Happy Birthday Havah Joy!!

Our little girl is ONE!!!  Can you believe it?!  I sure can't.  In light of the tornados that ripped through the state of Alabama, we had something to celebrate.  First of all, we have our lives and our home.  Secondly, we have our little girl growing up right in front of our eyes.

Let me say, Havah is one spunky little girl.  She has started taking staggered, unsteady first steps.  She is becoming more and more brave even using things like a piece of paper to try to stand on.  It is quite funny to watch as she explores her independence and her ever expanding capabilities.

On her birthday, April 28th we did not have electricity so Matt and I were both off work.  We got the privilege of spending all day with the Birthday Girl.  She was so happy.  We really didn't do anything special other than be a family but I must say it was so enjoyable.  Matt mowed the yard and Havah and I played in the sunshine.  She would take a nap, get back up reenergized and we would play even harder than we did before.  

She loves her mommy and daddy!

As I mentioned we were without lights for a few days but it was actually not too bad.  We have a gas water  heater so we still were able to take showers and wash dishes.  We also have a gas fireplace in which we cooked hotdogs one night.  We just looked at it as camping indoors.

 We decided to go ahead and have Havah's birthday party on Saturday, even in the dark.  We were going to have it outside anyway so why not have everyone together to get our minds off of the destruction that was all around us.  I think it was almost therapeutic for everyone.  We were able to laugh and talk and the "big kids" even played a game of kickball.  (Yes, even I played at 33 weeks pregnant.  That was a sight to see.  I will have to post pictures later. )

Havah LOVED her birthday cake and we got some awesome pictures of her digging around in it.  She even had her very own personal cake that her Bella (my mom) made her.  She got a few new outfits, a baby doll, a few books and a music set.

Again, I can't believe a year has pasted since she entered the world.  She has brought life and joy; smiles and laughter; a deeper understanding of how much God loves us and a world of wonder and expectancy for the things to come.

Havah Joy, we are so thankful to have a beautiful little girl like you!  You are a light to be around.  You love music and clap with delight when you hear someone sing.  You love to be thrown in the air and slobber all over everything.  You already have a heart for the Lord because you respond even physically.  May you continue to hear and follow the move of the Holy Spirt.  May you give your whole heart, soul, mind and strength to the wooing of the One who loves you beyond comprehension.  We love you sweet girl!  Happy 1st Birthday!

 

4 years, 10 months, and 25 weeks

Last week was a week of turning for us.

First, my husband and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary!  I can't believe it has been 4 years.  I love him more now than I ever have before.  I now understand what it means to allow your love to mature.  When we first started dating it really was just a superficial, "hey you're hot!" kind of relationship.  During our courting/engagement period we grew from superficial relationship to learning how to battle together.  We had to fight to maintain purity in our relationship but you know, it gave us something that drew us even closer, something to fight for.  Since we have been married we have grown in our love for one another and have come to understand not just what we say to each other but also what we really mean.  Believe me, there is a major difference.

We celebrated by going to Atlanta for the weekend.  First, stopping by my parents house to drop off the little girl.  She would not be making the trip with us this time because mommy and daddy needed some alone time.  We really enjoyed reconnecting with one another and were very thankful for the opportunity to go on our weekend get-a-way.

Speaking of the little girl, she turned 10 months old last week as well!  I can't believe my little princess is 10 months old.  I know it is cliche, but time really has flown by.  She has now discovered our stairs and it has brought on a whole new realm of adventure to her life.  She is crawling, pulling up, talking like crazy and using her daddy and I as a human jungle gym.  I know I say this all the time but she is so much fun!

And last but certainly not least, we are now 25 weeks pregnant!  So we are over halfway there and boy am I starting to feel it.  I feel like we have gone from little soft flutters of movement to Kung Fu kicks that would make Chuck Norris proud.  He is very active and I love it!  My favorite is when we are about to go to bed, Matt says good night to the baby and the baby will start wiggling.  It is so sweet.

So there is our last week in a nut shell.  Hope your week is truly blessed.

Seeing changes

Our little one, Havah Joy is now a very energetic 9 months old.  She has learned all kinds of "tricks" over the past few months.  Her personality is growing everyday and we are beginning to see traces of what, we think, will be a very fun, spirited little lady.

I was giving her a bath tonight and she has discovered that she can crawl in the bathtub now.   Before, she had a difficult time going from the sitting position to the crawl position and vise versa, but now...she is making up for lost time.  So as I watched her explore her new capability I couldn't help but think of how the Father looks at us.  I know I have gone down this thought process before but bare with me for a moment.

When I look at my little girl, I see her developing and discovering new wonders everyday.  I see her find new ways to get around, new sounds to make, new foods to taste.  She is exploring and enjoying it.  I think of how Father God looks at us and sees us "find new ways to get around, new sounds to make, and new foods to taste."  I think of how Havah will slip in the bathtub and hit her head (like she did tonight, don't worry she is fine.)  I think of how I slip and fall and how God loves and comforts me just the same.

I look forward to every milestone that Havah reaches.  I know that God looks forward to the milestones that I reach.  The funny thing is, is that it doesn't happen over night, and I don't want it to.  Although sometimes I want to be everything that God wants me to be...RIGHT NOW!  And even more so, I want others to be everything they should be RIGHT NOW!  And just like it is not reality for Havah to go from crawling to doing physics in a day; it is not reality for me to expect others to go from singing "Jesus loves me" to memorizing the New Testament in a day.

I give myself more grace to make changes than I do for others.  So maybe I should take a lesson from Havah and just enjoy the milestones and see the "small things" as progress not only for myself but also for others.  

It's a Boy!!

This week has been very busy for our little household.

The big news is that we found out we are having a little BOY!  We are absolutely thrilled!  I didn't even give the ultrasound tech time to tell us, I knew right away.  Let's just say that he was not shy :)  It is so neat to know that our name will be passed on through this little man and he is not even here yet.  We are right at the halfway point and the doctor says everything looks perfect.  Thank you Jesus!

Next on the weekly schedule, our daughter, Havah had tubes put in her ears this week.  She has gone through 5 rounds of antibiotics in 3 months.  When the doctor put her tubes in on Thursday he said that her ears were still severely infected. (She has been on antibiotics for 2 weeks now)  It was kind of frustrating to hear that and to know that she was suffering and we didn't even know it.  However I think the tubes are already starting to help.  The doctor asked if she was babbling yet; when we told him yes he said we should expect for it to increase in frequency and volume.  It has!  She spent about 30 minutes playing in the floor when we got home squealing at the top of her lungs.  I think she feels better.  :)

Lastly, Hubby and I have prayed about a potential job promotion for him for a few days now.  This promotion would significantly increase our income however it would also increase the amount of time Hubby would have to spend at work for the first 6 months or so.  We found out on Friday that he is no longer in the running for the promotion.  We were shocked because he has consistently been a top performer in his field.  In our prayers we asked that the Lord would protect us from unforeseen dangers or pitfalls that comes along with any step of faith.  We believe He did just that.  Although we are disappointed we can't help but see God has a master plan for our lives.      

I'm so thankful for our week.  The hand of the Lord has been seen throughout.  He has reminded us, yet again, that He is faithful and that he will provide for all of our needs.  

A moment of reflection

Lately my heart has not been able to keep up with what is going through my head.  I feel as though my head is going one hundred miles an hour and my heart is just now able to catch up.  

Christmas has come and gone and yet I feel like it never happened.  Yes, I got all my Christmas decorations up, food made, gifts bought but something was missing.  We spent time with family and I watched as my little girl was fascinated with wrapping paper more than what was in it.  We sung Christmas carols, watched Christmas movies and hosted Christmas parties but I missed something.  My heart hurts thinking about it.  I am guilty. I was caught up in the Christmas doing rather than the Christmas being.  

Christmas has always been a time of reflection for me.  A time where I can look back and see the good, the bad and the ugly and rejoice in a year filled with so much.  I usually take some time to be still and absorb the sights, sounds, and emotions of the season.  It is a way of focusing on what has been and what will come.  It is a type of rejuvenation that must occur in order for me to truly appreciate what has happened.   

So I am taking that time now.  Maybe Christmas is a little late for me this year but it is Christmas none the less.  Recentering, refocusing, rejuvenating.  

We began the year in a whirlwind of baby showers.  Then all of the sudden, she is here!  (early but definitely here).  We bought a house, renovated the house, moved in the house all while adjusting to parenthood.  We are learning how to love each other as parents, as well as lovers.  That’s hard!  We are learning how to balance work, children, house stuff, family, and each other.  That’s hard!  I know a lot of people do it, but man is it an adjustment!  As the year progressed, and we finally felt we had gotten the hang of the all the newness, we are surprised yet again with the gift of being pregnant.  The rest of the year has flown by in a flash of weekend trips to my parents, visiting friends in Nashville, Florence and more family in southern Alabama.  

I can’t believe we have come so far and yet have so far to go.  I am thankful for the lessons learned, the relationships that have grown, and the development of a beautiful new role called mommyhood.  May I not get so caught up in the things to do that I forget the things that matter most.  

So Merry Christmas and may you have a very Happy New Year!  

Quiet Love

My precious daughter, who is now just over 6 months old,  has had a difficult time staying asleep in the past few weeks.  We have the going to bed part down pat it is the waking between 2 and 3 AM that lead me to seek mommy counsel from Facebook.  I was amazed by how many comments I received.  Comments that were not only good advice but comments that showed that people really cared about me and my family.  Anyway, that was just a side note.  The struggle I am having is, do I let her "cry-it-out", feed her, or just comfort her so she can rest easy knowing mommy will be there?

I have prayed about this situation because my goodness I need SLEEP!  And in the midst of my cries, (ok that may be a little dramatic) I came across some wisdom that explained my heart struggle.

A dear friend of mine posted a blog a few days ago that brought me to tears and yet awakened my heart to contemplation.  Her blog was about how God allows us to go through pain, uncomfortable times and situations when you think He is no longer even listening much less there.  (If you would like to check it out it is www.mikkiblogs.com)  She spoke of the times when God is silent when we feel most desperate.

My heart identified!  Not only because I have been in that place where I didn't think God was listening and I was at my "breaking point" but also because I viewed it from the other side.  God's heart is so FOR us just like my heart is so FOR my daughter.  My heart breaks when she cries for an hour because "mommy is trying to help her self-soothe".  In her little world she just wants her cries to be heard and mommy to help.  "Mommy, fix it!"  "Mommy, I need.....Help!"    In my little world, I want her to mature and be able to find rest knowing that mommy is still there even when I don't answer.

It is a gift knowing that God still hears and His heart longs for us but He desires for us to BECOME!  Become who He has created us to be.  In those moments I am sure it is difficult for Him to wait but He sees the greater picture.  He sees that when we wait on Him we become stronger, we become more secure (even when we don't feel like it), we learn to trust, and we mature.  Just like I hope that my daughter will not still cry at 3 AM when she is four years old.  I am helping her become, develop and mature even when she does not see it that way.

Now don't get me wrong sometimes my heart can't wait another minute and I run to her rescue but sometimes....I allow her to BECOME.      

I am a blogger!

I have been following other's blogs for a few years now and have finally made the plunge of having my own.  This new adventure was inspired by my mother-in-law.  Here is the story.

While I was pregnant with our first little girl, Havah Joy,  I sent out what I affectionately called our "Baby Updates".  These weekly updates were nothing more than my attempts to keep all family members (and there were a bunch)  up to date with what was taking place in the womb and in our lives.  I would send out weekly updates with approximate length, weight and other fun facts involving our bun in the oven.  I finally noticed that I was looking forward to these weekly updates peppered with humorous comments and random thoughts.  Little did I know, my family was also expecting the updates.  Once they had actually become somewhat hostile because I had missed a week.  Let's just say I did not miss another week.

So here we are...4 1/2 months after the birth of our little lady and once again I am looking for an outlet to express my ideas, emotions, random comments and maybe, on occasion, a deep thought or two.  As a special treat, my husband may chose to chime in once in a while as he is my sounding board, source of laughter and best friend.  Please bare with me as we venture through this blogging world together....I'm a newby.