Apr 7, 2011 | Baby Photos, The Parenthood
My sister sent the Bear some delightful clothes when he was born. Really adorable stuff. And those delightful clothes are beginning to get a second go-round with Baby Brother right now. It’s a good effort at recycling to save the planet, and I’ve never heard a baby complain about what they were wearing, unless it was wet. We are loving the hand-me-downs.
One of my favourite things she sent was this onesie, sported here by the Bear at approximately Seven Weeks of Age:
As we’ve pulled clothes out for their second go-round, we’ve noticed that items that were suitable for the Bear at certain ages seem to be.. er, um… suitable for Baby Brother much sooner. {And there are several things he was actually never small enough to wear.} So we thought you might enjoy a little comparison.
Here’s the Bear swimming in the onesie in question at seven weeks, and Baby Brother, filling it out in the middle at…four.
{We don’t often take pictures of our wee ones in tears. We just had a giggle when the Bear was upset on this particular day because we thought one three-letter word had been left off the onesie. Can you guess which one?}
Last night at the dinner table, HH encouraged the Bear to eat everything on his plate because Baby Brother will be catching up soon! We’re now accepting offers for American football scholarships. Tarheels and Wolfpack need not apply. Are there rugby bursaries in SA?
xCC
P.S. Thanks again, sister, for a gift that keeps on giving! 🙂
Mar 29, 2011 | Baby Photos, The Parenthood, Travel..ling Tuesdays
We interrupt this Travelling Tuesday to bring you an important celebratory tutorial: How to Photograph a One-Month-Old.
If attempting to photograph your One-Month-Old baby, we have a few suggestions.
Don’t just put him down and set him up for the photos any old time.
Make sure he’s exactly one month old. And wait until he’s asleep.
Then he can stir in his own good timing.
He might pause and wonder “How did I get here?”
Or smile as he recognises the silly people doing goofy things to encourage some happy.
You’re likely to see enough cheer in his disposition
to allow you to grab a few good shots.
He might give you a sweet little smile
or look like he has something important to say.
Don’t be offended if he wants to stick out his tongue. He doesn’t know any better.
But grabbing the opportunity when he’s just waking up should give you a good chance to capture some happy baby-ness and nothing like that first picture up there. Our mistake is your learning opportunity.
Can you believe this baby is one month old?
xCC
P.S. Travelling Tuesday will return as regularly scheduled next week. We have some beautiful shots from Kalk Bay to share!
Mar 28, 2011 | Stories, The Parenthood
We had an evening out.
Mommy’s milk in the fridge and I’m squeezing into clothes hopeful with a moment to touch up my face and at least my hair’s been brushed.
We struggle to remember the last time though it wasn’t too long ago.
And HH made the decision: just dinner.
Instead of rushing through a meal to catch a movie, we make the most of our evening by aiming to do less. We sit long at the table and thoughts and fears and feelings and how-are-yous have a good chance to unfurl…
Like our newborn’s tiny fists, so constantly clenched they collect lint and grubbiness and need to be unfurled and scrubbed at bathtime, so our hearts need this quiet unfurling, as we share an appetizer and talk about our children. I savour my main and we talk about our future.
Going slow to enjoy a great steak, going slow to enjoy a great evening, is going slow to enjoy a great moment that now is but won’t be tomorrow. We look up at the stars for a bit. We listen to the ocean for a while.
We talk.
We talk about being generous with our gifts.
We talk about the older one, still cheery and sweet, but also newly dramatic and occasionally fretful — longing for attention.
And I remark to the Hubs over a sweet little creme brulee — this was the best way. Not rushing to do more, but enjoying this. He already knew and that was why he made the plan.
And we think about each other, and the older one with needs and we know: this is how he spells love. And isn’t this is how we all spell love.
Sometimes my hurried heart needs reminding:
The future isn’t here yet. You only get one chance at right now.
Quality is often a much better goal than quantity.
There will always be laundry and dishes. Take the time to be still. Savour this moment.
For house guests and strangers, friends and family, spouses and children alike, we are better off trying to spell love generously, with the only thing we can never get more of. And love is so often best spelled T-I-M-E.
xCC
Mar 25, 2011 | Baby Photos, The Parenthood
Yesterday Hero Hubs took the Bear for a special adventure, just father and son. He promised the Bear ice cream and they headed into the little village beachfront area of Gordon’s Bay to get it. Although he can’t pronounce it particularly well, the Bear loves him some I-skeem, so he was stoked.
They headed out just after naptime, Bear clicked into his car seat, Dad driving, Mr. Potato Head grumbling along. (He misses going fast.) After finding a space just in front of the little ice cream shop, they hopped out and headed inside to start choosing flavours.
The Bear was keen for choc-choc…no surprise there…and they sauntered up to the counter to place their order. The young guy behind the counter in a bright coloured t-shirt said the total was ten Rand. So HH looked down at the Bear and said, “The ice cream is ten Rand, Bear Bear. Do you have ten Rand? You’re going to need ten Rand if you want ice cream. You were supposed to bring money, of course. If you don’t have it, I guess we’ll just be leaving now. I suppose we can go down to the beach and you can pick up a rock or take a shell home with you instead.”
The Bear was bewildered and completely confused, and his bright green eyes welled up with tears as he shuffled his feet out of the ice cream shop. Empty-handed and heavy-hearted, he…
OK, can I stop right there? How many of you actually believe this story? Hopefully if you know HH at all, you know that this just wouldn’t happen. He’s a good Dad, and if he promises the Bear ice cream, you’re darn tootin’ he’s going to do everything in his power to deliver on his promise. His promise will directly result in his provision, because
Good Fathers keep their promises.
Just recently, I’ve been praying for a friend who is in a tough situation. She has some life-altering decisions to make and my heart is heavy for her as she walks through this difficult time. I found myself replying to one of her emails earlier with these words:
I trust that God will gently lead you and give you peace and direction. I also trust Him to provide for you as you walk the way He leads — He will not guide you somewhere and then not provide for you there.
I stopped myself as I finished typing those words and pondered them for a bit. How often do I doubt that this is true?
I am often afraid that I’m going to make a mistake, and that the metaphorical bottom is going to fall out. I’m afraid that I’m going to take a left instead of a right at Albuquerque, and the rug of blessing and provision is going to be pulled right out from under me.
The Lord reminds me again and again that He loves me even more than I love my little ones. But somehow, that love starts slipping through my fingers, Disbelief starts creeping in, Fear starts whispering, and my mind tells me stories about what it looks like to be up the creek without a paddle.
But that is not the God I love. That is not the God I worship. That is not the way of our loving God.
My God is the loving Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep.
He’s the One who says I came that they might have life and have it to the full.
And says don’t worry about tomorrow. Consider the lilies. Look at the sparrows. Don’t you mean more to me than them?
He pointed out Himself that if asked for bread, even an imperfect, human Dad won’t give his kid a stone. And then reminded us that He’s perfect.
He may not be all about my comfort, but He is able to work things together for my good.
While reminding myself and my friend of this truth, I thought it might be something you might need to hear today, too. I am not completely sure what tomorrow looks like for any of us. But I’m choosing to remember to put my confidence in the God who knows. He’s already there, and His plans are plans to prosper, and not to harm.
So, good news! God isn’t waiting for you to take a wrong turn so He can pull the rug out from under you, either. And I think that truth tastes even better than choc-choc ice cream.
xCC
Mar 21, 2011 | The Good Word, The Parenthood
Isaiah 40:11 says “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.”
The Lord has been gentle with me these days, where I only find brief moments to meet with Him — the long drinks of daily morning study are a bit hindered by present circumstances, and tiredness keeps me from seeking Him long in the evenings.
But I have made a fresh discovery. It is as Jesus said: “Lo, I am with you always.”
And in these moments, as I try to remember if I’ve rinsed the shampoo from my hair or as I grab a pinch of salt to stir into a banana bread loaf-to-be, I find Him and thank Him, mentioning in the moment something great or small I want to bring to His throne. Surrendering future plans. Thanking Him for present joys. Even letting go of things past that have long needed letting go of.
Even with just a moment.
I watch a newborn tummy rise and fall, one breath after another, and I pause standing over the tiny sleeper to thank the Creator of the Universe who is enabling each one of those breaths to be. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord.
Perhaps you find yourself in a season of hurry. Perhaps your heart or your circumstances are a hindrance to long walks or long talks, deep reading or quiet prayers.
Know that each moment is an opportunity.
Though I cannot stand long at the vat of grace just now, still it seems that with these short draughts of thankfulness, my cup overflows.
xCC
Mar 19, 2011 | The Parenthood
We’re a little concerned about the Bear. It seems like ever since his Baby Brother arrived, he hasn’t been his usual friendly self.
He doesn’t seem to want to act silly very much.
He’s missing that usual spring in his step.
He never seems to be excitedly scurrying about
And we’re just wondering where the Bear Bear spunk has gone.
At least we can get him to smile every once in a while.
Do you think I should call the doctor? 😉
xCC
I create resources to help people find deeper, more meaningful relationships with God through pursuing, pondering, and prayer. The "Shop" link above will take you to the home of many of the lovely resources I’ve created to help you keep walking one day deeper with Jesus.