Its almost that time....

Thanksgiving Day (the only pic. I took--bad mother!) :(

Ok, so its the last day of the 2nd to last month of 2009. We are in holiday prep mode, got the candle lights in the windows & the boxes out to decorate & getting a tree tomorrow. Today Eli & I discussed what we want to focus on as we prepare to share Advent & Christmas with our daughter for the 1st time. Yes, we realize she's a little young to understand it, but we also want to lay the foundation for years to come. Eli & my childhood's were VERY different when it comes to Christmas: His was focused on Advent & giving. They received gifts only to give them away to more needy families. When your father is a Pastor & your mother is a missionary the focus is going to be different. Mine was making Santa lists, getting pictures taken with the Jolly old man, watching all the Christmas shows & having sleepless Christmas Eve nights in hopes not to run into Santa (yes-I really worried about that).

So we're trying to mesh these two very different worlds together. Since Eli & I have been together we've really cherished Christmas Eve & being able to worship that night. We've spent many holidays on our own due to always living so far from family & now we hope to create new traditions with Liliana. This alone is such a beautiful gift.

Thankful

I am so thankful for two people I have never & will never get to meet. The first being my birth mother. A person for reasons I do not know surrendered being a mom to me. I do truly believe she allowed me to have opportunities that I'm not so sure I would have been exposed to. I am thankful that something in her heart allowed her to hand me over to caring people. I, being a mom now, don't think I could do that. Liliana is almost the same age I was when I came to the states. I'm pretty sure there is NO way I could part w/her now. Thank-you birth mom in making this decision that probably seemed bigger than you at the time, but I know that God guided you in the right direction.

Secondly to Maria Osorio Rodriguez, a mother that I will never get to meet either. I know she must have been a caring, selfless, wise women. Full of love & compassion for others. I know this because your son, my husband is so full of life because of you. I couldn't have crafted a more thoughtful, caring husband than the one that you nurtured. At times I feel like I know you from all the stories Eli tells me, but I recognize I was just not fortunate enough to get to know you personally. Thank-you for the person that you were.

@ 4 months I like to....

4 Month Stats

Liliana's 4 Month Stats:

Weight: 15 lbs 5 oz (85%)
Height: 25 3/4 inches (95%)
Head Cirum: 41.4 cm (65%)

Bad momma, she had her 4 month doctor's appointment last Friday on her actual 4 month birthday.

*At 4 months:
->Introduced her to the jumperoo & is beginning to take a liking to it
->Also introduced her to rice cereal, which she loves. Trying to keep up w/her appetite has been challenging.
->Playful, smiley & chatty

*pics to come....

On My Mind

I try to live my life by God's grace, I've realized the more I surrender the more at peace I find myself to be. This is so much easier said than done, so when I get wound up & worry about the health of loved ones, its so easy to feel out control. So I try to refocus & come back to the 'healthy' place. God grant us grace as we wait for answers. I hope we feel even more at peace with what may come. Our life feels a little unsettled right now. I've been back to work now close to 8 weeks, Eli continues to work part time & our little sweet Lili continues to grow by leaps & bounds. We are blessed to have jobs, but I feel so strong in my heart that something will change in a big way.

The juggle of working, caring for Liliana, doing lay ministry & being a family unit & finding time to sleep is well challenging. But time passes & we are just so blessed to be Liliana's parents.

Week by week

Everytime Thursday rolls around I wonder how could another week pass by. Thursday or Fridays really aren't the 'tgif' kind of days like they are for most folks. My schedule is all over the place & at this time in a good way. For instance I worked Sunday night...so
Monday: consisted of getting through the first part of the day awake w/Liliana & then napping when Eli got home from BTs, which I did this time. Which doesn't always happen. Then Community Group Monday night.
Tuesday: Awoke & met the gals for coffee @ BT, while in the process of getting a nice long run/walk in on the Tobacco Trail(TT). Then I actually picked up a few hours of work at the hospital, and headed there till 7pm. Working 4 hrs seemed like a drop in the bucket compared to the 12+ I typically do. Then I arrived home to an awake babe & a hungry husband & a tasty calzone. :)
Wednesday: Brought along a roadtrip for Liliana & I, only to Raleigh but to a part we hadn't been before, I like exploring new places. We visited a friend that I work with & her two little kiddos. It was a fun afternoon, w/lunch @ Panera Bread & all.
Ending the afternoon w/Eli & a walk on the TT.
Thursday (today): Hanging out, quiet time w/Liliana & back to work tonight & tomorrow night. :) So as you see my M-F work week is squished into 2 nights, oh plus Sunday night too.


Liliana:

Is just shy of 4 months, tomorrow is truly the day. With a doctor's appointment and all. Fun, I like getting her stats. :)
These days she's keeping us on our toes:
*Some nights she sleeps straight through, ok only two of them & they were great.
Otherwise she goes down around 8pm & wakes up around midnight to eat. I feed her, she falls asleep-the world is good. I go back to sleep, hear crying, I know I haven't been sleeping long & get up to feed her again, only to learn that only 45 mins. have passed since the last feeding~ugh, but she eats...& usually she sleeps till 5 or 6ish. She seems to sleep in longer streches for Eli, not sure if she's getting more from the bottle & thats why....hmmmmmm....
*Rolls over a lot & sleeps on her belly (she still can't find her way back to her back)
*Loves to chat it up
*And get this--she IS taking the bottle!!