First Haircuts

We had been contemplating giving Sarah her first haircut for quite some time, just to neaten it up. But she never completely needed one, so we never actually did it. That is, until Josiah actually did need one. Once his hair started coming in, it wanted to come in more in the back than in the front. Soon, a mullet was coming. 

Sarah's was long enough that she would still have long hair after a good trim, so we decided to spend an afternoon getting haircuts for Josiah, Sarah, and Daddy.  

We were quite nervous, as Sarah is still afraid of quite a few things and generally anything surprising. We knew there would be hair driers. scissors, and that some of her hair would fall off her head. Sounds like a nightmare to a three-year-old. So we let her watch Josiah get his cut first.

Jen, capable with both shears and children, gave Josiah a comb to play with. He combed his own hair a little and then seemed to be ok with her doing whatever she did with it.

Not long after it began, he was done! The back cleaned up nicely.

So now it was time for Sarah. We had prayed a lot that it wouldn't be a terrifying experience for her. It started off well enough. She was quite excited to get a purple cape.

Though she was a little timid, it became clear that she could handle it. So Jen went to work.

By the end, Sarah had become so comfortable that she didn't even get scared when Ms. Jen pulled out the hair drier. Usually she can't bear the sight of one, but this time she even got her own hair blown dry.

And now she walks around with nice crisp hair. And can't wait to get her hair cut again, of course!

Afterwards Emily and the kids went shopping while Daddy got his trim. Why nobody photographed that, we'll never know. Either way, we're thankful Sarah had a good time. Now let's just hope she doesn't like the idea of a haircut a little too much!

A (crazy) week in the life . . .

This post was written on Monday, August 19, one week after our return from Mississippi. I forgot to post it then! A month removed from the situation we are able to say we saw the Lord's hand in it, and so I have added a reflection at the end.


By the amount of snuggles we are receiving, amount of medicine we are administering, and number of hours we are not sleeping, I would say we are in the midst of a very memorable week. I'll fill you in.

We arrived home from a trip to MS on Monday with a week of catching up ahead of us. Josiah went in for his well visit on Wednesday. Sarah went to the pediatric cardiologist on Thursday.

Thursday night is when things got crazy. Sarah had been saying her tooth hurt since the evening before. I assumed it was a new tooth (there is always something new to come through, right?), so when we got home Thursday evening I pulled out a flashlight and took a look. Much to my amazement, her sweet little mouth was covered with blisters. Ouch!

The next morning I called the doctors' office and talked to a sweet nurse about hand, foot, mouth disease. We talked about what to expect and how to help relieve the symptoms. She warned that it is highly contagious, so Josiah was already exposed. I hung up and prepared for the days ahead.

Little did I know what was coming. From Friday to Sunday Sarah ate nothing aside from a bite here or there that would send her into hysterics and subsequently be spit out. She could drink some water from a skinny straw, thankfully. Her checks got swollen and she had to learn to sleep on her back and not suck her thumb. At first, she was afraid to go to bed. Twice she was thirsty and drank water, only to have it come right back out.

My heart hurt so bad watching her go through this. Sometimes she would graze her face on something and just burst into tears. She would want to eat, but what sounded good to her tummy brought incredible pain. She would want to snuggle, but could only put her forehead on my chest. I think in some ways her little bubble has been burst. She knows pain now. She knows restraint.

Thankfully, this morning she was able to eat. She hasn't been waking up crying as she naps. I think she has passed the worst of it.

Unfortunately, Josiah is just getting started. His HFM journey started with a diaper rash Saturday night. In addition to this awful rash, he has gotten sores on his hands and feet and we think a few in his mouth, though we haven't been able to get in to see them. I don't think he is in as much pain as Sarah was, but he is so confused. Last night he was up from 1-4 a.m. and just didn't want to be left alone or succumb to sleep. I don't think he has passed the worst of it yet, but we hope it won't last long.

Tonight will just be one week since we returned from our vacation. Maybe week two we will be able to say things are back to normal!


Just before our trip to Mississippi I took Sarah in for her first trip to the dentist. (Aside: we met the dentist and hygienist that day, but had to schedule another appointment for the cleaning once we had paperwork from the cardiologist.) We met the kind hygienist and one of the first things she asked was if Sarah sucked her thumb or the pacifier. Somewhat taken aback, I said thumb, but not that often. I then had the exact same back and forth with the dentist. He said that it was taking a toll on her mouth and would have to be addressed at some point, but didn't have to be pressed right away.

At that point I started really watching Sarah's thumb sucking. While it mostly happened as she was falling asleep or when she was overwhelmed, it was happening much more often than I realized. I talked to her about not sucking it and quickly found that she wasn't to be reasoned out of the habit. I was a little distraught, but at a loss. Dave noted that if the dentist said not to press it, maybe we should just let it be. So we let it go.

Then the hand, foot, mouth happened. It was miserable. Her mouth was covered in painful sores. She couldn't suck her thumb.

As the children recovered I began to notice a change- Sarah hadn't gone back to sucking her thumb. As hard as it was, she had weaned herself when her mouth had the sores. The virus was so hard, but not all for naught.

I think that for me this is an instance where I can look back and see that I was called to WAIT. I didn't want to wait. I wanted to attack the problem and develop a solution. Logically, I didn't want Sarah's mouth to get worse. But look at what the Lord did so much better than I could have done?! He took care of the problem that I couldn't solve. He is good, all the time!

Letting Go (aka, the point of parenting)

Sarah had her very first night of AWANA on Friday. It was parents night, so I got to stay for the first half of her class and Dave and Josiah met us when it was time to pick her up. This was a big day for Sarah, but it might have been an even bigger day for Dave and me.

This was the first time we left her at church. Now don't get me wrong, Sarah goes to nursery and Sunday School. She stays with babysitters every so often. And she loves it when other people put her to bed. But AWANA was different. This was the first time we left her under the instruction of someone else. She was expected to learn and be part of the group. She was on her own.

I have a confession: I was nervous, at least in part, for the wrong reasons. I wanted people to like the pastor's kid. I wanted them to think I have done a good job training her at home. I want them to like having her in their class. While she is a reflection on us, I can't put that pressure on her. I have to let her be.

I also have to let her go. Another confession, as we went into the classroom and Sarah sat down on a carpet square I sat next to my friend Jessica who is the mom of a second year cubbie (what they call the preschool children). And then I started to cry (and laugh, because I knew I was being a little ridiculous). I told her it was just a little overwhelming to be here and Sarah was growing up and I wasn't sure she was ready and I wasn't sure if I was ready but I knew I had to be ready because it was time. My sweet friend reassured me that I wasn't (too) crazy and that a few tears were normal.

I am learning to remember the big picture. We aren't training Sarah to be obedient and kind so that we can enjoy her forever. We are training her in the hopes that she will enjoy the Lord forever. And we make purposeful decisions about when and why to let her go. This year that means AWANA, a program that embraces the infallibility of Scripture and helps little ones hide the Word in their hearts. That is a good thing.

Sarah was excited about AWANA all summer and then a little nervous about it last week leading up to the big night. On Friday she was unsure, but never turned back. She kept squinting her eyes and pursuing her lips like she was being really thoughtful anytime someone spoke to her. Sweet thing was nervous and so brave. Precious :) By the end of the night she definitely felt in the club and like she was part of something special. She asked to wear her vest Saturday morning and wanted to sing the songs from the night before (which we didn't know!).

It is going to be a good and growing year for us all. I pray we are all more like the Lord at the end!

(Favorite quote from the night: As we were pulling into church Sarah said, "Thank you for bringing Josiah to AWANA." Precious!)

What I've Been Reading Lately

I have always really enjoyed reading. As you might expect, the last three years of my life I haven't finished that many books, and I have learned to be alright with that. Thankfully, as my little ones grow I have been able to pick up books again (and actually read them . . . you wouldn't believe how many books I have checked out from the library, renewed, and still returned unread!). Here are some on my recent reads:

This jewel puts everything in perspective. It is important to remember the big picture in the little things of life!

Don't flip out- we aren't planning to fill a charter bus with kids! But these parents do know how to parent biblically and their life stories were instructive and encouraging. It read almost like a biography.

I learned to can this summer and this book (along with frantic calls to my mom!) walked me through it step by step.

My godly friend Lisa Lowery loaned this one to me and it is still rocking my world. Angie Smith has an amazing life story to share and has a solid perspective of the Lord's sovereignty. That is sometimes hard to figure out day in and day out!

I am thankful for the opportunity to read and hope that our children will catch a love of reading in our home!

"She has no heart condition"

"She has no heart condition."

Those were beautiful words to my ears. We saw the same nurse practitioner and same pediatric cardiologist at our appointment Thursday at the Boston Children's Hospital extension in Weymouth that we saw when Sarah was six months old.

I can remember coming out of the bathroom after my first postpartum shower to find Dave intently listening to a doctor. This doctor turned out to be a pediatric cardiologist who was explaining to Dave with a diagram and plumbing analogies that a child's heart has three openings in utero that are supposed to close at birth. Our precious not-even-24-hours-old baby girl had an opening that wasn't closed. Seventy percent of the time it closes naturally during the first couple of weeks of life out of the uterus. Either way, she would have a normal quality of life.

Whoa. Talk about post-shower information overload! In some ways, I am glad it was my firstborn. I think that at the time I thought making visits to the cardiologist was normal. We went twice in Louisville and then the first visit up here when she was six months old. Each visit went well, and they were pleased with her progress, but wanted to see her one last time at 3 years old. "To see how cute she is," the cardiologist said.

I was so proud of Sarah (and a patient Josiah!) during this visit. First, a really kind nurse hooked Sarah up with thirteen stickers for an EKG. Sarah was nervous, but interactive and obedient. She then had her "arm hugged" when they took her blood pressure and her heart listened to twice. And when I say listened to I mean really listened, not just your average tour of the chest. They needed silence in the room (Josiah, of course, chose that moment to clap and squeal) and Sarah to be very still, and then they listened quite intently to just her heart.

The conclusion. There is a slight murmur to the rhythm of her heart beat, but the hole has closed. Praise the Lord! We are thankful for His healing hand.

Happy 15 months, Josiah!

We have had an exciting three months since Josiah's birthday! He is walking now and starting to say a few words. In general, we are on the brink of good communication, to which we greatly look forward. His little personality is really blooming!

Weight: 27 lbs 13 ozs (96%)
Height: 33.75 in (99%)
Head: 18.75 in (72%)
Diaper: cloth and size 5
Clothing: 18 and 24 month, some 2T, shoe- size 5/6

Likes: being chased, doing whatever Sarah is doing, digging, splashing, drawing on the magnadoodle, putting things in and taking them out (ex: crayons, markers), drum sticks and maracas, holding straws and silverware, playing peekaboo ("where's Siah?"), tickle time, playing on Daddy

Dislikes: being hungry in the car (I guess I can't blame him), being told no/having something taken from him, being put down when his plan is to be held

Schedule: We have been pretty much on target here lately, with the exception of travel and illness.

7 am: Wake and eat
7-9 am: Wake time
9-11am: Nap
11am: Wake and eat
11-1 pm: Wake time
1-3 pm: Nap
3 pm: Wake and eat
3-7 pm: Wake time
7 pm: Bed time!

Sleeping: For a while we thought Josiah might be beginning to drop his first nap, which I was not at all ready for. Sarah started going to one nap at 14 months, so I knew his resistance might not be a false alarm. Miraculously, he hasn't dropped the nap! He generally likes to go down for both naps and sleeps 1.5-2 hours (enough time for Mommy to do things!). I am thankful to say that he has been doing really well at night. He consistently sleeps until 7 or 7:30am now, which is such a blessing.

Eating: Josiah loves to down his cup of milk now, though if he isn't in his chair or being held, he is easily distracted. He is not distracted when it comes to eating, though. When he is hungry, he can put a lot of food in his belly. He definitely has preferences, but it is neat to see him liking some foods he didn't enjoy early on (like eggs). Favorites are grapes, mozzarella cheese, watermelon, pulled pork, and pizza. (Note that veggies didn't make the favorites' list . . . he eats them, but they are not his first choice!)

Moving: Josiah is walking well. He also squats, climbs the stairs (though we don't let him . . .), bounces/jumps on the couch, slides, and pushes (chairs, push carts, etc.).

Communication: His best words are still Mama and Dada. He has started mimicking words (and actions . . . he can both say and shake his head "no") and seems to really be soaking in what he hears and sees around him.

Teething: We seem to be past the really challenging ones. He had another two come through early this month that we didn't notice until they were all the way through. That brings the total to eight teeth.

Next appointment: Monday, November 4, 2013 at 10:20am

Library fun!

It warms my heart when they like to play together :)

"Just don't make eye contact and she won't know it was me . . ." 

Always love a sleeping baby!

Kids and their boxes

He kept this rubber duck's head in his mouth for a whole wake time.
This being my boy who would never take a pacifier!

Feeling legal, huh?

He has enough hair to be messed up!

Maybe a mohawk? Lot of kids get their mohawk along with their first bath,
but we waited until he was old enough to handle it :)

Somebody has some moves . . .

. . . and somebody likes it!

If our May 4 babies get married, this is being blown up bigger than life sized. You wait and see. Too cute.

Sarah wanted to hold Josiah's hand as we walked through the airport.

First time to watch the magic of Krispy Kreme unfold.

Hello, Gulf of Mexico!

Vacation With the Howells

Tired and yet somehow refreshed, we have returned from vacation in Mississippi and Alabama with the Howell side of our family. It was a great trip, the kind where you wear yourself out and sleep well. 

First, Emily and the kids flew down to spend some time in Hattiesburg while I stayed behind. I made myself useful caring for our lawn and tackling our upstairs wallpaper/paint project. I didn't tell Emily about it until I got there, but I knew she had been wanting to do it for a while. Every since we had taken down the wallpaper and painted our downstairs, we both wanted to finish the job upstairs. But there never seems to be a good time to get out a ladder and paint bucket when you have small children to play with. When they left for a few days, I saw the opportunity. 

Goodbye, last of the wallpaper.

Hello, paint!

Then I flew down South and Emily picked me up to take me to Dauphin Island, AL. Emily's parents and cousins had all rented a house on the beach, where we would spend most of our vacation. We fished, kayaked, swam, played on the beach, and played board games until we wore ourselves out. Then we took a nap and did it all some more. 

Sarah putting sprinkles on some cupcakes under the supervision of her cousin Maddy.

Yay for the beach!

Baxter and JT flounder gigging under the Milky Way

Josiah swinging like a big boy.

Sarah is loving the swing more and more now.

Josiah's first snow cone.

It was cold, but then he asked for more.

The kids loved swimming. 

Sarah even let us let go of her some so she could float. 

After a few days together in Hattiesburg with Goggin and Papa, we flew home to Cape Cod and settled back in. Then everyone got some much needed sleep!