3 Months

Here’s an update (a few days late!) on my favorite little man.  He’s pretty loved.

What we have learned…our little guy has quite the personality!  He is a happy little man who will smile often for us and even sometimes laugh.  We’ve learned he likes sitting and reading books with us.  We also learned that he likes being sung to before he goes down for naps.  We’ve also learned how to juggle everything on Sunday mornings now that I’ve been back to working with the kiddos.

What we are enjoying right now…the last of the warm days while we can!  Date nights and time together as a family.  I’m liking being able to spend time reading my Bible, doing some bible studies, and get things done with his more consistent naps now.

What our biggest struggles are…our night time sleep is pretty inconsistent, getting Boaz enough exercise with the colder weather, and all the hormones causing my hair to fall out (annoying!).

Asher’s most exciting milestones…we’ve heard little laughs, he’s smiling more and more, sitting up with help, and loves to “stand up” with our help!  We are still in size 2 diapers, but are mostly using cloth when we can.  We are almost out of 3 month clothes and into the 3-6 month clothes!  A consistent enough bedtime that meant we went out for half-priced appetizers while Asher got to have a babysitter!

What we are looking forward to…a trip to the cities to see friends and to see my brother.  This will be our first hotel stay with Asher!  We also are looking forward to going bowling on Halloween with church.

Asher’s likes and dislikes…eating (still!), smiling, being naked on the changing table, grabbing things, sitting up with help, standing up with help, having people sing to him (particularly head, shoulders, knees & toes and his nap time song), and playing on his kick n play. He dislikes waiting to eat, being left alone too long, and sometimes being swaddled works him up.

What sleep looks like…during the day he is pretty consistent!  He likes to eat about every two hours and has wake time for about 45 minutes.  At night, his first stretch of sleep is somewhere between 4 and a half to 8 and a half hours.  Typically, he goes to sleep around 9 and wakes up for the day around 8. His longest stretch now is 9 hours.

What we are eating…still lots of milk!  Though, Asher has gotten more distracted while he’s eating and has taken more notice in his surroundings.  The rest of us have been eating salads, pizza, ice cream, pasta, Doolittle’s, eggs, and yummy oatmeal bread.

Who we have seen…we had friends over for lunch, church family, and family.

At the last doctor’s appointment…we found out that he’s the “tall kid” right now at about 25 inches and weighing in at 14 pounds 2 oz. He’s doing great and now we’re waiting for him to roll over 🙂

Breathe

At the end of the day, when my little family puts up with my silly ideas of fitting everyone on the green chair for a picture, when the puppy is sleeping on me, when I get to watch my man play with our little man, when I get to hold them all close, and when I get to breathe in all the pieces of this life that’s when I feel a glimpse of resting in being the beloved wife, mommy, and puppy owner that I am. They love me well.

Pour Out Your Hearts

Trust in Him at all times, o people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. – Psalm 62:8

I love that throughout scripture I see examples of God hearing and answering His people.  He longs for them to cry out to Him and to come to Him.  He asks them to cast their cares on Him.  He binds up their broken hearts.  He knows their sitting and their rising.  He does not act like an indifferent bystander.  He’s working for us and for our good.  So, today, in light of writing that, I’m going to share some of the things that are tucked into my heart and just plain make me happy (besides, Fridays are for happy things!).

1. That husband of mine who does life with me.  He is such a gift.  Such a rock and such an encouragement. The road has been rocky and full of adversity, but I’m grateful that I chose him and am still choosing him…and grateful that he chooses me still.
2. Baby oh baby.  Mr. Asher is pretty much the happiest baby and my goodness I am so blessed and privileged to be able to be his mom.
3. My Lindo. He’s the one I miss and the one who taught me to love little boys so much.  I’m so glad I got to know him and for all the ways he cracked open my heart.  He taught me much and he is part of one of my absolute favorite God stories.
4. My Africa. My heart still beats for this place and for this country.  This is such a both and of happy and the heart wrenching grief of not being there.  This is where I pour out my heart waiting for God to weave this piece back into my life in a bigger way.
5. That crazy Boaz.  He pushed me out of my comfort zone and led me on a path toward more joy, laughter, and lots more snuggling than I could have guessed when I brought him home.
6. Church.  I couldn’t have guessed all the ways being on staff at my church would challenge, encourage, change, and ground me.  There’s so much goodness in being planted in a local church.
7. Community/Friends/People.  The world is so full of so many good, good people and I am so glad I’ve gotten to know and do life with a lot of them!

I think (maybe?) sometimes part of knowing you are the beloved of God is remembering, taking note, and being grateful for the things He has put in your life.  He is good to us.

What has He put in your life that makes you happy?

25 Things

I snagged this from my favorite Vizsla loving blogger because it looked so fun!

1. I’m happiest when…. 1) I’m hanging out with my favorite people (my boys! the husband, my little man, and Boaz) 2) when I’m outside. 3) eating delicious food

2. …Especially if it… 1) involves mountains, the beach, or some kind of adventure!

3. I’ve always wanted to….move back overseas.

4. My family and I…love going on walks!

5. I was a terrible…er let’s say I have a terrible time noticing things that need to be cleaned.

6. My first job was….babysitting!

7. I could probably eat ice cream and cake every day!

8. I stole…I’ve got nothing on this one…hm.

9. I was born on the same day as….Brad Pitt

10. My all time favorite film is…I do love the Narnia movies and there are a few others too!

11. I do a pretty mean…forehand while playing tennis.

12. I’m still mad…I didn’t take advantage of post-secondary options.

13. I met my husband…at church!

14. I always knew I wanted…enough books to fill a room/library in my house.

15. I’m not afraid to…climb mountains and jump off cliffs!  Well, I may be afraid at times, but I do it anyway!

16. I make the best…desserts!

17. I have almost no…flexibility.  Sit and reach always messed up my physical fitness awards in school.

18. I always cry when…I’m done using anger as a cover up for being hurt.

19. I’m a Minnesotan with who still calls Africa home.

20. I spent 1 year living in South Africa.

21. I wish my folks…the best 🙂

22. As a child, I was deeply in love with…making up stories

23. I believe if everyone had a better sense of their worth and how loved they are the world would be a better place.

24. I can’t stand…the smell of black licorice.

25. Whenever Amazing Race is on I’ll watch it.  Mainly I love seeing all the amazing places they go!

Your turn!  I’d love to hear your answers to any of these 🙂 

Friday Love

We made it to Friday!  A full week with the husband back at work.  I’ve been having fun getting to know our little man more each day and he sure makes us smile and laugh a lot!  Plus, he’s already 3 weeks old today!  That is way close to being a month old and so far I totally get how things are in a “blur” for the first bit of having a newborn.  Mostly, though, I’m loving this stage!  Here are some of the things we’re loving…

Things I’m Loving:

1. Tummy time with the little man.  He’s pretty good at cuddling.

2. Lots of walks.

3. Tacos! Pretty sure I’ve eaten tacos for lunch for the last three days.

4. Reading with the husband.  We have continued our habit of reading a book together before bed and it’s one of my favorite times of connecting.  And let’s just say any time spent with him is pretty much my favorite.

5. Sitz baths and showers.  My midwife and my nurses were big on telling me to soak/take a sitz bath in order to help things heal.  I totally jumped on board and have continued to take time to be alone and enjoy hot water!  I like to think they’ve helped me heal up fast too 🙂

Things Asher is Loving:

1.  Falling asleep during tummy time.  This is one of his favorite places to fall asleep.

2. Eating. eating. and more eating.

3. Being in his car seat for walks or car rides.

4. Kicking his legs like crazy and getting his arms out of his swaddles.

5. Being rocked in his rock n play.

Things Our Family is Loving:

1. Walks with the four of us!

2. Time together in the evenings and mornings.

3. Ice cream! Well…Asher hasn’t tried it yet, but I’m guessing he might like it someday. 🙂

4. Sleep.

5. Reading books.

Maybe Baby Month

Hello June!  You’re here and you’re officially the maybe baby month.  July stakes claim for the for sure baby month.  And let me tell you that I’m a little like wait…where’d the time go!? Definitely getting excited to meet this little baby and see whether the baby is a boy or a girl.  This is especially since this little baby is loving kicking my ribs and still moving like crazy.  There’s no denying that I look pregnant.  Though, I can pull off a “not necessarily” pregnant look if I’m wearing black and you’re looking from the front or even if you just see me from behind.  If you see me from the side….no question 🙂 Also, in other news, the weather has gotten warmer and my wedding rings are fitting a bit tighter.  I’m not such a fan of that, but oh well.  They’ll be back on in no time.

Otherwise….a few other things that I’ve learned in May have included:

1. Finding baby clothes that are not distinctly boy or girl is pretty hard!  I’ve yet to find the “perfect” going home outfit.  Though, we do love this one we found that was only in bigger sizes.  The color is cuter in person, but still 🙂  We’ve also found a few fun infant clothes with references to drums (yay for a husband who drums).

2. I dig the Nuna brand.  Not only do they make sweet products, but they also sent me a surprise journal as a bonus gift!  Plus, they just came out with some waterproof sheets, which will be fabulous!  So surreal that soon a little baby will be sleeping in there!

3. Days outside with these two are ever entertaining!   4. I’m in need of some good summer books and have been scouring the library in search of them.  Any recommendations?

5. Decisions are way harder without being able to “know” how things are going to be like once this baby is here.  I’m definitely thankful that I can push some off and I’m thankful for wise advice and LOTS of prayer!

All in all, May’s been a great month and I’m excited for June.  The calendar already looks full with baby doctor appointments (weekly! so fun to get to that point!), graduation parties, VBS, weddings, get togethers with friends, baby showers, and hopefully lots of time outside…and maybe a baby! 🙂

10 Day You Challenge

The title of this post totally makes me think of a fitness challenge…but it’s not.  I saw this on my favorite Vizsla loving blog and thought it was so fun!  Since it’s a perfect sunny day and I’ve got the morning free, I’m taking a little time to start this.  Here’s the lowdown…

ten secrets, nine loves, eight fears, seven wants, six places, five foods, four books, three films, two songs, and one picture.

So, today, I’m going to start off with six places!  Mostly in random order 🙂

1. Africa. First place that comes to mind that has my heart and that I can’t wait to go back to someday.  I loved falling in love with Africa even when there were the incredibly tough times and the things that stretched me to my limits.  Living there for a year definitely was one of the best things I have ever done.

2. Greece…this trip for school was so good for my heart and filled with so much fun with fun people.

3. Italy.  I loved all things pistachio and all things food!  I would love to go back to Italy and explore more and see more of the coast.

4. Mountains.  I love mountains.  Hiking in them, looking at them, skiing, whatever.  They’re my favorite.  I would totally be down for living in the mountains someday.  I loved living on the side of one in Africa.  Add in a lake by the mountains and I’m set.

5. Dirt Roads. When they’re dusty, but not too dusty and stuck in the middle of nowhere.  I love a good run or a walk or even a drive on a dirt road.  6. Bed.  My bed has one of my favorite places to be.  So in bed with a good book or a movie with these two makes my day.  I love being able to retreat there and just be comfortable and relaxed. 

Oh and for the record…this was actually really hard to keep it to just 6 places! I could have added in a ton…the beach, the water, sitting outside, running, and that doesn’t even include all of the places that I want to go to but I haven’t been!

 

 

 

 

Friday Love

A few of the things I’m loving lately…

1. Walks with puppies.  Can they get any cuter!? Plus, let’s just be honest.  My husband is like the dog whisperer times twenty.  When I took them both on a walk without him, things were a bit crazier! 2. Ellie Holcomb‘s music.

3. Nike+ Training Club App.  Fun workouts that you can do at home–yes, please!

4. Tons of baby kicks and jabs and pushes 🙂 (oh and note the sunglasses on my head…there may be snow, but I’m ready for spring and summer!)

5. I made this fun little reminder with my word for the year.  Now, we’ve got Joy, Trust, Celebrate, Free, and Open around the house!  

 

 

be delicate: what I learned in march

Now, I know that in terms of days, March technically only has 3 days more than February…though, this year I’ve deemed this the longest month ever.  With lingering snow storms, I’m a little weary of March and hoping that April might hold more promise—I’m not holding my breath, though!  I keep thinking that at least by the time this little baby comes we likely will have grass.  Right?  Grass by June/July seems reasonable.  In other news, I’ve let a whole month slip by without a single blog post but hey I’m here again linking up.  April just might be a good month for all sorts of things (blogging and sunshine!).  Until then…here’s what I learned in March!

1. I may say that I am Boaz’s favorite…but here is some evidence that sometimes this crazy dog prefers the husband over me.  Either way, that dog loves to be close.

2. Trader Jo’s oreo shakes…yes please!  Apparently, I’m rather particular about the thickness of my shakes.  We followed a recipe for these and let me tell you, I was not impressed.  So, I did what only made sense and started adding more ingredients.  After using all of the oreos, some cookie butter, and a whole lot of ice, they finally were closer to what I preferred.  In the end, I determined I just plain prefer ice cream in my shakes.  

3. Community and vulnerability are good for my heart.  I went to a workshop/conference for a few days and even got to get creative and use some markers to share bits of my story (hence the color covered hand).  Life is messy and beautiful.  A few weeks after going, I found myself embracing the little phrase “be delicate.”  My head is still rolling this around and my heart is tugging at the seams when thinking about it. So often, I don’t show my delicate, tender, and soft side.  I don’t know where it will lead, but all that to say, that March has thrown that phrase into my vocabulary (and I rediscovered my love for picmonkey for editing and adding words to pictures).

4. This verse. Such goodness.  This month has exposed some of my “scorched places” and I am so thankful for a God who brings the rain and is with me in the fire.  Isaiah 58:11. 

5. I could put sprinkles on just about everything and be a happy girl.

6. This bump has gotten out of control and we still have 14 weeks to go!  March became the month of the baby bump popping out and me finally gaining some weight.  And let’s just say.  Baby still loves to move a ton.  🙂

6 weeks above and almost 26 weeks below.7. Lastly, I finally  figured out a way to organize and clean up my camera roll!  I deleted all of the photos off my camera roll this morning…first time, I have had an empty camera roll probably since I got this phone!  For some reason, my syncing hasn’t been quite great at deleting them after I imported them to iPhoto.  So, I didn’t know what I had on iPhoto and what I didn’t.  Either way, I made sure I had backed them up and had everything in order before deleting.  But let me tell you.  That thing was full!  I may or may not be a photo hoarder (2000ish photos later).

There you have it.  My random bits from March.  I’m hoping these next few days fly by and then April brings sunshine, showers, and pretty flowers.

What did you learn in March?

 

 

 

 

What I Learned-February

I had so much fun writing last months “What I learned” that I thought I would jump on board again this time!  February really felt like a short month and yet I definitely feel like there were a lot of big learning curves as well as fun things to learn too!

1. The Olympics are my favorite, but I learned that I do have a limit of watching…I eventually hit the: “We need to do something else!” stage!  But all in all, I loved being able to see the athletes and the competition.  Plus, my husband likes them too! Even Boaz loved all the times he got to either “watch” or sleep on us.

Boaz is so high maintenance.

2. There are SO many baby options for everything. I’ve started bookmarking a few things and my Pinterest page is growing!

3. This baby loves to move and I am in love with baby feet.  One of my favorite ultrasound pictures definitely was the one with cute little feet.  Not too surprising because I have always taken feet pictures wherever I travel.

Speaking of, I’m ready to be back in Africa… 🙂

4. I definitely have a bump and people have noticed. Maternity clothes are around the corner.  Not yet, but definitely soon!

Oh and how cute is this picture with my husband.

5. My limit of handling winter is getting shorter.  I am longing for walks and runs outside.

6. It’s okay to spend money to take care of me (even when I’d rather spend the money elsewhere!) and to do things afraid. I definitely had to be open to making this decision and to God’s promptings.

7. Downton Abbey turned into a perfect thing to watch while on the treadmill with Boaz! And I will say that I was thankful for a “happier” ending than last season.

8. Communication is ever a learning process, but worth the hard work.

9. Even though February is a “short” month, we totally used all of our grocery budget to make good food early in the month.  Next month, I might need to spread things out a bit!

10. This salad dressing is delicious. 

11. The book of Numbers hasn’t been nearly as hard to read as I thought it would be this time around and I am loving reading Romans this month.  (I’ve been using this plan since I think July last year and have been more or less reading a day or two or three at a time.  I love getting to read out of 4 different books each day.)

12. Baby names are hard to pick!  But I am loving all the potential names and options…I may or may not be a name hoarder.

What did you learn this month?