Lots of teeth!

Drakeford is now on his third and fourth tooth! The first ones were a breeze, but these new ones are coming in a little more noticeably. With blueberry on the way (Peeples baby #2) I was tempted to think that nursing troubles were somehow related. But then they showed up; the sleepless nights and fussy feedings were explained by two sharp teeth causing major trouble! The poor little guy! But that's not the only thing different this time around. This pregnancy is turning out to be a true one. I got off real easy with Drakeford (in so many different ways!). A little sickness and loss of appetite coupled with exhaustion makes for a first trimester ^_^. I am enjoying every minute, don't let me fool you! And we are excited to be a family of four. God is rich in blessings, may we always praise Him for them!

3 Months and counting

What an amazing 3 and a half months! Drakeford blesses our spirits so much it feels as if he has been in our lives forever! He has been an amazing sleeper since week 2 and continues a pleasant self-initiated day time nap routine every three hours or so and a full nights sleep. I now find him rolled over in his crib cooing at the ceiling or facing the opposite direction from which I placed him. I expect to wake up at 3am to stop his crying until he learns how to turn himself back over or falls asleep on his back. Breast feeding is a continual adventure/roller coaster that keeps life interesting and my observation skills sharp.

What an amazing thing it is to bond with our God-made child at whatever pace we set, doing the things that need to get done together. He is much more interactive now during reading time, wanting to touch all of the pages and talking right over me as if asking a question "what happens next?" or reading along with me ^_^. He has, all at once it seems, discovered hands and what they can touch - faces, toys, books, toes... He laughs, giggles, smiles, sucks his thumb, let's me know when he needs something, you know, all the regular baby stuff, only much more exciting because he has a part of me inside him. More than looks or sound, I think he really has a piece of my very heart. He must have swiped it sometime in the 9 months.
So, needless to say, he's "practically perfect in every way." (Not that I'm bias, but ask anyone, it's true!) All children are different just as seasons of life are different and from each trial or blessing, we learn different things. I used to say to people "God knows how much you can handle, so I must not be able to handle very much because He gave me the perfect baby!" But over the last 3 months I have had some time to reflect on life before Drakeford, though it seems so far away. My heart before and during pregnancy was slowly believing a lie. A lie so often woven into everyday actions and conversation that I hardly noticed my owm deception: "Children ruin your life." The doom was everywhere - I can never do this again, or this or this - I found myself counting all the things I was so grudgingly "giving up" to have this baby. Oh sure I was happy and excited and loved being pregnant, but everywhere I went there was a twinge of regret every time someone said "You better do it now because once that baby comes..." It makes me wonder if they ever learned whatever it was that God had for them. Because while their baby might have been a terrible sleeper, colicky, gassy, generally crabby baby, I feel somehow that in any trial, the proper response would not be "Great! now my life is ruined!" but seeking God's strength to rejoice in the Lord always! Now, my record isn't clean, I am the worst at holding onto my emotions and throwing pity parties when I am hurt and down. But when God has a lesson before me, my prayer is that I sit up straight and listen to the Master! His word does not come back void. Choose to love what God loves, consider a blessing what God calls blessing and let them become the desires of your heart. All the things I was "letting go of" where things that I should not have held in such high esteem to begin with - a social life over time with my Lord, frequently dining out over being frugal with God's money, being 'sexy' vs. a beautiful gem to my husband and God, college education in place of learning how to effectively care for my family's physical and spiritual needs, and the list goes on and on! "once that baby comes..." well he came. And with him, the lessons of refinement. This child has started a spiritual domino effect that has prompted me the reconsider every aspect of my practical Christian walk, why I do what I do, right down to what kind of milk I buy (more on that later).

But mainly, through this child, He has SHOWN me that children are a blessing, they are not intended for resentment but for refinement, not for ruin but reward. I look forward to the continual fine tuning of the Peeple's heart through the fruit of the womb, the children of our youth, and only when our desire for growth is extinguish, will our desire for children cease. 
 
In the power of Christ alone!