Luke Jeffrey.

How can my boy be 6 months old already? I JUST had him. Right?! But the joyous holiday that was Thanksgiving 2013 almost over shadowed my little sweeties half birthday. 

He rolls all around, gets up on all fours and tries desperately to crawl, sleeps anywhere from 6-10 hours at night, sits up on his own, and has a smile that melts everyone's heart. His dr appt isn't until December 4 so I don't know his weight yet but I'm excited to find out. He is such a joy, even on his fussy days. His giant smile just makes my heart burst - I cannot get enough of him. I am so thankful God chose me as his mama; I often wonder why He decided I was worthy. 

Thankful.

I'm sitting here basking in the glow of a holiday done well. 

My youngest brother, his wife, their 4 kids, my parents, and my oldest brothers son all made the 15 hour drive from Southern California to east New Mexico (basically west Texas) to spend the week with us. It was pretty much everything I hoped it would be. The kids had an absolute blast. They left behind the beautiful but busy California streets for the wide open spaces of farm life. They were greeted with crisp air and snow on the ground. To a California kid, snow is like gold; they could hardly get their coats and boots on fast enough to get out and play in it. The adults drank coffee and relaxed and held babies (my brothers youngest is only a couple months behind Luke) and the kids ran wild all over. Everyone got to shoot guns, both real and BB, get a tour of the dairy, take tractor rides, and even milk a cow. The weather was just chilly enough to be festive, but not enough to ruin the fun. We ate until we felt sick on Thanksgiving, and Sam has been asking for pumpkin pie every other second since Thursday. 

It was really a wonderful holiday, and it highlighted all of the many things I have to be thankful for. 

Vince and Luke, 4 months and 6 months

Dairy tours

Making the stuffing with grandma

Thanksgiving festivities

All of us minus a napping Luke

My own little family. Don't mind the naked baby and our sweats. It was after a very large dinner.

My heart is full. 

What's good enough for Jesus...

Is more than good enough for me. 

I was feeling discouraged today. Nothing earth shattering, just life and little things adding up. I read an ig post about Luke 5:16 that says, "so Jesus often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed." It really got to me. Even Jesus himself often had to escape from it all, head off into the great outdoors and just pray. 

How often are my prayers interrupted. I pray here and there all day, but sometimes what God really wants is a good heart to heart, off by ourselves, with no distractions. How healing it is to just go off by yourself and pray. Be still. Pray. Listen. We have not because we ask not. 

Thankfully our God can use even Instagram to remind us where we need to be looking when we are discouraged. 

My Luke

Can we really almost be coming up on 6 months since Mr Luke Jeffrey came into this world? 

I'm pretty big on half birthdays so I'm sure I'll do a post for him on that day. But for now I have to write down the latest and greatest before I forget. 

My big boy is officially a good napper. It's not unusual to get two shorter naps and one nice long 2+ snoozer in the day. If all the stars align, it is at the same time as Sam's nap and gives me a nice break in the middle of the day. Sam didn't nap longer than 45 minutes until 9 months old so I consider this a win. Luke goes to bed around 7 and starts his day around 630. He has one overnight wake up in there for a quick nurse and he's right back out. I'll work on that later :) but for now I know it could be worse.

We've thrown sweet potatoes and pears into his diet, and he STILL spits up buckets :( I want to say Sam had slowed down by now? Crazy how quickly you forget. That said, he's doing fantastic with his solid food; he gobbles it up. 

He is sitting up on his own fairly well. Like, 10-15 minutes could go by without him toppling over. Sometimes if he starts to fuss I'll just sit him up and he's happy. 

He's a raspberry blowing, cooing machine. He loves being talked to, really soaks up attention. Second child syndrome? ;) 

Sam wanted me to read him a book this afternoon so I made him sit by Luke so Luke could see it too. My goodness, little guy just loved it! His eyes got huge as he looked at the pages... He look from me to the book and back to me and then to Sam, it was the cutest thing! I've read him books before, but he's usually on my lap so I don't get to see his reaction much. I think I'll read to them like this every day! I managed to snap a picture in between pages.... 

 I think Luke is going to be curious and nosy. He's always wanting to be in on the action and know what's going on. He is active and alert, a lot like his brother. 

Lord, help me! ;) 

Simple joys.

A (semi) clean house, a chilly day, and baked apple pie scentsy (bc they didn't have cider mill, but baked apple pie will do) making my house smell like fall. 

Oh, and a happy 2 year old playing with his tractors ("come on tractor! Let's go on the neigh neigh, tractor!" He's seriously the cutest) And a napping, sweet heart of a 5 month old. 

My heart is content. 

"Do your research"

This is quickly becoming my most hated phrase. It's used for just about everything  controversial, but I'm focused on babies on this blog so I'll stick to that. You know what, it's HARD being a mom in today's world. We have so many options, so many opinions, and have access to SO much information - it's beyond overwhelming. It doesn't help when all of said information contradicts each other in the most convincing ways. I read a pro- vaccinating article and I'm convinced and terrified. I read an anti- vaccinating article and I'm convinced and terrified. I find oodles of research telling me to wait 6 months before starting solid food. Then I read an incredibly well cited article that debunks the whole "food before one is just for fun," and states that solids are actually a bit more important than we've given them credit for. I read both pro and con research on tummy sleeping and come out confused. Don't even get me started on cows milk. Being in the dairy industry, I am truly shocked at things people believe is true about cows milk that I know FOR A FACT is not true. (I feel myself getting off on a tangent here so I'll stop now. It's just a subject I'm extremely passionate about. I'll save it for another blog!) 

Anyway. When Sam was a newborn I read until my eyes bled about vaccines. I read until I was in tears. I felt I could not trust anyone, including (especially?) doctors, and had no idea what I should do. And you know what both sides kept demanding? Do your research. 

Who am I to believe? Either way I'm left believing I've just done, or not done, something that could potentially kill my child, or give them cancer, or autism, or a life threatening reaction/disease. Maybe it was easier to be a parent before all this information hit us. I can't imagine researching more or being any more "well informed" than I am, and I'm STILL confused and unsure. I guess it's good that we (everyone I talk to anyway) care enough to research. But sometimes I think its created a bunch of self righteous know it alls spouting off "facts" that they read online. I'm not saying you shouldn't research (remember I myself admitted to researching until my eyes bled!) but maybe we all need to remember who is really in charge here. We make what we think are the best decisions for our kids, but ultimately we aren't in control. We cannot guarantee our children perfect health, no matter how many organic fruits and veggies we give them. I have complete faith and trust in only ONE of my decisions as a parent. That is to trust in God as the ultimate physician, the only one who truly knows it all, the only one who I can know for a fact has no hidden agenda. I remember taking Sam in for his 2 month shots (yes, I decided to vax) and having a good long prayer about it on the way there. I experienced such a peace about it. I'm not saying its because I made the "right" choice. It's like Jesus just put his arm around me and said, "Relax. You aren't as powerful as you seem to think you are." 

Suddenly it's not all up to me. It's not all on my shoulders. Nothing can happen to my babies that my God is unaware of. I don't have to sit back and bite my nails that my research isn't as informed as my friends or neighbors. Because ultimately, I'm not that powerful. 

What a relief.