Spare Time

In my spare time, which usually lasts as long as David's nap time, when I'm not busy with other stuff or I just really need a break, I've been reading. I haven't read anything new really, although one book it had been such a long time since previously reading it that I felt like I was reading it for the first time. I enjoy the classics so after I got done reading the Twilight series again, I started reading Jane Austen books. Yes, I've got them all. One of the best Christmas presents ever from my hubby!

David has also become a bit of a reader. I've been reading to him for a couple months now, but he loves looking at his books on his own. He'll just sit and flip pages, or rather he'll try to flip pages. It's really cute and I couldn't resist taking a few pictures. Thankfully, he was mostly absorbed in what he was doing so, although he would look up every time the camera went off, he usually went right back to the book.



Ashton decided that he should start reading David a book, a long book. So, what do you think he chose? That's right, Harry Potter. Starting on the chapter books early.

One of My Favorite Songs

I started listening to this song a lot last year. I loved the message and the tune. It made Ashton laugh when I'd play it over and over again, which happened a lot. Thankfully, he didn't get sick of it because I have yet to grow tired of it. I don't have to play it now though because I have it memorized and can sing it. I started singing it to David when he'd get fussy or when I wanted him to fall asleep and he was resisting. It's become David's favorite song and I'll sing it to him when he's sad or tired or both. It's soothing for both of us. The song is called, "Window to His Love" and it's by Julie de Azevedo. There are two slightly different versions of this song, but they are both really good. I cannot adequately explain why I love this song so much, but what this song talks about is what I want to accomplish as a mom and if I can even achieve a small fraction of it, I'll be happy.

I want to be a window to His love,
So when you look at me you will see Him.
I want to be so pure and clear that you won't even know I'm here,
'Cause His love will shine brightly through me.

I want to be a doorway to the truth,
So when you walk beyond you will find Him.
I want to stand so straight and tall, that you won't notice me at all.
But through my open door He will be seen.

A window to His love.
A doorway to the truth.
A bearer of the message He'd have me bring to you
And with each passing day
I want to fade away.
'Till only He can be seen and I become a window to His love.

I want to be a window to His love,
So you can look through me and you'll see Him.
And some day shining through my face, you'll see His loving countenance,
'Cause I will have become like He is.

A window to His love.
A doorway to the truth.
A bearer of the message He'd have me bring to you
And with each passing day
I want to fade away.
'Till only He can be seen and I become...

A window to His love
A doorway to the truth.
A bearer of the message He'd have me bring to you.
And with each passing year
I want to disappear
'Till He's become ev'rything
and I've become a window to His love.

4 Months Old

So today we're closing on our house and tomorrow we move. Crazy. Thankfully, we're not moving far away which means I don't have to stuff everything into a box. I thought that I'd take a break though from all the stress and write about the fact that David is 4 months old now!

I love my little guy. He has the biggest grin I've ever seen and I love his laugh...it sounds like a sheep sometimes. He laughs at the littlest things like when I rub my nose against his and I love that he gets the hiccups from laughing so much.

He likes to look at everything and takes it all in with big blue eyes. He's a fan of sitting and standing for that reason. When he gets tired of being on his back, he tries to pull himself up. He is so close to rolling over from his tummy to his back, but he does roll onto his side a lot from his back to his tummy. From there he'll go onto his tummy.

He has just found his toes and he likes grabbing them. He has also recently started taking his pacifier out. My favorite part about this is that he'll pull it out and stare at it like he wants it back in his mouth, but can't quite figure out how to do it. Then there's also the fact that he'll take it out and start squawking because someone has taken his pacifier away from him.

Now, a lot of people have been asking me how much David weighs now. Well, I now know. He weighs 15 lbs even. I actually didn't think he weighed that much. I thought 14 lbs tops. It's hard to believe that just 4 months ago he was just 6 lbs 6.5 oz. He is 24 inches long now. To me, he still looks longer than anything.

Here are some pictures of my now 4 month old baby.

It's About Time!

Yesterday I went in for surgery to get my tear fixed. For those who don't know, I tore my labia when I had David and the stitches the doctors put in it then didn't hold. So essentially, I had a labial separation. It's been a long and hard battle getting someone to approve getting it fixed. For some idea of how long and hard, it took 3 doctors and appointments over 3 months to find someone who said, "Oh yeah, that should be fixed." In any case, I got it done yesterday!

It was pretty entertaining actually since I didn't want to be put asleep or have any drugs besides the local anesthesia. Yeah, I might be crazy, but there was no way that I was getting put asleep for a minor procedure and I wasn't going to hang around in the hospital for a couple hours just so I could wake up. It was mostly the attending doctor who freaked out the most about that. In the end, I did end up having some medication to take the edge off when they were putting in the local anesthesia. Other than that, it was a while of laying down with my legs in the air in an uncomfortable position while I heard the doctors and nurses talking on the other side of the blanket curtain they had put up. I couldn't see anything since they had me take out my contacts, but there wasn't much to see anyways. I would have only been able to see the blanket in front of me and it was close enough anyways to be able to see without aid.

The entertaining part came into play because obviously they aren't used to people being awake while they do the procedure. I know this because a couple times the doctor doing the stitching would push against my leg with her body to get a better angle and I heard the attending say, "Remember, she's awake." It was also pretty funny when they popped their heads around the curtain when they were all done to tell me how well I did. The attending even added that she was surprised at how well I did. Apparently all those comments from my brothers to "suck it up" paid off.

So now I get to go through the healing process again. This time, however, the doctor is going to keep better track of my healing. I have an appointment at 1 week and again at 3 weeks. Here's to speedy and correct healing so I don't have to go through this again!

A Change in the Wind

I know that I haven't been good about updating recently. I always figured when I had a baby that I would have more things to write about, and I do. What I didn't take into consideration is the lack of time I'd have to update.

I've also been considering what I want this blog to be. I know, after a few years it seems a little late to be deciding that. Up until now, I've been content enough to allow this blog to be an update on our goings on and pictures. I still want to do that, but at the same time, I want the blog to be more. It's not just because I don't always feel like what we do is noteworthy, we're not the most exciting people; it's also because writing about activities gets monotonous. Sure we have some exciting things coming up, like we've made an offer on a house and if all goes well, we'll be closing in a few weeks and David's milestones are always exciting. At the same time, I write about that stuff in my journal and honestly, who wants to write the same thing multiple times? These are also things that I feel that people can call me and talk to me about, or I can share with them when I see them.

I'll admit that there are times that I start writing a post and get completely bored with it. This is probably caused partly because often I lack a clear vision of what I want to talk about, I am afraid of people's response, and also because the subject I'm writing about doesn't seem all that important in the end. Besides, if I get bored with what I'm writing, then there's not much hope that someone else will find it interesting.

So, what do I want this blog to be? It's a good question and not one that I feel like I can completely answer yet. I find in life there's always a balance to be found. In this case, perhaps the balance is a mixture of seriousness and light-heartedness.

2 Months

David seems to have had a bit of a growth spurt recently. At least, that's how we're explaining the increase of sleep during the day. He was so easy to put to sleep for about a week. I'd feed him, and often times, as I was feeding him he'd fall asleep. From there I could hold him or put him in the swing and he'd be fine. Well, it seems that has ended.

Yesterday we were back to the old schedule of David hardly sleeping at all during the day. I think collectively he slept for maybe 3 hours all day, but at 1 hour increments at best. He'd have none of the swing. He could be pretty much sleeping before putting him in the swing and then his eyes would be wide open after sticking him there followed by some crying until I got him out. The good thing about all of this is that it means we're back to him sleeping for 4 hour blocks of time at night. There have been a few times that I've felt that David needs to take a nap during the day for my sanity, but who needs sanity when you can sleep for large chunks of time at night?

David had his 2 month appointment last week and he's definitely grown. He's 11 lbs 9 1/4 oz and 21 3/4 inches. He is getting to be a fairly social little guy. He has the biggest smile I've ever seen and he loves to talk at us. This past Sunday, he was smiling for all the ladies during church. He is growing so much, but not fast enough for his liking I'm sure. He already wants to be crawling everywhere and has for a while. When we put him on his stomach, he gets his legs going trying to push himself forward. He has just started to get his arms involved. So much for learning to roll over. He also loves to sit and stand. The doctor was impressed by David's strength since David has gotten good at helping us pull him up into a standing position.

I love all the development that David has made so far and I'm excited for him to learn new stuff, but at the same time, I wish he'd stay little forever.

Crazy Busy

It's amazing how one little guy can make your life so busy, but he sure does have a knack for it. David has been battling a cold for almost a week, but thankfully it's not too bad. He has a little bit of a stuffy nose and some coughing. It's been getting better though and I appreciate that. It's so sad to hear him cough although he does have this one cough that sounds more like a yell and that's kind of funny.

I'm still trying to get him to sleep during the day. Some days are better than others and I still have to wrap him up to get him to sleep at all. I'd rather not have to wrap him and there was one day that he took two naps without needing to be swaddled. I haven't been able to duplicate that success.

Since David prefers to sleep on me during the day, and because I don't have a sling yet that totally fits, I have had to find things to do that allow me to sit on the couch and hold him. Not all of them are productive, like watching episodes of Castle, but I have managed to find some things that are fun and educational. My favorites has been a podcast on the History of Rome and a book called Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentile vs. the Third Reich. I got the book in audio form so I can listen while doing most anything and not worry about holding a book. I love this book. It's about a German pastor who tried to warn the church and others about Hitler and the Third Reich. It's nonfiction, but it's not dull like some nonfiction I've read.

Here's the part I know you've all been waiting for: pictures! I can't believe how big he is getting. At my 6 week appointment, David weighed 9 lbs 10 oz. He hasn't chubbed out really, he's mostly just gotten longer.