Mother's Day

For my first Mother's Day I had one child. For my second Mother's Day I had two children. I have expressed to Jason and a few other people that this is a trend I do NOT plan on continuing! I love my children, but as I told my mom in the hospital after Simon was born, "No more babies for a while!"

These two blessings are the reason I get to celebrate Mother's Day and I wouldn't want it any other way. Lily with a Silk covered face and Simon content to be in my arms. We had a nice relaxing day at home. Jason made us dinner, chicken pesto ravioli, which was delicious, and we just enjoyed being a family. Jason did make the day quite a bit more awesome by gifting me with a new digital SLR camera, which we have been talking about buying for 3 years now. I am so excited and have just started to learn how to use it. A few pictures I have taken with it are below.

My boy! He is getting so big. He is staying awake longer between feedings and loves it when someone talks to him. He also enjoys holding onto things ie. fingers, shirts, burp cloths, anything he can get his little fingers around really. He doesn't enjoy grabbing a hold of his hanging toys so much just yet though. He typically starts crying when he accidentally grabs a hold of one of them when he is on his playmat. This little guy is so strong and holds his head up really well already when being held on one's shoulder. He has started smiling, which is just as heartwarming as the first few times Lily smiled. I am excited to see him change and grow. Love him!!!

My Baby Girl! I am so glad I can still call her that. I was worried if we had another girl that I wouldn't be able to call Lily that anymore because she wouldn't be the baby girl anymore, but she is most definitely my baby girl! She is full of energy and pep and makes us laugh Every. Single. Day!! Yesterday she started to pretend sneeze and it is absolutely hysterical. So we laugh, which makes her laugh and continue fake sneezing and she is just such a goofball. She loves to play outside, as do I, so we are a good fit. I know Simon will grow to love the outdoors as well.

So we definitely have our hands full with our two blessings!

This year, May 2010, being a mother for me means:
sleepless nights, mounds of dirty laundry, a house that's less than clean, random crying (who am I kidding, this was me even before I had kids), heightened levels of frustration, feeling overwhelmed, staying in my PJ's until noon (this is SO uncharacteristic of me), being spit up on every hour, not knowing how to handle certain situations, feelings of uncertainty

but being a mother this year also means:
hearing heart warming laughter, being silly with my little girl, sharing a smile with my little man, crying out of happiness at how the Lord has blessed this little family of ours, learning it's okay to have a less than clean house, taking photos of my beautiful children, experiencing love in ways I never thought possible, watching and listening as Lily learns new words, reading stories, building towers so they can be knocked over, laughing until I cry, crying until I laugh, watching the man I love be the best dad he knows how to be (and then crying about how much I love him), cooing, playing in the sand and water, singing, looking for bugs, pushing swings, gazing into my son's eyes and seeing his pure innocence, trusting and praying and trusting and praying!

In everything there are pros and cons, the good and the bad, and although recently I have focused on the few negatives that seem to overtake my attitude and mood, I am going to try to set my mind on all the good that is in my life because God is Good and has entrusted me with two amazing children to raise. He knows what He is doing and I have to trust that. I have to trust that on the days when I haven't showered and am still wearing my PJ's with piles of dirty laundry in every room in the house and crumbs on the kitchen floor and dirty dishes in the sink and unmade beds and two crying children and toys scattered everywhere and a dog that barks and drives me crazy. In all of this, God is Good and knows what He is doing. I can feel God is stretching and growing me. It is going to be a crazy ride. Am I ready? I don't feel ready, but it's time.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of Peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9