Saturday, June 23, 2012

A day in the life of Lilly

What a life to be a baby...

Lilly usually wakes up anywhere from 530  to 630 every morning... for a mommy who until she had baby said 7 was early this has been a big change. I feed her and then she gets to spend time with Daddy and Mommy in bed

If she isn't ready for a nap she enjoys playing with her "friends" as we call them. She coos and smiles and  constantly kicks her legs and arms while on her play mat.


After she plays, we get her dressed for the day! These days its been so cold that we put lots of layers on her...This day Daddy dressed her!

Don't I look so peaceful sleeping
Naps have been a struggle for us...She does so well at night that I can't really complain. But sometimes she wont even take a nap in the afternoon...and she is super cranky. When she doesn't take her afternoon nap she goes to bed early. We removed her sleep position cushions because I had found her pretty much sleeping on top of them. Lilly is a little bit like her momma when she sleeps. I have found her all sorts of positions in the crib; laying width way, or she has done a complete 180 in her crib. It cracks me up. 

She might take 3 good naps in the day if I am lucky. Her naps last anywhere from 30 mins to 2 hours. Most days its 3 or 4  30 minute cat naps. These kill me because I can't get a whole lot done, and I don't really have any time for me. But I guess that is being a momma


One of our favorite daily activities is being outside (as long as it isn't raining). Lilly loves feeding the Ducks. She just watches in wonder. One of my ways of calming her down when she is screaming for no reason is taking her outside. It is amazing how as soon as we outside she stops.
Another activity for the day is Reading. Lilly and I lay on the floor and read books. She loves staring at the brightly colored books. I hope she loves to read. I hope to get her library card this week.

These burp cloths follow Lilly wherever she goes...She has 6 really cute ones and a couple not so cute, but when you are a puker you just need to have them on stand by. You can see them in several of the photos posted above.

Lilly goes down around 6. We start her bedtime reutine around 5 with feed, bath, PJ's, daddy reading a bible story and praying, Feed then bed!
What a life it is to be a baby. Poop, Sleep, Play, EAT. Having people wait on you hand and foot, come at your beckon call. Falling asleep on Daddy's shoulder. Oh what a life

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Your will be done...

So often I get myself so excited about something that I don't even think about the sacrifice that it would take for it to accomplish my desires. And then the sacrifices are presented to me and my heart aches because I  know I have been a fool and I just wish I could get my way. I want my way to often. How many times do I actually take these things before the Lord and lay them there and say "Your will be done". I know I did that when I thought just maybe Gary was pursuing me, but I am ashamed to say I don't think I have done that really since. I get so caught up in my wants and dreams that I loose sight of the one who can do all things, but only does those things that are good for us (even if it hurts). He sent his only son to die on the cross for us. It hurt him, but it was good. Jesus prayed in the garden "Lord take this cup from me, but not my will but yours be done" He knew how painful it was going to be but he was willing to make that sacrifice if that was the Lords will for him. and Now I sit here with a heart that is sore because I wants and desires for the future might not happen the way I want them to, but I have to say LORD, YOUR WILL BE DONE...

Thursday, June 7, 2012

A Mothers Calling

My sister-in-law sent me this article a couple of weeks ago...It is so good I thought I would post it here for others to read.


Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)
by Rachel Jankovic | July 14, 2011

A few years ago, when I just had four children and when the oldest was still three, I loaded them all up to go on a walk. After the final sippy cup had found a place and we were ready to go, my two-year-old turned to me and said, Wow! You have your hands full!

She could have just as well said, Dont you know what causes that? or Are they all yours?!

Everywhere you go, people want to talk about your children. Why you shouldnt have had them, how you could have prevented them, and why they would never do what you have done. They want to make sure you know that you wont be smiling anymore when they are teenagers. All this at the grocery store, in line, while your children listen.

A Rock-Bottom Job?

The truth is that years ago, before this generation of mothers was even born, our society decided where children rank in the list of important things. When abortion was legalized, we wrote it into law.

Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get. In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do. Below everything. Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing.

If you grew up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood, to think like a free Christian woman about your life, your children. How much have we listened to partial truths and half lies? Do we believe that we want children because there is some biological urge, or the phantom baby itch? Are we really in this because of cute little clothes and photo opportunities? Is motherhood a rock-bottom job for those who cant do more, or those who are satisfied with drudgery? If so, what were we thinking?
It's Not a Hobby

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for anotherand laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will dieand trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death.

Run to the Cross

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

The Question Is How

The question here is not whether you are representing the gospel, it is how you are representing it. Have you given your life to your children resentfully? Do you tally every thing you do for them like a loan shark tallies debts? Or do you give them life the way God gave it to usfreely?

It isnt enough to pretend. You might fool a few people. That person in line at the store might believe you when you plaster on a fake smile, but your children wont. They know exactly where they stand with you. They know the things that you rate above them. They know everything you resent and hold against them. They know that you faked a cheerful answer to that lady, only to whisper threats or bark at them in the car.

Children know the difference between a mother who is saving face to a stranger and a mother who defends their life and their worth with her smile, her love, and her absolute loyalty.

Hands Full of Good Things

When my little girl told me, Your hands are full! I was so thankful that she already knew what my answer would be. It was the same one that I always gave: Yes they arefull of good things!

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross. There is more joy and more life and more laughter on the other side of death.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Walking Zombie

My mind feels like mush most of the time. I can hardly remember what I need to do let alone what I did 10 minutes ago. Even now as I sit here to type I can hardly string a sentence together. What is going on with me...oh yeah I had a baby. My sister told me that her husband said she lost a 1/4 of her brain cells with each kid...she has 5...you do the math. That is how I feel. I think Lilly has zapped all my brain cells out of my head. The funny thing is I am getting enough sleep at night. She wakes only twice at night and I fall asleep usually around 8 these days (my poor husband, he ends up finishing what ever movie we started by himself.) I think I am a walking Zombie! Will my mind ever be right again? (Gretchen keep your mouth Shut about whether it was ever right in the first place)