Yard Work to the Glory of God

Day 1:

The neighbors are having their trees and hedges trimmed.  I ask if they would recommend their contractor. Not only do they highly recommend him, they tell him to give a special deal to their "good neighbors."

Day 2:  

Our new tree-trimmer is scheduled to be at our house at 10:00 am.  We are still waiting for him at 10:45 am. Finally, I call him.  He says that he was behind due to the weekend rain showers.  He didn't ever really apologize for not calling to let us know...I am slightly frustrated at this point.  We re-schedule for the day after tomorrow.

Day 3:  

From the play room window, I observe that Mr. Tree-Trimmer is still working hard on our neighbors yard (Mrs. Kravitz, much?).  He looks exhausted and overworked.  Despite my frustration with him, I feel a tug at my heart to bring him a snack.  After I deliver a meager granola bar, Snickers, and water bottle; I question whether I've done the right thing.

Day 4:  

Mr. Tree-Trimmer shows up to work on our yard (albeit 30 minutes late).  He immediately notices our rejected large bathroom builder's mirror in the garage.  He says, "That's funny, because I just broke a mirror like that this morning.  I was trying to move it out of the way in the laundry room, and it shattered."

We had been trying to get rid of that mirror for months.  We had tried everything...Craigslist, garage sale, etc.  "You are welcome to have our mirror."  He graciously accepted my offer.

At around lunchtime, I had that tugging on my conscience again.  I went outside to give our contractor a small snack. 

It was then that he asked me an odd question:  "What made you think to bring out that snack yesterday?"

"I just saw you working hard."

He responded, "That's funny, because I had given away my lunch money.  I decided I would go without lunch, since I wasn't that hungry anyway.  I also remembered something that we are studying in our men's breakfast group...that God always provides."

"Yes, he does always provide.  I believe He placed in on my heart for a  reason."

He went on to give me a copy of his Bible study.  The key verse was Matthew 6:8:  

"...your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Amen.

P.S.  I know a great tree-trimmer if you need one.

Daddy's Home!

Roman had a wonderful day today!  He took two long naps and one mini-nap. Regardless of how long he naps, Roman always starts to get fussy and tired at about 5:30. I guess we are still battling the "witching hour." Thankfully, Jonathan came home early today.

Roman was so excited to see his daddy! When Jonathan walked in the room, Roman kicked with excitement: "Here's the one who will play airplane with me!" He then held up his arms, asking to be picked up by Daddy. Once in Daddy's arms, everything was all better.

It is such a a blessing to see my husband as a father to our son.  Roman cherishes the moments he gets to spend with Daddy...and I know Jonathan looks forward to teaching Roman all about becoming the man God created him to be.

5 months went by in a blink!

We have made it through some very difficult times during these past five months! Yes, I know...there are many more hard times to come, but we will take this a day at a time.

We are past sleepless nights, extreme colic, nighttime feedings, and days where mommy cried as much as baby!  Praise God!

I am thankful for our little Roman.  I fall more in love with him each and every day. My favorite times are when I walk into the room after he awakes.  Immediately, he kicks his legs excitedly as fast as he can.  Then he gives me the biggest smile!  I love how he is so thrilled to see Mommy and Daddy!

Bedtime is another sweet bonding time.  I cherish the fact that I can still cradle him in my arms and rock him to sleep.  I always sing, "You are My Sunshine," to soothe him.  Without fail, he sings along:  "Awww, Laaa." This is how I know he is about to fall asleep.  He sings himself to sleep now!

Motherhood is such a joy!  It is also a sweet blessing to be able to stay home with my baby.  I have seen Roman's first coo, first belly laugh, first rollover.  I am thankful that there are many more "firsts" to come.

Unfortunately, breastfeeding is not always an option...

Our baby Roman is now 3 weeks old.  He is growing so fast!  He is also developing quite a personality.  He has an expression for every occasion.  He has his "I have gas" face and his "You are speaking a different language than me" face.  I love learning more about Roman each and every day.

It broke my heart when I found out that I would not be able to breastfeed Roman. One of my medications would be harmful to him if ingested through the breast milk.  I had to think about my health first.  If I was not healthy, I would not be able to care for my baby.  I could not risk stopping the medication and be unable to mother my child.  My doctors helped make this difficult decision a little easier for me.

I have received some criticism for this decision by well-meaning mothers, but I stand by my decision.  I am now more careful of what I say to others that may be interpreted as critical.  There are so many moms out there who would love to breastfeed, but it is simply not an option.  Whether it be because of a medical condition, a medication, or baby's intolerance to the breast milk...it doesn't matter. Moms out there who are bottle-feeding have a good reason for it.  It just makes us feel even more guilty when others ask "why?"  I now know that it doesn't matter why.  You have to do what's best for you and your child.

I am learning through this difficult process that there are pros and cons to formula-feeding.  One good thing is you know exactly what your baby is eating and how much.  However, my favorite part about formula feeding is the amazing help I have from my husband, Jonathan!  I know he has enjoyed bonding through feeding times just as much as I have.  Jonathan has been gracious enough to take the "night shift" almost every night.  I have also had help on night duty from my dear mother.  I am blessed with a loving family!

Unfortunately, the additives in formula can be hard for babies to digest.  I am learning this the hard way.  Our sweet Roman is not a good sleeper...yet.  His gas wakes him up multiple times within the 3 hour window between feedings.  I know we are only 3 weeks in, but we are going to switch to the "Sensitive" formula to see if we find any improvements.  We will keep you posted...

It's a Boy!

We were blessed with a precious gift from God.  Roman James graced us with his presence in March.  He weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and was 20 inches long.  And just like that, everything was new, different, and better than we could ever hope for.  Our family of two is now a family of three!

Roman received so much love from visitors, both in and out of the hospital.  His most unexpected gift came from Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Luke.  He received a onsie announcing, "I'm going to be a big cousin!"  Mom and Dad really didn't understand the significance of this at first.  Lindsey had to help us:  "Do you know what that means?!?"  Wait a minute...OH!  So, Lindsey and Luke are expecting their firstborn!  Congratulations!  Roman will only be 7 months older than his cousin.

Roman went home from the hospital a couple of days after his birth. Being home was so exciting that Roman peed all over his new outfit during his first diaper change.  He keeps Mom and Dad on their toes!  We love this little guy!  It has been such a joy getting to know our Roman over this past week.  Already, Dad discovered that he makes little "dolphin noises" to warn us that he is about to let out an all-out wail.  He also loves to hear Mom sing, "Jesus Loves Me" before bedtime.  We are looking forward to more adventures to come...