daisy & the ipod

when i was in the hospital, pregnant with daisy almost 4 years ago now, in a very loving gesture peter tried to cheer me up by purchasing an ipod (my previous device for listening to music was a walkman, seriously). to be honest, i really wasn’t that thrilled. i’m just not a gadget girl. the only reason i would ever want an iphone is for the GPS system and grocery list organizer. so with the ipod i thought “why would i want to carry around this little contraption when i can just turn on the radio in the house or car?” needless to say i haven’t used it a ton (although i do take it with me on walks), but i have now discovered who might wear it out over time. daisy asked to use it the other day for the first time (she actually thinks it’s a phone). she literally sat at my desk for almost 2 hours listening to David Crowder and drawing on a note pad. i know that sounds like an extreme exaggeration of time, but it’s the truth. so for the past 3 days she asks “mom, can i listen to my Nusic on the phone?” (misspelling intended). it makes me happy to think that this thoughtful gift will be well used, if by none other than the child with whom the mother was laying in bed for.

the ear piece doesn't quite fit so i have to turn it up really loud

a random one of her climbing a tree

and a random one of judah (he keeps reminding me of sawyer!)

what a guy…

i never want to be like “everything’s perfect, everything’s great!” about my life, because i realize more, now than ever, just how weak i am, as well as my husband. i’ve been re–reading a john piper book that i bought over 5 years ago, “don’t waste your life” (excellent book, would highly recommend) and the other day he referenced 2 cor. 12:9 “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” a word in season is all i can say. so it’s not a hopeless truth at all – it’s actually quite liberating!

that’s really not what i intended to post, though. my husband is an imperfect man, with lots of flaws, weaknesses and sin, and the more i know that, the more i can truly love him. because i’ve discovered, well, learned actually, that real love is not based on wonderful performance but on choice, patience, understanding, and so forth. we’ve walked through a lot together, relationally, the last 6 years, and sometimes it feels like it’s getting harder but when i look closer i also realize that it’s getting a lot better. i hope that makes sense! we’re approaching 7 years of marriage this year, which statistically is the “hump” when most marriages make it or break it, but we don’t really believe in humps – just the grace of God! anyway, peter and i have been honing our communication skills lately (isn’t that fun?!) and while there have been some challenges in that, there’s also been some wonderful growth and closeness we are experiencing together. one result of that: peter is becoming much more in-tune with the needs of his family (he’s the best provider i could ever ask for and the most loving husband and dad, but this goes into a deeper level). for example, i was at a shoot saturday morning, so peter was at home with the 3 kids. when i came home he had bathed the 2 oldest (i did not ask him or even mention it to him) and had come up with a method to further help daisy’s potty training. she’s been digressing, having accidents about 3-4 times a day, so peter simply sets an egg timer every hour and like magic, she’s cured. we had friends over last night and peter planned, prepared, and cooked all the food (he’s a really good host!). things like that just REALLY bless me! i guess i’m writing all this not to flaunt (goodness no!) but to just share how faithful the Lord is to progress us. i know how frail we are and how suddenly we can fall, so i know that the wonderfullness i see in my husband and marriage isn’t a result of us being these super people. it’s a result of falling, getting back up, falling, getting back up, all while relying on the grace of God to change us and the love of God to fill us. i’m just grateful.

was my morning THAT stressed?!

as mommies have you ever had one of those moments when you feel so very embarrassed by something you did or didn’t do because of your frazzled state? i almost had one of those moments yesterday at church. peter plays drums in the worship band so he has to leave about an hour and a half earlier than me on Sundays, so i get the kids ready by myself. i’ve done it since the beginning so it’s something i’m completely adjusted to (not to say that makes it easy, but i have a routine). it can be a bit crazy on those mornings because there seems to be little coöperation, but i’ve actually only been late to church once in the last 3 years (i’m really anal about being late). so during worship time at church yesterday morning one of the nursery workers taps me on the shoulder and asks if i have an extra pair of pants for gids. no, i didn’t, because i’m just not that prepared, but i did have an extra pair of daisy’s (because of potty training). when i asked if his diaper leaked she sweetly said “well, he wasn’t wearing a diaper under his overalls”. WHAT?! that’s when the question of this post came in, and i felt an embarrassment i usually don’t feel. it was like a “this solidifies my season of life, i know, but for goodness sake i thought my head was screwed on a little tighter than that…” type feeling. the worker, i think, tried to make me feel better by saying “we thought maybe daddy dressed him this morning”. no, it was his mother.  thankfully daisy’s spare pants were brown.

after all that, when i picked him up after the service the worker handed me the sack with his overalls and guess what we found? a dry diaper stuck in his pant leg. so apparently it had fallen off (can someone explain how that happens?). i just kind of laughed, because realistically, it could’ve happened.

one day they’ll be best friends… i just know it!

 

gids is actually very sweet with judah. he doesn’t really show him that much attention but when he does he’s mostly sweet with just a little sour.

a year ago today…

i turned 26 and was about 5.5 months pregnant with little judahkins (that 5.5 mark is still emotional for me). sharon took me out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory (i know, i have the BEST mom-in-law!) at the mall with the kids. i remember the kids woke up really late that morning, as did i, and i was able to take a shower and get ready in quiet! and they did so well at the restaurant (funny how these little things just stick in your mind! i’ve learned to appreciate them very much).

so TODAY i’m now 27 and judah-bear is 8 months old! wow, every year just get’s a little faster than the last. i didn’t get up until 7:30 this morning, and when i walked into the kitchen peter had my favorite waffles beautifully displayed on the table (belgian waffles with m&m’s cooked into them and bananas on top). he is VERY thoughtful. i told him i don’t need expensive or extravagant gifts. i just need his thoughtfulness. and i’m very blessed and thankful that he gives that often.

back to judah. he’s sitting up! it’s kind of a funny story how i came to realize this. almost a month ago i took him for his check up appt. with the pediatrician and she asked if he sat up and i was like “Um, i don’t think so.” (honestly, i had only attempted propping him up a few times :/ ). so she said that by his next appt. he needed to be sitting up “very well” (given with those raised eyebrows… you know.). it’s in little moments like that that i can choose to either feel like a failure of a mom (“should’ve been working with him” “you’re neglecting his needs”… etc.) or i can choose to relax and know that unless there is a physical disability, my child will develop like normal, even if it is a few months later than the other kids. so when i got home i sat him on the floor to see what he could do and low and behold – my kid could sit up like a pro! i don’t know how long he had the ability, but he was holding out on me. it reiterated that i need to not be anxious and compare my kids (or anything else) to others and worry that they’re not just like them. i have a feeling this lesson is not over…