Thursday, March 21, 2013

Well Child



Jude had his 6-year well child check up this week and he's a-growin.  He is 49 lbs and in the 75th % for weight and height.  I find this nuts because he's a full head taller than every kid in his class.  I really expected him to be in the 100th for his height.  Everything is well with him!  

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Organized Chaos

I'm so needing to organize right now.  The only nesting that took place during my pregnancy involved decorating.  Usually at this point in a home we have already moved, so I have gotten rid of tons of things and have started over somewhere new and fresh.  Since we plan to be here for a long time, I'm feeling the need to get things organized.

Don't get me wrong, I am somewhat organized.  Everything at least has a place at my house, it's just that the place or pile gets out of hand after a while.  It's what I call organized chaos.

Here are some spaces i'm dreaming of...


Loving this for the food pantry at church.  My new volunteer, Kelly, has done a great job organizing, but I may have to get some plastic bins for her!  





I need to get busy.  I also need to find some spare time and be willing to spend some cash for the sake of organization, and sanity.  It's expensive to be organized.  I want everything to be all matching and pretty like the pics above.  Sooo, maybe this will not be happening anytime soon.  I'll keep dreaming. OR, maybe I can con Kelly into coming over and doing it for me.  It's her love language,  

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

rollie pollie five month ollie

Yep, that's right!  Hattie girl is 5 months old now.  This last month seems to have been her most advanced.  She accomplished several milestones and seems so big now.  Her little personality is really coming out.

This last month she went from stomach "swimming" to holding herself up on her forearms.  She started rolling over, back to front, mid month.  She has also rolled front to back several times, but seems more comfortable with the former for now.  She grabs on to things and pulls them toward her mouth and sucks and gnaws on them.  Her favorite right now is my hair.  She loves to stick her tongue out and move it all round.  She also sticks it out and blows raspberries quite often.  Sometimes in the middle of the night when she gets up to eat (yes, that's still happening), she will sleepily look up at me, blow a raspberry in my face and giggle.  Oh yes, she giggles.  It's the sweetest sound, and she laughs a lot.  She thinks it's pretty hilarious when we blow on her tummy and kiss her face and neck.  Her trunk has gotten significantly stronger this fast month.  She holds herself up well and with little support (not sitting, but when being held).  She also seems more aware of who is holding her and when i'm not around. She wants nothing to do with bottles anymore, so mom has got about a three hour max for extracurricular activities.  I took Dallas to get a vasectomy on Friday, and when we got home Hattie was screaming her head off.  She was so distraught and it broke my heart. I want her to be comfortable around others, but she is just so attached to us right now.  AND she was with her Nana, not even a stranger.  Poor baby.  Hattie's hair is growing in up top, and you know what, I think she's a brunette!  I see a little blonde coming through, but it mostly looks dark to me.  It will be strange to not have her toe-headed like the boys in the summer, but honestly there is something refreshing to me about having her be a brunette.  She won't have to deal with the unfortunate darkening of hair as a teenager, and having to deal with highlights and all that jazz.  I love the color of Dallas' hair, maybe it will be like his!! Either way, she's perfect!

Hey, what's this thing hanging in my mouth?!  

I'm finally preparing to put her in her crib and feel comfortable enough to have her away from my side, knowing now that she can both breath through her nose and roll over on her own if she needs to.  I think the breathing issue has hindered her sleep at night.  We suck her out with the nas frida every chance we get. Sometimes waking her up to do so because she would be so stuffy.  Anyone else ready for summer!?  Goodness gracious.

Her neck has straightened up significantly, and we made the choice to stop both PT and Chiro several weeks ago.  We are praying over her and know that she is just fine.

I am waiting until month six to introduce solids (just in case there's any truth to that obesity claim).  I think she's ready.  She watches us eat and opens her mouth or licks her lips.  She will love it! Hopefully that will help her make it through the night as well!

Hattie is wearing 3-6 month clothes, size three diapers, and I'm still shoving her cute little feet into her crochet booties! This month we have had an overwhelming amount of comments on how much she looks like Rhett.  I definitely see it, but she doesn't look like Rhett at this age.  I'll have to post pics.

Did I mention she loves her tongue?!  It seems freakishly long and pointy too.  

First Valentine's Day (she was still 4 months old here).  I bought this outfit for her last year after V'day when I found out she was a girl:).  It was one of the first things I bought for her.  It's so fun to see her wearing all of the things I was trying to imagine her in back then.  

It has been so fun having a baby girl!  I have loved every minute of it, and am so blessed to have experienced the joy of both boys and girls.  It has been pure joy watching my boys love on Hattie, and to see their sensitivity to her needs. So sweet!

I finally had a date night with this guy!  We are trying to make that happen once a month, but hopefully more often than that!  We are planning a few fun getaways, a 10 year anniversary trip and a trip with friends.  Much needed time together.



Hopefully none of you are getting overwhelmed by my monthly posts:). I actually do have a lot to talk about, I'm just trying to be on the computer as little as possible with my three littles running around. I have a feeling posting from my phone would be too challenging for this gal.

Spring forward is like Christmas morning for me...more light, more playing outside, more running, warmer weather....ahhhh!  Super excited! Happy Spring this month!!


Sarah


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

not so quick to judge..

Judgement has been on my mind and heart lately.  My judgement of others and other people's judgement of me.  I have learned, ever so humbly, not to judge.  I don't feel as though I walked around in blatant judgement of other moms, it is as innocent as making little comments to my husband or friends, or even as small as a thought that would cross my mind when I would witness something.

I did not have some great epiphany or spiritual encounter to come to this 'do not judge' conclusion.  I know it's wrong, I know the bible talks about it, but I don't think I really understood how overtaking it can be.  How by judging someone else I'm putting my own relationship with the Lord at risk and hindering my walk with Him.  And however innocent, judgment is still judgement, with the same consequences.

So what revelation pointed out this sin in my life?  I simply had a third child.  A game changer, if you will.  Some people may have three children and read this and think I'm nuts.  Some people may have just two children and get my point completely.  Or some of you may think I'm just weak and can't handle it.  Here's the deal, three kids is hard.  I'm not one to put-on or pretend to make my life look like all of the pieces just fall into place and everything is glorious all of the time.  It's not.  It's hard.  Some days your children are sweet and loving and wonderful listeners who follow the rules.  Some days they are strong-willed, unruly tantrum throwing miniature people.  Some days they take off running across the parking lot with you chasing them, screaming for them to stop, and them laughing and giggling their cute little heads off.  OR they completely lose it at a PTA meeting because you gave them an 'everything' bagel that they begged for because they thought it was a donut with sprinkles, and now they have tasted an onion.  Heaven forbid.

The thing is, I'm doing my best.  I'm consistent, I discipline, I love, I cry and I pray for my kids.  Even though all of these things are true of me, I still get the looks.  The glaring looks from other moms, from people at church, subtle comments that pierce my heart.  Under-the-breath comments from family, friends and strangers.  Subtle digs. Sighs from people behind me in the checkout line at Target.  Sometimes it feels like everyone thinks they could do a better job raising my children. Let me tell you, this is discouraging.  It breaths lies into your life and the lives of your children. I have had to flat out rebuke things that friends and family members have spoken over my kids.  Even when it comes across in a joking manor.

So something struck me when I took this to the Lord.  I too judge others based on the behavior of their children.  The thing is, I have no place, no clue, and no right to do such a thing.  Just as a mother to one or two children may have no idea what i'm going through with three, I have no idea what's happening in the lives of other families.  What circumstances they are enduring, the personalities of their children, etc... no matter how many kids they have.  What it must be like to have four or five children and all of the scheduling, tantrums and stress that must go along with that.  I should encourage them, lift them up, pray for them and be there as support.

I can't even describe to you how wonderful and refreshing it is to have someone to encourage you.  A complete stranger, even.  At the start of the school year my oldest was having a hard time going to school.  I left my youngest in the car right outside the door because he was sleeping, while I walked Jude to the door.  He screamed and cried and begged me to walk him to his class.  I must have been at least 11 months pregnant and I just had enough. All of the other moms were kissing their littles goodbye and they were running through the school doors happy as could be, while I had a gigantic 5 year old tumor stuck to my leg begging me to take him home with me.  I was starting to cry and sternly telling Jude that he had to go to school.  All of the sudden a super sweet mom came up to me and said, "I'll watch your car for you so you can walk him to class." I instantly trusted her and was able to walk Jude to his classroom where he hugged me and thanked me for the extra 30 seconds we had together that morning.  That mom didn't judge me, she helped me.  She did what she could in that minute to take my tears away and ease my day a little. And that helped Jude as well.  I recently saw her again and thanked her for helping me that day and she said, "We moms have to stick together and help each other out."  It's so true.

Another day I was on an unavoidable trip to Walmart with all three kids and they were all over the place.  I was trying to control the situation and a bit frazzled.  A man across the aisle looked at me and said, "You're doing a good job, Momma."  I must have given him a doubtful look because he followed up with, "Seriously, it's a hard job, and you are doing great!"  That little bit of encouragement was what I needed in that moment to not totally lose it with my kids in public.  Especially when I'm getting looks and rudeness from others around me.  One lately literarily cart-rammed me because I was taking up too much space.  True story.

Sometimes the stress of all of this makes me angry.  Angry that my children aren't just little robots who do whatever I tell them.  That they have minds of their own.  That they are spunky little versions of me (if we're being honest here).  And I don't want that to be the case.  I want to embrace their gifts and what these qualities will create in them as big people.  How God will use them with these personalities they have been gifted.  When I pray for them, I pray that God would help me raise them and discipline them without crushing their spirit.  That's the last thing I want to do.  I have good kids!  Really good kids.  They are not robots, they are very spirited and passionate.  I get excited thinking about the things God will use them for!  

Last night I was pointed to a blog post by Lysa TerKuerst from Proverbs 31 ministries.  It was no accident that I saw this.  It was just what I needed ending my day yesterday.  I love it when God does that!

I love that God gives us companions, friends or even complete strangers to lift us up.  To raise our spirits, encourage each other with our stories, and to be honest about what life really looks like.  People who make you feel bad about yourself, subtly condemn you and judge you are not your friends.  Don't surround yourselves by these people.  Choose your friends wisely and surround yourself with people who will encourage you and build you up in the Lord.  Honest people who don't try to make you feel inadequate.  That's the kind of thing satan does.

These are the scriptures I will be studying!

 Matthew 7:1-5 
"Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
 Romans 14:12-13 
 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.  Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
 1 Corinthians 4:5 
Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

Luke 6:37 

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;

Colossians 3:13 

 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

James 4:11-12 

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Galatians 5:14 

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
 Ephesians 4:29 
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Be encouraged Momma!
Sarah