Puppy love

Daniel loves Annie. He laughs every time he sees her. He reaches for her, lunges toward her, tries to pet her. Annie, on the other hand, is what I would call tolerant of Daniel. Note her expression in the photo below. Somewhat pained.

One slight problem with this relationship is that Daniel tested positive for dog allergies. Since then, Annie has been living outdoors. With the cold weather, we have allowed her inside once again, but she is restricted to the linoleum floor. Daniel is delighted with this arrangement and constantly comes to "visit" her. We are thankful that he exhibits no negative reactions to being around her. No stuffy nose, no sneezing, nothing. Maybe there is hope for this friendship after all!

Christmas is coming!!!

Mr. Daniel is getting six new teeth all at one time. This makes for some short nights and sleepy parents! Otherwise, our little man is doing great. He is jabbering more and more. At the grocery store yesterday, he "talked" to just about everyone we passed! He is also very intrigued with putting objects inside cups and containers. He puts his pacifier in his cup, and then takes it out again. Over and over and over! For Christmas, we are giving him a shape sorter, which I think he will really enjoy. Oh goodness, I am looking forward to Christmas with Daniel. I cannot wait to post photos of him in his Christmas outfit. Lots of laughs are in store!
When I decorated for Christmas this year, I had to make some minor adjustments. For example, we did not put up our normal 7 foot tree. Instead, we put our little 3 foot tree on a table. This saves me from constantly protecting Daniel and the ornaments from one another. However, he can still reach the cord for the lights, but so far we have avoided any tree catastrophes.

New Favorite

Song to the King by Pocket Full of Rocks

I've felt the thunder
speak of Your name
And I've watched the lightning
Your glory proclaim
I've gazed upon mountains
that testify of Your fame
And I've heard the waves on the ocean
echo their refrain

Chorus
This is my song, my song to the King
And I stand in awe of Your majesty
And I don't have much
but I give everything
This is my song, my song to my King

It seems all creation
is longing for You
From here to the farthest star
they're worshipping You
And who am I God
that You are mindful of me
I'm simple in heart, simple in song
I'm a small offering
(Chorus)

And all of creation hesitates now
All of the angels
stop singing now
As the King of all glory
listens to my song
(Chorus)

Righteousness

The Lord has been speaking the same message to me for several days now. It has to do with righteousness…with fulfillment…with joy. The verse in my devotional this morning sums it up nicely.

Galatians 3:3
Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

I have been walking with the Lord for quite awhile. And still…still I try to create righteousness for myself with my own two hands. It never works. It never will work. So why do I, and most everyone in this world, keep trying?

Here is how it affects me. I am a perfectionist. I feel fulfilled and satisfied when everything around me is organized, put away, finished. I have this constant drive to “get things done.” I love marking things off my to-do list. Now, perhaps these traits are not bad in and of themselves. But, what I find so tempting is to place my happiness and self-worth on these very external, worldly things. And I can NEVER get everything done or have everything just exactly as I want it. My to-do list is never complete.

At our prayer group last week, my mom said the most profound thing. I knew it was straight from the mouth of God when she spoke it. She said that God does not want us resting in a righteousness that is not His righteousness. Ahhh…righteousness. My only righteousness comes from being washed clean by the blood of Christ. It most certainly does not come from having a clean house, organized closets, perfect relationships, etc.

My dear cousin Melody wrote something in her blog several months ago that really spoke to this phenomenon. She said, “It doesn’t have to be just so, for it to be so sweet.” Life (like my house) is not neat and tidy. Praise God that our joy does not rest on circumstances being perfect. True joy and peace come only from following Jesus. Ahhh...what a relief!

This and that

Not much new to report around our house. Daniel is keeping us busy, busy. He crawls faster than lightening, and he is constantly pulling himself up on whatever furniture is nearby. You can't take your eyes off the child for one moment. I was trying to put my contacts in this morning, and he escaped from his bumbo, crawled to the toilet, pulled himself up, and was unwinding the toilet paper. I only turned my back for a few seconds, and he was able to accomplish all of that.
His speed and mobility make for some interesting situations. For example, I decided to cut his hair one evening. Someone had mistaken him for a little girl the day before, which completely surprised me. Daniel has looked like a boy since the day he was born. However, with his long wispy blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes, I could almost understand the confusion. So, we decided a little trim was needed. I placed Daniel in his bumbo, gave him a toy for distraction, and took a few snips of his bangs. I gasped in horror. What had I done? He suddenly looked like Moe from the three stooges. In addition to that, Daniel had become bored with his toy (it took all of 10 seconds) and decided to start grabbing at the scissors. I called for reinforcements. Brian ended up holding Daniel's head still and his arms down while I finished the job. Daniel was not happy with this arrangement and gave quite a struggle. It was certainly not the best hair cut I ever gave, but we got it done. :)
Here are some photos from the past couple of weeks.

Playing in the leaves

Sitting on his cow

Daniel with his favorite toy...the TV remote

Brian and his boy

Daniel and me, taken on my birthday!

First Halloween

We hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!

Moo!

Our little cow

P.S. Brian says that Daniel was not a cow for Halloween...he was a baby bull. I guess that would be correct...I am the only cow in this family. Ha!

When Sleep Is Withheld

The past few nights have been rather sleepless for me. Daniel is struggling with a cold and has not been sleeping well. Even when he is slumbering peacefully, I have been unable to sleep. I cried out to God (and anyone else who would listen). How can I go on like this? I have not had one full night of sleep in nine months. It cannot be good for my body…not to mention my mental functioning!

This morning, my eyes happened to fall on a poem written by Ruth Bell Graham, entitled “When Sleep Is Withheld.” She talks about when God asks for our nights. We have the choice to take the easy path or the blessed path. Suddenly, a load was lifted from my shoulders. Sleep, like all good things, comes from the hand of God. He is completely aware of my physical needs as well as my spiritual ones. Perhaps this time has been ordained for greater blessing…for getting to know Him better…for discovering His will.

When I become sleep obsessed, I miss out on the joy of my present circumstances. I count the minutes until I can go to bed, instead of enjoying those precious minutes with my son and husband. I also miss the blessings God is providing in the midst of this sleeplessness. He has sustained me miraculously. Even when I have little sleep, I still walk through my day with sufficient energy. What a blessing!

I am once again reminded that our joy does not come from outward circumstances. Joy is something that Jesus plants deep down in our hearts. Joy comes from doing God’s will. And God always provides what is needed to do His will…sleep or no sleep. Praise the Lord!

Growing

I cleaned out Daniel's closet today and packed up his 0-6 month clothes. After I finished, I sat on the living room floor looking at the plastic keeper with all of his tiny outfits inside. Hmmm. We have come a long way, baby. In some ways, it has gone so fast and in other ways, I feel like Daniel has always been with us. I put the keeper into the back of the closet...with the thought that someday we might have another baby who can wear those clothes. But, it truly seems unimagineable that I could ever love another child as much as I love Daniel. How could my heart hold it all? I am sure it will...somehow. God knows.

Daniel and friends

During the past few weeks, Daniel has gotten to play with several different kiddos! He absolutely loves being around other babies and toddlers. And I love getting to see my dear friends who are the mothers of these children. Here are some photos of our recent play dates.

Sadie and Daniel

Hanging out together

Daniel with his foot on baby Cole's head!

Ella and Daniel

Sharing toys

Thanks Kristen, Katie, and kids for hanging with us! I look forward to watching our children play together for years to come.

First zoo trip!

Brian and I have always enjoyed going to zoos. Before Daniel was born, we hit most of the big zoos in the surrounding states. We have been anxiously looking forward to visiting zoos with our little guy, and this weekend marked our first zoo experience with Daniel in tow. It was a beautiful October day, and we really enjoyed strolling around outdoors. Daniel was very curious about his surroundings and attentively watched the animals. The most memorable event of our zoo trip involved the goose pictured below.


Now, does this look like a dangerous situation to you? Who would have guessed that just seconds after this photo was taken, that goose would bite my baby! We had gotten some food pellets out of one of those little machines, and Brian was feeding them to the goose. I thought it looked like a perfect photo opportunity, so I pushed Daniel a little closer, and started snapping away. Brian looked down for a moment, and that goose reached his scrawny neck out and took a few good nibbles on Daniel's little toes! I screamed, "His toes, his toes!" I heard muffled laughter behind us and noticed an elderly couple who had observed the whole situation. Daniel took a few moments to digest what happened, and then decided to cry. We scooped him up, and he quickly calmed down. I think it surprised him (and me!) more than anything. We could not help but laughing, because Daniel's little toes were exactly the same size as the food pellets! The stupid goose got its wires crossed. Anyway, it sure made our first zoo experience with Daniel memorable. Here are some more photos!



I am glad that goat didn't chomp on his toes too! Next time, we will put Daniel in some steel-toed boots! Ha!

Caught red-handed!

Daniel absolutely loves his walker, and I love anything that keeps him entertained for more than five minutes. However, the walker requires a whole new level of baby proofing. When placed in his walker, Daniel immediately starts his circuit around the kitchen. He zips over to the tea towels hanging from the oven door and yanks them down. He then proceeds to another cabinet with a very interesting locking mechanism. He inspects that briefly before making his way to the peace lily. Now, Daniel is still at the stage where most everything goes into his mouth, so I have to take measures to keep him from eating our house plants. He always investigates the peace lily, just in case he can somehow reach its leaves. From there, he usually checks to see whether anything is on the kitchen chairs. I have the habit of hanging my purse on the back of our chairs,and yesterday, I left it unzipped too. Daniel was drawn to it like a magnet. I love the progression of these photos.

Caught in the act!

Who me?

The play pen is much safer captivity while Mom is trying to make supper!

On the move

In the past week, Daniel has suddenly become much more mobile. He is constantly moving, wiggling, squirming, stretching, reaching, pushing, and crawling! Yes, he has begun crawling...pretty much. It is sort of a half actual crawl, half army crawl. Regardless, he can get where he wants to go at a pretty quick rate!
This new mobility has posed some interesting challenges. For example, changing his diaper is so much more difficult. He will not lay still! He flips over onto his stomach and attempts to crawl off the changing table. Brian and I have developed a whole range of distraction techniques to keep him occupied. And if we thought changing his diaper was hard, giving him a bath is a hundred times more difficult. It ought to be an Olympic sport. By the time his bath is over, I am practically winded and need a nap. Wow.
The following photo is one that my mom took while I was attempting to change Daniel's diaper. I was trying to put the clean diaper on, but Daniel flipped over and crawled off completely naked. He grabbed my mom's camera strap as she took this photo. What a hoot!

Verses for moms

After having Daniel, I suddenly became a worrier. Objects and situations that once seemed perfectly safe to me were now the substance of my fears. I cried out to the Lord, asking how I could possibly keep my child safe from all these dangers. How can I be vigilant every moment of every day? The following verses have brought me comfort. I pray they minister to you as well!

He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:11)

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

Happy Birthday, Brian!

We love you, Babe. Have a wonderful day!





And by the way, for those who want to know Brian's age, I will give some clues. (Remember, I used to be a math teacher!) It is a prime number and the sum of the digits is 4. That should give it away unless you believe he is 13. Hehe!

New Favorite

Chris Rice - Untitled Hymn (Come To Jesus)

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

New Photos

Hi all! Our little family of three had some new photos taken today. You might notice our John Deere theme. :) Hope you like them!

You been drivin' long?

Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy

I feel like I have spent half my life bouncing on an exercise ball. And no, it is not because I have an overwhelming desire to get in shape. It is because Daniel can only fall asleep when being bounced. It all started when he was about two weeks old. He was colicky and cried for long periods each day. We found that bouncing helped quiet him and lull him to sleep. It was such a blessing to find something that worked!
Now, fast forward about seven months. Daniel still needs the bouncing to fall asleep. Therefore, I bounce him to sleep before each nap, before bedtime, and during his night wakings. Lately, it has become harder and harder to get him to sleep though. I find myself bouncing him for close to an hour sometimes. Needless to say, I am tired of bouncing and I am tired of being tired. Brian and I finally decided to try out some sleep training techniques. We discussed letting him cry it out, but I know myself. I could not stand it for long. So, I finally decided to put him down when he was drowsy, yet awake, and to stay with him until he fell asleep. Last night was our first time to try this little experiment. I laid Daniel in bed, and he looked up at me with big, round eyes. I pulled up a chair and sat next to his crib. At first, Daniel seemed to think this was some new game. He jabbered a little, squealed a little, and then became bored. He scooted up next to the side of the crib where I was sitting and stuck out a little hand. I reached up and held it. We sat like that for quite some time, and then Daniel started crying. Oh my soul, I just wanted to pick him up and bounce away. Instead, I stood up and put my hands on him and talked soothingly. To make a long, long story short, I was practically in the crib with him before he finally fell asleep. But...he fell asleep without bouncing! My resolve weakened during the night though, and I bounced him to sleep again. I know I must be consistent, but it is so difficult when I am exhausted. We will keep trying, and in a few weeks, I hope every exercise ball in the house is deflated and packed away!

Five years ago today

...Brian and I got engaged! I just adore our love story. We met in college when I was a freshman and he was a senior. We were at a harvest party for Christian Challenge. Brian knew how to swing dance, and I was watching from the sidelines as he took different girls around the floor. I desperately wanted to dance with him. And I about fainted when he asked me! We danced together for the rest of the night. A few weeks later, we began dating. However, God was calling both of us in different directions, so just after Christmas we went our separate ways. We remained friends, but slowly lost touch after he graduated. I had not talked to him for almost two years when an email arrived from him. He had moved about 2,000 miles away and was working as a hot shop technician in an art museum. Over the next two months we traded many, many emails. He returned home to see me in July, and we were engaged by August. The day he proposed is forever engraved on my mind. Brian and I had gotten up early to see the sunrise together. We were on a hill just south of my family's home. The sun was coming up over the water as we talked and read our devotionals together. On the water's edge landed several great white egrets. We ventured over to them for a closer view, and when I turned around, Brian was down on one knee asking me to marry him. Of course, I immediately said yes! He is my best friend and the love of my life. I am so thankful that God wrote such a sweet, sweet love story for us.

Our little visitor

Tonight we ate supper on the deck because the weather was just beautiful. I could hardly believe the temperature was so mild in the middle of August. Our dog, Annie, was roaming through the back yard. She suddenly began sniffing around like something was out there. Brian went to check things out, and he found this tiny baby bunny. The little guy was so adorable! And our gentle Annie did it no harm. Most dogs would have eaten it up for an after-dinner snack, but Annie seemed to just want to play. However, Annie's "play" has been deadly for many a grasshopper and beetle, so we put her in the house. I hope the little guy finds his way back home!

Look at those pearly whites!

Our Daniel man has sprouted teeth! The first one popped up just before he turned six months old, and the second one followed close behind. He is just growing and changing so much lately. He can pretty much sit unsupported now. He wants to crawl so badly too. He does this thing we call the inchworm where he scoots forward using primarily his legs and forehead. It is a hoot! This last photo is one of my favorites. Daniel just loves his daddy!

Our new wheels!

Ode to the Sunfire

Brian and I bought a new (to us) vehicle today!!! We had been researching and thinking about getting something different for almost a year now. My little 2-door Sunfire was not exactly the optimal car for our growing family. Getting the car seat into the back was always a fiasco. The trunk was hardly big enough for the stroller. Recently, it began showing signs of its age too. First, some of the plastic molding on the door came unglued. Then, the battery died because the alternator was bad. A few days ago the rear view mirror fell off. The time had come for something new. And even though I am incredibly excited about our new Ford Escape, I am also very sad to be trading in my Sunfire. I am surprised by the amount of emotion I suddenly feel toward my little car. How can I explain it? I have been driving my Sunfire for over nine years. It is the car that drove me to my last day of high school and my first day of college. It is the car that I buzzed around in during those glorious days of falling in love with Brian. It took me to the airport to pick him up, it took me to the church on the day of our wedding, and it took the two of us to Eureka Springs for our honeymoon. This little car also drove me to my first day of teaching my first class of students. It has been such a good car, taking Brian and I to and from many different places. It even took us to the hospital when we had Daniel, and it brought our new little family of three home again. So many memories...so many life changes...so much more to come!

Something new on the menu

Daniel has begun solids! I have wanted to start him on solids for several weeks now, but our doctor recommended waiting until he was six months old. However, Daniel is a very big boy, and I finally decided we would go ahead and start a few weeks early. I am desperate for him to begin sleeping through the night, and everyone said that cereal would help accomplish that goal. So, Brian and I set up the high chair, bought some rice cereal, and got out the bibs. That first evening we had the camera and camcorder fired up. I opened the box of rice cereal and poured some out. We were somewhat surprised by this long awaited "solid." I am not sure if we were expecting rice crispies or what, but this rice cereal was more like rice flakes...or rice powder. Interesting, we thought. I mixed it up with some milk, and away we went. Daniel absolutely loved it! He kept grabbing the spoon and pulling it to his mouth. This made things pretty messy, and by the time we were finished, he had cereal all over himself, us, the highchair, etc. We all had a good time, and that first feeding was very well documented, as you can see below.

Bring it on!

Mmmmm!

Motherhood

Motherhood is the absolute hardest job I have ever had. (And I have taught middle schoolers!) It seems like I should have been better prepared. But, how can you prepare for something that periodically takes your heart and almost wrings it in two? Let me give you an example. Last week, I was busily straightening the kitchen while Daniel was in his play pen. I noticed he was playing with this plastic insert from a cookie box. It was fairly hard plastic, and he liked the way it crinkled when he grabbed it, so I let him continue playing with it. I did not think he could hurt himself. He was putting it in his mouth, but he has no teeth yet, so I reasoned he could not bite off a piece. Well, I was wrong. A little cry came from the play pen, and when I rushed over, the plastic container was broken on one corner, and Daniel had a plastic bit on his lips. I scooped him up and quickly searched his mouth with my finger for any more. Then, he started choking. Oh my soul! Never before had I so desperately wished that someone else was home with me. I swung Daniel over my arm and began thumping his little back, like they taught us at the infant CPR class. Daniel began coughing and spitting up. I continued thumping his back until I was sure he was breathing alright. This whole situation occurred in about 15 seconds. Daniel seemed fine, but I was almost unable to stand. My knees were weak, my heart was pounding, and I was shaking. When I had somewhat recovered, I began piecing back together the plastic container. Lo and behold, one piece was missing. Had he swallowed it? I had no clue. I called Brian, I called my mom, I called the doctor. Everyone said the same thing...watch and wait. Daniel soon went down for a nap, but I could only pace around and worry. Finally, I began praying, and the Lord comforted my heart with several scriptures. When Brian returned home that evening, I was showing him the plastic container and the hole where the missing piece belonged. As Brian turned the container over in his hands, a small piece of plastic dropped to the counter. It was the missing one! Praise the Lord!
I learned my lesson: Never give Daniel objects that are not intended for baby chompers! On a more serious note, I am learning day by day how to care for this precious little boy. He brings us such happiness. I love him so much it hurts sometimes. Thankfully, the Lord is guiding Brian and me on this amazing journey. We would not trade this time for anything.

Fourth of July

Daniel watched his first parade today. I think he liked the Shriners on their little three-wheelers the best. Tonight he will see his first fireworks display. I am interested to see his response to that!

Daniel and his grandpa watching the parade

The fire engines seemed too loud for little ears!