Thinking

This is a picture my Dad captured this past weekend of Nolan and Jessica, the next door neighbor's granddaughter.

Notice how intent he looks. I wish I knew what he was thinking when this picture was taken. You can just see the wheels spinning in his head!

Will my sister ever be old enough to run around and play with me?
Man, I think you're pretty, Jess.
Do you want to pull each other in the wagon again?

Any other ideas on what he could be thinking?

6 Months

Yes, it's true, Ella celebrated her half-birthday on Monday the 12th. It's crazy! I can't believe she's already six months old. Where does the time go?

She is such a happy, content, joyful little girl. Her smiles will melt your heart, and that giggle she gives (mostly to her brother when he's being super silly) is just so catchy! What a delightful infant she is.

I took her in for her 6 month checkup this morning, and she's definitely packed on the pounds since her last well-baby checkup at 4 months old. At 4 months, she weighed just under 9 pounds. Today, she weighed just under 14 pounds! She's gained 5 pounds in two months! Way to go, Ella! The doctor is very pleased with her weight gain.

Unfortunately, she still has some fluid in her ears. She's had a couple of ear infections, one that persisted over several weeks. So since she doesn't have a full-blown ear infection now, we're going to see if her ears will drain on their own. I'll take her back at the end of June for another ear check. If the fluid is still there, we'll do another round of antibiotics. (That will be the fourth round of antibiotics for her!) If that doesn't seem to completely clear her ears, then we'll be referred to an ENT to see what they recommend we do next. Please pray for this situation as, of course, we'd prefer that her body can clear up the fluid on its own.

What a beautiful daughter we have. I try to treasure these precious days, as they grow in a blink of an eye! We love you, Ella!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

I am so grateful to be a mom. Although the chaos and stresses of being a stay-at-home mom overwhelm me sometimes, I am quickly reminded that I am doing the most important work God has challenged me with, raising our children to become His followers.

The Steven Curtis Chapman song, which I've added to my playlist, is a beautiful reminder that the work we do raising and taking care of our children really does matter!

Me with my babies, Nolan and Ella, on May 11, 2008, Mother's Day
I'm also fortunate to have a very loving, caring, and giving mom as an example to follow. Now that I know the challenge that is being a mom, I'm even more appreciative of the work and sacrifice my mom endured to raise three of us.

Although, I probably could have found a better picture to honor my mom, I chose this one, a true example of love; no matter how old we are or how big we get, we're always still our mom's baby. This picture was taken the day Ella was born. (You can barely tell I'm holding my sweet baby girl all swaddled up, but she's there.)

Today I am challenged to be like my mom, a true example of God's love, grace, and mercy; to sacrificially give to others, putting their needs above your own; to be the ray of God's light for all to see through your love of life and people and the joy of living.

Thank you, Mom, for being you! I love you, and I love our great relationship!

Love your mom, whether she's here on Earth or in Heaven, as my mother-in-law. Moms do God's work here on Earth, changing the world one heartbeat at a time!

Blessings

I have constantly been reminded over the last few weeks of all of the blessings God has given me. This post is a recognition of the many ways my life is just as God intends it.

Although, I've posted my two beautiful, healthy babies, I'm also grateful for the Godly man that I call my best friend and husband, who is an amazing daddy to these precious babies of ours. We have a great house, which we've made into our own nurturing home. I'm fortunate to be able to stay at home with our children. We are surrounded by loving family and friends.

The list goes on forever, but I'm so humbled by the way God provides for our every need. I'm truly at a loss for words, other than to say, trust in Him, and He will provide. He is the source of all good and precious things.