Dear Little One// 23 weeks

"Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which it dwells is worth all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ's name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother's heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her lifelong prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!”

Happy 23 weeks my little ninja.

My body is quite tired but I am so happy and grateful

for our time together, even it is at 3 in the morning (;

I love you so very very much 

and I am so thrilled that you are growing stronger

and stronger each day and your sweet kicks,

karate chops, and butt wiggles are testimony to that.

So keep on perfecting your ninja skills my dear little one,

we can't wait to see them outside of my stomach (:

xoxo,

Mama

4 years

... of walking, loving, and "peacing out" together (;

Happy Anniversary my love!

Dear Little One// 21 weeks

Dear Little One,

I guess my Mama intuition was right on (;

We are so happy and excited you are you.

love,

Mama

The summer wind and adventure days

All last week warm sunny weather would play with

whether it wanted to come or not

and then summer came with rush on Thursday

with 91 degrees (!!) and intense sun rays.

And coming from the girl that really doesn't care for summer,

it was delightful (:

And it jumpstarted a very fun few days.

From rooftop picnics with friends, to eating ice chips and hiding from the heat for awhile,

(because you guys, going from a rainy 50 to a sunny 91 is quite the adjustment!)

to walks in between t-storms so we could find the flowers,

to receiving swaddle blankets as my first mothers day gift,

to practicing swaddling with my favorite little man,

to celebrating Bethany graduating and getting to see the dear Woodfin family,

and eating a reeeeeally good hot dog (:

Such sweet tender days.

And those sweet days ushered in one of my favorite weekends ever!

It started with Josh telling me we were buying a new patio set

(somebody in our building broke our old one and I've eyed everyone suspiciously since...)

and its beautiful.

To muffins and a latte, to random hilarious Mothers Day greetings from a stranger man,

to receiving my Mother's Day gift,

a vintage Radio Flyer Trike!!

The same one that I had has a little girl and that Josh's Dad rode when he was little!

I know we're YEARS from it being used, but it was such a sweet fun Mother's Day gift (:

We then soaked up the sun, while Josh polished that sweet little trike,

until we remembered we had a fancy event in an hr,

so we rushed and fancied up,

had wonderful learning conversations with friends,

ate good food,

and bailed early so that we could get some Miko's

and go laugh with other friends and cuddle their newborn baby girl.

Sunday was filled with church, sunny bike rides,

and napping the whole afternoon away while it thunderstormed outside.

Seriously,

best weekend ever (:

One I will treasure for years to come.

xoxo,

lyss

Dear Little One// 20 Weeks

My Dear Little One,

There's this movie called "Fiddler On The Roof", it's one of your Papa's

and I's favorites so I'm sure you'll see it soon (:

In this movie one of the characters after a season of hardship and longing

and then being given what he thought he would never have,

breaks out in a song of worship singing

"Wonders of wonders! Miracles of miracles! 

God has made a man of me today!".

That song has been on my mind and in my heart a lot lately,

not that God has made me a man (ha!), but in that God has made me a Mama.

What I have yearned for and longed for for quite awhile

and wondered if it would ever be....

"Wonders of wonders, miracles of miracles,

but of all God's miracles great and small,

the most miraculous one of all,

is the one I thought could never be,

God has given you to me"

My heart sings this song all the day long.

As I ponder how God is currently forming your inward parts 

and knitting you together within me and that you are 

so beautifully and wonderfully made already.

As that song echoes in my mind,

I praise God that He already knows you and loves you 

and has before the beginning of time.

That He knows your character. What makes you laugh. What makes you cry.

What will move your heart. What and who you will love with your whole being.
And I pray and long that you come to love our God and to strive to know Him as he knows you.
I yearn for you to know the joy found at the cross
where Christ declared His deep powerful love for you.

I also think about what a wonder it is that I get the joy and privilege of "housing"

you during this time. That God has beautifully created my being to give you sustenance, 

even when I am exhausted and wonder how this body of mine is sustaining two people,

 your body will still receive what it needs from mine.

With that said,

Happy 20 weeks my precious little one!

I cannot believe we are halfway through this adventure together,

and I cherish every bit. Even the sleepless nights and crazy night mares (;

because even those moments are special and a part of this

wonder of a journey.

I love you my sweet child.

xoxo,

Mama