The Big Day

My baby turned the big 3 today, and I couldn't be happier. I had no idea when I entered parenthood that I would find such joy in a single person. I know I preach to the choir when I say that having Nevaeh was the best moment of my life, but it really was in so many ways. Her fiery entrance into this world solidified the fact that I knew I had a spirited fighter on my hands. She has the perfect balance of strength and gentleness. Even on our worst days together, I thank God for ALL that she is. As per my previous posts, I have a lot to be thankful for in her.

So my dear Nevaeh, I defer to two of our favorite books to sum up my heart for you.
"I Love you Through and Through" by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
"I love you through and through. I love your top side. I love your bottom side. I love your inside and outside. I love your happy side, your sad side, your silly side, your mad side. I love your fingers and toes,your ears and nose. I love your hair and eyes, your giggles and cries. I love you running and walking, silent and talking. I love you through and through... yesterday, today, and tomorrow too."

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

Happy Brithday Baby Girl!!! You make this momma's heart sing

 

Birthday Dinner at Austins!!!

Countdown to 3 Part 30

Oh my, the big day is drawing near. I cant believe my baby will be three tomorrow....what a treasure she is.
Another one of our wishes for our daughter is that she gets the opportunity to dabble in a lot of different things. We want her to be a well rounded person, and really find out where she shines. This year, we are introducing her to foreign language through Music Lingua. One of my fellow MOPS moms teaches the Spanish version in her home, and Nevaeh LOVES it. Kids truly are sponges. Nevaeh is constantly inserting her spanish words and phrases into everyday conversation,usually leaving those around her stumped. One of her favorite things to say is "Mi llamo Nevaeh". It cracks me up because that is how she identifies herself all the time. We went to a store and a clerk asked the cute little girl what her name was and Nevaeh answered "Mi llamo Nevaeh". The look on the clerks face was priceless as she was so stunned. Now if you ask her any question like "are you pretty?" or "are you my little girl?" She answers "No. Mi llamo Nevaeh". Oh this zest for learning, I pray it never ceases. I must say learning the "itsy bitsy spider" together in Spanish has truly been memorable. I love how Nevaeh's mind works, and prays that she can retain this stuff much better than I did:)

CLASS TIME!!!! Buenos Dias Mis Amigos!!

Countdown to 3 Part 28 & 29

The downhill stretch....

I love that kids think they know everything but live in a state of constant mind changing. Nevaeh is one of the most opinionated kids that I know. At the same time, she is super easy to please. You can call anything a prize, and she starts to smile and grab for it. One thing I love about her sweet spirit is that whenever she discovers something new or finds something that had been lost, she wraps it in a huge hug, purses her lips, and states "It's my favorite. It's so cute" in the softest little coo ever. It brightens my day knowing she can find so much joy in her little life.  She even says that I'm her favorite mom. I guess its a great thing that I am her only one:)

 

 

 

In our house, nothing can turn off whines like the promise of ...BUBBLES!!! Thank goodness for the invention of soap to create such a magical toy. We have a bubble machine that sends a continuous stream of bubbles into the air, and extracts the loudest giggles from my daughter. What a joy it is to watch her race around the yard trying to catch the biggest bubbles and to make sure all are adequately popped. Bubbles are such a mystery. They are fragile domes of air, yet they invoke the most intense curiosity and feelings of joy. I love that this simple thing lights up my daughter's life. I hope that I too can find such deep bliss in the simple everyday things.

 

 

                                                             

 

 

 

Countdown to 3 Part 27

Here is just a tiny peek into my daughter's mind.....

This weekend we were sitting around with my parents getting ready to go to bed and getting the schedule of the next day set. We told Nevaeh she needed to give hugs and kisses to grandma and poppa so she could go to sleep. In typical toddler fashion, she yelps and dives for cover under my moms legs. All of a sudden, she pops her head up, and states "I'm going to pray to God" and she folds her hands together. I'm sitting there laughing at her antics, and then I don't know if she is really going to pray or not. So, I decide to fold my hands and bow my head in eager anticipation to hear what my daughter has to say to God. This is what we got. "Thank you for this day. 1-2-3-4 Peekaboo". She opens her eyes to the sky and then bows her head again, and then pops it up again and says"Just so you know". At this point, I'm trying to stifle laughs so much, my eyes have exploded with tears and my abs are cramping from the "excercise". She then finishes the prayer with a medley of her favorite tunes, including veggie tales, Jesus loves me, and her favorite saying she repeats excessively "he says". Oh that girl keeps me on my toes. My favorite part was her telling God "just so you know" like He is her BFF and she was tellin Him what was what. What I wouldn't have given for a video camera so I could share the laughs.

Giggles Galore!!!!

 

Countdown to 3 Part 26

Some of the things that I love most about Nevaeh are the little, almost silly things she does. Today's post is one such thing. I love that even now as a young tot, she has a sense of fashion. It gives me a great sense of pride knowing that I can send her up to her room to get the clothes, and she will bring down matching pieces everytime. I also adore the fact that she has to always put on shoes and socks to complete her outfit for the day. Mostly, I love watching her take pride in herself as she accomplishes another task. She is loving this fast journey of becoming a "big girl". I have to say that I have been really blessed with Nevaeh. We have never really had clothes meltdowns in the mornings, and she has always liked getting dressed. This appreciation of clothes comes by her honestly. I admit that I have always been a sucker for cute baby girl clothes and dresses. To this day, I still get giddy searching for the perfect Christmas/Easter/ Birthday outfit. Oh well, you only live once, and she may be my only offspring so why not indulge a little retail therapy, Right?:):)

 

 

Countdown to 3 Part 25

One thing I love about Nevaeh is her excitement over Jesus and learning about Him in "Sunday" school. I barely get a chance to say hello to my family at church before getting dragged down the aisle towards the childrens wing. It secretly makes my heart bubble knowing that she is laying strong faith foundations, is committing it to memory, and she LOVES it at the same time. One thing that has made her excitement grow is her adoration and love for her AMAZING teachers in childcare. Teacher Gordon and Sandy truly have the patience of Job and the heart of saints. They have made us all feel like we are their own flesh and blood. Nevaeh runs and hugs them like they are secondary grandparents. I couldn't say enough about how they have helped Nevaeh grow and mature in one short year. This weekend was somewhat bittersweet because it was her last weekend in this class of 2 year olds. Next time she will be in with the bigger kiddos. It is said that people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Whatever reason/season we got to be with teacher Gordon and Sandy, I know that our lives, and especially Nevaeh's, are better for it. It will be my joy and blessing to watch this excitement and faith grow and mature over the years, thanks in part to these wonderful people.

 

 

Countdown to 3 Part 24

As with any typical child, the same movies get watched over and over, the same song gets played repeatedly, and the same books get read again and again. I will be honest, I sometimes get so stinkin tired of the same book that I will refuse to read any more unless a new book is brought to the rotation. However, because of all of that redundancy and her incredible memory, she thinks that she can read the story all by herself. I love sneaking up on her when she has one of her favorite books in hand, and she is reading out loud to herself. She tends to get most of the story right on the correct page, but it is also crazy how she intereweaves different stories and details and makes it all her own. It makes her so happy to be such a big girl doing big girl things. What I wouldn't give to get a glimpse inside that little brain of hers. I pray that she will continue to develop this amazing balance of creativity and intelligence.

 

Countdown to 3 Part 23

Short and sweet...

Kids do say the darnedest things. Here is to more Nevaehisms...

Nevaeh was doing some acts of service for her great grandparents, and she worked her little heart out. As a reward, she was given a little bit of money. One of the coins she received was a quarter. When asked who was on the quarter, she answered " Mr. Washing Machine".

Every morning after waking up she states, "Mommy I want some breksticks" (aka breakfast). Let me tell you at this point she will not budge on the pronunciation.

Butterscotch pudding is better known as butter cotch. I thought she was saying something else the first time she said it. It still makes me laugh and sometimes I bring it up just so I can hear her sweet voice mispronouncing it.

I've tried to incorporate some love and logic principles into my parenting, mainly the part about giving choices. When she is about to have a meltdown, I try to distract with some choices and I always insert "How about that?". Now when Nevaeh is trying to get permission to watch a movie when I am watching my show, she will say "After your show, I can watch this movie. How bout dat?"
It is funny and unnerving watching myself coming out in her.

These things may only be funny to my mothers heart, but boy do they spice up my life. Now that it is in writing, I can bring these back up at special milestones in her life, say maybe meeting a new boyfriend? Oh what joy she brings me.

 

Countdown to 3 Part 21 & 22

Back to double duty today:)...

My daughter is one of those kids that if you find just the right trigger, she can be focused for a long time on that one thing, never wavering from it. Giving Massages is one of those things. My daughter adores being able to get grandma's special foot lotion (and yes she knows exactly which bottle it is among the hundreds:)) and rubbing grandma's feet and then whoever else wants one. She is so funny because she gets the lotion and puts in on the feet and after a few seconds is back to get more and more and more lotion. She gets so much lotion our skin becomes a new shade of white. We have to eventually tell her to spread the love and try to get some of that lotion up on the legs so we aren't quite as goopy. She loves to massage and would do it all day if she could. Its so cute to watch her tiny hands lovingly caress our tired feet. What is even more spectacular is she knows that massages always make people feel better, and she is willing to do what she can to make that happen. I'm thinking this could be a great career for all of us involved.

One thing about my daughter is that she is the perfect complement to my life. Unbeknown to her, she lifts me up and bolsters my spirit in so many ways. She has no idea that I battle with low self-esteem and relish validation for most everything. Yet, at the most random times, usually when watching tv and cuddling, she will just say out of the blue "Mommy you're da best" and "I love you so much". I love being told how great I am to her. It always brings on a stronger resolve to do and be better. She also compliments me in the kitchen. We will be in the middle of dinner she will look over to me and say "Mommy you're a great cooker" all with a big smile on her food covered face. It's so sweet that her being sweet comes so naturally to her. God definitely knew what He was doing when he brought us together.

A Pause.....

I just wanted to stop for a moment to share another joyous step in my journey. I had an ultrasound of my neck and saw my oncologist today. Praise the Lord there is no changes and the US looked normal. This means that in three months I will do a repeat Ultrasound, lab work and see the Doc again just to keep an eye on things. Even though this may seem minute, it brings great joy to my life. God continues to bless me with remission and the continuing chance of enjoying everyday life without illness or pet scans. God is still so good.

Countdown to 3 Part 20

Probably the second best thing about any holiday or family feast is the LEFTOVERS!!! The best thing about spring/summer festivities is the fresh fruit. Lucky for us, our leftovers were a bounty of amazing strawberries to munch on today. As with most kids, strawberries were on top of Nevaeh's list of things to eat all day long. So, today Nevaeh had a few small bowls of the delicious fruit. Of course being the anal mom that I am, I cut those berries into minuscule pieces. Then while eating, Nevaeh holds up the middle slice of a berry and tells me "Mom, this strawberry looks like headphones." I still don't know what to say to that. I'm pretty sure I just guffawed. What an imagination my child has? I love that about her. I love the fact that I never really know what is going to come out of her mouth. I love that she can hear something one time, and it will appear in many conversations in the weeks to come. I love that she can make me laugh at the most random times. I also love that she continually stumps me for answers. I think her imagination is truly a God-given gift, and one that will light up the lives of all who will cross her path.

 

The renowned headphones

 

 

The Everyday Silliness

Countdown to 3 Part 19

How blessed am I that this journey of blogs also falls upon Mother's Day? I had a wonderful day being appreciated and waited on. I got to sleep in a little bit, and then wake up to my little beauty calling me down to a breakfast of pancakes on the patio. She even found my slippers and placed them gently on my feet. My hubby cooked both breakfast and lunch for the family and even did dishes, and took care of the baby so I could bask in the heavenly susnshine. I say all of this because, she is the reason that I got to have such an incredible day. Today, being surrounded by my loving family, I realized again what a blessing I have in Nevaeh. She loves loving on people. My grandmother said it best today, "Nevaeh has a way with making everyone feel special". Every person that walked in our door today got a special scream, huge smile, and a big hug. All day, she went from person to person to person tagging them, laughing with them, showing them something, or hanging on them. She also kept singing "Happy Mother's Day" to each of us. I know I have said this before, but it is her sweet spirit and loving adoration that make me appreciate her more and more every day. SOOOO happy to be the mother to this bundle of incessant energy and joy.

 

Here's how it all began...

Countdown to 3 Part 17&18

Hide and Seek is probably the most universally loved game that spans generations and continents. Nevaeh is no exception. She can find an excuse to hide for anything. She doesn't hide for long, though, because she amuses herself so much that she either bursts out laughing or she forgets she is trying to hide and answers "Yeah?" when we call her name. It's so funny. What I love most about this game is that in her innocence she thinks that if she can't see us then we can't see her. It is an out of sight out of mind mentality. So her favorite thing to do whenever anyone walks in the door is to either cover her eyes with her hands or just her head with a blanket. If we walk in and ask "Where is Nevaeh?", after a few seconds, she throws open her hands and yells "Here I am". It's these little rituals in life that are the ties that truly bind us.

 

I am learning more and more everyday being a parent why Jesus calls us to be more like little children. The joy that they find in the miniscule everyday things is truly amazing. Another thing that brings the best smile to my baby's face is pockets. She loves the pockets on her jacket, on her tunic shirts, and of course on her pants. If she is having a day and not wanting to get dressed, if she discovers a pocket on her outfit she forgets her troubles. Then the first thing she does is to stuff her hands as far into the pockets as they will go, her smile spreading farther and farther. Who knew that a few inches of extra fabric could bring about a good day to a little girl? It is even more amusing that she hates to take her hands out of the pockets, so she will struggle trying to grab things with her elbows in order that her hands stay warm and toasty inside those pockets. Could this girl BE any funnier?

 

Happy Baby = Happy Momma

 

 

 

 

 



Countdown to 3 Part 16

My daughter has literally been the best sleeper. She was sleeping through the night at just a few months old, and she would sleep for 10-12 hrs every night even with a nap. Although we have gone through a few months here and there with midnight screams, its mostly been a piece of cake. I am NOT  a morning person in any sense of the word. Mornings should not even begin until at least 8am, just sayin'. My daughter, however, faces the morning with the same passion as everything else in her life... at full blast. I no longer need an alarm because my darling will get me up consistently between 6 and 6:30 every morning without fail. What makes mornings bearable is waking up to her sweet voice saying"Mommy I woke up. Can I get up?" After giving her permission to get out of bed, she comes running into my room with an ear to ear grin telling me again that she woke up. If it's really a good day, she will snuggle up with me for a few more minutes of rest before we hit the ground running. It is quoted that "A child's smile is one of life's greatest blessings". Author Unknown. How true that is, and I must say my daughter has an incredible smile that truly lights up my life. Its also is the leash that drags my tired body out of bed :). Her smile is the epitome of all that is good in my life.

 

Countdown to 3 Part 15

Every little girl knows of and dreams of disney princesses. Our house is no exception. I must admit I still love watching all of the disney movies. I especially love the nostalgia of them. Well, Nevaeh has discovered the joy in them as well. I think her favorite for the moment is Ariel but that will probably change here soon I'm sure. I will never forget the first time Nevaeh saw the princesses in one of her books. We were going through telling her all of their names. Then in a completely unwarranted move, my daughter put a smile on my face, a tear in my eye, and joy in my heart. She pointed to Snow White and said "that's mommy". She still claims it to this day that we look just alike. How can I argue with that? My daughter thinks I look like a beautiful princess, and I am blessed beyond measure. I could not love my little princess any more.

Now if only I could see myself that well.......

 



Countdown to 3 Part 14

Every parent is well versed in the world of crayons. Its one of the first gifts given to a toddler, and another added worry of where their marks are going to end up besides on the paper. Well for my daughter, she has inherited from me an indescribable love of office supplies. This is truly genetic passed down from my own mother. Anyway, Nevaeh has always loved her crayons and scribbling all over her color books, but more than that she loves pens and pencils. When she was just one year old she discovered that adults used more interesting utensils. She especially knew that her Opa had special pencils for his daily crossword puzzles and those were the ones that she would like to have... and she does. Seriously, we can literally throw any scrap of paper or junk mail at her, and give her an adult pen and she thinks she is as big as buddy. She imitates making lists and writing messages on her "facebook" aka notebook. What is even more endearing and astounding is how correctly she held the pencil the very first time we gave them to her. If she keeps this up her penmanship will greatly exceed my own. Now, I know that I am biased, but I think I have one smart cookie on my hand. It will be super exciting to see where her strengths and creativities lie as she dives into academia. Though I do not wish for time to speed up any more, I look ahead and think that my hubby might be in trouble as Nevaeh enters kindergarten. Can you say Back to School shopping?

Countdown to 3 Part 13

This afternoon, I was humbled yet again to be Nevaeh's momma. Tithing is extremely important in our family's values and practice of worship. As with a lot of people these days in this rough economic time, it is sometimes terribly hard to write that first check to go to God's work. We push through those fears, however, because we know that it really isn't our money anyway, God calls us to be "cheerful givers", and because God has proven over and over what amazing blessings come with being faithful. Therefore, tithing was one thing we really wanted Nevaeh to grasp and make it part of her own routine. Now, I have to say that if you really know my daughter you know how much she LOVES money. A few coins in her hand make her day, and she will shout to the world that she got some money and would probably ask for more. Money was the one trick that helped with her potty training as well. Anyway, everytime she would receive money, the first words out of our mouths was "Let's give some to Jesus" and "We give Him 10%".We would show her that for every dollar she got, a dime would go in a special bank for Jesus. At first, she wasn't the biggest fan of losing some of her coins, but after a very short while, it became part of the routine of getting money. Now what is humbling about my beloved daughter is that when she does anything she goes for it 110%. The same goes for tithing. Even this afternoon, the grandparents gave her some coins while I was making dinner. All of a sudden my daughter is calling me to come upstairs to give some money to Jesus. I go upstairs and help her get a dime out of her bank, and she told me "No mommy I need to give another dime and some pennies to Jesus too". I was floored. Here I sit sometimes begrudging God His 10% and my daughter who only has a few coins to her name graciously gives above and beyond. I couldn't be more proud of her and her gracious spirit. What a lesson to be learned to have faith like a child and be a cheerful giver.

Countdown to 3 Part 11 & 12

Seriously, where did the weekend go? I think I might have been ambitious with an everyday blog but regardless I WILL have a months worth of Nevaehisms :).

As a parent, we all try to relate to our kids and connect our stories with them. We always say "Well, when I was your age...." and so forth. I think my meaning of the those stories was a little misconstrued because to Nevaeh, everything that has happened to her happened when she was a little girl. Even if the event occurred earlier that same day, she will tell the story as "when I was a lil girl, I just ate lunch" or whatever. It is so funny how the concept of actual time is such  mystery to them but she still relishes each event as something praiseworthy to tell.

 

 

 

On a heavier note, my biggest fear as a parent is that I am going to mess her up. I fear that I will not show her enough of who God is and how great He is. I am constantly reminding myself that it is His grace that covers a multitude of shortcomings and not my own doings. I just do the best I can and leave her in His hands. Thankfully, God is good and sometimes gives me a little insight into the work going on inside my baby girl. Every night as we tuck her in and I have prayed over her, she wants me to sing a song. Let's be honest, me singing out loud is not a treasure for most peoples eardrums. Regardless, the song we sing every night is "Jesus Loves the Little Children". Even if it has been a frustrating evening leading up to this point, singing that sweet song calms all of our spirits. My daughter could choose any of the little kids songs or even a song we sing in spanish class, but she immediately goes for the golden oldie. A song that shows us God, straight to the point. How wonderful to be reminded by my little girl each day that we are all precious.

 

 

Another day of being one Blessed Momma

 



Countdown to 3 Part 9 &10

Its another double header today. I guess I am not June Cleaver.....

I was sitting in front of my computer thinking about the lovely things of Nevaeh that I have already written and those that are on my list yet to write. I was reminded of the one thing that always gave me the biggest kick. It was Nevaeh's love of flatware. I have never before seen a toddler use forks and spoons like my daughter. As soon as she was eating by herself, there were no finger foods except if it was like a cracker or fruit snack. Plus, she used them appropriately which baffled me to no end. To this day, she is adamant that I cut up her breakfast toast, and then she eats it with a fork. She even eats her sandwhiches with a fork. To top it off, now that she knows there is a difference between big people flatware and little kids, she is very particular as to which piece we use when. Oh the little things that make her day complete.

 

 



One thing that I have always so desperately wanted and prayed for is that I would be able to raise a good girl. A girl that is well mannered, kind, generous, respectful and most importantly a lover of Christ. Manners have been something we have worked on from the start. When she started eating snacks and moving around on her own, we taught her the sign language for "please" and "thank you" or something close to it anyway. The one thing we didn't have to teach her was to cross her legs. I honestly think she came out of the womb that way. To this day when sitting on the couch or chairs regardless of what she is doing her legs are usually crossed neatly at the ankles. Sometimes when she is the mood to emulate adults, she will cross her legs at the knee with her hands on top. She looks just like a little lady. I couldn't be more proud. Now if only the other things would be so easy:):)

 



Countdown to 3 Part 8

Some of my favorite play time with Nevaeh is when she is sitting on my lap, and we are just being silly. I get the biggest kick out of making her squeal, and like me she has a million different laughs. As long as I can remember, some of the silly things we do with her is eskimo kisses with our noses, and also putting our forheads together for a semi staring contest. It may sound dumb but she enjoys it every single time. Now, every time she gets up from sleeping, the first few minutes she is in the best mood ever. She is still wanting to be cuddled so in her special way she grabs my face as hard as she can and presses her head into mine. I have to admit her effervescence can be a little rough. Anyway, as she is pressing her forehead into mine, she starts to grind her nose into my nose. She is smiling away as she rubs her love into my face. Even though my eyes occasionally get poked and my cheeks get scratched, my heart still melts at the proof of love between a mother and daughter. Its these moments, among others, that give me hope during the the tantrums that follow. I couldnt love Nevaeh any more.

 

My world in a picture...