6 and 7 months...soon to be 8

Let's all just try to understand how its possible that our little E will be 8 months in 4 days. It's unreal how much he's changed in the last couple months. I need time to slow up a bit.

I'll just begin with the big one: he says DADA!! It makes us fall a part every time. His dad is truly his favorite person in the entire world...and I'm ok with that (i mean, i do feed you and clean poop through the day but whatever) there's nothing sweeter than to watch our baby just fall over laughing at his daddy.

He sits perfectly (ok, to the ladies at church who watched him fall like 3 times a few weeks ago...I know). He loves just sitting on a blanket with a bucket of toys. It blows my mind when I watch him pick up a toy, then when he's done he'll reach all by himself for a new one in his basket. What?!!

He loves clapping. This makes everything funny. We have to stop, clap and cheer for many things: the tv, the dogs, bath time, books, poopy diapers, visitors, anything.

He's eating a lot of foods. His favorite is sweet potatoes by far, which is fine with me I'll bake some for me too! He also loves pumpkin, acorn squash, apples, avocados and pears. It's been really fun and messy.

For some reason, nothing captures his attention like his little sign language video...he is filled with happiness as I walk towards our DVD player and he claps as I push play. His friend Nathan has let him borrow a little bouncer in the shape of a car that he watches it in, so we like to think of it as his baby drive-in movie.

Our home is full of lots of baby laughter that I remember just longing for this time last year.

Smitten Kitchen

Perhaps many of you have heard of Smitten Kitchen, but I wanted to share a link to her blog. This girl is funny, creative and all pictures of her food are stunning. She posts recipes that are outside of the box in her teeny NY kitchen. Even with recipes I don't have the ingredients for I still read through them, laughing at her witty humor.

http://smittenkitchen.com/

Our Christmas baby

I haven't updated on Ernie Brooks' months since 5 months. He's in his 7 month now...oops. Well, that will still have to wait. It's been busy busy busy. I will say though, he's a whole different boy than a couple months ago, so just hang tight because that update is coming soon.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on some photos of our little one from Christmas day. 

 

Praying through Psalm 51

Pretty regularly I have an issue of not knowing how to pray for those I love who aren't walking with God. I'm distracted with thoughts, or I'll say a few things that I really desire for them and then I'm unsure what else I could be bringing to God about it. I'd like to spend a good amount of time pleading with God for mercy towards them and converse with him about how to trust him when I'm unable to be the one to renew their heart.

God has led me through Psalm 51 to pray someone I love deeply. Praying through Psalm 51 makes you cry out for God to show mercy, to help them delight in truth, to blot out their iniquity, it shows you to plead with God to not hide his face from them or remove his Holy Spirit. It reminds you that if God extends his mercy they can be whiter than snow. It helps you to remember to pray that they wouldn't look to any good work to either please God or to be made right with him. Psalm 51 reminds us that we are completely dependent upon God to save them, to see their sin against him and only him, and God alone shows them that there is no real or lasting joy outside of walking with Him.

It may bring a few tears as well.

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Merry merry merry

I love having boys

My son is has entered the crazy, grabbing, hollering, messy (MESSY), hungry 100 percent boy stage...and I am so ready for it. I'm ready to have crazy, running all over the house days when he is few months older. Even getting in the car is so humorous: Ernie is slipping down my hip, my diaper bag has fallen to my elbow, and im still trying to hold it all as i attempt to get the dog into his crate. I think: i look so funny, and this is all totally what i dreamed about doing since i was a little girl.
I love the wrestling matches we have when he would rather suck his toes and bring his feet to his face than get his diaper changed. I love when I'm trying to feed him his rice cereal but he's busy wiping it on his face and clothes. I love when he gets up from nap time and he laughs and wants to pet his dogs. I love that he has recently started to "eat" my face and I pretend he's a mom eating monster and he thinks it's so funny. All this comes from the sweet kindness of God.

5 months

Belly

I loved carrying this boy.

2:30 yesterday

Wake up from naptime joy. And perfect spit bubble.