Laughs...

I know I commented last time about how much Caleb makes me (and my husband) laugh so much but today I laughed the hardest I have in a long time. He has gotten into the habit of sucking on his bottom lip and it is a riot every time I see it. It brings a smile to my face just thinking of it now. I started a photo shoot just wanting to capture that face and I ended up getting many more faces that made me laugh!!! I just wanted to share these photos with everyone....hope they bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart as it did mine! Just one of the many joys of motherhood!!!! Enjoy!

What a silly boy! Makes me laugh every time!


This one is a RIOT!!!

Being away...

Well this past weekend was my first "overnighter" at my parent's house in Mt. Pleasant without Kirk and Caleb. It went surprisingly well. Although I did cry when I left. I thought for sure I would have those dreams where he wakes up and is screaming and I wonder how long he has been screaming, but I didn't....I slept very well (PRAISE GOD!). Kirk was here in Grand Rapids with Caleb for Friday night and all day Saturday. If nothing else, I told him it would make him appreciate what I do every day. I really do think he enjoyed it though! I thought it was funny when I came home in the evening and he hadn't showered yet that day:) I got a good laugh out of that.

As I was leaving I was realizing that no matter how much mom's (including me) need a break from our kids now and again.....and we actually look forward to it....it can be hard to separate from them. All week I was SO looking forward to not having to tote him around with me and when it came time to actually leave, I was heartbroken. I knew he would be in good hands with Kirk but it was hard to leave. The time was very much needed and very relaxing, but it was hard to initially leave. I sure love him and I am glad I get to be home with him at this stage of his life.

When I did get home it was nice to have Caleb give me a BIG grin and welcome me back. It is so much fun that he recognizes me and knows when I am gone. It really touched my heart when he looked up and let out a little squeal when he first saw me. It made it all worth while. It was so great to be home again....it made me appreciate the good days and hard days and relalize what a blessing it is to be with him.

How much fun it is to be a mom! What a blessing our kids are. God has blessed moms with a special bond with their kids and I am no different.

Just some things on my mind....

Beauty from Ashes...

It is amazing how much my son makes me smile and laugh. There is so much joy in children and mine is no different. They are so innocent and small but they are full of joy. I love the times when my son will be playing with his toys and just simply look up at me and smile. It seems to come for no reason but the fact that I am there looking at him. His whole face lights up and he lets out a small shriek. Sometimes I wonder what he would say if he could talk. I imagine him telling me "Thanks, mom, for always being here with me!"......but who knows :)

It is such a joy to see children grow and discover the world around them. Caleb is so funny when he plays with one specific toy....it's a duck that has a rattle inside and there is a tag on the underside. He always manages to find that tag and look at it very intently (sometimes for a couple minutes). When he notices you looking at him (and sometimes Kirk and I laugh a bit) he will just carry on playing like nothing ever happened. We always get a good laugh out of that.

Caleb has also learned how to do "pull ups" in his swing. It is as if he thinks there is something else just on the other side of the swing that he needs to see.....it cracks me up every time.
















Oh, what a fun age 6 months is! I look back at some of the previous blogs and realize how fast time flies. It seemed like just yesterday we were struggling with nap times, eating difficulties, not sleeping well at night, and wondering if I was going insane :)......now, it seems that things have turned around (although there are still daily struggles, don't get me wrong). The feelings of helplessness have turned into a joy filled heart; tears of despair and heartache have now become tears of joy in realizing what an amazing gift I have in my son; the frustrated feelings have turned into a bit of sadness as I realize that my "little baby" is now getting bigger (he can no longer fit in the crook of my arm to eat)! Oh how the times flies!

I praise God for this time in my life. There have been so many difficult and painful times that are now being followed with a joyful heart and sounds of joy (and sometimes joyful screams!:) from my son. I know there will be more difficult times to come, but I rejoice in knowing that God went and continues to go through those valleys with me and brings me up to the peak of the mountain after molding me and shaping me into a new person. I am humbled and blessed by His amazing love for me. What a precious gift I have been given in Caleb!

---kinda random and scattered thoughts today but just some things on my heart :) Thanks for listening.

Christmas time...

Okay so I know Christmas is over but since I was so busy with family and friends, it is now time to reflect and write down some of my feelings....

One thing that really warmed my heart on Christmas (actually the 28th because that is when we had Christmas with the Reid's) was when my dad (AKA Papa) read the Christmas story. Just before he read the Christmas story he talked to the kids (my niece and nephew who are 4 and 2). He asked them why we celebrate Christmas and why we give gifts.....the kids responded "Because it's Jesus' birthday!!!" (with MUCH enthusiasm). It just warmed my heart 1) because it brought back so many memories of when dad used to talk to us when we were little about the importance of Christmas and why it was such a joy for him and Mom to give us gifts every year. 2) It warmed my heart because I could see how my dad is now passing down that joy of giving gifts to he is grandkids. He is showing them how important Christmas is because God sent His ONLY Son to come to this earth as a small baby. It was so heart warming to hear my niece and nephew get so excited about Jesus' birthday.

As I started getting tears in my eyes, I just couldn't wait to hear my son say "BECAUSE IT'S JESUS' BIRTHDAY!" I can't wait to see the joy on his face when he opens presents......I pray that he will know at a young age why we celebrate Christmas and what a special time it is.

We also were able to make a cake and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus! It was so much fun to see the joy on the kids faces as they celebrated this birthday with all of us. Even though the 'guest of honor' (Jesus) was not physically there, they had just as much fun singing to Him and enjoying the real reason of Christmas......I look forward to doing that with my son!!! What an honor to show little ones the real meaning of why we celebrate and give gifts on Christmas!

Asking...

One thing I regret at the beginning when Caleb was first born was not asking for help as much as I should have. Before he was born my thoughts were "I can do this.....I have babysat SO MANY TIMES....I am good with kids.....I have nieces and nephews and I can take care of them". Boy, is it different when you are the MOM! When the child is with you 24/7 things are much different.

Now, when Caleb is just over 5 months old, I am learning how to ask for help from friends and family. I am reaching out to other mothers and asking for suggestions and a helpful hand. It is amazing what sympathy and helpful hints you get from mothers that have been there! It was a huge revelation for me when I realized that I am not the only one in this boat of motherhood (it seems like a simple thing to grasp but for me it wasn't). Not only do I have a wonderful husband by my side who is, and will always, be there for me, but there are MANY mothers who have been in the same boat as me.....they have had the same heartache when their baby hurts and when their baby cries. They have stood just beyond the bedroom door as their baby cries and their own tears are running down their face! THEY HAVE BEEN THERE TOO!

If I could give advice to any new mother, I would say: Don't hesitate to ask for help from those you love and trust! They will pull through for you! No question is a stupid question when you are just figuring out this FULL time job of motherhood! You are not alone!

Just something I have learned (and am still learning) over the past 5 months! :) Motherhood is hard work but the benefits and joys FAR FAR outweigh the struggles!

Dedication

Just yesterday we had the honor of dedicating Caleb to the Lord. As I stopped and thought about this (after the dedication), it truly is a very high calling. It is something to not take lightly! (Granted, I did understand this before the fact but it just hadn't really sunk in too far yet) To stand before a congregation of people and PROMISE that you will do your best to raise your child in the ways of the Lord and to be held accountable to that is something so humbling that it gives me goose bumps!! I was brought to tears during the service when the Pastor called on our family and our church family to come along side us and guide Caleb to Christ through being examples to him of Godly men and women. What a great relief it is that Kirk and I will not be alone in this. That there will be people at church (when family cannot always be here with us) that will join us in raising Caleb to be a Godly man. Sure, he will have his choices in life and the choice to accept Christ as his personal Savior will ultimately be his, but I know that as I grew up, it meant a LOT to have people around me at church and school that could hold me accountable to what I believed and could be an example of how I should live for Christ. We are so blessed that Caleb will have that in our church.

As I went to bed last night I prayed that I would be a Godly mother and teach Caleb how to love God WHOLLY and COMPLETELY with everything he has. That I can point him to Christ in everything he does. That I will be able to show him that God loves him more than I ever could.

God help me to point Caleb to You. I pray that your light and love will shine through me as I care for my son. He is ultimately YOURS and I thank you for the privilege to raise him while I am here on this earth!

Smiles

Just a thought....what a great feeling it is when your child smiles at you....no matter what the age! They are so precious. Yeah for children!!! :)