Seeking Light

Yesterday, Phoebe woke from her nap delighted to discover a tiny rainbow atop our coffee table. She in fact found several rainbows, little spectra bouncing about our front rooms, thanks to a prism in the glass of our front door. She chased them, tried to grasp them, and giggled when she spotted them on her hands or dress.

After several minutes, we bid farewell to the rainbows. (I wanted to get the girls outside before we had to bid farewell to the sunshine as well.) I promptly forgot about them, thinking instead about the afternoon's agenda or perhaps the route we'd take for our walk.

Today, Phoebe woke ready to see the rainbows again. She bounded out bed talking about her colorful little strips of light, just knowing they'd be there. I gently mentioned that the rainbows were a special treat for yesterday, that we couldn't expect to see them again today.


Yet there they were. I'd have missed them altogether, scooting the girls out the door again for a walk, had she not been looking for them. Her joy matched that of yesterday, and she squealed when she discovered them: on her purse, on Mommy, on the desk. She was looking for the light, and she found it.

All too often, I forget to seek the light, to search for the promises held for me. In a hurry, or distracted by a lengthy list of things to do, I fail to slow down and seek His face. I am so thankful for the little ones in this house, who cause me to take pause and to notice...

"Seek and you will find..." Luke 11:9

Little Moments

I keep feeling as if I have nothing to say here anymore, and yet... my days are full of little moments that I want to treasure up, to record for my own delight. And so, here I am. Again.

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I had the girls gathered up in my lap this afternoon, just before nap time. Phoebe had chosen a book that both she and Nora would enjoy, and we shared a story together. (Story sharing can be difficult when one of the listeners is a very eager page turner.) And as if to say, "I'm here, too," the third sister kicked and flipped for the entire time we snuggled together. Oh, how I look forward to sharing stories with three little girls!

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This morning, Phoebe asked me to sing her a song ("Standin' on the Solid Rock") for the umpteenth time in the past few days. I'm battling a little bit of viral crud and I honestly just didn't feel like it, so I told her that I didn't feel well and that maybe I'd sing some later. Phoebe said, "Mommy, does your heart hurt? You sing from your heart!" And immediately, my excuse was busted wide open. Needless to say, I've not refused her requests for song any more today.

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Is anyone else loving this fall weather like we are? It was particularly blustery on the day we went to the pumpkin patch, but we've been delighted by the brisk air and the need for a coat. I am so thankful that God gives us seasons... what a sweet reminder that trials, like the oppressive summer heat, only last for a season.

One Year Old!

Nora, my sweet little baby (at least until March), is already ONE! I think I've been in denial about her growing up... but really, one?! Already? Evidently the seasons march on, even before a mama is ready for them to.

We celebrated Nora's first year quietly - just family, as has become our tradition - but Nora didn't seem to mind, especially since she got to smash cupcakes on two different days! I really cannot get over this little Belle...what a delightful little thing she is!


As is our tradition, here is what our little Nora is doing as a big one year old! Nora:

• weighs 20 pounds, 5 ounces (35%ile) and is 29inches long (75%ile).
  
• is napping twice a day -- an hour and a half (or so) in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. She still generally sleeps about twelve hours each night, although lately we've had some interruptions thanks to new teeth. (Nora has, however, learned to express her opinion about some of her naps; she throws her pacis overboard, and will occasionally even toss the bunny if she's really mad about napping.)
  
• is off formula! I'm thrilled that I can have a four and a half month break from buying that expensive, expensive stuff. She does still take a bottle, but inconsistently... I'm not in a big hurry to get her off completely, but her interest is definitely waning.
  
• has three teeth, and is working on getting at least two or three more.
• still loves food, but is starting to get more selective about what she eats and also eats a little more slowly. Her favorite foods are cheese, fruit (especially grapes), green beans, and pasta.
  
• says "Mama", "Dada", and "More"... or so I think. (Does anyone else think it's tricky figuring out when they're actually saying these words and not just babbling?)
  
• signs "more", "all done", and "please"... but not consistently.
  
• can stand unassisted for a short period of time and, as of yesterday, has taken one step! Crawling is still preferred, and she will seldom attempt a step unless she is highly motivated.
• loves to read, perhaps even more than Phoebe did at this age. She has a long attention span for short books, which means she'll read lots of short books in a sitting. Her favorites are Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Barn Book, and anything written by Tom Arma. Nora also really loves touch-and-feel books.
• has curly hair now! All of a sudden, her hair has really started curling...she even gets these sweet little "wings" over her ears!
  
• loves to play with blocks, sort through odds and ends, and to be a part of the action. She hates to be left behind!
• loves to play peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek.
  
• loves to do anything her sister does. We joke that Phoebe is her favorite toy...and it's true!
• is the happiest baby I know. Really!

Our little "Belle" is such a delight. She is really SO much fun, and it's a joy to spend my days with her (and her sister). We've had a wonderful first year with our happy little love, and I can't wait to see what this next year brings!

A Conversation with Phoebe

While Daddy was watching some baseball with Phoebe curled up on his lap:
Michael: Phoebe, what team does Daddy like?
Phoebe: (Thinks for a minute)...the Braves!
M: Good girl! What team does Pops like?
P: Mmmm...Red Sox!
M: Phoebe, what team do you like?
P: (Thinks for a long time)....Phoebe like pink!

Nora is 11 Months Old!

Nora, my "itty bitty", is certainly not very itty bitty anymore. A month away from one (!), she becomes more of a little person every day. Since Nora's ten month day fell during my break from blogging, it's been a while since Nora has had an update all to herself. It's amazing how much this little eleven month old can do!


At eleven months, Nora...

• is a beautiful, predictable sleeper...most of the time. She generally takes a nap in the morning (1.5-2 hours) and a nap in the afternoon (2 hours), and she sleeps about twelve hours at night.
  
• has two teeth. I'm hoping she gets about six more this weekend, since she's been a little fussy friend all week. I'm not holding my breath.
• crawls very fast, cruises on the furniture, and will occasionally stand unassisted (until she realizes that she's doing it). Nora can also walk with a push-walker, but this doesn't seem to be much fun to her.
  
• loves to eat! Mealtime is, laughably, a tale of two sisters. I cannot think of a food that Nora doesn't like or won't eat. We gave up baby food...a long time ago. She just wants to eat whatever Phoebe has! (Nora also still takes 4 bottles a day, but if she can get her hands on her sister's sippy cup of milk, she's all set.)
  
• talks, babbles, and chirps all day long. The other night, we heard "Daddy" when she was particularly sad... but as far as we can tell, she hasn't said any "real" words yet.
• signs "more" and "all done"
• is into everything, which means we are training in full force. Nora understands "no touch" and "no ma'am"... and she is so sensitive to training! (I want to cry right along with her!) After a really tough day yesterday, I'm determined to get her blanket trained - even though that's going to mean we're both crying for a few days!
• loves to read, especially board books with pictures of babies. She surprised me yesterday by sitting still for most of an Eric Carle book (one of Phoebe's library books), but generally her attention span is two to three short board books.
• loves water. When bathtime comes along, I can't get her in the tub fast enough. She's also fearless in the pool. Water time is happy time!
• is starting to experience separation anxiety. When I leave the room, it isn't pretty. Bless her heart, that sweet little lip comes out and she wails. I love that she loves her mommy (and daddy - she does this for him, too), but it breaks my heart to see her so sad about a quick potty break for Mommy!
• thinks her sister is the best. Wherever Phoebe is, that's where Nora wants to be. Whatever Phoebe does, that's what Nora wants to do. Nora's learning a lot from her big sister!

We sure do love our Norabelle! Happy Eleven Months, Nora...

The Third

Yesterday, I sat with a chirping Norabelle in my lap and was overwhelmed with delight in her. What a precious gift she is! She is so different from the sister that she adores, and yet no less wonderful. And at that moment, I could hardly contain my excitement over this newest baby, set to arrive in just six months!

My hands are certainly full -- and will be moreso when the new baby arrives -- but my heart is overflowing with joy. This has been hard to explain to others, who often wonder why on earth we'd want to have three children under three. But when I was reading in Stepping Heavenward a few weeks ago, I came across this passage that was extraordinarily encouraging to me. Since I have a couple of friends who are going through a similar season, I thought I'd share this here...

[They say] I shall now have one mouth the more to fill and two feet the more to shoe, more disturbed nights, more laborious days, and less leisure or visiting, reading, music and drawing.
Well! This is one side of the story, to be sure, but I look at the other. Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which it dwells is worthy all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ's name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother's heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her lifelong prayers!
from Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss

Yes, little one, you are a welcome gift from God! We can't wait to hold you!

Returning

It wasn't my intention at first to stay silent for my entire first trimester. But the truth is, I had a more intense trimester than with either of the girls and I found myself with literally nothing to say. Once the sickness hit at six weeks and I started napping for the girls' entire naptime every day, I had to strip down my commitments to the bare minimum. Fortunately, survival mode only lasted about five weeks...and then we went out of town for ten days.

While I've missed recording things here, it was good to take a break. Now that I'm feeling better and (slowly) adding things back into my daily routine, I'm eager to get back to blogging -- at least so I can remember these sweet days that we're in.

Besides...I'm sure all of you have been missing these sweet faces!

It's good to be back!