Lenten Season

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I will give up for Lent this year.  The last few years haven't been very successful, but I want to change that now that Ethan is here.  We've been going to church as a family, praying together with Ethan every night... This year, I would like to add something to our lives for Lent, in addition to giving something up.

Part of what has placed this on my heart is baby Easton and little Tripp.  I will never understand the suffering of children.  It is so easy to become settled into a routine and take the little things for granted.  I never want to feel like I ever took my child for granted.  He is a GIFT from God, and I am so grateful and blessed for every moment I have with him.  I want to incorporate something into our lives that helps us to always remember this.

I have until tomorrow night to figure this out.  I pray God will place it on my heart.

UPDATE:
Materialistic - I am giving up soft drinks and candy.  I have developed such a bad Diet Dr. Pepper habit and sweet tooth.  I need to give it a rest for a little while. :)
Emotionally - I am going to give up my anger.  When I feel myself getting angry, I am going to take a deep breath and pray.  I get flustered so easily, especially when it comes to other people dealing with Ethan.  So many times I feel like no one can or will ever "get it right" when it comes to whatever his need is at that moment.  I need to be more patient.

My little Valentine

I know Valentine's Day has come and gone, but I still have to share my little Cupid. :)

Isn't he just the cutest?

So, we've tried getting Ethan's 6 month pictures about three times now.  Our original date was changed due to the weather, then we tried the next week and weather again forced us to move.  We tried at the house, but Ethan was being very fussy.  So, now we're supposed to meet up for a mini session today.  I PRAY that the weather and Ethan's mood show a better face today!

I love my little sweetheart!  I love how he holds my face and gives me kisses.  I love how he holds onto my fingers.  I love how he looks at me and studies my face when I feed him.  I love his morning smiles.

Ethan makes my heart absolutely burst with love!

Today is also a very sad day..  One of the mommies on my August baby board is burying her angel.  He passed on Monday from SIDS.  It absolutely rips my heart out of my chest.  I have cried so much and prayed for them to find comfort and peace.  No parent should ever have to bury their child, especially their baby..  I cannot begin to imagine the heartache.  Out of this tragedy, many people have come together and raised over $12,000 to help them with the funeral expenses, missed work, etc.  I am so proud to be a part of such a generous and loving group.  Giving to this family made me feel like I was able to help, even if just a little, during this terrible ordeal.  I've said many quiet prayers, and we have been mentioning them at night with Ethan's prayers.  I do not understand why these things happen, and I try not to question.  Questioning will only drive you to madness because there is no answer.  All I can do is pray, kiss my baby and hold him tight.

Time well spent.

That is exactly what my four-day weekend was with Ethan (& Michael).  Thursday Ethan had his 6 month check-up.  He's growing so fast!  He weighed in at 17lbs 15.5oz and was 27.25" long - right in the middle for weight, and 80-85th percentile for length.  He is changing so much every day.  Now, he will open his mouth for the spoon when we sit down to feed him solids.  He sits up on his own, but will fall over when leaning if something catches his attention.  I even bought sippy cups this week. :(

It is so true that babies grow so fast.  But, you really don't realize it until you have one.


Ethan loves to laugh and smile!  It absolutely melts my heart.  I never imagined that I could be so smitten!

And, we started with avocado and green beans this week!  We'll move on to orange veggies next.

We're still working on liking vegetables.

This past weekend at home made me wish I could stay home with him even more.  Honestly, if I could demote down to a part-time/PRN clerk, I would.  I don't think that I could ever go completely 100% stay-at-home mommy, but I think full-time mommy/part-time employee would be WONDERFUL.

Maybe I'll play the lottery this week. :)