Beach Night with Family

At this first beach night of the summer there was a chowder contest, baptisms, friends, and lots children playing everywhere. It was great fun!

She nearly buried herself before we took her down to the water

Jacki and Baby Eli

Baptism!

Sarah absolutely loves the water these days. We can't get her out.

Josiah sleeping on the beach

A Wise Dad with Dirty Fingernails

I don't remember my dad ever coming home from work clean. I'm sure he did sometimes, but it's tough to run a peat mine without getting a moderate to severe amount of dirt on you. You should have seen our house on laundry day.

I also can't remember any hobbies of his that didn't somehow connect him to us. Dad never withdrew to have his own time, though if I'm anything like him, I'm sure he wanted to. He would make music with me, take us skiing, sit with my mom, work on the house for us, work on my car, or take us to church. If he ever did slow down, it was to watch NASCAR, and he usually fell asleep. He worked more hours than an average dad, but I never knew that. Because when he was home, he was home with all his heart.

Eventually he took me to the peat mine and put me to work. I still enjoy bragging about having run a front-end loader as a young teenager, but I'm even more glad to have seen him in work mode. He plays in the the dirt like he means it. His employees respect him because he cares for them and knows what he's doing. He goes to survey a prospective site, shoots a cottonmouth in the face, and doesn't tell us about it. The environmentalists tell him to restore an acre of wetland, and he restores two. Then he invents a way to replace peat with compost and suddenly turns commercial potting soil into a renewable resource. Nobody knows dirt like my dad. And he works it with all of his heart.

We shared several adventures and misadventures that involved a ski boat. I've never seen anyone swim faster (and I watched the 2008 Olympics) than he did the day a ski rope turned into a noose and drug my neck behind a boat. He made absolutely sure I was safe. But then he waited and waited while he was coaching me through a deep-water start on a slalom ski. In the cockpit of a boat, and everywhere else, he is an aggressive lion and a patient lamb rolled into one.

It took so long, and so much renewal of my own mind through reading the Bible, for me to see what was really going on. Why does my dad love to work in dirt? Because he's a man, who, like Adam, was made to work the earth. Why is he so naturally like both a lion and a lamb? Because he knows the Lion and the Lamb. Why does he love his bride so consistently? Because he knows a Savior who loves His bride. Why is he so good to Jacki and I? Because he knows a Father who loves His children. Everything that makes him a great dad is rooted in one thing: he knows the Lord.

My point is this: my dad isn't awesome because he read a thousand books on how to raise children. He just fears the Lord and acts like a man. Because the fear of the Lord really is the beginning of wisdom, and a wise dad is a good dad.

Now I get to watch him play with his granddaughter in the dirt, and number myself among the many dads who are trying to figure this fatherhood thing out. I think it just might work if I can remember the big lesson he silently taught me: to love the Lord and be a man. It's an intimidating calling. But if you fear the Lord, He will give you wisdom, just like He gave it to my dad. And maybe (eventually) your children will notice it.

I'm starting to.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.

To Laugh Or To Cry

To laugh or to cry. That was the question.

My sweet baby girl had just pooped in the bathtub. She didn't even know what happened as I scooped her up and carried her yucky and screaming to another bathtub to clean up. In the meantime Josiah woke up and was crying. It was time for him to eat. A pacy was quickly popped in his mouth and I finished bathing Sarah, for the second time. I realized in the process that it was raining and my nearly dry diapers were getting wet. They were quickly pulled in. I put her down for her nap and he had settled down, so (after a frantic call to my mom for tips and tricks) I went to work cleaning and sanitizing the bathtub. And then I laughed.

From the moment Dave and I found out about Josiah we dreamed and speculated about what life would look like with kids- plural. We wondered what kind of work they would do and what hobbies they would love. We dreamed about weddings and grandchildren and vacations. We also looked to the immediate future. How would I possibly keep dry diapers on everyone? Would we ever be able to enjoy flying again? We knew the immediate future would be wonderful, but also have its challenges. Many of our friends have two young children and we have heard many of their wild stories. We knew when it got hard we would have a choice, to laugh or to cry.

To cry means I have lost perspective. The little things are overwhelming me and life is feeling very small and out of control. I'm not saying that I shouldn't or don't cry. (Trust me, nothing brings on my tears like sleep deprivation!) Being sad is a real emotion and crying can be a really good thing, especially when we are crying out to our Heavenly Father. But usually in my case, it means that things aren't going my way and I don't like it.

To laugh means to embrace the moment. Call it hard, do the best that you can do, and laugh. See the big picture and let everything fall into perspective. It leads to being ever more grateful for what the Lord has given me and makes for much more fond memories. Laughing allows me to enjoy where I am, no matter the trial.

So that day, I remembered to laugh. Success! It wasn't quite how I planned to spend the day, but in all honesty the moment was pretty outrageous. I kind of wish someone would have been here to laugh with me. Now both kids are napping (win!) and the mail lady just rang the door bell. Josiah is stirring, but that's ok. I am thankful for the package she brought and that he loves a pacifier! Plus, every time he gets worked up he poots a little, and that's just funny.

To laugh or to cry. How will I view my challenges today?

Two More Pictures

We can never have enough pictures of these two, and I imagine many of you feel the same way. Here are two pictures of them yesterday:

Josiah headed to a graduation party in true Cape Cod attire

Sarah in like attire, discovering the great toy awaiting her at said party

Spring Flowers

We know our loved ones in the rest of country have a hard time believing this, but our Rhododendrons just stopped their spring bloom. The last week of May was really their best point, the wonderful part of Spring in which our entire house turns in to a blooming Rhododendron garden. The Japanese Dogwood in the back is just starting its long run now as well, finishing off a beautiful spring bloom for us. I was able to take some pictures of it on the last day of May, which I hope you enjoy.

By the side of the house, the one rhodie that's not with all the others.

The Hostas have come up nicely there, too.

The first few blooms on the Japanese Dogwood.

Dogwood with the Rhodies in the background

Happy 1 month, Josiah!

This may have been the fastest month of my life. It is nearly unfathomable that our little man is 4.5 weeks old. When I take the time to really look at him, though, there is no doubt he is growing and maturing. He loves to look intensely, be it at our faces or the ceiling. His head control is terrific and getting stronger every day. He enjoys tummy time significantly more than Sarah ever did, especially when it gets a little extra gas out of his belly. Josiah is a snugly bundle of joy- we are so thankful for this month getting to know him!

Weight: 12 lbs even (96%)
Length: 24 in (99%- they tell us this actually means he is off the chart)
Head: 15.25 in (I think this was 64%, but it isn't written down and I don't remember for sure)
Heart rate: 148 bpm

Nursing: Josiah is a champ! He eats like it is his job and he wants a promotion. The first few weeks were tough for me, but we are doing really well now. I am so thankful for the lactation consultants at Cape Cod Hospital. Their advice was reasonable, personal, balanced, and so very kind. You would think that nursing Sarah for a year would have thoroughly prepared me for round two, but I guess it goes to show that every little one is different!

Sleep: Josiah has been difficult to figure out on this front. Since we were in the hospital it has been a challenge for him to settle down. And when he does settle down, he has a hard time staying settled. He does sleep, it just takes him a long time to get there and he seems to need a lot of help. This goes against most of the parenting theory that we really believe in and that worked so well with Sarah. We so very badly want to "train in the way we mean him to go," but we have found there is a point where he just needs sleep and we have to fairly evaluate the situation. Josiah does doreally well settling down at night now. I am thankful for this! His duration isn't really extending more than 3, sometimes 4, hours, but he is nursing a little faster and does tend to go right back to sleep. Strange but true: he only likes to sleep with his head to the right. To ward off an uneven flat spot, we have to regularly prop him facing left!

Prayer: This is a super specific, practical request. We are praying for, and invite you to pray with us, that we would find Josiah's "sweet spot" between not ready for bed and overtired. When we put him down we never can tell if he is too tired or not tired at all. We have studied all the lists of sleep cues and read back through all of our books and just can't seem to pin him. We are believers that good sleep is foundational and we want deep rest for Josiah. It is a valuable skill to learn! We are tired, but hopeful that we can teach him even the simple skill of sleeping, with God's help. And if he truly is colicky, as the doctor implied, we have hope that in 2 or 3 months we will all rest more peacefully.

Schedule: No real by-the-clock schedule yet, though I do like starting our day around 7am when possible. We are following the Babywise feed, wake, sleep routine and tend to be at about 3 hour cycles. Somehow he seems to consistently eat 8 times a day, no matter how many crazy variables are thrown into the mix.

Physically: Josiah still has a head full of blonde fuzz. Sarah loves to rub it! His eyes are blue, but maybe getting a little darker.  His skin has is still peeling a little.

Next appointment: Monday, July 9- he will get shots!

I'm a month old!

Sarah enjoying the fish tank at the doctor's office. For once the doctors had someone else to torment!

First bath!

Sleepy smile :)

Where is Josiah?!

Sweet moment getting to know each other.

He is the real deal.

Sweet sleepy boy!

Brother and Sister

Josiah is a month old, we haven't posted in almost as long, and we've said hello and goodbye to two sets of grandparents. It's hard to even remember the month we've had. But we're going to catch up a little today and tell the story of Sarah and Josiah meeting each other.

I had been testing the water every once in a while the weeks prior, picking up a baby in view of Sarah and watching her reaction. All signs pointed to jealousy. Yet she loved to talk about her baby brother inside Mama's belly. If only she knew that Mama's "baby" bump and that "baby" I was holding were so similar. We really weren't sure how she would do with this little guy.

So we made plans that my parents would take her to the hospital the day after he was born. We prepared her, and they coached her all along the way. Soon enough, we could hear her little feet pattering down the hospital hallway. We still didn't know how she would do.

We didn't realize it at the time, but it was a sweet providence of God that pastor Nick was holding him when they arrived. I walked out into the hallway and carried her to him, introducing her to her little brother. When anyone but Emily or I are holding a baby, she is very interested. She was quite taken by this baby and his hat, telling us all about it. So I set her in the bed next to Emily and put her new little brother in her arms. She was a little nervous for fewer than 5 seconds, but quickly filled with delight. Soon enough, she was tenderly touching him, holding him all by herself, and even tickling his toes.She loved her new baby.

Looking back, I wonder if being introduced to him in the way she was helped her quite a bit. She saw him first as a little baby she was helping us to take care of, and she's continued to look at him that way. If she had walked in to the sight of Emily or me holding her, perhaps she would have felt threatened. But that day he wasn't something that was stealing our attention from her, and she still doesn't see it that way. She rocks him to sleep, gets all compassionate when he cries, and always tells us what he's up to (baby rockin', baby ky-in', baby eat, baby nite-nite.) Somehow the Lord is using it to bring out her compassionate and maternal side, rather than her selfishness. I'm not sure how He's doing it, but I know at least some of it was due to a factor totally out of my control.

Sarah's father didn't know what she needed that day, but our heavenly father did. And we have one more thing to thank him for.