Baby Carson Dedication

Our children are never really ours.

We have prayed for each of our children, whole-heartedly wanting to share our home, faith and experiences with the next generation.  Our prayers for Siena became much more desperate as time dragged on without a child so when she arrived, it was only natural for us to turn her back over to the Creator who gave her to us, just as Hannah did in 1st Samuel Chapter one.

And we prayed for God's timing with baby #2 as Carson arrived at God's appointed time in our lives, spacing out the kids exactly three years apart.  Now that they are both here, what kind of children will they be?  What kind of people will they become down the road?  Will they bring joy and laughter or anguish and pain?

This weekend as we dedicated Carson back to our Lord and Savior, we prayed that he would grow into a boy and some day a man of courage and integrity, displaying his kindness, faith and heart of peace to all he meets.  As Pastor Jim Weidman prayed over Carson on Sunday night, we were surrounded by great friends and a fantastic uncle because it takes a village to raise a child up right.  No one person has all the answers.  Thank you to all of you who have been involved and shared in loving our precious gifts.  They are not always angels but they are always loved unconditionally.

Halloween Fun

Autumn; my favorite time of the year!!  The leaves show off their gorgeous hues, Indian summer temperatures linger in our part of the country with a nip in the air in the evenings for bon fires and hot chocolate and there is the fun and excitement of dressing up and asking for treats!  This year was no different as we hosted our 9th annual Halloween party.  It's been interesting to see how our friends and the dynamic of the party, mainly the ending time, has changed.  We are no longer carrying on until late in the night; this year, the house was empty by 10pm.  But that doesn't change all the fun and laughs we had.

Trick-Or-Treating is always a hoot!  We have never visited the same area twice.  This year we were on the Public Square in the afternoon with some of Siena's friends.  The weather was nice and what a great parade of kid's costumes and friendly businesses to mingle with.  Carson napped the entire time but woke up in time to meet his first Ninja Turtle, aka, Uncle Dave.  He and Lashon spoiled Siena with some larger treats that will last longer than her sweet tooth (A book of poems, a light up necklace, spider rings and so much more).

In other news, Siena has taken another step and is 100% potty trained, on her own.  She decided one night that she didn't want to wear her pull-up.  We found the dry diaper and her pjs on the bathroom floor with our big girl asleep in her big girl bed and changed into big girl panties.  Her parents can take no credit; she has completed this big step on her own.  When we stopped pressuring her, she did it all herself!  And Carson must have been amused because he has began smiling at us.  He didn't want to be left out of the joke.  His cheeks are round and chubby so a smile is the perfect accent for our little man.  

Moving On

Our house has adjusted to life with a newborn and a pre-k.  Siena had her 3rd birthday in September following the addition of her new brother.  We celebrated with ice cream with the grandparents, cupcakes with Mommy & Daddy and watching Nemo on the big screen.  That makes 4 of us with September birthdays (Milo turned 10 years old=70 years in doggie years on the 8th).

Carson is officially 6 weeks old, nearly 10 lbs and has moved out of his newborn clothes.  His little face smiles for us as he sleeps and his inquisitive eyes go against social code and stare at you endlessly.  He is so precious.  As predicted, he is the opposite of his sister Siena when it comes to eating but his joy radiates through out our home, just as hers does.  Siena is such a proud sister who requests to hold him once a day and is sure to make sure his 4 loveys are by his side.  She has adjusted well because while Carson sleeps, she still can play with Mommy & Daddy or Papa & Gama (or Mema) if they are in town.  Her world has only been changed for the better, so far.

But all the grandparents have safely returned back to Kansas though the memories they created while visiting will stay with us.  Once again, our days have been simplified with walks in the new double stroller, riding the tricycle outside, coloring pictures or cooking dinner together when Kurt is home from work.  God has blessed us richly with a boy and a girl and much more than we could ever ask for.  2012 has been incredibly good to us.

And One More Makes Five

"It's A Boy!"  Those were Kurt's first words when our son was born last Tuesday morning at 11:02am.  We have been so blessed and we feel so honored to be able to welcome Carson Michael into our family.  He is a beautiful replica of our daughter Siena weighing just a pound more and an inch longer than she did three years ago.  And Milo is adjusting well, for all those who love him just as much as our two legged kids.

I started having contractions on Labor Day (how fitting) so we walked around the mall and Wal-Mart trying to encourage baby to come.  But it wasn't until I decided to turn in for the night that those contractions became consistent and closer together.  So our dear friend Amy Jo came over to sleep on the couch while we headed to the hospital at midnight.  But labor continued on into the morning since Raspberry was facing up instead of down.  With two incredible labor and delivery nurses, we were able to get baby to move facing down and ready to deliver before the doctor could even walk through the door.  And with just a few pushes, we had the American Dream; a girl and a boy and a dog.

Siena was so excited to meet her baby brother.  She was anxious to hold him and watches over him throughout the day.  Our second day home, she wanted to be just like him and take a nap where he was napping.  Thank you to all of you for your well-wishes, kind words, acts of service and just sharing in the joy that can only come from the Lord above.  The Lord giveth and taketh but today, we are praising Him for His gifts and for giving us the chance to care for his precious children.

Lazy Days of Summer

Most families are busy with craziness of life; activities, events, trips, etc.  Sometimes we even try to compete and one-up each other on how busy WE are.  Our family is a little different from the norm.  Our days are slow with activities that can be postponed, if necessary.  We spend plenty of quality time doing simple things such as making dinner, playing ball outside, going for walks, taking Siena swimming and having meals with friends.  I never thought I would enjoy such a quiet lifestyle, but God has been speaking to me over the years, encouraging me gently to "Be still.  Don't be in such a hurry."  

Why are we in such a hurry?  What does the next day or week hold?  More of the same.  A longer to do list of things that don't matter at the end of the month or year.  From the outside, this slower life seems boring and sometimes, it is.  I will be the first to admit that.  I thrive off action, adrenaline, a to-do list, but who can live like that long term?  Who wants their existence to be measured by what they have accomplished, especially when those tasks are more important to me than the greater good of humanity?  All I really have control over is our little corner of Carlow Court and my family that dwells there.  So we read the newspaper and the Bible, we draw sidewalk pictures, take Milo for walks, visit Daddy at his clinic and enjoy the slower times that have given this family a reason to smile through the lazy days of summer.  

Spring is in Bloom

It's Springtime in Tennessee. The daffodils have sprung and the trees are in bloom. It feels great to be ready for a new season even though the winter was not a harsh one. Siena is growing more into herself with each passing day. She enjoys playing with Milo and helping Daddy out with any project, including making pasta. She loves to dance and screams to do so until we turn on the music. At her Story time, she grabbed the hands of her friend, Eliana, and started to dance with her like she dances with her daddy, but Ellie wasn't sure what to do yet. Siena is a social butterfly who loves to see people and greets them at the door enthusiastically. Her words are taking becoming more pronounced and she can now tell the difference between a cow and a horse. She just got a new standing sandbox that has captured her attention as she learns the consistency of the sand and how to pour it from one location to another. Siena is also very excited to become a big sister in September. She has attended all the appointments with us, she has heard the heartbeat and we practice loving the baby with kisses at bedtime. Siena will be a loving big sister who will be ready to teach her brother or sister what she has already learned.

Christmas Joy with a Two Year Old

For the past 2 Christmas seasons, Kurt and I have looked forward to sharing the season with our daughter Siena. As an infant and a new toddler, Siena didn't get as thrilled about Christmas as we remember ourselves being. This year was a step to understanding why we celebrate the birth of Jesus every December. We sang Christmas songs and put up the Christmas tree together. She did get involved in putting the ornaments on the tree (Thank goodness for our investment in shatter proof decorations). She asked daily about the nativity advent calendar that we used to count down the days until Christmas. And yes, Siena figured out how to open her presents and didn't mind ripping the paper. Her reaction to Christmas morning was to jump up and down when she received "Toy Story 3". It was a treat to her joy and excitement which added to our enjoyment of this Christmas season.
But as you can see, Siena really enjoyed her cousins the most. She is such a social girl and thrives on play time with others, even if they are smaller than her, like Sebastian. Size doesn't matter, as she pushes cousin Cheyenne in a baby stroller. With any luck, the importance of family time will stick with her through the years.