Six Years

It has been 6 years since I married the one I love.

In some ways it feels like we have been a part of each other's life since we were born and in other ways it seems like just yesterday he helped me get out of my wedding dress and remove the 60+ pins that held my curly hair up.

I could not have imagined the events that have become a part of our story over the past six years. We giggled every night when we went to bed together and no longer had to say goodbye at the end of a date night. We moved to a new city and discovered what it is like to live without community. We felt our tiny daughter move in my belly and we fell in love with our Creator all over again.

We have hugged. We have kissed.

We have been sleep deprived and we have felt discouraged.

We have laughed. We have cried.

We have apologized. We have prayed.

We have experienced some of our toughest days this past year and we have made a commitment to restore the walls and repair the foundation of our relationship. The last few months have been hard and humbling. Sometimes we feel like we are taking three steps forward and five backwards, but we are trusting that God is leading us to a place we could never arrive on our own.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

We are holding hands, moving toward the promised streams in the years to come!

Twenty-Two Months

Sariah:

• Is loving the little pool in our backyard during these hot summer days
• Sings with mommy - the cutest thing ever
• Likes to chat with little babies
• Asks for crackers and dip (aka hummus)
• Is a very picky yogurt eater - Strawberry Tillamook is her favorite
• Loves bounce houses and could bounce all day long without a nap, every day of her life is we let her
• Goes on walks with her turtle toy
• Is getting used to playing with sand
• Plays her piano and sings daily
• "Cooks" ice and beans while mommy cooks dinner
• Still loves to clean
• Asks to play with friends

So Loved

Sariah sure is blessed to have these two in her life!

We don't live as close to each other as we wish, but I am so glad my little one gets to spend time with her Vovô and Vovó. Family is the best!!

2013

2014

These Two!

We try to go on walks as a family as often as we can during these warm and sunny evenings. John normally gives Sariah a shoulder ride and I decided this weekend that I needed to capture the extreme cuteness that I get to enjoy on a day to day basis.

Sariah likes to give John 'head hugs' ... but these hugs are now accompanied by a drooling mouth and a very loving daddy who doesn't mind a bit of drool all over himself.

Twenty-One Months

Sariah:

• Is really into reading - favorite book is "Put Me in the Zoo"
• Tries to wink
• Walks around the house singing and dancing
• Has a lot of opinions about clothing these days
• Misses Dada when he goes to work everyday
• Can identify a few emotions: happy and sad
• Enjoys playing with other little ones
• Is very motherly to all her stuffed animals and dolls
• Refuses to leave a hair tie on for more than 5 seconds
• Undresses herself when awake in her crib...mommy has been on poop clean up duty
• Likes to watch videos of herself
• Sits down on a specific chair in the kitchen and tells us stories 
• Is great at eating with a fork
• Accidentally peed in the potty for the first time
• Is a World Cup fan!

A Father Like Him

Sariah Faith has no idea that not every baby has a daddy like John. She has no idea how much he loves her. She has no idea how much she has changed him.

No one can make him laugh the way she does.

No one looks at him the ways she does.

There is nothing quite like the relationship between a daddy and his little girl and seeing these two together melts me again and again.

Happy Father's Day to my John! I could not wish or hope for a better father to join me in this crazy parenthood adventure.

John and Sariah the day she was born.

Being Her Mother

I remember feeling nervous about motherhood when I first found out a little person was growing inside of me. I was afraid of messing this little life up in a million different ways. That little person is now a toddler who likes to imitate me - which is adorable and terrifying. It is cute that she tries to walk around the house wearing my heals, it is cute that she 'takes photos' with my phone, it is cute that she tries to put on my pearl necklace. It is not so cute that she also imitates my not-so-great behavior as well.

Having Sariah around is like having a 24-7 shadow that is helping me change in really hard, but good ways. I am working on remaining calm when her tiny self is throwing a fit about something insignificant for the 5th time today because she needs to learn that there are other ways to deal with frustrating situations. I am working on understanding and respecting John because she needs to see what it is like to love and be loved. I am working on eating healthier because she needs to discover that there is more to life than eating bread. I am putting my phone away when I spend time with her because she needs to feel that I truly want to be with her.

Being a mother is hard and at times I feel so intimidated and inadequate.

But I am changing for the better and I am thankful that being Sariah's mother has given me more than enough motivation to change in really hard and good ways.