Thankful

Day 1: Thankful for time alone with my husband.
Day 2: Thankful for the time I get to spend with other mommies and their babies.
Day 3: Thankful for a family that is willing to make sacrifices to spend time together.
Day 4: Thankful for the beautiful Autumn colors.
Day 5: Thankful for a healthy daughter who is growing way too fast.
Day 6: Thankful for opportunities to learn more about photography.
Day 7: Thankful for a caring husband.
Day 8: Thankful for God's unconditional love.
Day 9: Thankful for gluten free food.
Day 10: Thankful for friends who are willing to drive 4 hours with their toddlers in order to visit us.
Day 11: Thankful for afternoon naps.
Day 12: Thankful for a fridge full of food.
Day 13: Thankful for the Internet.
Day 14: Thankful for a clean home.
Day 15: Thankful for the heater.
Day 16: Thankful for all the baby items we have received as gifts.
Day 17: Thankful for a restful day.
Day 18: Thankful for the opportunity to see friends we had not seen in a year.
Day 19: Thankful for a husband that wakes up in the middle of the night and feeds the baby so I can keep sleeping.
Day 20: Thankful for the easy access we have to health care providers.
Day 21: Thankful for the time we will spend with family this week.
Day 22: Thankful for opportunity to see Sariah chatting and laughing with her grandparents.
Day 23: Thankful for my mom's gift of hospitality.
Day 24: Thankful for time with friends.
Day 25: Thankful for our church family.
Day 26: Thankful for a Moby Wrap - without it I would not have been able to accomplish much today.
Day 27: Thankful for telephones because they allow me to stay connected to the people I love who live far from me.
Day 28: Thankful for the Holy Spirit and his convictions.
Day 29: Thankful for a washer and dryer.
Day 30: Thankful for a morning date with John.

Community Living

Last night, John and I watched the documentary "Happy" and I can't stop thinking about the community living homes in Denmark.

Where can I find something similar in the United States?

It is so easy to feel alone and isolated in my own home. Sometimes a whole day goes by when I realize I have not talked to anyone since John left to work in the morning. Well, now I spend my days talking to Sariah...but these conversations are more like a monologue at this point.

I would love to live in a community where neighbors:

• share meals everyday
• help each other take care of the kids
• plant a community garden
• spend time together
• etc...

I recognize that living in community can have its challenges, but I truly believe that we miss out on living a more joyful life because we are so individualistic.

Individualism and I have never gotten along and I dream of living in community. Just thinking about it makes my heart rejoice...but I don't really know how to turn this dream into reality. Any ideas?

Two Months Old

I just want to squeeze her!

 

Sariah...

• Loves being naked and will stop crying the minute we take her clothes off.
• Takes a bottle of breast milk a few times a week and gets nipple confused from time to time, but she never says 'no' to milk.
• Began wearing cloth diapers and did not notice the difference.
• Discovered her tongue and spends quite some time making sounds with her tongue every day.
• Likes to play on her floor mat every day! Mommy loves hearing her laugh and talk to her new little friends!
• Gets a tummy ache when mommy eats spicy food.
• Tries really hard to not stay asleep when she is in her crib.
• Started sleeping with her little hands open and arms stretched out. Her hands are so tiny and perfect!
• Has many nicknames like: little squirt, little one, baby girl and ninja baby.
• Has been waking up at 8:30AM and as soon as she sees mommy or daddy she smiles excitedly. 

Baby Dedication

In our church, we dedicate children, believing they are gifts from God. This follows Jesus’ example displayed in Mark 10:14, 16, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”

This past weekend Sariah was dedicated to the Lord and it was such a joy to have our family present.

Sariah got to wear the same dress I wore when I was dedicated - more than 26 years ago. The little dress was a gift from my grandmother and I felt so honored to have photos of my daughter wearing it as well!

Outings with a Baby

For the first 4 weeks of Sariah's life, I was terrified of going anywhere with her on my own. I was afraid she was going to get hungry while we were out and I felt like I could not nurse in public because I didn't know how to nurse using a cover...and I could not nurse without the help of a boppy and a second pillow. I was afraid of forgetting something important like diapers/wipes. I was afraid she was going to start crying and I wouldn't know what to do to calm her down. Needless to say, we spent a LOT of time at home. It helped that it was cold and rainy outside, but I am an extrovert and my 'people bucket' was completely empty.

I missed having a reason to get dressed in the morning. I missed seeing people. I missed having conversations with adults.

This past week, I made myself get out of the house with her even though my fears had not diminished. My first outing was to the grocery store (we were out of food after 4 weeks of no grocery store trips). I walked in the grocery store carrying Sariah in her car seat, a diaper bag and a few reusable shopping bags. I got everything on my lists as fast as I could and headed back to the car. Sariah was napping, so I decided to head over to a park and look for the best places for an upcoming Family Photoshoot. I put Sariah in the Moby Wrap and walked around, completely enjoying the Autumn colors and the fresh air. I still wished I had a walking buddy with me - but it felt good to be outside.

So far, Sariah and I have been to a potluck, a coffee shop and we even ventured out to a pumpkin patch with some friends from our birth class.

While going out with my little girl alone still makes me nervous, I am starting to feel more comfortable being with her and slowly but surely life is becoming a bit more normal!

One Month Old

I think she looks 100% like her daddy!



Sariah...

• May be small, but is full of personality! When this little girl is not happy about something, she will let you know with her whole body.
• Has gained more than two pounds since birth - daddy says that mommy has super milk.
• Falls asleep just a few seconds after mommy puts her in the Moby wrap.
• Is starting to smile on purpose these days!
• Does not love her pacifier and only keeps it in her mouth for about 30 seconds.
• Loves to look at her daddy when he is talking to her. We never new a newborn could be so focused!
• Surprises us with poopy diapers at least 4 times a day. We go through a whole lot of diapers in one day.
• Can now go about 5 hours without eating at night.
• Has the cutest lips on earth and when we talk to her she makes a little "oooooooh" shape with her mouth - mommy loves it every time!
• Loves to be bounced on the exercise ball. We are not sure what we would do without our giant, red ball.
• Was born with her hand against her face and she never liked to have her hands swaddled. She sleeps with both hands up, close to her face.

Our Little Girl!