Ahhh, blogging. So little time, so little brainpower, so little creativity, so little desire. However, I refuse to let time fly by at the speed of light and not take a minute to jot down a little about our growing girl.
As a side note, my mom took the boys for a few days before Christmas. I was blown away by all the free time. I wondered what on earth I did all the time when I just had Micah as a young toddler. I felt so lost. I lamented to Matt that I don't even feel like my own person anymore. Who am I? What do I like to do? It's easy to get down in the dumps when you buy into the world's mentality that we are all our own separate entities and that we need find "ourselves." I got a book for Christmas that was a really fun read, so practical, and so encouraging. If you get a chance, pick up a copy of Rachel Jankovic's Loving the Little Years. It's like she read my mind and wrote just what I needed to be reminded of right there in chapter 12. Here is an excerpt:
We are like characters in a story. Our essential self is not back in the intro, waiting to be rediscovered. Who you are is where you are. If you suddenly panic because it all happened so fast and now you don't recognize yourself, what you need is not time alone. What you need is your people. Look at the people who made you what you are- your husband and your children. Study them. They are you. If you want to know yourself, concentrate on them.Those women who try to find themselves by stripping away the "others" will find that they are a very broken little thing. This will lead them to resent the people who they think made them that way. She may say "I used to be so energetic, but all these people take, take from me and now I have no time to just be me!" And the world gathers around and comforts her and says she needs some time to follow her dreams.But the Christian woman needs to see, "I used to be so boring! Now my character has some depth, some people to love, some hardships to bear. Now I have some material to work with." People, people everywhere and no time for yourself. But remember, this is your calling. It belongs to you. They belong to you. If you want some quality "me time," make a date with your husband. Do something special with your children. These people are you. Your identity is supposed to be intertwined-that is the way God wrote the story, and it is the way He intends us to read it.
So encouraging and so true. Really, there is no person I'd rather be. Whoever I was before, she is gone. Now stands the tired, overextended mom to three young children and wife to one amazing man. And truth be told, I am loving it. I love these people I live with. I love that they are my story.
And the newest piece of my story is getting bigger every day. She is growing like a weed-31 3/4 in. (80%) and 22.5 lbs (50%). She is continuing to stay tall-it is so funny to hear that she is in the 80% when I'm used to hearing 25% for the boys. I'm thrilled for her that she may get some height from her daddy. She is not only walking now, but running. She wants to be a big so bad. Watching her brothers all day has taught her a lot- for better or worse! She talks so loudly despite all my efforts to get her to use a gentle lady-like voice. She wants to be heard. She makes many demands like her oldest brother did, although she is much more easily contented when things don't go her way. Even though she fights for her rights here at home, we see her introverted nature come out in public. She will get quiet or cry upon entering unfamiliar places. She does well with a babysitter at our home, but will scream until I have to pick her up if we try to leave her in the church nursery. This is a challenge because once she is back with us, she talks loudly and makes requests until one of us has to take her to the car. Alas, it is a season. We will one day all be in church together for the full hour and a half. She is so clearly a little girl with big brothers. She will often be running around playing football while wearing "so petty" necklaces, bracelets, and perfumed lotions. Or, she will be pushing her new baby in her stroller while wearing some of her big brothers shorts. She cracks us up every day. She loves to brush her teeth, dress up, read countless books, dance, eat, and sleep. She loves to tease her brothers, then ask them for multiple kisses before leaving the room. She loves her dada, and I'm pretty sure I rank pretty high on her list too. I think, since we are seasoned in this stage, we are much more apt to take it all in. We are truly enjoying watching her grow and studying her little personality. The Lord has blessed us beyond what we could have hoped in these children. We tell each other daily, even amid the struggles and exhaustion, "we love these kids!"
Here is a little video of the way she danced to this particular Christmas hymn. She even chimes in to the "gloria" refrain but it's hard to hear her.
