SHOPPING

We recently went to Super Target with my parents so they could find something for our cousins. Meghan was enjoying looking at the toys, and next thing I know, she picked the one she wanted and started walking off with it! I thought this was too funny and had to take some pics. Too bad this was too expensive and not for babies!

Questions

I have been thinking about what someone brought up in our Life Group at church. There was a broadcast talking about what your family values, and how your children would evaluate that.
I thought surely my daughter would say that we watch a lot of tv and wasn't quite sure what else so I was a bit nervous to hear her answer.
To my surprise she actually said she thinks God is most important to this family! I was so proud and excited to hear that, esp. when I feel sometimes I am really doing a poor job at teaching her and communicating with her. I have always stressed how important our relationship with Jesus is, and that is the only thing that will make us happy and get us through this life. I also explain how important it is to seek Him, but I need to work on being more proactive in reading and studying His word with her more. Though I know that I need to work harder with my children, at least there is some confirmation I am doing something right.
Thank you Lord that you radiate through my relationship with you, even when I feel I am failing at learning and teaching more of you to my children!

So this is one area I have prayed to die to, me time, as we talked about at church today.. dying to areas that we have to every day in our walk with Christ. Laziness is so easy for me to fall into, as well as just taking care of me sometimes. I realize this more when I get irritated with my children bc I am on the computer, or watching a show, or just trying to read or clean... seem to loose my sensitivity when I am caught up in what I am doing. So first I need to break this cycle and be more of an example to my girls and really stop, listen and pay attention to their needs, regardless of the things I think are important that I need to get done! I want to leave a legacy and don't want them feeling mom was too busy (even with housework) to just stop and hug or listen to me. Granted, there are times when I need to focus on these things, but I just don't want them to be in the way of my family, and even more importantly, my time with the Lord.
I get caught up in playing games sometimes too with my husband instead of focusing in my time with God. I think it is great that I spend all that time with him, but I need to make time with Christ first so that I can be fed, and grow in the Lord, and be able to put that forth in my family too! Lord, help me to set my priorities in order, as you would have me order them!

All this to really stir in me even more the desire to really have that important time with Christ each and every day, to die moment by moment to myself and my desires, and instead let the Lord truly use me for His purposes. I know I am not perfect by any means, but I want to continue to be pruned so God can use me to the fullest for His glory! Sometimes I feel I don't always know what His plan is for me, but I know that if I will just trust in Him, read and meditate on His word, wait and listen for Him that he is FAITHFUL!

Thank you Lord that you are always faithful, even when I am lacking in faith. Even when I stumble and when I loose time with you that is SO precious! Thank you that you will perfect and be faithful to complete the good work you started in me! I know that I am not worthy, but I thank you SO much for choosing me as your daughter, grafted into your vine! You are my Jesus, my Savior and I worship you and praise you for you are SO worthy! Abba Father, have you way in my life, in my time, in my talents and treasures, in my marriage and in my family! Be Glorified. Teach me your ways that I may walk in Your path, and Your truth! I love you Lord!! Thank you for the cross! Thank you for your love! Thank you for your words and that you are working in me to make me more like you each day, even when I don't always feel or see it! Thank you for your love and your healing and that you are with me even in my trials! I love you soo much daddy!!!

Small accomplishments, big rewards

It has been awhile since I have blogged, so I thought one was due. :)
Soo.. last Monday, my 18 month old broke her arm in 2 places. She fell off a chair in our kitchen and cried more than usual, and we finally got her to point to her wrist when trying to figure out what was in pain. She got up twice that night, but we decided to see how she was the next day. Though mostly just fussy the next day, she screamed when she fell on the wrist she pointed to the night before. After that, she screamed when I was wiping off her hand when she ate, and that was enough for me to decide to take her to the doc. She acted as if nothing was wrong so I am sure they thought I was crazy, but when they looked at the x-rays, sure enough she had broken her arm! She was such a trooper, and the good thing is that it didn't seem to hurt unless she moved it a certain way, so that has been a good thing. She helped them put the splint on and Ohh.. how sad it was to see her in that sling!

With the hot pink cast / Right after the cast was taken off, on the car ride home

On Thursday she got her hard cast put on. We let her choose what color, and she went straight for the hot pink one! She did good with this too, though she didn't like being held there while it was drying hard. Soo.. she has been great so far, and thankfully she will be getting it off in only 3 wks, versus 6!
Sooo.. back to my original title.. We were so concerned about giving M a bath. She really needed one when this all happened and we wished we could have given her a quick one when they took of the splint, before they put the hard cast on. I bought some more of the disposable soapy washcloths, and we laid her down at the sink to wash her hair. We haven't done this in the past bc she is such a wiggle worm, and she loves to be in the bath anyway. She was great! We were so happy that we were able to wash her hair w/o incident, and she was great about keeping her arm away (the broken one) too! YEAH! We have a wonderfully clean baby again!
I know I know.. not really that big a deal, but a great one to us!

Ahh.. the joys of parenthood

What a day!! So.. I need to go to bed right after I write this bc I am sooo sleepy! I did not get much sleep last night be M was up screaming bc of an ear infection. She would only sleep with my and the hubby and kicked us all night! Plus, every time she would move around she would scream out in pain. I felt horrible for her bc she was in so much pain. We knew it was her ear bc she could not lay on that side and screamed if we tried to touch it.
Seems she has been getting ear infections righ before we go out of town. In the past we were driving so we just moved our time to leave out, but this time we actually had a flight out of town! We did not want her to go on a plane with her ear feeling the way it did.. not too smart an idea if she was already in such pain.
I took her to the pediatrician and she said it was really bad and that we really shouldn't fly right now. So... we will have to make up the diff. from our discounted fair when we do travel our postponed trip, but it is ok since we are protecting M from more pain and possible rupture in her eardrum! THAT would NOT be fun for her or anyone else. So.. next step is to see how she is doing in 2 wks, and if the doc. thinks so she will refer us to an ENT. She said we may need to get tubes in her ears. I haven't researched this option at all, but I feel we should check it out if it would take away the infections and possibly help her to hear and even poss. speak better. The pediatrician told me that sometimes the fluid in the ears can affect the speack as well, and has known some people whose children were speaking a lot once they received tubes. Not sure what will happen yet, and praying for complete healing, but also for wisdom and discernment in the right way we need to go for Ms sake. I love her so much and like all moms can't stand to see my kiddos in pain! Soo.. that's basically whats going on here!
My hubby took B to the water park to kinda make up for us not going on our trip as she was really looking forward to it. Hopefully we will be able to reschedule in a month or so.

Chaos

Life can be soo full of chaos! Sometimes I don't know how I am going to continue raising my daughter as she gets closer to teenage years and I already have a really tough time! I know that I really need to buckle down and be more proactive and focus more so that things don't blow up in my face and the house, but lately I have not done this as I should! Boy do I pay the price! First I know I need to be in the WORD!! Without that time with God I am walking on egg shells just waiting for a bust! Yes I know this is the first thing I need to do.. so I do well with it until my hubby comes home. I don't try to lay God's word or Him to the side, just seems I spend all my time with my hubby and kids.. not that there is anything wrong with that in itself, but I know I still need to be spiritually fed so I need to do better... for me, my family, my home!
I have to keep my calm and peace so that I can be a peacemaker esp. with my children. I know the main thing is that I need to die to myself and my needs and stop being selfish, focusing on my children before me. This is my calling and what God has placed in my life. I know I need to take it seriously! Things seem to be going well, and the BAM! I am hit hard with so much! The problem that always makes things worse is when I have a bad attitude, and My anger and MY feelings heighten the blow up even more, causing more of a blow up! This has been a struggle and prayer. I have to surrender daily for me to overcome and I do not always stay consistent in this as I should.
Then the hubby goes back to work and all heck seems to break loose! It is as if all of a sudden I have no time with my older daughter and she goes haywire as a result.. just seems there is more disobedience, disrespect etc and it can drive me nuts sometime!! And I love her to death and love how much of a girl she is, but it can really be trying when there is constant drama/emotion/talking!! I know if I were just to start my day in the Bible, prayer and surrender, thinking of others beside myself things would be much better.. maybe this should once again be a clue of how badly I need to continue in that walk, even when my hubby is home, and esp. before he leaves again! I know I am not the only one who is dealing with the attitudes I get, but I know that I can control the situation better if I am walking right and focusing. I know I need to focus to have effective parenting!!
Lord, help me to be a better follower of your example!! Please give me the desire to continue in your word no matter what my circumstances are! Restore the joy of my salvation and renew a right spirit/mind/thoughts/desires in me! Lord help me to love and view my children as you do and to walk in that love and kindness. Please give me peace from the inside out and wisdom beyond measure. Help me to balance my time so that I include both girls and really pay attention to both even when one seems a lot more independent than the other. Help me to be proactive and to focus on the work you have called me to and are doing through me. Please open my ears to hear, my eyes to see and help me to listen to your still small voice.. or be loud and clear, whatever to get my attention. Help me to shut my mouth and walk away instead of giving into frusteration or anger! I surrender all to you and pray that you would direct my foosteps according to your way and let no sin rule over me. Please forgive me for acting out in anger and for causing any hurt in my words or actions in any way! Thank you for you love, forgiveness, grace, mercy and your awesome hand in my life! Without you I am and have NOTHING! I need you more than anything in my life and above all else. Be the center of my life, the head of this family and this home! Bring unity, love, wisdom and obedience in this home and please continue to teach this family everything about you. Help us all to grow closer to you and to be vessels you would use to minister you love, grace and salvation to others.
I love you sweet Jesus!!
Praise your name!
Your daughter

So in love and Amazed!

I am so in love with my sweet little Meghan!! She is almost 16 months and I can't believe how much she has grown!
I am amazed how God can create such beautiful, loving, sweet and cute babies!!! I just want to kiss her little sweet cheeks all the time!
Things I love:
1) Her crazy hair that I can't seem to tame
2) Her big ole grin when she smiles
3) Her adorable laugh when I tickle her!
4) How well she communicates, even without words yet
5) The cute little gestures and noises she makes
6) How sweet and loving and cuddly she is!!!!

She is so cute to me I just can't stand it sometimes! :) Ok.. so maybe I am a little crazy, but aren't mamma's supposed to be over their little ones?
When Meghan wants to talk on the phone, she now puts her hand over her ear and shakes her head yes, while she makes little noises to let you know. Then she will smile really big when I put the phone to her ear and wave hello with her hand to the person on the other line. Sometimes she will chuckle a little, but she hasn't really started talking yet.
She also loves to ask where things are, or have gone by putting her hands in the air in a questioning motion, and making little sounds as if she is asking "Where did mommy go?" when I leave the room, or when she sees an animal on tv and it is gone, she does it also. Also, she will hear a bird or an airplane and do this as well, looking for it and not knowing where it is.
She likes to shake her finger at her sister and make yelling type grunts at her, as if she is telling her what to do.. she also did this to someone's children who were going off the slide the wrong way, as if she was straightening them out! I thought it was too funny!
I am just so amazed and in love with her, and am so thankful and blessed I can stay at home and enjoy her all the time. The good times definitely outway any trying times I have with her!
I love her little toes and when she wants me to play This little piggy.
Her latest thing at night is to rock in her glider rocker that is in her room, while we look at her prayer book. This has become very special to me too, as it is calm and such a sweet way to spend time with her.

Potty Training

Ok, so Meghan is only 15 months old, but she has become interested in the potty some, and she indicates to us when she goes to the bathroom, esp #2 bc she wants to be changed immediately! I told her pediatrician this at he last check up, and she thought that was great and told me I should try to introduce her more with a potty chair or something.
I went to Once Upon A Child, a second hand store nearby, to see if they had any potty chairs bc I wasn't sure if I wanted this for her, or if I wanted to get one that goes on top of the potty like we did with my first child. I showed one to her and she tried to get on it backwards first, sticking her foot right in the cup where you go in, and then pulled her foot out and sat down on the now hole in the chair. The pee cup was still on her foot! Oh goodness I thought.. I really felt she may just try to throw it around at this stage so I decided I would forego the potty chair.
Well, I went to Super Target and got her an Elmo potty chair that you sit on top of the toilet instead so we could try it out, and for when she really is ready if not now.
She was SOO excited about this and wanted to take off her clothes and sit on it! We got her all situated and asked if she wanted some water and she said yes. She was just sitting there, drinking her water and Laile and I were shocked bc she started peeing!!! YEAH!!! We were so excited and started clapping for her and cheering her on! She was excited too, and put her cup down so she could clap for herself!
So.. she hasn't done anything else since then, but she loves to sit on the potty. She at least wants to get a piece of toilet paper and wipe herself off, even if she didn't do anything. Sometimes I think she just wants to for the toilet paper so we will have to keep an eye on the whole thing.
ANYWAY.. how exciting! We will see where this leads.. :)