gave me a wonderful massage and brought Jasmine tea leaves for me to smell to help me relax. It worked so well that my water fully broke after about 5 minutes with her. We decided to go to the labor room. (the whole time we were there they just let us labor privately. They don't come in and check you all the time like in the US. I was only put on the fetal monitor every hour but I was not checked for progress. It was nice to just be left alone to let my body do it's work) So we got to the room and Mutsuko came. We labored all night long. Gabe massaged my belly and Mutsuko massaged my back. I couldn't have gone through it with out them. My pain was so intense. I told Gabe I thought I could go on if this had only been the 2nd day. But I was just too tired. We were all tired. The morning came and I asked to be checked again. 6cm and she still hadn't dropped. I cried and asked when the doctor would be there. He came at 9am. It couldn't have come soon enough. The nurses were so encouraging and really tried to help me through the pain. The doctor checked me and I was 7cm. He said at this point I needed to have the c-section. We agreed on the spot. I experienced some grief at that moment. I felt that my body had failed me. That I had failed my child. I wanted so desperately to give her the best start in life. I wanted to feel every pain and every sensation as she came into this world. But the Lord has other plans for her. So I was told I had to wait until 1:30 for the operation. The doctor on call that day had just moved to town. He spoke fluent English and had studied and practiced in the US. It was a relief to have him there in the surgery. He translated everything for us and we felt very comfortable. 1:30 couldn't come soon enough though. The pain was so intense and I was ready to see our baby girl. They wheeled me to the operating room and I said goodbye to Gabe. I told him to stay with the baby and to sing to her. He did. When I got back to the operating room they took off my glasses but promised to put them on when they brought the baby out to me. I started to feel a little nervous realizing I was about to have surgery and in a foreign country too. Just then the nurse asked if I liked music..."yes I do" I said. So she put on a cd. It sounded like Chinese instrumental music. It was so peaceful. Then I realized it was the song "You Raise Me Up". I felt totally relaxed. And the next song was "Amazing Grace". How perfect. The epidural was a welcomed relief at that point. I had had one before in high school when I had a spinal tap. For a moment I thought about how much it hurt back then....But I was into my 74hr. of natural labor at that point....needless to say, it didn't hurt at all. Finally at 2:32 Violet Cecilia すみれ　was safely ushered into this world. She cried right away and I cried too. This time tears of joy! The nurse kept wiping my eyes and saying in Japanese, "Don't cry, you won't be able to see your beautiful baby." Finally they put my glasses on and brought her to me. It was love at first sight. She looked me right in the eyes and grabbed my finger. I said, "Hello Violet, it's me, mommy". It was the most amazing moment of my life (next to the moment the Lord joined my life to Gabe's). She was here, she was finally here! They rubbed her face against mine and I was able to kiss her. Then they took her out to see her daddy. They stitched me up (or stapled rather) and then pushed me in a bed back into my room. Gabe came in shortly after and we cried and celebrated this new life we now 3 share. They brought Violet in to our room at 5pm and we had our first breastfeeding experience which was also amazing. Then they finally said that they needed to take her back to the nursery so I could rest at around 7:30. And we slept!
Breastfeeding has been going very well and I had lots of support from the hospital staff. They originally wanted me to leave her in the nursery for 3 days so that I could recover but I was set on breastfeeding and didn't want her to be given formula. So we talked about it and they decided to let us room in and do our best. God was so good (as He always is) and my milk came in on the 3rd day. By her 1 week birthday she was back at her birth weight and we all celebrated! The nurses were so pleased as was I. Breastfeeding has been very healing for me, since I wasn't able to give birth to her naturally as I had hoped.
Today Violet and I shared our first day alone together. It was perfect! She is an amazing child as I'm sure all mother's believe of their own. I am treasuring up all these moments in my heart. Every feeding, every diaper change. Every squeak and squeal she makes as she tries to communicate with us. I know that all to soon these days will pass and God willing she will be walking and talking and one day moving away. These moments are precious. I love her so much and I am so thankful that she is finally here. She came just the way God intended her to come, just as each and every one of us did. I learned that we can plan all we like but only God knows the perfect way.
"Every good and perfect thing is from above." James 1:17
Here is a link to a facebook album with pictures from birth to 2 weeks.

This tiny hand holds our hearts.

 

7 days to go...

I can't believe we are already here with 7 days till our official due date. This time has really flown by. It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating the plus sign and waiting for the 2nd trimester to begin so we could stop holding our breath with worry. But here we are with only 7 days...one week. I am filled with so many emotions now. It is so hard to put in to words how much I already love this little baby girl, this precious gift from God. It is so hard to express how my love for my dear husband, has grown and changed so drastically in  these last 9 months. This journey has been so beautiful and full of abundant blessings. My heart overflows with love for the Lord that He has chosen us to care for this little life that is forming inside my womb.
And now I want to say a special message to our Violet, one day I pray she can read this and know how dearly we loved her from the very beginning.
Dear Sweet Violet, my daughter, and love,
   It is now only 7 days until you are expected to join us on this side of the womb. I can't believe how quickly this day has arrived. I have loved every moment of carrying you inside me. Every step of the way we have been carried by God. He has protected us both and held us both in His loving arms. Each time I feel worried about you I remember that God is watching over you and He loves you more than I do. So many times I wonder what it's like for you in there. I worry if you are afraid or lonely. I worry about the umbilical cord getting tangled. I worry that you won't know how much I love you. Mothers tend to worry about all these things and I know that it won't stop after you are born. So I pray now that I will surrender all these worries to the Lord and that I will allow Him to care for you as only He can.
Now I am waiting for the day when we can meet face to face, dear child. I yearn to look into your eyes and tell you how deeply I love you already. How long I have waited for you. You are a dream come true. I pray that we will become best friends (as I was with my mother). I pray that we will have even more days together than I did with my own mother. Even if we do not, I pray that you will know how wonderful and perfect you are to me and your father. I pray that you will always keep that love in your heart. I pray that you will know the love of God and how there is no other love as perfect as His. I pray that you will grow and  learn to love and respect others, even those whom you disagree with. I pray that you will have a heart of service to those less fortunate. I pray that you will find love in another human being and that you will be able to share your lives together with as much happiness as your father and I have. I pray that you will always know you are loved and worthy of love.
We wait for you Violet. We know you are waiting for the signal from the only one who knows the perfect day for you to arrive. As you wait for Him to whisper, "It's time dear one" know that we love you.
With love always,
Mom

Sweet Pea Has A Name.

 We have finally decided on a name for our precious Sweet Pea.
Here is a little poem I wrote, you will find her name at the end. Enjoy!

As I feel you move inside me
your fingers and your toes
your arms and your legs
and even your tiny nose

I wonder what you look like
I wonder who you'll be
I wonder if you'll love me
As much as I love thee?

Will you have your daddy's blue eyes?
Will you have my hair so brown?
Will you sing just like the nightingale?
Will you travel the world 'round?

So many things I ponder
As you grow inside my womb.
This time is full of wonder
As we wait for you to bloom.

No matter what you look like
No matter what you do
Your Father in heaven will love you
Even more than daddy and I do.

You will always be enough.
You will always have His love.
You will always have His angels
Guarding you from above.

And now this name we give to you
Our tiny precious flower.
We love you so, our darling girl
Our Violet Cecilia.

Now that you all know the name I will explain why we chose it. Her full name will be Violet Cecilia Sumire Craft.
Violet was my dear sweet Great Grandmother's name. She was a very special woman in my life. We used to go visit her and Grandpa in Missouri in summer time. She was an amazing woman. Full of love for her family and the Lord. I can still see her in her kitchen and I can smell her delicious cooking. I remember when she would get upset about something and I can still see her wiping tears from her sweet eyes and saying "Mercy, mercy." My sweet Grandma Sweet. 

Cecilia was the middle name of Gabe's dear Grandma Craft. Joyce Cecilia Craft. She was also an amazing woman. I never had the pleasure of meeting her in this life. But I have heard so many wonderful stories about her. Gabe often tells me how fondly he remembers her reading Peter Cotton Tail to him and Jesse and how she would read it with all kinds of voices for the characters. Her love of the Lord is evident in the lives of her children and grandchildren. She was an incredible artist and beautiful person. She loved her family so dearly.

Another reason behind the name Cecilia is that St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians. When I was a little girl I always used to dress up like St. Cecilia on All Saints Day. She was always my favorite saint. I would dress up in a pink sheet with a hole cut out for my head and carried a harp made of cardboard. I loved it.

Sumire　すみれ, pronounced "sue-me-ray", is her Japanese name. It means violet (the flower) in Japanese. We decided to use hiragana instead of kanji for her Japanese name. Our dear お父さんand
お母さん, Reverend and Mrs. Yoshida, helped us to make the decision on her Japanese name. We decided that hiragana had a softer image and feeling. Also it would be easier for her and us to write.

So that's the story behind our little Sweet Pea, our precious little flower's name. We can't wait to meet her. In fact the contractions are coming more frequently these days...we are praying she will join us soon. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this life changing experience. We love you all!　

34 and 35 weeks belly shots

Today we are 36 weeks! Our bags are packed and we are ready to go! I have been having a few contractions every day. Not painful ones, everything just gets really tight across my belly and it gets very hard. I will go to the doctor on Tuesday and get an update as to where we are. We went on Friday for our tour of the hospital and had a very nice experience. Everyone was very friendly and we met some of the nursing staff in the maternity ward and nursery. Our sweet friend  Mutsuko (dear friend from church of 6 years) was with us because she will be with us for the delivery too (Lord willing.). One of her high school classmates is a nurse on the floor and she introduced us and asked her to take good care of us. It was so nice to make that connection. We felt relieved. Also after our tour we finally were able to purchase a rocking chair! I was beginning to think we wouldn't find one. They are very rare here in Japan so we were having a difficult time finding one. We found this one thanks to Mutsuko!! I decided to mention to her that we were looking for one and couldn't find one. 3 days later she called and said she found 2! One was new the other was used. She definitely has magical powers!!! She is an angel walking on earth. We went with the used one because it also has a fold out foot stool. We cannot even begin to count the blessings we have received in our preparations for our Sweet Pea. God has been so faithful in providing what we need and surrounding us with so much love.

34 weeks

35 weeks

the rocking chair

Sweet Pea in 3D

Sweet Pea in 3D

Video: Sweet Pea's Beginnings

Sweet Pea's Beginning

Handmade Treasures

I just wanted to share pictures of these lovely hand knit gifts that we have received for our little girl. These were made with such love and I can't wait to see Sweet Pea in them.

These beautiful sweater vests and little purse were made by our sweet お母さん（okaasan） Mrs. Yoshida.

This beautiful blanket was made by my dear friend Kiley's sweet Daddy.

32 and 33 weeks

We had a wonderful appointment yesterday at the doctor! Sweet Pea is back in the vertex position! Thank goodness! We are feeling good and getting very excited. Here are some belly shots of weeks 32 and 33.

32 weeks



33 weeks

The maternity ward of the hospital and Sweet Pea's feet

Last Tuesday we went to the hospital for our 32 week checkup. Sweet Pea has moved into a breech position...we are trying to change that though. Luckily we still have about 8 weeks give or take. So we are not stressing just trying to relax and pray that she will move in her own good time. I think she just wanted to get her mommy into a bunch of crazy positions for a good laugh. It must get boring in there sometimes :) Anyways, here is a short videos that Gabe took after the ultrasound while we were waiting to talk to the midwife about hospital procedures.

30 and 31 week belly shots

We are 32 weeks along now. I will post those pics later though. We always take our belly pics on Sunday nights. We are feeling really well these days and are getting very excited about the arrival of our precious miracle. Will post more pics soon! Love you all!

30 weeks (talking to the little one)

30 weeks

31 weeks