Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the Fog

John and I spent the weekend away from Sariah for the first time and headed over to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The weather had been gloriously warm and sunny for many days and we planned on hiking a couple of harder mountains together since we didn't have to carry Sariah along.

By the time we arrived at our condo for the weekend, the clouds had rolled in and there was 100% chance of rain for the following day. But we didn't care because we were childless for the first time in almost two years and we needed the rest.

Instead of conquering new peaks, we headed out in the rain and made our way up to the Heliotrope trail. It didn't take long before we started running into quite a few hikers who let us know that the creeks were looking more like rivers in the miles ahead and everyone was turning around because they couldn't cross them. We continued in order to see exactly what these creeks were like on an extra wet day.

At one point, we removed our already wet hiking boots, tied them to our backpack and prepared ourselves mentally to cross a raging and frigid creek. John crossed first and I planned on going through right after him...but I freaked out. So there we were. Standing twelve feet away from each other, yelling as loud as we could because the creek was so loud we could hardly hear each other's voice. Our feet ached in the cold cataracts that continued to flow down as John encouraged me to take this route and then this other route. He told me he knew I could do it and that it looked scary, but the water was not deep and I could just hold on to these rocks on my right and run as fast as I could. He encouraged me and I loved him as I watched his hands move as he described each step to take at the top of his lungs. I didn't want to cross because I was scared. I didn't want to cross because I knew that if I crossed that creek I was going to have to cross it back. I didn't want to cross because my feet were totally numb. But I crossed because I was with him.

That moment in our hike reminded me of hundreds of moments throughout our 6 years of marriage.

Figuratively speaking, we have hiked many mountains and we have crossed frigid and raging creeks. We have seen beauty like never before and we have been cold, nervous, scared, but also excited. We have encouraged each other and we have been to places we would not want to go alone.

Our anniversary weekend was so different from what we planned, but I know everything happened exactly the way God intended it to be - and I am glad He directs our paths.

Six Years

It has been 6 years since I married the one I love.

In some ways it feels like we have been a part of each other's life since we were born and in other ways it seems like just yesterday he helped me get out of my wedding dress and remove the 60+ pins that held my curly hair up.

I could not have imagined the events that have become a part of our story over the past six years. We giggled every night when we went to bed together and no longer had to say goodbye at the end of a date night. We moved to a new city and discovered what it is like to live without community. We felt our tiny daughter move in my belly and we fell in love with our Creator all over again.

We have hugged. We have kissed.

We have been sleep deprived and we have felt discouraged.

We have laughed. We have cried.

We have apologized. We have prayed.

We have experienced some of our toughest days this past year and we have made a commitment to restore the walls and repair the foundation of our relationship. The last few months have been hard and humbling. Sometimes we feel like we are taking three steps forward and five backwards, but we are trusting that God is leading us to a place we could never arrive on our own.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

We are holding hands, moving toward the promised streams in the years to come!

These Two!

We try to go on walks as a family as often as we can during these warm and sunny evenings. John normally gives Sariah a shoulder ride and I decided this weekend that I needed to capture the extreme cuteness that I get to enjoy on a day to day basis.

Sariah likes to give John 'head hugs' ... but these hugs are now accompanied by a drooling mouth and a very loving daddy who doesn't mind a bit of drool all over himself.

It May be Cold Outside...

...but these people melt me!

Love in Everyday Life

I am so glad I have found him whom my soul loves!

I Love Him and I Appreciate Him

I get discouraged when I hear women talking bad about their husbands. I don't like being around these conversations because they so easily influence my attitude toward the man I love so much. I have been intentional about filling my heart with the words from Philippians 4:8.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

While meditating on the words above, I started a list of things that my husband does that I appreciate...and it didn't take long for me to realize this list could just keep going on and on and on.

• He makes sure we are good stewards of what God has given us
• He fixes the clogged sink when I forget that our sink disposal can't handle sweet potato skins
• He carries Sariah and a backpack with stuff when we go hiking so I don't have to carry anything
• He runs all the updates and maintains my photography website and backups
• He gives me rubs frequently and I love his hands so very much 
• He eats everything I cook and is always grateful
• He makes sure Sariah says 'thank you' when I do things for her
• He tells me I am beautiful all the time
• He enjoys spontaneous dance parties with me 
• He is supportive and encourages me to try new things when I am timid

I love John for so many reasons and I appreciate so many things about him! I feel so blessed to live this life as his wife and I hope to honor him as his friend and lover. 

A New Year and a New Normal?!?

Life has felt a little pretty crazy these last few weeks and I am looking forward to a new year and hopefully a new sense of normalcy.

Almost a month ago, John and I (with the help of a lot of people) packed our things and moved to a new home. Our new home needed some TLC and we will forever be thankful to our family and friends who helped us clean, paint walls, paint doors, fix stuff, etc before we moved. That was a lot of work!

Despite all the help, moving and settling down has still been overwhelming - especially with an active toddler around.

Sariah put her never ending energy to use when we moved and constantly removed things from boxes and spread them everywhere possible.  Whenever I managed to put the belongings from a box in its correct place, I turned around to find everything back on the ground again as Sariah did her own rearranging.

I decided unpacking was only going to happen during nap time and after bed time...but bed time became an issue.

The nights were long as we helped Sariah get used to her new room which she refused to sleep in. Sariah has slept in her own room since she turned two months old, but the new bedroom with new lights and new smells was too different for her. John and I brought her to bed with us and she slept and snored while we tried to keep ourselves from falling off the bed because somehow out little girl takes up a huge amount of bed space when sleeping.

I wished I could go on a 'sleep vacation'...and then I slept even less.

When we felt a little bit more settled, John started having headaches that would not go away despite all our efforts and after 5 days of unbearable pain, we ended up in the ER hoping a CAT Scan would give us hopeful results.

I prayed and I asked God for strength, love, patience and wisdom...He had never failed me before and I trusted Him.

We were thankful to find out that John had an acute sinus infection that needed a little help from antibiotics and while we celebrated his healing and relief of pain, Sariah started teething yet again and spent most of her days crying, biting her fingers and rubbing her snotty face all over me.

I stopped attempting to be productive and spent my days and nights holding and comforting my baby girl...I am still not getting anything done.

Life has been crazy but the Lord has sustained me. He has held everything together when I thought life was going to collapse like a mountain-side landslide. He has helped me get up each morning and be what I need to be during each day.

Life has been crazy and hard but I am hoping for a new sense of normalcy in the new year.

Anniversary #5

John and I celebrated our fifth anniversary last Friday!

We drove to Vancouver, left Sariah with John's parents, packed a few things and headed to a resort where we enjoyed a couples massage and delicious seafood dinner. We talked about how fast the past five years came and went and we commented that at the same time, it feels like we have been together for all our lives.

I read a few letters John gave me when he proposed and we giggled because in some ways we still can't believe we get to be husband and wife right now and always.

I feel so blessed to be married to my John! He has brought so much joy to my life. He has seen my best and my worst and he chooses to still love me. He has made me a mother and I look forward to being his bride for the years to come.

The words below truly describe our relationship and I hope to never forget cherish the gift God has given me.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

New International Version (NIV)

9 Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Working Together

I love it when I have the opportunity to work with John! I truly believe that we are better together...and I often wish we could be together all the time.

I don't get to spend every minute of the day with my beloved, but I do get to spend lots of time with him during wedding season. John and I have photographed almost every wedding together since I started my photography business a few years ago. I love working with him because we know each other so well. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. We know our equipment. We know the wedding day plan. We anticipate each other's needs and we know our work flow so well that we hardly have to talk about it. 

This past weekend's wedding reminded me how much I enjoy being one with my husband. We are better together and I wouldn't want to live life any other way.

We took these photos at the same time.

To view my Portfolio and lots more, please visit www.DaniellyNobile.com

Father and Daughter Time

I often say that I would not be who I am if it wasn't for my family and friends - and I mean that! If it wasn't for John, I would not be able to still pursue photography as a mommy. I had two photo sessions this past weekend and I am so thankful John is always willing to watch Sariah so I can go enjoy something I am passionate about!

I came home after a lovely engagement session and this is what I saw as soon as I walked in the door:

I love seeing them together!

Thankful for our Daily Bread

Before John and I were even married, we talked a lot about being good stewards of the financial resources God has entrusted us with. Over the years life has changed and we have tweaked our budget here and there, but we have tried to live a simple life in order to have the freedom to give back to God as He calls us.

This past month, we made some necessary purchases and some unwise purchases that lead to a lack of money in the grocery/household account when we were only two weeks into the month! I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to stick to the budget, but I tried to be optimistic. We had quite a few things in the freezer and our pantry was well stocked. I had to be a bit more creative with meal planning and we had simpler dinners...but here we are at the end of the month and our budget will be reset tomorrow!

While I am extremely thankful that we will soon be able to go shopping again, I have to admit that the past few days has given me a new appreciation to the Lord's prayer - specifically the part about how God gives us our daily bread. I realized as I read Sariah's baby bible this week that it is so much harder to be thankful when we have plenty. Actually, I am not sure if it is harder to be thankful or if it is just easier to forget to be thankful. I have always been thankful for the food we are blessed with because I have seen true hunger. I praise God every time I come home from a trip to Costco with a box full of milk, cheese, bananas, beans, etc. However, I felt more thankful this week than I have in a long time. This week I was also able to be very specific in my prayers: "Thank you, God, for this package of smoked salmon and the four tomatoes I will use to make pasta sauce." As the end of the month approached we had less and less meal options and I became more and more thankful for every meal.

From here on, I want to live a more thankful life! I don't want to only think about the blessings God has showered upon us during Thanksgiving. I want to be thankful when we have plenty and when we don't. Praise God for his provision!

The iPotty iPad Dock

John sent me this link last night...and I am still laughing:

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/10/ipotty-ipad-dock/

We would never let our child use something like this, but I know quite a few adults who would enjoy an adult version of this potty way too much!

Sariah Faith is Here

John and I are so excited to announce that our daughter, Sariah Faith Nobile was born on September 17th at 5:54am. She weighed 6 pounds and was 19 inches long.

Birth Story:

My water broke at 2:00AM, Monday morning and I called my midwife to let her know. She said sometimes it takes a while for contractions to start, so I could go back to bed and try to get contractions going in the morning. She told me she would call me at 8:00AM to see how things were progressing.

About 10 minutes later, contractions started on their own and very quickly became super intense! I started to walk around the house and John kept trying to convince me to go to sleep and relax. I was so excited that we were going to have a baby soonish...at least in the next 48 hours, there was no way I could go to bed and sleep. About 15 minutes later, the contractions were so intense and my lower back hurt so bad I decided a warm shower might help. John headed over to the kitchen and started washing the pile of pots and pans we had used to make apple sauce and apple butter the previous night. I love him for knowing that I would not like to come home with a baby to find dirty dishes in the sink. 

I had texted our doula twice, but she had not called back...so I just swayed my body under the warm water for about an hour until I could no longer stand without holding on to something. The contractions were only lasting about 30 seconds, but they were coming every 1.5 minutes. I remembered that we were told to head over to the Birth Center when contractions were lasting about a minute and were 4-5 minutes apart...so it seemed that my labor was not following the 'normal pattern' we were anticipating.  

At some point, I started to moan and groan pretty loud in the shower and told John to call the midwife and let her know the contractions were really intense and I could not endure it until 8:00AM. I knew I was going to have to get out of the shower in order to head over to the Birth Center, but I could not imagine HOW I was going to get out of the shower. I am so thankful our doula helped me find a breathing pattern that helped me through the phone! We headed out to the Birth Center at 4:30am -John had packed everything in the car, had his shoes on, the car running and the front door open because I had to somehow get out of the shower, put some clothes on and get to the car before another contraction came. The 5 minute drive was really hard as I went trough three contractions, but I was so happy that we had made it to the birth center where my doula and midwife waited for our arrival!

I got in the tub right away (I think) and it felt wonderful to let my body float and relax a little. John rubbed my lower back during each contraction and it was so encouraging to hear him say that he was proud of how hard I was working! I was in the tub for about 40 minutes when I felt like I had to push, so the midwife decided to check me. I was terrified she was going to say I was only 4-5 cm dilated because I didn't think I could handle the intensity of the contractions for another 10 minutes. Seriously, I felt like I was getting hit by a train every few minutes and there was hardly enough time to catch my breath before another contraction came along. I was super surprised when she said I was ready to push! Praise God for the quick progress because I was starting to think that trying to go through labor and birth the natural way was a stupid idea. At that point the Epidural sounded like a miracle drug from Heaven. 

Through many grunts I pushed for about 14 minutes and Sariah was born! John and I were in complete disbelief of how fast everything had gone and as I sat in the tub, holding Sariah I kept repeating that I couldn't believe I had just had a baby!

Up until I started to push, John was completely oblivious to the fact that labor was not going to last 12+ hours. He remained calm the whole time because he thought we were still in the beginning stages of labor so he was pacing himself for the long marathon ahead.

The minutes and hours after Sariah was born were completely magical! John and I could not stop looking at her perfect lips, toes, ears, hands...She is so precious!

We were at the birth center for about 3 hours before heading home and life with a baby has been a wild roller-coaster ride. We are completely sleep deprived and completely in love with our daughter.

Stay tuned for photos of Sariah!

Pregnancy #1: Third Trimester

The third trimester was filled with excitement and anticipation to finally get to meet little Sariah!

• I experienced a lot of hip and pelvis pain. I guess that is just what happens when ligaments and joints are loosening up for birth.
• John and I attended a great birth class, learned lots of practical information and got to meet other soon-to-be mommies and daddies.
• Chocolate became a bit too yummy!
• I started a TO DO list for after I have Sariah. I wanted to make sure I have some small goals to work on even when I am tired and sleep deprived.
• We finally made a decision to use the Flip cloth diapers.
•  I had to focus to not pass out after fasting for more than 12 hours for a glucose test. While the needle poking and sugary drink were not pleasant, that worst part was not eating for so long.
• None of my bras or underwear fit anymore. 
• We were still able to enjoy the outdoors and to my surprise, I managed to hike a few mountains.
• John and I celebrated our 4^th anniversary at the coast and I loved the fresh sea food.
• We were abundantly blessed at two baby showers. Sariah’s wardrobe is not lacking anything!
• Everyone says I look tiny for being in the third trimester, but I feel a little bit like a whale at times and definitely miss my old body.
• We started planning for birth and postpartum. I am so glad John will be able to take some days off to stay home with us!
• I started feeling a bit more tired, especially during Sariah’s growth spurts.
• Very few clothes still fit me.
• The nursery is done and all the baby clothes are washed and put away.
• John helped me cross off things from my TO DO list.
• I do not want to cook anymore...it's too much work.

These Last Pregnancy Days

I am about to enter week 39…and I feel as though I may explode before week 40 gets here. I am a little nervous Sariah will not come until week 42, but I am also trying to convince myself to be patient and trust that she will come when she is ready.

 Now days, it is hard to accomplish pretty much anything. Little tasks like washing the dishes seem like a huge adventure and I have to sit down and rest afterwards. Needless to say, I feel exhausted at the end of the day when I go on a 2.5 mile walk, do the laundry, clean the bathroom (including the bathtub), vacuum, cook dinner and wash the dishes. I don’t know how women survive these last pregnancy days when they have other little ones to take care of all day. Seriously, how do you do it?

 I also don’t know what I would do without John. He has encouraged me to take baths, nap during the day (I can’t ever nap during the day), continue going on walks … and I love it when he offers to rub my feet at night! He also puts up with my moodiness, exhausted complaints about how my whole body hurts, helps me get up to go to the bathroom at night and constantly tells me that I look absolutely beautiful when I am wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt that no longer covers my belly and my hair is everywhere from lack of brushing. I am a lucky woman!

 Despite the tiredness and discomfort, I am oh so happy to know that I will be meeting my daughter very soon! The fact that we are going to be parents still feels like a dream. We are blessed beyond measure and I cannot believe God has entrusted us this little life. I am so humbled and thankful!!!

The Art of Juggling as a Man

The Heat Visited Us

We don't get too many hot days around here, but summer's true heat decided to visit us this past weekend. I refused to complain because I spend 90% of my life complaining about how cold it is up here all the time.

So, this past weekend, John and I filled water bottles with ice-water, packed a cooler with watermelon, cheese and crackers, grabbed a few blankets as well as a few books and headed to the park. We sat under a shady tree for hours and hours and enjoyed every minute of it. Also, have I mentioned that I love to just sit in public places and watch whatever is going on around me?

Saturday and Sunday I saw:

• A little girl continuously try to get in the water while at the park. She made me look forward to future park days with my little girl.
• Lots of sundresses and sandals!
• Couples in love.
• Sail boats.
• A wedding photographer dominate the direct sunlight with some awesome equipment.
• Little boys climbing trees!
• Some HUGE sunglasses.
• A dad try to teach his son to fly a kite for hours.
• My swollen hands and feet.
• Two pugs having a hard time breathing while on a walk.

I saw a lot more...but I think you get the picture.

On a different note, John is all excited because we finally got a carseat - and therefore are ready to have a baby. I must admit that I still don't feel 'ready' and may never feel as ready as I would like, but I love how practical my husband is. He was worried that our baby would arrive early and we would not have a carseat to bring her home. Now that the carseat is sitting in her room, John feels totally ready to go! At least one of us is feeling ready - six(ish) more weeks to go.

Where did July Go?

It has been a while…and I can hardly believe August is almost here. What have we been up to this month? Well, here are a few things:

·         We have been learning a lot about birth, postpartum and newborns at the Birth Class we have been attending.

·         We traveled to the beach to celebrate our 4^th anniversary and had a great and relaxing time. The highlights were the yummy crab cake dinners, beach hike and watching our wedding video!

·         We joined our family at a great reunion filled with activities, catching up, delicious meals and wonderful conversations.

·         We had our first baby shower – and John’s favorite gift was a California Baby Bug Repellent. He can’t wait to go hiking with Sariah!

·         We have been on the road a lot and I have visited lots of bathrooms.

I still feel like we are entering summer, but autumn will be here before I know it. To tell you the truth, thinking about the end of summer makes me really sad because I will miss the daylight, warm nights, a sun kissed tan, fresh fruit and veggies, taking walks, wearing skirts, etc.

I don’t want summer to end – but I am SO excited to meet Sariah in about 8 weeks! John and I find ourselves daydreaming about her, wondering what her birth will be like, imaging a bald little head and dreamy brown eyes. I can hardly wait to hold her little hand and warm her tiny toes.

Anniversary #4

My Beloved,

I continue to fall more and more in love with you!

Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm;

for love is as strong as death,

    its ardor unyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire,

    like a mighty flame.

Many waters cannot quench love;

rivers cannot sweep it away.

If one were to give

    all the wealth of one’s house for love,

    it would be utterly scorned.
Song of Songs 8:6-7

One Step at a Time

I went on a real hike for the first time 6 summers ago while in Alaska. I didn’t know what to expect and was not prepared physically or mentally for what was ahead. At the time, I thought we (a group of friends) were going on an easy 30 minute stroll…so I thought I would definitely be able to make it.

Well, 30 minutes turned into an hour and then two hours and then I decided I couldn’t handle it anymore since I couldn’t even see the top of this mountain.

I sat down on a rock and announced to the group of friends that I was just going to sit there and enjoy the view from where I was. My plan was to wait for the group to come back down and hike down together. In my mind that was a perfect plan…but the group didn’t feel the same way. To tell you the truth, I don’t remember much more other than the fact that one of the guys present told me to get on his back (as if I was his backpack) and he carried me to the top of Mount Ripinsky. To this day – more than six years later – I still cannot believe that happened. Someone carried me up a mountain.

The good news is that in the past six years, I have become a bit more used to hiking! My legs know what to expect when I put on my wool socks and hiking boots. My lungs no longer struggle the way they used to only 20 minutes after leaving the trailhead. My brain is more prepared to push through when my legs are tired. I can now focus on the goal without panicking that I may not be able to take another upward step.

This past weekend, John and I went on a hike that gave me the opportunity to really focus in order to make it. The hike was not very hard, but it had some pretty steep parts with lots of tree roots and rocks. It was a warm day and I am 7 months pregnant. Before starting the hike I told John that I was afraid of not being able to do it. I was afraid of being tired 20 minutes into it. I was afraid of sitting on the side of the trail ready to give up like I have done before.

John was very encouraging and told me we could go slow, focusing on one step at a time. That is just how I did this whole hike: focusing on one step at a time, allowing myself to become aware of my surroundings - the sounds, the landscape, my breathing and posture.

John led the way at a pace I could follow (he leads because I am terrified of snakes…so he gets the snakes out of the way before I arrive) and up I went; one step at a time.

I was definitely tired by the time we got to the top and I also REALLY needed to pee! We rested for a little bit, ate a snack and headed back down. By the time we got back to our car, I felt like my legs were going to detach from my body, but I felt like I had accomplished a milestone. I didn’t panic and I was never really tempted to sit on the side of the trail (especially knowing there were snakes around). I was able to focus on one step at a time and follow John’s lead. I did something I didn’t think I could do and I was so happy to experience this accomplishment with John!

During the hike, we talked about how hiking seems to be somewhat similar to the process of giving birth. As we prepare ourselves to the day when we get to welcome our little girl, we are exploring ways to work as a team when it is time to focus on one step at a time. While I have no idea what Sariah’s birth will be like, I am looking forward to working as a team with John and feeling like we accomplished a great milestone together!