celeAPRILation

Yes I just made up a word to describe April...
April  17th - gogo's ( Shona for grandma) 61st birthday
even though I was a "challenging" child thankfully she decided to let me be and today I get to call my mommy one of my closest friends. I'm sure she still sees glimpses of that "challenging" child but she still let's me be. years later I still remember the poignant words of wisdom she'd splash my way especially during my teen years, and the words she wrote regarding my choices in friends or "friends"  in a letter or two she penned when she felt I wasn't listening. the best part was how she signed them "your surrogate mother" lol, yes there's a lot of dramatic scenes in our family history. I thank God everyday for my mommy and the strength and wisdom  she gets from loving Jesus with such abandon. thankful for the bible story sessions she'd make us have when we were kids, even when aunt chenai and I often derailed them with our childish antics and fits of laughter. her insistence on reminding us as adults that God's will would prevail over ours even when we didn't want to hear it. Happy birthday to the best mommy and gogo, now we wait in anticipation for her arrival to the US.

April 25th- mama and dada's wedding anniversary
quite simply an illustration of how God always gives us His best. I'm reminded everyday that your dads was definitely a gift from God, he's more than I prayed for and it's delightful and humbling watching God work in him. I know he's made me a better person and daily helps me be the best mommy I can be. each year gets better with your dada and I'm looking forward to year 4 and many more. I love you boo boo!!
April 26- happy 4th cake day cousin jaden
we celebrated his first birthday with the top of our wedding cake 3 years ago, in the afterglow of being hitched the previous day. so I guess he's birthday is always special to us. after being instructed by cousin jenny that he only responds to the "happy cake day to you" not the traditional happy birthday I was reminded that, yes jaden isn't your traditional boy. and for a boy who was once caught red handed by your dada at 6:30 am with a spoon in one hand and a carton of ice cream he had climbed into the freezer for last year let's just say he gets away with antics that only he can pull off with a cute smile and major adorable factor that usually has one of us sigh. .." well, that's jaden"- happy cake day tubby, we love you!!

gogo and jaden

bound before God to walk in life side by side

before and now

another sunday morning came and went and reminded me that yes i have fully given up my sunday's and even though it was 6:30am my heart was full and i wouldn't trade looking at that sleepy grin to start my day. it also made me think as i turned my phone on to see 6:30am how things have changed.
Before:
the idea of not getting at least 8hours of sleep made no sense to me; i always said God didn't want people to be up before the sun came out, if he did he'd make it rise sooner..ungodly i said ungodly!!
so i woke up at 6:30am or before ONLY  to study for finals in high school and university, because i couldn't bear the thought of failing and having to tell your grandparents, who'd  then discover i wasn't as smart as they thought i was; for work purposes, grumbling all the way, but i needed to work; when i went through a 6am spin class craze faze-NEVER AGAIN!
hiking and lunch date later with dada, working out together in the morning and high fiving at the end
sunday mornings mama and dada rolled out of bed no sooner than 9am; thursday night comedy night on NBC
lazy days reading a good book, finishing it and starting another; staying up until 2am watching heart wrenching documentaries on IFC or some such.
and...
Now:
what sleep?? i don't even count the hours anymore. i know it's bad when dada says "you need a nap later honey?" lol!!
God is in the dark 2am silence to hang and chat with early risers too. his Grace knows no time.Godly i say Godly
getting up at 7am is a luxury i look forward to, once in awhile a 6-6:30am happens and my heavy eyelids can't compete with my happy heart, besides i don't have to prove my smarts so not having that pressure helps:)) lol!!
still planning the hike; now when i exercise you and dada hang and all i hear is dada making animal noises as he reads you a book, or yelling"dig deep mama, you can do it" when i'm calling for my mama during a workout-good times.!!!
we still roll out of bed on sunday's -only no later than 7:30am, on a good sunday. thursday night comedy night sometimes happens on sunday afternoon-laughter has no set schedule.
i read the first chapter ( i think i read the whole chapter) of a new book yesterday.yay!! and bedtime means bedtime, the documentaries must wait-beauty of DVR.

so if you read this really carefully my dear you'll pick up between the Now lines, lol's and exclamation points, that our lives and everyday experiences are ever more funnier, more delightful, more colorful than Before!! because before we didn't have....

                                                     NOW!!!

easter fun

Easter is one of the best times of the year. a yearly reminder that Christ died conquered death and rose again so we could live under his infinite grace. it was an eventful Easter weekend and you were an absolute trooper, and i think you also loved having auntie chenai over. i know i did-more loving hands are the best!

kisses for auntie chenai

thank you auntie chenai for spending Easter with us

easter service with good old friends

hugs and kisses for auntie paula

Easter lunch with mama, dada and auntie chenai

in other news... monday you had your six month check-up, and you keep growing and are now 26.9inches tall and 17.1lbs.

big day today!!

last week we decided to donate the diapers, clothes etc that you couldn't fit into and for some reason i decided to look through one bag of clothes..heartbreaking. I was totally surprised by my reaction. just a couple of weeks ago you and I were in fits of laughter as I laughed out loud at an episode of Up All Night, where the dad was giving away his daughters clothes and as the mom he was giving them to started going through them. he snatched the bag away, and as you laughed because I was laughing I remember thinking, sensitive much dad?? God forgive me. yes it's just a show but I judged too soon and too harshly.

as I re-folded each piece of clothing I found myself whimpering as I remembered my tiny little baby, and a memory that came up with some of them ( some you never even got to wear). the little white button onsie that had delicate orange ruffles that you wore at 2 weeks on our drive from your first trip to LA. your five color horizontal striped footed onsie that I kept putting on you until you were literally busting out-it was sooo cute though. the little size 3mos green dress that I put on you at maybe 3 weeks because I felt it was time to "dress up", even if you were swimming in it..urgggg I could go on.

at first dada thought I was kidding and his banter kept me from an all out sob session. there would've been nothing wrong with crying like a little baby but I wasn't prepared so I'm glad I shook it off. when dada asked for the third time if I wanted to keep some I almost said "yes, yes, yes". but I stayed strong and we all went and said goodbye to the little outfits that tell 6 months of the best stories, moments and highlights. those little outfits will now bless another little girl and her (probably sentimental) mommy. i guess you do need bigger clothes to fit that "milk belly" you have going. but hey it helps when you are scooting around and swaying your little bottom back and forth before you lunge for your target to have all that "milk energy" to keep you going.

happy half-year birthday sweetheart. now let's create more memories..

my little 6week old baby is a little lady

playtime

nap time