Set-Apart Motherhood: Reflecting Joy and Beauty in Family Life - Leslie Ludy

I'm currently reading Set-Apart Motherhood by Leslie Ludy for an online Bible study. The book is fantastic and we're reading chapter three right now.

A few things I have learned:

1. God's pattern for motherhood is victorious, joy-filled, and beautiful (2)
2. "Productivity is not God's highest goal for this season of my life; obedience is" (16)
3. The joy of motherhood is not dependent on whether the house is cleaned, if Pastor Husband took out the trash and remembered to put a new bag in the trash can, or if kiddos are actually listening to me or not. The joy comes from "an abiding contentment and peace, no matter what challenges I'm facing" (18)

So, I'm trying. I'm trying really hard at something that seems like it should be so natural. I have to really fight against my natural tendencies and the patterns I grew up with and, let me tell you, I fail pretty much every day...BUT the failures are less explosive with each passing day. It's working. The focusing on God's pattern and consciously making the decision to choose joy over frustration, anger, impatience, tiredness, irritation, and all those other non-joy-filled emotions.

When I choose joy it's so much more fun - the time spent with my kiddos and other people's kiddos. On Saturday we basically had two sets of twins. Our friends were moving and their little ones are the same age as ours and it was interesting, but we had a good time at keeping four tiny humans alive all day. It was one of the few days (I'm getting more days thinking this) that I felt like if we were placed with a baby the adoption agency would not be making a mistake.

Here are some joy-filled pictures from the last few days of joy-filled motherhood moments!

Our Little Man

...is not so little. I realized this when I put up the pictures for his birthday timeline banner thing. He was a little baby man for maybe a month and then he just got big. He's just big. Not as big as Cousin Ponchito who turned one in May and is basically a man already, but Baby Dos is super big in comparison to his not-so-big sister.

Anyway, we took him to get shot...by a camera people!...at the park the week of his first birthday and they are so cute! If anyone is looking for someone who can do some of the most natural pictures of you, baby, family, events, etc., then give this lovely lady a call: Sara Lucero Photography. Gorgeous, all of her pictures and she's pretty dang swell herself along with her little family. Head over to her site. You will not be disappointed.

I loved all the pictures, but she got a sequence of pictures of Baby Dos going down the slide and I don't think she realized all that she captured.

Photo by Sara Lucero

Photo by Sara Lucero

Photo by Sara Lucero

There are sooooo many people who know and love our children. It overwhelms me every time when I think about all the faces that have smiled at them. There have been many hands that have held them and changed their diapers. This series of pictures portrays that it takes more than one set of hands to raise a child. For our children, consistently, it has been my hands, Pastor Husband's hands, and my mom's hands a.k.a. Ga. God's love is so present in these photos that I try to think about them during the times that I am anything, but content with the circumstances that are surrounding me.

Ga has been coming over every Tuesday since Baby Girl was born and she'll be three in September! When Ga is here Baby Dos doesn't even need me to exist so that's when I run around town doing errands, reading at Starbucks, or just getting stuff done around the house. I love that she was included in the photos because she has such a huge part in my kiddos' life. My sisters and I were raised super close to our grandparents and I am so thankful my kids are getting the same.

So, thank you Sara for the fun time at the park, beautiful pictures, and for finally meeting you and your precious family. Thank you all who have loved our children. Thank you Ga for being so present in their lives. Thank you Lord, above all things, for Pastor Husband, Baby Girl, and Baby Dos...and for Future Babes!

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby Dos!

Baby Dos, happy birthday!

You are my baby boy and I love, love, love you so very much! You're the most ticklish baby I've ever met and waking you up from a nap doesn't result in a nightmare. Thank you for that. You don't do things gradually. It's just all of a sudden you're able to walk around the house by pushing your high chair around or using one of your new walking toys. You have two bottom teeth. I'm not sure where the rest are, but I'm sure they are in there somewhere. It doesn't stop you from eating just about everything. I hardly have to worry about you choking because you chomp like a man. Baby Girl has deemed raspberries (or Tobies as she likes to call them) as your favorite food. You mastered the art of straw-drinking a few days ago. We were all very excited.

Opening presents was so much fun because you were excited with each one. Every new toy became a new world for you to explore. When you woke up this morning it was like Christmas with all the new stuff to play with.

It's been a fun year, Baby Dos. Keep cuddling with me, keep smiling and giggling. You are such a joy.

The best cakes in the world! Sweetened Blessings - find her on Instagram. You won't be sorry!

Birthday Countdown...Complete!

Birthday Countdown

Birthday Countdown

Birthday Countdown

Birthday Countdown Time!

A Birthday Giveaway!

In honor of Baby Dos' impending First Birthday (less than a month to go!) I am giving away a free design!  A free design of your choosing. Choose from one of my already made designs or I can do a completely new one just for you.

Here are the rules:

• Leave me a comment of what you would like
• I'll randomly choose a comment
• TADAA! The winner will be chosen on July 1st

It can be an invitation, a sign (currently working on a Jesus/Coffee sign - we need both in life, don't we?), t-shirt, anything your mind can imagine.

Good luck and can't wait to design something for you!

It's Party Time...Almost!

Baby Dos you are 11 months! Well, you've been 11 months for four days now...I'm a little late. Sorry about that, but life is crazy busy and if I didn't do this tonight it would probably be another week before I got to this post because we leave for camp tomorrow. Your first time at camp. Last year, you decided to be born during the week of camp. It was a couple days after you were born Papi left to pick up our campers and they made a pit-stop to come see you.

Now, it's almost been a full year. I can't believe it!

You're pulling yourself up, sitting yourself down - you were getting yourself stuck in the standing position and would cry for rescue - babbling, you have two bottom teeth, and love to play with your sister. I find the two of you in her room all the time, laughing at every thing she does. I'm glad that you were born with a playmate. I can't imagine you being an only child because you love others so very much.

You like to eat, but are picky about the way you eat it. Sometimes you don't mind if we feed you and sometimes you want to eat it all by yourself. It makes meal times a bit stressful, but some cute pictures have come out of it. You're good with a sippy cup and tonight you let me read a book to you without ripping it out of my hands. Progress!

One more month, Baby Dos, and you'll be a year old. I'm excited to watch you grow, but I also want you to stop. My prayer is that you stay the same sweet, loving boy that you are for always.

We needed Baby Girl's help again because you kept trying to escape!

Ten Months!

Baby Girl helped with this one!

Happy 10 Month Birthday, Baby Dos! You had a little trouble not chewing on the numbers so Baby Girl helped you out a bit. You didn't seem to mind.

Well, it's been a journey to get this far, but life has now settled down some...for now. We do run into new adventures weekly it seems. You do great though. The times where you are done with life are when you're hungry and tired, though you do get frustrated at times. While your sister would just move onto something else you tend to scream at whatever it is that isn't working for you. You babble all the day long, mostly saying, "blah, blah, blah". You are also so very much entertained by Baby Girl. Anything she does is magical to you. It's adorable to hear and watch the two of you finally playing together.

You crawl to travel places now and have made your way all over the house including outside. It's because of this crawling that every tiny object ends up in your mouth! You are able to pull yourself up, but cry because you don't know how to get back down. Eating is your favorite time and you eat just about everything we give you. Sometimes we eat too close to naptime and that isn't much fun for either of us. I think I can safely say that you are sleeping through the night...nightime feedings are done! That's a bonus for your Mommy!

Baby Dos you still love others so very much and you charm everyone with your blue eyes and smile. Happy birthday, Baby Dos...love you!

No number here because we were at the hotel for this birthday.

Instagram pictures for while we were at Great Ga's house.

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Baby Boy...Nine Months Out!

You grew up this last week. I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden you're crawling - instead of dragging your lifeless body behind you - clapping, eating snacks...my roly poly baby boy is growing up! You remind me of a roly poly because you're so round and compact. Last week at your check-up you were 19 pounds. Baby Girl wasn't 19 pounds until she was almost two years old! You are definitely the big-little brother.

You love your big sister so very much. The girl jumps and you laugh. A common thing she says to you is, "No, no, no Baby Boy" in her sweetest voice. This last a couple of times and then she just screams at you. There are those sweet, out-of-nowhere moments where she comes up to you and kisses you and even shares a toy or two.

Daddy loves you! Loves, loves, loves you! I remember when the doctor told me I was having a boy. Immediate tears of joy because I just knew you were going to be just like your daddy. So kind, loving, and a wonderful smile...and you've been smiling since day one. You really have. It's such a wonderful smile and it starts from early morning until about 6pm. After that, life is a little hard for you to get through, but it's okay because bedtime is at 7pm.

You have changed our lives. There is more laughing, playing, and definite learning. We have learned that just because you have had one baby does not mean you know what to do with a second baby, but you have made that process joyful with just a little bit of pain - due to the not sleeping through the night yet! You have had quite an interesting nine months of life and have slept under quite a few roofs so maybe that's why a full nights sleep has yet to occur.

You were born in Orange County (in the living room to be exact), spent New Year's in Mexico, lived with Great Ga for a couple of months, and have been in a hotel for the last 23 days! Don't worry - we'll be in our home, in the room you'll have for probably your whole life until you move out within the next week or so. This home will be where we'll get to watch you take your first steps, say your first words, drive your sister crazy, owies, first days of school, and I can't go any further than that because it makes me want to cry.

Baby Boy, I love you. I love you because you love to cuddle, rest your head on me, get so excited whenever you see Great Ga, Ga, and Daddy that your chubby legs go crazy and you start flapping your arms. You're going to fly any day now! I love you because you have your Daddy's blue eyes and his love for others. I love you because I can't believe God blessed me with a son whom I get to watch grow up into a godly man. I look so forward to your life (maybe I just look really forward to you sleeping through the night) and being a proud mama as I stand next to you, my son.

Baby Dos is Six Months!

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He is six months today! I'm actually on time with this post, which is a miracle considering the week we've had and are still having. Sinus and stomach infections are being had by all with the exception of Baby Dos...Thank you, Lord. Truly, truly, thank you Lord for keeping Baby Dos healthy. I think we're all on the mend, but because we were still chasing Baby Girl around with towels and changes of clothes, Baby Dos spent his birthday in his pajamas. Santa Claus pajamas, at that. We're also in the midst of packing. We have exactly one week to go and it all came to a standstill when I was sick on Wednesday. I'm sorry, Baby Dos that your day wasn't celebrated a little bit better. I promise, next month, you'll have our fullest attention.

Baby Dos you can sit up! All by yourself. This started exactly three weeks ago and you sat next to your sister during storytime and you didn't wobble even a bit. You roll over some, but I think it's just because you're content to stay on your back or sitting up. You play with all your toys and your giraffe is your favorite. Everything ends up in your mouth including your sister...when she's sitting too close to you. You still absolutely delight in her and you are also the happiest person in our home at 7am.

You've had some food. A little bit of banana, avocado, and butternut squash mixed with apples. You're still a little unsure of this whole new food world, but you'll get it eventually. No worries. It took your sister about a month to get used to food.

I don't know if it's your continual smile or the way you like to cuddle or your chubby 17-lb (yes, you went to for your check-up on Wednesday and you're already 17 pounds!) body, but you do bring so much joy to us all. You recognize your Gma and are always so excited to see her and you've had some fun play times with your Cousin Panchito and your Auntie. We love, love, love you Baby Dos and I'm so thankful for the gift that you are.

Cousin Time

Today Gma, Auntie, and Panchito came over to visit and play with Baby Girl and Baby Dos. Panchito and Baby Dos are two months apart and both look like their dads, meaning, they don't look brown and have blue eyes. When we're out and about with them people think they're brothers, even twins! Auntie and I wonder who they think we must be...their nannies?

Playing with Gma.

Cousin Bath Time!

At one point the attire was diaper and socks only.