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.