More Lessons From Mommy Land

Learning to discipline your child is the most difficult thing sometimes. I'm not really dealing with the "Terrible Twos" because let's be honest for a minute, Harris has had his tantrums since Day 1! Now, I love my baby boy and I've grown accustomed to his "passion" and his "being spirited". Most days I can handle the drama with ease but for some reason Monday...my oh my Monday...

You ever have one of those days where you're convinced that your child has been possessed? That was my world Monday starting around 10 am. Chandler was sick so we were gearing up for a doctor's visit. I was trying to keep everyone situated while I got us all ready and prepared lunches for the masses. It was like a switch when off. Harris began running laps around the house. At the end of a lap he would turn circles and just yell. He then began backing up to the banister and taking a run and go, sliding into his sister (who was laying on the floor) as though she was home plate. She was laughing which of course, encouraged him to keep going. Now, don't misunderstand, I LOVE for my kids to play together, but I was so afraid his little size 8's were going to smash her head in any minute. I said no a couple of times then I had to take other measures. Spanking #1.

We got home from the doctor's office later in the afternoon and the walls really broke down. Harris spent the better part of the afternoon doing one of three things: 

1. Yelling

2. Screaming

3. Waking the dead with his blood curling howls of dislike of one thing or another. Spanking #2

He also dumped all of the dog's food into her water, colored on the t.v., used the stand up dustpan as a weapon against all things female (Mommy, Sissy and Emmie), threw a ball at Sissy's head (did I mention it was a baseball?) and other various crimes I'll not list. Spankings #s 3, 4 and 5. Let's all keep in mind that I'm also nursing a 6 month old with double ear infections back to health through all of this and Eliot didn't get home until 6:45. I was nearly in tears by the time the kids were ready for bed. 

I got Chandler ready and Eliot took Harris. I was rocking Chandler, enjoying her silence and praying. I was asking God to help me with Harris. Help me survive these long days with more grace. Help me to show him mercy and teach him Godly discipline. Help me to love him unconditionally on those days. Basically, I guess I was praying to love and discipline my child the way God loves and disciplines me. It occurred to me in that moment how God must feel when I'm disobedient. When I deliberately do the opposite of what He's asked me to. When I symbolically throw a fit because I have to do what He wants instead of what my human nature desires. When I hurt myself and others through words or actions. I feel certain that God feels a little of what I, as a mother, feel when Harris does the same. 

Lord, thank you for loving me through my disobedience. Thank you for the discipline that you give because I know it's for my own good. Lord, help me to have your mind and heart while dealing out disciplinary actions. Lord, please grant me patience and wisdom to cope on the hard days the way you are patient with me. Please Father, through all things, allow my love toward my children to never waver. Help me to give Godly discipline and not discipline out of selfish motives. Please help me to remember that discipline is love. YOU love me enough to deal it out so I must also love Harris and Chandler enough to do the same.

 Amen

Proverbs 19:18

Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.

Hebrews 12:11

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Considering My Field

Proverbs 31:16

"She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard."

Going to work outside the home is not really an option for me and my family at this time. We've considered the possibility for several reasons, but our answer from God is always the same, "not right now". Even though I can't bring in extra money I thought, "why not try to reevaluate where our money is going now and make sure we are getting the most bang for our buck?" Eliot isn't the only one who can work out new savings plans :)

I've started with groceries and honestly, it's as far as I've gotten. I hope to brainstorm in the coming weeks and work out more, but for now...We are a family of four and our grocery budget includes formula for one and diapers for two. Yikes. One can only imagine how that works out... So last week I sat down and made a list of the top ten things I buy every week. Milk, eggs, ground beef, snacks for Harris and bread were on that list along with a few other things. I then decided to go do some price comparisons. We've been going to Publix since we moved here because it's across the street and I honestly didn't know how to get to Wal-Mart. I chose to go to Publix, Wal-Mart and a store called Aldi. I loaded up my kids and my list and away we went.

I was BLOWN AWAY at how much I had been paying for things at Publix. Now before the Publix army attacks, please hear me out: I LOVE shopping at Publix, it is a pleasure. However, at this stage in life, budgets are more important than my kid getting coloring books and a sweet lady chasing us down with cookies.

Aldi outdid Publix AND Wal Mart on our items. Like, big time. Just by purchasing our "Top Ten Items" at Aldi instead of Publix, we will save $40/month. Just on those ten items. That's not including all the other stuff I buy.

Aldi is a discount grocery store so there are a few things they do to make their food cheap. All of their food is off-brand so if you're picky about name-brand stuff you're out of luck. They don't provide any bags and they only have a limited staff working. You have to insert a quarter to a machine to get your shopping cart, but you get it back when you return the cart. This prevents them from having to hire people to gather carts. Their basic goal is to have as little overhead as possible. I'm ok with going without a few things to save money!!

Now, my goal is not to promote a certain grocery store. I would just like to encourage anyone reading this to take some time to find the best deals for your family! I'm not a Coupon Queen, it's just not my thing. I can't find a job making more money, Harris and Chandler pay what they pay and that's not changing. I can only get creative with what I have. I can CONSIDER my own "field" before I buy it!

So where have you found the best deals? How do you save money on groceries? Share your ideas!!

Sunday Scribbles~Calling All Mommies!!!

It's August 5 and I now have an almost 6 month old and a 25 month old. I've spent the last 6 months adjusting to a new little person needing me non-stop and I have fallen into a routine of meeting every one's needs. I love being a stay at home Mommy to two little loves and a wife to my wonderful husband. I haven't felt this content and at peace in a long time. Do you know what kind of blessing it is to feel happy about life? I can't thank God enough for my beautiful world. 

Now that I've got the kiddos into my routine and I think I've got my man taken care of, I guess it's time for some "self-care". I consider this different from meaningless alone time (which don't get me wrong, that's awesome). I think self-care is more about specific needs. My needs right now are spiritual and physical so those are the things I've got to focus on. I owe it to my family to set the right example for health in all areas. I owe it to my kids to teach them the importance of exercise at a young age. I owe it to my hubby to not look like I'm still pregnant. I owe it to all of them to spend time in prayer and meditation on their behalf. I also owe it to MYSELF to take care of me. Being a mommy takes so much out of your bank that you have to make a deposit every once in a while :) 

Here's my plan:

Physical: I HATE exercise. For real y'all. Hate. However, after two babies, nursing and gravity taking over, something has to happen. Like it or not. I'm starting the Couch25K program. That's thirty minutes a day/three days a week. Tonight I waited until Chandler was in bed then I left. The app is great and was very helpful in keeping me on track. We shall see...

Spirtual: Before Chandler was born, we were on a perfect morning routine. Harris was pretty predictable with his waking time so I could get up an hour early to read and pray. Chandler is just now getting into a waking routine and it just so happens that it's around the time Harris gets up. That means that starting tomorrow morning, this Mommy will be up and at em around 5:30 for some time with God. 

So Mommies: What are YOUR needs and what do you do to meet those needs? I'd really like to hear! We have to get creative with little ones at home so if you have a creative idea for taking care of you physically, mentally, spiritually or otherwise, spill it! 

Cinderella Found Her Slippers!

It's official. It's started already.

Chandler loves shoes.

We were playing in the shoe store and my mom put some shoes on Sissy. She then took them off when it was time to go and Sissy started CRYING. Mom put the shoes back on her and no more crying. It probably goes without saying, but Mom bought her the shoes ;) Here's the pair of golden slippers Baby Girl HAD to have ;)

Sunday Scribbles~ Late Night Love

Chandler and I don't get a lot of alone time. It just isn't in the cards on most days. However, Baby Girl is teething right now so she hasn't been feeling very well. Eliot has been kind enough to move to the guest room so Chandler can sleep with me, making it easier to sooth her during the night. Last night it didn't phase me really, but tonight is different. I've just been laying here staring at her and realizing what an angel she is. She has finally dosed off after some major cuddle time with Mommy. This child owns my heart.

She's so incredibly sweet and as I get to know her little personality more I realize how much like her Daddy she is. She's gentle and quiet, loving and calm. She lowers my blood pressure I'm sure! She loves to lay beside me, hold my hands and stare at me until sleep takes over. She's so silly right now. The strangest things send her into fits of giggles and that is the sweetest sound to my ears. As I type this, she's giggling in her sleep...seriously. She's pure joy.

When I found out I was pregnant with her, I knew she was a girl. I knew it like I knew my name. The idea of a daughter at that time seemed foreign to me, but I figured if God gave me a daughter He had confidence in me to raise her. Even though I was sure she was a girl, I could have never been prepared for the love I feel for her. I pray that we're always close in that special way only a mother and daughter are. I also pray she reads this one day and knows that her Mommy has been head over heals in love with her since Day 1.

Chandler May~ You are too sweet for words!

Happy Birthday, America!

We had a lovely time at Centennial Olympic Park last night watching the fireworks or "fifarts" as Harris calls them! Harris had never seen fireworks before and he was mesmerized. He called out all the colors as he saw them... "rad, oange, gree, bwue, sheshow, poopa!" It was so awesome seeing his face light up from the lights and sheer excitement. Poor little Chandler thought we had all lost our minds keeping her awake so late so she just passed out :)

Side note: I highly recommend the fireworks show we went to. There was something so cool about seeing such huge fireworks with a backdrop of the the Atlanta skyline. Beautiful. Not to mention there's obviously a largely diverse population in Atlanta. It was very cool to see so many different cultural groups represented there to celebrate our country. It was a fabulous birthday party! I hope your was just as festive :)

Staycation 2012!

Our air conditioner has been MIA for a week and a half now. We toughed it out as long as possible but when Harris and I were not feeling well on Monday, we loaded up and came to the Marriott across the street until it was fixed. Well, it's Wednesday and we're still here. Hopefully all will be up and running tomorrow but in the meantime we're enjoying a lovely staycation.

Life is SO about perspective. It would be easy to complain about the fact we're in this small hotel room with two kids under the age of 2, but I'm totally embracing it. Why not? We've been able to snuggle with our kids all night, get creative with mealtime, play on an elevator (which for a 2 year old is amazing), hit up the swimming pool and have yummy hotel breakfast including Harris' first doughnut! There's a giant American flag outside of our window so Harris got a lesson on the flag and how to salute it in honor of Independence Day. Also, theres no housework in a hotel... Today we'll enjoy the Fourth of July celebrations around town and since we're still new to the area, it will feel like a real vacation. Instead of huffing and puffing about our seemingly inconvenient circumstances, we're making the most of it!

It's all about perspective! Happy Fourth of July!

Random Monday Thoughts

I've been a little lazy with the blog lately and I hate that. I don't want blogging to become an item on my to do list, but at the same time I feel like its so important to document life right now. Things are moving so fast and I can't put the brakes on! I watch my baby boy becoming a little boy and it it kills me. I see my newborn becoming a sweet baby girl and rolling over, laughing and playing. It's a blessing to watch my children grow but I sure wish the days were longer.

I've reached a milestone in parenting that I believe to be nothing short of God answering prayer in a blatant way. I was feeling so drained by parenting my children every day. There's never a break for a stay at home mom and it's tiresome. It occurred to me that I was being so selfish in my thoughts. I was worrying about my next "alone time" or when I could read or rest or take a shower alone. All of my thoughts were around ME. What an ugly way to live. I prayed for God to remove my selfish thoughts. I continue to pray this every morning when my eyes open.

The outcome has been a new view of my children. I'm laughing at the insanity of my days and the exhaustion of sleepless nights. I've realized (with a heavy heart) that these moments are passing so quickly so instead of looking toward nap time or bedtime so I can be alone, I'm soaking up every second of them being awake, with me. I know one day I'll miss having little people crying "Mommy!!" or needing snuggles or wanting me to read the same book over and over. I'll even miss the sleepless nights and the impossible attempts at a quiet meal. I'm going to embrace the crazy and soak up every minute!

Let the Party Begin!

When did my baby grow up? 

We started Harris' Birthday celebration one month early! He's turning two and that's a big deal so OF COURSE we'll celebrate for a month. For his first party he had a double party with his BFF Izzie who will be two tomorrow! They have been big buddies since birth so Izzie's mom and I thought it was only appropriate for them to celebrate together. (Actually, it was the genius thinking of Lindsay that brought the idea together. She suggested we do this in an attempt to let Harris celebrate with his friends! So sweet and thoughtful) Here are a few pictures from the day courtesy of  Katie Burbage!

We Love Mickey! 

The Birthday Girl!

All of their buddies who came! How we managed this shot I'll never know...

Mommies and Babies BFF

So funny that everyone is singing to us!

Is that cake for US?!

Sweet Girl celebrating Harris' Birthday!

She had buddies her age there, too!

We had a great time and are so thankful for everyone who came! I'm especially thankful for my sweet friend Lindsay for all of her hard work and my awesome friend Laura who loves our babies enough to have helped us with the party! You girls are great. 

New Morning, New Mood

"Being a mother and raising children has not come easy to me." What a confession. 

I attend a weekly Bible study and have transferred my study to a church here in Peachtree Corners. I attended my first class here last Thursday and met some fantastic women to study with. We were in the midst of discussing our present sufferings as Christians as it is discussed in 1 Peter. This sweet girl said her suffering was being a mother. She said, "Being a mother and raising children has not come easy to me." After class I told her how much a appreciated her boldness to speak honestly. The truth was, however, I appreciated her saying out loud what I had been thinking. 

There are days that I think "shouldn't I enjoy this more?" or "I'm not doing a good job with these kids, I should go back to work and put them in daycare." It is on those days that Satan gets a good grasp on my mind and the domino effect begins. I go from questioning my abilities as a mother to my abilities as a wife, friend, daughter, etc. I had that kind of day yesterday. The day started out fine I guess but something went terribly wrong after naptime. One child woke up on the WRONG side of his crib and the other probably would have also had she taken the opportunity to actually sleep. From 2:30 until 6:30 our house was filled with screaming, crying and pitching fits and I must admit...not all of that was the kids. Needless to say, by the time Eliot got home we were ALL thankful to get away from each other. Eliot put Harris to bed, Chandler finally decided to snooze in her swing and I went outside for some peaceful alone time. I thought, "this day has been a disaster" and I was right. 

As I sat down to read my Bible this morning I stumbled upon this gem:

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 

1 Peter 5:8

Devour. That is exactly what I allowed my enemy to do yesterday and many other days in the past. How could it be that I have allowed motherhood, the most precious earthly gift God can provide, to become Satan's tool? Of course he would use that! Something that God intends to be a blessing would be Satan's first target. And I allowed it. As I read the words "be self-controlled and ALERT" I felt God telling me, "Ashley, WAKE UP! Don't you see?" Oh how thankful I am for those moments when God tugs at my soul and awakens my mind to things unnoticed. 


This morning the sweet words of Lamentations 3:22-23 ring in my soul:

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for HIS compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is YOUR faithfulness."

So today I will NOT allow Satan to control this house. I will show more love and patience with my children. I will show more compassion and mercy toward them. Afterall, God shows me new grace every morning...my children deserve the same from me!

Sunday Scribbles~Because I Had 10 minutes of Quiet!

I'm thinking that my head may stop spinning any day now. The last two months have been crazy...no really. We have had a baby, a sickly two year old adjusting to baby, a new job offer, accepting new job offer, packing our Montgomery house and a move to Atlanta that began with a week of the whole family being sick while unpacking. All of this has gone on since February 11. I am beyond tired. However, in all of that chaos, we are having a blast here in Atlanta! I knew this was what we were supposed to be doing and I just continue to have peace about our decision to come, even in the midst of illness and fatigue. God's good like that :)

So here's an update on the kiddos just so that when my head does stop spinning I can look back and remember this sweet, chaotic time!

Sweet Chandler has been a complete angel since entering the world. She loves sleep, sleep and more sleep. She LOVES to snuggle and bounce with Mommy. She loves to be talked to and loves watching her silly big brother. She is sleeping wonderfully and after a few changes to formula and bottles, she's eating great, too. She started smiling at 5 weeks and hasn't stopped since. She is even beginning to let out a few giggles. I won't even attempt to explain how cute THAT is. She is perfect in every way :)

Harris. Harris, Harris, Harris. Where do I begin? This little ball of energy is a MESS. He just gets sillier and sillier. He is figuring out that he can say no to something and simply not do it OR do exactly what I've just told him not to. Welcome to Terrible Twos :) I have a hard time juggling wanting to put him in permanent time out or laughing at his sass. He is SO passionate about the things he doesn't like and more importantly, what he DOES like!

He has discovered the wonderful world of Disney movies. His favorites are:

Peter Pan (PeePie and his shawoah (shadow) are a hit around here) 

Cars (Cah (Lightning McQueen), Manny (Tow Mater)

Little Mermaid (mee-may or gool (girl) )

He is saying some really sweet things right now, too:

"Howol" What he says when he wants me to hold him

"Biiiiig House" Our new house in Atlanta ;)

"Bees" Every bug

"Geegert" Yogurt

"Chewies" Fruit chews

These kids just continue to keep me on my heels. I'm hoping that we will be completely settled in soon and life will be normal! I'm thankful for entertainment from my sweet kids during all the change the last two months. I'll say it again, God is GOOD!

Sunday Scribbles~Harris and THE FIGHT

It was bound to happen. I knew the day would come. It was only a matter of time...

Harris got in trouble at school.

I went to pick him up Thursday and as I turned the corner into his room I could tell he had been crying. He was trying his hardest to pout and clinging to his favorite teacher, Ms. Hannah. I immediately became worried and asked "WHAT'S WRONG?" Ms. Victoria smiled and said "Harris just got in trouble for the first time EVER!" Then she proceeded with her story:

Harris has a few new classmates that were moved up from the nursery. Supposedly, some of the older kids (Harris included) are having issues with these new babies being in their space and in the attention of the teachers. One baby really rubbed Harris the wrong way on Thursday so he retaliated. Ms. Victoria turned around in time to see Harris push Baby Eli out of a chair. When Ms. Victoria scolded him he looked her in the eye and then STOMPED Baby Eli's foot. Oh boy. Needless to say he was punished, I'm assuming by way of timeout.

Now, I can't lie. I laughed when she told me. ONLY after I was sure Baby Eli was well, which he was. I couldn't believe my sweet boy would do something so ugly. I guess he's becoming just that though...a little BOY and learning about male dominance, wrestling, etc. Let's all just say a prayer that he doesn't walk around the house stomping on Chandler in the coming weeks...

Just to redeem your view of him for this week, here are some SWEET things he has done :

He's obviously cutting a tooth right now and I'm guessing its a molar which means he is NOT a happy camper at times. The only upside to him not feeling great is that he is ALL ABOUT his mommy. He comes to my side just to hold my hand or give me a hug, all the while saying "Mommy" with a huge grin on his face. After about the 50th time he does this in an hour I have to stop and remind myself that I WILL miss this one day ;) He is also re-learning to put himself to sleep. With all of the sickness he's had over the last few months he has become dependent on rocking again. Lately he's enjoyed laying in his bed with me sitting on the ottoman next to his crib. He sticks his little hand out of the crib and holds my hand until he dozes off. It is precious to say the least. He has become very much about his Daddy lately (unless he isn't feeling well) and loves giving Daddy BIG hugs after work. He loves eating chicken ("bok bok bok") and sometimes I'll tell him other things are chicken just to get him to eat them. That also works in telling him things are cookies. (Don't judge me, I'm trying to get a toddler to eat...) 

I hope you all have a great week!

"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance."

~2 Thessalonians 3:3~

My Own Cheerleader

I love those moments when I KNOW, without a doubt, that God is speaking directly to my heart about something. When those times come I am reminded of the love that He has for His children and I am honored to be called His child. I've had that happen this week and my prayer is that some of you other mamas (and daddies) out there will be blessed by this! 

I'm 36 weeks pregnant-technically full term! We have an induction date scheduled for 2/20 unless sweet Chandler wants to come a little earlier. I remember this point in my pregnancy with Harris and thinking I was tired. I was cranky because of heartburn and lack of sleep. I had horrible back pain and my hips felt like I had been beat with a bat. I was so ready to get him here! Looking back on that time, I WAS tired but I was also able to come home after work and LAY DOWN until bedtime. Eliot would serve me dinner on the couch if that's what I wanted and Saturdays were spent doing absolutely nothing. Eliot and I would have nice dates weekly and we could sleep all day on Saturday if we wanted. I also remember that week before Harris was born I didn't even work! I laid around the house and read two books. It was awesome!

Now here we are. That some point with Chandler and if I thought I was tired then, there are no words for what I feel now. I don't necessarily feel bad I'm just mentally and physically EXHAUSTED. I drag myself out of bed in the morning after a night of no sleep and just count down the hours until Eliot comes home to help out. See, I was tired when I was pregnant with Harris but now I'm pregnant and CHASING Harris. Laying around on the couch is a fond memory of the past and there is no dinner being served various places around the house because we have dinner around the table, as a family. Harris is to the age now that he knows when something is going on with Mommy. If I'm not myself, he can tell and he stresses out. He gets sad when I'm down so I find myself trying to have energy for him. I'm trying to have strength to keep dinner cooking and a nice, clean home for Eliot to come home to. You see, I know what my job is and I can't in good conscience just go crawl in the bed and say "see ya suckas!" (Which I've totally contemplated btw...)

That's where God comes in. Earlier last week I was praying for strength and endurance for these last few weeks and then even more after she's here! In my Bible study on Wednesday we talked about a beautiful verse that jumped out at me so vividly, I knew it was encouragement from God.

2 Thessalonians 3:13

"As for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good."

Were you expecting more? There isn't really much to it. I guess that's why I knew the comfort I felt when I read it had to have come from God. What I do every day is "good". It may not be glamorous. I'm certainly not spreading the Gospel to hundreds of people. I'm not getting paid one dime. I know, however, that what I do holds eternal value in God's eyes and because of that, its good. Paul prayed a long time ago that Christians would not grow tired of doing what is "good" and I'm confident I was included in that prayer. Knowing God is watching me saying "Keep going Ashley! You can do this!" is all I need to get through the next few weeks and then some. Praise God for those little "hugs" He sends down sometimes!

Harris These Days

I had a revelation last night around 3:00 am that I figured was a sign from God. I feel like I've done a pretty good job at documenting Harris and his silly adventures up to this point. I've taken about a million pictures and stuffed his baby book to the rim! Now, this revelation was not about me being a good secretary but about the fact that in another few weeks I'm going to have TWO little ones to observe! I don't think I'll start ignoring the things around me, I'm just afraid that I won't remember to document and I have a terrible memory! So I guess I will start trying to keep up with my babies here! Hopefully I can do this :)

To begin..... Harris is 19 months old right now. He is talking UP A STORM. He will attempt just about anything you ask him to say. If he can't say it he simply says "Babies". Works for me! I do have some favorite words that he says. You know, the ones that make you melt when he says them? 

-Mommy- duh... his face when he says it though is just so sweet!

-Shhhong- this is his word for "strong" We sing the song "Daddy Daddy oh so strong!' and Harris adds his own little "shhhhong" at the end while showing his muscles ;)

-Huss- his word for "horse" So sweet!

-Sssssss- his word for raisins. Now, this may seem kind of lazy but it cracks me up every time

-Guhl- his word for "girl" as in "hey guh, what up?"

-Bok Bok Bok- his word for "chicken" I say Harris what do you want to eat? He says "Bok Bok Bok" this may be a little offensive in some settings....like McDonalds WHILE eating chicken nuggets

-Toota-"tooter" as in I said (after he passed gas very loudly) "Harris! You are a tooter!" He grinned and said in an almost whisper "toota" Awesome :)

-Hey- his name for "Emmie" this may seem strange BUT we always say "Hey Emmie!" He thinks "hey" is her first name. Fair enough.

-Cookeeeee-obviously, "cookie" Just last night he woke up at 2:00 am crying for said "cooookeeeee" He is his mother's child...

Harris is really turning into quite the sweetie. His teachers at BSF (our Bible study we attend on Wednesdays) ADORE him. Mrs. Smith says she wants to take him home. They tell me he's gentle with the other children and does a great job at listening and participating in the activities. His teachers at Mother's Day Out love him, too. He gets excited to go see them especially Ms. Hannah. Wow...he loves her! I love seeing his artwork he brings home and knowing he is content while he's there means the world to me. I have also received reports that he blows kisses to Ms. Lindsay from across the hall during lunchtime. He's a sneaky one ;) 

One of his favorite activities right now is working puzzles and he's so FAST at them too! It makes me giggle every time because he claps for himself after each piece is in place. He also loves to talk about shapes. He can identify stars, squares, circles, triangles and hearts. I'm very impressed by this of course! He LOVES Mickey Mouse and his favorite episode is Choo Choo Express. We watch it EVERY day..sometimes more than once but no need to get into that! He loves to color and play with stickers. He LOVES exploring outside and luckily we've had spring weather that has allowed us to play outside a lot. He loves to torment Emmie. He chases her around beating her with his bobbit or trying to kiss her, depending on the mood he's in. She's a good sport about it and usually just takes whatever attention he'll give her. He's obsessed with trains right now (thus the whole choo choo express thing..) 

My angel is just growing up so fast! He is so much fun and is FULL TIME entertainment. I love his kisses and his hugs and those beautiful smiles he gives me. He brings so much joy into my world! I'm so blessed to be able to watch this little boy grow up and learn the world around him :) 

Train Up A Child

I'm four weeks away from bringing another little miracle into our home. I can't believe that the Lord has blessed me in this way. We have a beautiful, healthy baby boy and we will now have a daughter. I've been beyond excited about having a girl since we first found out. What woman doesn't want to have a little girl to dress up and put bows in her hair? I can't imagine what my love for this little girl will be like because I know it will be totally different than the love I have for my sweet Harris. Something new has begun to sit on my heart though and I'm praying that God will answer my questions.

I have felt like Harris becoming a man has been Eliot's job. Sure, its my job to teach him about God and the things that the Lord requires of him. Its my job to teach him to be polite, mannerly, obedient and to not pick his nose or laugh when he passes gas. Its my job to HOPEFULLY show him the type of woman God desires for him BUT the meat of things belongs to Eliot. Eliot is the one to teach him about caring for his family and working hard to support his family. Eliot will teach him the value of respecting women and treating his future wife the way Christ treats His church. Eliot will have to teach him to throw a baseball and the best wrestling moves (not because that's a "man's job" but because I'm about as athletic as a dishrag). I have watched my precious husband begin all of these things over the last 19 months and I am in awe of him. He has committed to teaching and mentoring our son the way God has called him to do.

Here's where I come in: Now we have a little GIRL on the way. Eliot will have to teach her that a man is to respect her. He will teach her how to guard her heart in Christ and he will teach her discipline. He will most certainly show her what it means to be spoiled rotten because I know I adore my dad in every sense of the word. He will HOPEFULLY show her the type of man God desires for her. However, as in the case of Harris, the meat of things belongs to me. I will have to show her what a Godly woman looks like. I don't want to show her what a worldly woman looks like or even a successful woman (according to the world) looks like. No,  I want her to see God in me. I think about the Godly women in my life and how they influence my thoughts and actions and I want Chandler to grow up one day and think "I'm so glad my mom taught me______!" All of these things put pressure on me!

I've begun to prepare my mind for these things and asking for God's guidance. I have started to pray that God will teach her through me and that I won't have to rely on my weak human state to do anything! I pray that both of my children will see the Lord in their parents and through their actions learn what the Lord desires for their lives. I'm so thankful that I can take my worries and thoughts to God with faith that He will provide the way! 

Thank God for Moms!

Sometimes people do things for you and you are reminded of how God uses people on Earth to bless your life. Last week I was overwhelmed by the self-sacrificial love two very special people showed Eliot and me and I think they deserve some recognition!

Tuesday night my mother-in-law and I went to dinner and fabric shopping and left Harris home with Daddy. We came home at 8 to discover that a stomach virus had come to visit the Murray home and Harris was the first victim! Jan stayed around the house long enough to make sure we were ok and worked on my sweater to get the...umm...remnants of the virus off of it...yeah, yuck. Two days later Harris was still sick and unable to go to Mother's Day Out but I still had to work. Without a second thought, Jan came right on over to care for Harris while I worked for a couple of hours. She knew what she was coming into but did so anyway because she loves us that much!

Friday morning the other two Murray's, Eliot and Ashley, caught the virus. MY mom came into Montgomery and stayed at our house for 2 nights to care for the three of us. She totally took care of Harris and made sure that Eliot and I had groceries and things to keep us hydrated. She knew she would catch the virus but said "that's what mommies do, regardless of how old their babies are". We tried to keep things sanitized as much as possible but with three people with the virus smothering one other person in a 1400 square foot house, it was bound to happen...

Both my mom and Eliot's mom ended up with the virus. I don't know what Eliot and I would have done without them but I felt so bad that they would come and meet our needs knowing what it meant for them. A mother's love is beautiful and I am SO thankful for their help. We are blessed by them daily and I, especially, am blessed to have a picture of what a mother's heart should look like. I am constantly amazed by the pure selfless nature God places in each and every mother. I'm especially thankful that HE sends help in times of need! 

THANK YOU MOM AND JAN!

Hidden Treasures

I have written before about seeing the world through the eyes of my child. It's an amazing thing to see the things he notices when I would simply walk by without a single glance. I was reminded of his beautiful, innocent view of the world last week and had to share.

We were outside playing on one of the 70 degrees-in-January kind of days. Despite the Spring-like weather at our house, there wasn't much going on in the way of vegetation in the backyard. Harris and I were left to sit in dead grass and weeds while we looked for birds and clouds. One of his favorite things to play outside is "pick flowers for Mommy". He gathers handfuls of grass and delivers them to me with a smile the size of Texas and honestly, those little fistfuls of dead grass can rival any expensive bouquet of roses you can find, BUT  I won't get into the sweetness of my little boy...today ;)

Anyway, as we sat doing what we do he immediately jumped up and began saying "oooooo! Mama! Mama! aslkdulnienfk! (we don't know what he's saying half the time) ooooo!" I started looking around trying to find what had gotten him so excited. I was looking for birds flying over or a hidden ball left to be discovered. I was listening for the sound of dogs barking or the kids across the street laughing. Nope. Nothing. Harris continued to look up at me laughing and pointing at some unseen treasure. I said, "Baby, you'll have to show Mommy. I can't see anything!" He ran over to a spot in the dead, dry grass and bent over. I think to myself "oh, he's just finding new grass to pick". I looked a little closer though and there was a dandelion growing in the middle of a brown patch on the ground. How he spotted it I have no clue, but he was so proud. He began picking it to deliver to his number one lady...me.

I was instantly convicted by God then and have continued to be for the last week. I realized then that I spend my days focusing on the negative, the ugly, the dead, dry grass that piles up in this fallen world. I spend sleepless nights worrying about my troubles. I seek counsel from Eliot and friends on dealing with the "horrible" things in my life. Then I see my baby look not to the ugly in the backyard, but that one beautiful flower growing in the middle of the ugly. He didn't just pass over the one flower and begin stomping on the dead grass. He didn't cry and say "it may look like a flower but I know it's still just a weed". No, my sweet angel embraced that one "flower" as the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He carried it around for about 15 minutes (which in toddler time is long in case you didn't know) playing with it and smiling all the while. 

What if we tried looking for the small blessings as much as we focus on the negative sides of our days? I was so caught up in the fact that our grass was dead that I didn't bother to look for any sign of beauty. How often do I do that just on a daily basis? I am challenged now to look for good in my day. I don't want to miss any of the blessings of beauty God puts in my path, regardless of obvious they may or may not be! I am again thankful for the little lessons I learn from God through a little boy named Harris.