It's been an eventful week here, full of fresh air and parks and nature explorations. Some highlights were:
- going to graduation parties. It only took Karis one such party experience to ask when we were ready to leave for the next one, "What are we gonna eat there, momma?" One even had a bouncy house, which, combined with the crazy hot day made for one red-cheeked little girl. We escorted her to the basement when we got home to cool off.
- examining huge green caterpillars perched on a neighbors' bush . . . it'll be interesting to see if they remain there to cocoon
- seeing baby birds in their nests in another neighbors backyard
- discovering a mulberry bush down the street and picking the berries, singing "here we go round the mulberry bush"
Notice, not much is happening in OUR back yard. And that's okay, we enjoy the fruits in other places for sure. I can't imagine that Karis will EVER have a graduation party!
We had the joy of having our first midwife appointment yesterday. Trev got to join and we sat in awe at hearing this baby's heartbeat for the first time. Life is a miracle. A crazy thing happened in the waiting room: Trev stepped out to take a phone call, and shortly after this beautiful and very pregnant woman approached me and asked if my daughter's name is Karis. I was so taken aback and my mind was racing trying to think of where I might know her from. She explained that she saw my husband step out, and she recently met him and Karis at a nearby park. Well, once she told me her name (Maryama, a memorable name for sure) I was completely floored! Trevor and Karis have been talking about her and we've been praying for her at night, for her and her baby who is close to being born. It was so random and bizarre and wonderful to have that chance encounter. I hope we meet them again, I'm so curious and prayerful today about their baby (she was being induced yesterday). I appreciate how this big city can feel so small (like when I ran into a neighbor today at the grocery store - love it).
Not 2 hours after that appointment, I was at the park with Karis and started chatting with a mom . . . turns out her due date is just a few days later than mine. It was special to have those connections to make the day memorable.
To top off the day, last night Trevor and I went out to celebrate our 8 year wedding anniversary. We grabbed some hot food from Whole Foods and took it for a picnic at Lake of the Isles. We enjoyed sitting on our fluorescent beach towels and watching everyone else exercise while we ate. We did not go for a walk afterward, we instead packed up and went to YUM for decaf and cookies - a good night, hopefully memorable (we can't seem to remember from one year to next how we celebrated the previous year. We finally remembered that last year was Chipotle and Dairy Queen ice cream cake with my bro and his girlfriend - I know, we're so fancy, right?!). Tonight for the "actual anniversary" we're including Karis in a run to get some "Old McDonald's ice cream". Again, fancy. We might actually wear jeans instead of sweatpants, but that's yet to be determined. Anyways, I'm so thankful for the past 8 years of marriage with Trevor - you're the best, Trev. To top off the day, he even ran an errand to Target for just 3 things . . . while I sat in the car and closed my eyes. It was great. I wonder where we will be next year? Hopefully fondly remembering this one.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
That's Modesty
(most of below written a full two weeks ago . . . )
The story of the month is about trying to teach the lesson of modesty to Karis. Karis has a dress that is, in fact, not modest. She loves to wear it and then take her arms out of it, leaving her top unclothed. So in an effort to start some deep lessons early, I tell her to leave her dress on, and that it's called modesty. Now when she takes her arms out of the dress she says, "That's not modesty!". I hid the dress until it fits correctly, however on its way to the appropriate 'for later' closet (yes, we have one of those - this little body has her things crammed into many nooks and crannies in this home) she spotted it and exclaimed, "The modesty dress! Wear it?!". So, the dress is back. I'm happy to report that she now leaves her arms in.
Recent Karisms:
- Singing "One spirit . . . one body . . . ", then saying, "We sing that at church"
- At a restauarant, we were kept telling her "when the man comes back you can have more milk", so she kept saying, "The man is back!"
- "Uncle Drewey, Grandpa Kirkey" funny new names for some family members
- "I'm sick". Something she's never said before. I soon realized that she was simply repeating what she's been hearing me say. Oops.
- "That's your stomach? Mommy's gonna get a baby belly like momma Beth?"
- "Is that the right foot, mommy?" when putting on her shoes
- "You can read the Laura book, grandma" (I love how she gives people permission for what she wants people to do, cracks me up). Other such directives: "You can do that", "You can stand right here", etc.
- "I have choices" (as in, choices for outfits of the day)
- Karis is adjusting to our summer schedule of morning outings. Within minutes of waking she asks: "Where are we going, momma? Who's gonna be there, momma?"
- "I like your haircut, momma" (said correctly after I got a haircut, and unprompted from Trevor. So sweet!)
- "Where's the owie chipmunk?" (we had a no-longer-living chipmunk in our yard . . . she saw my bro and I clean it up)
- Social as ever, Karis will walk up to anyone and say, "What's your name?", immediately followed by, "Look at my nails!" while stretching out her fingers and showing the remnants of fingernail polish on her digits
- New favorite songs: "Pop, goes the weasel", "Skip to My Lou", "Whole World in His Hands"
- Latest favorite books,: All the World, Knuffle Bunny Too, Let it Shine, Morning Has Broken
Perhaps you caught our news from some of the quotes above . . . I'm assuming that if you read this, you already know that Karis is going to be a big sister. We're quite excited, I'm so thrilled and thankful that Karis will have a sibling. The way she adores babies and wants to give them blankets and help in any way is so precious. I know I adore my brother and am so thankful to have a sibling, we're just in awe of God's creation. Also why I've been saying "I'm sick" a little too often (and really, I'm not terribly sick, just kind of enough to whine about it more than I should). I am reminded that not too long ago, proclaiming news like this in a public setting would not be modest! Times have changed, now we touch women's growing bellies and share all sorts of details that would probably make our great-great-grandmother's gasp if they could hear.
A recent memory I'll treasure was sitting in church, Karis cuddled on my lap for most of the sermon. I rarely get cuddles these days, and they are precious! Karis has started saying "I want a hug", and I feel like I could hear that a million times a day.
We had our fair share of drama the past week, we're hoping for this next one to be very boring: - Thursday evening before dinner, Karis fell all the way down the stairs. She was fine, thank God. A little crying and some cuddles, within ten minutes she was re-telling the story and didn't seem traumatized. Trevor said he fell down the stairs a lot as a kid, I said I didn't remember ever falling down stairs. Hmmm.
That same night I also took a tumble, of the fainting kind. It could be a long story, but I'll just say I didn't realize how exhausted I was and I now know not to push my limits. The ER visit was interesting, I had the same doc who treated my burned arm years ago from an incident while working at Caribou. I'm thankful to have learned the limit lesson while my parents were here and able to be with Karis AND help me slow down.
On Saturday, Karis got nail polish in her eye. Again, thank God, no damage done beside some stinging and crying and she is happily retelling that "daddy got in the bath. We went swooosh on my eye. Mommy and daddy fixed it".
Some more recent highlights (the following written the day I'm finally getting around to posting this!)
- We spent last weekend in Park Rapids at a lake with some of Trev's extended family. So beautiful in every way! We celebrated his grandparents 60th wedding anniversary, had a bridal shower for my new sister, took lots of walks, had quality conversations, ate wonderfully and came home encouraged.
- Last week our dear friends (practically family) welcomed their little girl to the world. Welcome, Eliza! She is too precious, and we couldn't be more thankful for her life. Every baby is such a miracle.
- Last night we had a wonderful surprise when my dad's flight was overbooked and he got to stay here through this morning. So fun!
The story of the month is about trying to teach the lesson of modesty to Karis. Karis has a dress that is, in fact, not modest. She loves to wear it and then take her arms out of it, leaving her top unclothed. So in an effort to start some deep lessons early, I tell her to leave her dress on, and that it's called modesty. Now when she takes her arms out of the dress she says, "That's not modesty!". I hid the dress until it fits correctly, however on its way to the appropriate 'for later' closet (yes, we have one of those - this little body has her things crammed into many nooks and crannies in this home) she spotted it and exclaimed, "The modesty dress! Wear it?!". So, the dress is back. I'm happy to report that she now leaves her arms in.
Recent Karisms:
- Singing "One spirit . . . one body . . . ", then saying, "We sing that at church"
- At a restauarant, we were kept telling her "when the man comes back you can have more milk", so she kept saying, "The man is back!"
- "Uncle Drewey, Grandpa Kirkey" funny new names for some family members
- "I'm sick". Something she's never said before. I soon realized that she was simply repeating what she's been hearing me say. Oops.
- "That's your stomach? Mommy's gonna get a baby belly like momma Beth?"
- "Is that the right foot, mommy?" when putting on her shoes
- "You can read the Laura book, grandma" (I love how she gives people permission for what she wants people to do, cracks me up). Other such directives: "You can do that", "You can stand right here", etc.
- "I have choices" (as in, choices for outfits of the day)
- Karis is adjusting to our summer schedule of morning outings. Within minutes of waking she asks: "Where are we going, momma? Who's gonna be there, momma?"
- "I like your haircut, momma" (said correctly after I got a haircut, and unprompted from Trevor. So sweet!)
- "Where's the owie chipmunk?" (we had a no-longer-living chipmunk in our yard . . . she saw my bro and I clean it up)
- Social as ever, Karis will walk up to anyone and say, "What's your name?", immediately followed by, "Look at my nails!" while stretching out her fingers and showing the remnants of fingernail polish on her digits
- New favorite songs: "Pop, goes the weasel", "Skip to My Lou", "Whole World in His Hands"
- Latest favorite books,: All the World, Knuffle Bunny Too, Let it Shine, Morning Has Broken
Perhaps you caught our news from some of the quotes above . . . I'm assuming that if you read this, you already know that Karis is going to be a big sister. We're quite excited, I'm so thrilled and thankful that Karis will have a sibling. The way she adores babies and wants to give them blankets and help in any way is so precious. I know I adore my brother and am so thankful to have a sibling, we're just in awe of God's creation. Also why I've been saying "I'm sick" a little too often (and really, I'm not terribly sick, just kind of enough to whine about it more than I should). I am reminded that not too long ago, proclaiming news like this in a public setting would not be modest! Times have changed, now we touch women's growing bellies and share all sorts of details that would probably make our great-great-grandmother's gasp if they could hear.
A recent memory I'll treasure was sitting in church, Karis cuddled on my lap for most of the sermon. I rarely get cuddles these days, and they are precious! Karis has started saying "I want a hug", and I feel like I could hear that a million times a day.
We had our fair share of drama the past week, we're hoping for this next one to be very boring: - Thursday evening before dinner, Karis fell all the way down the stairs. She was fine, thank God. A little crying and some cuddles, within ten minutes she was re-telling the story and didn't seem traumatized. Trevor said he fell down the stairs a lot as a kid, I said I didn't remember ever falling down stairs. Hmmm.
That same night I also took a tumble, of the fainting kind. It could be a long story, but I'll just say I didn't realize how exhausted I was and I now know not to push my limits. The ER visit was interesting, I had the same doc who treated my burned arm years ago from an incident while working at Caribou. I'm thankful to have learned the limit lesson while my parents were here and able to be with Karis AND help me slow down.
On Saturday, Karis got nail polish in her eye. Again, thank God, no damage done beside some stinging and crying and she is happily retelling that "daddy got in the bath. We went swooosh on my eye. Mommy and daddy fixed it".
Some more recent highlights (the following written the day I'm finally getting around to posting this!)
- We spent last weekend in Park Rapids at a lake with some of Trev's extended family. So beautiful in every way! We celebrated his grandparents 60th wedding anniversary, had a bridal shower for my new sister, took lots of walks, had quality conversations, ate wonderfully and came home encouraged.
- Last week our dear friends (practically family) welcomed their little girl to the world. Welcome, Eliza! She is too precious, and we couldn't be more thankful for her life. Every baby is such a miracle.
- Last night we had a wonderful surprise when my dad's flight was overbooked and he got to stay here through this morning. So fun!
 |
| I found this troll the morning after we found out about the new baby. CRAZY. It was in a random box where I was looking for old picture frames . . . it was mine when I was growing up. It was like this huge (if not seemingly silly) affirmation that yes, we are indeed going to have a baby (we both kept thinking "no way, this can't really be true"). So, Karis got to announce the news to many people, even though she was the last to know. |
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