Life has been wonderful lately. I've realized there are long pauses in my blogging life - sometimes this a result of feeling like I have nothing to say, sometimes life gets full, and sometimes life is just good and I feel quiet...lately, I'm in the good and quiet phase. God has been pouring out His grace in our life as we've wrapped up a ten week study on biblical financial stewardship. In the course of the study we have seen God's provision in our life in absolutely stunning ways. I mean, like literal "take-your-breath-away-get-down-on-your-knees-and-thank-Him" ways. I have said it before and I'll say it again, I would never trade this time with Stella for any job outside the home; not only because I love being present for my daughter and for my family, but also because it has given us a front row seat to see the provision of the Lord each and every day. We are preparing to start the process of adoption soon (God willing that Tim's car passes inspection in January and doesn't eat up our savings...). It looks as though we will be going through Bethany Christian Services and trying for a domestic infant adoption. I couldn't be more excited.
About three weeks ago, Tim and I noticed a shift in Stella's activity level. Especially when she's out of the house she seems to constantly bounce from activity to activity. We found ourselves asking, "Where did our calm, focused child go?" It felt as if she didn't stop moving! It wasn't long after that I realized she is entering into the next phase of her childhood - she's not too far off from two, she's very conversational and bright, and she's curious like an engineer. Stella is growing up. She is 21 months old and she's talking up a storm. Today, when we picked up Tim from work to head to a friend's house for dinner, she saw him come out of the church and said, "It's a Daddy!" And for the rest of the 15 minute drive she did not stop talking once. Clearly, she takes after me.
Last week I panicked when Stella, for the first time in her life, did not take a nap one afternoon. Her naptime is, simply put, a sacred time for me; it is the main reason, apart from Jesus, I stay sane as a stay-at-home-mom. She has been a great napper since the first day of her life and I simply wasn't ready to consider the possibility that this phase of her life might be ending.
With the increased activity and conversation during the day her sleep habits have shifted. She sometimes wakes up crying in the middle of the night. The other night she wound up in bed with me at 2am, which I hate. In the three, count 'em THREE, times in her life she has slept in our bed at night we both don't sleep too well. It seems as if her goal is to climb back inside me with how close she sleeps. She kicks me with her little feet and squirms all over - usually ending up on top of me at several points during the night. In the morning, when she woke up at 5:30am (two hours earlier than normal...), I was exhausted and Tim took over. When I woke up from the dead several hours later I heard bathtime noises and new that Stella was likely body painting with her yogurt again. When I saw the milky water in her bath, I knew I was right. Thankfully, Tim snapped a few photos before he washed her up:
These are precious and hysterical moments. I'm doing my best to savor each one of them!
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