☮

dona ˈnɔbis ˈpatʃɛm

[ecclesiastical Latin] translated "grant us peace"

These Mommy Days…

I haven’t blogged in a while…

Lately Oliver & I have spent a lot more time playing, and less time being productive. So far, neither of us mind a bit that we get very little done on the days we spend together. I am preserving memories of him, these days.

Oliver is now eight months old, but I think he believes that he is much older. I am terrified that any day he will let go of the couch and walk without holding on to anything. Sometimes our house gets very quiet and when I find Oliver, he is standing on tip-toe against the television stand or the fireplace or the couch reaching for something dangerous or off-limits to him. When I say to him, “Oliver, what do you think you are doing??” He shoots me a silly grin, displaying his two teeth or waves at me.

Hand-waving is a recent discovery. Oliver recently learned how to wave and now he waves constantly: when he is happy, when he is trying to get my attention, when he is looking at his own reflection, when he is trying to get daddy’s attention, but of course not when he ask him to wave. When he does wave, though, it is heart-melting.

Oliver reminds me of my own carefree childhood. We play together and I sing songs to him, and sometimes we dance. And Oliver laughs.

These days, a two-and-a-half-foot little boy with chestnut curls and blue-green eyes fills our world with life and so much love.

~Beth

Advent

And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

Luke 2: 10-12

Christmas  (ˈkrɪsməs)
— n
1.	a. the annual commemoration by Christians of the birth ofJesus  Christ on Dec 25
	b. Also called: Christmas Day  Dec 25, observed as a day of  secular celebrations when gifts and greetings are exchanged
	c. ( as modifier ): Christmas celebrations

This Christmas reminded me of how blessed I am.

Our Christmas season was filled with family and friends and joy and laughter and peace.

My sister Vanessa and brother in law Lucas travelled from Texas to visit the week before Christmas. Oliver was thrilled to finally meet them, and we had such a wonderful time visiting with them. They arrived in California on a Thursday and headed up to South Lake Tahoe with my parents and little brother. I was able to take Saturday off from work and Nicholas & I drove up with Oliver and Auntie Toya. We spent Saturday and Sunday enjoying the beautiful scenery and catching up with my sister. We enjoyed an early Christmas dinner with Vanessa & Lucas before they left.

I had to work Christmas Eve, but I got home in time to go to my parent's home to open gifts with my sister Toya, and enjoy delicious tamales. Nick's parents and sister Vicki also were able to join us. 

Nicholas & I spent Christmas morning with Oliver, trying to persuade him to unwrap his gifts. He pulled toys and books from his stocking but was less interested in unwrapping gifts. Instead, he entertained himself with the empty boxes. We also read the Christmas Story to him out of Luke chapter 2. He felt like he should talk too while I read so he helped out in his own baby language. 

We also spent time with both our families and Oliver played with his cousins from out of town. 

We received many beautiful gifts but even more special was the time we were able to spend with our loved ones. I was overwhelmed by all the gifts and love that our families showered on us and on Oliver. We felt incredibly blessed and thankful that we were able to spend such an important day with people who mean so much to us. 

Christmas reminds me of the wonderful gift that Christ gave to us: His birth as a human child, so that he could live and die for us as our Savior and in doing so, give us the greatest gift of all, eternal life with him.

I was reminded of the amazing love us Christ throughout this holiday season. 

Knowing this amazing story and knowing that Christ lives in my heart and is with me always gives me such joy and Christmas is such a beautiful day to share that story with our son and our family. 

I pray that you would feel this joy, and share it with those around you, too. 

Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad. Buon Natale.

P. S. here are a few photos from our Christmas Season....

waking up tired

today i feel tired.

my home is a mess, the clean laundry is folded but is still in baskets, & my hair is a bit bird's nest like from washing it and then falling asleep while it was still wet. 

But Nick is still sleeping peacefully in our bed which I hope is a sign that the birthday dinners I planned for him the past 2 days were a success. 

He slept while I played with Oliver, who decided to wake up at 7. Babies have no regard for weekends or holidays. Mine wakes with the sun, smile on his face and ready to play. 

so we play for a while...

I whisper the words of Psalm 23 to him as he smiles up at me and responds in his sweet baby language.

Then he slips into a peaceful sleep about the time that my alarm clock should be waking me, and I lay him down for a nap and drowsily began the day.

today i feel tired.

But, I remember the words I whispered to Oliver,

"...He leads me besides still waters. He restores my soul.." 

I will find strength in these words as I make breakfast;  as I get ready for church; as I teach 2nd & 3rd graders about Jesus today... 

& even though today I feel tired, 

my soul is restored.

lazy wednesday

Life seems to slow down during the summer...

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like people are happier in the summer. I see more people around our apartment complex and they stop and say hello to Oliver instead of hurrying past with only a brief nod. 

Oliver went in the pool for the first time last night. Not fully but he let Daddy carry him in the water and dip his feet in. We waited until about seven o'clock in the evening when the pool was empty and then brought Oliver out with his little baby sunglasses to keep him from having to squint his little eyes shut. He felt nervous at first but relaxed and seemed to enjoy the cool water splashing against his skin. 

Despite summertime's lazy haze, Oliver continues to grow. When I look at him, it's hard to believe that he is only six and a half weeks old. He is so full of life and that energy radiates from him like sunlight. He grunts and screams and smiles and finds all sorts of ways to communicate with us. I am learning to pay attention to his expressions and his moods. He is full of energy and wants to bounce and stand and move. 

And then he takes glorious naps while I rush around making lunch and washing dishes and showering and styling my hair and searching for something to wear that makes me feel like me again and whatever else I can manage to do until I  hear his cry and lift his cuddly warm body into my arms and enjoy his happy babyness all over again. 

This is our routine for now; simply enjoying each other's company during these lazy summer months. We let ourselves get lost in the magic that is summer's warmth and joy and a sense of peace...

Domestication is bliss, i think. (:

August snuck up on me this year.

So did the length of my hair. I looked in the mirror today and noticed that it actually has grown quite a bit. I think perhaps the summer heat and my new relaxed attitude since graduating factor into this.

I'm starting to feel like a housewife. Well, aside from working extra hours at Spag. This morning I ate yogurt and cinnamon raisin toast for breakfast. I don't even like raisins, but it was strangely satisfying.

I'm also realizing that caffeine hides in way more than soda and energy drinks. I made Nick buy this awesome looking fruit juice from the grocery section in Target only to find out when I pulled it out of the fridge that it has "natural caffeine" from coffee beans. Gah! Bloody caffeine leave me alone. So I had to resort to something of my own creation which turned out to be peppermint ice tea with blueberries sans caffeine. Ah..lovely. (:

My birthday is in ten days. I heard on KLOVE yesterday that a recent survey showed that the age women feel most beautiful is something like 31. So basically, I should be getting more beautiful with age, right? So I'm welcoming this birthday (and many more, Lord willing) with open arms. I only hope that the majority of the women taking that survey were 31.

Love,

Bethany.