Merry Christmas!

A Decade in Review

I barely have time to think, let alone blog these days, but when I saw A Decade in Review on Abby's blog and then Jackie's, I decided to jump on that train of thought and write my own decade out, too.

2000
:: I completed my highschool education. I loved being homeschooled!
:: I canceled all my plans for further education, which was the culmination of a wrestling match with the Lord and the humble acceptance of His will vs. mine for my life.
:: Daniel and I began our long-distance courtship in October.

2001
:: Daniel proposed to me in April and I gladly accepted.
:: We were married on October 6, 2001 and made our home together in Wilmerding, PA. There was a lot about that transition that was very, very difficult (ie. Daniel and I had never lived near one another before then, I had never been part of any church besides CFC, and I had never been the married girl among mostly single girls before-- obviously!), but I am thankful for every lesson I learned through that time and for the people who reached out to and supported us in it all.
:: I miscarried in early December (I was about 6 weeks pregnant), which was a sad time for us, yet the Lord used even that to teach both Daniel and I significant lessons.

2002
:: I found out I was expecting another baby in June. We were overjoyed!
:: Daniel and I went to a Dave Ramsey seminar and then attended Financial Peace University at our local church. The Lord used that to bring a lot of financial stability and unity to us as a couple.

2003
:: Our first son, Gabriel, was born in February after a pretty long and grueling labor. I fell in love with him and with being a mom!
:: In November, we had our debut as Wedding Singers (ha!) at Daniel's sister's wedding.
:: On December 24th, we found out we were expecting again and due to have another baby in late July.

2004
:: This year stands out in my memory as a year of tremendous peace and blessing. We were so excited about all God was doing in Pittsburgh. I made some amazing friends-- the kind that I love like sisters.
:: We paid off our car loan (2-1/2 years early, thanks to Dave's plan) and got to start saving for a bigger/second vehicle for our growing family.
:: Bronwyn Eliese was born about 2 weeks "late," and I was thrilled to have a daughter. I was also very glad that labor was much quicker (only 12 hours from start to finish!).
:: We went on our first family vacation, thanks to the generosity of an old college professor of Daniel's who had a real soft spot for him. That week in Williamsburg, VA is still one of my favorites to remember.

2005
:: I found out I was expecting again on Mother's Day.
:: We began praying through the possibility of relocating from Pittsburgh to Madrid. The decision to go took weeks and weeks of talking and praying, agonizing and crying, but as soon as we decided, peace immediately filled our hearts.
:: We signed the purchase offer on our house in Madrid without ever seeing it in person.
:: We lived with Daniel's parents for the final several weeks of our time in Pittsburgh due to the lease on our townhouse ending. We then lived with my parents in Madrid for several more weeks as we waited for lawyers to work some tricky things out before we could actually buy our house. Those were a special yet strange 3 months!

2006
:: Jackson was born in mid-January. His birth was also difficult, like Gabriel's (maybe there's something about me boys???), but totally worth it when I saw what a beautiful, red-headed, fair-skinned son I had!
:: Daniel led a missions trip to Spain in June/July.
:: We saw God's hand prospering Daniel's efforts in the ministry here in Madrid. There is great blessing in obedience!

2007
:: Surprise! Another baby's on the way!
:: I spent a good portion of that year on bed rest, thanks to a large subchorionic hematoma that developed around 11 weeks into the pregnancy and persisted for the duration.
:: Daniel led another missions trip to Spain in June/July.
:: Aubrey was delivered by emergency c-section after discovering her heart was failing. That began a new journey of faith that has shown us in a thousand new ways just how steadfast and faithful God is. And Aubrey didn't have surgery that year!

2008
:: Aubrey didn't have surgery in 2008!
:: Gabriel began kindergarten at home and I began my career as a homeschooling mom.

2009
:: We found out we were expecting again in February.
:: Aubrey didn't have surgery in 2009, either! In fact, she was weaned off the medication that had kept her heart rate from sky-rocketing up until then.
:: Bronwyn began kindergarten and Gabriel got bumped up to first grade. Gabriel also played basketball and t-ball for the first time.
:: Claire was born on November 1st-- my shortest and most peaceful labor and delivery to date.
:: Daniel was ordained as a pastor at our local church, Christian Fellowship Center. We absolutely love being here and are so thankful to be part of this local body of believers.

Looking back jogs my memory in so many ways. Life is not easy, but it's an incredible thing to see how the grace of God covers every bit of the years. I see His hand all over us, and it makes me so excited for 2010!

Aubrey

Since the day of Aubrey's birth, we have been told by medical professionals that her health will decline to the point of necessary surgical intervention. I don't doubt the truth in their words-- except GOD. It is really miraculous to see how, contrary to what we've been told to expect, Aubrey improves and improves and improves and just. keeps. improving!

The little baby who couldn't figure out how to nurse and burned more calories than she gained in the trying one day just started nursing and still hasn't turned back almost 2 years later. The skinny infant with rag-doll legs has gotten chubbier in her toddler years, opposite of what most children do. The constant question regarding her energy and whether or not she is lethargic have always been truthfully answered with a very emphatic no.

Aubrey is active. She loves to eat, to sing, to run around and dance, to take walks, to go places and see people. Aubrey is so far from being weak and sickly, it is amazing.

I wish I had better pictures to show how much better she looks even from last year to this year, but these will have to suffice:

Aubrey last winter: weighing in at 17lbs


Aubrey a few weeks ago: our rosy-cheeked, chubby-fingered, round-bellied, 24lb, growing girl!

"All I want for Christmas is..."

Two more down.

Don't tell him, but I've gotta say that he's got a pretty cute little lisp these days!

The Christmas Tree

Rambling about Claire

During the wee morning hours, Claire officially turned "1 month old." Is it okay that I seriously did cry during the night when I was nursing her and thinking about how fleeting the days are?

Yesterday, Claire had her 1 month check-up. She is doing well (despite a mild case of bronchiolitis) and growing: she's now 9lbs, 8oz and 21-1/2 inches long. We had a nice visit with her doctor and then waved good-bye with promises of another visit and chance to catch up when she's six months.

Claire celebrated her first Thanksgiving last week and now is experiencing her first Christmas holiday. This morning we hung her stocking. I thought back to when we first moved into this house and we hung four stockings on the railing. I can hardly believe there are seven now.

We dote on Claire something fierce. She might even be what some call a tad bit spoiled. Her favorite place to take a nap is against someone's chest, listening to a heartbeat. Especially Mama's. What can I say? Accommodating her is one of my favorite things to do and I'm completely to blame for her strong preference. (Thank goodness for the Moby wrap, though, or else I'd be getting nothing done most days!)

I really thought I was having another boy before Claire was born, but now that she's been around for a month, I wonder what I was thinking. I can't imagine life without my newest little pink bundle. Since I've never had back-to-back boys or girls before, I'm enjoying this new experience.

That said, this may be ranking up there as my most challenging transition. Claire is a great baby, really, but there have been many moments when my head feels like it's spinning uncontrollably. Juggling the needs of a first grader, a kindergartener, a preschooler, a toddler, and an infant definitely puts a demand on me that I've never experienced before. Don't get me wrong: I have a great kids. It's just busy right now.

All in all, I know I'm blessed. It's noisy at times. It's chaotic most days. We're still getting our footing (which translates into lots of crying-- the kids and me, I admit). But as long as I take a deep breath regularly and step back every so often, I can laugh at how simple these challenges really are.

I love being a mama to my children. And I am loving our newest addition.