Lydia Vianne Hoover

Lydia Vianne Hoover has arrived! She is amazing!! She was born November 3rd in Teramo, Italy. At the time of delivery she was 2.85 kg and 49 cm, which converts to 6 lbs 5 ozs. and 19.3 inches. I can say, without a doubt, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Brenna may not agree, as she was the one who had to go through all the pain and sacrifice... and I must say, she was absolutely awesome, while enduring some not-so-ideal conditions. But I'm sure she would agree with the fact that the excitement was at an extremely high level, as we welcomed our little gal into the world. You parents out there may be able to relate... but if there's an experience out there that makes more of a case for God's presence in this world, I have yet to know of it.

Our first evening together as a family was nice. Lydia slept through most of it, but she still managed some grunts and squeaks to let us know she was happy to be here. Brenna said that she didn't choose this first outfit intentionally, but in Acts 16 in the Bible, Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth. Well, I wonder if that Lydia had a high forehead and bunch of sandy blond hair to go along with her beautiful purple garb.

We had a few days back at home before Grandma Sandy arrived on the 10th of November. Lydia seems to love her Grandmama, and Brenna and I have loved having her here. She's been incredible. Between cooking meals, to doing laundry, to cleaning the house (including moldy walls), to figuring out cloth diaper issues, to staying up with Lydia while Brenna and I get some sleep, she truly has been a gracious guest. Oh, and she even lets us win at cards games, to keep the morale high.

And here's one other picture of Lydia in what seems to be her favorite position (other than on her mother's breast). When she gets an upset stomach or just plain grumpy from time to time, she's usually able to pull it all together as seen in the photo. And her "pillow" can sometimes sneak in some precious shut eye as well. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a pre-game nap like I did last Saturday. Lydia was able to attend her first live basketball game that night, too. She seemed to like it, and I had probably my best game of the season thus far. We pulled out a big win on our home court on national television, as I was able to hit a few key shots down the stretch to help our team to victory. We await the arrival of Grandpa Gus this week, and we thank all of you for your kind words and wishes at the announcement of Lydia's birth.