It's only noon and I can't decide what my favorite moment of the day has been. Here's the the contenders so far.
1) Ava bringing me every flower she could find in our backyard
2) Ava seeing a butterfly in the backyard and then dancing around in circles and waving her arms, pretending to be a butterfly.
3) Watching Ava lay all of her baby dolls into her bed on her pillow, tucking them in, giving them multiple kisses (actual and blown), telling them "I love you" and "Good night" and singing "Jesus Loves Me" to them.
4) Having Ava stand next to me while I was humming and rocking a fussy Madelyn, humming to and rocking her baby doll right along with me.
Madelyn had her two month check up last week. Every thing looks good. She's in the 97th percentile for height at 12 pounds 3 ounces and in the 75th percentile for weight at 24 1/2 inches. She has a little umbilical granuloma (basically a little leftover umbilical cord) that they treated and will hopefully go away on it's own. If not she might have to see a surgeon but I don't think that's going to be necessary.
Madelyn is growing fast, she can hold her head up on her own now and gives us the biggest most beautiful smiles and she's so close to starting to laugh. I can't wait for that!
Staying home all day with a baby and a toddler can be trying at times, but then some days it just makes my heart feel like it might burst with the joy of it.
It's such a blessing to have been given these two little girls to raise and care for. I'm constantly praying that the Lord would make me everything they need me to be for them and give me wisdom in how to teach and train and love them. I often get this sudden panicky feeling because I feel like I'm not able to give them everything I wish I could. I can't afford to feed them all the very best, all natural, organic food at every meal, buy them lots of toys or dress them in the most adorable new clothing. I start to feel guilty and stressing about how I can somehow manage to give them those things. And then, thankfully, I remember that there are children all over the world starving to death, that there are moms in India feeding their children mud to keep them from crying from terrible hunger (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8682558.stm) and that as an American my children are among the most privileged in the world. And I feel like an idiot and very ashamed of myself for being so ungrateful for all the Lord has given us and our kids. Especially because the Lord has been SO faithful to us and blessed us so many times with things for our family. God is so good and so gracious towards me.
Thank you Lord for all you've done for our family, please help me to stop being so "American" and raise my children with hearts of gratitude and a desire to live their lives for God's glory and to serve others.
Playing in the cool cardboard fort she helped Dada build.
Madelyn can smile!
Playing at the park
And there's fountains at the park!
2 comments:
What park is that? Looks fun.
I, too, used to feel the guilt thing. But I don't anymore. My secret? I don't buy the boys ANYTHING. I spend all my hard-earned money on myself. Poof - instant cure! mwaaaahahahaha!
Hey Beth,
That's a good suggestion on how to live guilt free. I think I'll leave my kids home alone today and hit the mall. ;o)
The park is in Frisco, I can't remember the name. It's a little far away but pretty amazing. Like Arbor Hill on steroids (expensive steroids because it's in Frisco of course).
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