Norah - 3 Months Old

Wowsers....3 months!  

College is right around the corner.  Or at least that is what it feels like to this momma.  A growing baby is a good thing, obviously.  But there's something so sad about each passing day, and the understanding that there's no way to turn back.  Of course we know that there is a lot to look forward to, but I'm pretty sure a part of me will always miss these earliest weeks and months.  Norah, on the other hand, seems to feel no sadness about growing up.  See?

This little girl is such a sweet and content and smiley and all-around-precious baby.  She "talks" all the time, and it's so fun to have little conversations with her.  She often folds her hands in front of her, as if she is praying, or brings her fingers into her mouth.

Norah looooooooves her Daddy, and he can get the best smiles and short little gasps of giggles out of her.

Norah's sleeping was pretty sporadic for a while there, but she's become more consistent in recent days.  Typically, she falls asleep around 7:30/8:00 pm, and I wake her up around 10:00 pm for one last feeding.  She will then sleep until 7:00 am, sometimes a tad earlier or sometimes a lot later.  I have a feeling she would sleep all the way through, if I didn't wake her for that last feeding, but I am not quite ready for that yet!  She loves to sleep on her belly, so during the day when I can keep an eye on her, she naps on her tummy.  At night, she goes to sleep all swaddled up, but by morning time she has managed to wriggle her little arms out.

 Exactly one year ago today, Kris and I were halfway across the world, enjoying a carefree vacation in the Philippines...

 

...and we thought that our family was complete.  I remember splurging a little on a new bathing suit before the trip, thinking to myself, no more maternity suits for me...

Well, I am so thankful that God's plan was different than ours (and that the bathing suit managed to stretch with my growing tummy all last summer).  We absolutely can not imagine our family without Norah Jane.  She is a blessing and a gift and we love her like crazy.

Happy 3 Months Sweet Girl!

4th Trimester

I have heard it said that the first 3 months of a baby's life are likened to another trimester of pregnancy. Meaning, they have similar needs as to when they were in the womb. Not exactly sure what that entails, but it does make me a bit teary-eyed to think of my baby's "4th trimester" as being over.

It's true. Sweet little Shane is 3 months old today! He is seriously such a sweet bundle of goodness to us. He is content and sweet and cute and even his drool bubbles are precious. A true joy, this little one is.

He sleeps great...11.5-12 hours straight at night. He naps pretty well during the day, and since we've configured it so that his afternoon nap and the big kids' afternoon naps coincide, Mommy gets time to paint her toenails and eat chocolate and watch soap operas time to read her Bible, get dinner ready, do laundry, pick up toys, clean the house, etc. each afternoon. =)

He doesn't seem to like the pacifier very much, and is constantly trying to suck his fist/fingers/thumb.

We swaddle him at night, but usually by the morning he's wiggled his arms (or at least one of the them) out.

He hates tummy time, as most babies do, and we probably need to work on that more...no mobility on the near horizon, but that is very much okay with me!

His coos are about the cutest things I have ever heard.

He enjoys bath time, although he doesn't get nearly as many full baths as Meredith did when she was a baby, and not even close to as many as Caleb had when he was a baby. Poor 3rd child. Don't worry though, we make sure he's clean. =)

He still likes "playing" on his play mat, although I have to be cautious when giving him floor time...the other day, Meredith tried to put a goldfish cracker in his mouth. Thankfully I caught that one in time!

He has the sweetest little grin, and occasionally lets out some little giggles. We've found a few ticklish spots that make him laugh, and sometimes just talking to him the right way provokes some giggles.



We love our little Shaner. Happy 3 months, baby!

God Knows

Exactly one year ago, on November 10th, 2008, I wrote this post.

I had recently gone through my 2nd miscarriage.

I had recently lost a baby who in mere days I had already become attached to...again.

I had gotten myself into a hole of self-pity, and even worse, a hole of doubt that the Lord loved me, and maybe even worse than that, a hole in which I somehow thought that God owed me something, since I had already gone through the pain of a miscarriage once that year. I had completely forgotten that God is sovereign, even when we dig ourselves a pit. And even when we get stuck in that pit.

The short of it? I was not in a good place. I pretended to be okay. But I wasn't. That post I wrote on November 10th, 2008? It was a lot more talk, than it was walk. I was trying to do what I knew was "right", but didn't really believe that doing what was right would have any impact on my life in any way. And I had no intentions of getting to a good place any time soon. I was ready to give up on trusting God.

God knew.

Thankfully, He had different plans. He encouraged me in amazing ways, through my husband, through my family, through my friends, and through my sweet son. Our pastor began a series on trials not long after my miscarriage that opened my eyes to truth - some truth that was new to me and some truth that I had heard before but had forgotten to take with me into that hole I was in.

God knew.

Not long after that, I got pregnant again. I didn't even know that I could get pregnant so soon, after my body had been so "altered" by the loss of our baby.

God knew.

I didn't take a pregnancy test at home. I went to the doctor for some other "issues", and supposed there could be a chance I was pregnant, so I wasn't totally surprised when the test came back positive. The nurse came out with the results and I looked at her and said, "okay". I wasn't surprised. I wasn't excited. I was numb. I was even somewhat bitter.

God knew.

The first 12 weeks of my pregnancy were not great. While I felt okay physically, I was on "pins and needles" emotionally. I had bleeding (sorry if that is too much information) for the entire 12 weeks, so I was on "modified bed rest". From week 5 to week 12, I was at the doctor 6 times. Every time I went in, I was scared of what "could be". While I so badly wanted to be excited and elated and thankful and all those other wonderful emotions a woman should feel when she is expecting a baby, I was filled with anxiety and fear and helplessness more than anything. I was so afraid that I would lose this baby as well.

God knew.

It was during these 12 weeks that I began to have a greater understanding of God, and my relationship with Him. I began to grasp the truth that grace is real. And that forgiveness is real. And that His love is real.

As I sat in church and listened to our pastor's sermons on trials (while he was in the midst of one himself), I became less anxious, less fearful, and less helpless. I became more trusting, and more okay with my need for Him. I was reminded that we can (and are called to be) content and joyful even while going through a trial. And, I was reminded that God doesn't owe me anything. He chooses to give at certain times, yet at other times, He chooses to take away. That doesn't change His awesomeness, His graciousness, or His love for His children.

And I became confident that no matter what His plan for this baby was, I was okay with it. It would be devastating for me to lose another precious baby, but I felt peace remembering that God already loved this baby that was inside of me....He even loved her more than I did...and however He chose to care for her would be best. Hard to hold fast to that, but He is gracious...

God Knew.

Well, you all know how this "story" unravels....exactly 10 months after I wrote that post on November 10th, 2008, Meredith was born.

God Knew.

As much as it hurt losing those two babies, I can't imagine my life without my sweet daughter. As much as I loved them from the moment I discovered I was pregnant, I can't imagine not having Meredith to love. As much as I wanted those babies to continue growing and thriving in my womb, I can't even begin to imagine life without my little girl, growing this side of my tummy. He had a greater plan for us. His plan was for Meredith to be part of our family. And oh how thankful I am for that.

God Knew.

And today, exactly 15 months from the time I wrote that post, Meredith is 3 months old! She is such a happy little baby and I absolutely adore her (as does the rest of our crew!). It is amazing to me to look back on the past year and see how God's plan has played out. Why I ever doubt that He knows what He is doing is beyond me.

He placed such a beautiful, healthy, smiley (and recently giggly), sweet, and precious little baby into our family. All along, He had Meredith in our futures. He had a plan more wonderful for us than I could have imagined.

He knew.

And I can't imagine it any other way.

Though I may not always understand what He is doing,

God Knows.







Happy 3 Months, Baby Girl!