I’ve felt more tired than usual this week. I think that’s due to an increase in outside the house and people activity at the end of last week and over the weekend. This introvert is missing her quiet ‘me time.’ I’m looking forward to a little recharge time over the coming weekend.

Today (and this month) I am thankful for…

• a healthy, happy baby
• hot showers on cold mornings
• a new friend
• high quality children’s consignment shops in our area
• the mild winter thus far (though I would like it to really snow sometime!)
• friends who keep me accountable and pray for  me
• stories that transport me to other times and other places
• old friends who keep in touch over the years and miles that separate us
• God’s control over the future of this nation
• the time every evening when my husband walks in the door
• a night out with MOPS ladies (without the baby!)
• quick answers to prayer
• a baby that likes to snuggle

What are you thankful for these days?

As our pastor says, there is no blessing spoken or guarantee given that these kids will grow up to be “healthy, wealthy, and wise” or even that they will enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ for the salvation of their souls. We can only pray and do our best to teach and point them to our gracious, loving Heavenly Father, and ask our church family to come along side us and support us on the journey.

My parents had planned a quick weekend trip out to see us (okay, mostly to see their grandbaby) before we even knew a dedication was planned. We were all pretty excited about God’s providence. Then my mom got strep throat the week before their trip. It was a game-time decision, but they ultimately decided not to make the trip. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed out.

This particular Sunday, we brought Sam along with three other families, all of whom we know and two of which we are close friends. It was extra special to be up there with friends from our small community within our larger church community.

After Pastor Wayne introduced all the families and explained the purpose of the dedication, much as I have just done, he asked all of us parents a series of questions. I transcribed these questions from the service video mainly to remind us to what we have committed ourselves.

Have you put your faith in the person of Jesus Christ, that He is who He claimed to be and that He died as your substitute for sin and that it is the merit of His righteousness alone that brings you into fellowship with God the Father?

Have you willingly made a commitment to the purpose of glorifying God in all areas of life including personal conduct, public conversation, and the priority of establishing and maintaining a Christian home?

Do you publicly commit yourselves as parents to raise each of your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, realizing your responsibility to be faithful stewards of the life that God has entrusted to you, and as part of fulfilling the commitment, do you promise to live before the children a life that has been transformed by the gospel of grace and to share the truth of the gospel with them so they might come to know Jesus Christ as their personal savior, and to be diligent in both formal and informal settings to teach them their responsibility to love God whole-heartedly?

Those are some big commitments, huh? That’s why I’m so thankful for the final question, posed not to us, but to the church body:

Do you, the family of faith, commit yourself to model the Christian life before these children and to pray for and support these families that they might indeed fulfill their God-given responsibilities?

We feel the blessings of a church community keenly because, among other reasons, we don’t have family in town. It is God who gives us the strength to parent our children, and He uses others to build us up and help us in the journey.

Since the kids won’t remember the event, each of them receives a New Testament as a reminder of what happened this day.

Sam receiving his New Testament from Pastor Wayne

Well, I’ve pulled out the baby pictures and converted to B&W so as to not give away any obviously defining characteristics. You be the judge…

Parent A:

Parent B:

Sam:

What’s your vote? Parent A? Parent B? Or a little of both?

It might be cliché, but it’s still true: our lives have not been the same since. We wanted a playmate for Keiko, and got so much more than we bargained for.

We weren’t sure what to expect that cold, clear day. Our intent was just to do a meet-and-greet for the dogs and then go home and think about our decision. You see, a few months earlier we’d done the doggie introduction with another potential dog, even kept her for a weekend… and ultimately decided she wasn’t a good fit for us (tear).

Our destination was a dog shelter east of the city, about an hour from our home. The shelter turned out to be an old farm house and barn out in the country, run solely by a quiet couple with big hearts for abandoned dogs. According to Bootsy’s (as she was then called) Petfinder profile, she seemed very similar to Keiko-dog, that is a border collie mix with short hair and medium build.

When we arrived, we quickly saw that “medium” wasn’t quite the right description. We asked the man how big he thought she was, to which he replied, “Oh, about 40 pounds.” Nope. Wrong. The dog we brought with us was 40 pounds. We guessed “Bootsy”  to be more like 60 pounds (our vet later confirmed our guess to be correct). Already we weren’t sure about this.

We took the two dogs on a walk together and they seemed to get on just fine. That is, Keiko seemed not to mind this new dog, but was more interested in the other new sights and smells around her. When we got back from the walk, we asked the shelter owner if we could just take Bootsy home for an overnight to see if the two dogs would get along on Keiko’s home turf. The answer was yes, but we’d be out the adoption fee if we brought her back. We realized then that the expectation was that we’d be taking her home with us.

Since we’d driven all the way out there and couldn’t think of a suitable reason not to, we nervously took the plunge and became a two dog family right then and there. As we drove off in the Subaru, soon-to-be Mochi sprawled out over two-thirds of the back seat and Keiko sitting upright in the little remaining space left to her, we looked at each other and hoped we’d made the right decision.

To this day, we still say, “How did we end up with such a big dog?”

We weren’t prepared with a new name either. Nothing against Bootsy, but we wanted something more… original. Besides, Keiko and Bootsy? Those names did not go well together. Jeff came up with Mochi the next day and it stuck. (Mochi is a rice-based Japanese treat that happens to be one of our favorite toppings at our favorite frozen yogurt shop.)

Fortunately, the dogs got along well from the beginning. They played the same way (not necessarily a given) and tired each other out that first night.

We also quickly learned that Mochi was a cuddler and snuggler. We thought this might be a symptom of her stay at the shelter, but two years later she’s still just as affectionate as ever. While both our dogs like people, Mochi LOVES people. She is not dissimilar to this clip of Dug from Pixar’s Up! (start at about 15 seconds):

When she came to us, Mochi was fearful of practically any loud noises. She barked at thunder, ran from the ironing board (it has a sharp squeal when it opens), and slunk in fear from loud vehicles and any animal other than cats or dogs. She’s much better now, though she still doesn’t like it when buses go rumbling by on walks.

Mochi is very expressive, but more than her face, she cannot control her tail. If she’s hoping for your attention as you walk into a room where she is, you immediately hear a strong thuwumping sound. The rate of the sound increases as you give her eye contact and move toward her. As soon as you touch her and pet her, she visibly relaxes and the tail stops wagging. Jeff and I love making this scenario play out again and again. What can I say… we are merciless. :)

When Sam came on the scene, we were worried about how Mochi-dog would react. Would she be jealous? Would she accidentally step on him? Would she feel the need to constantly lick his face? While it is not uncommon to hear, “Mochi! No licks!” several times per day at our house, it is a symptom of how much she loves her new baby puppy.

Thankfully the feeling seems to be mutual and we envision many more years of boy and dog bonding.

I am thankful for Mochi’s silliness and antics that have brought so many added laughs to our life. She has so many quirks that make her a unique animal. I love her enthusiasm for life and how freely she loves people. She is such a sweetheart.

To some dogs may be “just animals,” but to me they are a valued, important part of my family.

Today I am…

hearing: echoes of conversation and laughter with college friends come to visit and gone again on their way

seeing: fat, white flakes of snow swirling in the gray sky, looking for a place to land; green shoots of crocus, hyacinth, and daffodils fooled into spring by our so far unseasonably warm winter

feeling: the chill winds and sub-freezing temperatures of a winter delayed; grateful for friendships that last the test of time

tasting: (this week) many local delights including Dewey’s pizza; chocolate birthday cake with raspberry filling, strawberries, and chocolate curls; crepes and authentic Belgian waffles

smelling: tea tree essential oil and the milky breath of a baby

I’ve been thinking a lot about goals recently, not so much because of the new year, but because of this new way of life as a stay-at-home mom. If I’m not intentional about my time, necessary things don’t get done or at least they don’t get done without stressing out. It’s so easy to just walk around in a haze in these months of middle of the night feedings and 24/7 baby care.

If I had to pick a focus or theme word for 2012 it would be “intentional.” More so than ever before, I need to slow down, focus, and organize my thoughts and life. I need to cultivate good habits and be intentional about it.

Here are my main goals for the coming year:

Physical

Get more exercise.

Isn’t that on everyone’s list? But wait… I have a plan mapped out and it’s not just for my benefit, but also for Sam and the dogs. I have a few more pregnancy pounds to lose, and I’d really like to not only see a lower number on the scale but also tone up my postpartum body.

My goal is to walk the dogs three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and do 30 minutes of yoga and strength training on the Wii Fit also three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). Some days this just won’t happen since life gets busy, the weather won’t cooperate, someone will be sick, etc. However, you can only achieve as high as you set your goals so I’m purposefully choosing a lofty goal to motivate myself.

Emotional

Go on at least one date with Jeff each month.

This one should be easy since one of my Christmas gifts to Jeff was a year of monthly pre-planned date nights. This sticks with my theme of being intentional. Having at least one date planned at the beginning of each month will keep us from being lazy about our time spent together. It’s important to work at our marriage, especially now that having a kid can easily shift our focus off of each other if we let it.

Spiritual

Read my Bible, pray, and meditate each morning.

I have always been inconsistent (consistently inconsistent, if you will) in spending daily time in God’s Word. I am most decidedly NOT a morning person and I used that excuse as a crutch for many years. Thankfully my baby sleeps in in the mornings (so far!) so I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn in order to spend focused time with God (plus get a shower and breakfast before he wakes up). I do however have to drag myself out of bed when my alarm goes off. That’s no small task for a sleepyhead like me.

My plan is to use a daily reading plan from the YouVersion Bible iPad app. I’ve got daily reminders set up so I have no excuses. I’ll also be reading a short daily devotional from the book Jesus Calling, which my mother-in-law got for all her daughters-in-law this Christmas. All four of us will be reading it together this year (hopefully!).

Mental

Read 18 books.

Last year my reading goal was 25 books, and I knew from the beginning it was too many what with the baby coming and all. I did manage to read 17 books, but they were mostly baby and pregnancy related. This year my goal is roughly one book per month of my own choosing, plus our book club selections. (We’re a very relaxed, slow-moving book club.) Jeff and I will be reading books together, one chapter out loud most nights as well. I haven’t put together a reading list yet, but I’d like to include a variety of fiction and non-fiction titles. (I’m usually mostly a fiction girl.) Here’s to hoping the library will have most of my choices available in ebook format.

Blog and write more regularly.

I have a few specific blogging goals for the year, but I’m not going to list them all here. Hopefully you’ll see them all come to fruition over the next 12 months. I am working on a list though so that this goal stays attainable and measurable.

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So that’s it: five hopefully attainable goals for 2012. I’m tempted to add to the list, but I’m keeping it short on purpose. These are the primary habits I hope to cultivate; I’m sorely tempted to add to this list, but I need to keep things simple or I’ll get overwhelmed and lose focus trying to do too much. Please feel free to ask me how I’m doing as the year goes along.

How about you? Do you make any goals or resolutions for the new year? If you blogged about them, feel free to leave a link to your own post in the comments.

May you all find peace and joy in the celebration of Christ’s birth!

Dear Sam,

You are now 3 months old. You’ve already changed, grown, and experienced so much in your short life! I love watching you grow while simultaneously hoping you won’t grow too fast for my heart. You continue to be a very calm, content baby. If all your basic needs are met, you’re a happy boy.

You’ve gone on your first roadtrip to visit Mommy’s family in Illinois (at 5 weeks old). You’ve been to two weddings (cousin Wes and Charise and friends Jon and Kristen) and a funeral (Great Grandpa S). You’ve also had your first cold/stuffy nose.

Everyone says you look just like your daddy, but many people say you have your mommy’s eyes… just like Harry Potter. (Yes, your mommy is a little nerdy. You might as well get used to it now.) You are a big boy for your age. At your last doctor appointment you weighed 14 pounds and were 24.5 inches long, putting you in the 80th and 95th percentiles respectively. Now you are up to 15 pounds and still growing. You’ve been wearing 3-6 months clothes for several weeks now.

Your hair has yet to start growing in, but what’s there still looks red. The hair you were born with hasn’t fallen out, but the more your head grows, the more sparse your hair appears! You totally rock the bald look, but I think we’re all ready to see a bit more fuzz up top.

You are getting very strong and can hold your head up while on your belly for several minutes at a time. You love to be upright though; your favorite places to be are Mommy’s and Daddy’s arms, chilling with Mommy in one of your baby carriers, and propped up on the couch in a sitting position.

Just this past week you discovered how cool your hands are. You look at them, touch them together on purpose, and try to stick both of them in your mouth at once. You like your pacifier when you are tired and cranky or when milk is delayed for some reason so I’m not certain you’ll become a thumbsucker. Time will tell.

You smile at people across the room now and enjoy looking at the mirrors and black frames and shelves in your room. You’ve even started to laugh at Mommy’s antics. We love those joyful giggles.

You sleep well at night in your crib in your own room after spending the first almost 10 weeks in your bassinet just a few feet away from Mommy. On average you sleep about 5 hours to start the night, waking up once or twice after that to eat. You always go right back to sleep after you’ve eaten your fill for which I am very grateful. There’s nothing quite like going into your room in the morning and watching your fussy face transform into big smiles of recognition and happiness. You save your biggest smiles for me in the mornings. I love that.

Naps, however, are a different story. You sleep great in Mommy’s arms, and sometimes I let you sleep there so you’ll get in a good nap, but we can’t keep up that arrangement forever. Mostly you take cat naps (around 45 minutes) in your crib or on your playmat. You are comfortable sleeping in the Sleepy Wrap and Boba carrier, which is especially nice for trips outside the house (and around the house too). You used to sleep for hours straight in the Sleepy Wrap if I let you. It was like it had a special sleep power over you.

Your daddy and I love you very much and enjoy watching you take in the world around you more and more.

Love,
Mommy

My morning greeting

Playing with his newly discovered hands

Enjoying tummy time more and more

Outgrowing the baby papasan

Ready to take the dogs for a walk on a chilly fall day

Napping on his playmat

Our big 3-month-old boy

Lots of smiles and some giggles:

3-Month-Old Sam from Sarah on Vimeo.