IT HAS BEEN FORETOLD
1 day ago
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Our afternoon conversation...
Elysen is getting so big. She almost sounds like she's really talking these days....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k3B4BQPiDU
Sunday, September 18, 2011
7 months
Elysen, my sweet girl, you are 7 months old today! You are my big girl!
Weight: Probably about 16 lbs. You were about that much 2 weeks ago at your 6 month appointment.
Height: Not sure
Sizes: You are still wearing a size 2 diaper. You are mostly in 6 month clothes now. But, you still have some 3-6 month pjs that fit you. I had a funny experience last week. It's been so hot here all summer that you've mostly been wearing little sandals or going barefoot. Well, it suddenly got cool here and I went to put your socks on and they were too small! You still had a couple of pairs that fit - but even those were snug. So last Sunday I ran to Target after church and got you some socks. Good thing, too, because it's been pretty chilly and you needed them! I guess sometimes I forget that you're growing fast!
What you're up to:
- Well, you have been a busy girl this month. You are very good at sitting up now. I still put pillows behind you or sit beside you because you love to try to get all the toys that are just out of your reach. Then you fall over - sometimes very quickly. You love sitting because you can see things and reach lots of things. If you do fall over, you get mad because you love sitting up.
- You love to make noises with your mouth. You blow bubbles and growl and gurgle all the time. And you talk to us a lot too. You don't talk a lot when you're around other people, but you are getting more vocal. I can't tell if you're going to be a talker or a quiet observer.
- As of 5 days ago - you have a tooth! Actually, you have 2 but one hasn't quite broken through yet. The one that's out is so sharp! You were chewing my finger today and it actually hurt me at one point! I knew it was time to find other things for you to chew on. I got you Sophie the giraffe and a Nuby ring. You like them both, but that ring is the BEST! It must feel really good on your gums because you get mad when we take it away.
*Update: As of September 20, you have BOTH of your bottom front teeth! Oh my!*
- On that same note, your sleeping has been very touch-and-go this month. You'll have several bad nights, then a few good ones where you sleep all night, then you're up again for hours at a time at 2 a.m. After your bad nights you are so worn out during the day. One day this week, you had a really rough night, and you woke up at 7:30 even though you'd been up from 2 until 3:30. I knew you had to be exhausted - and I certainly was too (and your daddy was, but he had to go to work). I went to get you from your crib when you cried and the minute I had you, you just lay your head on my shoulder. By the time I walked to the other end of the house, you were sound asleep - seriously, you were snoring. So I put you on Daddy's side of the bed (with pillows to keep you away from the edge) and I got back in on my side. And we took a nice little nap until I had to get ready for work an hour later. It was so sweet.
- You are eating less often now. We try to do solids at least once every day - depending on how you're feeling. The food can contribute to the tummy troubles that teething gives you, so sometimes we skip it. You do love your food. I can see you thinking about the new flavor and deciding whether you like it. I'm excited for you to get to eat real food in several months.
- Your Marmee and Grandad came to visit us a few weeks ago over Labor Day weekend. Your Marmee was in heaven. She kissed you and rocked you and hugged you so much. I know that she didn't want to go home. The only bad part of their visit was that you woke up one night screaming at the top of your lungs and we couldn't get you to settle down. The best I can figure - you had a night terror. You wouldn't even open your eyes. So we learned that you have to get your rest or else you have bad dreams.
Something I've been noticing is that the more I know you, the more I love you. When you were born, I didn't think it was possible to love you any more than I did on that day. I was so wrong. Every time you smile at me or laugh at your daddy, every time I snuggle with you, every time I watch you learn about a toy or book, every time I watch you giggle at Darsee and Remus, well, let's be honest, every time I look at you I love you so much more than I did the day before! It's amazing how full my heart can feel.
Height: Not sure
Sizes: You are still wearing a size 2 diaper. You are mostly in 6 month clothes now. But, you still have some 3-6 month pjs that fit you. I had a funny experience last week. It's been so hot here all summer that you've mostly been wearing little sandals or going barefoot. Well, it suddenly got cool here and I went to put your socks on and they were too small! You still had a couple of pairs that fit - but even those were snug. So last Sunday I ran to Target after church and got you some socks. Good thing, too, because it's been pretty chilly and you needed them! I guess sometimes I forget that you're growing fast!
Wearing your new outfit from Marmee.
What you're up to:
- Well, you have been a busy girl this month. You are very good at sitting up now. I still put pillows behind you or sit beside you because you love to try to get all the toys that are just out of your reach. Then you fall over - sometimes very quickly. You love sitting because you can see things and reach lots of things. If you do fall over, you get mad because you love sitting up.
- You love to make noises with your mouth. You blow bubbles and growl and gurgle all the time. And you talk to us a lot too. You don't talk a lot when you're around other people, but you are getting more vocal. I can't tell if you're going to be a talker or a quiet observer.
*Update: As of September 20, you have BOTH of your bottom front teeth! Oh my!*
- On that same note, your sleeping has been very touch-and-go this month. You'll have several bad nights, then a few good ones where you sleep all night, then you're up again for hours at a time at 2 a.m. After your bad nights you are so worn out during the day. One day this week, you had a really rough night, and you woke up at 7:30 even though you'd been up from 2 until 3:30. I knew you had to be exhausted - and I certainly was too (and your daddy was, but he had to go to work). I went to get you from your crib when you cried and the minute I had you, you just lay your head on my shoulder. By the time I walked to the other end of the house, you were sound asleep - seriously, you were snoring. So I put you on Daddy's side of the bed (with pillows to keep you away from the edge) and I got back in on my side. And we took a nice little nap until I had to get ready for work an hour later. It was so sweet.
- You are eating less often now. We try to do solids at least once every day - depending on how you're feeling. The food can contribute to the tummy troubles that teething gives you, so sometimes we skip it. You do love your food. I can see you thinking about the new flavor and deciding whether you like it. I'm excited for you to get to eat real food in several months.
- Your Marmee and Grandad came to visit us a few weeks ago over Labor Day weekend. Your Marmee was in heaven. She kissed you and rocked you and hugged you so much. I know that she didn't want to go home. The only bad part of their visit was that you woke up one night screaming at the top of your lungs and we couldn't get you to settle down. The best I can figure - you had a night terror. You wouldn't even open your eyes. So we learned that you have to get your rest or else you have bad dreams.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
10 years later...
10 years ago today...
- I was in my freshman year at OBU, in fact, I'd been there for less than a month.
- I had never been so far away from my family for such an extended period of time.
- I was looking forward and excited about my future.
- My best friends were spread across the U.S. Some were back in Texas, Lindsay was in VA,
Angela was in Fayetteville, AR (ironically).
- I was just learning to really depend on God to help me through the loneliness that comes when you
you move away from all that you've ever known.
- I had never met David...he was attending the U of A and working at Arvest...in fact, I'd never been
to NW Arkansas at all.
On that morning, I was in Dr. Auffenberg's World Civilizations class. The first tower had already been hit, but I had no idea - I had just rolled out of bed and rushed to make it to class on time. A student aide who worked in the history department came into our class as Dr. A was informing us about the first tower, and told the professor that the second tower had been hit by a plane - it was clear this was no accident.
I remember feeling very confused. Dr. A told us that he felt sick. He said, "I can't hold class like this - not with this going on." He told us to go back to our rooms. That was when I knew it was more serious than my initial impression.
We had chapel that day, and no classes for the rest of the afternoon. I spent my day in the dorm, watching the footage on the news over and over again. I called my mom, and I cried. I felt like a world separated me from my family - even though we were only a 3 1/2 hour drive apart. Lesley and I talked about the future - "What if there's a war?" "What if there's a DRAFT?" "What about the husbands we'd been hoping to find here at college? Would they leave to fight this new enemy?" Even though we never said it, I think all of us realized the innocence and sense of security that our nation had lost.
10 years later....I sat outside tonight with Elysen and David. I told him how amazing it is to me that someday, Elysen will say to me, "Mom, I can't believe there was ever a time you could walk with a person to their departure gate at the airport!"
I sat in church this morning and cried as we listened to the song "There is Hope" by Dave Pettigrew. I teared up all week as I read the articles and watched the tv specials remembering the fallen. As I sat there tonight, I wondered why it makes me so emotional. I didn't lose anyone personally on that day. I didn't know any of the firemen who died. I didn't even know anyone who lived in NY at the time. But as I sat and thought, I realized that the sadness I feel every time we reach the anniversary of 9/11 comes partially from the loss our country experienced, but mostly, it comes from the glaring reality that the world we live in is full of evil and full of sin.
There are wonderful things in this world that I have experienced over the past 10 years. I married a man who treats me far better than I deserve. I have a precious girl who tugs at my heart each and every time I look at her. My family is healthy, and I've gained a 2 brothers-in-law, 2 sisters-in-law, and a mother and father-in-law! I have so much to be thankful for. But in the midst of it all, we still have terrorists, and murder, and sin. Every year on September 11th, I remember that we are not long for this world, and that while we are here on an earth where Satan can influence people to commit such atrocities, the only way we can have hope is to look to Jesus.
In a way, that is what I will always remember about this day: the feeling of lostness, and of desperation, and above all, the feeling that there is only One who will always, always be our hope.
- I was in my freshman year at OBU, in fact, I'd been there for less than a month.
- I had never been so far away from my family for such an extended period of time.
- I was looking forward and excited about my future.
- My best friends were spread across the U.S. Some were back in Texas, Lindsay was in VA,
Angela was in Fayetteville, AR (ironically).
- I was just learning to really depend on God to help me through the loneliness that comes when you
you move away from all that you've ever known.
- I had never met David...he was attending the U of A and working at Arvest...in fact, I'd never been
to NW Arkansas at all.
On that morning, I was in Dr. Auffenberg's World Civilizations class. The first tower had already been hit, but I had no idea - I had just rolled out of bed and rushed to make it to class on time. A student aide who worked in the history department came into our class as Dr. A was informing us about the first tower, and told the professor that the second tower had been hit by a plane - it was clear this was no accident.
I remember feeling very confused. Dr. A told us that he felt sick. He said, "I can't hold class like this - not with this going on." He told us to go back to our rooms. That was when I knew it was more serious than my initial impression.
We had chapel that day, and no classes for the rest of the afternoon. I spent my day in the dorm, watching the footage on the news over and over again. I called my mom, and I cried. I felt like a world separated me from my family - even though we were only a 3 1/2 hour drive apart. Lesley and I talked about the future - "What if there's a war?" "What if there's a DRAFT?" "What about the husbands we'd been hoping to find here at college? Would they leave to fight this new enemy?" Even though we never said it, I think all of us realized the innocence and sense of security that our nation had lost.
10 years later....I sat outside tonight with Elysen and David. I told him how amazing it is to me that someday, Elysen will say to me, "Mom, I can't believe there was ever a time you could walk with a person to their departure gate at the airport!"
I sat in church this morning and cried as we listened to the song "There is Hope" by Dave Pettigrew. I teared up all week as I read the articles and watched the tv specials remembering the fallen. As I sat there tonight, I wondered why it makes me so emotional. I didn't lose anyone personally on that day. I didn't know any of the firemen who died. I didn't even know anyone who lived in NY at the time. But as I sat and thought, I realized that the sadness I feel every time we reach the anniversary of 9/11 comes partially from the loss our country experienced, but mostly, it comes from the glaring reality that the world we live in is full of evil and full of sin.
There are wonderful things in this world that I have experienced over the past 10 years. I married a man who treats me far better than I deserve. I have a precious girl who tugs at my heart each and every time I look at her. My family is healthy, and I've gained a 2 brothers-in-law, 2 sisters-in-law, and a mother and father-in-law! I have so much to be thankful for. But in the midst of it all, we still have terrorists, and murder, and sin. Every year on September 11th, I remember that we are not long for this world, and that while we are here on an earth where Satan can influence people to commit such atrocities, the only way we can have hope is to look to Jesus.
In a way, that is what I will always remember about this day: the feeling of lostness, and of desperation, and above all, the feeling that there is only One who will always, always be our hope.
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