This morning he was playing (quite happily) with the magnets on the fridge. I pulled him back to the dishwasher and, after I pulled out my phone to record, this is what he did:
Time to batten down the hatches!
Friday, December 28, 2012
Josiah Crawls
It is so much fun to see Josiah's little personality develop and shine. In doing so, Sarah's also becomes more defined. Josiah has been quite mobile the last few weeks using the most graceful rolls, spins, pushes, and scootches you could wish for. (Graceful is good on our hard floors!) The last few days, though, he has been getting some good forward motion.
This morning he was playing (quite happily) with the magnets on the fridge. I pulled him back to the dishwasher and, after I pulled out my phone to record, this is what he did:
This morning he was playing (quite happily) with the magnets on the fridge. I pulled him back to the dishwasher and, after I pulled out my phone to record, this is what he did:
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Christmas Day
Christmas is a wonderful and beautiful time- one which came even more alive as we celebrated it with a baby boy of our own. From great worship services the two days before to opening presents to feasting to visiting friends, we had a great great time. We got to enjoy all of this with the Howells, making it all the merrier.
I spent most of Christmas Eve leading a rehearsal and three worship services, taking some family pictures after one of them.
Christmas morning we woke up to a veritable pile of presents, cinnamon rolls, and breakfast pizza.
After a light lunch we headed to the Eversons' home for a proper Christmas dinner.
Finally, we came home- some of us more tired than others.
I spent most of Christmas Eve leading a rehearsal and three worship services, taking some family pictures after one of them.
Christmas morning we woke up to a veritable pile of presents, cinnamon rolls, and breakfast pizza.
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| Josiah quickly showed his preference for wrapping paper over presents |
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| Papa and Goggin gave Sarah a shopping cart, which soon became the holding area for all her other gifts |
After a light lunch we headed to the Eversons' home for a proper Christmas dinner.
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| There were all sorts of good things on the floor to play with |
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| Sarah was given an abacus by J and Kim Everson |
Finally, we came home- some of us more tired than others.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Do We Worry About Our Children?
Sarah and Josiah are playing on the living room floor together- Josiah rolling around and chewing on toys while Sarah chases him and makes those same toys into hats for his head. It touches my heart to see it because I was made in the image of a God who sees children (red, yellow, black, and white) as precious in His sight. You were made like Him too, which is why neither of us can stop looking at all those pictures of babies on Facebook.
We live in a small New England village not unlike the one you see on the news these days. Our children are unaware that a mad gunman could have just as easily chosen our picturesque Christmas Village Stroll over a quaint elementary school yesterday. But we're aware. As Osterville lit up like a Norman Rockwell painting last night, you could tell everyone was keeping a closer eye on their children. What if he'd come here instead? It's a scary thought. Were God not with me, I couldn't bear it.
It's hard to think or write about yesterday's shooting. It's the sort of event that reveals our hearts. Is yours willing to question or judge God? You may know a little better now from your response yesterday. But there's a difference between a judgmental, "How could He?", and a childlike, "I don't understand."
We don't understand the whole answer, but it begins and ends with a little baby, one we're all thinking about this time of year. He faced the cold of the night without a home as soon as he drew his breath, fled to Egypt to escape the rage of a king, and then grew up to promise us that, while we would be delivered over to death, not a hair on our heads would perish. He didn't just promise that, he lived it. He was, like yesterday's children, delivered over to an unjust and undeserved death. His was on a criminal's cross, the kind normally reserved for school shooters.
Could you trust Jesus if the story ended there? No, it would have proved all His promises empty. "He saved others, let him save himself!", the crowd shouted, as if the cross proved his defeat. But they were wrong. Once the stone rolled away and the earth shook, we saw the truth- not a hair on his head perished. He was risen.
It's also hard to trust God with our children if we see life's story ending at death. "He still can't save others!", the crowd will shout. But once again they will be wrong. We will see it when all of us who died with Christ rise with him, not one hair on our heads having perished.
How confident can we be that yesterday's twenty children will be there, risen with us? The scriptures stop one half step before giving complete assurance, but they do tell us comforting news. First, they remind us that God can change even the heart of a fetus when the unborn John leaps in his mother's womb as she nears Mary and the unborn Jesus. He can save the children we've lost to miscarriage in the same way, by giving them a new heart which loves Jesus and is sensitive to his presence. That sounds like a miracle, and it is. But it's no more miraculous than the day He saved me. I was as capable of real faith as a 4-cell zygote the day before God saved me, except that my heart was harder.
Then we're taught time and time again that God especially loves children (and that Satan especially hates them). Jesus calls the children to come to him and tells us to have faith like theirs while Satan has pharaohs and kings hunt them down with the sword. God spares the Israelite children in the desert when their parents rebel, while demon-gods require the Canaanites to sacrifice their own children. Then God sends His own Son to earth as, of all things, a baby boy. He spreads His love for children all over His pages, and then makes us in His image, with a soft spot for children in our own hearts.
He loves them, can save them, and will always do what is right. We don't have a handy proof-text that guarantees our children's salvation. If we did, we'd probably abuse it. But what God reveals about himself in the Bible gives us great hope for our children. And there is one thing that He does assure us: that He is trustworthy. You can trust Him with them, He will do right, and you will praise Him for it in Heaven. Fear not.
A horrific death was part of God's plan for His own Son, and that doesn't mean God didn't love Him. Could it be His plan for my son or for my daughter? Could their path toward exaltation look frighteningly like His? I pray that instead they will die old in a warm bed, but I trust Him in whatever path He has for them.
He is good, He is just, and He loves especially the little children of the World.
We live in a small New England village not unlike the one you see on the news these days. Our children are unaware that a mad gunman could have just as easily chosen our picturesque Christmas Village Stroll over a quaint elementary school yesterday. But we're aware. As Osterville lit up like a Norman Rockwell painting last night, you could tell everyone was keeping a closer eye on their children. What if he'd come here instead? It's a scary thought. Were God not with me, I couldn't bear it.
It's hard to think or write about yesterday's shooting. It's the sort of event that reveals our hearts. Is yours willing to question or judge God? You may know a little better now from your response yesterday. But there's a difference between a judgmental, "How could He?", and a childlike, "I don't understand."
We don't understand the whole answer, but it begins and ends with a little baby, one we're all thinking about this time of year. He faced the cold of the night without a home as soon as he drew his breath, fled to Egypt to escape the rage of a king, and then grew up to promise us that, while we would be delivered over to death, not a hair on our heads would perish. He didn't just promise that, he lived it. He was, like yesterday's children, delivered over to an unjust and undeserved death. His was on a criminal's cross, the kind normally reserved for school shooters.
Could you trust Jesus if the story ended there? No, it would have proved all His promises empty. "He saved others, let him save himself!", the crowd shouted, as if the cross proved his defeat. But they were wrong. Once the stone rolled away and the earth shook, we saw the truth- not a hair on his head perished. He was risen.
It's also hard to trust God with our children if we see life's story ending at death. "He still can't save others!", the crowd will shout. But once again they will be wrong. We will see it when all of us who died with Christ rise with him, not one hair on our heads having perished.
How confident can we be that yesterday's twenty children will be there, risen with us? The scriptures stop one half step before giving complete assurance, but they do tell us comforting news. First, they remind us that God can change even the heart of a fetus when the unborn John leaps in his mother's womb as she nears Mary and the unborn Jesus. He can save the children we've lost to miscarriage in the same way, by giving them a new heart which loves Jesus and is sensitive to his presence. That sounds like a miracle, and it is. But it's no more miraculous than the day He saved me. I was as capable of real faith as a 4-cell zygote the day before God saved me, except that my heart was harder.
Then we're taught time and time again that God especially loves children (and that Satan especially hates them). Jesus calls the children to come to him and tells us to have faith like theirs while Satan has pharaohs and kings hunt them down with the sword. God spares the Israelite children in the desert when their parents rebel, while demon-gods require the Canaanites to sacrifice their own children. Then God sends His own Son to earth as, of all things, a baby boy. He spreads His love for children all over His pages, and then makes us in His image, with a soft spot for children in our own hearts.
He loves them, can save them, and will always do what is right. We don't have a handy proof-text that guarantees our children's salvation. If we did, we'd probably abuse it. But what God reveals about himself in the Bible gives us great hope for our children. And there is one thing that He does assure us: that He is trustworthy. You can trust Him with them, He will do right, and you will praise Him for it in Heaven. Fear not.
A horrific death was part of God's plan for His own Son, and that doesn't mean God didn't love Him. Could it be His plan for my son or for my daughter? Could their path toward exaltation look frighteningly like His? I pray that instead they will die old in a warm bed, but I trust Him in whatever path He has for them.
He is good, He is just, and He loves especially the little children of the World.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Happy 7 months, Josiah!
Our Josiah is becoming a little man! We are just thrilled with this stage of babyhood and are soaking up the sweet smiles and easygoing play of our little guy. He is so easily delighted, and we rise to the occasion of getting giggles at every opportunity.
Weight: ?
Length: ?
Head: ?
Diaper: size 4 and cloth
Clothing: 12 month, Shoe: size 3 or 4
Likes: rolling and scooting, Sarah snuggles, being tickled, chewing, jumping, eating, riding with Sarah in the stroller, playing hard
Dislikes: being really hungry (it hits him suddenly!), being really tired, having a diaper changed when really hungry or tired, his late afternoon nap
Schedule: We are glad for a little break from normal activities to try to settle back into this routine. This is what we shoot for:
7 am: Wake and nurse/cereal
7-8 am: Wake time
8-11am: Nap
11am: Wake and nurse/cereal
11-12 pm: Wake time
12-3 pm: Nap
3 pm: Wake and nurse/cereal
3-4:30 pm: Wake time
4:30-6 pm: Nap
6-7 pm: Wake time
7 pm: Nurse and down for bed
8-11am: Nap
11am: Wake and nurse/cereal
11-12 pm: Wake time
12-3 pm: Nap
3 pm: Wake and nurse/cereal
3-4:30 pm: Wake time
4:30-6 pm: Nap
6-7 pm: Wake time
7 pm: Nurse and down for bed
Sleep: It has been a rough season for sleep the last few weeks. I know it is in large part due to the mornings we are out (often 4/7). He then gets in the habit of waking up after only a little sleep, but needs so much more. A short morning nap usually leads into an early, but good, afternoon nap. He then often refuses his bonus third nap, but is so tired that he is more than ready to go down at 6pm. We sometimes have to fight to keep him up that late! The real kicker has been that he is in the habit of waking up around 6am. It fluctuates between about 5:45am and 7am, but we just don't seem to be able to kick the habit. Starting his day early means that the rest of the day he is already tired and in a kind of sleep deficit. So we roll with the punches and nap when we can :) Again, I am thankful for a few weeks that have lots special events, but fewer mornings out!
Food: Josiah loves his rice and oatmeal cereal. He still nurses really well, so at each feeding he nurses fully, then eats a bowl of cereal. I usually alternate rice and oatmeal. We haven't given him any other food yet (the joy of being the second child!), but I have sweet potatoes baking in the oven right now. They will soon be pureed and becoming his first vegetable and his first food other than cereal and milk. On a related note, he doesn't leak out of his diapers as much, but he sure does have a full grown man stink! It took a few weeks to fully develop. Sarah never had diapers that smelled this bad! :)
Tricks (physical and verbal): He has really become an active fellow, I think more so than Sarah was at this age. He still loves his jumper and enjoys walks in the double stroller that was passed along to us. Josiah has always been a big fan of tummy time and continues to love time on the floor. "Tummy time" is more of a title than a reality now, as he rolls and scoots all over the floor when we put him down. Usually he sees something and wants to get it, and in doing so shows us a determination that I hope will be a part of his lifelong personality. Dave and I don't think we have seen him purposefully move forward yet in a form that could be called crawling. His movement is more an art of spinning, rolling, and the infamous backwards crawl. This month he also started sitting up. We still sit or put the boppy behind him, but he is getting pretty steady and reliable. Sitting in the high chair at the table big-boy-style is big fun! He has discoved the joy of buzzing his lips and continues to enjoy making all kind of noises: giggles, coos, hums, and the like.
Yesterday (11/3) we discovered his first tooth! Last week he had a few days with a low fever and a red blister on his upper gums. For the first time we could feel things moving around in there. But it passed and since Sarah didn't actually cut her first tooth until her 8th month, we didn't think any more of it. Then yesterday Josiah was chewing on Dave's finger and Dave felt a tooth. It was already all the way through on the BOTTOM (his left). Where did that guy come from?!?!
Yesterday (11/3) we discovered his first tooth! Last week he had a few days with a low fever and a red blister on his upper gums. For the first time we could feel things moving around in there. But it passed and since Sarah didn't actually cut her first tooth until her 8th month, we didn't think any more of it. Then yesterday Josiah was chewing on Dave's finger and Dave felt a tooth. It was already all the way through on the BOTTOM (his left). Where did that guy come from?!?!
Fun facts:
-I know I say this every month, but his hair really is growing. When it is wet you can kind of rough it up and make it look messy. Isn't it hard to imagine him with hair?!
-Still blue/gray/navy eyes.
-Still blue/gray/navy eyes.
-Today I found him laying on his side chewing on one of the vertical crib bars.
-Sarah gets a little jealous of other kids playing with him and becomes super affectionate.
-He and Sarah get to have some real joint play time now where I feel comfortable stepping away. They just delight one another!
-He still does the "two finger throw back" instead of sucking on his thumb.
-He has a significant amount of ear wax and a potentially blocked right tear duct.
-Sarah gets a little jealous of other kids playing with him and becomes super affectionate.
-He and Sarah get to have some real joint play time now where I feel comfortable stepping away. They just delight one another!
-He still does the "two finger throw back" instead of sucking on his thumb.
-He has a significant amount of ear wax and a potentially blocked right tear duct.
Monday, February 4, 2013, 10:20am for his 9 month appointment
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| Siah playing with Sarah's toes. |
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| She had been pretend-feeding him with a play spoon, so Dave let her really feed him. He was thankful for real food after all her taunting. She did a great job! |
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| Typical blanket over face shot. |
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| Loving his Sarah kisses. |
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| Thanksgiving morning walk. This was their first time in the double stroller. They both enjoyed it! |
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| With Dave's Christmas present. |
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| "I'll open it, Dad!" |
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| "Look, guys, I'm playing with the big kid!" |
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| This seems so perfectly Josiah. This is the face I enjoy all day! |
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| On our walk this morning. I may not have captured happy faces, but she had her arm around him and he loved it. |
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| Holding hands :) |
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| This is what happens when we put him down now. We like to say, "you really backed yourself into a corner this time, Siah." :) |
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| Handsome, contemplative fella on Dave's new camera. |
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| His very first bite of cereal. He had that same raised brow when he was born! |
Sunday, December 2, 2012
MegaTrip: The Voyage Home
Part Nine in a series chronicling our first big family road trip.
We had enjoyed ourselves tremendously, but it was time to go home. We could feel it. Even if we couldn't feel it, the responsibilities of life were waiting.
So we packed everything up one last time and said goodbye to Gigi and Pappy. We drove about two thirds of the way to stop in New York for the night, and then arrived home on the Cape the next afternoon. It was a fairly uneventful trip home, which is just how we wanted it.
It was a great vacation.
We had been all over the Eastern US, and loved every bit of it. We drove over 3,500 miles. We saw family, friends, and places we missed. Sarah got to play with children she still talks about. Josiah more than doubled his "state count." It was great. And we were tired.
So we started unpacking, went to bed, and I went to work the next morning. I had a renewed energy you would expect to have after such a vacation, even though my body was tired. It took a while to catch up with everything that had happened while I was gone, but that was more than worth the refreshment.
It's been over a month since we returned home. Autumn has turned to winter, and life is back to normal. It's actually even busier than normal, with Christmas and everything it brings in the air. But we still look back at all those memories often. And, as always, it is great to be home.
We had enjoyed ourselves tremendously, but it was time to go home. We could feel it. Even if we couldn't feel it, the responsibilities of life were waiting.
So we packed everything up one last time and said goodbye to Gigi and Pappy. We drove about two thirds of the way to stop in New York for the night, and then arrived home on the Cape the next afternoon. It was a fairly uneventful trip home, which is just how we wanted it.
It was a great vacation.
We had been all over the Eastern US, and loved every bit of it. We drove over 3,500 miles. We saw family, friends, and places we missed. Sarah got to play with children she still talks about. Josiah more than doubled his "state count." It was great. And we were tired.
So we started unpacking, went to bed, and I went to work the next morning. I had a renewed energy you would expect to have after such a vacation, even though my body was tired. It took a while to catch up with everything that had happened while I was gone, but that was more than worth the refreshment.
It's been over a month since we returned home. Autumn has turned to winter, and life is back to normal. It's actually even busier than normal, with Christmas and everything it brings in the air. But we still look back at all those memories often. And, as always, it is great to be home.
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