"All done"

As Dakota gets older, her personality is starting to really come out...which is a great thing, except when I can't figure out what she wants...then she gets super frustrated. I've been trying to teach her some sign language, so she can show me with gestures...since she's still learning how to speak. The only technical sign that I've taught her so far, is "more". The other ones I've taught her is how to lift her arms up when she wants to be picked up...This simple little gesture melts my heart every time she does it. She usually lets go of her toys, and sticks her arms up...letting me know that she wants me to hold her. I find this very symbolic, especially since this is a gesture that we do during a worship service at church. We raise our hands up to God, and in a way...drop everything that's on our mind, in our hearts...and say "God, pick me up" :) I just thought this was a simple reminder that God takes pleasure in me lifting my hands. Asking him to hold me.

Another gesture that I'm trying to teach her, is "All done" where I hold my hands open, with my palms facing up (like nothing is in my hands). I started thinking about this as a gesture of worship as well...saying "God, I'm all done. I'm not holding anything back. It's all yours"

Just thought I'd share that...

Temper Tantrums

Today I witnessed Dakota's very first "Temper Tantrum", and can I start off by saying that I thought it was funny? I know that's horrible to say...but I can't lie..I giggled to myself, while she arched her back and started crying out of frustration. I knew that the situation was not a matter of life or death, but I'm trying to teach Dakota that she can't have everything that she wants, and that I'm the boss.

Seeing Dakota throw a huge fit over not getting what she wanted...made me think of us as adults. How many of us throw "temper tantrums" when life doesn't go the way WE wanted it to go? Life can change in a second, but God is in control. It says in 1st Thessalonians 5:18: "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus". I wonder how many times God has giggled to himself, as I threw a "tantrum" over not getting my way in life? I heard a saying once "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans". I want to be in the center of God's will, and yes, tantrums are inevitable..I'm human. I just pray that I'll come to a place to accept the changes of life as I know it, and "Be thankful in all circumstances" like it says in the bible.

Children of God comparisons

Over the past 9 months, I've seen Dakota discover her surroundings, and learn some pretty amazing things. I can't help but compare some of the "Milestones" that Dakota has accomplished, to my walk of faith with God.

For example...Dakota's very first word spoken was "Mama". Of course I was thrilled when I heard her speak my new name. Soon after, she began to say "Dada" as well. Then it got to a point where the only word she would say was "Dada"! Everything she picked up was "Dada" this and "Dada" that. Then I started noticing that the only time she would say "Mama" was when she was crying because she was tired, upset, mad, etc. I started really thinking about this scenario. The comparison is....God must be thrilled when we learn to call on his name (Like Dakota saying "Mama"), and praise him. We acknowledge the fact that he's our provider, and everything to us...until we learn of other things. Then the other things in our lives seem to take over, and it's all we think and talk about (Like when Dakota kept saying Dada about everything). And unfortunately, it's when we fall flat on our faces because we have no other options that we call out to God again. I know how frustrating it is to me, to be Dakota's main caretaker, and still be her last option to call upon when she needs something. I want to be excited about God, and proclaim his name daily in everything I do, instead of just calling on him when I need something.

Another milestone that is teaching me something is walking. Dakota is just getting good at standing by herself. The first step was pulling herself up, and learning to balance while holding onto an object. Then she started really getting bold, and letting go for a few seconds to see if she could balance on her own. She hasn't started walking yet..but I know it'll be our next venture in a couple of weeks. The only time she will really move her feet, is when I'm holding her hands and walking with her. I'll even try to put my hands next to her, reassuring her that I'll catch her if she falls, but she won't move her feet unless she can really feel me holding her hands. Also, When she is standing on her own, she doesn't have the confidence to take the first step, because she's afraid of falling down. This really makes me think of certain situations where I got excited about God's plans for me..but when he asked me to take a step out in my faith...I got really nervous. I wanted to know that God was holding my hand the whole time. Sometimes I think God gives us the reassurance that he's there, but we want to FEEL him. But that's where our faith has to come in, to take that step of faith.

God is really teaching me alot through being a Mom :) It's pretty incredible. I've grown in my relationship with the Lord, and I really look forward to the new lessons he has for me, in raising Dakota.

"For you are with me"

I know it's been a while, but as you'll soon read..things have been kinda crazy in our household. At least in the past week.

Jeron and I have been married for nearly 3 years, and we've been through alot of, what the bible calls, "Trials and Tribulations". We've definitely had plenty of car issues, but nothing like what happened last week. It was a Thursday afternoon, and Jeron was at work...it was about 92 degrees outside, so I decided to take Dakota to visit my Grandma for the day (She has air conditioning). Around 4:45 I get a call from Jeron, saying that his car broke down as he was driving home from work. I thought "Great, just what we need! At least I can ask my Dad if we can use one of his AAA free tows, and bring it home to fix whatever issue there is". I started packing all of Dakota's things up, and as I was putting her in her car seat, my grandma said "Just leave her here, it's no big deal" so I quickly got in my car and headed toward where Jeron said he was. I gave him a quick call and asked "Where are you? I'm on my way"....all he said was "Can't talk, the car is on fire!" Yikes. Sure enough, when I got to where he was...all I saw was gray smoke coming from under the hood as he was spraying the car with a water hose (He pulled into a driveway, and luckily the guy was home...and was trying to help him) There was nothing we could do. Now I'm not the best person in an emergency situation. At all. I panic. So here I am, pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do. The owner of the house called 911, and said the Fire Dept. was on it's way. Meanwhile, the gray smoke turned into black...the fire had moved into the dashboard of the car, and soon the entire interior of the car was up in flames. The Fire Dept. finally arrived and put the fire out, and the Sheriff Dept. came to write the report. I called my Dad and told him what was going on, and he said he would come out and call AAA so we could get it towed. There was really no point to towing it back to our house because the car was just a pile of metal. Go figure AAA wouldn't tow it to a junk yard, so we had it towed back to my Grandma's house so we could call a junk yard to pick it up. I guess everything didn't hit me until we got back to my Grandma's house to pick up Dakota. I walked in the door, and just started crying. I wasn't upset about the car at all. (It was just a junker that he drove to and from work) I just kept thinking about how blessed I was that my husband was still alive. I know that God is in control, and that he spared Jeron that day. The next day I took some pictures of the car...here they are.




So here it is Monday. I drove Jeron to work this morning, and on the way home...I was maybe 1 mile from our house when I noticed my car was driving a little weird. I pulled onto a side street and got out of my car to see what was going on. I had a flat tire. Not even 2 minutes later, a man walked up to my car and asked me if I needed some help. Turns out, he lived 1 house down from where I pulled my car over. He had all the equipment in his garage, and changed my tire in 5 minutes. I'm pretty convinced that he was an angel that God sent to me.
So here I sit, in complete amazement of God, and how he always takes care of us. I found some verses that really came to life these past couple of days.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” -– Phil 4:19


God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. -- Psalm 46:1-3,7

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. -- Psalm 23:4

I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful Savior who not only died for my sins to save my life, but who takes care of me and all my needs, day in and day out.

Ok I get it, my kid is cute...can I finish my shopping now?

I try to do my grocery shopping on Saturdays. Jeron stays at home with Dakota, and I not only get to have some time to myself, I can be in my grocery vibe and zip through the store without having to tote around her infant carrier (which is becoming quite heavy might I add! Dakota is 16 pounds, and I think the carseat itself is like 5...). I'm a frugal person, and like to stretch my money out as far as possible...so grocery shopping is kind of a challenge at times. Most of the time when I go to the store...I like to compare things, and I absolutely HATE to be rushed, or disturbed. It seems like anywhere I go, people are always stopping to talk to me because of Dakota. They always try to make her smile, or touch her feet, or tell me just how beautiful she is. I guess I really shouldn't complain...They ARE complimenting me on how well behaved she is, instead of glaring at me to stop my kid from screaming, BUT some days I just want to go to the store and get the things I need without being bothered. Like yesterday for instance, I went into the store just to get a couple of things...it was a hot day, I hadn't showered yet, and I was cranky. I was totally annoyed by this old lady behind me in the checkout line who kept talking to Dakota, is that justified? Maybe not..but I guess that's why I mostly do my shopping alone.

I miss you Pop-paw

I've always been really close to my Grandparents. My whole life, I can't remember a time when they weren't there. My Sisters, Brothers and I would spend the night, sometimes even a week over there with them. Mom-maw taught me how to sew and cook, and when I wasn't learning something with her...I was with Pop-paw. I was his little helper. He would be back in his barn, workin' on a tractor, or taking apart a washing machine to fix it...and I would be right next to him, holding his tools for him, and helping any way I could. I remember getting my pajamas on at night, brushing my teeth, and instead of going into the spare bedroom to go to sleep...I would sneak into his room and stay up for hours talking on his CB radio with him. He was the spoiler. He would always share his candy, and moonpies with me :) *sigh* I really miss my Pop-paw. I can't believe he's been gone for over a year.
The past couple of days, I've spent at my Grandparent's house. Mom-maw is trying to get rid of some of Pop-paw's old things, and extra clutter around the house. She's having a garage sale next month, and I've been helping her prepare for it. I must say, I love being over there. I have so many memories in that house...more than I can count. Something as simple as the stairs squeaking reminds me of when I was a kid, sitting in the kitchen with Mom-maw...and hearing Pop-paw walk down the stairs in the morning.
As Mom-maw and I were going through one of the bedrooms, we found Pop-paw's bible. She let me keep it. I can't tell you just how special it is to me that I get to have his bible. He was a strong Christian, and a God fearing man. I can remember the times that he would tell me about all the people that he led to the Lord...and he would quote verses to me. As I look through his bible, almost every single page has his notes in it, which meant he read it alot. There's a quote that says "A Bible that's falling apart, usually belongs to someone who isn't." This is so true about my Pop-paw...and I feel honored to be able to have his bible, that is falling apart.

I found this song (given it's by Miley Cyrus :-/) that describes how much I miss him.
R.I.P. Pop-paw. I miss you.

I miss you Pop-paw

I've always been really close to my Grandparents. My whole life, I can't remember a time when they weren't there. My Sisters, Brothers and I would spend the night, sometimes even a week over there with them. Mom-maw taught me how to sew and cook, and when I wasn't learning something with her...I was with Pop-paw. I was his little helper. He would be back in his barn, workin' on a tractor, or taking apart a washing machine to fix it...and I would be right next to him, holding his tools for him, and helping any way I could. I remember getting my pajamas on at night, brushing my teeth, and instead of going into the spare bedroom to go to sleep...I would sneak into his room and stay up for hours talking on his CB radio with him. He was the spoiler. He would always share his candy, and moonpies with me :) *sigh* I really miss my Pop-paw. I can't believe he's been gone for over a year.
The past couple of days, I've spent at my Grandparent's house. Mom-maw is trying to get rid of some of Pop-paw's old things, and extra clutter around the house. She's having a garage sale next month, and I've been helping her prepare for it. I must say, I love being over there. I have so many memories in that house...more than I can count. Something as simple as the stairs squeaking reminds me of when I was a kid, sitting in the kitchen with Mom-maw...and hearing Pop-paw walk down the stairs in the morning.
As Mom-maw and I were going through one of the bedrooms, we found Pop-paw's bible. She let me keep it. I can't tell you just how special it is to me that I get to have his bible. He was a strong Christian, and a God fearing man. I can remember the times that he would tell me about all the people that he led to the Lord...and he would quote verses to me. As I look through his bible, almost every single page has his notes in it, which meant he read it alot. There's a quote that says "A Bible that's falling apart, usually belongs to someone who isn't." This is so true about my Pop-paw...and I feel honored to be able to have his bible, that is falling apart.

I found this song (given it's by Miley Cyrus :-/) that describes how much I miss him.
R.I.P. Pop-paw. I miss you.

"Mama"

Today started out kind of rough. I woke up at 6:30 to the sound of Dakota crying over the baby monitor. I rushed into her room to put her binky back in her mouth, hoping that she'd fall back asleep. It worked for 5 minutes. *sigh* That's the way EVERY mom wants to start her Monday morning right?? Not so much. So here I am, frustrated that I can't get more sleep...and anticipating the pot of coffee that is brewing. I packed my husband's lunch and saw him off to work, while Dakota was in her swing. She started finally drifting off to sleep, so I decided to pick her up and put her in her crib. We live within a block of the fire department, and its a rarity that the firetrucks put on their sirens...not this morning though! Needless to say, Dakota woke up. I hadn't had my coffee yet, and I was hoping to get some quiet time to read my Bible and catch up on emails before she was up for the morning, so I was quite frustrated (especially since she woke me up at 6:30). I tried putting her back in her swing when all of a sudden she looked at me with big eyes and said "Mama". At the moment, time stood still. I couldn't believe what I just heard! And then she said it again. "Mama" :) It puts a smile on my face, and in my heart just thinking about it. My little girl is growing up right before my eyes.

Here are a few pictures that I took of her yesterday. I started using this website called "Picnik", where you can edit the pictures (It's WAY easier than Photoshop). Enjoy.





<

"Happy Birthday" Translated: Happy to be alive

Today is my birthday. It's the day that everyone celebrates the day that I came into the world. For me, It's the day that I realize just how happy I am to be alive, and to be as blessed as I am.

I love this time of my life. I'm 24 years old, I've been married to my best friend for almost 3 years, and I'm the mommy to a beautiful 6 month old who makes my heart smile. Every morning I wake up with excitement, to see what God has in store for Dakota and I for the day. Being a stay at home Mommy is the life that I've always dreamed of. I always try to see things in Dakota's prospective, where everything is beautiful, interesting, and exciting. :) I just feel so blessed to be Dakota's Mommy. Yea, it's a huge responsibility to have a baby...but I see it as a huge honor to be the one that takes care of her, to meet her needs, to walk her through life, and I'm excited to share Jesus with her. Now that she's 6 months old...she can sing to me, smile and laugh, and sit up all by herself. She's growing so fast, and I want to enjoy every moment as it comes.
I never knew what it meant to be a mom until I held her for the first time. It's amazing how I was so overwhelmed with love for this little person that I had JUST MET. It's really awesome how much having my own child changed my relationship with MY mom. (That's my mom and Dakota and my nephew Liam) My mom and I have become friends. I see her in a different light. We just got back from having lunch, and I can't help but feel blessed to have such a great relationship with her. She's the person I can call when I have questions about weird colored poopy diapers, and the person I can talk to when I'm having a rough day and just need a little encouragement. All that to say, I love being a Mom. I love my life as I know it.

I'm blessed, and happy to be alive.

Wait, You want me to spend this money on.....Myself?!

So my 24th birthday is just 2 days away. My grandma and my parents both gave me a cash gift, and specifically told me to spend it on myself. I know to Many, it's an easy task to buy youself something...but for me, not so much. After getting married and having our own bills, discovering I was pregnant, quitting my job to be a stay at home mom, and Jeron going through a layoff last year...let's just say, I learned how to be a simple minded person, and to enjoy the finer things in life. It's funny to say, but I can't exactly remember the last time I actually bought myself something other than a special herbal essence bottle of conditioner (using a coupon of course!). My mom asked me a couple of weeks ago what I wanted for my birthday, and you know what my answer was? New bath towels. Is that typically what 24 year old women want for their birthday?? Hmm...
I'm determined to buy myself something. I'm forcing myself out of the house...to go shopping. Not for necessities for the house, not for Dakota or Jeron...but for MYSELF. *sigh* why is this so hard??

6 Months already?!

I can't believe that my little Dakota is almost 6 months old already! It seems like just yesterday, that I was walking around our block in the freezing cold, trying to induce labor! I never really believed anyone when they said "They grow so fast! Enjoy every second that you can!", but now I know exactly what they mean! (And yes, I too find myself telling the same thing to new mommies with newborns!)
I really wish I would have started blogging when she was just born, so I can look back on the little things that I was learning, like her quirks on how she likes to be rocked to sleep, and how she would just stare at things, trying to discover her world. It's so weird to think that in a matter of months, Dakota has gone from a itty bitty 6 pound baby, who slept all the time...into a beautifully chubby 15 pound baby with rolls on her thighs, who can sit up and grab toys! She has definately made my life complete :) I told Jeron the other day that I can't even remember what life was like before Dakota.

Her new adventures are: Discovering how to crawl...I'll put a toy infront of her, just out of reach, and she'll find a way to push and scoot herself forward to grab it. She also LOVES getting blankets, clothes, burp cloths, or anything else that is soft, and putting it on her face! She starts kicking and laughing everytime she does it...but after a couple of seconds, she starts panicking that she can't breathe. It's kind of funny how she ALWAYS manages to grab something of the sorts in a matter of seconds. Needless to say, I have to keep a very watchful eye on her at all times!

She is napping at the moment, and I want to get the dishes washed before she wakes up.