Happy 6 Months!

Dear Erin,
You are 6 months old today - 6 months! I cannot believe it. Like every other parent, I wonder where the time has gone and I marvel at how big you are getting. You are more and more interactive, and you are so fun to be with - unless you are tired or hungry, but honestly I can't blame you. I love getting to be at home with you, and watch you laugh, smile and grow! Some pictures from the month...

You love to read books! You're so advanced...you seem to be a little more interested in eating them at this point, but that's ok.

 

I love how you delight in the simplest things - like the sun coming through the window. Your eyes are still as blue as ever...

 You started eating solid foods - it's been pretty entertaining watching you. You didn't like your high chair at first...

 ...but after sitting in Daddy's lap, all was better. 

 Uncle Toby, Aunt Yvette and Elyse visited. You loved being held by Aunt Yvette, and laughing at Uncle Toby.

 I love this picture of you with Elyse. This was the first time you were really interested in her cousin...I can't wait until you are old enough to play together!

 You also got a visit from Uncle Sam, who brought you a friend named Humphrey. You didn't quite know what to do with him at first...

 I love how you are looking up at your uncle in this picture!

 You hung out with your friends...here's you and Banner. I think you guys called each other to find out what the other was wearing that day so you could coordinate. 

 You love to spend time with your Daddy in the mornings. He is usually the first one to get you when you wake up, and you love sitting with him while he reads. I adore this picture...

 Humphrey inspired a new theme for your monthly pictures...however, I learned that getting a picture of both of you was more challenging than I expected.

We love you so much, Erin. We thank God that He chose us to be your mom and dad. Sometimes I am overwhelmed at the responsibility the Lord has given, but I am quickly comforted to remember that He loves you so much more than we do, and we can trust Him in all things. Happy 6 months, Peanut!!

Love,

Daddy and Mommy  

Tuesdays...ish

Well, here it is Friday and I neglected my 'Tuesday' post for the 2nd week. Why is it so hard to get things done these days?

When do I get to stop saying "these days"...still meaning that I'm adjusting to life as a new mom? If I have a 6 month old baby, am I still a "new mom?" Should I already be adjusted? I don't know if I should...but I'm certainly not. And I think I'm great with that. :)

But back to what I'm learning this week...my prayer for Erin this week comes from Proverbs 31:25. It says,

"She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come."

This is a description of a wife of "noble character" from Proverbs 31:10-31. A few months ago, this verse stuck out to me differently than it had before, and it's been written on a card and taped to my mirror ever since. 

One thing that amazes me about God's word is that the more you read the same verse, and meditate on the truth it communicates, the more it changes you. 

I don't know exactly what it means that she laughs at the days to come. But I think I know what the opposite looks like: FEAR. ANXIETY. WORRY. Recently, I have struggled with anxiety about the future, about things that are completely outside of my control. This anxiety can bring me to tears because I somehow convince myself that what I am afraid will happen, will actually happen. 

God is clear that He does not want me to live a life afraid of the future. Matthew 6:25-34, Psalm 118:6-7, Joshua 1:9, Philippians 4:6-8, 1 Peter 5:7, Isaiah 6:3, Romans 8:6 are just a few of the verses that remind me of this. 

The truth is, I don't know what will happen in the future - from one minute from now to 100 years from now. But I do know that if I am focused on what I am afraid of, I will miss what the Lord has for me right now. I will miss the relationships with friends and neighbors. I will miss the sweetness of watching my baby learn new things every day (because she is BRILLIANT). I will miss the pleasure of a good night's sleep so that my body is refreshed for the next day. I will miss the joy of seeing our daughter get so excited to see our faces in the morning that she wiggles around in her crib like a little puppy who's about to get some good food. I will miss the joy of serving and loving my husband every day.

So my prayer for Erin this week is that she will be a woman who isn't hindered by anxiety and worry, but that she will trust God. I pray that she will be a woman who laughs at the days to come.  

A Thousand Words Thursday

The Flowers of the Field

My awesome husband came home from work on Friday with these in his hands - beautiful gerber daisies! They are some of my favorite flowers, and I love that he knows that about me. 

When I asked what the occasion was, he replied with the best answer I could have heard. I have been struggling with anxiety the last few days, and he wanted me to remember Matthew 6:25-34. These verses talk about how the flowers of the field don't do anything, and God takes care of them.

I am so thankful that Adam knows me, knows God's word, and knows how to point me back to that when I'm having a hard time believing it for myself.

A Thousand Words Thursday

Tuesdays...

One of my favorite things about my old job happened on Tuesday mornings - our staff prayer meetings. Don't let the generic name fool you...this was not like any prayer meetings I had been to before. Imagine 75-90 people in one room, sharing stories of how God was working in their own lives and in the lives of those around them. Scripture was always read, quoted, and/or taught, and the purpose of the time was always to connect as a staff family and worship God together.

But this looked differently than I ever expected. If I had to use one word to describe it, it would be UNPREDICTABLE. 

I never knew what would happen. There were heartbreaking moments as folks confessed sin that they had been struggling with or shared stories of pain and death. These are some of the people who walk most closely with Christ that I know, and I've learned that the life of the believer is marked by pain and suffering, just as is the life of those who don't believe. 

There were times of great rejoicing and excitement as folks shared about stories of victory over sin in their own lives or the lives of those they love, news of engagements, marriages and births, and accounts of incredible ways that God provides.

And there was FUN. There were times I laughed so hard I cried as someone invariably had to perform a song or swim in the pond because of a lost farkle. There's still a group who swim in the pond after staff prayer every week because of a game they played at our staff Christmas party. I saw someone sing a college fight song in leather pants, someone else sing one wrapped in a Snuggie, and the one Englishman on staff somehow drew the unlucky straw of having to sing the American national anthem.

I remember anticipating staff prayer every Tuesday morning before I went to work. When I started working there, I allowed insecurities to keep me from sharing, and I honestly regret that, and realize now how silly that was. I loved when I got to share the fun news that Adam and I were engaged, or that we were expecting a baby. I also remember sharing about the hard things, like when I was struggling with body image or when my dad was diagnosed with cancer. What a great picture of the body of Christ...that we are called to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. (Rom 12:15)
 
I was challenged in my walk with Christ every week...without fail. I can honestly say that God used this 1.5 hours (sometimes more, rarely less) each week to sharpen me, motivate me, refine me, encourage me, move me, and grow me like little else has done in my life. Heb 10:24-25 says "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

I left those times excited about the job I got to do...but more importantly, excited about Jesus. I loved being a part of this team, and these times on Tuesday reminded me why.  Though I love my new job being a wife and mommy, I miss those Tuesday mornings. 
So I wanted to take time to share one thing that God is teaching me each week with you, my blog audience. (I'm not entirely sure that anyone reads this except for Adam and both of our moms, but nevertheless...) Each week I'll share what I'm learning, and how that is informing how I pray for Erin. 

The goal is to post these on Tuesdays. But, to be totally honest, I started writing this last Tuesday. And I meant to finish it yesterday. Oh well.   

Last week: Proverbs 18:15 says, "The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out." I am praying that God will give Erin a heart and mind that is able to discern what is true, and that she will grow in wisdom as she grows in years.  

This week: I've been reading through Ezekiel with our church, (click here for more info on how you can join us), and I'm about halfway through. A phrase that has been repeated often is "...so that you [they] will know that I am the LORD." 

I am praying this week that Erin will know the LORD for who He is...not for who others say He is, or what her emotions or her circumstances tell her He is, but for what His unchanging Word says about Him and His character. I pray that she will rest in knowing Him, no matter what, and that this will comfort her and give her great courage throughout her life. 

And, because a post is always better with a picture...

Knitting

I think I've learned to knit 3 different times in my life. The first time, I was in the 4th grade, and I remember knitting a hot pad and a case for my eyeglasses. Insert picture of the red plastic frames that took up half of my chubby 4th grade face here. I think it was a class I took at school or something, because I don't remember picking up a knitting needle again.

The 2nd time, I was living in Dallas with roommates, and I had watched one roommate, Kristyn, knit cute, cozy scarves, and I thought it looked like fun. She patiently taught me...but my first scarf stopped at about 8 inches long and much wider at the the end than at the beginning. So ended the 2nd try.


A few weeks ago, inspired by my friend Amy, I decided to try again. Here was the goal - cute little toy knit balls that Erin could play with. 

 

Thanks to Amy's patience, I finally got started. Here was the beginning...I have to be honest, I was a little skeptical that this would turn into a squishie ball.

 

After several weeks...I finished! The long awaited day was here when I would present the gift to Erin and she would grin with delight, and quickly claim it as her favorite. Here it is! Honestly, I'm not sure she knew what to do with it.

See? She loves it. She's even drooling over it.

 

See how she follows it wherever it goes...

...and even tried to eat it.

See how angry she got when I told her it was time to put the ball down?

 

I sent one of these pictures to Adam at work and he joked that I had just put the ball in as a prop for the picture. I neither confirmed nor denied that. We like to laugh because I say that Erin loves her squishie ball more than her other toys, even though I'm well aware that's not the case at this point. But regardless, I loved getting to create something for my daughter. It really is special to me because it's the first thing I have made for her, and I loved doing it. 

I try to not take it when we go places as I tend to leave things behind, and I'd be so sad to lose this little ball. That's why I was VERY surprised to walk out to our car in the apartment garage and saw this:

Yep, that's Erin's very special ball, left overnight in the garage. It's amazing I remember anything.

Even though I didn't lose the first one, I'm still knitting. Fair warning...if you are pregnant or have had a baby recently, your little one may get one as a baby gift. :)

And just as a bonus...a funny mad face, drool and all. We love this sweet girl!