Chosen by God to be our Baby

Hello, little one, chosen by God to be our baby. I love you sincerely with all my heart, and I long to see your sweet face and hold your tiny baby body. But, I am glad to wait and feel you grow and move within me. Dear, precious child, I cannot tell you how fun it was to watch you via ultrasound last Friday. We watched you move and stretch and yawn. And, I wanted so badly to reach right through that screen and hold you close to me! Little cutie! I have noticed lately that you don't seem to be a very active little one. I am thankful for the times when I feel you kick because it isn't very often. You seem to be fairly calm. Amy, our ultrasound tech, kept commenting on how you stayed curled up in a ball. In the picture above you can see your sweet knees up by your nose!! I can't wait to see if you still like to be curled up in a ball when you come out to be with us!

And, if there was any doubt about your masculinity, it was quickly dismissed. This was one of the first pictures Amy took!

I love this picture of your arm beside your sweet baby head. I love you little man!

After the Ultrasound, we went to a cute little maternity/baby store to buy something for you! And, we found this frame that matched our living room perfectly. We thought it was the perfect place to display a picture of you, little love.

Moments after I set the frame down, I caught your sweet oldest brother kissing your picture. Your big brothers talk about you all the time. They love you so much already!

You are such a joy to us already!

Godspeed, sweet one, Godspeed.

Until then, know that I am loving you. . .

Mama's Favorite Birthday Pictures. . .

I would love to think that my boys will always be affectionate towards me. But, I realize that as they grow the cuddles and kisses will become a bit more scarce. The hand holding, lap sitting, knee hugs, and sweet gummy baby kisses will one day be a sweet memory. So, in the meantime I am savoring the affection, every cuddle, kiss, and softly spoken word. The memories will be sweet enough to last a lifetime. . .

Memories like this. . .

It started off innocent enough. He just wanted to feed mama some cake like he did Daddy. . .

But, then he curled his little finger inside my mouth & hooked me like a fish.

Once he reeled me in close to his face, he grabbed me by the ears and brought me in for a big sugar sweet birthday kiss!

Mmm Mmm sweet baby love!

Goodness, I love you little man!!

"Throwing" a ball party for our 'Lijah!!!

Joshua loved yellow rubber duckys. JCT loved frogs. And, sweet Elijah, loves anything round that bounces! So, we threw a ball party for him. We invited some of our favorite friends and family to bounce on over and celebrate the first year of Elijah's life with us! Elijah's birthday is not until next Thursday, but Pop and Grandma were in town so we celebrated a week early!







Joshua is my green boy. JCT my blue boy. And, Elijah's color is orange. So, I decided to make a soft orange basketball cake for him. Erik sent me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers for our anniversary the day before the party, and I used them as the centerpiece and inspiration for the icing colors!







My goal was to make all the food round - except for the gumbo. But, I guess the bowls we served the gumbo in were round, so maybe that counts for something! The chips were round. There were bowls of cheerios and trix, etc. I took the big boys shopping and asked them to help me find round food! Planning parites can be so much fun!

Sara and Grace!

The kids played in the front yard with lots of balls - which were the party favors.

Lovin' for Grace!

Pop and the star of the party!

And, for the moment we've all been waiting for. . .

The tasting of the cake. . .

Hmmm. . . What is this?

Mmmmm. . . I think I kinda like it. . .

Yes, definitely like this stuff. . .

You should try this, Daddy, it is really good!

Marcus, a.k.a. the clean up crew!

The Par-cakers. . .

And, a silly big brother!

We had a great time celebrating our little man, and I think he enjoyed himself, too. Happy day!

Afton in the Azaleas

Precious pigtails & a pretty face tippy toeing through the spring flowers. . .

Big footsteps

The weather here is delicious - cool, breezy, and beautiful. Joshua and Daddy spent this morning like they do every Saturday morning - working outside in the yard. Erik loves yard work. He says it is "mindless." And, after using his brain extensively all week long, he loves to relax and work outdoors without a care in the world. Joshua shares his love for working hard and getting sweaty! This morning I came out to ask if anyone was ready for lunch, and I overheard Erik talking to Joshua. Joshua was pushing the wheelbarrow back from their trash pile to the shrubs they were so feverishly trimming. Erik was telling Joshua to steer the wheelbarrow straight because "the shortest distance between two points is a straight line."

All I could think after I heard Erik say this was how wonderful these times are for Joshua - working side by side with his Daddy, learning, growing, and being challenged. The father/son relationship is a beautiful thing, and I love watching my sons desire more and more, year after year, to be like their Daddy, to follow in his footsteps. I can pour my life into these boys, and that is an absolutely vital part of their upbringing. But, there are certain gaps that only Daddy can fill. And, I love watching these gaps be filled to overflowing by an attentive and loving Father. Erik works hard, and often he has to work long hours. But, one thing is certain - when he is home, he is 100% home. We don't get the leftovers - he saves the best for us!

As I write this, my little boys are napping, and my big boys (Erik and Joshua) are at a baseball game. Joshua starts t-ball in a few weeks, so Erik wanted to take him to a baseball game for a little pre-practice prep! I smile to myself, often, and think it is no wonder that God keeps filling our home with boys - Erik is such a good boy Daddy. My sons are blessed and so am I. I love you, Babydoll!

Baby Curls - 11 months

You have some sweet little curls that we have just started noticing on the back of your neck. They are so adorable! I've never had a little one with curls. This is just one of the three zillion ways that God has chosen to make you unique, precious, and wonderful. And, man, do we love you!

Your smile has changed dramatically as of late. You have nearly 8 teeth now. 6 are all the way through, and two more are poking through your gums. You are eating like a champ and are almost, big gulp, fully weaned!

You take my breath away, little man. Your grin & laughter are contagious, and your big brothers compete to make you the happiest! Daddy is your favorite! When he comes home, you crawl at the speed of light to him and then pull up on his legs beckoning him to hold you!! And, who can resist you?

You are the fastest thing on four legs that I've ever seen! You are pulling up and walking while holding onto things. One of these days you'll take that famous first step and bring a little tear to my eye. My 'Lijah is growing up so fast! In a few weeks we will have your first birthday party! I cannot believe it!

Love you, little man!

Happy Final Four Weekend ~ 2008

My husband is a happy man! 3 of the 4 teams in the final four are favorites of his! Joy! Joy!

And, if you are wondering why two of the cupcakes say Duke on them, it is because these cupcakes were actually made to celebrate the birthday of one of Duke University's biggest fans!

Just a Playin' in the Rain!!

It has rained for the better part of the last three days! So, today I said, "Enough already!!! Put your raincoats and boots on! We are going outside!" And, that is exactly what we did! We spent Elijah's morning naptime outside playing in the rain!




I love these little guys!

My Little Pocketful of Joy

JCT is a joy, an absolute joy to parent ~ even if he does throw the occasional temper tantrum ~ in public ~ when everyone is looking ~ but, that is beside the point. . .

Truly, he is a gem, and he melts my heart with ease.

Every night we sing a handful of songs, but we always end with the same two. If JCT takes a nap, he is wide awake when I hold him and sing to him at night. But, if he didn't take a nap, he is always near sleep by the time we sing the last song. He loves to be cradled in my arms instead of being held upright, thus allowing me the joy of watching him drift sweetly into peaceful sleep as I sing to him. And, every night he does the same cute little thing. . .

The song that we sing last begins like this: "Joshua, Mama's precious little boy. James Christofer, you always bring me so much joy. And, I'm so glad God gave my sweet boys to me. . ." JCT can appear to be sound asleep in my arms, but he never fails to come to life when I get to the line with his name in it. Just as I sing, "James Christofer," he takes his fingers out of his mouth, raises his sweet little hand, and with a huge grin says, "That's me!!" And, I choke back giggles as I continue singing, "you always bring me so much joy!"

I love that little man!

Destressing. . .

I am presently destressing over a cup of coffee at my computer. That is what I am doing, and it is okay for me to be doing this because I have it on my schedule. I have spent the last two to three weeks revamping our family's schedule - or, well, maybe it is my schedule. . .

I like to use bits and pieces of wonderful organizing tips that I get from my family, my friends, and from flylady. I like the whole "Control Journal" idea that flylady has. And, I have a beautifully adorned notebook that I have kept for the past 2 years with the words, "My Control Journal" on the cover. Oh, how I love that sweet little book. The pages of this precious book house my weekly goals, my morning, afternoon, and evening routines, my weekly schedule of basic activities and goals for each day. Just flipping the plastic covered pages brings me some semblence of sanity. I love it. I love to read my goals each morning to keep myself focused and on the same page. My goals include everything from focusing on character issues with the boys to keeping my diaper bag cleaned out to smiling at my children. Wednesday at naptime is my time to declutter and destress. I decluttered earlier this morning, so I am destressing now! How wonderful!

Life has been the norm around here lately. I am behind in some areas and ahead in others. Isn't that how life goes. But, I feel more focused and purposeful than I have in a long time and that feels good. Blogging is one of the things that I am behind on, but I still haven't figured out how it fits into my schedule. Honestly, it doesn't. I am determined to record all our family's memories, etc., so I will have to figure out something. But, at present there is a sticky note in my control journal on the basic weekly schedule page that says, "Where does blogging fit in?"

Speaking of recording memories. . .

Today as I was placing my darling, innocent, littlest son in his carseat, my two older sons decided that it would be fun to relieve themselves in the two flower pots that flank our backdoor. Yes, and then they ran to me to tell me what they had done! I guess they thought I'd be proud? I walked back to the backdoor to assess the situation. And, yes, yes, there was a small puddle in each flower pot. If only I had turned around in time to catch a glimpse (a picture would have been even better) of their little bums exposed, each boy standing in front of a pot. Being a boy mom is certainly a growing experience. Whoa. I am learning new things each day. They never cease to surprise me with the things they think to do.

Okay, already, I am going to go and play a game with the little mister in a Peyton Manning jersey who has approached me 16 zillion times since I began this post. He has poked me, prodded me, balanced himself on my leg, positioned himself between me and the computer, crawled under the legs of my chair, begged me for candy, for a different CD to listen to, asked me to open a Nutri-grain bar, and presently he is laying across the kitchen counter with his face in his hands looking cute and pitiful. And, I am a sucker for him.

He's a Good Daddy.

He promised his little boy that they could fish together after church today.

And, of course, his little boy remembered. . .

And, his Daddy agreed to take him. . .

Happily, I might add. . .

Even though it is raining cats and dogs outside. . .

And, even though the Memphis/Texas game had just begun. . .

He's a good Daddy, your Daddy, my sweet Joshua, never doubt that!

This post comes with a WARNING label.

Warning: This post should not be read by anyone who is pregnant or has a weak stomach.



It has been a day, one of those days. You know the ones where you run around all day putting out one fire after another and never really getting caught up on anything. Crazy. I began my day by getting up at 5:30 to have a little alone time to pray and read. Well, that lasted about 5 minutes, and then JCT woke up and there was no putting him back to sleep. Elijah didn't nap well in the morning or in the afternoon. And, JCT fell asleep in the pick-up line at Joshua's school, thus ruining his afternoon nap. Both the little boys were extremely irritable and tired all day. It had already been a long day by mid-afternoon, but it was about to get a little longer or at the very least, it was about to get a little more interesting. . .



I put Elijah down for his afternoon cat-nap, settled the big boys down with dry erase markers and placemats to write on, and leashed my furry Weimeraner friend for his afternoon outing - you know, to do his job. As I was finishing up Rain's little walk, Joshua opened the back door and began yelling at the top of his lungs in an earpiecing, terrorizing, screaming voice, "MOMMMMMMY!!!! MOMMMMMMY!!!"



My heart-rate was surely around 200, and my mind was racing with irrational scenerios. "What is it, baby???" I asked as I got closer to the door.



There was no blood. No lives were being threated. Thank You, Jesus.



"JCT went poo poo on the floor!!!! Grosssssss! And, it stinks, Mommy."



I walked into the house and found JCT standing frozen in front of the potty, pants down around his ankles. Diarrhea was running down both his legs, piled in his pants, spilling over onto his shoes and the floor. It must have come like an explosion because there were splatters all over both steps of our step stool which was sitting right behind him. He looked at me with big eyes filled with alligator tears and said, "Mommy, I was tee teeing, and I didn't know I had to go poo poo, and then it just came and I couldn't turn around fast enough. I'm sorry, Mommy."



I assured him that it was okay, just an accident. Then, I took Rain off the leash, and thought deeply about what to do first, second, and third. JCT stood frozen, not moving a muscle. As I bent over him cleaning his legs with wet wipes, my exact thought was, "Motherhood is over-rated!" But, I don't really mean that - I was just in the moment. Then, I picked my darling JCT up, undressed him, and carried his naked body over to the kitchen sink where I scrubbed his legs and bottom with antibacterial hand soap. Next, I dried him off, clothed him, and sent him off to play with Joshua while I attempted to clean up the mess.



I took a deep breath, inhale . . . exhale . . ., and walked back into the bathroom.



But, something mysterious had happened. There was no diarrhea.



Anywhere.



There were no splatters on the step stool. There was nothing on the floor. His clothes were laying on the floor with only smears where the massive amounts of poo poo had been. For a moment, I stared in confusion. Surely not Joshua, he won't go anywhere near anything "dirty." And, I am almost certain I don't believe in fairy God-mothers and the sort. Who could have done it?

Then, I heard it. . .



A large animal was walking behind me. . .



LICKING HIS LIPS!



And, suddenly I was transported back in time. . .



It was 2005, and Joshua had poo pooed for the very first time in his little kiddie potty. We did the happy dance, and then we decided that since Daddy would be home soon, we would keep the poo poo to show him - at Joshua's request, I assure you. So, we kept the little potty in the powder bath with Joshua's prize deposit safe and snug inside. I was busy taking care of baby JCT when Joshua came running to me crying, "Rain ate my poo poo, Mommy. Rain just ate my poo poo!!" I assessed the situation, and by golly, yes, Rain had in fact eaten it.

Back to 2008. . .

In an instant I knew that once again my dog had partaken of my children's excrements.

But, hey, it made the clean up soooo much easier!!!!! Poor dog, I baby-gated him in the sunroom for the rest of the day for fear he might (cringe) kiss someone!!!!

It's March Madness, BABY!!!!!!!!!!

I will never forget the first March after Erik and I married. Oh. my. What a wake up call! I grew up in a family of die-hard Bobby Knight Hoosier fans, and we kept up with college basketball, but Erik took it to a new level. Now we celebrate March Madness like we celebrate the 4th of July and Thanksgiving - except the best part is that it lasts longer than a day! Oh, the joy!

For the first time that I can remember, my Dad's alma mater, Indiana University, is playing my brother's alma mater, the Arkansas Razorbacks. What a game that will be! My parents cheer for the Razorbacks when they are playing other SEC teams, but we all know where their true loyalty lies.

And, my sister and her husband graduated from the University of Memphis. But, let's be realistic the odds of either IU or U of A surviving to play Memphis are. . . well. . . slim to. . . let's be honest, NONE.

Can anyone say Tennessee and North Carolina?

Let's just say if either of them end up playing Memphis, they will be escorted to San Antonio by their fairy Godmother in a bus with an uncanny resemblance to a pumpkin.

I love this month! Let the madness begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JCT-Rex

Mommy: "Do you want to take your dinosaur costume off, JCT?"

JCT: "No, Mommy. I LOVE being a dinosaur!"

Thanks, Pop and Grandma!!! Thanks for coming to see us! We LOVE you!!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

I used to think that the "T" in JCT stood for Truett. That at least was our intention when we gave him his long and meaning-filled name, but now I am rethinking this. Now I think the "T" may actually stand for trouble, no, make that TROUBLE.

So, it was Wednesday, and let me give you a little rundown of the day. We got up and out of the house, dressed, ready, and teeth brushed by 8:20. We drove to the Honda dealership to get maintenance work done on our beloved Vannie. I was dreading this because here I am with three boys and pregnant. And to make it even better, Joshua's eye was black due to an incident with JCT and a sippy cup. I told Erik that I was going to wear something to hide my growing belly because I didn't want the guys at Honda to think I was completely in over my head. Erik just said, "Yeah, because it really matters what the maintenance men at Honda think." I know he is right, but still. . .

It actually went unusually well, me and my three little men hanging out in the Honda waiting room. Then, we headed to Super-Wal-Mart, and if you know me, you know the mood that trip can put me in. But, I must admit, I remained calm and handled myself quite well. Then, we went to the mall for a lunch/playdate with Deana B. and Afton. This went well, too, especially considering Elijah was forced to sacrifice his morning nap. After this it was time to go home for naps with the promise of playing outdoors later that day.

Later that day came. We played on the swingset. We took a walk to see the horses. I set up two basketball goals, and I did a multitude of other motherly things requiring strength and stamina. And, by 5 o clock I was tired, worn out, beat. And, so when my darling JCT dumped an entire package of peach puff stars on the tray of Elijah's stroller when he KNEW GOOD AND WELL THAT THIS IS A MAJOR NO NO, I felt myself getting overwhelmed and just plain over it! The reason this is a major no no is not only because it is simply, common-sense, not a good idea, but mainly because Elijah will put as many stars as he can in his mouth at one time. If there are 2 on his tray, they both go in his mouth. If there are 6 on his tray, as fast as he can shovel them in, all 6 go in his mouth. So, I walked over to the stroller and pryed Elijah's handfuls of stars open and hurridely picked up the stars before he stuffed too many in his mouth and began choking. All the while, JCT is laughing. . . hysterically. I am NOT. So, I say, "JCT, you know better. How many stars are you allowed to put on Elijah's tray at one time?" JCT answered smiling, "2." Through gritted teeth I responded, "You knew not to dump the entire package on his tray. Now go inside and sit in time out. I'll be inside in a minute to talk to you."

He went inside, and I began gathering our things, etc. getting ready to head indoors for the evening. Joshua was a bit ahead of me and ran to the door. And, guess what he yelled back to me. . .

"Mommy, JCT locked the door! We can't get inside!"

So, here I am, Elijah on my hip, standing in shock thinking, "Are you serious? This is just like him! Little rascal!" And, to make matters even more interesting, Erik hired two young boys from our church to do yard work this week, so they are enjoying the entire scene. They tried really hard not to laugh, but I know they wanted to, very badly.

I walked over to the door to check and see that it was indeed locked. It was. And, through the window, I could see my very obedient JCT sitting in time-out. . . smiling, SMILING! I motioned for him to come to the door. He came with his silly smile getting bigger!! I asked him to unbolt the door. He tried, but just couldn't seem to do it. Then, Joshua tried to help him, and the young boys in between laughter, tried to talk him through it. Somehow he just wasn't strong enough to unlock it, but he sure could lock it. Funny, isn't it?

After 20 or so minutes, I told the young boys to go on home that Erik would be home soon, etc. Really, I just wanted them to leave. After they left I really tried hard to get JCT to open the lock. Several times he disappeard, and I couldn't see where in the house he was. Erik still had patients to see, so I was stuck. . . outside with my baby and my five year old while my three year old had the whole house to himself.

After 45 minutes or so, JCT layed down on the bench by the backdoor. He started to look bored and lonely. His silly smile had disappeared. I thought he might cry, so I asked him again to please try the bolt.

Amazingly, he opened the door, first try, without hesitation. Interesting, huh? When it was fun and he had an audience, he couldn't seem to unlock the bolt. But, when the audience left and he was bored, suddenly he could open the lock easily. Go figure?

What is even funnier is that I, too, was laughing. . . on the inside. I couldn't let JCT know that I thought it was funny. I had to make an even out of it, so that he would NEVER do it again. So, needless to say, I did discipline him. But, the whole situation made me smile because I love him. I love who he is, this little man with spunk and a mischeviously cute grin. He is a funny little man, and I am thankful to have him as my own. Life would be a lot less interesting without him!

Having Snow Much Fun. . . in March!!

It only happens like once a year, so when it does we rejoice! And, this year it completely surprised us and came in March. I had seriously given up hope that the boys would get to play in snow this year, but God is good, and it finally came! It was the answer to a mama's silly prayer - a snow day! It began snowing Friday afternoon, and needless to say, the boys were delighted!



After running around and catching a few snowflakes on our tongues, we went inside and put the "snow" on our calendar! We have had this calendar for a year, and this is the first time we have been able to use the little snowflake!!



We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland of sorts. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed sipping coffee and looking out my kitchen window at this. . .

and this. . .


I seriously think heaven will have a snow section! The snow was so beautiful and so fun! It sparkled in the sunlight like there was glitter tossed on top of it! Beautiful.




This is my Joshua making a snow-angel.


And, this is JCT "makin' footpwints!"

This is my JCT laying in the snow about to make one of his sweet angels!



The boys enjoyed making snow-angels, and they enjoyed licking icicles. They enjoyed shoveling the snow with their sand toys, and they enjoyed playing with their trains in the snow. They enjoyed making tracks through the fresh untouched snow, and they enjoyed making a snowman. But, do you know what they found to be the best fun of all?

Snowball Fighting!!!

The picture above is Joshua about to launch part of our snowman's body! You can see that the snowball fight (Joshua and JCT against Daddy) was the most important part of the Day!

One of his older brother's, included Elijah in the snowball war! Bless his heart, he didn't like it one bit!

All in all it was great fun. . .

even if it only lasted for one day.

And, now we are on to more important things, like spring.

It is supposed to be 55 tomorrow!!!

Diaper Bag Help!

I am in need of a large and well organized diaper bag! I have searched the internet high and low for the "perfect" bag!! Does anyone in blogworld, with several children, have a large diaper bag that they just love. I am looking for one with lots of interior pockets and a few exterior pockets as well!!! Any advice will be very appreciated!! Thanks!

In His Grip. . . (Nana's notes on Joshua Ch. 1)

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide; "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them -- the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. . . No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:1-9

Now for Nana's notes (I have written the verses in NIV, but Nana uses the NAS). . .

First in v5 God says to him that "no man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you."
"fail" in Hebrew is "slacken" and "forsake" is "loosen or reliquish" It gives the sense of Him having Joshua in His grip and that He would never slacken or loosen/reliquish His grip on Joshua. By the way that is also in the New Testament for us Heb 13:5.

Then v.6 He tells Joshua to, "Be strong and Courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. " The word "strong" is "to fasten upon or to be attached to" and "courageous" is "to be bold and alert and strong".

The whole picture is one of God holding us in His grip like the picture I sent to you on the front of Kinsman Redeemer study. He grips us like one of them is gripping the others arm... and in response he calls us to fasten ourselves to Him, to be strong (in His strength and since He is with us and will not let go)... so we hold onto Him like the other man is holding on also.

Ah, if we could grasp that truth! He won't let us go... means for US to go in and take the land He has given to us in our own lives.. that means we trust and have no fear... and in His power take the territory that is ours in Christ Jesus... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self control, etc. Ah... to live in that!

love you much...
your mommy (a.k.a. Nana)

Joshua, my Joshua, my little leader, my oldest son, my first-born, my beautiful, tender little warrior, my brave knight, my precious one,

These verses are part of the reason that your Daddy and I gave you your name. We knew that you would be the leader of our children, our first-born. The Old Testament man, Joshua, was a wonderful warrior/leader, a very worthy namesake.

You are a unique and precious boy - tender and tough all in the same little boy body, and I love you for it. I love you just the way God made you, my little man. Always remember that you are in His grip. In essence what God says in these verses is. . .

I have you in my grip, and I will not let you go. I will not leave you. I will be with you, holding tightly, firmly to you. Now, you must fasten yourself to Me and be alert, be bold.

Just as God had huge plans to use Joshua to conquer lands in His name, He has huge plans to use you, my little warrior, to conquer lands of your own. Walking with God makes everyday life an extraordinary adventure! Keep your eyes fixed on Him, do not look to the right or to the left, just straight into His sweet face. Meditate on His word, live according to it. Breath by breath walk with Him, hand in hand let nothing come between you and Him, and you will never cease to grow and prosper as long as live. Jesus bless your little life. I love you, my sweet little lover of God.

Your Mommy

Happy 9th and 10th months, little man!

Wow, how things have changed! I just went back and read your happy 8 month post, and life is so different now! Lots of changes in 2 months!!!

You, my little man, have grown tremendously in the past two months. Your little voice is changing, sounding more purposeful! My main concern in December was the fact that you still weren't taking solids, and now you are taking solids like a pro! I am so proud of you! And, you haven't taken any steps without holding on to things yet, but you are holding on to furniture and moving around a little bit. You, my daring explorer, are crawling everywhere, and you hate it when I try to confine you to small areas! You love to play side by side with your big brothers watching their every move! And, boy, do they adore you! When they hear you wake up from your nap on the monitor, they run into our closet and get in the pack and play with you!! They love to zurburt your belly and make you giggle!!

But, I must admit that reading your eight month post made me smile, not only because of how much you've grown and changed, but also because of how completely unaware I was that my world was about to be rocked. I had no idea as I wrote that post that I was, in fact, already pregnant with your baby brother. And, now here it is two months later, and I am 14 weeks pregnant. How did that happen? It wasn't in our plans, but God is bigger, and we know that you will be very closely bonded to this new little one.

I am soaking you in, my little chubby cheeked, precious one. Your little 20 pound frame is perfect for cuddling. I love you, my sweet one.

A Worthy Sacrifice

So, I was having a really bad day, well, week actually. Being sick last week and being confined to the walls of our home for 5 straight days without once leaving was enough to send me into a downward spiral. And, then this week just didn't seem to get much better.


Sometimes life just seems hard. And, I don't claim to be strong, optomistic, or layed back. I know that I tend more toward the weak, perfectionistic, melancholy type, and honestly, that isn't good when combined with a series of grey days at home with sick, whining children. I know that my life is not hard by definition. But, at times my life seems hard, at least to me. Life has been stressful lately - dinnertime, especially.


And, when it seems hard, there is this nagging voice in my head that says, "Guess what? You think this is hard! Just wait until August! It is going to get a lot harder before it gets any easier."

Somedays I just want to get away. I just want someone else to come in and take over for an hour or two. I just want a break to get away and think. I love my boys, but I love time alone, too. And, at this stage of life, there is no such thing as time alone. It just doesn't happen. I was laughing with a friend the other day over the fact that I used to be the "diva" type. I was not supposed to have 4 boys, 5 years old and under. That'll suck the "diva" out of any girl in a matter of minutes!

So, then yesterday morning I was complaining to my mom on the phone. I do that a lot, bless her heart. I was telling her how hard my life is. How everyone cries at dinner, and how we all spiral downward from that point on. And, a few hours later the florist brought flowers to my door from my sweet parents - the card encouraging me to breath. Then, later on yesterday evening I was talking to my mom on the phone over the Indiana/Ohio State basketball game, and she said the most amazing thing. . .

"Erin," she said, "Sarcrifice is giving up something you love for something you love more." She read it somewhere earlier that day, and it almost made me cry to hear her say it. It reminded me that though I do love, seriously love, time by myself, I love my boys more. And, so if during the next few years I have to sacrifice alone time for them, then it is a worthy sacrifice, and I am glad to do it. Well, I may not always feel glad to do it, but, really, I am. I am glad to do it. I would have it no other way. God is working on me tremendously during this stage of life, slowly chipping and chiseling away at the selfishness in my heart. He knows how very badly I need it!

Hope for Spring!

Yesterday was another grey cold February day. I took the boys outside to play late in the afternoon, and this little yellow ray of hope caught my eye! I love winter. I love bundling my precious ones up in layers, and I love the cold crisp air. But, it is time, once again, for a little change, and my heart is ready! I am ready to embrace a warmer breeze, green grass, gentle rains, blooming flowers, and the tingle of sunshine on my skin. The sweet people who owned this home previous to us planted daffodils and jaunquils (sp?), and these lovely blooms have become my spring indicator each year since we moved here. They are tough little flowers. Several years they have popped up amidst snow just to let us know that there is hope. . .

Spring. . . is. . . coming!!!!