So Jessica is almost 6 months old - we’re about a week and half away from that mile marker but today I’m going to show you here 5mo. photos.
Enjoy.
Jessica Ranae,
You’ve kept me increasingly busy these past few weeks, you’re on the verge of crawling and almost walking - you don’t like to sit still or stay on my lap long enough to cuddle anymore. Although I try to coarse you into thinking laying on my chest is fun. It doesn’t work. Your personality is showing more and more everyday and you are just a little firecracker. We love you SO much.
You started eating baby food - sweet peas, carrots and sweet poatoes are your favorite so far. And do you ever know how to make a mess! It’s adorable. We have it on video to show you and your friends, maybe even a boyfriend on your 16th, 18th and 21st birthdays and someday when you’re in your 40’s, we’ll show it at your wedding.
Your baby blue eyes and those dimples are the light of my world every morning. You’ve finally stopped waking up at 5 in the morning. Now we’re a bit more normal with a 7-8am wake up call. And when we put you down for a nap you like to hug your crib bumper, stick yourself all the way into the corner of your crib and blow bubbles with your tongue or jibber to the bears on your mobile.
I see more and more people who know me when I’m out with you and everyone always asks how I like being a mom … Jessica, I love being a mom - but more than anything I’m inlove with being YOUR mom. It’s so hard to think that we’re only borrowing you for a short time - but the precious time we do have I am so thankful for. With each passing moment I’m assured that being a mom, being your mom, loving you and someday your sibblings, is what I was put here to do.
You’re still my sweet breath of Heaven - Love,
Mama.
posted on June 30, 2005| 12:35 PM EST
Yesterday we packed our Michigan selves up and traversed down to Shipshewana for the day with my mom. We had a blast. Jessica was a charm as always - smiling for everyone and being content to sit in her car seat for hours at a time. Jesus does love me.
But when I came home, I came home to an ornery husband, and rightfully so. It was hotter inside our house than it was outside - and it was over 90 degree’s yesterday. Needless to say we broke down and bought a window air conditioning unit.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Aaron in the past 5 years - it’s that he can’t STAND heat. Literally. We’re talking temper tantrums and freak-outs. But I still love him, dearly, with all my heart.
I, on the other hand, don’t mind the heat. It’s not my favorite - I like to be comfortable. But I still have a little bit of Texas in my blood I think.
And of course, Jessica Ranae doesn’t know any different. So she’s peachy keen.
In other news - We’re pondering, praying and tossing around the idea of me getting a part time job on some nights and possibly a weekend day. Which I’m having a hard time with - being home, raising our kids is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. But next May the income I do bring in to the house will be stopping and we’re trying to figure out a way to keep that coming in. If I could find something I could do from home for less than 20 hours a week I would be in Heaven, so you could all pray about that too. And the cool thing is, maybe it’ll work out on it’s own - if we’re faithful stewards, it’s possible God will work out the rest.
Aaron and I just got done taking the Crown course - which is a biblically based study on finances. We had a blast with it and learned tons. The biggest thing we need to remember is that our “things” aren’t OUR things - they’re God’s. And we’ve been tested a plenty since we started the course. So we’re trying our hardest to be faithful and stick to our plans for saving and paying off our car to become debt free. I’m convinced Satan has other plans for us - Money is the root of all evil and that’s not just a phrase - when money becomes our motivator - our sole purpose, the thing we strive for … we’re worshiping money, in my opinion.
So when times are tough and you’re thinking of ways to get that extra $50 so you can have a life, you’re pursuing money - not God. So we’re really learning to pursue God first in our decisions, as small as they are. And it’s rewarding to make it to the end of a goal, as small as they are, and be rewarded for it.
Case in point: I had a seriously hard time giving. Tithing was taking MY money and ripping it out of my bleeding hands. I did not like or enjoy giving to my church. But we worked on it for a few weeks and then one week it wasn’t so bad to give, infact I kind of enjoyed it and WOW - it felt good. And then the next week it was easier and so on so forth, now when I write the check, which is the first thing I do after we get paid, it’s like “wow, this is so exciting” …
Anyway, we had made a list of needs and wants and on the want list was new carpet for the basement. There was no way we were going to be getting that any time soon because of the cost and the other priorities in place before that - so we put it on hold but still thought about it. Well, as you may have read, we had water in our basement. Which, true, isn’t a blessing - but for us it was a blessing in disguise. We’re going to be getting new carpet in our basement for what we can afford to spend. Our insurance company doesn’t think it’s a blessing I’m sure, but I’ll be the first to tell you that God works in mysterious ways.
We (Aaron and I) just have to keep remembering that.
posted on June 29, 2005| 9:25 AM EST
We finally got the digital camera back, it was broken and was sent away to be fixed. That was the longest 2 1/2 weeks of my life. And for the rest of history - the most pictureless 2 1/2 weeks of my life. It was a happy happy day when we got it back.
Welcome home, Digi.
And in rememberance of your awesomeness, here are some of the smiles and laughter you’ve caught and kept for us since your return.
posted on June 21, 2005| 5:10 PM EST
It’s happening. She’s on the verge of crawling. She does that ADORABLE little teeter on her hands and knees - she just moves her body back and forth without actually going anywhere. We caught it on tape - and hopefully we’ll be able to catch the first crawls on tape too - but Jessica is a fast one.
My job just got harder. We have yet to get vent covers for our heating ducts, that’ll be happeneing this week. And saftey gates, I’ll be investing in a few of those here pretty soon. I’ll have to be on the look out for some good garage sales with baby items. I’m also in need of a food precessor - we’re getting ready to start solids pretty soon too.
I was hoping to get through our Washington trip in July without having to feed Jessica solids, and I still might be able to - we’ll just have to play it by ear.
posted on June 13, 2005| 8:48 PM EST
A small, itty, bitty - almost non-existent remnant of a tooth it poking through my daughters lower jaw.
She’s not a big fan of the teething rings, she would much rather CHEW ON HER TOUNGE. We know, she’s an inventor of sorts - comes from a line of freaking geniuses.
She’s also discovered my hair - and oh my, it doesn’t go anywhere when I pull on it !!!! But thats ok, because she’s also started to reach for me when someone else is holding her. And that my friends will get you right where the blood flows. She finds comfort and stability in my arms.
COME AND GET ME.
She recently developed a fascination with pillows - they’re big and fluffy and she’s strong enough to whip them around and kick them up and all over, this is a fun new game.
And I’m happy to report that I’m finally able to tell that I am also one of her parents. She resembles me a little more everyday - I also see my sister in some of her faces that she makes. I think it’s the eyes - Must have some Broersma gene in there.
posted on | 10:28 AM EST