The Erwin Family Welcomes Faith Riley

On Wednesday March 18th at 9:30 p.m. Faith Riley was introduced to us. What an awesome experience, no words could describe our feelings at this time. We are so blessed.

Mommy and Riley in the delivery room.

The Erwin family.

Daddy giving the first bath. I was so nervous.

All went well in the delivery room. We went in at 6 a.m. where they administered Pitocin to induce labor. She started contractions at around 6 p.m.. The doctor was going to let me deliver Faith but Helenea ended up pushing for two hours and things changed. He had to use forceps to help out with the delivery. She pushed hard through about 4 contractions and out popped our little bundle of joy. We had a little scare afterwards. Helenea's blood pressure dropped and she almost passed out, but the doctor and nurses got her calmed down and stabilized. Daddy was a little scared, scratch that, He was praying for Mommy in the corner of the room scared as heck.

Proud Pa-Paw. I think He would shout it to the world if he could.

We come home and Helenea's cousins Tiffany and Britt were here to help out around the house. They were so appreciated. The first day at home was kinda hectic and obviously life changing.

Brittany

Tiffany

There will be plenty of other photos to follow.

Stay tuned.....

We love baby showers!!!

The title says it all. Helenea's work threw a shower for her and we acquired even more great gifts and supplies for Baby Erwin. Lots of diapers and clothes and this awesome diaper cake. We liked it so much we put it on a table in the nursery. We will use the diapers eventually. But for now we glorify it by leaving it for decoration. It's almost too neat to take apart.

We also received these neat little musical snowglobes.

My niece Amanda sent us this bouncy chair. We hope to see her, Hannah (her daughter) and my sister Rhonda when Amanda goes on spring break.

One of the ladies bought the bedding set for the crib.
And there is the little mobile also.

Helenea hasn't been feeling well lately. Her allergies have her sinuses really acting up. All the trees and flowers starting to bloom indicates the beginning of spring and of the allergy season. I have never had allergies like she has them. I feel sorry for her. We both haven't been sleeping well. I am nervous and she is pregnant. I guess we will be ready for baby when those sleepless nights come around. Yee-Haw!!
As you can see on our baby ticker. Only a few more days to go before we are introduced to Baby Erwin. There are no words to explain the feelings we have. We continue to pray for Helenea and the baby's health during the delivery and for God's hand to guide and direct our doctor, who, if I might add, is a wonderful doctor and a devout Christian. We couldn't ask for a better one. Please pray with us and for us.

We have heard that walking, as well as other things I won't mention, help induce labor so we took a little nature hike yesterday looking for deer sheds. We walked around the 80 acres and all we saw were the remnants of the ice storm. We counted at least 14 big red oak trees uprooted and many others with limbs broken and still hanging. Lots of cleaning up to do and fence to mend.

We will keep you posted on Baby. Could be anytime now, but no later than the 18th for sure.

To our family
Hope to see soon.

Our wonderful family is like a candle that reflects its joys within our hearts.
And its like a fire that keeps us close and warm no matter how long we're apart.
I'd give anything to be with you more often. But at least we'll be together in ways that will always shine in our lives and that will never stop brightening up our days.
Each time I think of you, I promise to send you a kiss on the wind.
And I promise I'll be counting the days until I can see you again.
-Marin McKay

It's Been Awhile

Hey all, please excuse the delay on posting. We have been pretty busy around here getting ready for Baby Erwin. We have great news, Helenea is dilated 1-2 centimeters and if she doesn't have it by the 20th the doctor is going to induce labor then. She is praying for the baby to come sooner because she is uncomfortable, you can tell by the look on her face that she is wore out. But even still, she says it is worth it all to be carrying our child. That's why I love her!! It will be good for her when baby comes because she will get to take a break for at least 6 weeks to stay home with baby. I am going to try to take off work as much as possible to be with her and baby.

We acquired so many gifts from the first baby shower I don't know where we'll put the rest of the stuff we are going to get from the others. There are two more to come. Friends from her work are having a shower and then after baby comes her Granny's church is going to have one. I say we have one every year for at least the whole the time the baby's in diapers. Probably wouldn't ever have to buy diapers. What a concept. Think that will work? I said that about our wedding shower and that didn't work, so probably not.

Here are a few of the handmade quilts the ladies from church made.

Mom made these (above and below).

Sister Sue Wagoner made this one.

Pat Hall (a member of our church) made this one.

There were several blankets, onesies, toys, a tub and various other gifts given. We have been blessed by our church family and our friends. They have given so much. There will be a day when they are in need and we will be there for them. GOD IS AWESOME!!

Bob Foreaker made this rocking horse for baby.

I have also added some paintings to the walls of the nursery.


Starfish

Dolphins

And the sun.

We are looking forward to finding out what the name of our new baby will be. We have picked out both a boy and a girl name. We know what the names are. For the rest of you, that will be a surprise!!

Kind of off the subject, but.... We are facing some hard times in our nation right now and I have recently come across a prayer that one of our founding fathers prayed for our nation on April 30th 1789.

Almighty GOD; we make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection, that thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States of America at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of The Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech thee, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen
- George Washington -
April 30th, 1789
George Washington's prayer was adapted from his Circular Letter to the Governors of the United States

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall opened unto you.
--Matthew 7:7

BABY SHOWER

Well, today our church family hosted a baby shower for Helenea and the gifts were awesome. Helenea was so overwhelmed, as was I. We just got done going through all of them and putting them in order. The amazing gift of giving; isn't it awesome? We have a lot of thank you cards to send out. Though, most of them can be handed out at church. I guess that is appropriate. I wouldn't mind saving the money spent on stamps to buy other much needed stuff. Especially since the price of stamps has gone up. Add it all up, it makes sense. Or am I just a little tight?

Helenea among the gifts. The rocking horse was made by Brother Robert Foreaker.

Looking pregnant and proud of it. She has minor back pain. I try to massage as much as possible.

Granny stopped by to see us.

Only a few more weeks to go. Helenea went to the doctor the other day and we found out that the baby is head down and she is dialated just a fingertip (less than a centimeter). So all is going well. We also had our last lamaze class last week. We learned a lot and got to meet some other couples, some of them I knew from Flippin.

By love serve one another. -Galatians 5:13

My wonderful aunts in Texas.

This beautiful little blanket was made by my Aunt Movelda in Post, Texas. She is pretty handy with a needle and thread. This lovely little afghan was made by my Aunt Joan in San Angelo, Texas. I had one identical to it when I was little. Except mine is white.
Note: Both of these blankets will be put to good use and will not remain on the floor. This was just for a good picture.

My lovely wife, Helenea

I have to write about how great my marriage is. The main reason is standing in the kitchen right now baking cookies even though her back is hurting, plus, she is 35 weeks pregnant. She knows how much I love her cookies and her brownies. So do the guys at work. She has been officially dubbed The Brownie Lady. She is proud of her name and tries to live up to it by supplying us at least once a week with a batch of fresh brownies. Talk about earning "brownie points".

Helenea in the kitchen. Where every good wife should be. LOL!!!
I may regret saying that, but OH WELL. Isn't she beautiful??

Don't they look yummy. I wish they were scratch n' sniff. Wouldn't that be cool?!?!

Helenea found out today that her brother's wife, Maria, is pregnant. She will be due sometime in October. Congratulations to you guys!!!! Hope to see you in March. If you can't make it, there will plenty of pics on here to OOOO and AAHHH over.

Confucious say, He with whom neither slander that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful may be called intelligent indeed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

Well, today is the day that I was born in the small town of Smithville, Missouri 34 years ago. It seems like yesterday. The saying is true that time flies when you get old/older. Didn't do a whole lot today, just worked at UPS, renewed my driver's license, I thought about going to my other job but I didn't, my back is still hurting, didn't think I would be very efficient. I guess that is what happens when you get old. You pay for the torment you put your body through when you were younger. Oh, but was it ever fun!! Looking back now I wouldn't change a thing. I learned a lot from the fun I had whether it was right or not.

Anyway, hello out there, hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Guy, if you are reading this, we are thinking about you and pray for your safety over there in the Middle East. For those that don't know, Guy is on a secret mission, he is an undercover plumber plumbing the sand infested regions of Afghanistan. We love you man.
So, all is well here in the Erwin house. I have been trying to clean up the mess the ice storm left in the yard around here and at Mom and Dad's house. We had more limbs come down after the high winds came through the other night. The cleaning will continue for a while. There is not a tree in sight that did not receive some damage from the weight of the ice. That reminds me, I tried to hack my leg off with a chainsaw the other day. I only got four stitches out of it though. I have decided that was not a good idea and will not try it again.

Kinda reminds me of a clip from one of those Tim Burton films. Dark and gloomy.

Our friends Scot and Ann Conyers have a new addition to their family. Isabella Jolayne (sorry if misspelled) Conyers has arrived healthy and beautiful. We went to see them at the hospital and Helenea got to hold a baby for the first time. She will get plenty of that soon enough. Ann and Bella are doing good. Ann had to have a C-section and has healed up good from that. She was sore for a while. Helenea and I pray that she can have our baby naturally, but whatever is best for her and baby.

Helenea and Bella

Seeing the Conyers family with Bella has really sparked the reality of the life that Helenea and I will be living in just a few weeks. I look forward to what God has planned in our life. He has and never will fail us. With His love and the trust He has laid in our hearts we will always overcome what this world may put upon us.

So now, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Romans 5:1

The nursery is complete and ready for baby.