Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Rainers to you!

So thankful for the gift of Jesus this year. Praying He is made much of.

Convicted About Being Convicted

I love a good blog and read several okay, a lot, throughout the day from my trusty RSS feed. Many of these blogs are by Christian women that I admire and appreciate their take on life. But after reading so many blogs about each of their different convictions I began to wonder and think that I should also be convicted about these things - the Santa debate, unplugging, materialism, instilling the real reason for the season, the list goes on.

Was I being a bad mother/Christian/wife by doing ______ and not by wholeheartedly pursuing the issues (albeit godly) that they have felt were important? After spending time with God today (wow, it's amazing how life changes after you have time in His Word) I have realized that God gives people certain convictions and I should not feel called to adopt every other godly person's convictions. My ultimate goal and focus should be on my relationship with Him and HE will do the guiding, convicting, convincing, and correcting. It always seems to come back to that same answer and I always seem to need reminding that it is that simple and yet complex.

Thank You Jesus for the reminder.  Your faithful love is better than life, thank You for satisfying me as with rich food, my mouth will praise You with joyful lips! - Psalm 63

What Should I Be Doing?

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog on finding my identity and validation in Christ instead of a paying job. Instead of answering the question “What do I do?” I realized the question that should be asked is “What should I be doing?”

Thankfully, God’s word always has an answer. Some of the things that I should be doing are:

-          “Pray without ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

o   I read about a friendly reminder to pray for our husbands here.

o   My favorite resource to pray for my child is the 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for your Kids.

o   In a recent conference I’ve been listening to a cd on which the speaker talked about praying for the individuals who gave you certain gifts or your family when you are folding their clothing. When you see those items, say a little prayer for them.

-          “Rejoice always… give thanks in everything” 1 Thessalonians 5:16/18

o   Having a joyful countenance goes along way. It draws others near to you.

o   You are much more appreciative of the things you have.

o   Your days are just better when you are happy and thankful.

-          “Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always”  1 Chronicles 16:11

o   Spend time with God everyday! This time is not meant to be a burden but a time of refreshment. We should spend time with God first out of obedience, knowing that the desire and delight in God’s Word will come when we are faithful.

-          “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness- without it no one will see the Lord” Hebrews 12:14

o   When I drive, grocery shop (yes, even in Walmart!), etc. I should be pursuing peace. Because of my impatience I don’t always do the best job, but God tells us patience is one of the fruits He has given us (Galatians 5:22)

This list is not all-inclusive, but these verses have given me a great starting point and have been good verses to commit to memory. I love how God has given us His Word to direct us in every situation.

What do I do?

The title of this blog is such a loaded question. Lately I feel like I have been frequently reading and talking about being a stay-at-home mom (or dad, from one of the blogs I read). Even he said he preferred to be called a "work-at-home dad" since he runs his blog full-time from home. What is it that makes us, as human beings, feel as if we have to explain to others what we do with our days? Why do we feel the need to find validation in a paying job?

I know that I struggle with this sometimes. I absolutely love being a (mainly) stay-at-home mom with Maggie. I love keeping my house clean, cooking, crafting, studying God's Word, exercising, and spending time with my girl (not in order of priority mind you). I also enjoy teaching and have been given such a blessed opportunity to fulfill that role two, half-days a week - can you say awesome?! But I was even getting the feeling that it wasn't enough, I mean, what am I doing with the rest of my day according to the world? So I filled my days (and early mornings :) with other things too. Several of those responsibilities are coming to a close this week and I am already struggling with thoughts that I must fill those times with something else.

I feel like God has been showing me (and others that I have been in conversation with) that I don't have to fill those times! Where am I finding my purpose/identity? Am I finding it in Christ? Am I fulfilling the main roles that He has assigned me to: wife, mother, pastor's wife, teacher? Am I living up to my full potential in Him in each of those roles? Am I letting Him guide my day? That is a lot to process.

Where do we find the balance in our lives between witnessing to the world and living in our God-given roles whether paid or unpaid?

God is teaching me about finding contentment in my daily life, peace with the circumstances around me, and relying on Him throughout my day. Regardless of our current work situation we must place our identity with Christ first. Being His hands and feet throughout the day. He is at work in every situation, we must be attuned to His guiding and mission. This isn't as easy as it sounds, but it is worth giving our whole lives pursuing. I pray that I will keep Him at the forefront of my mind and allow Him to work in and through me as I go about whatever He has in store for me that day.

* Also, a shout-out to my husband who does work a paying job so that I can even have this struggle :). I love you!

13 Months

Maggie is one month into her one-year-oldhood :0) (and yes I just completely made up that last phrase). No, I won't be as faithful with the month-by-month posts. At least I don't think I will. I definitely wanted them for the first year of her life. But I haven't posted in a while and felt like writing today.

This little girl continues to amaze me. Lately we've been learning where different body parts are and the sounds different animals make. She has ear, nose, eye, head, hair, mouth, teeth, tongue, toes, belly button, and knees down. Maggie loves to find your belly button too, sometimes lifting your shirt in inopportune places like a store :). She also is doing the cutest animal imitations :). We have elephant (she'll lift up one arm to be the trunk), monkey (ee), bear and lion (owh), hen (from reading The Little Red Hen, brrkk), dog (woof and a dog panting), cat (eowm), fish (just opens and closes her mouth), sheep (baa), owl (hoo), and bug (points at herself and says zzz). Maggie loves "Baa, baa, black sheep." Her version sounds like, "baa baa baa baa baa."

Maggie has also said a few new words like ball, duck, and JoJo, but we've only caught her saying them once. Her absolute favorite word is dog with a close second of dada. And she has started saying mama again, that one was on hiatus for a while. She was also saying 'dat' for a while, but I haven't heard it lately.

Here are a couple of pictures from this morning. She has become quite the daredevil and started standing up on her turtle sandbox. No, I didn't let her stay up there long and sitting on the turtle is all this mama is going to allow :).

12 Months

Maggie hit the one year mark this past Saturday, June 25. It's hard to believe that our little girl is a year old. It is amazing all of the changes that a child goes through that first year. Here are some of her milestones this month:

• Height - ; Weight
• Wears size 4 diapers
• Wears 12 month clothing
• Began mimicking animal noises like a lion, monkey; and will roar when she sees a picture of a lion
• Said first word "dog" at the beginning of the month
• Started saying 'dat' and pointing to an object 
• Went swimming for the first time and loved it! Enjoys playing in any type of water
• Went to Phoenix, AZ for the Southern Baptist Convention and visited the children's museum and the zoo
• Started cuddling with a blanket when she sleeps
• Doesn't require me to rock her for every nap, began wanting to lay in the crib and fall asleep on her own. (She was squirming during every rocking)
• Totally weaned from mom, bottle, and pacifier
• Eats basically when we do, can feed herself
• Kicked a ball back and forth with one foot
• Become very independent and enjoys walking on her own when we're out and about
• Celebrated first birthday with family and close friends, but I'll write another post on that later :)

Presence

I just finished putting Maggie down for her morning nap, which now consists of me laying her in the crib and rubbing her head until those eyelids become heavy and she falls asleep. This process got me thinking about how many hours (that may be totaled into days) I have spent this past year putting Maggie to sleep.

For the first ten months I rocked Maggie to sleep for every nap and bedtime. Sometimes I confess that I would get annoyed and just wish that she would fall asleep so I could do something else. Other times, such as now, I cherish any moment she wants to rock for a little while. She has become a big girl this past month - falling asleep in her crib (often on her own), rejecting the bottle, walking everywhere, eating almost the same things that we eat. She is becoming her own little person that still wants her mommy and daddy but is now entering a new phase.

The book Sacred Parenting has me analyzing the process of parenting and seeing how it truly is part of growing as a believer. I am so thankful that our Lord does not tire of instilling peace in our lives and being with us. His Word says that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5). He is the true picture of a loving parent, taking care of His children. I pray that when (not if) I fail Maggie will see past me and see the One who will never leave her or forsake her. That she will see the One who is perfect in every way and is the only One who can make her whole, this is my prayer.

Transition

I can really tell a difference in Maggie the last week or so. She is making the transition from baby to big girl. She observes everything around her now, loves to point, and when you tell her what it is she really tries to mimic your sound. She is so close to saying 'dog', she will point at Lucy and say 'do'. When you ask her where her ears are, she points to them. She is Miss Independent when it comes to walking.

Her newest endeavor has been learning to feed herself. She has been doing a pretty good job using her spoon. I have to help her scoop her cereal in the spoon, but she does a great job getting the spoon in her mouth and cleaned :0). Here are a few pics of the aftermath:

11 Months

Another month has come and gone. Maggie continues to grow and has really begun to make the transition from baby to big girl. Everyday she discovers new sounds and things in her environment.

Milestones this month:

• Height - , Weight - 20 lbs 8 oz
• Wears size 4 diapers
• Wears mainly 12 month clothing, although still fitting into some 9 month outfits
• Sleeps through the night (when not teething), takes 1-2, 1-2 hour, naps per day.
• Some new foods she has tried - egg yolks, tomato, diced cantaloupe, diced watermelon
• Started to wean, cut out afternoon feeding and switched to a sippy cup. Now drinks milk throughout the afternoon instead of downing it in one feeding.
• Cut two more teeth (for a total of 8), the bottom left and right lateral incisors 
• Began walking independently (at the first of the month relied on the walker, but around the 21st you took off)
• Enjoy turning lights on and off
• Rarely play "Where's Maggie" (you loved this game at the end of month 10)
• Love playing in water (the Richmond's water table, your sandbox that we're using as a baby pool, bath time)
• Like to sit and "read" your books. Can sit in the floor for 20+ minutes flipping through books.
• Enjoy babbling, saying 'dada' and 'dubadubaduba', and trying to imitate noises (moo, hoo hoo)

I love you Maggie girl!

Mother's Day

Sam gave me my mother's day gift last night when we went to eat, as Sundays are generally pretty crazy for us. I read about the idea in a magazine, loved it, and was so excited when Sam carried it out (I was secretly hoping he would :). It is a leather-bound 'Mom' book where our kid(s) will have the opportunity to write me a note/draw a picture each year on Mother's Day.

I think the gift and idea are so awesome! I look forward to seeing the drawings and reading the notes each year as our children grow and our relationship changes. This first one was really cute. Here is Maggie's first scribble in the Mom book:

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms. I love each and every one of you (as most of you reading this blog are family or very dear friends :0)!

10 Months

It is hard to believe that Maggie is now 10 months old.  These months have gone by really quickly! 

Milestones this month:

• The biggest one occurred the day Maggie turned 10 months (4/25/11) - she took her first steps! Sam and I have been trying to get her to walk for several weeks now. She was confidently standing on her own and that morning even drank her sippy cup while standing alone. We both knew her first steps could be any time. That evening, Sam got down on the floor with her, stood her up, and before you know it she started walking towards him :0)! We were so proud of her big accomplishment!
• Weight - 21 lbs, Height - 30''; continues to be in the 90th percentiles
• Wears size 4 diapers
• Wears sizes 9-12 months
• Sleeps all night when teething is not occurring
• Started taking one longer nap (1-2 hours) and sometimes a short one (1 hour or less)
• Got two more teeth; Maggie now has six teeth (4 top, 2 bottom)
• New foods - mango, apricot, Twinkie (that one was not me!), bread, crackers, whole peas and diced carrots
• Can easily drink out of a sippy cup now, I usually put water in there to drink
• Eats banana sliced up and feeds herself
• Lets you know likes and dislikes
• Babbles a lot more (dadababadada...)
• Continues to be very social and wants to be around others
• Started crying when I drop her off in the nursery, although she recovers quickly
• Enjoys being read to, dancing to music, imitating noises

Spring Break

My mom and cousin, Roger Dale, came and stayed with us for several days during their spring break. We had an awesome time! Saturday we hung around the house (Sam and I ran 23 miles) and went to DQ. Sunday we went to church, LBL, Patti's, and Calvert City Drive-In. Monday it was storming. We baked a lot and went to a mexican restaurant. Tuesday we went to my school and then on to Paducah. Here are some of the highlights:

Maggie still loves hair, and holds onto mine when I am holding her :D. 

This is at LBL Welcome Center, we went there Sunday afternoon and to the Homeplace

After LBL, we ate dinner at Patti's and then went to the drive-in in Calvert City

Tuesday we went to Paducah, this picture was taken in front of the flood wall

We stopped in a field and took pics just for fun Tuesday night

9 Months

 

Here are the milestones Maggie has reached this month:

• Height ; Weight 20 lbs, 2 oz
• Moved into size 4 diapers
• Still wearing 9 month clothing
• Sleeping the majority of the night, has been getting up at least once per night (most likely from teething)
• Takes 1-2 naps for almost an hour
• Cut two top teeth and the two next to the middle ones are also trying to come through
• Continue to pull up on everything, even flat surfaces (like cabinets, etc)
• Can stand unsupported for a few seconds and even clapped your hands while standing alone
• Will walk when someone is holding your hands, but don't want to try it alone
• New foods you tried this month: avocado, pumpkin, blueberries, yogurt, little pieces of bread, cheerios, black-eyed peas, apple/plum combo, butternut squash, and cantaloupe
• Started dancing to music
• Learned to blow kisses
• You love to explore and be around people
• You hate diaper changes :D, I think its because you have to lay still

8 Months

Wow! This month has been quite the month of milestones for Maggie. There were two weeks where Maggie continued to do one new thing after another, it was crazy!

Milestones:

• Height 28 1/2 inches and Weight 20 lb
• Went from laying on the floor to pushing herself up to sitting.
• Went from sitting to pulling up and standing.
• Began crawling and now crawl all over the house.
• Started clapping your hands together (especially when we say 'yay').
• Started clicking your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
• Started saying Dada and Na-na
• Sometimes mimick me when I say/wave bye-bye, you say ba-ba
• Foods you tried this month: green beans, carrots, bananas, applesauce, peas, sweet potatoes, peaches, pears, and avocado (Loved - carrots, bananas, sweet potatoes, peaches, pears, and avocado; the green beans, applesauce, and peas made you shudder at first and you mainly will only eat them when mixed with something else)
• Like shaking your head 'no'.
• First overnight with Nana and Granddad without Mom and Dad on 2/16.
• Pretty much sleep through the night (been getting up some nights at random times) and take 2 one-hour plus naps per day. We put you down to sleep at 8:30 p.m.
• Wear size 3 diapers and 9 month clothing.

Happy Valentine's Day

Maggie and I enjoyed a great Valentine's Day playing at home and running a few errands. Sam got us girls a dozen roses, they were beautiful!

The Road Untraveled

Joshua 3:1-4 "Joshua started early the next morning and left Acacia Grove with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing. After three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people: "When you see the ark of the convenant of the LORD your God carried by the Levitical priests, you must break camp and follow it. But keep a distance of about 1,000 yards between yourselves and the ark. Don't go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven't traveled this way before."

 I have not traveled this way before. This past year several of my closest loved ones have been journeying through some of the toughest health concerns. I am a mother of a seven-month old. Our church has been working through some changes with some hurt along the way. I have not traveled this way before.

Joshua 3:3-4 provide the best advice on where to keep my focus and that is on the Living God. I love that when we keep our eyes on Him, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, He will show us where to go. He will show us how to love. He will tell us what to say. There are many challenges in the coming days, but our God is faithful. He will be our guide if we will follow Him.

7 Months

Maggie turned 7 months old on January 25. It seems like she makes the most developmental changes right at the end of the month. This month Maggie is:

• Height - ; Weight - 19.8 lbs
• Was dedicated in both services (8:30 and 11 a.m.) on January 16th, both sets of grandparents were there and it was such a special day!
• Said her first word (mama) on January 24th, loves to say it when I am in another room and when she is in the Jumperoo.
• Has also started saying baba, she babbles a lot more and still loves to squeal.
• Is obsessed with hair! She loves to eat, pull, and hold my hair when I am holding her.
• Began 'singing' around January 20th. When I was putting her down to bed she started 'singing' along with me. Sometimes when I/others sing she starts to hum along.
• Is an expert roller - she rolls all over our living room and can maneuver herself to a specific spot.
• Has made a few crawls forward (about 2-3). Maggie usually crawls to get to Lucy.
• Loves to stand up and hold onto the side of our ottoman. She is getting really close to being able to pull herself up from sitting. 
• Sleeping through the night (although she usually wakes up once at some point in the night and just needs her paci). Generally takes three one hour naps. Sometimes takes a long morning nap in her swing and then a shorter afternoon nap. I usually put her down by 9 pm and she will sleep until 7:30 - 8:00 am.
• Still wearing size 3 diapers.
• Wears 6-9 month and 9 month clothing.

Taking the monthly pictures of Maggie has become quite the challenge. She is so curious about everything and loves to put things in her mouth. Maggie is also very busy and loves to be moving and exploring, so I did my best on the pics :0).

I know she's not too happy in this pic, but it was a good shot of her two teeth :0)

Baby Dedication

Maggie was dedicated at church today in both services. It was such a beautiful time to publicly make a commitment to raise her in a home where she will hear and see the message of Christ. Thom performed the dedication for us and the church came forward in both services to lay hands on us during prayer. Both of our parents (Maggie's grandparents) were able to come. I had to work hard to keep my composure while Maggie was being dedicated as she received a letter from her pastor/father to be opened when she accepts Christ. It is my prayer that one day she will accept Jesus into her heart as her Lord and Saviour. I am so thankful for the way He has blessed us with this little girl.

As a side note - Maggie looked especially cute in a white christening outfit with bonnet and all :0).

Grandad and Nana

We received the "Jesus Storybook Bible" and flowers

2nd Service folks coming forward to pray over us

6 Months

Maggie has come so far this past month. It was like one week she was still a 'baby' baby and now she is a 'big girl' baby.

Maggie's developmental milestones this month include:

• Height 27 inches; weight 17 lbs 4 oz
• Wears size 3 diapers and 6-9 month clothing
• Still sleeping through the night, although the week her teeth came in she got up several times at night
• Bottom two teeth came in, the bottom right came in 12/17 and the second popped through 12/25
• Started eating solid food 12/24. So far she has eaten rice cereal and oatmeal - and she loves both! Maggie definitely enjoys her food.
• Started sitting up on her own at the beginning of the month.
• Spent 12/21-23 with the Rainer's for Christmas and spent 12/25 with the Witham's (my mom's family)
• Has started to lunge for toys and scoots herself backwards - next month's milestones may include crawling!

Our little girl continues to be such a joy to us. She has a sweet personality and adapts well in new situations. She loves to squeal and 'talk' to you. Being a mom is the most precious gift, and I pray that I never take it for granted.

Had to taste one of these blocks, the one in her mouth says '6' :0)

Yummy! So excited!

That was tasty... I did get some in my belly too - promise

Rainer Family Christmas

Maggie (and me and Sam) had a great time hanging out with the Rainer clan for Christmas. It was so much fun having all of the cousins together for the first time. Canon was 14 months, Maggie was 6 months, and Nathaniel was 4 months. We had a blast just hanging out, talking, and eating way too much! Here are some highlights:

The kiddos with their grandparents and great-grandparents

Wow!

Opening presents is so much fun

Canon and Maggs

Had to get the diaper pic

Hi Nathaniel, look at my cool bunny!

Bathtime with Canon

Family photo 2010

Me and Maggie, Sarah and Nathaniel, Rachel and Canon (and Baby Boy #2)