All right, so a few people have been asking me about Ezra's nursery. It started with an antique nail bin that Mark and I bought at the Round Top antique festival last year. It has been stashed with all sorts of antique finds from this year's festival as well as a few new and re-used pieces. The walls were our idea, but I was not terribly motivated to paint while pregnant so we passed that job to the professionals. Speaking of professionals, the inspiration for the room was really the fabric used for the curtains and bed which my mom (with the help of dad and Monica) turned into an absolutely gorgeous original set. I could go on and on about how beautiful, fun and perfect it all is...but instead I'll just let you look at the pictures. (And I threw in the sleeping smile I caught from Ezra yesterday).

Let's see, the futon was a re-use piece from Mark's bachelor days. And the bed is new as are the lamps. The changing table is an antique piece from Pennsylvania (I'm sure the dealer would be not so thrilled to hear of its current purpose), and the shelving is a chicken coup that my dad rigged with shelves for cloth diaper paraphernalia. The corner dresser was in my bedroom growing up and the rug came from our trip to visit Ryan and Laura in Istanbul. It's so soft! I contributed a painting of Ezra's name that I made while passing the time in early labor at home, but it is not hung yet. The green letter "E" is from an old JcPenney and Co. sign and the tiny rocking chair in the middle of the room was Mark's mom's as a little girl. So Ezra is the third generation to use it.

Anyway, enjoy the pics! This was the most fun I've ever had decorating a room....I just hope he likes it a loooooong time.

Praise God, our little guy has arrived. Ezra Wolf Bieniarz came into our arms on Thursday, May 6th clocking in at 7 lbs 5 oz and 19.5 inches. After 2 days of labor, we were all glad to see his beautiful face and hear his gorgeous cry. His sounds and size have changed daily and Mark and I are just thrilled to look at him. My parents have been here to help since a few days following his birth, and they have been a tremendous blessing to our family as we transition into parenthood.

My mom and dad have helped with everything from groceries, to burping. It's nice to watch experience in action. So far, our little guy has taken well to feeding and gained an absolutely astonishing 15 oz in a three day period. No joke! The pediatrician made the nurse weigh him a couple extra times just to be sure that was correct, but apparently he has hit the ground running in regards to scaling the growth charts. I, on the other hand, am eating a daily dose of M&Ms and Reeses Pieces to be sure I keep up with his caloric needs....oh with a dollop of Blue Bell on the side. He's also sleeping in 4-5 hour stretches most nights. What a blessing!

While Ezra's health has been fantastic, I am still waiting on my body to fully heal. If you think of us, please pray for healing for my body especially as my parents return to Houston later this week.

We look forward to introducing him to everyone, and he's already been to church (at 4 days old) to be dedicated on Mother's Day. It was very special to have both of our parents there. We read the verse from Neh 8 where Ezra the prophet encourages the people to let the joy of the Lord be their strength. We pray the same now for our little guy and our family and pray that the Lord would always be his help.

Two days until the 5th! It has come quickly, and now cannot come soon enough. The bouncer is ready, diapers are washed, pack-n-play assembled, hospital bag packed, iPod list made ...and now we are just waiting. Pray with us as I try to walk 8 hrs a day (okay, not really) and eagerly anticipate with us the arrival of this little guy, this precious gift. I told Mark that the baby must be like his mom and is currently refusing to come out until the low temperatures are finally out of the 30's! Can you believe we've had some sleet and snow since last Thursday....ridiculous.

We are thankful though to have had the weekend to attend a fantastic conference at our church. We heard from Randy Alcorn and Wayne Grudem all weekend on amazing principles of God's Word in living in light of eternity. It will be posted on our church's website in a week or so if you would like to download a great dose of wisdom and humility (www.desertspringschurch.org). I highly recommend it!