What I love about you... 14-17 weeks

week 14-17

I LOVE...

• Taking naps in mommy and daddy's bed with you after your first morning feed. You are such a good snuggler!

• How you are growing & developing ... you mastered rolling from back to front on Saturday (4/24/10) and have also outgrown being swaddled! This past Friday night I swaddled you up like normal and found you on Saturday morning with your swaddle blanket at your waist! Not only were your arms out of your blanket, they were out of your pajamas! I tried to swaddle you on Saturday night, but you flailed around like a fish out of water. So, daddy and I unswaddled you, put you in long sleeve PJ's with feet, and put you back in your crib. You rolled over onto your tummy and fell asleep. You seem to love sleeping freely in your crib. I think it's funny when we put you to sleep in the center of your crib and we find you in the morning in the far left corner. You are such a wiggle worm!!

• That you LOVE holding onto your pacifier at all times and maneuvering it around! (except when I put you to bed and you take it out and then get mad!!)

• How curious you are. You are so in tune with your surroundings and you seem to love nature. I love taking walks with you and watching you watch the trees above you in your stroller.

• That you are grabbing things with your sweet little hands. Yesterday you grabbed this butterfly and began licking it. It plays music and your face kept pressing the button to make it play a new song every few seconds. Even if it wasn't on purpose, it was still cute!

Hi, mom!

• Family pictures. You are so precious to us!

• Letting you taste ice cream for the first time last week. :)

• Your outgoing personality. You will smile at anyone and everyone. I LOVE how talkative you are and watching you interact with others!

• The tenderness in your face when I kiss you.

• Playing airplane with you. You get the biggest smiles on your face and literally laugh out loud the whole time!!
  

• That you have found your feet and grab onto them all the time. You especially like to take off your socks!

• I LOVE that I can't get enough of you. "Every good and perfect gift is from above" - James 1:17. You are my perfect gift!

Happy 4 month birthday, little one. We LOVE you!!

Our God Saves

I woke up this morning with this song in my head. It's been forever since I've heard it, but God gave me all the lyrics, beginning to end, to recite over and over in my head. David and I pray each end every day for those in our life who do not know the Lord. We pray for our daughter each and every day to come to know the Lord as she grows up in this sin stricken world. God wanted to remind me that while we should pray, we don't need to worry. Our God saves! There is hope in His name. Thank you, Jesus!

I put the lyrics below in case God wanted to use this song to speak to anyone else. It is number 26 on my play list should anyone want to listen to it. Have a blessed day and remember, our God SAVES!!

In the name of the Father
In the name of the Son
In the name of the Spirit
Lord we've come

We're gathered together
To lift up Your name
To call on our savior
To fall on Your grace

In the name of the Father
In the name of the Son
In the name of the Spirit
Lord we've come

We're gathered together
To lift up Your name
To call on our savior
To fall on Your grace

Hear the joyful sound of our offering
As your saints bow down, as your people sing
We will rise with You, lifted on Your wings
And the world will see that
Our God saves, our God saves
There is hope in Your name

In the name of the Father
In the name of the Son
In the name of the Spirit
Lord we've come

We're gathered together
To lift up Your name
To call on our savior
To fall on Your grace

Hear the joyful sound of our offering
As your saints bow down, as your people sing
We will rise with You, lifted on Your wings
And the world will see that
Our God saves, our God saves
There is hope in Your name

Mourning turns to songs of praise
Our God saves, our God saves

Hear the joyful sound of our offering
As your saints bow down, as your people sing
We will rise with You, lifted on Your wings
And the world will see that
And the world will see that
Our God saves, our God saves
There is hope in Your name

Mourning turns to songs of praise
Our God saves, our God saves
Our God saves, our God saves

Our God saves, our God saves

Mothering Matters

Today I was opening the mail when I came across a brief article about mothering in the Publix Baby Club magazine. I read it and felt such a sense of relief in my newly established lifestyle as a mother. For my motherly friends out there - this one's for you...

"Does mothering mater? This question demands an answer, especially for mothers adjusting to raising young children. We live in a day when what you do equals who you are. A woman's worth is determined by her work's value and the amount she accomplishes. (Thank goodness God throws that one by the wayside!) But a mother's work is never finished or is constantly coming undone, and few people reward or recognize the nurturing skills used in mothering.

The truth about the significance of a mother's role is that it makes a life-long difference in a child's growth and health. According to scientific evidence, the years of early childhood are even more crucial than we once believed. Reports tell us that a child's environment from birth to age three determine brain structure, ability to learn and ability to love others.

Though changing diapers and cuddling a baby may seem trivial, mothers are doing eternally significant work in developing a little person into an adult. As Leo Tolstoy wrote in the Lion and the Honeycomb, "Yes, mothers, in your hands more than in those of anyone else, lies the salvation of the world." Mothering matters!"

Thank you Publix Baby Club! I needed that one today!

Appreciation and Compassion

I've been to Ecuador twice on a mission trip with my church. Each time I've gone, I've come back with a new sense of appreciation for what God has given me as well as a new sense of compassion for others. Unfortunately, after I adjust back to real life, I forget that sense of compassion that fueled my heart. Not necessarily that I forget about it completely, but living in America dulls the sting I feel deep in my soul for these people I went to serve. I hate that after a while, normal life picks back up and the temptation is to forget all that I've seen.

My good friend Celeste, who lives in Ecuador as a missionary with her family, posted a picture (in words) so crisp I could see the story unfold before my eyes. Read the story and Celeste's thoughts below...

"Imagine it is night time, you live a mile from the nearest road. It is time for bed. There is no water to brush your teeth or wash you face. There is no bathroom to use before going to bed. There is no bed. There is one room, for you and your children. The room is very dark because it gets dark at 6pm. You have just enough time to get home from work before there is no more light from the sun. Your neighbors don't have light either, so when it is dark, it is really dark.

You and your children lay down on the damp wooden floor. There are holes for windows, but not glass, no bars. In fact, you don't even have a front door. You and your children try to sleep as insects buzz around you, bats fly outside, and you hear neighbors yelling as they fight while drunk. You see, beer is delivered to the community where you live, but no clean water. Thankfully you have a dog tied up that provides you and your children with some sense of security, and you pray that if it rains, the wind won't blow to hard - for if you get wet, you will be even more cold.

Morning comes early, sunrise before 6am. You have no water to shower or brush your teeth unless you have some left over that you collected from the river. Sadly, the stream closest to your home is about 10" wide and runs slow with a thick brownish liquid that you call water. There is a smell of human waste because you aren't the only ones without a bathroom. You must get ready quickly as the little children must be dropped off at the day care, the older children put on their uniforms and grab their backpacks (full of books that you spent months worth of salary buying (because you have 4 children in school now)). You have no idea that in other parts of the world there are schools available that are truly free. Your children start the long walk in the mud to get to the road to town where they go to school and you go to work. You carry in the baby and your children over 2 must make the walk themselves. Once you get to pavement, the work is not over. You have a steep long, winding hill to walk up, then more walking to get to where you need to be for the day. You have no idea there are free school buses in America that take children to school and bring them home. But that is okay, you are thankful to have a job so that you can care for your children, because children need family.

This is an example of just one family who attends church in Sacha Runa, Ecuador.

Take time tonight and thank God for the bed you sleep in, for the bathroom you have, thank Him when you turn on the sink and clean water comes out. Please take time to pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ around the world."

I pray that I will not forget all I have seen, heard, touched, smelled, and felt from my time in Ecuador. I pray that God would renew my spirit form the superficiality of America and remind me of what so many people go through on a daily basis in the world around me.

Cori's First Beach Trip!

This week was absolutely beautiful! I think the weather is finally moving into warmer temperatures, making beach season in full swing! It's not smoldering hot yet, so I thought it would be a great time to expose little miss Cori Belle to the beach. Tuesday morning we packed up the car, picked up Aunt Lauren, and headed Crescent Beach for the day. It was so much fun! It was a bit windy when we arrived and Cori did NOT like that wind blowing in her face. It took her a good 30 minutes to adjust, but after a nice long nap, she was having a blast! Check out our pictures below!

Bathing Beauty!

The wind made Cori cold so she decided to put on her robe! :)

Loving on Mama!

Until next time...

Easter!

All of our Easter fun began on Friday this year when I took Cori to see the Easter Bunny. Being that she is only 3 months old, she doesn't have stranger anxiety yet. And, apparently she isn't afraid of monster sized stuffed bunnies yet either!! It seems to me, that she LOVES them based on the picture of her and Mr. Bunny. I know it seems silly, but I was tearing up at the sight of my sweet little girl on that giant bunny's lap, especially with that big smile on her face. Talk about pulling on your heart strings!! Let's see how she handles the Easter Bunny next year! I guess we will have some inclination depending on how she does with Santa at Christmas time!

During our stop at the mall to see the Easter Bunny, we also bought Cori her very first Easter dress. She looked beautiful in it and got lots of compliments at church on Sunday. Speaking of church, Cori went to the nursery for the first time and did great! She actually slept the WHOLE time. Go girl! Here are some pics from Easter Sunday...

Snuggling with her bunny on Easter morning!

Sweet, angel smile! :)

Big yawn from the spring heat!

Easter picture with mommy and daddy!

Hanging out with Aunt Amber during lunch.

Even though Easter is a time for family traditions, bunnies, baskets, candy, and more, it's also a time to remember our Savior. Without Jesus this holiday wouldn't even exist. Just imagine what this past weekend must have looked like when Jesus walked the Earth. Imagine the persecution he went through on Friday, only to be hung on a cross to die for us. Imagine him being put in the tomb on Saturday and then on Sunday come to find that he was gone. Thank God he was gone! For without the resurrection, life as we know it would not be the same. Oh sweet Jesus, thank you for dying for us to free us from this life of sin. I choose you, Lord, to walk alongside you daily.

Pastor Max gave a GREAT sermon on Sunday morning about being "All In." God loves us, is there for us, sent his son to die for us, but ultimately, it's up to us whether we have a relationship with Him or not. We have to CHOOSE him! He is the best thing that could ever happen to us, yet so many of us choose to walk away from him. Pastor really put it into perspective when he said God is not going to run after us begging us to come follow him. It is our choice to follow him. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather follow him and give my life a purpose, then have nothing to live for at all. "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you will try to enter and will not be able to, " God tells us in Luke 13:24. I know we all wish everyone would make it into heaven, but the reality is, not everyone will. God wants only those who WANT him. ... I know there are those who say, "I'm a good person.. I'll get into heaven." Pastor Max gave a great example of this. There once was a reality TV show called, Moment of Truth, where people volunteered themselves to be hooked up to lie detector tests and answer questions truthfully for money. Well, there was a girl on the show who confessed to stealing money from her job, being unfaithful to her husband, thinking about her ex boyfriend while walking down the aisle, etc. The very last question on the show was, "Do you think you are a good person?" She answered yes and the lie detector test said she was lying. She lost all 200,000 dollars she had earned so far. The bottom line is, we all "think" we are good people in one way or another. But the reality is, none of us are good enough. That's why getting into heaven isn't based on goodness. It's based on our desire to love and follow Jesus with our WHOLE HEART. God gives us the opportunity to do this daily, but we must CHOOSE him. Are we all in or aren't we? It's as simple as that. .. Maybe that's not the message you would want to hear on Easter morning. But since a crowd normally comes out to church on Easter (and Christmas), sugar coating the truth simply won't do. The word of God must be spoken! "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Luke 8:8.

That's my King, I wonder do you know him?

What I love about you... 11, 12, & 13 weeks

week 11, 12, & 13

(yes, I'm a little behind!)

I LOVE...

• The way you "who" like an owl when you talk to us.

• Your BIG blue eyes!

• How you eat your hands. I really like it when you try to put your entire fist in your mouth! Just yesterday I saw you trying to fit BOTH hands into your mouth at the same time. Silly, girl! :)

• The way you rest your entire arm over your face when you are nursing. I can't help but think, "Damsel in distress!"

• Your big, wide mouth grins.

• How you LOVE to stand!

• That you were literally laughing out loud yesterday with one of the cheer moms. I wish I had it on video tape!

• How predictable you are... Wake up at 7am, eat, play, sleep from 8-10am, eat, play and sleep some more! We seem to be on such a roll and I'm loving it! .. I also love that you sleep through the night and have been doing that for some time now! You are such a blessing to us!

• Sweet times with your dad!

• The way you smile and shy your face into your shoulder when daddy and I smile at you. You have such a sweet spirit!

• Rubbing lotion on you after a bath.

• Holding, hugging, and kissing you.

Other milestones..

• My baby girl turned 3 months old last Sunday!

• We had to pack up all your newborn onesie's and break out the 0-3 month outfits! Growing girl! Look at the size difference!

On a side note, Cori and I took Maverick for a walk today in the Baby Bjorn. Cori LOVED being in the sunshine and Mav sure enjoyed a walk. All that walking made little miss tired though!

Until Next time...