Sweet Little Lila

I took this picture today and couldn't help but share.

My, how quickly she has grown!

The payoff!

I rejoined the YMCA today. It is something I've been putting off for a few months. As soon as Andrew got up, we jumped in the car so I wouldn't change my mind. I did 25 minutes on a new cardio machine...and I FEEL GOOD! My blood is pumping. I have energy to do all the things "on my list". Exercising refreshes me and gives me the energy for each day.

It reminds me of how great it is to spend time with God daily. When I'm out of the routine, it is hard to take the first step...to open up my Bible and seek God. I find a million reasons to procrastinate. Yet He's always there, with open arms, waiting to fellowship with me. Just like when I exercise regularly I see the physical pay off; when I spend time with God daily, I begin to see the spiritual payoff: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control!

Galations 5 (from the Message)

22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

23-24Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

25-26Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

Happy Resurrection Day!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Today was a fantastic Resurrection Day. After Andrew & Lila got their treats from the Easter bunny, we were off. We had an amazing praise service led by the Eleven Eleven band. We are blessed to be a part Second Baptist church. It is truly easy to love the Lord with the encouragement we receive from our church family. After church, we headed to Drew's Dad's to spend a day relaxing with family, food, and fun.

A family pic! Granted, we aren't all looking in the same direction, but we are in the same frame.

Lila Grace on her first Easter Sunday.

Andrew in his Easter best.

Thanks to the grandparents, we have 2 new family members..we call them Red & Blue. Andrew is squeezing Blue in the photo above.
Andrew consumed more sugar today than he has his whole life.
Andrew, Luke & Ainsley enjoyed a COLD dip in the pool...Drew jumped in with his clothes on for a recovery as well.

Million $ Pacifier!

My children take pacifiers. Yes, I know I've set myself up for a big ordeal (our golden age is 2...we'll see), but pacifiers help me get a few extra hours sleep each morning. Lila often wakes up at 5 a.m. Drew or I will go in and give her her special pacifier and it's like a snooze button for us. We have this special pacifier for Lila. It's a NUK Starlight. We got it when Andrew was a newborn, but because it was purple we didn't use it. And since my kids are so close together, I still had it when Lila was born. So Lila takes this purple paci when she's fussy, in the car, and when she wakes up before the sun is up. I've searched high and low and Target and Babies r Us for more Starlights. It's the worse feeling when it is time to go to bed and no one can find THE paci. Yes, we have others, but this one is gold.

Well...evidently it is going to take gold to buy more. They are discontinued. My friend, Christine, suggested I look on ebay. They are selling on ebay for $10 each pacifier (that's $20 for the pack of two that usually sell for $5). So if anyone spots one of these sleek NUK Starlights, grab it!

Cookie Monster!

Andrew has a new attachment. It's to an economy-size tub of animal crackers. He's carried them around all morning. If you visit, I would advise against accepting his offer to share his crackers...this tub is now just for Andrew!

I'm stuck, Mommy!

The church nursery introduced Lila to the activity center a few weeks ago. So I came home and dusted it off. She enjoys it for short spells when she is in a good mood. Andrew decided he wanted a turn this morning. While I was packing his lunch, he called out, "I'm stuck, Mommy." Does this thing have a weight limit? I'm sure Andrew hit it before he was 1.

Team Manna

Our dear friends, the Stanfields, are raising money for March of Dimes in memory of their son Maddox. Team Manna was created to celebrate the lives of Maddox Stanfield, Noah Galbincea, Andrew Fox, and Hannah Fox. Please take a moment to visit their team blog and offer your support as these families March for Babies. Click on the picture of Maddox to be taken to the Team Manna blog.

Lila - 4 months

Lila had her 4 month check up yesterday (her month birthday is the 16th).

Here are her stats:

16 lbs, 2 oz - 90-95th %

25 inches long - 75%

She is rolling (haven't witnessed the act, only the evidence), holding her head steady, watching all the action around her, squealing, overall good sleeper.

An apple a day

Every day I look at my children and realize how quickly they are growing. Each day holds something new, something funny, something challenging. Andrew was having an unusually "hungry" day on Wednesday. Around 4 o'clock he started saying "hot dog." He climbed into his high chair so I knew he was serious. It was so close to dinner that I gave him a banana for a snack thinking that would pacify him. When he finished the banana he declared, "Hot dog." He ended up eating a banana, 2 hot dogs, and 1/3 of a sliced apple. As I was preparing dinner less than an hour later, he saw the remainder of the apple on the counter and asked for it. So I gave him the apple. I was amazed when he carried it around for 10 minutes taking big bites out of his Granny Smith. It's the little things that make me smile each day.

Swim Lessons...Take Two

I know someone was praying with me because today went SO MUCH better than last week. Andrew cried for less than 2 minutes.

He blew bubbles, gave high 5's, went under water, and straightened his legs out to kick (last week his legs were wrapped around the instructor). Stay tuned, I know week 3 will be great!

Week in review

We've had a busy week. Here are a few pics of the kids playing.

Lila loves playing under her activity gym. She loves her hands as well.

I threw out some crackers I thought were stale. Andrew dug them out of the trash; he and Eli found them tasty.

Lila decked out in her Southern Miss gear.

Andrew playing outside in his pajamas Saturday morning. He's got great bed head!

A note from my Father

While going through the study, Raising Responsive Children by Judy Rossi, I've had many "ah ha" moments. This study has pulled together so many Biblical concepts of home life (my spiritual walk, my role as a wife, my role as a mom, even as a daughter and friend). One of the most inspiring points is that my relationship with my children must imitate my relationship with God. I must seek to know Him and His characteristics and His love for me in order to pass them on to my children. Here's a "letter from my Father" that reminds me of his infinite love for me.

My Child,
I know everything about you…Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up…Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all of your ways…Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered…Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image…Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being…Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring…Acts 17:28
I chose you when I planned creation…Ephesians 1:11-12
I knew you even before you were conceived…Jeremiah 1:4-5
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live…Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made…Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother’s womb…Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born…Psalm 71:6
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16
I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me…John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love…1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you…1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your father…Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father…Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand…James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs…Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope…Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love…Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Ps. 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing…Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you…Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession…Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul…Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things…Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me…Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart…Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires…Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine…Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager…2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles…2Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you…Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart…Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes…Revelation 21:3-4
And I’ll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth…Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus…John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed…John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being…Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you…Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins…2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled…2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you… 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love…Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me…1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again…Romans 8:38-39
I have always been Father, and will always be Father…Ephesians 3:14-15
Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen…Luke 15:7
Love, Your Abba, Almighty God

Swim Lessons?

Andrew began swim lessons today. His lesson was supposed to be 20 minutes. It lasted over 30 because the first 20 minutes he cried...and cried...and cried. Well, it was more like this:

Andrew: Sob

Instructor: Do you want to go under the water?

Andrew: Sob, "Yeah"

(Count to 3, go under water)

Andrew: Gasp, Sob

It was really strange that everytime she asked if he was ready to go under water he would briefly pause from crying to say, "Yeah." He spent the last 10 minutes blowing bubbles and talking which was a relief.

I pray next week that he will adjust a little faster.

Once in a lifetime experience

Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier!

The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you’re 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818.

So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

Week in review

Andrew actually noticed Lila a few times this week.

We finally got Andrew's sandbox (a Christmas gift from Gigi) set up.

I purchased these camo sandals for Andrew during the winter. I just got them out for him to wear & he loves them. He holds his foot out to everyone & says, "COOL!"