Out of Sorts

Please disregard anything schedule-related from my past entries. While at the time I thought Joel was on a great schedule, he showed me what was really up on Sunday morning...at 4:30 am.

Our eat-awake-sleep pattern (that was functioning so well) has now become eat-awake-eat-awake-eat-awake-sleep-eat-awake-etc. And today Joel decided that he only needed one nap instead of his usual three. He also chose to wake up in the middle of the night on Monday.

I guess the result of all this is a messy house and a scatter-brained mom. But, we are adapting.

On a separate note, Joel's two teeth next to his bottom center teeth are starting to come in. He drools all over the place which, I guess, doesn't vary much from the norm.

The weather has been beautiful lately, topping out at 85 degrees today! Joel and I have been taking lots of walks outside. He really enjoys sitting on the front porch and watching the cars go by. Yesterday he saw a school bus go by, and he got really excited. He kicked his legs and opened his mouth really wide. So, for the rest of our porch-time we sang "The Wheels on the Bus." Sadly, mama couldn't remember all the verses, so our bus passengers included pirates, pigs, dogs, and chickens.

The Many Faces of Joel

Tummy Time

Here are some pictures of Joel during tummy time yesterday. It's so cool to see him start to figure out his toys. He's playing with his toolbench in these pictures, and he just learned how to pull the tape measure out to make the music play. As a result, I cannot get the song out of my head!

My Happy Boy

I love my happy baby! Look at that chubby little arm...haha! He is so cute! We have such a blast together during the day. Here is a list of what Joel is currently up to:

-Joel wakes up around 7 every morning and is always in a different position than the one we left him in the previous night. His eyes are so big and his grin is so wide when he first sees Andrew and I leaning over his crib. The best, though, is his hoarse little voice! It's so scratchy and sweet when he first starts talking in the morning.

-Joel knows when it's time to eat, and when he sees his bottle being prepared, his little mouth opens wide and he dives at it. Currently we are working on patience.

-When Joel drinks his bottle, his right hand holds onto the bottle while his left hand lifts his bib up and down. This happens every time, and it never loses its humor or cuteness.

-I've already discussed Joel's love of the tub, so I will skip that one and move on.

-Joel enjoys grabbing faces. He loves a good nose twist or an eye poke, but his favorite is grab ahold of your botton teeth. And it's a real sign of affection when he takes his hand out of his own mouth and wipes it on your cheek!

-Joel likes playing on the floor in the family room. He rolls all over the place (belly to back and back to belly), and he enjoys playing with his stacking cups, his ball, his toolbench, his animal top, and a variety of different rattling toys. I think he will be crawling soon because he is getting pretty good at maneuvering around the rug.

-One of my favorite times with Joel is reading in the glider. Joel has quite an assortment of board books, and I love reading to him. While I don't think he's comprehending much of the plot, Joel loves to try to grab the pictures off the page. He hasn't succeeded yet, but it's not for a lack of trying! Here are some of our favorite books: anything by Sandra Boynton, Bear Snores On, Goodnight Gorilla, and I Love You Stinky Face.

-Joel really likes being outside. If he is ever fussy, I can just take him out into the backyard and he is perfectly content. We try to go on a stroller ride around the neighborhood every day, too.

-Joel is a very good baby food eater. He eats everything we give him, and I'm hoping he keeps this streak going when we start giving him green vegetables next week.

-Joel laughs when I blow on his belly, when I tickle his elbows and feet, when he is on his changing table, when we play peek-a-boo, and when he is tired. It is the most beautiful sound in the world.

Thanks for indulging me! I'm a proud mama, and I love my little boy!

Da-Da

Let the records show that Joel's official first word was da-da. We're pretty sure he doesn't have a clue as to the meaning of da-da, but that doesn't matter because he said it. And I'm puzzled because I've been working so hard on mama. (sniff) Anyway, here's how it happened.

Joel and I were sitting on the couch together this morning when Andrew came in to say goodbye. Right as Andrew leaned toward us, Joel looked up and said da-da. Andrew and I looked at one another with our mouths wide open as if to say did that really just happen? But the best part (for me) was the look of delight on Andrew's face.

Can you imagine the look of sheer joy on our heavenly Father's face when we call out to him, Abba, Father? John 1:12 says, ...to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. I am God's child, and He wants me to call on Him. He wants me to put my trust and hope in Him alone, and I know that only in Him can I find true joy. Thank you, Lord, for giving me a divine glimpse of Yourself through my precious family.

Cuddle Bugs

Joel was so excited about today being Valentine's Day that he decided to wake up two hours earlier than usual! I guess he just couldn't wait to tell Mama and Daddy how much he loved them (via shouting from his crib.)

Later in the morning, Joel got his very own Valentine's Day treat in the form of carrots. This was his first real baby food experience (not counting rice cereal, oatmeal and multi grain cereal, of course!)

Joel was pretty pooped after his early morning greetings and all those carrots, so Daddy got to enjoy a quick snooze with him on the couch. I love my cuddle bugs!

Rub-a-Dub

Joel had so much fun in the tub today! Lately I have been adding a little bit more water so he can really splash around. It's a blast for him, and I'm the lucky one who gets to mop all the water off the floor. (Totally worth it!) I really can't wait until he can sit up and play with all his bath toys. We have a really fun fishing pole and a basketball hoop I'm just itching to try out! Here are some pictures I took of the little guy during his bath today:

Happy Birthday!

Today is Joel's six month birthday! Yay! To celebrate, we took a trip to the doctor's office for round three immunizations. Yippie! This consisted of three shots and an oral, and Joel was very brave. He's such a trooper. Here are his growth stats:

Weight: 18 pounds 9.3 ounces/70th percentile

Length: 26 1/4 inches/ 50th percentile

Head Circumference: 17 3/4 inches/ 80th percentile

Wow! He sure is growing! To celebrate this momentous occasion, here are some pictures that best capture each of Joel's six months of life.

Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4

Month 5

Month 6

Romans 8:32

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all- how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"

God knows me. He created me. He gave me a love for creativity, design, and pretty things. He did not, however, give me unlimited funds in which to pour my creativity. But, He still provides for me in the most unexpected ways. His hand is so apparent in His provision that I can't help but praise Him and desire to mirror His creativity.

One example of this starts back in 2005 when I picked out my china place settings while Andrew and I registered for wedding gifts. I picked the most beautiful place settings I could find. I envisioned using them for special occasions someday: Christmas dinners, special birthdays, Thanksgiving. I could see my future children and grandchildren sitting around the dining room table enjoying a delicious meal on my beautiful china. It was a radiant scene! And amazingly, God provided me with twelve place settings! (How many kids are you planning on me having, Lord?)

Sadly, there is no room in an apartment or small house for twelve place settings of beautiful China to be displayed. That is when I began to desire a china cabinet. I guess God also created me with expensive taste because all the china cabinets I liked were way out of our price range. So, I began to place this desire further and further away. But God, in His loving way, had other plans for me. My friend Sarah e-mailed me a link to a china cabinet for sale on a Craigs List. The pictures were small and a little blurry, but the cost was cheap, and Andrew was willing to drive the forty minutes to check it out. So, we scrounged around the house for enough cash, borrowed a friend's truck, and loaded Joel up. The result:
Thank you for your provision, Lord! Not only was this china cabinet affordable for my family, but it was also the perfect size, style, and color. I am so undeserving, but my Lord is gracious, and He loves me! (And I think He is looking forward to being with my family at our Christmas dinners some day!)

Pre-Bath Time

There's nothing my little Joel likes more than being naked. (Well, maybe kisses from mama...) Our morning routine consists of waking up, diaper change, bottle, oatmeal, cuddle time, and then the always-anticipated bath. Bath-time officially starts when I lay Joel on the bed and take off his bib. As soon as he hears the velcro sound, he starts kicking his legs and flailing his arms like a crazy little octopus. (Thanks for the simile, Daddy!) Sometimes I like to make the velcro sound at various times throughout the day just to see baby Joel's excitement...is that mean? Well, anyway, here are some pre-bath pictures for your enjoyment:

I love his sweet little grin! I need to take some pictures of Joel in the tub; he kicks and splashes and gets everything (including me) very wet! He has so much fun, and his excitement is apparent in his big eyes and smiling face.

Kick-Off!

I love being a mom! My son, Joel, is almost six months old, and I have decided to keep a record of my vast six months of wisdmom. (No, that wasn't a spelling error! wisdom+mom=wisdmom)

The compilation of knowledge from four (okay, five) years of college and four years in the working world does not even come close to the amount of on-the-job insight gained in a mere six months of motherhood. But, I have learned to hold on to my new-found wisdom with a loose grip. Joel is ever-changing. There is no guarantee that what worked on Monday will work on Wednesday. And Tuesday's schedule is by no means a blueprint for Friday.

While I never know what each day will bring, I take comfort in my one true constant: my Hope, my Stronghold, my Confidence, my Refuge, my Strength, and my Deliverer. I can't get through my day without Him, and when I try (as I often do), I fail. I want to be able to love Joel with my whole heart, but if I'm not totally, hopelessly in love with Jesus each morning, my love for Joel falls short. So, this blog is my kick-off to time spent with my Savior each morning...no matter how tired I am or how many bottles have to be washed or how tempting that new box of cereal looks. I think I'll start with Psalm 73.