My Favorite Things

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..." Here are a few current favorite things.

• "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron is a course in "discovering and recovering your creative self." Since my sister-in-law got it for me for Christmas, I have spent a few days a week sinking into the readings and exercises in this book. I spend so much of my life working really really hard to keep my family running smoothly, it's so good to play and create. This book has caused me to sit at the piano more, changed the way I journal, and has made me all-around more aware of my, and everyone's, God-given creativity. I highly recommend.

• Laura Vaccaro Seeger's picture books. Sometimes my two-year-old grabs a book off the shelf and hands it to me saying "Want mommy to read this book" and I inwardly groan because "this book" is some horridly boring book that probably only got published because it's a lift-the-flap book. Rant over. At the other end of the spectrum are Seeger's picture books. When we checked out Lemons are not Red and First the Egg from the library, they were pretty intact. The bindings are now falling apart from being read at least five times a day over the past six weeks. That's over 200 readings and, miraculously, I'm not tired of these two books. They're excellent.

• For the last couple of months, I've been working out regularly. I've especially enjoyed the awesome, free workouts on fitnessblender.com. The powerhouse couple that runs the website and does the workouts is motivating, fun, ridiculously in shape, and makes me feel like I have a personal trainer.

• The Trader Joe's Fireworks chocolate bar has some chile in it giving it a little heat and little bits in it that pop and sparkle in your mouth just like good old childhood pop rocks. Yum, yum, yum. Good Valentine's Day find, love!

• Imaging the Word. I've been slowly marinating in this book of poetry, quotes, and visual art. It is as yummy for the soul as that Fireworks chocolate is for the tongue.

• This opal nose stud has been on my face since Michael gave it to me for my birthday. I love how it looks. Bonus points: It's handmade in Jerusalem.

Little Buddies

When I started this little space on the internet, I never intended it to be a "mommy blog." In fact, this blog had already existed for a couple of years before I became a mom. However, since I don't have time to get on here much and my favorite posts to re-read are always the ones about my kids, I'm just going to own it and say that this is a mommy blog until it's not.

So without further ado, here are some sweet pictures of a budding sister relationship.

For some reason, Cora's face in this one cracks Michael and me up! "Whelp... guess I'm stuck."

29

I have written a reflective post every year for the past several years around my birthday. It's a chance to look back at the past year before blazing ahead to the new year. Here are my posts from when I turned 28, 27, 26, and 25. (Have I really been blogging this long?!)

What was the single best thing that happened this past year?

I'll give you one guess.

Yup.

The best thing was welcoming Cora into our family!

What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
Pushing a baby out of my body.

What was an unexpected joy this past year?

Four years ago, we moved from Los Angeles to an LA suburb for Michael's work leaving behind our wonderful church from our dating, engaged, and newlywed days. We felt that 35 miles was simply too far to maintain a solid church community. After a series of events, we recently ended up back at our beloved church. If you had told me a couple of months ago that we'd soon be worshiping there again, I would have told you to be quiet. But, we are back, now with two kids in tow, and we feel like we've come home.

What was an unexpected obstacle?
Grace had really bad acid reflux as a baby. I told myself while pregnant again that the chance of Cora having it too was very low. But when Cora was just a few days old, I could tell that she had the big bad acid reflux too. We tried to manage it without medication for a while, but at seven weeks old we finally put her on medicine. I guess we just make refluxy babies.

What image best captures this year?

With whom were your most valuable relationships?

So many people. With each passing year, I realize in deeper and fresh ways how important it is for me to have friendship and camaraderie with a variety of people. The people that first come to mind are my sweet little family and my friends who have little children my kids' age.

What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
Oh gosh, I feel like I don't have time anymore. Especially not time to waste.

What was the best way you used your time this past year?
Snuggling with Cora while she slept. The baby days fly by so fast. I'm so glad I've been able to squeeze in these moments.

What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?
Parenting is teaching me to let go of control which has made me a more joyful person. Yes! 

What days will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I will always remember the day my sister, Andrea, married Jason; our June trip to Thailand; and the day Cora was born.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I have two: (1) Flying to Thailand and back while six months pregnant and with a sixteen month old in tow. (2) Growing, birthing, and caring for Cora while caring for Grace.

What was your biggest failure?
The times that I've been angry and impatient with my kids and husband instead of the gracious mom/wife that I want to be.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

My sister's wedding and meeting our second kid.

What kept you sane?
This question assumes that I was sane this year. I feel like on many days there wasn't any sanity to be kept. But, the times that were sane were the times when I got decent sleep and was able to let go of expectations and fly by the seat of my pants.

What are you looking forward to the most this year?
Sleep. I just want to sleep. Last night, Cora woke up once between 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. If this continues, I will wake up feeling like superwoman every day.

Tuesday Photography Walk

When my brain and body feel cooped up, I sometimes go for a walk and take my camera along with me to capture whatever captures me. Here's the plunder.

The vast majority of planes flying out of our airport sport that bold Southwest color scheme. I do not recognize this plane.

Our local freeway, pre-rush hour.

Ah, there's a Southwest plane!

While taking this picture, there was blade of grass poking into my "nose hole," as my almost-two-year-old calls it.

Dark bark.

Cora - Four Months Old

Four months old - that magical stage when a personality starts budding out and, theoretically, everyone starts to get some sleep.

Here's what we've seen so far from our four month old Cora.

Cora is super social! Cora loves being in the action, cooing, "ah-gooing," and smiling at everyone. When we were riding a crowded train at the Denver airport, Cora flashed smiles at all the travelers. People couldn't help smiling back. Cora even squeals, smiles, and converses with dolls and stuffed animals. When I nurse her, I have to try to not talk because the moment I open my mouth, she looks up at me, milk dribbling down her face, and starts cooing and smiling.

Cora is very physical. She loves being tickled, bounced, rough-housed, and held standing up. She also continues to surprise us with her strength. Since babies spend so much time sleeping on their backs, you're supposed to give them awake time on their tummies to strengthen otherwise unused muscles. With the craziness of having two kids, I mostly forgot about tummy time the first three months. When Cora was barely three months old, I plopped her on her tummy for the third time ever. You can imagine my surprise when she rolled herself right back over. I wonder, how early would she have started rolling if I had put her in tummy time bootcamp from day one? A week ago, I randomly decided to see if she could sit up on her own with just her hands propping herself up. Yup, she could. Am I bragging about my baby right now? Yes, I am!

Cora does not know what a schedule is. In the past month, we've had days on end where she only takes 30 minute naps. We've had days where she takes two hour naps. We've had nights where she wakes up three times. We've had nights where she sleeps 8-10 hours straight. Hopefully this stage of complete unpredictability will ultimately make me a more flexible, patient person. Right now it feels like it's just forging my insanity. Also, she nurses every two hours. I can't wait to start solids.

She sure is cute when she's sleeping though...

And she's sure cute when she's wide awake...

Two more pictures:

She got to meet lots of family when we spent two weeks in Colorado over the holidays.

She even got to meet her great-grandmother and namesake, Cora Lee. It looks like my grandpa is about to eat her!

Cora, you are an amazing kid. We are crazy for you!

Christmas

As Christmas rolls around once again, two things hold me in wide-eyed marvel at the incarnation.

First, these words:

Man’s maker was made man,

that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast;

that the Bread might hunger,

the Fountain thirst,

the Light sleep,

the Way be tired on its journey;

that the Truth might be accused of false witness,

the Teacher be beaten with whips,

the Foundation be suspended on wood;

that Strength might grow weak;

that the Healer might be wounded;

that Life might die.

– St. Augustine

Second, being around baby. The other day, I propped Cora up on a pillow to sit and then wandered off to give Grace a snack. A couple of minutes later, I heard a little cry and realized that Cora had toppled sideways, had ended up face down on the carpet, and was getting tired of holding her head up. All she could do was let out a cry in hopes that I would come to her rescue.

God once made himself that needy.

Restoration for the Weary Mom of Two Under Two

Parenting is awesome, but it is tiring. My head and shoulders, knees and toes, eyes and ears and mouth and nose are weary. I am counting down the days until my sweet baby starts waking up only once a night and develops some sort of moderately predictable eating and sleeping schedule during the day. Too bad I have no idea how many weeks to count down! 

In the meantime, I have found a few activities that restore me. So, if you ever find yourself the mom of two under two years of age, try any of the following. I've done them all at least once in the past couple of weeks.

Take a shower.

Brush your teeth and brush your hair.

Lie in a grassy field in the sun.

Go for a long walk.

Eat M&Ms.

Take a nap.

Get a back scratch from your husband.

Cry.

Pick up a couple of new clothing items that flatter your not quite back to normal body.

Read a few pages of a good book.

Do your hair.

Do your hair and put on some makeup.

Get your toddler belly laughing.

Write. In a journal, on your computer, on your blog, on a napkin. Whatever. Just process.

Tell other parents how exhausted you are. You should get nothing but sympathy.

Tell God how exhausted you are. You will get nothing but sympathy.

Snuggle your sleeping baby, memorize her smell, feel her little breaths, and remember that this won't last for long.