Going somewhere!

My little munchkin is changing daily. You know its true in the back of your mind, but sometimes you forget and over time you notice the big changes but then realized you missed the tiny changes that happened each day to add up to that big change at the end of the month.

Noelle is in a stage where so much can change IN A DAY. It's incredible to watch!!  She has been so close to crawling for a month or more it feels like. Sometimes we wondered if she was going to be one of those kids that just skipped it entirely and preferred to wait and just walk one day. She has always loved standing WAY more than being on her tummy, so it seemed possible.

Then on her 8 month birthday (Sun Jan 27) she took (what I believe) was the tiniest but very real first crawl. I'm not talking about squiggling around and pseudo army crawling...I'm talking about hands and knees on the ground legit crawl. It was so fast and tiny and I missed capturing it with my phone. Even though I tried very hard, I could not get her to do it again.

Fast forward to tuesday night (Jan 29) and I was getting some laundry put in the dryer while she happily played on the living room floor. I walked back into the living room and saw her on her hands and knees...and then she moved forward! I quickly grabbed my phone to capture it on video, and luckily I captured this:

Sorry for the poor lighting, my loud and excited squeals and her extremely snotty nose. You can also see how frustrated she is that she isn't going as fast as she wants!  It was very exciting to see her do something that she has been trying to do for weeks. 

So then I thought to myself, "Dang, I wonder how long I have left to baby proof the bookshelves in the living room..."

Then Wednesday happened. And Thursday morning this is where we are at...

Can you believe how much can change in just 24 hours?! Looks like being 8 months old is going to be very exciting for little miss!

January 29, 2006

Today, I am 7.  :)

Let me explain...

I was 22 years old. I was a newlywed. I was fresh out of college and had only been at my job for 8 months. I didn't know my purpose in life. I was still struggling with anxiety and worry. And I was the new girl at lifegroup.  And that's where He found me...

I remember where I sat in Sarah's living room. I had my back to the front of the house. I was still getting to know all these new faces and still getting comfortable at our new church. Then, one of the more quiet girls named Mel (who seemed really nice and I'm pretty sure I thought she was awesome right away) shared her story. She talked about how she grew up a preacher's kid and had always tried to do the right thing and please her parents. She had acted like a Christian, knew how to talk like a Christian, and had gone through the motions of being a Christian. But one day in 2005, she realized she was NOT a Christian. She had known all about Jesus but had never begun a relationship with Him.

And that's when I heard Him for the first time in my life. It wasn't audible, but it felt more audible than any of the other voices in the room at that moment. So sweetly He told me, "Abby, I don't know you."

I had been struggling with doubt for as long as I could remember and especially as I had listened to other people's stories at church. What did these people mean when they said they thought they were a Christian but then discovered they were only playing the part? That verse in Matthew 7 had always been puzzling to me...

In just 5 words from Him, it was settled and He showed me that I had never given my heart to Him and had never received His grace and forgiveness for myself.

Oh sure, I had told Jesus I believed in Him, I had said all the right things, prayed the right prayers, read my bible, gone to bible studies, sang worship songs to Him, gone to church faithfully, etc, etc...

But I didn't do it to know HIM. I did it for acceptance, approval, and out of loneliness (but not the kind of loneliness that made me want God to fill the gaps.)

I wrestled with what to do with this new information! Do I interrupt lifegroup? Do I tuck it away until I can get home and talk to Josh? Choices, choices...

But Jesus loved me too much to let me wait very long. 

So upstairs in the purple room, on the comfy bed, my dear friend Danielle took a risk and asked me - "So what is your story Abby?"

She got an earful that she wasn't expecting!!  She took me by the hand and helped me run to my Savior. I finally understood that He only wanted me. Not anything I could ever do for Him. He didn't want me to keep rules or just be good, He wanted me to rest in His grace and love. And I accepted!  I traded all my good garbage and my stupid spiritual resume for His perfect record.

I had never known rest like that before. I could breathe. I saw the world in a new light. I saw people in a new light. But I mostly I saw the One who gave His life to rescue me just because He couldn't bear to be without me.

Make no mistake, I am still God's work in progress. And now that I have known Jesus and walked with Him for 7 amazing years - I can say that I have barely scratched the surface in understanding the depth of His love and His character. He is so much more than I ever could have realized, and I get to learn more and more about Him for the rest of my life until I get to see Him face to face in Heaven.

If you don't have a date like January 29, 2006 - please know that you can! And it would truly be my honor to help you get to Jesus when you are ready. You don't have to wait one more day to know Him for yourself!

We are not meant to be fuzzy on knowing the day that your life and eternity changed forever. It all happens in a moment, and it matters to remember that moment for the rest of your life. It is a way to always be reminded of the cross and the sacrifice that was paid for you, and to live a life of gratitude!

"God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." 1 John 4:9-10 NLT

8 Month Update!

The munchkin is 8 months old today!

Here are some fun facts about this continual bundle of joy:

Favorite Food: I still believe it is Mama's milk...but this past month she has started enjoying food more. She seems to enjoy pears & sweet potatoes more than other things.

Favorite Toy: It's a toss up between trash (wrappers & paper) and Tupperware I think


New Tricks: This past month she has learned mimicking (she would laugh/cough with me at times and also do this funny panting thing my Mom taught her) and also peek-a-boo.  She is hilarious at it... my favorite has been waving though. I love that she will wave to people on TV!!

Milestones: Noelle has yet to crawl, but she really wants to. She can do all the movements but she can't seem to coordinate them all together. However, she loves to walk! Hold her hands and she will do the rest. She also enjoys standing up by herself while holding onto something. She needs a little help getting up, but loves it once she is up.

Surprises: Still no teeth! I can see where those little buds are, and my guess is her bottom left tooth will be the first, but their arrival is still not imminent.

Noises: Month 7 was full of "dadadadada..." and this month she hasn't used a dominant sound. Probably more "bababa" but still no "mmmm" sounds. Dang. And by far her most common sentiment is still "geeeee".

I'm looking forward to month 9!! Noelle continues to get more fun as the days go by, and before I know it she will be a full on toddler and not my little baby.

How to Survive the First 8 Months!

It's hard to believe that my little girl is almost 8 months old. I know it is nothing, and soon I will be wondering how she became 18 years old...but still - this has felt like the fastest 8 months of my life! This tiny little girl has been the biggest gift from God. I could not have dreamed up a more amazing kid if I tried.  I know most parents feel this way about their kids, but seriously...she is INCREDIBLE!

I have some tips for some of you soon to be parents out there, or maybe you are brand new parents and still trying to figure it all out. Heck, maybe you are just thinking about having a kid at this point! I've learned a lot in the past 8 months and I am sure each day will only bring more revelations.

1. Get help for the first 1-2 weeks: After 9+ months of growing a child, you will need assistance when he/she arrives. You will be unbelievably tired and emotional and you just need someone to hand the baby to so you can go to the bathroom. Trust me. I had my mom with me for 10 glorious days after Noelle was born and she was a lifesaver. Whether it is a mom, grandma, mother in law, aunt, friend, crazy next door neighbor, whatever...find someone to help you.
   
   
2. Take it one day at a time and don't stress too much: You are getting to know that little person on a daily basis. What works one day will not work the next day, and that is ok. Chances are after a few days or so you will be the person who knows your kid THE BEST. Isn't that a settling truth? No one will know your kid quite as well as you do. This means you need to take a deep breath and roll with the punches. I spent so much time stressing over my little bundle of joy refusing to sleep on her own in her crib. Guess what? She does it great now. Guess what else? I kinda miss how I could ALWAYS get her to sleep on my chest so soundly. She really sleeps better on her own 95% of the time. Somewhere along the way I luckily realized I could stop obsessing over where she slept, and just know that I would always do what was best to get her to rest. Now I try to enjoy the times she needs to sleep with me. In the very near future she will not want to sleep or snuggle with me much at all!!
   
   
3. Set up a routine as soon as you can: You may not be a person who thrives on routine, but I love it. Turns out most babies love it too! It helps them get in predictable patterns and then they aren't as much of a mystery to you. They know what to expect and respond better to the jarring reality that they aren't in the womb anymore.  I personally loved The Baby Whisperer method. I understood more of what Noelle was needing and how to help her develop a routine. By 3-4 weeks old I knew what to expect and when to expect it. SUPER helpful.
   
   
4. Don't be obsessed with sticking to the routine: This may seem to negate #3, but the other really important thing about routines is that you have to let yourself be flexible. I have done plenty of things that the "Baby Whisperer" would probably shake her head at me in disappointment, but I knew what was best for Noelle and me at the time. Some days babies just have "off days" and everything is blown out of the water. Oh well. They aren't going to remember it 20 years from now much less 20 hours from now. So do your best, but chances are you are going to adapt it to fit your life and your kid as needed. Her days with me are far different from her days with Josh - and she adjusts accordingly!
   
   
5. Find Mommy friends to ask questions to: My favorite support system has been my mommy friends. Whether they have a kid who is 2 weeks older than Noelle or 2 years older, they have such great experience to tap into. My mom and mother-in-law have been great helps too - but the best advice has come from my friends who have very recently gone through the same thing. Baby guidelines have changed drastically since we were babies, so my friends offer something my parents can't!  If you don't have friends your age that have gone before you by a few months or years, find a group! There are some Mommy support groups out there if you do the work to search for them.
   
   
6. Let some stuff go: You will not be able to do it all with an infant around. Some things will have to fall by the wayside...like having a lovely clean house all the time, wearing makeup on a regular basis, or cooking dinner every night (or ever in some seasons!) Don't let it get to you. Your baby is only a baby for a short season, so enjoy it while it is here!
   
   
7. Spend some time away from the baby: I have the gift/curse (haha) of being a part time stay at home mom and part time employee. It's hard for sure some days, but I know it is so good for her to be with Josh  and I know it is good for me to talk to grown ups. Even if you don't work, you can enjoy volunteering somewhere. I am away from the munchkin one night a week and on Saturdays most weekends while I volunteer at church. At Quest they provide childcare for volunteers during services, which is so great, and luckily I have found great people who are willing to help me while I volunteer during other times so I don't have to hire sitters. That time away makes you cherish and appreciate the time with your baby even more, and it is SO GOOD for kids to be around lots of people who love them. I really believe in the mentality of it takes a village to raise a kid...we are social creatures people, and I think it is important to have a well-socialized kid. It will make your life so much easier in the long run.
   
   
8. Don't forget to invest in your marriage: Date night, date night, date night. As soon as you are comfortable, get in the habit of a regular date night where you go OUT of the house. It can be for just an hour at first if you want, but do it. You will probably talk about how amazing your kid is the whole time, but you need to continue investing in each other. Marriage takes work, and even if you see each other more because there is a baby you will still need separate one on one time with your spouse.

There you go - a tip for each month the little booger has been in our lives!!  I hope you found it was helpful in some form or fashion! There is so much more I could tell you, so if you ever have a question refer to #5 and get in touch with me :)

Sunny Afternoons in the Winter

I'm going to call this type of post more of a picture post...I know it will be highly enjoyed and I won't have to write too much!

Noelle loves to play these days, which is incredibly fun to watch. She can just play and play and play and then suddenly she sounds annoyed and you realize it is time for her to eat or nap. She has this great little foam floor pad that Bama (aka Aunt Mary Lou) got for her. It has been very helpful with having hard wood floors and all.

We had a great time one afternoon last week playing in the sunshine on the living room floor. It felt like such a breath of fresh air after so many cloudy days - and I even like cloudy days!  I decided to take advantage of the fun lighting and take some pictures. So here she is, in all her cuteness:

Yes that is some bread she is eating - it was her first bit of french bread...she highly enjoyed gnawing on it!

Look at that crazy hair!

What Mama? I'm trying to play here!

She loves to just stare at you with those big blue eyes and poke her tongue out while she makes lots of sweet baby noises. At some point I will have to tell her that hanging her tongue out like that is a little rude, but for now I've decided to try not to swoon from all the cuteness!

10 Whole Years!

As of yesterday (January 20th), Josh and I have been officially dating and/or married for TEN WHOLE YEARS.  Where did the time go my friends? I'm stinkin' old. Or rather, I met my spouse darn young!

I remember that day like it was almost yesterday!

It was MLK, Jr. day, and we had the Monday off at school. We had just gone skiing the weekend before with a big group of friends. It was actually my first (and only) time skiing. Our mini dates had been escalating and it was clear that this was headed somewhere.

So we met for lunch at Ramsey's down on High Street. They sat us at the most awkward table. It was a table for 6 in the middle of a room surrounded by tables for 2! I know I felt like the rest of the room was watching our whole lunch, like we were on display or something.

I have no idea what I ordered, probably because I was barely hungry and quite nervous.  I know we had fun and I know it was slightly awkward. But I also know it will be an enjoyable story that I hope our kid(s) and hopefully someday grandkids will love to hear.

Josh started to explain how he felt about me...by using quotes from "Dumb & Dumber" which was quoting "Forrest Gump" - classic.

He basically said, "Every time I'm around you a feel a little bit like Lloyd in Dumb and Dumber when he says to Mary 'I like you a-lot.'"

I'm pretty sure my face was flushed red at that point. He then proceeded to ask me to be his girlfriend, which obviously, I said yes.  And so there has been a "Josh and Abby" ever since.

He's been with me through many highs and lows since then, and no one loves me like he does. I couldn't have asked for a more faithful and caring husband.  Thanks for taking a chance on me Josh Watkins - I'm so grateful to be your wife and I love you. :)

Two tiny youngin's circa March 2003. I think we get better with age :)

Goals

This past Sunday, Pastor Pete gave our annual vision weekend message. It was fabulous - start to finish! I encourage you to listen or watch the message on www.questcommunity.com or there is a fabulous ap you can download for your Iphone/Ipod or Android devices. I highly recommend the ap since personally I rarely listen to stuff on my computer these days.

Anyway, a part of the sermon that I very much enjoyed was learning a little more about Emmitt Smith - mostly about his goals. The man had goals and dreams in his life from such an early age! And it got me thinking..."Dang, when was the last time I had some goals?!"

This will be telling of my personality, but hey - if you can't be honest on your blog, where can you be honest?

I probably tend not to set goals...because I don't want the disappointment of not reaching them. *Sigh* - what a sucky reason. But if you don't actually take the time to write out your goals they have what feels like a 100% chance of not coming to fruition at all. So to break that habit, I have to take some action.

This year - 2013 - I'm setting some stinkin' goals. Now Emmitt's ranged from major stuff, to something simple he could totally just make happen (go to Disneyland, being an example). So I'm going to follow suit!

So here goes:

1. Lead at least 3 people to Christ this year
2. Find full freedom in my job (whether it is staying where I am or finally moving on - it's time to DO SOMETHING about it)
3. Finish paying off our student loan debt
4. Take an advancing step in my serving role at church (not sure what it is yet, but I know there is always a next step!)
5. Go to the Y at least once a week WITH Josh Watkins, and at least once a week with a lifegrouper or friend :)
6. Learn how to do 3 new things
7. Take at least a one night getaway with the hubs at some point
8. Own less stuff...purge unused stuff from our home!
9. Paint my nails at least once a month because it makes me feel pretty :) (yes, that is a GOAL as a new mom by the way...it takes planning and effort!)

I'm stopping at 9 because it is my favorite number...who says you have to have 10 goals?!

And to inspire you all I am including a copy of Emmitt Smith's goals from his 1993-1994 season. Enjoy!!

And so it begins...

I have attempted blogs in the past. Either I never got them published or I published something but never shared anything about it.  The truth is, I have been torn about having a blog at all.

On one side, it appeals to me. I like a forum to be able to share my thoughts and be creative from time to time. I've spent so many years writing in school, and its a creative outlet that is enjoyable to me at times.

On the other side, who on earth would want to read anything I have to say? I mean, I'm fun to talk to for sure, but do I really have any original thoughts that anyone would even care to read? Or even when it comes to life updates, do I have anything overly exciting to share that anyone other than my immediate family and friends would enjoy an update on?

Well, it's a new year and I decided now is as good a time as any!

I've got this dreamy little girl in my care - and at the very least, I know far away family and friends would love to ooh and ahh over little details about her development and the fun things that happen in ordinary day to day life. I may not be good at posting those things on facebook and twitter all the time, but I think I could blog about it. Plus, my mom refuses to be on facebook, but I think she would read my blog :)

And on top of that - I would have documentation of this little girl along the way. Bonus! Much easier than keeping up with her baby book in my humble opinion.

So there will be lots of fun Noelle updates (sorry, you missed out on the first 7.5 months of her life...quick summary: it was awesome and she is incredible!)  But there will be also other musings and the like that come up at random. Don't expect a ton of posts people...I have a full life and this blog will not be a priority. It will be a fun, creative outlet...I am realizing more and more how much that can fuel me and even help me process life as a daughter, wife, mother, and friend.

So enjoy the story as it progresses!