Sweet Thing

A month since her birth... she's grown so much! And has started to smile (but not for the camera yet). Hopefully that post comes soon! For now, here she is relaxing on the couch next to me this morning.





I love her! I love her! Don't you?

An Interesting Offer...

Since sweet N was born and we are awake in the night again there has been a new wave of the middle-of-the-night-delirious comments from Mikey! (See previous posts here and here.) These do tend to keep me entertained as I force myself up to care for my daughter in those painful hours. Most of them I can't remember the next morning... but the latest one I didn't forget!

As I was getting myself arranged to nurse N, Mike turned over and looked at me with a face of compassion. I think he felt bad that I had to be up and he wanted to help. So he did what is only natural...

"Do you want me to feed her honey?"
"Um, well...thanks for the offer Mikey, but I think I'll go ahead and take care of it."

HA! Such a sweet offer. If only he were capable.

I wonder what he would have done if I would have said yes...

Emotional Complication

We found out today that it looks like we're gonna get our visas to return to our home on the other side of the world. Halleluiah! Um, I think. Yeah! Well... mostly. Right? I'm glad! Sorta. Yes, I am!!

We are really ready to go back. We feel like our time there is not done, and we feel especially honored to be getting in during a time where many are leaving instead. This is what we've been hoping for, praying for, planning for. But oh my goodness... it doesn't mean it's easy. Today the thoughts and challenges and worries hit me like a brick wall...

This lifestyle is so emotionally complicated to me. I just came up with that term myself... but I think it's fairly accurate. Conflicting thoughts and feelings have taken up residence in my heart, and sorting through them and making sense of them is difficult.

I have REALLY enjoyed this extended break in the States. Not that it's been much of a break... it's been very busy! But it has been wonderful. Marvelous. Joyous. I was so blessed to be here in the summer. To see my nephew's baptism and have family vacation with my husband's family. I was so blessed to be here in fall. To see the leaves change color, to feel the refreshing cool temperatures, to watch football (not over the internet), to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends, to settle into our cozy home downtown, to be apart of our unique community each day, and to make sweet preparations for my daughter. I was so blessed to be here in winter. To see beautiful snowfall, and decorate my home for Christmas, to have fun visits with my family, and to deliver my baby girl in a lovely hospital. I have not taken any of these things for granted! This season has been a gift that God ordained for us!

But the danger all along, I've known, is that the degree to which I enjoy this country and everything that comes with it is the same degree to which I may miss it when I'm gone. I have been aware of that from the start but I refused to let it hold me back from REALLY enjoying life during this time. And so I have enjoyed it. Really, really enjoyed it.

And now we're looking ahead to leaving this place again, and I'm feeling that crazy flood of emotions. The emotional complications. Time to put a 'pause' on this life and fly to the other side of the world and hit the 'play' button on that life. Sounds weird. And it's not entirely true. But that is pretty much how it feels.

I'm willing. I'm even a bit excited to be challenged to the core again. As I've heard it put... "Hard is good and easy rots the soul" And it is gonna be hard. It's gonna be hard to pack up all my belongings and put them in storage again. It's gonna be hard to go to community worship for a last time. It's gonna be hard to say goodbye to friends that have grown ever more dear over these months. And it's gonna be IMPOSSIBLE to watch the grandparents say goodbye to their grandkids. again.

But we'll do it. We will "exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance develops maturity of character. And character produces joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5 (Amplified Bible) I am so glad that this is the true word of God! All this is not in vain... oh my my friends... it's not in vain!! For we have been given the gift of God's love.

So... here I am Jesus... ready to jump into the 'hard' again. I know You're with me. And I know that it's not all hard. There are so many great joys in the midst of it. It's just I'm trying to get my mind wrapped around it again. I'm willing to deal with all this emotional complication. And how glad I am that you are so close by my side through it all...

I Had to Laugh

The other day I was shopping at the grocery store. As I strolled through the dairy section I saw a scrap of paper lying on top of a cookie display. A quick glance revealed that it was someone's shopping list. They had obviously placed it there and forgotten to grab it again after they had chosen their milk from the fridge. I didn't notice any particular item on the list except at the bottom, with a bold box drawn around it was written 'PRENATALS.'

And I had to laugh.

Talk about pregnant brain! Case and point. Sorry you forgot your list lady... but we understand. Oh... do we EVER understand.

Our Sweet Christmas Baby

As certain as I was that she was NEEEEVER gonna come out of my belly... our sweet daughter arrived a couple days ago.

Our baby girl was 8 pounds 4 ounces and 21 inches at birth.
We are leaving the hospital shortly to go home and introduce her to her big brother and begin everyday life as a family of four.

We feel so blessed and honored to have added this little girl to our family and can't wait to watch her grow!!

Repeat Conversation

"H... do you know who is coming to visit soon?"

"Poppi, Home Depot, me?"

"Yes dear, Poppi will take you to home Depot. Do you know who else is coming to visit?"

"Gammi, read books, me?"

"Yes dear, I'm sure Grammi would love to read some books to you."

(We are ALL excited to see our families in the next few weeks! Whoo-hooo!)

Sweet Preparations

I love to think ahead. Plan. Anticipate needs. Make preparations. Organize. These things bring joy to my heart! So it should be no big surprise that I have put lots of thought and effort into making preparations for our little girl's arrival. All of my boy's baby things are on the other side of the world so we had to start from scratch! God has really provided through family and friends giving, lending, and gifting us with things baby girl will need (and things that her Mama just WANTS her to have!). Thank you!!

And we have prepared a place for her. Kinda. Mike was the first one to call her a nomad... cause she really doesn't have a place of her own. We have extra bedrooms... but they are gonna be full of visitors (a good thing!!!). So, she has a corner of our room to call her own for now. And a basket of supplies that can follow her around. And her 'closet' is in the hallway! I love it though!

The preparations are done sweet girl! We are ready for you and we can't wait to meet you and share you with the world!