Sweet Summertime...

As the hot and humid days of summer are turning into crisp, cool autumn (my favorite season!), I wanted to take a moment to reflect on our summertime. I did one of these last spring, and I've been meaning to do one about summer since June--what better time than now when we've actually experienced our 2011 summer?!
To me, summertime is...

pool time with your best friend!

a perfect blue sky.

swinging at the park.

vacation.

ripe berries.

gorgeous gardens in bloom.

sharing an ice cream cone.

playing in the sand.

afternoon smoothie breaks.

long walks.

playing barefoot in the grass.

breakfast on the patio.

the 4th of July.

my favorite little guy's birthday!

What does summer mean to you??

3 John 1:4

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

I stumbled across this verse today, and love it!

Wordless Wednesday.

Earthquake?

"Did you feel the earthquake?!" seems to be the BIG question today around here. Did I feel it? Yes. Did I know that I was feeling the aftershocks of a 5.9 magnitude earthquake? No.
I had just put Nathaniel down for his nap, grabbed my lunch, and sat down at the computer, when I felt like I was rocking back and forth. I tried to stop by pushing against the back of my chair, and when it didn't stop, I thought that I was really dizzy. A few seconds later, it stopped, and I continued on my way to check my Facebook page, where I saw a friend's status update about an earthquake--only a few seconds ago! In disbelief, I Googled it--but found no results. Within only a few minutes, I saw numerous friends from all over the country commenting about feeling the earthquake. And, of course, within only about 5 minutes, it was the big headline on every news site.
It's funny that when I didn't know what I was feeling, I wasn't scared. I thought that a random dizzy spell was strange, but I easily put it out of my mind when it passed. When I realized that I'd felt a real earthquake right here in WV, I was a little shaken up. (Yes, that was a funny little pun...) I wasn't terrified, but I suddenly didn't feel like eating my sandwich anymore. And, I really wished that my husband wasn't at work, but rather at home with us.

I think that what really got me was the realization that an earthquake could totally rock our world any time, any place. No warnings, no "safe place," no nothing--natural disasters are just that: disasterous. If we knew they were coming, we would prepare. So often, we hear about terrible tragedies that make us sad, but are far, far away in Japan or Missouri or Africa. But, today's aftershock reminded me that we are vulnerable, even here in our small community, hidden away in the hills--far away from big cities and fault lines.

As much as we feel safe with our feet on solid ground, it is no guarantee that we are. Rocks can move, mountains can move, entire coastlines can move. (As far as natural disasters go, I think that there is only one particular disaster that we can be sure will not occur, and that's promised in Genesis 9:13-15.)
Today's trembling, as slight as it was, reminded me of two verses. Obviously, Matthew 24:7-8, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."
So, we've gotten our earthquake, and just in case you hadn't heard, East Africa is experiencing the worst drought/famine in 60 years right now. "These are the beginning of birth pains." Ever given birth? Because those beginning birth pains are nothin' compared to the end!

And, the other verse that I kept thinking of today was Luke 19:40, "'I tell you,' he replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'" I don't know why an earthquake reminded me of this verse; maybe just because I was thinking about rocks. I've always liked this verse, and I think of it often. We need to be praising HIM because if we don't, THE ROCKS WILL!! And, I don't know about you, but I'm not sure that I want to hear rocks singing. A little scary, a little funny--but absolutely an awesome verse! We're singing along with the Newsboys right now; what are you doing to praise HIM?!

1st Birthday Party.

We had a WONDERFUL time with family and friends at Nathaniel's first birthday party last night! Despite a heavy downpour beforehand, which eliminated my stressing about getting decorations up (solution: no decorations!), we had gorgeous weather. Nate had his fill of cake, and he received some rockin' gifts from our guests who were so very, very generous! Nathaniel had a wonderful time, and we want to thank everyone who helped make it such a fun evening! Of course, I have a "few" photos to share...

Happy Birthday!

12 months!

Happy 1st Birthday, Nathaniel Isaac!! My baby boy has grown up so much within a single year--I am shocked that he's a year old already, but so proud of all that he's learned! To a certain point, I am sad that he's leaving babyhood and all that it entails, but we are having so much fun as he enters toddlerhood.

Nathaniel is crawling now, so he is into everything! More often than not, I see his little bottom headed the opposite direction than me as he explores the house and learns his newfound freedom. He is getting to be able to crawl very quickly, but he stops often to stand on his head!

After only three days of crawling, Nate started pulling himself up to a standing position on the furniture. He usually only pulls up if there's something that's he's trying to reach (IE: books, newspapers, cups, phones, the remote, anything on the coffee table!).

A favorite activity now that he's on the move is practicing the single step that leads from the living room to our bedroom. Nate goes up and down, and up and down, over and over again!

One of Nathaniel's favorite toys right now is his wooden block set, which he loves to knock over when we stack them for him. He also enjoys his ring stacker, his little toy cars, his farm animal set, and, of course, his teddy bear. I love to watch Nate explore and experiment with new toys/items. First, he'll turn the object over and over in his hands to look at it. Then, he squeezes it, and, if it's flexible/soft, he'll try to rip it. Next, he waves it around in the air and pounds it on the floor or another toy. He often knocks two toys together (such as blocks) to hear what sound they'll make. I am fascinated with his process of learning, and I love to see him explore his world!

To my pride and joy, I think that Nate's very favorite activity right now is looking at books! He loves to drag all of his books that he can reach out, then sit in the middle of the stack and flip through the pictures. He will sit for 15 or 20 minutes at a time, just looking at pictures in his books. He enjoys board books, as well as books with real pages--and as of yet, he has not ripped or scrunched any pages. His very favorite is a picture book about Noah's Ark.

Nathaniel's verbal skills have really soared this past month; he can say several words, and his intonations are starting to sound like real conversation. He can say mama, baba (dada), mummm (yum), keekee (kitty), Gogah (Grover), and several more that we're not quite sure of the meaning yet!

Speaking of his words, Nate loves all of our animals! We have two cats and one dog, and he adores all three of them. Whenever he sees any of them, he squeals, waves his arms, says the appropriate word, and crawls to them as fast as he can! The cats tolerate him, although they're learning to stay just out of reach. The dog loves Nate, and they can often be found rolling around on the floor together!

As I mentioned a few days ago, Nate has been experiencing some major stranger anxiety. He is fine at home, but generally does not want to be held by anyone except Mommy or Daddy when we're out. If he's tired, a friendly smile and "hi" from a stranger is enough to reduce him to tears. While it's rough on both us and Nathaniel, I am not too worried about this stage. I know that it's actually a sign of a healthy parent/child relationship, and he will eventually outgrow it.

Nathaniel's sleeping habits have finally evolved to a wonderful schedule! He takes one nap most days, which is usually between 1 hour to sometimes 3 hours! Occasionally, he will take a brief second nap while we're in the car. Nate goes to bed around 7 or 7:30 PM, and he usually sleeps straight through the night until about 8 AM. He still sleeps in our bed most nights, although we are planning to start a transition as soon as he's finished teething because he's turning into quite the little bed hog!

Nathaniel has turned into an eating machine! We have totally moved on from purees, and he is loving regular table food. Some of his favorites include spaghetti, grilled cheese sandwiches, yogurt, peaches, baked sweet potato with cinnamon, cheerios, strawberries, watermelon, and steamed carrots. Of course, that ice cream cone at Lakeside was a huge hit as well! We are planning to have spaghetti tonight for Nate's birthday dinner, and then he'll get to sample his first birthday cake!
I am still nursing, although Nathaniel has started the weaning process on his own. He nurses before bedtime, when he wakes up in the morning, and once during the day (before naptime). We have started him on some whole cows milk, but he's not much of a fan. I have discovered that he will drink more milk if I warm it a little, but we still have a way to go until he's drinking three glasses a day!

Happy Birthday, darling boy! I love spending my days with you, and I cannot wait to see what you learn and how you grow during our next year together. I love you, Nathaniel!

Tomorrow.

My Darling Nathaniel,
One year ago, your daddy and I were at the hospital, eagerly awaiting your arrival. We were so excited that we would finally get to meet our precious baby boy, but we were also a teensy bit nervous about whether or not we would be any good as parents. And then, on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 6:03 PM, you were born. Baby, my most vivid memory is of the very first time that I saw you. You were so beautiful, and the only words that I could choke out were, "He's perfect..."
I remember the very first time that I held you; amid the bustle of people in the delivery room, I felt like you and I were the only ones in the universe.
I remember the first time that I kissed you and told you that I loved you. It made me feel funny inside to do such a "motherly" thing, but it felt right. And now, I can't go an hour without kissing your darling cheeks!
I remember the first time that I nursed you. I was so proud of you, and I wondered how long we would last. Now, I'm so proud that we've been at it for an entire year, and you've grown so strong on your momma's milk.
I remember cuddling your tiny body against me and listening to your breath become steady as you slept. I was amazed that I had such a calming effect on you, and I love that I still do. Cuddling with you at night has been one of my favorite things about this past year.
I remember being so exhausted that I couldn't even think straight because you woke up every 2 hours all night, but I wouldn't have traded it for the world.
I remember the first time that you smiled at me. I was so surprised that I cried! And, ever since, I've craved your sweet smile--your smiles and your laughs make me so happy.
I remember the very first word that you said. You said momma, and I was over the moon--and still am every time I hear your little voice call for me.
I remember so very many firsts and milestones that you've reached during the past year. You are so determined and smart, and I am continually impressed by you. Never lose that, Darling; you will go far in life.

My precious baby, you will be one year old tomorrow. I can hardly believe that we've had you for an entire year, yet it feels as though you've always been here. You are an amazing and incredible little boy, and I honored to be your mommy. I cherish each moment that we spend together,and I am so looking forward to watching you grow and learn even more than you already have. I am so very proud of you, and I always will be. I love you forever and always!

XOXOXOXOX,
Mommy