Oh, those chubby cheeks (the only chunky things on my long & lean boy)...I could just kiss them all day long!
So please excuse me while I attend to that matter ;)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Reminders...
God and I have been talking a lot lately...well, I've been doing a lot of talking & He's been doing awesome about listening to me cry, complain, worry, stress, not sleep, not even feel like I even have time to eat, etc. At just the right moment, I mean exactly the the right moment, a phrase or verse comes into my head & bam...He makes it all better.
Isn't God awesome like that?
Yesterday, as Abram & I were driving home from spending the day with Matt's mom, her husband, 2 out of three of Matt's sisters, & 4 of our 10 nephews & nieces I almost had to pull over to just breathe when, "take it one day at a time" came swirling into the fog that can be my mind these days. I remembered the verses that speak about worrying & doubt that I have studied and studied since I was a teen & it was as simple as God reminding me that I can't be effective for Him when I get so wrapped up in silly little things.
He reminded me to just relax & trust. That despite the fact that though Abram is an excellent night sleeper (yet I still feel sleep deprived because it takes a lot of energy to take care of that cute little one, especially since he's in a cat-napping phase right now & the only time I can get much accomplished is when Matt gets home from school...of course, all I want to do then is just spend time with my boys since Matt's been gone all day) I'm tired & because of that, it's challenging to keep my emotions in check, & because of that my mind goes awry & I feel like I'm just going loose it sometimes.
What? Are you kidding me? All I've ever wanted to do is be a wife & a mommy & I'm feeling this way? Seriously? After all we had to do to get this little miracle boy here (& his little frozen brothers & sisters) I sometimes feel so overwhelmed that I lose sight of the amazing blessing that motherhood is. How does this happen? For years I've heard others talk about the hard stuff that comes with parenting & my only thought was, "what I'd give to know what that feels like" & "I've waited my whole life not to sleep due to a little fussy babe." And then the naggyness (yes, I made that word up, don't steal it ;) of things undone creeps up & I feel so down.
And then God nudges my brain to remind me, "dear child, you are not superwoman, you are human. I made you that way, imperfections & all. And I love you. Your emotions, your never ending to-do list, never changes who you are in Me. Those things will get done, I will help you. Let's just take this slow, remember?"
And though there are no two people I love more than my boys, I'm reminded of how thankful I am for the first love of my life & how He's the best parent that this lowly parent ever could ever be...and I love Him so for it :)
Isn't God awesome like that?
Yesterday, as Abram & I were driving home from spending the day with Matt's mom, her husband, 2 out of three of Matt's sisters, & 4 of our 10 nephews & nieces I almost had to pull over to just breathe when, "take it one day at a time" came swirling into the fog that can be my mind these days. I remembered the verses that speak about worrying & doubt that I have studied and studied since I was a teen & it was as simple as God reminding me that I can't be effective for Him when I get so wrapped up in silly little things.
He reminded me to just relax & trust. That despite the fact that though Abram is an excellent night sleeper (yet I still feel sleep deprived because it takes a lot of energy to take care of that cute little one, especially since he's in a cat-napping phase right now & the only time I can get much accomplished is when Matt gets home from school...of course, all I want to do then is just spend time with my boys since Matt's been gone all day) I'm tired & because of that, it's challenging to keep my emotions in check, & because of that my mind goes awry & I feel like I'm just going loose it sometimes.
What? Are you kidding me? All I've ever wanted to do is be a wife & a mommy & I'm feeling this way? Seriously? After all we had to do to get this little miracle boy here (& his little frozen brothers & sisters) I sometimes feel so overwhelmed that I lose sight of the amazing blessing that motherhood is. How does this happen? For years I've heard others talk about the hard stuff that comes with parenting & my only thought was, "what I'd give to know what that feels like" & "I've waited my whole life not to sleep due to a little fussy babe." And then the naggyness (yes, I made that word up, don't steal it ;) of things undone creeps up & I feel so down.
And then God nudges my brain to remind me, "dear child, you are not superwoman, you are human. I made you that way, imperfections & all. And I love you. Your emotions, your never ending to-do list, never changes who you are in Me. Those things will get done, I will help you. Let's just take this slow, remember?"
And though there are no two people I love more than my boys, I'm reminded of how thankful I am for the first love of my life & how He's the best parent that this lowly parent ever could ever be...and I love Him so for it :)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A Year Ago Today...
Abram looked like this...
This picture was taken right before Abram was transferred into me at Shady Grove Fertility Center (SGFC) in Rockville. He was 5 days old here.
Exactly 9 months later, Matthew held my hand through a contraction at the stoplight directly in front of SGFC. To our left was where Abram's life began after our IVF surgeries at SGFC & to our right was where Abram would finally enter the world hours later at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.
This is what Abram looks like today...
We are truly blessed beyond measure.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
a video to hold you over until I get around to posting something semi-significant here...
We were still in the hospital, little man was 2 days old, & Matt and I were both noticing how Abram was so alert for a newborn...hence this little video.
Maybe this had something to do with stubborn boy finally deciding to make his debut 15 days after his due date, but anyway...A.B. was (and still) is a busy boy. If there's something going on, he wants to be a part of it. Praise God, he is an excellent sleeper at night. During the day, he usually only gets 4-5 forty-five minute naps before he goes down for 7-8 hours in a row at night (around 11:30-midnight). The first 10-15 minutes of the naps need to be taken on me (he usually falls asleep nursing). If I try to move him during the first quarter of his nap, as soon as I put him in his crib, he opens those beautiful baby blues and smiles. He is then instantly awake & looks at me like, "what did I miss, Mom? I know I missed something. I think I'll stay awake to figure it out." Of course, I start laughing as soon as this happens. One look at sweet boy's face & I can't help but laugh, despite the disappointment that another nap time is lost. I guess that's why he sleeps so well at night? I am certainly NOT going to complain about that. I am loving how many hours I get in a row since he staring sleeping through the night (5+ hours) at 3 weeks old. Needless to say, I have become very productive in these fleeting 4-5 thirty minute periods a day that I have all to myself.
I digress to my original topic...this cute video. It's done on my iPhone, so it's grainy (like the last video I posted), but it is my favorite video we've taken of him to date. It reminds me of our time in the hospital...the amazing bonding that took place between Matt & I during labor & delivery, our first sweet moments as a family, & the quiet stillness that the 3 of us enjoyed in our first few days together. I also love it because despite the fact that Abram is not even 3 months old yet, bits of his personality were present at only 2 days old. As you'll see in the video he never blinks during the entirety of it. He was a little shocked to be experiencing hiccups, but going wide-eyed is a funny trait of his that he still exibits...when something surprises him or peeks his curiosity, his eyes go SUPER wide & he just stares (without blinking) until he figures it out. It's absolutely hilarious to me. Enjoy...
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