Updates on Four Beautiful Kiddos

Updates on four beautiful kiddos; we are so blessed:

Madeline is amazing! At nearly 12 weeks, she has big, beautiful smiles. She coos when you talk to her. And, she is sleeping through the night consistently (9:00pm to 5:00am) for over a week now!

I have had such great sleep that I stay up after nursing her and putting her back down, as 5:00am is my ideal wake time. It is now 8:00am and Alexa is my first to just wake up. I love that schedule in this house! Three hours for me...coffee, devotion, breakfast for Rob and myself, one bathroom cleaned and a load of laundry on. Now to squeeze exercise and regular blogging into that time!

Alexa has stayed dry at night for nearly two weeks now! As moms know, night time can take the longest when it comes to potty training. I haven't worried too much about it and it seems she has just decided-out of the blue. Hooray for Alexa!

Alexa, at four in August, is blossoming so much. It's hard to even quote her because her enthusiasm, expressions and inflections in her

voice say it all! When I say she is spirited, that feisty spirit comes with so many delightful pros!

Alexa will be participating in a "Princess Camp," this week; where she will be learning ballet, tumbling, and doing some fun crafts. She loves ballet and twirling in her dress-up ballet dress. She has also discovered tap. Her Aunt Jeannette passed down some tap shoes that her daughter, Lucy, grew out of. When Alexa discovered them, she wore those shoes the whole day and excitedly asked to go to the Library to check out one of the Shirley Temple movies that has her famous tap dance in it (I must have brought her attention to tap being the type of dance Shirley Temple does in those movies she has seen).

She has just begun to show interest in movies like Shirley Temple, Little House on the Prairie, and Anne of Green Gables-one of my favorite movies growing up...however, "Anne Green Gables IS HER NAME!" Green Gables is NOT a place. Okay, so she's still a little young but, I still love it!

Drew is going on 22 months now, almost two. He is so delightful to watch...boy to the hilt! Seems to have down every athletic movement that involves a ball; carries tools around the house fixing things; loves to be outdoors; and his favorite room out of the entire 4700 square foot house is the garage! With all this boy in him, would you believe he loves kitchens (he watches his dad cook)!

Sounding pretty well-rounded already!

I like to call him my "little man" because he really seems so sure of himself; he walks into an unfamiliar room like he owns the place; says "hello" and "goodbye" to just about anyone with such intention; and as the third child, he's super self-sufficient. I notice it especially when we are at a family function or with friends and a lot is going on around us. He just looks around for some food and a seat to sit and really does not bother any one for assistance.

He loves kisses. Watch out if your in the room and we tell him it's time to go ni-night because you will surely get a kiss, smack on the lips, if you are present. And he still plops that little thumb in his mouth when I pick him up with his blanket...I love it!

Robby, at six, is clearly moving beyond those dependent first five years. He just doesn't need mom as much (although he still needs me a lot)! I just notice the subtle changes taking place. He's handling his emotions on his own more, more self-aware, toughening up a little and is a little moodier, as I am sure he is trying to decipher the natural changes taking place

in his world. He starts kindergarten in a new school next year. He is pretty excited about it, loves new things, quite social, and very bright yet, I imagine there is some anxiety with the anticipation.

Robby finishes baseball for the summer today. He loves it! Although, there hasn't been a sport we have signed him up for that he hasn't loved. He finished spring soccer just before baseball started.

What I find in Robby is that he seems to be more concerned with the people than the sport itself. Of course he wants to be sure that his team wins but, the means to the end tends to be more of a social connection. He's encouraging to others and just happy to be on a field with friends!

On the other hand, just in the last week, he has suddenly been turned on to tennis and I'm seeing some serious ambition. He asked me if I would get up with him every morning at 5:00am to practice until he gets good. So, guess what? We are getting up at 5:00am! Yesterday, he asked if we could practice twice a day. I love it! He seems to have my enthusiasm for the game, although I haven't played much since high school.

It's great! I get to re-live "Anne of Green Gables" with Alexa and tennis with Robby!!

You know how, as parents, we try to do well in keeping routine and starting as we mean to go so not to start bad habits. Well, I've decided that we should lay the ground work, keep a framework, THEN START BREAKING RULES! Time is too limited, life is too short...now with four children and one going into kindergarten, I am becoming more and more aware of that. If I want a moment with just one child, then I'll have to stay up late with one to read extra stories, let one crawl into bed with me during quiet time, wake up at 5:00a.m. to play tennis, treat one to m&m's if it is just us at the grocery store...I want all the cherished moments I can get with each one of my children and sometimes that will just mean a broken rule for a cherished memory.

The Best 10 lbs...

Alisa Hope Wagner's, 5lbs of Grace, inspired me to write about my own set of pounds I've been toiling with and surrendering over.

I heard someone once say, “It took a year to go on, give it a year to come off.” A year? I was thinking about giving it six weeks, maybe three months at the most! I mean, practically speaking, I can’t wear maternity pants forever. Yet, here I sit in my elastic band maternity shorts with my 11 week old baby, Madeline, about 10 lbs over my normal weight - where I seem to have plateaued.

I had thought that summertime after giving birth would be perfect timing for getting back into shape. Instead, I am contending with a lack of time and discipline to exercise and eat better.

This all has come easier to me in the past with three previous births. I've been a little spoiled. Not this time. It's dead middle of the summer and I am in no shape to be sporting around summer gear - certainly not in the size 4, tailored clothing, gathering dust in my closet.

10lbs, I realize, may seem like nothing to some who have carried more weight for a longer period of time after giving birth. The point, however, is not the quantity of weight, but the quality of the mindset and of life, despite the imperfections.

Exercise, eating well, and a healthy weight have contributed to much of the balance I have attained in life. I do aspire to that lifestyle again, however, my spirit is warned against the danger of obsessing.

First of all, nobody cares! People don't look at me the way I look at myself. If nothing else, those who know me must be relieved that my body handles pregnancy and extra uncomfortable pounds like most everybody else. "Phew, she's normal!" they must say.

Second of all, I could put so much of my energy into changing myself right now that I would miss the beauty of what is right now. I know I will get back to an ideal weight sooner or later and when I do, will I look at my growing baby with vague recollections, wondering where the time has gone - even willing to sport 10 extra pounds again to embrace those fading moments with her, unhindered by an inner-dissatisfaction with myself?

Or will I look at her and know that I embraced every moment because I've taken an attitude that I am okay with what is? What is - is beautiful! Madeline nestled in my arms is beautiful. Enjoying my children in the midst of chaos is beautiful. Loving my husband when I’d rather collapse by the end of the day is beautiful.

I believe God desires for us to embrace the moments of imperfection so he can show us His perfection.

I may not like the love handles threatening to rest over the elastic band of my wish-to-be retired maternity shorts if I dare to eat one more bowl of ice cream but, my children will know how to live in the moment and we’ll have beautiful memories to show for it.

When I look back, months or years from now, on Madeline as an infant that has grown all too fast; I want to be able to say, "Those were the best 10 lbs. of my life!"