La Vita E Bella

Don't Get Too Comfortable....

Wow - that was the longest episode of my life :) Okay, I realize I have lagged, but it seriously feels likes the days are passing me by. Sitting down to blog is furthest from my mind.....in fact, there are moments I actually forget I'm the author of said blog. Luckily, I've remembered my responsibility to update friends and family on our life and am proudly sitting down to do so (even though it's 11pm and I'm exhausted). I threw that last part in to show just how committed I am to all of you :) The precious little girl you see to the left is my ALMOST 7 week old Olivia! How big is she getting? I'm pretty sure she weighs over 12 pounds now, and is seriously gaining quite the personality (as diva-ish as it might be!). She is engaging with everyone around her much more now-a-days. Smiling, cooing, and showing off her cuteness. She is officially sleeping through the night (well, has been for about 2 weeks now), and giving me a solid 9 hours at night. YAY! She sleeps like a champ and I owe her my life.....cause I really need my sleep with two kids now. When she is awake, she rules the roost. She must sense that she has to stand out a bit in order to steal the spotlight from her equally stage stealing brother. She is very vocal when she wants something (diaper change, food, a good cuddle). Already opinionated. Wonder where she got that from? Thank God she is so beautiful....otherwise I wouldn't be so motivated to carry her chubby body in the Baby Bjorn for hours at a time. That girl just loves to be held. A far cry from her brother who was jumping from our arms at weeks old. I am trying to appreciate that she loves to be close to me. I know when she gets older and independent, I'll be longing for these days. As for Lucas, he is our little bruiser. Maybe little isn't the correct word. How about our big bruiser. That kid is a baby linebacker and thinks he is a superhero. Running around the house, jumping on things, throwing things, and making a mess of everything. On top of his new sense of "boyish-ness", he is going through a naughty stage. A hitting, pinching, throwing and pulling hair stage. This has forced Trei and I to step up our game. Lucas now spends (what feels like) most of the day in a time out for all the offenses I just listed. He has to sit in another room (away from the action) for 1 minute....until Trei or I go in and explain why he can't do whatever it was tat sent him to a time out. Surprisingly, he doesn't move from during these time outs. Well, let me rephrase that. He doesn't try to get up and run. He does, however, bury his face into the ground and scream like we are torturing him. Thankfully, we've noticed him using restraint in certain situations, which means these time outs must be working. PRAISE GOD!

Okay, I'm going to be brutally honest. I'm tired, and bed is sounding much more motivating then blogging, so I'm going to crawl into bed and finish this tomorrow. I promise Valerie. I promise.

Me

TV Land

Expect an update....as soon as I'm done watching my new favorite show.

Eli Stone.

Double Fisted Faith

This will be short. It may seem incomplete, but I needed to write this down.

I've been following the story of Ethan Powell for a year now. A little boy born days before Lucas who was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was just 2 months old. I visited his website (www.ethanpowell.com) weekly to read updates from his parents on the fight for his life. I often left the site with varying emotions. The most common of which was sorrow.

This little boy endured pain and suffering like no child should ever have to endure. I couldn't imagine having to watch Lucas deteriorate from such an evil disease. On April 5th, Jesus took Ethan home. Although I did not know this little boy, or his family - I am extremely saddened by his passing. I think mostly because he was the same age as Lucas....and I cannot fathom spending a moment of my life without Lucas here.

When I read the news, my heart was broken. I immediately asked God "Why?". "Why do people have to lose loved ones. Why do people have to lose their babies?". It's a questions God would not immediately answer.

Trei and I attended church yesterday, The first time since Olivia was born. The title of the sermon was Suffering. The pastor dove right in to explaining the reason behind suffering. Mainly the importance of faith in suffering. He used the illustration of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. When the three wouldn't bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's idol, they were doomed to be thrown into the fiery furnace. The pastor described the three as having double fisted faith. One fist contained their faith that God would save them from the furnace. They believed that God would not allow them to suffer, that He would intervene on their part and save them. However, the other fist contained faith that even if God didn't save them from the furnace, that He was a great God. Even if their prayers weren't answered, God  loved them unconditionally and they wouldn't be suffering in vain.

It was at that moment I got my answer. Am I still filled with grief over the suffering of the Powell family? Ofcourse, but I know that God is not the author of pain and suffering. He is the author of faith and life. Even when we are in our darkest hour, God has a plan and a purpose behind everything. I'm glad I have Him in my life. I hope that I never have to experience the kind of suffering that Ethan's parents are going through, but if I do - I pray that I can face it with double fisted faith.

Big Boy Haircut

Lucas has had many haircuts in his short 15 months of life....but today we got it extra short and the hair gal even put gel in it. The result? A darling little boy who looks so grown up to his mommy and daddy :)

Loves Her Daddy

I got it....I captured her sweet smile on film. The lighting is terrible, but you get the idea :)

Happy One Month Olivia!

Olivia Victoria has been with us now for a whole month. I feel like she just came home from the hospital. Seriously, the time has gone by too quickly. By the looks of this picture, I'd say Lucas feels like Liv has been a part of our lives for entirely too long. I can't help but laugh at this picture, because he really does act like his world is coming to an end when either Trei or I (mostly Trei) are holding his little sister. I'd like to say we feel bad for him, but the little booger goes into full blown monster mode and we get more frustrated than anything. I believe he has good intentions, because he likes to baby talk to her (gibberish in a VERY high pitched tone), give her kisses, and touch her hands and feet. But the moment he is feeling threatened by her, he will hawl off and smack the poor girl. You have no idea how many little red hand prints he has left on her delicate and precious face. Too many to count. We are doing what we can to teach Lucas not to hit or to be gentle...but sometimes it feels like a losing battle. My friend Emily has a son who is 15 months older than her daughter and she wrote me a great comment about the joys of motherhood....how proud she was when she went to use the restroom while her daughter was crying one day....while in the bathroom, she heard her daughter stop crying. Fearing the worst (I assume), she ran back and found that her adorable son had stuck the pacifier back in his little sisters mouth and was stroking her head. I wish I could relate. I wouldn't leave Lucas alone in a room with Liv for anything. I believe he would throw the pacifier at her before climbing into her bouncy seat and smothering her with his chunky butt :) No, but seriously.....that would happen. I don't take this stage of our lives too seriously - because I know it is fleeting. Lucas will soon grow of this stage, and on to something else. I guess it just feels like he will never stop screaming, crying, hitting, throwing, and being a little pain. I guess I have to remind myself that he is essentially, just a baby himself. But sometimes I just want to pull my hair out. Thankfully, Olivia takes it all in stride. Notice she seems extremely unfazed by the velociraptor like scream occuring behind her. Already tuning it out. That'a girl. She is such a great baby. I really got lucky in the baby department. Lucas was fabulous and now Liv has proven to be the same. She is sleeping through the night (usually going from 8pm to 4 or 5 am!) and napping really well during the day. She has begun having a "fussy hour" at night before bed, but nothing that can't be helped with some rocking and walking. She is getting more and more beautiful everyday - and although she definitely has her own features, I think she looks very much like her brother. We have a feeling her hair will lighten up like Lucas and are still on the fence about her eyes. They are much bluer than Lucas had as a newborn - but they could easily turn hazel like his have. I'm having a ball dressing her in pink and frills. In fact, I have to put something new on her every dya just so she can wear all the outfits I bought her. Hopefully the weather turns warm sometime soon so I can get her in these 0-3 month dresses. At her two week appointment she had already gained almost a pound (doctors just hope that babies are back to their birth weight), and I wouldn't doubt that she has gained another pound since then. She is filling out and if I'm correct will probably be a chunker.

I know....

that God has HUGE things in store for us. Even bigger than the things he has already blessed us with. He has something up his sleeve. A plan and a purpose far beyond anything that Trei and I can fathom. I know, in the depths of my heart, that God is going to use us for something big. We are going to make a difference. Change lives. Inspire. I don't know exactly how yet, but I'm anxious to find out.