I'm sure most of you have been watching in horror and great sadness the pictures and stories of devastation in Haiti. As always, the smallest and weakest are hardest hit - the children. A friend recently highlighted the need to get orphans out of the ravaged country to families that will love and care for them - you can read here, here and see this video.
I just came across another way to help babies still in the country. A way that mothers here in the U.S. can help provide life for little ones who desperately need it:
I'm a big fan of Nicki's Diapers, that's where I've purchased all of our cloth diapers and several other baby items - the best prices I could find online. They do weekly giveaways of cloth diaper items and other baby gear - I even won a diaper cover (and I NEVER win stuff like this).
If you're interested in baby-wearing, this week's giveaway is for an Ergo baby carrier. With Nora, I had a Baby Bjorn, a wrap and a sling, but have heard awesome things about these carriers. So, take a look and enter the giveaway if you're interested. I did!
So, I just wrote a post about weaning my little one and how hard it has been admitting she isn't a baby anymore. Well, Little Miss Nora is definitely feeling like a big girl these days. Usually in the morning I tell Nora to go stand by her high-chair so I can feed her breakfast. This morning, as I was getting things together in the kitchen, she walked over to a regular dining chair and attempted to climb up on it all by herself (all the while making laborious grunting noises). So, I helped her up and this morning, Nora and I ate breakfast woman-to-woman like big girls.
I wanted to pass this on, because it is just so good (I didn't write it - obviously by the "wife" comment)...
It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose......
I CHOOSE LOVE...No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I CHOOSE JOY...I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I CHOOSE PEACE...I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I CHOOSE PATIENCE .....I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I CHOOSE KINDNESS...I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I CHOOSE GOODNESS...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.
LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL Gal.5:22,23
To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest with the peace that passes all understanding.
*For any male readers out there, this post is in regard to "womanly", "motherly" issues...if you catch my drift. Just warning you!*
So, this past week, I officially "turned off the faucet", so to speak. That's right, I finally weaned Nora completely. My initial goal was to nurse for a year - which, when she was just a few weeks old, seemed like an eternity. Don't get me wrong, nursing went pretty smoothly for me overall. And, I must say, that oxytocin stuff is AMAZING. I think I seriously got a kind of breastfeeding high. I know this is not how it goes for every woman, so I felt really, really thankful for such an experience.
I didn't realize I would be as emotional about weaning. But, as the end drew nearer and nearer, the lump in my throat got bigger and bigger. It means that this unique part of Nora's relationship with Mommy is over - that there may never be the same extended snuggles or sleeping in my arms (Nora just doesn't fall asleep in our arms very easily). I guess in the end, what weaning really means to me is that my "Baby" really isn't a baby anymore. She's growing up, starting to make her own decisions (and testing Mommy and Daddy's boundaries), feeding herself and things will never be like they were before. This revelation has definitely motivated me to enjoy each day with Nora all the more, because tomorrow she will be a little more grown up, and the next day, and the next day. And, that is how it should be.
Despite the massive blizzard we received for Christmas, somehow, someway, Thang was still able to get us out of Omaha on a plane Saturday morning (our original flight was canceled). So at 5:00 am, we loaded up my dad's 300-horse power, four-wheel drive sleigh and made our way to the airport (thanks again, Dad!). 3 flights, 2 layovers and 8 hours later, we arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania to spend the week with Thang's family.
Time with Thang's family is always filled with lots of eating. I realized the most common phrase spoken in the Tran household is "Have you eaten yet?", no matter the time of day. Great for the tastebuds, not so great for my waistline. : ) Here is some video of our Christmas meal together. Included in the festivities are Thang's brothers, sister-in-law, sister, nephews, niece, aunts, uncles, cousins and various family friends - leaves little elbow room but makes for a cozy family gathering...
In case you're wondering, those are hot pots of boiling broth to cook beef, shrimp, fish or squid in - to be eaten with lettuce, noodles, mint, carrots and basil, wrapped in rice paper for spring rolls. And yes, for the most part, Vietnamese is spoken...learning at least SOME Vietnamese is on my list of goals for this 2010!
On another eating note - there is always plenty of seafood consumed at the Tran house and Nora has taken a liking to it. Seems the girl has expensive taste! "Num-num-num-num!"
And, although it was a balmy 32 degrees in Erie when we arrived with no snow to speak of, that didn't last long...
A few more pics from our week...
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Thang with his brothers, aunts, mom (in red) and Nora
Helping make cookies - Nora did the sprinkles!
Scrabble - an annual Christmas tradition...with sister-in-law, Stephanie, Thang's sister, Thy and niece, Anne Shirley
Nora mooching some food from "Co Thy" (Auntie Thy) - she has become quite adept at this!
If there was a theme song to our Christmas season this year, it was most definitely this one:
We were warned the storm was coming, so on Christmas Eve we packed up our station wagon, with Christmas gifts, suitcases (enough for being snowed-in for Christmas with my family plus 7 days with Thang's family), food, snow gear...no room for the kitchen sink. It was a good thing we left home prepared not to return as the blizzard hit full-force that night and all Christmas Day. After Thang and my dad went on a mission to rescue my sister's family from their snowed-in neighborhood, we were able to spend all of Christmas Day jammie-clad, my whole family under my parent's roof. It was a fun day of being together and slowing down, letting the kids play, working a puzzle, sipping hot tea and watching the snow pile up outside. Some pics...
Nora in her Christmas finest.
Nora with her cousins Teagan and Ruby....yes, the kids made out pretty good this Christmas!
Nora's got a new pair of shoes!
Nora enjoying her very special rocking horse from Oma and Opa.
My sis and brother-in-law in front of the drift that blocked their neighborhood. Yikes!
I am a daughter of The King, wife to the handsome Mr. T and a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom to an adorable goofball girl and a sweet baby boy. This is a place to organize my thoughts and share some of my life with the "outside" world. If you stop by, please leave a comment, would love to know you're out there! Enjoy...
