A New Way of Thinking

I knew that having a baby would change things. I knew that my life would never be the same again. I knew that decisions I would make in the future would be highly impacted by the fact that I would have a child.

I'm thankful for Ella for the focus she has brought to my life in many aspects. While I still have much to learn, she, in many ways really has shifted my way of thinking - which is a good thing.

For instance, I'm more focused on being frugal. Something I should have practiced before having Ella, but something that I am trying hard to practice because my husband and I have to take care of her. Plus, when you start to consider the price of diapers and formula . . .well, I'll just say, I'm very thankful I can find coupons for those items!

Sometimes I don't even initially realize how my way of thinking has changed. My husband and I were (well, still are) contemplating what to do with some Christmas money. One of the top items on our list: a new vacuum cleaner. Our vacuum is barely sufficient, and with a baby crawling around on the floor all the time who seems to be able to spot even the smallest speck, make her way to it, and put it in her mouth, we want something that will really clean the floor properly (any suggestions, by the way?). I also caught myself thinking about buying an ear or forehead thermometer, even though the regular thermometer we have is fine. I haven't had to take Ella's temperature often in her short lifetime, but I already want something easier to use. And the thought of having to take her temperature many more times, and the prospect of taking the temperature of future children, makes me want to spend the money on something I may have considered unimportant before.

Although I still need more focus in my life spiritually, Ella really has helped me mature some spiritually. I want to be the best example I can be for her; after all, I know she will be watching me and my husband, and it is our responsibility to bring her up in the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). I find myself wanting to listen to the experiences of other Christian parents so that I may learn from them. I'm interested in reading books like Your Mama Don't Dance, a Christian parenting book. I have a desire to work for an even stronger marriage.

I know that my life will never be the life I had before I had Ella. And I'm thankful for that. She has changed my way of thinking, helping form me into a better person. I know she will continue to teach me as I teach her. I'm blessed by her.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you had a great time with friends and family - I know I did!

This was Ella's first Christmas, and amazingly, we had a white Christmas! It rarely snows in most parts of Texas, let alone on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so this was really special. (I loved the beauty of the snow, but I certainly hope your loved ones were able to travel safely in any bad weather.) These pictures were taken on Christmas morning (in her new leopard outfit).

It was such a joy watching Ella experience the fun of opening presents for the first time, even though I still don't think she really had any idea what was going on. She certainly loved the boxes and the paper though!

Among many other things, I got a 50mm f/1.8lens for my camera . . . I LOVE it! I love how crisp and bright even my quick snapshots came out (like the one below).

Christmas is always special in so many ways, and this year was no different. We are certainly blessed by our family and friends!

More

I wanted to do a proper blog post, but I'm finding that I really just want to savor my day off! So, just another video of Ella today (from the same time when the feeding time pictures were taken). One of my friends let me borrow Sign With Your Baby, a book about teaching your baby sign language. We've been working on one sign with Ella for several months now: the word "more" (as in more food, more bottle, etc.). She usually just laughs and smiles at us while we do the sign with her, but she finally did the sign a couple of days ago and I caught it on video (plus some other funny stuff). (The sign for "more" can be found here.)

Wordless Wednesday: Feeding Time

Side note: I *think* my blog layout is working properly now.

Please excuse the mess . . .

Turns out my blog wasn't displaying like I wanted it to display in Internet Explorer and Firefox (I'm a Google Chrome girl, and everything looked fine there!). Please excuse the mess while I'm trying to get everything back in order!

Your Child May Grow Up to be a Doctor . . .

About a month ago, I was attending a college Ladies Bible Study. We were discussing what God desires in the home, from the roles of the husband and the wife to our responsibilities as parents. One comment that really struck me was the following: "Your son or daughter may grow up to be a doctor or whatever else, but what really matters is where they will spend their eternity." Wow! As a parent, sometimes it is easy to be so concerned with the physical things of this world, that we can lose our focus on what is really important. Would it be great if Ella grew up to be a doctor? Sure, but would it be great if she grew up to be a doctor, and chose not to follow the Lord? No!

At our congregation, we do a program for the children where the children study Bible facts for just a few minutes before our evening service begins. At the end of the session, the children complete two important statements:

1. "A successful life  . . . is a life that gets me to heaven."
2. "When I grow up . . . I'm going to marry a Christian."

These statements, while simple, help focus our children spiritually. The world doesn't measure success the same way we should as Christians. We are successful if we lead lives that will get us to heaven, whether we are a doctor, a lawyer, a CEO, or a stay-at-home mom. Marrying a Christian should help us lead that life to gets us to heaven. I certainly know I have been blessed by my husband, and I'm thankful that together we are trying our best to raise Ella in the Lord.

Cruising and Laughing

A few more cute videos of Ella . . . .

Here she is cruising along the furniture:

Here, she is pushing behind a push toy. I didn't capture it all on video, but at one point, she was pushing while walking on her knees . . . pretty funny! (Please ignore all the toys on the floor . . . that is what happens (at least at my house!) when you have a baby exploring!)

And, finally, one of the sweetest things on earth: a baby laughing! I love watching Ella and her dad interact . . .so precious!