my cup runneth over

Hello? Hemmpph (clearing throat.) Crack, crack (knuckles cracking.) Tap tap...this thing on? Hello? Hello. Hi. Yep. That's right. I'm here. I'm here! Oh and let me tell you - it feels so good to be here. Here - sitting at the computer, clicking and clacking at the keys, staring at the bright screen, anticipating the completed post. It feels great! I've missed it. I have. I really have. But let me tell you, in the...few months I've been away, I've been having a really wonderful time. I can't apologize to you for not being here, but I've missed you just the same. I've missed the great blogosphere. So many days ideas for a post fly into my head, and I think "I've got to sit down and write!" But something comes up and another day passes. And then another. And another. Until I find myself in today, at midnight, sitting down, with nothing to do but tap out my rambling babbling exhausted thoughts.


I love different. But, different is...different. Meals aren't the perfectly planned out and executed productions they used to be. Meals happen when they happen. And life moves on. The dust may collect a bit longer than it used to. Life moves on. The laundry still gets cleaned, but maybe not folded and put away quite as quickly. And life moves on. And I love it. I love the crazy chaotic undetermined perfectly irregular days that we have. Because in those crazy days, we experience Elijah. In his beautiful quirky cuteness.

Elijah is growing. And watching him grow is one of the biggest adventures and pleasures I've ever experienced. Watching him learn to recognize my voice and my face, and watching his eyes light up when you enter a room. Watching him drool and chew and slobber to work in that first perfectly tiny and perfectly cute bottom front tooth. Watching him sit in his highchair and take his first bite of cereal, and quickly proceed to spit it back out. Watching him try and try and try try again to roll over to reach his little buddy, the very hungry caterpillar. Watching him perfect his jumping in his jumper.

Watching him laugh and giggle and cuddle with his daddy.


Our baby is growing. He's growing right up in front of our eyes - and I'm loving every single big and tiny moment of it. The past 7 months have been fascinating to say the least. Elijah captures my heart with every coo, every smile, every yelp, every whimper, every sleepy sigh.


My cup runneth over, again and again...and with very good reason. Don't you agree?

The Way We Are in Randomography

Pictures...2 Parts

Part One - Elijah
By request, I am going to keep this post to mostly pictures. I have many pictures from the past couple of weeks. The story they tell - in their randomness, is our sweet baby, and how ridiculously fast he's growing. And also, of course...how ridiculously cute he is! So there really is no rhyme or reason here...just ridiculously cute pictures!












___________________________________________
Part Two - Grace

Grace is a sweet little friend of Elijah's. She's also the daughter of some friends of ours - Craig and Chanelle. Grace was born in February, so she's 5 months ahead of Elijah, but we can tell - they're already the best of friends :) Grace is a sweetheart, and one night when Grace was over I was able to get some really adorable pictures of her. Grace is able focus on Elijah and she wants to play with him...Elijah at this point, just kind of lays there. Just give him some time... :) Nick likes to call Gracie Elijah's little girlfriend. You can see why...she's absolutely adorable!

7 Weeks

Seven weeks. Our little baby Elijah is seven weeks old already. 7! Where has the time gone? For those of you that are apart of the world of motherhood, you know what I mean when I say, I do not feel like it's been 7 weeks - I feel like it's just been one giant day. The constant nursing, the constant time and attention toward the baby, and the sheer exhaustion of it all. The days that roll into nights that roll into days that roll into nights... BUT, I have to confess something: I LOVE IT ALL. Why? Because it's my baby boy. It's my precious Elijah, and I just cannot get enough of this sweet little boy. I can't. I walk out of the room for a second, and I actually miss him. I love watching him, kissing him, snuggling him, holding him, rocking him, singing to him. I love nursing him in the middle of the night. I love that special time that he and I get together. I love his cooing and his now real smiles of delight. I love his ridiculously long and crazy hair. I love his cute little button nose, and his adorable little chin. I love his itty bitty teeny tiny toes. I love his soon-to-be-pudgy baby thighs. I love his sighs of contentment when he's full, or being cuddled. I love his curiosity and his desire to see everything. I. Love. Him. I love him. This undying love I have for him...it's so hard to express. But I am full to the brim with absolute love for this sweet sweet baby. And more and more everyday, I am in awe of our sweet Savior, and the love that he has for us, His creation. If this is how much I love my baby, I cannot even imagine the magnitude of the love our Savior has for us. We are so incredibly blessed - blessed to be children of God, and blessed by God to have children. Thank you dear sweet Jesus, for this unbelievably precious and most beautiful gift - our sweet baby Elijah.
Being a mom is everything I had hoped it would be, and then so much more. I love every teeny tiny aspect of it, and I am just in awe of this tiny creation God has blessed us with. I love watching him grow and learn and become more and more alert each day. Parenthood is much much more than I ever dreamed it could be. I know, I know...first time Mommy here...but I just cannot help myself. I am 100%, undeniably, undoubtedly, head-over-heels in love with our beautiful little baby.
This little collage of pictures is chronological - from week 1 to week 7. Can you believe how much he's grown and changed already?

Our Son...

I will keep this short and sweet. But I wanted to officially introduce our precious miracle - our son. Beautiful, sweet, blessed by God. Already 1 week old. And I could not love him more - my heart is full to bursting with the overwhelming love I feel toward my child. I can't help but praise my Jesus with every look I take at our Elijah. Created by God, named by God, loved by God. Everybody, this is our son.

Elijah - The Lord is my God
Richard - Strong Leader