So, it appears that I am not as good about updating this blog as I was when I was tracking the pregnancy...oops! I want to blog every week, so that is my goal. We will see how it goes :)Jackson is just over 6 months old, and at his 6 month check up he was 29 inches long, and weighed 20.5 pounds. And everytime we go, the nurses say he is the cutest, albeit, biggest baby they have seen for his age. Haha. I think they throw in the word "cute" to make sure I'm not offended by the big part. I'm not of course:) Honestly, I cannot believe we are halfway through his first year. It feels like we just had him. I will say that the first few months were the hardest so far, just adjusting to our new normal, but lately we have just hit a stride I guess. Jackson teethed for about 2 months, and it was ROUGH. But once those little boogers popped through (approximately 1.5 months ago) he immediately felt better, and I am so glad he does.We are just loving the age he is right now. He is just such a joy! We can make him laugh so hard that I'm afraid he's going to stop breathing..haha. He LOVES to laugh with Adam. It's just so precious. And he has started putting both arms around my neck and sort of squeezing me. He may just think I'm a big toy, but I love the squeezes anyway. And it has been so much fun watching him try new foods. This morning I gave him pears for the first time and he loved them. Also, he has been trying to crawl. He can move around in circles, and sometimes he can scoot just a tad to reach a toy. I know it won't be long until he is mobile. He's also sleeping like a champ at night. He usually averages 11-12 hours at night, which is AMAZING considering how many nights were entirely unpredictable thanks to the teething. And he is down to 2 naps a day, which is fine with me because the third nap was just becoming a battle. I'm actually a bit surprised just how well only 2 naps have worked for him. Jackson is teaching us so much. Everyday I get a glimpse of just how much God loves me through my love for Jackson, and everyday I learn that I am not in control. That seems to be the running theme for my life right now. God knows what is best for Adam, me, and Jackson, and I have to daily surrender to His will and not my own.
Ok, that's it for this week! Be blessed:)
Did you know that God is for you? That he is on your side, that he is your biggest fan? Sometimes circumstances do not go as planned, or when our prayers seem to go unanswered, we may not vocalize it, but we feel like God is not there, or worse, that God is against us. We think because we didn't do such and such, or because we did such and such, that God is against us. You should know today that God is not against you. God is not your enemy. The bible says that God is for us. Praise Jesus. This means that the creator of the universe, the maker of heaven and earth, the redeemer of souls, the ultimate healer is on your side, shepherding you towards what is best. Lately, for whatever reason, I have had to remind myself that Jesus is on my side. That he is not disgruntled with me. He loves me more than I could ever possibly comprehend, and he wants abundant life for me. He is for me. I know that he is for me. I've listened to the following song over and over and over, and over, making the song my prayer, to remind myself that God is FOR ME! Listen to the song, and be blessed:)Kari Jobe "You are for me"
Well, this week it's just mommy and baby. Thank goodness for baby, or mommy would be very lonely!Adam is at a Lighthouse Retreat this week, serving families who have children with cancer. He is the emcee for the week, which means that he's the "fun" guy who lets everyone know what they will be doing each day, and I am at home holding down the fort without him. I don't know about you, but I HATE it when my hubby and I are separated. If I had it my way, we wouldn't spend another night apart for the rest of our lives for a very long time. Sheesh! Can't wait for him to get back...ok on to other things.About a month ago, our local bible study started back up again, and once again, I am amazed at what God is teaching me through these women. And to think, I almost didn't sign up. Last year I wasn't in a core group. I taught the home school kids who came with their moms. So when this year rolled around, I had a decision to make. Would I teach the kids again? Be in a core group?
Or not do it at all? Just between you and me, part of me didn't want to do it at all. They do have childcare, but I didn't know how Jackson would do, when I would feed him etc. etc. I think those were just excuses because, newsflash, I don't really like change! And I had just just settled into a nice routine with my little man. Anyway, I bit the bullet and signed up to be in a core group. And I am SO incredibly glad that I did. Jackson does great every Wednesday (the lady who keeps him is excellent), and God has been teaching me a ton of stuff so far. Lesson learned: don't let fear cripple you!Jackson is about 3 weeks away from being halfway through his first year! I cannot believe how fast time flies. So far, I love this age/stage the best. Mainly because he can reach out and touch my face, and because I can so easily make him laugh:) I also love how observant he is. When I take him outside, or when we walk into a place he's never been, his face lights up in wonder. It's like I can see his brain working to identify all of what he is seeing. Each day I'm also getting a few more glimpses into Jackson's budding personality, which is so fun to see. I love learning what makes him laugh (tickling his hip bone, or collar bone) and what makes him frustrated (the star toy on his exersaucer.. we actually had to remove it from the exersaucer because Jackson kept getting so very mad at it). And, thank goodness, he has been sleeping wonderfully lately. For awhile he was sleeping about 9-10 hours at night. Then we hit a roadblock of teething, rolling, and congestion. Now that his first tooth has popped though (thank goodness!) and he can roll both ways, he is sleeping much better now! He now averages 10-10.5 hours at night. And some mornings he wakes, but happily plays for another 30 minutes or so which means 11 hours for me in my bed:) Well, I'm not technically in my bed for 11 hours, but you get the point.Onto something non-baby related....If you like to read, and you like adoption stories, but you don't mind shedding a few tears, I highly recommend you read Mary Beth Chapman's Book Choosing to See. Mary Beth is Steven Curtis Chapman's wife (the famous christian music guy) , and about 2 years ago one of their adopted daughters was tragically killed in an accident involving her older brother. It was a terrible terrible terrible tragedy. BUT, Mary Beth has hope, and she shares it boldly and courageously, and at times gut-wrenchingly honestly in her book. There was one point in the book where I had to literally put it down because I was crying so hard. But I don't say that to discourage you from reading it. I cried because I was so overwhelmed with how short life is, and with just how so very good our God is. He is so good. He brings hope where there appears to be none. Praise God. Anyway, get the book. It will minister to you!Ok, well I think that wraps things up for now. I am going to turn off the Food Network Channel (that I have kept on for just about 24 hours a day since Adam's been gone. It has become "background music" while I'm home:) and I'm going to hit the sack. Goodnight!
