Chez Stephens: Welcome home, Ainsley!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Welcome home, Ainsley!

Ainsley Belle finally made her big debut last Thursday, September 30 - on her Aunt Jo's 25th birthday. She arrived at 9:07 p.m. and it definitely wasn't the smooth sailing of Sophie's delivery, but everyone is happy and healthy and recuperating quickly.

Bright-eyed just a few minutes after arrival!

I love the way Sophie's shoulders are all hunched up in an "I'm so excited!!" way in this picture...

Proud big sister (and protective Daddy)!

Fred and his girls

She is a very mellow baby and the hospital nursery staff were all very fond of her. Very little crying or fussing, just like her big sister.

Love this picture with Grandad...

Grandad & Ainsley

Gigi & Ainsley

Great picture of my Mom (Gigi), Sophie & Ainsley

We came home from the hospital on Saturday, October 2nd and have been settling in and getting used to being "Stephens, party of four." Sophie is really enjoying being a big sister and takes a lot of pride in helping out wherever possible - hoping that it lasts! :)

For now, we're all just recuperating and getting to know one another, but we'll have some additional pictures and updates to post soon.

Thank you again to everyone who has sent thoughtful notes, offered meals or just sent kind thoughts and prayers. We are so excited Ainsley is here and looking forward to watching all the tiny changes in the coming weeks!

*By the way, here's some background on her name meaning, although I believe I mentioned previously that we chose Belle for Fred's mom, Maggie Bell:

Ainsley

Pronunciation: AYNZ-lee

Transferred use of the Scottish surname taken from the place-name Ainsley, which is derived from the name element Æne's or Ægen's and the Old English lēah (wood, clearing, meadow, enclosure). (From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman).

Also: From a surname which was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. The place names themselves mean either "Anne's field" or "hermitage field" from the Old English ansetl "hermitage" and leah "field". Name origin: Scottish/Celtic/Gaelic/Old English.

Love,
Fred, Beth, Sophie & Ainsley

2 comments:

MistieOctober 5, 2010 at 3:44 PM
Congratulations! She is absolutely beautiful - and I love the name SO much. Hope your recovery goes well and Sophie enjoys her new role of Big Sis - God bless you all!
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KinyaOctober 5, 2010 at 4:47 PM
Looking forward to hearing another brave labor of love story. :)
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About Our Family

Fred & I met in Magnolia, Arkansas at Southern Arkansas University in 1995 and were married in Texarkana in 1999. We have lived in northwest Arkansas since 1998 - first in Fayetteville, then Rogers since 2004. Sophie joined us in 2003, and Ainsley completed our family in 2010.

We live in a fantastic old (1905) house in historic downtown Rogers that is constantly in need of more attention. Its best assets are plenty of old trees and a great rope swing in the front yard.

We enjoy biking, hiking, camping, working around our yard and garden and frequenting the Rogers Farmers' Market and local farm stands to whip up different, healthy meals. We make a (sort of) annual bike trip along the Katy Trail, and can't wait to try some new Rails To Trails adventures as a family. We also enjoy hanging out in downtown Rogers, from "Chips & Salsa" (Las Palmas) to Brick Street Botanical.

Our girls' paternal grandparents (Robert & Maggie Stanford) as well as LOTS of aunts and uncles (Tinker & Karen, Jerry & Lesia, Kenneth, Ricky, Pam & Casey, Ann and Jackie) and cousins live in and around El Dorado, Arkansas. Their maternal grandparents (Bill & Glennis Mallett) live in Texarkana, Arkansas, right next to the Texas-Arkansas state line. Ultimately, they promise to move to their land on Beaver Lake just outside Rogers. Aunt Jo lives precisely 3 miles from our front door in Rogers with her dog/best friend Patches and recent addition Cheez-It the cat, and she works at Walmart world headquarters.

Sophie is a first grader and a Brownie Girl Scout and plays for a U7 soccer team. She likes playing outside barefoot, enjoying her upstairs playroom and spending time with our two ducks and two cats following her around the yard as though she is Dr. Doolittle. We love watching her grow up in a special home with neighborhood friends, firefly catching and a few friendly snakes in the yard. Her current notable habit is narrating her life with constant songs just like Frances.

Ainsley is proving to be an animated child who is very social - she likes to be right in the middle of the action. She has many fun years ahead of her with Sophie showing her the way - which she will no doubt follow and diverge from as she sees fit.

Thanks for keeping up with our part of the world.