839. a weekend away at a very relaxing, slow pace
840. Karen, who speaks Truth out of love into the hearts and minds of mothers
840. fun activities to bring home and share with Scott and the kiddos
841. alone time with Meredith - meaning w/out kiddos = full conversations :)
842. exploring the Berry campus and seeing all of the astonishing improvements made within the last 10 years (and trying really hard not to be jealous!)
843. going to bed early one night
844. staying up way too late the next
845. hanging out with great women all weekend long
846. a HUGE welcome home from Ella Beth. I didn't think she would ever stop hugging me, and I didn't think I would ever want her to. :)
847. coming home to a clean house with BEDS MADE. I was totally prepared to just "let it go" when I got here and saw the kiddos' rooms in disarray, but w-o-w what a fantastic surprise! Thank you, Honey!
848. Scott's willingness to let me be away for two nights
849. loving in-laws who stepped in to keep the kiddos when Scott unexpectedly had to work out of town for a day
850. a God who lovingly fights for me against the schemes of Satan. I will NOT let him have my family!
1 Chronicles 16:34, "Give thanks to the Lord, because He is good; His love is eternal."
Monday, January 16, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Family fun times
For Christmas, Landon received the Cat in the Hat I Can Do That! game. Scott and I have had so much fun watching the kiddos play the game. They are asked to do silly, silly activities - and we all laugh until our sides hurt.
At first, we started by having the kiddos doing individual activities (i.e. following the directions), but then Scott decided to have them take turns doing the same activity and it was even funnier. They would try to out-do one another...and trying to out-do silliness just adds MORE fun to the game!
If you have a little one 3 or older, we highly recommend this game. It promises to bring you LOTS of family fun. :)
At first, we started by having the kiddos doing individual activities (i.e. following the directions), but then Scott decided to have them take turns doing the same activity and it was even funnier. They would try to out-do one another...and trying to out-do silliness just adds MORE fun to the game!
If you have a little one 3 or older, we highly recommend this game. It promises to bring you LOTS of family fun. :)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Pregnancy so far - 24 weeks
Look at me, I actually remembered to have a belly photo taken at 24 weeks. That's no small miracle these days considering that I can hardly remember what I am talking about sometimes. No joke - yesterday, I was chatting it up with my mother-in-law after my doctor's appointment and I just stopped in MID-SENTENCE and had to ask, "Uh, what was I talking about???" Pregnancy brain is a dangerous thing!
--
I am 24 weeks pregnant. I feel 34+ weeks pregnancy. I don't know if it's because it's been 4 years, or because this is my third go 'round, or if it's just that I am busy with two other kiddos who still require lots of energy and who like to be picked up a few dozen times a day...but, I am hurting. Badly. The "pressure" has already started, contractions are daily, and there are times that I feel like something is tearing "in there" and it's excruciating (sorry for TMI!). But, I am just surviving on prayer and hope that God will see Porter and me through. Whenever anxieties try to wrestle their way in, I fight them off with prayer trusting that God is in control. He already knows what's going to happen and when. And, I'm just trusting Him with it all. (It's easier some days than others.)
Sick? Not really. However, I have gone from nausea to now being famished one day and then not being hungry for 2 or 3 days.
Maternity clothes? Yes. Pants and shirts now. I really only have 6 shirts and two pairs of pants that actually fit. So, I try to save those for days I know I'll be leaving the house. On days like today, though, I am wearing maternity clothes that look like Scott's clothes on me. I think it's funny that 15 years ago women used to wear really loose-fitting maternity clothes and thought that they were stylish. For me, not so much. It's probably b/c I'm so stinkin' short, but fitted maternity clothes are a much better option!
Showing? Yes. I still have a few people ask or give that questioning look, but when I'm wearing those "better clothes" there is no doubt!
Weight gain? Yes. And that's all I'm going to say. (I'll probably stick with this answer for a while, and may or may not reveal the total poundage at the end!)
Swelling? I definitely wake up every morning with puffy hands, but other than my tush swelling up (i.e. plumping up), not really. I also think my face has swollen a bit, but that could just be weight gain. My face got a little plump during my second trimester with Ella Beth and Landon, but then went down as I got closer to delivery. Hope that happens again soon!
Cravings? Still eating lots of apples - cold, crisp Granny Smiths and lots of cold red grapes. I am also craving sub sandwiches - turkey, lettuce, a little oil, and a lot of black pepper. Instead of making a run to Subway or Publix every day, I have started buying hoagie rolls at Publix and making my own at home.
Tired? I'm doing better on the sleepy aspect, but I do feel spent and exhausted a lot of the time. I find that I need to sit and rest (or stand and rest if I'm having contractions) a good bit of the day.
Am I going to have a shower? My friends Meredith and Amber and my mom and mother-in-law are throwing me a shower next month. I am very excited as we desperately need many necessities. Other than a pack-n-play, semi-umbrella stroller, one pack of bottles, and a shopping cart cover, there is nothing on my registry for over $15! Baby spoons, burp cloths, sippy cups, bibs, pacifiers, etc. make up just about everything! I am looking forward to seeing family and friends all gathered together to celebrate sweet little Porter. I know he will be very well loved. :)
Favorite pregnancy moment this month? It would definitely be the kiddos trying to take care of their baby brother already. Ella Beth and Landon will bring me apples from the fridge when they think that he needs a snack! And they ask questions about what he would like for dinner, or if he liked that CFA chicken biscuit, or if he's warm enough. This littlest fella is going to be well taken care of (maybe too much!) once he gets here. :)
--
Pictures:
Only one belly shot this month, but at least I have one! And, really...when people give me that questioning look I just can't believe it. I mean look at that belly!!!
--
I am 24 weeks pregnant. I feel 34+ weeks pregnancy. I don't know if it's because it's been 4 years, or because this is my third go 'round, or if it's just that I am busy with two other kiddos who still require lots of energy and who like to be picked up a few dozen times a day...but, I am hurting. Badly. The "pressure" has already started, contractions are daily, and there are times that I feel like something is tearing "in there" and it's excruciating (sorry for TMI!). But, I am just surviving on prayer and hope that God will see Porter and me through. Whenever anxieties try to wrestle their way in, I fight them off with prayer trusting that God is in control. He already knows what's going to happen and when. And, I'm just trusting Him with it all. (It's easier some days than others.)
Sick? Not really. However, I have gone from nausea to now being famished one day and then not being hungry for 2 or 3 days.
Maternity clothes? Yes. Pants and shirts now. I really only have 6 shirts and two pairs of pants that actually fit. So, I try to save those for days I know I'll be leaving the house. On days like today, though, I am wearing maternity clothes that look like Scott's clothes on me. I think it's funny that 15 years ago women used to wear really loose-fitting maternity clothes and thought that they were stylish. For me, not so much. It's probably b/c I'm so stinkin' short, but fitted maternity clothes are a much better option!
Showing? Yes. I still have a few people ask or give that questioning look, but when I'm wearing those "better clothes" there is no doubt!
Weight gain? Yes. And that's all I'm going to say. (I'll probably stick with this answer for a while, and may or may not reveal the total poundage at the end!)
Swelling? I definitely wake up every morning with puffy hands, but other than my tush swelling up (i.e. plumping up), not really. I also think my face has swollen a bit, but that could just be weight gain. My face got a little plump during my second trimester with Ella Beth and Landon, but then went down as I got closer to delivery. Hope that happens again soon!
Cravings? Still eating lots of apples - cold, crisp Granny Smiths and lots of cold red grapes. I am also craving sub sandwiches - turkey, lettuce, a little oil, and a lot of black pepper. Instead of making a run to Subway or Publix every day, I have started buying hoagie rolls at Publix and making my own at home.
Tired? I'm doing better on the sleepy aspect, but I do feel spent and exhausted a lot of the time. I find that I need to sit and rest (or stand and rest if I'm having contractions) a good bit of the day.
Am I going to have a shower? My friends Meredith and Amber and my mom and mother-in-law are throwing me a shower next month. I am very excited as we desperately need many necessities. Other than a pack-n-play, semi-umbrella stroller, one pack of bottles, and a shopping cart cover, there is nothing on my registry for over $15! Baby spoons, burp cloths, sippy cups, bibs, pacifiers, etc. make up just about everything! I am looking forward to seeing family and friends all gathered together to celebrate sweet little Porter. I know he will be very well loved. :)
Favorite pregnancy moment this month? It would definitely be the kiddos trying to take care of their baby brother already. Ella Beth and Landon will bring me apples from the fridge when they think that he needs a snack! And they ask questions about what he would like for dinner, or if he liked that CFA chicken biscuit, or if he's warm enough. This littlest fella is going to be well taken care of (maybe too much!) once he gets here. :)
--
Pictures:
Only one belly shot this month, but at least I have one! And, really...when people give me that questioning look I just can't believe it. I mean look at that belly!!!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
When selfishness gets in my way
“[Motherhood as a mission field] is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.“ Rachel Jankovic
--
Giving up yourself.
Lay yourself down.
Cheerfully.
Again.
Plans thwarted.
Sacrifice.
Are any of those easy for you, because none of those come naturally to me. If you had asked me before I became a mother if I was willing to sacrifice everything for my children, I would have said without a doubt or hesitation, "Yes!"
And then I became a mother.
And then I became a mother again. And now as I await sweet baby boy who will make me a mother yet again, that whole idea of sacrifice becomes harder.
When I just had Birdie-girl I honestly didn't have to sacrifice all that much. If I wanted to do something for myself, I had her nap times to do it by golly! Then when Buddy-Ro came along, if I wanted to do something for myself, I had their shared nap times to do it. That was until Birdie stopped napping. And then, Buddy-Ro stopped napping. And now, when do I make time for myself? What about me? Me, me, me!
Oh, wow. I think I have become a more selfish person since having kids. How in the world did that happen?
Yesterday, I was resting on my bed while the kiddos were watching 30 minutes of TV. As I "rested" I checked my email, checked FB, played Words With Friends. And, I asked myself (or quite possibly it was the Spirit asking), "What would you be doing if you didn't have that smart phone of yours?"
Ouch.
It hurt because I knew the answer as soon as the question was asked. I would be doing something with my kiddos. Whether it be snuggling as we watched TV together, or playing a game, or baking together, or teaching them to fold/clean/etc.
It all comes back to giving myself up. Laying myself down. Sacrificing. And, we are called to do it cheerfully. Out of love. Because we love.
Why is it so hard? For me, I think it is because I tend to focus on the negatives - "the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore." Whew! Those descriptions made me laugh because I can so relate. However, I tend to forget that my children are not an inconvenience; they are the children that God has given unto my care, trusted me with, to raise and love.
I don't want to be the mother who looks back 13 years from now when Birdie moves out and heads off to college and wishes that I had done things differently. No, I want to look back and see that I have done a great work. That I loved my children as much as I could; I spent as much time with them as possible; I enjoyed them to the fullest.
Will I take a break every now and then? Yes! In just 3 days I will be leaving for a mother's weekend retreat where I will be refreshed and strengthened. But, those breaks will be few and far between. I can not be a mother who feels entitled to "her space" and "her freedom" - because my children would be left without their mama (whether physically, mentally, or spiritually) way too often if I allowed myself to believe the lie that "Mama is entitled, so just leave me alone." Sure, I am 6 months pregnant and I am physically exhausted, but I can't waste the time that I have been given now. It is so hard on many days to make this choice. But I must.
"The days are long but the years are short."
So I will give myself up.
I will lay myself down.
I will choose to sacrifice myself.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Cheerfully.
When selfishness gets in my way
“[Motherhood as a mission field] is giving up yourself. Lay yourself
down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the
fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the
green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child.
Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy
you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of
your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for
them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.“ Rachel Jankovic
--
Giving up yourself.
Lay yourself down.
Cheerfully.
Again.
Plans thwarted.
Sacrifice.
Are any of those easy for you, because none of those come naturally to me. If you had asked me before I became a mother if I was willing to sacrifice everything for my children, I would have said without a doubt or hesitation, "Yes!"
And then I became a mother.
And then I became a mother again. And now as I await sweet baby boy who will make me a mother yet again, that whole idea of sacrifice becomes harder.
When I just had Ella Beth I honestly didn't have to sacrifice all that much. If I wanted to do something for myself, I had her nap times to do it by golly! Then when Landon came along, if I wanted to do something for myself, I had their shared nap times to do it. That was until Ella Beth stopped napping. And then, Landon stopped napping. And now, when do I make time for myself? What about me? Me, me, me!
Oh, wow. I think I have become a more selfish person since having kids. How in the world did that happen?
Yesterday, I was resting on my bed while the kiddos were watching 30 minutes of TV. As I "rested" I checked my email, checked FB, played Words With Friends. And, I asked myself (or quite possibly it was the Spirit asking), "What would you be doing if you didn't have that smart phone of yours?"
Ouch.
It hurt because I knew the answer as soon as the question was asked. I would be doing something with my kiddos. Whether it be snuggling as we watched TV together, or playing a game, or baking together, or teaching them to fold/clean/etc.
It all comes back to giving myself up. Laying myself down. Sacrificing. And, we are called to do it cheerfully. Out of love. Because we love.
Why is it so hard? For me, I think it is because I tend to focus on the negatives - "the people who annoy
you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of
your time that you can’t read anymore." Whew! Those descriptions made me laugh because I can so relate. However, I tend to forget that my children are not an inconvenience; they are the children that God has given unto my care, trusted me with, to raise and love.
I don't want to be the mother who looks back 13 years from now when Ella Beth moves out and heads off to college and wishes that I had done things differently. No, I want to look back and see that I have done a great work. That I loved my children as much as I could; I spent as much time with them as possible; I enjoyed them to the fullest.
Will I take a break every now and then? Yes! In just 3 days I will be leaving for a mother's weekend retreat where I will be refreshed and strengthened. But, those breaks will be few and far between. I can not be a mother who feels entitled to "her space" and "her freedom" - because my children would be left without their mama (whether physically, mentally, or spiritually) way too often if I allowed myself to believe the lie that "Mama is entitled, so just leave me alone." Sure, I am 6 months pregnant and I am physically exhausted, but I can't waste the time that I have been given now. It is so hard on many days to make this choice. But I must.
"The days are long but the years are short."
So I will give myself up.
I will lay myself down.
I will choose to sacrifice myself.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Cheerfully.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Multitudes on Monday
825. listening to the rain while laying in bed
826. yummy leftovers so I don't have to cook tonight
827. weekly meal plans to make my budget lighter and my week easier
828. a new shower head that feels so amazing my showers have extended by at least 5 minutes
829. new crayons
830. Ella Beth's love of art
831. brand new babies
832. Ella Beth's new fascination with babies
833. Landon's consistency
834. the anticipation of a weekend away with my bestest to grow as mothers together
835. new engagements
836. the joy of marriage
837. the pursuit of God who won't let me settle for less than He calls me to be
838. children at church who may not fully understand the love and grace of God, but who feel something each time they come that makes them want to come back
1 Chronicles 29:13, "Now, our God, we give you thanks, and we praise your glorious name."
826. yummy leftovers so I don't have to cook tonight
827. weekly meal plans to make my budget lighter and my week easier
828. a new shower head that feels so amazing my showers have extended by at least 5 minutes
829. new crayons
830. Ella Beth's love of art
831. brand new babies
832. Ella Beth's new fascination with babies
833. Landon's consistency
834. the anticipation of a weekend away with my bestest to grow as mothers together
835. new engagements
836. the joy of marriage
837. the pursuit of God who won't let me settle for less than He calls me to be
838. children at church who may not fully understand the love and grace of God, but who feel something each time they come that makes them want to come back
1 Chronicles 29:13, "Now, our God, we give you thanks, and we praise your glorious name."
Sunday, January 8, 2012
When your heart is heavy
2012. A new year. While it has started off very well (as in nothing bad, sad, horrible, or life-altering has happened), 2012 has still started off heavy for me.
I have tried my best to be quiet and listen patiently for what the Lord is trying to tell me, but no great epiphany came. Well, at least not one that I knew of at the time...
I thought about what my new year's goals/resolutions would be this year as compared to last year. One of the biggest things that I decided to change last year was to not complain. Of course, I know that I did not go 365 days without a complaint slipping from my lips (hello! I am pregnant...and pregnancy and I aren't the greatest of friends). But, I prayed really hard that the Lord would help me with this goal. I have seen what it is to be in need, and I know that I am not. Yes, I would l-o-v-e a brand-new-fully-loaded-mini-van to show up in my driveway 2 weeks before baby boy gets here. And, since I'm being honest, I would love for that mini-van to be parked in the driveway of a bigger house...but when my mind wanders to feeling anxious about fitting three kiddos into my smaller SUV and smaller house the Lord gently reminds me that a mini-van and a larger house are not necessities. A want? Yes. A need? No. And He also reminds me to be thankful for what I do have and not to complain.
All last year I listed out many of my Thanksgivings each Monday. I had already decided that I would give it up this year because I had fulfilled my resolution and met my goal.
And that is when the heaviness started to settle within my heart. At first, it was just a minor irritation - something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Why am I in a funk at the beginning of a new year and after a truly wonderful Christmas?
In my quietness, the Lord spoke to my heart and answered the question I had not even spoken out loud. God is so good, isn't He?
As clearly as my children's laughter, my heart heard: "You have forgotten to give Me thanks. You have neglected to thank Me. And, when you don't return thanks to Me where does that leave you?"
It left me with a heavy heart. So, my New Year's (Life's?) Resolution is again to give thanks to Him from whom all things come. As I look back to the reason I chose giving thanks as a goal last year, one sentence that I typed out on simple white keys resonated with my heart -
I have tried my best to be quiet and listen patiently for what the Lord is trying to tell me, but no great epiphany came. Well, at least not one that I knew of at the time...
I thought about what my new year's goals/resolutions would be this year as compared to last year. One of the biggest things that I decided to change last year was to not complain. Of course, I know that I did not go 365 days without a complaint slipping from my lips (hello! I am pregnant...and pregnancy and I aren't the greatest of friends). But, I prayed really hard that the Lord would help me with this goal. I have seen what it is to be in need, and I know that I am not. Yes, I would l-o-v-e a brand-new-fully-loaded-mini-van to show up in my driveway 2 weeks before baby boy gets here. And, since I'm being honest, I would love for that mini-van to be parked in the driveway of a bigger house...but when my mind wanders to feeling anxious about fitting three kiddos into my smaller SUV and smaller house the Lord gently reminds me that a mini-van and a larger house are not necessities. A want? Yes. A need? No. And He also reminds me to be thankful for what I do have and not to complain.
All last year I listed out many of my Thanksgivings each Monday. I had already decided that I would give it up this year because I had fulfilled my resolution and met my goal.
And that is when the heaviness started to settle within my heart. At first, it was just a minor irritation - something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Why am I in a funk at the beginning of a new year and after a truly wonderful Christmas?
In my quietness, the Lord spoke to my heart and answered the question I had not even spoken out loud. God is so good, isn't He?
As clearly as my children's laughter, my heart heard: "You have forgotten to give Me thanks. You have neglected to thank Me. And, when you don't return thanks to Me where does that leave you?"
It left me with a heavy heart. So, my New Year's (Life's?) Resolution is again to give thanks to Him from whom all things come. As I look back to the reason I chose giving thanks as a goal last year, one sentence that I typed out on simple white keys resonated with my heart -
It is hard to be discontent when you count your blessings.
Those simple 11 words changed me, and my heart has grown closer to God during the last year more than any other time in my life. All by giving Him thanks. When my heart was heavy it was my reminder to be grateful for all He has done, has given, has not done, has taken away. Because thanking God is trusting God. And trusting God is giving Him all the Glory and Honor that He deserves.
Psalm 9:1-2: "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High."
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)