Right Now: Elijah turns ONE!

It was a fair weather Thursday when I really began to feel you wanting to come out! I was at work and began having those feelings on Wednesday but promptly laid down after work and the contractions stopped. I got up Thursday morning and had an enjoyable morning with Mark and Ian and headed off to work. All day long I tracked the contractions:

       I worked all day and it wasn't until around 5:00 pm that I decided "I wonder if I should call my OB? See a couple days before I didn't feel you much and it scared me so I went to my doctor and they checked to make sure you were ok and you were once I stopped and sat down. So again I worked all day and did various tasks but apparently (per my coworkers) I was pretty big since I was so pregnant. Well at 5, I thought maybe I should call; however, I didn't want to have to stay in "observation" or just get sent home for nothing so I went home with contractions at 6 minutes apart. You were "due" on October 1st so I figured I could lay down and they would stop. Well, they didn't and daddy had to make a hospital call so mommy and Ian went to Drew and Emily Dodd's house to just hang out. Well, my contractions went to 4:00 minutes apart so I texted you to come back quick and you did. We drove to the hospital and registered and went up to the room. We arrived about 8:40pm. You were born at 12:52 am on a Friday morning. And it was beautiful day. I was so in love with you as they laid you on my chest. I couldn't stop starring at you. 

 

 

 

 Ian was so excited to meet you!! He knew your name very well and just kept smiling at you.

 

You slept for awhile but course the one day where the photographer comes in - you were circumcised that morning and weren't too happy about the whole ordeal.

    

So a year has gone by now and you have grown so much!

9/28/12-9/28/13



Right now you are:
* walking, walking...almost running -- you picked up walking pretty quick beginning September 6th and within one week you were starting to try to move very fast and steadily
* you are attempting to mimic more words and grunt when you want something
* you clap readily and occasionally wave when it to your liking
* you are on 2% milk now!!
* you are finally catching on to sipping cups though would favor the bottle any day
* your routine is pretty flexible for the most part because it has to be (1 or 2 naps in the day)
* you are wearing size 5 shoes and 18 month clothes!!
* your favorite fruit appears to be PEARS right now
* you still really like your stage 3 foods
* your first full meal with us of solid foods was: corn casserole, sweet potato fries, turkey burgers
* your first official dessert was ice cream on your birthday
* you just now had your first cupcake ---- cake will be at your party this Saturday with family!
* your personality is one of observance and then you get quite vocal when comfortable
* you definitely have your attachment issues coming out --- won't let go of daddy & mommy when in the mist of others
* your first ouchie included a black eye due to Ian throwing a remote at you - his motive remains unknown besides being scientific (? inertia maybe?)
* it is still a wrestling match with you when changing your diaper unless you are tired ("s-t-r-e-t-c-h" seems to work often)
* you perk up when seeing the kitties

 

 

 

First taste of desserts...

We love you, you're my little "nugget!!"

Firsts: I used a saw - made shelves for bookcase

ONE Invite for immediate family

Stationery Card

View the entire collection of cards.

My 33rd Birthday

I decided to keep it simple, stay home and my only request of Mark as he asked me, "what would you like for your birthday?" was 1) go out to eat (which we did to Red Lobster my birthday night) and 2) time.... Time to clean out the rest of the garage to get both of our cars in it and to move things around to begin setting up my craft area and that is what I did.

Another highlight of my birthday that I didn't mention - I had visitors and they were of the most unusual kind!

Looking over my 32nd Year of Life

It is ALWAYS good to reflect and review another year of life. It create gratitude for where one is and reminds me that I've gone through tough stuff and have lived and I will continue to go through tough stuff and will get through it.

Last year at this time I was eagerly preparing for Elijah to enter the world and although I didn't even know his name at the time I knew that I had had a pretty awesome and moving 31st year of life. So to begin the recap of this 32nd year - I will start with random things:

most notably watched TV shows by me: "How I met Your Mother" and "New Girl"

new phrases I've told Ian a lot to learn about life: "Too bad, so sad" "Boring people get bored"

studies gone through church: Discipleship Essentials and Chazown; classes: They Smell Like Sheep

favorites moments of the year: when Eli began to sleep through the night and I would feed him before bed time and cuddle; Ian being excited about "muffin day"

most stressful time: coming back from maternity leave and not sleeping with Eli & moving during January

sadness moments: loss of John Simeon Kimmel and visiting my dear friend Karissa right after his loss; loss of Tracy and feeling so down from leaving friends in Jasper

elated moment of the year: coming home from our vacation around our anniversary time and Mark had the hall way upstairs and stair area all painted by our friend Brian (SO PSYCHED!!!)

learning moments: running inconsistencies, learning how to mother 2 children and make time for time with Mark; cleaning a bigger house isn't always fun

Tomato & Mozarella Panini: Thoughts of Louisville

I had a Tomato & Mozarella panini at work today and the taste immediately brought back experiences from Louisville during Grad school and during supervision days after we moved to Jasper, Indiana. Eating that panini was so pleasant and just made me slow down to think of what I loved about Louisville and about that season of my life. It was hard and rewarding. I had a hard time with the stress of the assignments and what was expected me of me but I did really well with understanding people and trying to better understand myself. It was a searching time for me as far as becoming a professional in the marriage and family therapy landscape and it was a refreshing period of time in the sense that I had a focus and a purpose to accomplish. I also starting running during this time and falling in love with the movement and energy it gave me. I loved the cold Louisville runs after classes or the warm runs on Southern Parkway from campus to our townhome. It was a season without too many responsibilities and just enough freedom to get and go as we pleased. We'd eat what we wanted, went out when we wanted and all around enjoyed ourselves.

DYING ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF WELL-ROUNDEDNESS

June 03, 2013  /  mark waltz

Yesterday I grabbed the Xbox controller again, as I have the past several weeks since my daughter, Liv, and her boyfriend, Jacob, have been back home for the summer. Every time I play Call of Duty, I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten worse – not better – than the last time I played.

Yesterday I finished third place (Yes, that’s the same as last place when three people play, but third still gets a ribbon in most contests. It just sounds better to me.) every game we played. Finally, in utter disgust of my inability to coordinate my hands and eyes quickly enough to avoid being killed before taking out my two “enemies,” I declared, “This is my last game.” Death is death. I was dead. And I was done.

I don’t have the natural talent to kill imaginary enemies on my TV screen. I can do it. But, I’m not good at it.

Gaming isn’t my sweet spot.

I watch people, particularly leaders, painfully strive to be good at everything. And for many leaders, the temptation seems legitimate. After all many of us have been told that we can and do many things really well. I’ve been told this often.

Yes, that sounds self-aggrandizing, like I’m all that and a bag of chips. I’m not all that, and I’m certainly not a bag of chips. But, there are many things related to leading people, ministry, guest services, and systems that I can do.  The question is – should I do everything I’m capable of doing?

Andy Stanley points out that our sweet spot is the stuff that…

• energizes us
• motivates us
• only we can do
• God made us to do

There are several things that are close seconds and thirds to my sweet spot. However, when I continue to do those things I …

• expend energy that is less than productive
• get less done that really counts
• rob other people of their own sweet spot
• buy the lie that I need to be a well-rounded leader and do it all

Years ago Stanley nailed me with this last consequence: buying the lie that I need to be a well-rounded leader.

I’m convinced that for many of us the lie gets motivated from that place of insecurity most of us try to hide. We want desperately to prove to ourselves and to others that “we’ve got it.” That we can do it. The notion of delegation and team gets all twisted up with the notion that to give away and empower is actually weakness.

In a sense it is. To give away and empower others often rightfully comes from admitting, “I’m not a 10 at everything.” We don’t like to see the things we’re “not so strong at” defined as weaknesses. And when we get close to that realization, we fall for the lie that we’d better shore up those weak places so people don’t stop believing in us.

What is it that causes us to think we must see everything we can possibly do as a “sweet spot?” Is it pride? People-pleasing? Shame? A competitive spirit?

It’s not the Spirit of Jesus, that’s for sure.

The Scriptures declare us – US – to be the body of Christ. People who are each gifted in various “sweet spots;” people who need each other in order to be the body of Jesus.

Do the hard work of inviting others to live in their sweet spot alongside you. Allow them to live out their strengths –which happen to be your “weaknesses.” Give away more of what you’re ultimately responsible for.

Don’t die on the not-so-imaginary battlefield of self-aggrandizing “I can do this.”

Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! (1 Corinthians 12 MSG)

putting passions together

If I could mix together my favorite reads for newsletters and blend them into one:

_______________________ a women's running or triathlon or pilates publication

Iron Girl information

Working Mom Magazine

Family Fun Magazine

Leading and Loving It blog

Kelly Rae

Ali Edwards

a new journey

we all go through new seasons in life or phases...I want to go on a new journey and I feel led to do so...not because of what people might think though

Warning: I'm going to be vague in this first writing of this potential new journey.

I feel led to move towards a healthier life, one that is not governed by what the cafeteria happens to be serving this day or the sides that are available. One is that is also not governed by what left-overs we have the night before. I don't want to be slave to sweet or simple-carbs that I CRAVE like crazy especially the last 6 months.

I want to choose to fully inhabit my days and gain full energy to do what God has designed me to do: encourage and guide others towards personal and relational growth, balance and significance in Christ - impart God's view of it all but most importantly meeting them wherever they are at in life at this time.

However, there is fear in this new journey, fear of perceptions and judgments. Fear of assumptions about the "why" what I might begin. Fear of the whispers. I don't plan on fully televising my actions but would love to blog a little here and there.

I finally got myself out for 8 miles Saturday with a new watch and no pressure for that fun and it was lovely. When I take the pressure off and just enjoy and take the time then it is sooo positive. I wish there was a way to bottle up my motivation when it's present because MAN IT HAS PURPOSE!! Alas, I'm praying about it all, not sure if it is the right timing but it feels right and for pure motives. It's not about the perception, it's about the heart, it's about the nutrition, it's about the habits.

WOW I must really have you wondering - no worries...just a possible change in course coming ahead.

Elijah walked! - took 2-3 steps towards mommy & daddy - September 6th