Last Month as a "Baby"

In one month this little guy is turning one, where has the time gone?! It is amazing how much they change their first year.  We have been so blessed by this little guy's life, and are beyond thankful for the 11 months we've had with him. He brings us so much joy, and really is a constant reminder to us of the goodness of our Great God!

So what's new this month with this kiddo?! A...LOT!

He is "walking" everywhere, with our help, or with the help of his push toys or furniture. I am sure soon enough he will brave up and take a step on his own. But until then he finds ways to walk around on his own, or crawl as fast as he can to get where he wants/needs to go. He can also stand unassisted if he is distracted. He can totally do it, but gets nervous when he realizes that we aren't supporting him anymore and sits down..little stinker!

He has mastered climbing the stairs, with close supervision of course :). He is so proud of himself every time he does it. And climbing the jungle gym at the park is a favorite of his as well. He's tried climbing the slide too, as all kiddos do, but it'll be a few years before you can do that kiddo ;).

He has become even more of a chatterbox, he LOVES to talk. He has full on convos with himself, mommy and daddy, and others in his baby talk...if only we knew what he wanted to say.  He points to things and then just starts talking, it is SO adorable. He says mama or mom mom, dada, baba (bottle), ba (ball), bath, brush, bye, car, and YES (his favorite). 

Brayden has always been affectionate but even more so lately, especially towards mommy, and boy do I love it! He will just come over, for no reason, and bury his head in my shoulder or chest and give me a "hug".  I adore those precious moments.

His favorites at the moment are balls, being outside, musical instruments (SO CUTE to watch him play his drums, keyboard, and other little instruments), lights, and playing chase with daddy.

He is still an awesome eater, loving pretty much anything and everything now that he is eating most solid food! And it shows in his 90% height and weight...STILL!

11 months have come and gone SO fast. We are so thankful for each day the Lord gives us with this precious heart and are excited for what the Lord has planned for his little life!

Pregnancy, A Lesson in Faith, All Over Again

I thought being pregnant for the second time would be SO very different. Although there are differences, such as the way I feel, or how fast it is going, I still find myself struggling with similar things this time around. 

When I was pregnant with Brayden, he was constantly on my mind. Every twinge, ache, or "weird" feeling I experienced was new, and with many of those experiences came questions, fear of the unknown, and worry. I tried to follow most of the "rules" of pregnancy, like staying away from caffeine, and hot tubs, and sushi. I read all the books. I wondered if what I was feeling was "normal", I wondered if the baby was okay (especially before I could feel him during that first trimester), and I found myself searching google for "is __________ typical during pregnancy" countless times during my pregnancy. Through it all, I learned many lessons in faith and found myself humbled by the sustaining grace of the Lord and the reality of Psalm 139:13 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." 

When I held my precious little bundle of joy that January afternoon I was in awe of our Creator and how amazing He truly is. For He had created this little life, grew it and sustained it inside of my womb-it was an absolute miracle. And at that very moment I was reminded of the fact that I had no control over this little life, it was simply a gift of His grace.  For Psalm 139 taught me that it was He who formed the life in my womb, and it is also He who has written each person's days. 

Being pregnant that first time was stretching and good-it grew me in my faith and my dependence upon our good and faithful God. And for that I was thankful. 

I assumed, wrongly, that after being pregnant, and learning those "lessons", that when baby #2 came around, I would be much more faithful.  But the opposite is true. I find myself exhibiting faithlessness often, faced with different and similar struggles. Because each pregnancy is different, so is the sanctification you receive from the Lord. He is quick to remind me through pregnancy of my ZERO control over all things and of my desperate need for His grace and growing faith. 

No matter how many times I look on google to see if what I am experiencing is normal, how many rules I follow, or how careful I am to ensure that this little one is growing properly, changes the reality that HE is the One forming this life and in control of its days, not me. I have to trust Him, for He IS good ALL the time. I have to believe that His care and love and concern for this little life inside of me, far outweighs my love for it. I have to trust my Lord.

I am thankful for pregnancy, the hard days and the blissful ones because in and through it all, I am reminded of His love, and care, and goodness for His beloved as He sanctifies me continually each step of the way.

"Training" Up A Child

I have been consumed lately, not in a bad way, with the thought of parenting.  The little baby we brought home from the hospital 10 1/2 months ago isn't quite so little anymore. His sin nature is manifesting itself, and as our pastor reminded us of recently in a sermon he preached, your child is not a son of God, and therefore they are wicked.  That is hard to grasp on a daily basis, even when you see their sinfulness.  But the reality is that it is true, and because our children are little sinners, and in need of redemption, we must view them as God does, unsaved.

In our society, even among Christian parents, there is this emphasis on raising good kids. However we can modify their behavior to get them to be good, seems to be the goal of many parents.  After all, we don't want to be those parents in the store who have the three year old wailing on the floor because he wants a box of cookies, or the parents of the kid at the restaurant who throws food at guests nearby.  We want kids who are obedient, well mannered, and basically, good.  

The problem is, having a good kid, CANNOT be the Christian parents goal.  Although there are manners that need to be taught, appropriate behaviors that must be learned, and social norms that our children will be schooled in, if we don't address the fundamental problem, the heart, we have failed to be faithful to our duty as their parents.  The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9 that "the heart is wicked above all else...". Our children's hearts are wicked, and in order for them to see their need for the Savior we so love, they must see their sin, and the wickedness of their very hearts.  

But how on earth do we go about doing this? Especially in a culture that promotes self esteem, how am I as a parent supposed to teach and train my child that their hearts are wicked, that they are innately sinful and bad and that only Christ can make them good? I have been thinking, praying and reading and have been burdened with this task. Although it is by the grace of God ALONE that my children will ever come to faith, there is still a heavy responsibility that I bear, as a mother, to train them, to point them towards Jesus, and to equip them with the tools that I pray the Lord will use to draw them to himself.

PRAY: It starts on our knees. Only in Him can we find the strength, the wisdom, and the grace to train up and disciple these little ones HE has entrusted to us. There are countless verses in Scripture we can spend time praying for our children.  Here are just a few:
Pray that Jesus will CALL them and nobody will hinder them from coming: "Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. "(Matthew 19:13–15)

Pray they will respond to the persistent call of Christ: "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

Pray they will be sanctified by the work of the Spirit: "And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

Pray for their purity: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8)

(Taken from: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/seven-things-to-pray-for-your-children)

DISCIPLINE: This isn't one many moms, or dads, are most excited about, but it is fundamental to training up our children.  We can't get around the Biblical principle of discipline, and I would even go further and say spanking.  Proverbs 22:15 says, "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;The rod of discipline will remove it far from him."

TEACH: There are teachable moments all throughout our days.  Whether it be at the park, in the kitchen, or during a dispute between siblings; the Lord calls us to make the most of every opportunity and we must be on the watch for these moments each and every day, always creatively thinking how we can incorporate Truth, and the Gospel in real life.
Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go,Even when he is old he will not depart from it."
2 Timothy 3:14-15 "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

SHOW: We have to set the example, we have to be the role models.  If our children see us with repentant hearts, they see the Gospel in action, and our need for Jesus too.  If our children see our Bibles open throughout the day, their curiosity will be heightened. If our children hear our prayers, they too will learn how to talk to Jesus.  We have to lead them by example, in real every day life.  And I truly believe when they see us as we really are, still being sanctified, they will see Jesus as even more glorious.
1 Corinthians 10:32 "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ."

These are just some of the ways I have been encouraged to grow in on this journey of parenting.  My little one may only be 10 months, but I am certain that our call to train them up starts from birth and my prayer is that I would be a vessel that the Lord uses to bring them to Him.

10 Months!

We officially have a little man in our home!  It is crazy how much has changed in the last month.  Brayden has went from crawling to crawling and pulling himself up on everything, pushing toys and walking, and taking steps with the help of mommy and daddy.  I look at him and am amazed how
 it was only 10 months ago that we brought him home from the hospital...they grow way. too. fast.

Brayden is still quite the inquisitive one.  He is an observer; whether we are outside, in a new place, or even at home, his curiosity is evident in everything he does, says, and the facial expressions he makes.  And now that he can explore on his own, it is even more fun to watch him learn.

He loves to chat, all day long.  Other than mama, dada, and hi, he started saying "ball" this month which is about the cutest thing in the world.  He LOVES balls.  He likes to play catch, does a pretty good job throwing it himself, and gets so excited when he sees one.  He definitely takes after his daddy in that area...although daddy is hoping his love for balls will become a love for the baseball ;).

When he claps sometimes he will say "yay" as if he is cheering for himself, so precious.  Getting a wave out of him now-a-days is rare, but when he decides he wants to wave goodbye he will...little stinker, they never do things when you want them to ;).

This last month was a busy one with lots of family time, outings, and his dedication at church.  It was such a blessing to be able to stand before the Lord, and our church family and commit to raising Brayden in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  We are so blessed to have a church family that loves and prays for this little boy already.

He loves other kids, especially babies, he gets so excited when he sees a little one :). And he loves dogs.  Books, jumping in his jumper, and music make the top of this kids list.

He still is a great eater (which shows in his percentiles for both height and weight, he is still in the 90th%!) and now that he is eating a lot more "normal" food, he is loving life haha.  We have let him try a lot of new things this month and I'm sure he is wondering where these flavors have been all his life. Fruit, yogurt, and cheese are some of his favorites.

His favorite place is still outside, he could stay out there all day long.  He  just figured out how to move himself on his little riding toy outside...too cute! And playing in the sand at the park seems to be a new favorite too.

We are so thankful for the last 10 months we have had the privilege of being his mommy and daddy. We are so excited to continue to watch him grow and develop, but more eager and prayerful to see the Lord work in his life to bring him to himself and use him greatly for His glory!  We love you little B!

9 Months Down!

Our little pumpkin, although not so little anymore, is now 9 months old! And boy is he fun!

We thought B would crawl early because he sat unassisted before his 5 month birthday, and could bear his weight on his legs from a couple weeks old, but weeks passed and nothing. For the past two months however, he has been attempting to maneuver himself around ("crawl")...he's rolled himself everywhere, scooted backwards and even figured out how to get up on those knees, but the whole idea of crawling just didn't click for this little man until this month when he finally started "crawling" (army crawling that is), yay little Brayden.  It still isn't his most favorite thing in the world, he'd rather be standing or picked up, but if he wants something, or to get to one of us without waiting patiently (patience isn't his virtue;)), he will just muscle his way over.  It's hard not to laugh at him when he does this because he looks quite silly, but we are so proud of him! I'm sure once his legs can figure out how to bear all the weigh without help he will be walking, it seems much more fun to him ;).

He has started pulling himself up as well, but pulling 22+lbs up is tough work.  He can stand well on his own holding onto things for quite some time and gets so excited when we hold his hands and let him "walk".

He talks, smiles and laughs all the time---these moments brighten our days!

At the beginning of this month he got 5 teeth and has 8 teeth now, let's hope he is done teething for a while, poor little man.  But that toothy grin is sure cute!  And when we say "cheese", he loves to show off those pearly whites.

He loves giving hi-5's!

He is still in the 90th percentile for both weight and height. Big little man!

His favorite foods are yogurt, bananas, happy green puffs, and grapes. He has a sweet tooth like his mama.

He says "dada" all the time, "mama" when he wants something or needs me, he has said "papa", "nana", "baba", a version of "hi", what sounds like "yes", and mimics "ssss" (for "Shhh"). He doesn't know what he is saying of course, but it is fun to hear those words!

He loves BALLS and playing catch, knocking over blocks, reading books, phones, computers, Sesame Street's ABC song, walks, and being outside.

He is at such a fun age and we are so blessed by his kisses, hugs, waves, giggles, smiles, and love.  Little B, you are such a joy! We love our family of 3!  Happy 9 months kiddo!

Bad Days?

I have never been good with change or the most flexible person in the world. The flesh in which I am still encased in still pulls towards sinful behaviors and attitudes that are rooted in my desire to have control. I see the manifestations of this in my anxious or worried heart, my frustration when things don't go as planned, and my emotions when I am left without answers of what to do in a specific situation.  

I have written on this subject many, many times. My life is marked by sanctification in this area as the Lord graciously provides me with countless opportunities to grow.  The dependence I have upon Him, although never changing, becomes more clear in moments when I am humbled to remember that HE is in control, and always is.  

Through these times when I am forced to recognize my lack of control, I find myself reminded of the fact that my life is far more blessed than I deserve.  The small trials that I face are tiny compared to the trials that many of my brothers and sisters in Him are enduring and have endured.  From my perspective, days can appear as "bad", in fact there are many times my husband asks me how my day has been and despite all the good in that day, I seem to find that the "bad" has outweighed what has been SO good.

I recently came across a familiar passage in Scripture that has given me a new perspective, and what I believe is the right perspective on "bad" days. 

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18

For the Christian, there is no such thing as a "bad" day.  Are there hard days? Yes. Are there painful days? Yes. But there are no "bad" days. For the Christian we can rest in knowing that each day has been purposefully designed by the hand of the Almighty God. We can believe that as hard as it might be, there is good intended and there is glory being achieved. We can cling to the promise of this passage by recognizing that our affliction, no matter how great or how small it is here on earth, is momentary and light compared to what we have in store for us in the kingdom.  There is not a moment of suffering here that is eternal--thanks to the blood of Christ; all is temporal, and fading, bringing us closer with each tear and each day, to our Savior.  

If we truly believe that God IS sovereign over all, that He IS good, that He IS faithful, and that His ways ARE better, then there can never be a "bad" day for the believer.  We must resolve to change our thinking, and to keep our eyes fixed on the eternal in order to have this perspective. Our days must be seen as purposefully preparing us for perfection! What an amazing Truth to think on, and what a good Father we have. 

8!

Our sweet boy is officially 8 months old...8 MONTHS!  I can't believe how fast time flies, it feels like I was just holding my 7lb1oz little bundle of joy, but at the same time, I feel like he has been with us forever.  He truly is such a blessing to each of us every single day. There are so many reasons why this is the case, but mostly because he is the greatest tool the Lord is using to sanctify us!

I think he is slowing down in the physical growth department.  He gained a little bit in height this month but stayed the same in weight.  I'm okay with that, the longer he stays little is ok with me!

He is trying SO hard to move, it is so cute to watch.  He rolls everywhere, moves backwards, and from side to side, but because he hasn't quite figured out how to lift that cute little chubby body up on his hands and knees he can't move forward.  He lunges forward onto his hands and knees but then flops down onto his belly. Soon I'm sure, but until that, I will enjoy him not moving like crazy because once he is crawling I know he won't sit still.

He has started clapping and in the last week he has starting waving, but he is just learning this new skill so we don't get too many waves out of him just yet.  These two things are just about the cutest things I have ever seen.  Every night when we sing worship songs he will clap along and he often claps for himself when he is excited, TOO CUTE!  And he knows what "clap" means so when we ask him to clap he usually will! Below is a picture of him clapping-hence why it is so blurry.

He talks ALL THE TIME, I think he loves hearing his own voice.  "Dada" is his favorite word, of course.  He knows sign language for eat and please, although he can't do it, he recognizes it when we ask him.  And he knows to wait until we pray for his food before he is going to eat.

He is such a happy boy, I love the hundreds of smiles and all the giggles we get to enjoy each day.

He loves music, balls, blocks, bubbles, baths and animals.  And he LOVES to stand.  Maybe he will skip crawling all together and go straight to walking.  He can't pull himself up but he can stand by himself holding onto things for a bit (he gets super excited when he does this), and then he looses his balance and comes tumbling down.

He eats VERY well, although he did reject his first food this month...Green Beans (but come'on who likes green beans anyway?!).  He does get his greens mixed in with other foods, good thing he doesn't know ;).  And he loves feeding himself puffs or cut up fruits and veggies, it is adorable....everything about him is!

Drinking out of a straw has become his new favorite fascination.  But although he has a few cups with straws, he prefers to drink out of mommy or daddy's big straws, even if that means getting soaked in the process.

We took him to the beach a few weeks ago for the first time and lets just say it wasn't his most favorite place ;).  

He is a definite mama's boy, but I so adore that.  He still loves hugs and kisses and snuggling in bed with mommy and daddy!  And he loves snuggling with his little lambie and monkey in bed, SO ADORABLE!

He has 3 teeth (all on the bottom) and a couple more (on the top) on the way...those top teeth just take forever to pop through.  His teeth are so cute, but getting them sure isn't any fun!

8 months young, and so much fun...Brayden we love you and pray every single day that God would use you and your little life for His glory!