Welcome baby Joy Anna!

This past week, we welcomed little niece Joy Anna to the family. And her name suits her perfectly...she's a sweet joy! Here she is on her birthday snuggling with her mama in the hospital.

My mom, Grace and I all went to my sister's house for a few days to help keep things running at home while Emily recovered. A few hours after Joy Anna was born, we all went to the hospital to meet the baby. Trying to wrangle two 1-1/2 year olds and a 3 year old in a hospital room with a newborn and a mama recovering from a c-section was a feat in itself. The kids did great, and there's nothing like holding a baby on her birthday.

Here's the whole family. Joy Anna's brothers were so sweet and excited to meet their little sister. Elijah (the oldest) wanted to make sure she had enough hats and blankets, and Joshua thought she was very cute.

Here's Joy with her Aunt Hannah. She loves being held and did a great job being passed around and kissed on. This is the second time my sister and I have had babies so close to each other. It's a sister's dream come true. :)

Grace is all about babies and baby dolls these days. She would have been in Joy Anna's lap in half a second if Nana didn't intervene. I love the look on her face...pure excitement. She's going to be a great big sister.

Thank-you, God, for such a sweet and healthy baby girl! We love you, Joy Anna. We're so glad you're in our family and are ready to see you again soon.

Ok, I'm up next! 10 weeks until baby boy is due, and we've got some baby preparation to do.