A mom who is in love with Jesus, her husband, and her beautiful identical girl twins describes life as it is... not always normal, but always glorifying.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Thing Thursdays
My thought for Thursday would be to share items with you that I think are interesting... most likely I love them :)
So for my first Thing Thursday... I present to you the Video Monitor! It is a need for every mom because as your wonderful little baby sleeps you can watch. Now, many of you right now may be thinking "why in the world would I need to watch my child sleep?" Let me tell you! This is not a need so that you can dote over your cutie 24/7 (though that is an extra joy of this product); it is a need so that your child can learn sleeping habits and coping skills without being unnecessarily interrupted. Babies from day one are learning to handle sleep cycles. As their sleep cycles begin, end, and start over again, the child wakes and then falls back to sleep. When the child wakes it is very common to go check on your babe by going into their room, thus stimulating them and causing them to fully wake... unless you can simple watch them without them knowing! Being able to watch your child without entering the room allows your baby to learn coping skills but not be abandoned. You will quickly be able to see (visually) if your child is simply putting themselves back to sleep, or if they need your physical attention. :)
I am a huge fan of sleep training, not as much specific timing, as to find your child's natural rhythm. My girls are great sleepers, and I owe much of that to being able to check on them without interrupting their sleep or ability to learn to cope. Because let me tell you, if my girls see me... its all over, they will not fall back asleep thus waking fully up, even if I know they need more sleep. :) Thank you Video Monitor!
So for my first Thing Thursday... I present to you the Video Monitor! It is a need for every mom because as your wonderful little baby sleeps you can watch. Now, many of you right now may be thinking "why in the world would I need to watch my child sleep?" Let me tell you! This is not a need so that you can dote over your cutie 24/7 (though that is an extra joy of this product); it is a need so that your child can learn sleeping habits and coping skills without being unnecessarily interrupted. Babies from day one are learning to handle sleep cycles. As their sleep cycles begin, end, and start over again, the child wakes and then falls back to sleep. When the child wakes it is very common to go check on your babe by going into their room, thus stimulating them and causing them to fully wake... unless you can simple watch them without them knowing! Being able to watch your child without entering the room allows your baby to learn coping skills but not be abandoned. You will quickly be able to see (visually) if your child is simply putting themselves back to sleep, or if they need your physical attention. :)
I am a huge fan of sleep training, not as much specific timing, as to find your child's natural rhythm. My girls are great sleepers, and I owe much of that to being able to check on them without interrupting their sleep or ability to learn to cope. Because let me tell you, if my girls see me... its all over, they will not fall back asleep thus waking fully up, even if I know they need more sleep. :) Thank you Video Monitor!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
It is a blessing every day...
As I have mentioned previously in my blog, I have been riding an emotional roller coaster. And as promised, I am going to explain by sharing what the Lord is doing in the life of my family... because no matter what is going on in life: God is sovereign. God is in control. God loves me beyond what I can comprehend. God has given me the greatest gift by saving me through our amazing savior Jesus Christ. God cares. God understands. And God loves.
I was once told by a very wise woman, "Every child you have is God's child, and it is a blessing every day He allows you to be its mom... no matter the number." She told me this after I had had a miscarriage of my first pregnancy in 2010. It was such a truth that I needed to hear. After such a loss, it is very easy to wish it had never happened. Wish that you had never been pregnant at all. But that wasn't what I felt, I loved that baby! I wanted that baby! And I missed that baby. It was as if when she told me that, it was the Lord freeing me to know that I was a mom, it may have only been for 10 weeks, but I got to be a mom! It was a blessing. It was hard to understand and comprehend, but I was grateful for that first pregnancy, for my first baby. The sadness was and is still there, but my focus was not on the hurt, it was on the joy of my awesome God and all the blessings that He had, has, and has promised me. It allowed me to understand in a very real way that God hates sin, and hates the effects of sin, he hates death. God hates that my baby died because of a sinful world. And once again my loving God brought my focus back on His amazing gospel. He knew, from the very beginning, that He was going to need to save his people from sin and death. So He planned, from the very beginning, to send a Savior, His son. He promised, and He gave. We now have the freedom to be in relationship with our God, our awesome holy God because of that plan that Jesus fulfilled. But the hope isn't over, the plan isn't finished. Some day, God promises to say enough is enough and end sin and death completely! That is my hope. That is my joy! And that never changes, and can never be taken away. My God promises that some day, miscarriages won't happen, death will be done, and sin will be gone. How awesome is our God!
Last week Calvin and I found out that we had miscarried again. The hurt and sadness is still there, but so is my joy. I am able to cling again to my God's promises and love. I am able to focus once again on all the blessings and hope that my Savior gives me. I am able to say once again that it was a blessing every day I got to take care of that baby. We are definitely sad we lost another baby, but we serve an amazing God that comforts and gives joy and peace beyond understanding.
I don't know the end of this story yet... and that's exciting :) Right now our family is a family of four, but when and how God changes that in the future is a joy and blessing to even imagine!
I was once told by a very wise woman, "Every child you have is God's child, and it is a blessing every day He allows you to be its mom... no matter the number." She told me this after I had had a miscarriage of my first pregnancy in 2010. It was such a truth that I needed to hear. After such a loss, it is very easy to wish it had never happened. Wish that you had never been pregnant at all. But that wasn't what I felt, I loved that baby! I wanted that baby! And I missed that baby. It was as if when she told me that, it was the Lord freeing me to know that I was a mom, it may have only been for 10 weeks, but I got to be a mom! It was a blessing. It was hard to understand and comprehend, but I was grateful for that first pregnancy, for my first baby. The sadness was and is still there, but my focus was not on the hurt, it was on the joy of my awesome God and all the blessings that He had, has, and has promised me. It allowed me to understand in a very real way that God hates sin, and hates the effects of sin, he hates death. God hates that my baby died because of a sinful world. And once again my loving God brought my focus back on His amazing gospel. He knew, from the very beginning, that He was going to need to save his people from sin and death. So He planned, from the very beginning, to send a Savior, His son. He promised, and He gave. We now have the freedom to be in relationship with our God, our awesome holy God because of that plan that Jesus fulfilled. But the hope isn't over, the plan isn't finished. Some day, God promises to say enough is enough and end sin and death completely! That is my hope. That is my joy! And that never changes, and can never be taken away. My God promises that some day, miscarriages won't happen, death will be done, and sin will be gone. How awesome is our God!
Last week Calvin and I found out that we had miscarried again. The hurt and sadness is still there, but so is my joy. I am able to cling again to my God's promises and love. I am able to focus once again on all the blessings and hope that my Savior gives me. I am able to say once again that it was a blessing every day I got to take care of that baby. We are definitely sad we lost another baby, but we serve an amazing God that comforts and gives joy and peace beyond understanding.
I don't know the end of this story yet... and that's exciting :) Right now our family is a family of four, but when and how God changes that in the future is a joy and blessing to even imagine!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Colds. The Worst!
Both my girls and my husband have been fighting an awful cold for about a week now. It's so sad to see the constant facit of snot falling from the girls noses! Of course I want to fix it... So I call the doctor. Would you like to know what you can do for 16 month olds with uncontrolable snot? Nothing. Well, I lied a little. You can give them saline washes in their nose to help them clear up. But really nothing. Maybe it's just me, but a saline wash is pretty much impossible to do and see results. My girls are troopers and stay still, let me squirt a bunch of liquid up their nose, and then.... They are the same. So just like I said, you can do nothing.
My girls are amazing though! They play and try and stay happy :) well done girls, hope I do as well when this cold eventually comes my way!
If anyone has suggestions on what to do during colds... I'd love some advice :) Thanks!
My girls are amazing though! They play and try and stay happy :) well done girls, hope I do as well when this cold eventually comes my way!
Monday, June 4, 2012
It's just another Magic Monday...
Mondays seem to be many peoples most hated day. The start of the week... first day of work... farthest day away from the weekend... I used to think many of these things, but not anymore! Being a pastor's wife makes Monday our day off. Monday's are great! Today we were able to take our girls to their grandparents cottage to enjoy the beautiful day and relax with some family. I love Mondays :)
Happy Monday!
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