Clara Jo is four months old!

Our sweet Clara Jo is four months old. She is an absolute delight and we adore this little lady more and more each month.

If I could describe Clara in one word it would be content. She is just so easy-going and sweet! Some days, I get to the end of the day and feel like I haven't even held her at all...because she's so happy playing on her mat, sitting in her bumbo, or hanging out in the rock-n-play. The only time she gets fussy is when she's sleepy. What a blessing!

Rolling--Clara is now rolling both ways like a champ. (As I write this she is four months plus 12 days). Its only been in the past few days that she has really gotten the hang of rolling from back to front. We all still celebrate every time she takes the plunge and rolls over. She is very proud :) When I get her out of bed from naps, most of the time she is laying on her back cooing and smiling.

We had Clara's four month check up last week. Our girl is healthy and growing strong. Thank you Lord! She weighs 16 lbs, is 26 inches long and her head is 16.5 inches. She is in the 95 percentile in height and 75% in weight. Her six month clothes are starting to get a little snug and we just moved up to size 3 diapers this week! I can hardly believe how fast she's growing. I feel like she was just born. 

It was so wonderful having Clara with us for Christmas this year. There's something so special about having a baby in your home around Christmastime. It reminds you of how helpless they are--and to think, the God of all creation humbled Himself and became just that--helpless and totally dependent on others. I really enjoyed reflecting on that magnificent truth this season.  For Christmas, Clara got some new bows, lacy socks, and this little Bible. We are excited to read this Bible as a family. We pray that our little Clara will reflect Jesus to the world and be a faithful servant of Him all the days of her life.

Clara is still sleeping pretty well; although she is waking more than before. I guess we've hit that magic 4 month mark! (Four months is when John Hudson officially stopped sleeping--until he was over a year old).  The past week or so she's been waking 2 times at night. But I'm still not complaining (Yet...hah). Her naps have been amazing though. She has been taking at least 2 solid naps a day (like 2-3 hours) and sometimes she does another cat nap in the evenings. We've been working to get her to go down for a nap on her own. Some days she does this really well...and some days she screams. Usually if she nurses first and gets good and drowsy, she goes down just fine.  She usually goes to bed around 8 and wakes for the day between 7-8 am.  She still sleeps in her crib right beside my bed and I still love having her so close.

Girlfriend Clara Jo loves to nurse! I'd say she still nurses every 2 hours when she's awake and will go 3-4 hours if she's napping. She still refuses a bottle, so leaving her with a babysitter is not really an option right now.  Although we did leave all three children with WaWa while Michael and I went to see the Atlanta Symphony during Christmas break. Clara did wonderfully! She not only went the whole time without eating, but also went to bed completely awake and fell asleep without a peep! It was really God's grace because we had it covered in prayer!

While we were at my parents' house, we decided to take a picture of Clara that recreated a picture of Michael when he was 3.5 months old. I guess we don't have to wonder who this little lady looks like....and I'm just fine with her looking just like her Daddy :) (although we have found a handful of pictures where she looks a little like her mommy!)

Clara is gnawing her hands constantly and sticking everything in her mouth, but we have yet to see any teeth! That's okay with me, as I'm not ready for another sign that she's growing up! However, the teething necklace does look extremely cute!

Clara Josephine, we love you sweet girl. You are a joy. May you always know how much we love you...but may you always remember that Jesus loves you more! He will be with you even when we can't be!

Clara and her BFF Irene ;)

Big girl in her bumbo seat

My New Body

Looking in the mirror these days is not something I enjoy. Honestly, I barely recognize my body anymore and some days I feel really sad about that. The stretch marks, the extra skin, the oh-so-attractive muffin top, the spider veins, the bald spots forming around my face from post natal hormones--some days I just want to "feel pretty" again. I want to look in the mirror and think, "Wow, those weeks at the gym have really paid off!" (I haven't been to a gym in 5 years...)  I'm just being honest here...some days I really struggle with my new body.

Last week I was planning to wear a dress I had worn in a wedding two years ago. As date night approached, I tried on my dress and the zipper wouldn't budge. Then I realized that none of the dresses hanging in my closet fit my "new body." I put them all in a pile for Goodwill...and I felt really sad doing so. It's like I've come to the end of era or something. After baby #1 my body bounced back pretty quickly. Baby #2 took a little longer, but I still felt okay. But now after baby #3, I'm realizing that some things will never "go back"--and this is the new me...mom bod and all.

I've really wrestled with this over the past two weeks. I know all the good Christian girl answers about how I am beautiful no matter what and its what on the inside that matters. And I believe those things. But I still live in a culture that places so much emphasis on appearance and perfection...even I get caught up in the lies and deception at times (much to the devil's delight).  But as I have prayed and wrestled and shared with others, the Lord has graciously girded my heart with truth. 

The truth is, my body is a temporary shell that is is quickly fading away. It is in a constant state of decay and one day, it will die forever. My body is what houses my soul while I live on this earth. My soul will live eternally. My body will not. And no matter if my body is fit and skinny and perfect or if it is saggy, squishy and "used up"--it will pass away. And one glorious day in Christ's eternal Kingdom, I will receive a brand spankin' new body.

So I have a choice to make. I can either sulk and pout over the way pregnancy has changed my body, or I can praise God for the opportunity to so tangibly lay down my life for the sake of another (John 15:13). I can consume myself with trying to get my pre-baby body back, a feat rooted in pride and vanity; or I can humble myself , eat nourishing foods, exercise when possible, and submit my body to God's pleasure--knowing that He wants to use my life to bear fruit for eternity. Eternity, folks! What an honor that my body has been used to create and sustain eternal souls. Oh, may I be a faithful steward of all He's entrusted me with. And may I glory in this "used up" body, for it has been His vessel to bring three precious image bearers into this world. And by His grace, may they grow up to proclaim His name boldly to the world. What a privilege that He would choose me to play just a small role in His story.

And when I stand in Christ's eternal Kingdom--Lord willing with my earthly children around me also worshiping the Holy Lamb of God--never will I ever say, "I wish I had spent more time at the gym" or "I wish my body had looked better on earth." I will only be consumed with His glory and goodness. And I'll be so glad my body was used for His purposes.

May it be so, Lord, may it be so.

Runny Nose Sanctification

I knew my attitude was fleshly. I could feel my patience drawing thin. I could hear the irritation in my voice. I could read it in my children's confused faces. Why was mommy acting like this? It's only 8 am! And the truth is...I knew I was acting "like this"...but I didn't want to fight it. Not in that moment. In that moment, I wanted to wallow. 

We woke up Sunday morning to more runny noses and coughing. It's been going on for a few weeks, off and on. The kids haven't been sick per say, but these symptoms just keep lingering. Michael and I both knew we couldn't take them to the church nursery with those nasty coughs. But staying home meant that I couldn't go either. And that was not how I wanted my Sunday to go.

I felt the comparisons brewing in my mind and heart. How come he never has to stay home with sick kids? It must be nice to have so much freedom to do whatever you'd like. I wish I could just get up and go without having to plan for three tiny people's every need. Of course, I knew I was being irrational. He has stayed home with sick children before, but today he had obligations at church. He actually doesn't have a lot of freedom as he balances work, home, church, friends, etc. And while he may not plan for the daily needs of three little ones, he is responsible for the daily well-being and academic success of twenty-seven sixth graders. The truth is, this had nothing to do with what my husband does or does not do. This battle had to do with the condition of my wayward heart. 

You see, I woke up Sunday morning with a very specific agenda in mind. I was excited to get out of the house and fellowship with other believers at church. The days have been long since Michael has been coaching basketball, and any opportunity to get out of the house is welcome. I was looking forward to worshiping the Lord corporately, and quite frankly, getting a short break from the constant demands of mommyhood. I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me when suddenly, I was faced with another day at home.

With hot tears stinging my eyes, I opened my Bible. 

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28

Ouch. He came not to be served. But to serve. If anyone deserved to be served, it was Him. If anyone deserved a "day off," it was Him. And yet, He looked to the Father for strength and simply pressed on...loving...giving...serving...forgiving...healing...speaking...praying...

Oh friends, this life is so not about me. It's about Him and His Renown. His glory. His fame among the nations. And this motherhood thing? It's a calling. A privilege. Just one way I can lay down my life just as He laid down His for me. 

And the truth is, this season will not last forever. Yet the momentary sacrifices of motherhood have the potential to reap eternal benefits.

So my prayer today is that I will meditate on Jesus and His beautiful example of servanthood. That I would think of Him and His love for people--even when he must have felt frustrated, annoyed or just plain ole' burnt out. That I would submit my wayward will to my Father's will and accept His agenda for my day, realizing that He is using all things and circumstances to sanctify me. 

He knew that the best thing for me on this Sunday morning was to be "stuck" at home with three needy little people. He saw that there are (many) places in my heart that need to be challenged, bent, and conformed into His likeness. And He knew that runny noses and fussy babies were the best way to accomplish His will for my life on this particular day. 

May it be so, dear Lord Jesus. Sanctify me for your glory and renown! 

For this is the will of God, your sanctification.

1 Thessalonians 4:3

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Our Jesse Tree

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is doing the Jesse Tree every night during Bible time. A Jesse Tree is just a special way to celebrate advent and has been a fun way to engage our boys in Bible time. Basically, its a chronological countdown of the events leading up to Jesus' birth. The Jesse Tree concept comes from Isaiah 11:1, "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit..." And the passage goes on to describe who we now know is Jesus, our  beloved Messiah.

I knew last year that I wanted to incorporate the Jesse tree tradition into our celebration of Christmas. ...and that's where I hit a mental block. I am not a very crafty person, and the thought of spending hours sewing detailed ornaments just felt really overwhelming to me. I found some beautiful ones on Etsy, but they were all more than I wanted to spend on this project.

So I did some research and found this blog post where the lady had used the Jesus Storybook Bible to create her Jesse Tree. If you follow the links on the blog, you can also find a link to download the exact pictures she used for her ornaments (I think I paid $6 for the download and it was totally worth it!). I cut out the pictures and modge podged them onto little wooden rectangles I found at Hobby Lobby. I drilled a hole in each rectangle and put a loop of string through them and Voila! My ornaments were complete.

Now I just had to find a tree for the ornaments. Last year, I had in my mind that I wanted a tree made of sticks from our yard. Well, we managed to make the tree, but it did not hold up well. After a few weeks of wear and tear, it was basically demolished. So this year we had to find a different solution.

When we were at my parent's house for Thanksgiving, I spied an old wooden pallet outside and I knew there had to be a way to transform it into our Jesse Tree. A quick search on pinterest affirmed my suspicions. My dad and Michael went to work with a chain saw and a yard stick, creating our "tree." When we got home, I attempted to spray paint the tree, but the wood just soaked up the paint ...so we ended up with a white washed look instead, which I actually like! Finally, I added tiny nails and Christmas lights and we ended up with this:

Before Lights

With lights and ornaments

I am so pleased with how it turned out! The boys are loving our Jesse Tree tradition. Every night during Bible time, we read the passage that corresponds with that night's ornament. After our prayer, song, and memory verse (I plan to do a more detailed post about our family Bible time later), the boys get to rummage through the Jesse Tree box and find the right ornament. Then they take turns placing the ornament on the tree. It has been so special to watch the tree fill up with ornaments as we count down to Jesus' birth. May our hearts be bent towards Him alone during this special season.

Clara Josephine is Three Months Old

Our precious Clara is three months old. How is it possible? We are so in love with this little lady. She is a delight to our home! Clara has the sweetest countenance--just looking at her makes her smile so big that it swallows her eyes. She loves to coo and especially coos at her big brother John Hudson. He spends a lot of time talking to her, so its just natural that she'd want to talk back :)  It seems like they have a really special relationship.  Of course, Daniel loves Clara too, but his attention span is much shorter and for him, one little kiss and hello will do. The boys call Clara "Jo Jo" and its looking like that nick name just might stick :)

Clara has been an exceptional sleeper. By three weeks she was sleeping 5-7 hour stretches. Now she usually sleeps between 7-9 hours a night and then sleeps a few more hours after nursing. Honestly, some nights I wake her up to eat because my body is saying, "My baby needs to eat!" if you know what I mean. Its so true that you can handle almost anything during the day if you are getting sleep at night. I am so thankful Clara has been a good sleeper and I know it is a gift from the Lord. I also know it might not last...but for today, I am thankful. And rested.

Clara loves her mommy milk. She is a great nurser. During the day, I'd say we nurse about every two hours (if she's awake). I offer it any time she says "Wah"...haha. She refuses a pacifier. Which is fine with me, but it would be nice if she'd take one in the car. But no, she gags and sputters like something awful has been put into her mouth.  Clara is also not very fond of a bottle. I left her with Michael for about 3 hours the other week and she drank a whopping 1/4 ounce! So we are pretty inseparable right now (which is fine by me!). 

Naps are still pretty unpredictable. She loves to nap attached to my body in the moby wrap or ergo. This works great for morning naps because we are often out and about anyways. In the afternoon I always attempt to lay her in her crib to nap. Some days she will sleep 3 hours. Some days she will sleep 15 minutes. Today, for the first time I tried laying her down awake for her morning nap (in the closet, the quietest room in the house). She whined for about 10 minutes and then much to my surprise, she went to sleep! I was rejoicing! We'll see if she will do that again or if it was just a fluke...

Clara hated her car seat for the first 6-8 weeks of life. And the word hate might be an understatement. She would scream hysterically from the moment we strapped her in until the moment we got her out (I think 45 minutes was the longest single stretch she cried, but that feels like an eternity when you're trapped in a car!). Thankfully she's doing much better in the car now and spends time sleeping, cooing, and only sometimes crying.

Clara's personality is really coming to life. Like I said earlier, she is smiling constantly. She's really enjoying her play mat, too. She will lay and kick and coo for pretty long stretch of time! She can also bring toys to her mouth to suck and gnaw. It really seems like she's already teething too because she is constantly gnawing on her hand. The doctor predicted she'd have a tooth by four months, so we'll see! A few weeks ago (at 11 weeks), she rolled over from belly to back two days in a row...and hasn't done it since. Hah! But I'm in no hurry for another reminder that our baby is growing too fast! At Clara's two month appointment, she weighed 13lbs 15 oz and was 24.5 inches long. She is in size 2 diapers and 6 month clothes. We are so thankful for a healthy baby girl.

Clara Joesphine, you are our sunshine girl. You have brought so much healing to your Mama's heart. We pray that the Lord will use your sweet countenance and joyful face to bring much glory to His name. May you know how much He loves you and may you always allow Jesus to pursue and win your heart.  We love you so much!

Snow Day!

We had a very unexpected surprise yesterday...a snow day! Although I had seen the "snowflake" icon on my weather app earlier in the week, we hadn't kept up with recent weather reports (we live under a rock sometimes when it comes to weather, current events, pop culture, etc) so we were totally surprised on Friday morning when snowflakes began to fall...and fall and fall! Michael's school let out early (although traffic was horrendous so it took him a while to get home) and we were able to spend the evening together enjoying the coziness and anticipating playing in the snow! A sweet friend gifted me with this ahhhhhhmazing Instant Pot earlier in the day, so I was able to whip up a quick beef vegetable soup and just be :) 

Making snow men was a HUGE hit. The above picture was from Friday night. Saturday morning we made two more snowmen (well actually one was a snow lady). I've never made a real, life-size snow man before so I had just as much fun rolling mine up as the boys did. Clara girl slept through all of the festivities. :)

And the best part of a snow day?

SNOW ICE CREAM!

We're thankful for this fun day. The Lord is powerful.

He gives snow like wool; he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before His cold?

Psalm 147:16-17

An update on our little boys

These little boys are a joy! They keep us on our toes for sure, but we often comment on how utterly boring our lives would be without them! For them, having a brother so close in age is just so much fun. You always have a play mate, you essentially get two birthdays a year (because you share all your gifts), and you get to stay up too late talking and laughing every night (until mom and dad come in and make you go to sleep).

So, what are our two little guys up to these days? Well, they are adoring their baby sister, of course! These guys love love love their new sister. They shower her with kisses almost incessantly. John Hudson talks about how he is going to protect Clara and take care of her. They often have to be reminded to be gentle, but overall they are so sweet with her. Daniel always alerts me when Clara is crying..."Clarwa screaming, Mommy!" (As if I didn't notice...)

John Hudson is a little boy who loves to dress up.  And he usually ropes Daniel into playing along. Each day, getting dressed is the very first thing on his mind and he has often planned his outfit the night before. And his outfit changes throughout the day, depending on what he is. For example, a basketball boy cannot be dressed like a workman. A police man cannot wear mail man clothes. A teacher cannot wear worker man socks, etc. We spend a lot of time changing clothes, but thankfully he can almost fully dress himself now (We're just working on putting all the unused clothes away...).  John Hudson also likes to dress like people he admires. His new thing is asking Daddy to leave a note by the coffee every morning telling John Hudson what he is wearing (down to the socks and shoes). Many days, JH dresses just like Daddy and eagerly anticipates Daddy's arrival home so he can show off his matching attire. He also loves dressing like GaGa when they're together. He consults GaGa every night before bed as to what he will be wearing the next day.

Dressed like GaGa

Choo choo men

Three worker men

Worker man

Basketball boy turned fire man

Basketball boys

A mail man and his riding lawnmower

Mr. Hudson

UPS man

Police Officer

Dressed just like daddy

John Hudson loves to look up costumes online. He will ask if we can look up pictures of say, a trolley driver. Then he will study the picture for awhile, disappear into his closet, and then reappear dressed strikingly similarly to the picture he just saw. He really has a knack for creating costumes. The other day he asked to look up pictures of "Story Time Readers" because we had just gone to story time at the library. I told him story time readers don't normally have uniforms :)

Daniel is as cute as ever. Just one look at him will make anyone s-m-i-l-e! He just enjoyed his second birthday! He spent the entire week singing "Happy Birthday" to himself and eagerly anticipating his dinner of "Spaghetti and Strawberries and Cream," which he thought of entirely on his own! We had a blast at his family birthday gathering. We got him a tiny balance bike and he has turned into quite the little speedster on it!

Daniel is also talking like crazy. He definitely says anything he wants to say. I guess having an older brother to imitate has really helped his verbal skills. One of my favorite things is listening to Daniel say what he is thankful for each night during our family Bible time. He says the sweetest things! A few examples.."I kankful for playing in the hose" (When we haven't played in the hose in about two months) or "I kankful for my blanket and boo-paci" or "I kankful for power went out" (during a recent storm). It's so neat to see how both boys process the day and pull out things to be thankful for!

Daniel still loves his paci (which he calls boo-paci for some reason unbeknownst to us).  He actually prefers to have three boo-pacis at a time, one to suck, one to hold and one to rub in his eye. Weird, I know.  He would have boo-paci all day, every day if we let him...but we don't. He can have his boo-paci only at bed time and nap time now, and he's doing a great job with that.  Sometimes though when the house is too quiet, I'll go into their room to find Daniel in the corner furiously sucking boo-paci, just waiting to be caught!

Daniel has also taken over John Hudson's love for hats. He has one hat in particular that he wears at some point every single day. The teachers at our Thursday morning Bible Study always comment on his hat (which he wears almost every week). I love it when my kids like to wear cute things :)

This was our first car ride with three kiddos...

These boys bring us so much joy. At the end of each day, we are tired. So, so tired. Yet we still sit around for half an hour talking about all the cute things the boys did that day. We just can't get enough of them! Thank you, Father for entrusting these little men to us. May they grow to love You and reflect Your light to the world around them. Amen!