Meet Elizabeth Grace Richards!

Elizabeth Grace Richards was born on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 8:01 AM.  She was 7 lbs 4 oz and 22 inches long.

Mom and baby are both doing GREAT!  At a newborn's 2-week checkup, the goal is for them to be back up to their birth weight.  Our little Elizabeth is a little overachiever - at her 2-week checkup, she was 7 lbs 9 oz.  Mom is back on her feet (albeit slower than usual) and is adjusting to the responsibilities of juggling a newborn, caring for the home, and working her Premier Designs business.  Dad is being extremely helpful, enjoys holding his little girl, and is continuing to work at Henderson's Custom Cabinets while searching for a job that would provide benefits and better pay.

We are absolutely enjoying getting to know our Little Bit.  She's VERY expressive (both with her hands and her facial expressions), sleeps in the most adorable positions (see above), and loves Celtic music and Acappella, as well as a random Swahili lullaby Summer learned in high school.  She also has this cute curly cowlick on the back of her head, and gets the hiccups several times a day (which she did en utero as well).  It's a little hard to believe she'll be a month old on Thursday - has it been that long already?!

We're looking forward to a visit from some of Summer's family from San Antonio in a couple of weeks, and Jon's mom, JoAnn, is coming for a visit in early November - we're excited to share our little one with so much family (not to mention Summer's dad and stepmom who came for a visit the weekend after Elizabeth was born, and great-grandma Mops, who's seen her several times, as well as others in Summer's family)!

As far as holiday plans (because everyone is wondering, we're sure):  We're not sure yet what we're doing.  We would LOVE to visit Jon's family in New York (since we haven't seen them in almost a year, and they need to meet the newest addition), but we're not sure if we'll have the funds at this point to make the trip - we'll see how things work out.

How to pray for us:  Please pray that Jon is able to find a better paying job with benefits, and quickly.  Also, please pray for our continued adjustment to a new baby, and that Elizabeth will grow "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man," and that she will come to know the great love that God has for her.  Please pray that we will be wise as parents, and for our own refinement that this treasure will bring us.

New Job!!!

There are many, many people waiting for this baby to arrive - even people in the apartment complex who we don't really know too well will periodically knock on our door and see how we're doing, if there's a baby born yet, and if there's anything they can do to help.  One such lady (Cheryl) came by this morning to check in on us.  Jon mentioned to her his job situation, and added that, if she knew of any places hiring or ran across anyone looking for workers, we would appreciate the lead.  She said she'd keep her eyes open, and we thanked her and continued on with our day.  A couple of hours later, there's a knock at our door again - Cheryl said that she had been on the phone since she left us, and she knew of a guy at a cabinet shop in North Longview in desperate need of workers.  She gave Jon the contact information, and he gave them a call.  They invited him to come and fill out an application, so he got all dressed up and went.  A little while later, Summer got a phone call from Jon - "Well, I start at 6 AM..."

So, starting tomorrow, Jon will be working at Henderson's Custom Cabinets!  Seeing as how Jon builds things in his free time (currently, he's working on a cabinet to go under our desk to support it and give us more storage space), this is a good fit for him!  We are blessed beyond measure!

Waiting for a Baby and Job Update

Well, since Monday, Jon has joined the many other people looking for work.  On Tuesday he had a job interview at a local oil field equipment re-certification shop, and we're hoping to hear back from them soon regarding a second interview.  He has also applied to a couple of local cleaning companies.

Since the end of summer camps, Summer has been working her Premier Designs business full-time.  One more show tonight, and then she goes on maternity leave until October (or maybe just the end of September, depending on when LB decides to make an appearance).

We enjoyed spending time with Tom, JoAnn, and Daniel in late July/early August, and have been working to get everything ready for the baby.  JoAnn helped Summer organize and get things set up, and since then Summer and Jon have gathered everything we need for our home water birth.  Now...now we just wait.  As we are now considered "term" (at 38 1/2 weeks), the baby could come any time!  We are also now down to once-a-week midwife visits until the birth.  Because of the baby dropping, Summer has also been going to the chiropractor every week - it's amazing how much a baby in the pelvis can throw the lower back out!

As far as notification of LB's birth - we probably won't be online much right after the baby is born, but we have a plan set for letting everyone know:

Summer's dad has a contact list for people in her family and friends of both Jon & Summer.  Jon will call his parents, who will then have the liberty of letting everyone in his family know (although there will be those who Jon will be calling himself, besides his parents).  Summer's dad will also be posting to Facebook after all of the phone calls have been made.

Several things to pray for:

• That Jon will quickly find employment.  We have enough to cover everything in September, but come October, things get a lot tighter.
• For wisdom - that Jon will learn what God has for him, and for wisdom in decision-making and finances.
• For Summer and LB as birth draws nearer.

Important Information

It occurred to us that many of you don't know our new address!  We're not going to put it on here, but it is updated on Summer's Facebook profile (the privacy settings are such that only friends of Summer can see the address).  If you are not on Facebook and would like the address, please e-mail Summer at SummerBrown1312@gmail.com and she'll send it to you!

Also, we recognize that many of you would like to give a gift for Little Bit, but won't be able to come to any baby showers (since they're all happening down in TX).  We are registered at Wal-Mart and Target, and it will be sent to our new address if that is an option you would like to use.

New Job and Other Things

First, I (Summer) should apologize for not sending out this update sooner!  After about a week of job hunting, Jon was hired by Longview Radiator, an auto shop here in town (on Hwy 80, between McCann Rd and Bill Owens Parkway).  As this is about their busiest time of year, they agreed to take him on as a mechanic's assistant.  As far as aviation, it will help his resume because it is working mechanically, which aviation companies like to see.

Jon was called into his boss's office on Friday and given specific benchmarks that he MUST reach this week in order for the boss to justify keeping him on as an employee.  We are very grateful that this employer has been open with Jon and very specific about areas of improvement.

We have also now successfully moved into our new apartment!  Summer had planned to take about a week to move in, with help all week long, but plans changed quickly when the apartment filled up with 12 people helping on Monday evening!  In one hour, we went from not having a single room in the old apartment emptied to having every single room in the old apartment emptied.  After taking a day of rest on Tuesday while the water was shut off in the entire complex (maintenance?), Summer had 4 girlfriends (plus 4 children) over on Wednesday, and the old apartment was completely cleaned in about an hour and a half.  We are blessed beyond measure to have good friends to help!

Summer is travelling (with a couple of girlfriends) to Fort Worth this week for the Premier Designs National Rally (SUPER excited!), and Jon will take the time to help a friend build a catapult prototype and spend some guy time with friends, playing games.

Little Bit is doing well - we're at week 31, which means we could have a full-term baby in as little as 6 weeks!  We're looking forward to spending time with Jon's parents and youngest brother in a couple of weeks as they come down to visit, and we are working to get the new apartment ready for LB's arrival in a few short (but long) weeks.  As of this past Friday's midwife appointment, LB is in the correct position for birth, and seems to be staying there.

Please pray for Jon's encouragement as he seeks to meet (and exceed) the benchmarks that have been laid out for him, that all doubts about whether or not he can do the work will dissipate, and that he will be successful in this endeavor.  Please also pray for Summer and LB, as Summer has been in a bit of pain the past few days from LB laying on nerves that we didn't know exist and kicking ribs that are already tender from a growing baby.  Please continue to pray for wisdom in decision making (particularly regarding finances), and that we will be able to find affordable insurance for Jon, as he is currently not covered and doesn't get benefits in his current employment.  And thank you, friends and family, for your support and encouragement these past several months.

Please Pray for Us

We found out today that Jon has lost his job at Precision Machine & Tool.  They are downsizing because of less work, and the owner didn't communicate with him very well about expectations until he said, "You're fired."

When Jon was searching for a job before getting the job at Precision, he was bringing in an income; it was just a matter of finding a better job.  Now, however, he doesn't even have that.  Summer starts working for camps full-time next week, but that alone won't be enough to pay the bills (especially with us moving in about 3 weeks).

Please pray for doors to open, and that God will continue to provide for us.  Also, please pray for wisdom for us - that we would know where to look, and that we can continue to make wise decisions needed for our growing family.  Also, please pray for encouragement for Jon (both personally and professionally, as this is a hit to him) and for peace and calm for both of us.

Also, if you have any leads in the Longview/Tyler area, we would be very grateful for any and all information you can give.  Jon has experience as a machinist and has his A&P mechanics license (as in, he's licensed to work on aircraft).

Preparing for the Baby...

Well, we're in the home stretch - Summer and "Little Bit" started their third trimester today!  We just thought we'd give an update :)

As you all (or at least, most of you) know, we are currently in a one-bedroom apartment in Longview.  We have now been offered a TWO-bedroom apartment at our same apartment complex, and rather quickly made the decision to accept the offer.  So, we will be moving to a two-bedroom apartment (where we will very likely be staying for the rest of our time in Longview, unless God has plans for us to be here for longer than 4-5 years) around the first week of July - just a couple of months before LB arrives!  We are definitely excited for the opportunity for a little extra space, and would covet any help to move, particularly since Summer won't be very helpful for moving furniture.  If you are interested in coming to help, feel free to e-mail Summer at SummerBrown1312@gmail.com and she'll add you to a list and keep you updated on dates and times - we'll know a week or two in advance when the apartment will be ready for moving in.  In the meantime, we are starting to pack for the move :)

Other than that, things are going well.  Jon LOVES his new job, and we have continued catering, though events are becoming fewer as Summer's pregnancy progresses.  Summer will begin working for summer camps at LeTourneau University in the next couple of weeks, and will continue to do so until camps end in late July/early August (thankfully, she has the first week of July off, since there are no camps - perfect timing for moving!); afterwards she will continue her Premier Designs jewelry business, but will otherwise be a stay-at-home-mom - something she is very much looking forward to!

Thank you for joining us in prayer - if you are still with us in that regard, please pray for calm in the busy-ness of packing and getting ready for a move, that all will go well with said move, and for Summer as she goes into her third trimester - that as birth approaches, all would go well, and that her hormones will calm down, as she has been prone to erratic fits of tears recently (it's been quite stressful for us both)!  Thank you!