Toddler phrases

Levi's vocabulary is just one of the many reminders for his mama of how quickly he is growing up. He has an impressive memory and can remember names and faces of people he knows well and those he's only met once. Just shy of his second birthday, he knows the alphabet, can count to ten, and knows most of his colors. He can effortlessly go through books at his grandparents' house and list off the items he sees: rice, tambourine, balloon fish, orca, bird's nest, lobster, etc. He is a sponge, listening to conversations around him and those held with him and picking up new words and phrases every day. I am in awe of his smarts! But, I'm also a little sad that recently, "mama" has become "mommy," "monk-me" has become "monkey" and "two-ah" has been correctly simplified to "two." Sigh. My little dude really is growing up!

While most of the things that come out of his mouth either impress me or make me laugh (or both) because they are adorable, there are two things he's learned that never fail to make me laugh out loud. Both were learned while with Mimi and Didi, and I don't think Mimi realized the impact her lessons would have on an adorable little toddler.

The first phrase: "Tell Mimi I shoo-shoo." This means exactly what it sounds like, except typing the words doesn't even come close to describing how precious and hilarious they are coming out of his mouth. He uses the phrase correctly, but has also figured out that using it at bed time means a delayed routine as his diaper is checked once again. Smart little guy. :)

The second phrase: "Get up, Didi." This phrase is expressed emphatically when he thinks it's time for his Didi to wake up in the morning, and this weekend, he altered it for his Uncle J.J., who was here visiting. "Get up, J.J., get up." So stinkin' cute!

And while this is nonverbal, one of my favorite things he's begun doing is directing the choir. He loves watching the choir at Mimi's and Didi's church, and he imitates the director's actions. He sways to the music, and then up go the hands. I was able to catch him in action this weekend while posing for a picture with his Aunt Leigh!

Nathanael Oak

Gib and I absolutely love the process of naming our children. For us, it's less about our favorite names at the moment and more about waiting together, praying together and talking about the identity we want to bestow upon our kids. We also believe, and it's been our experience, that our God is a very personal God who speaks to our hearts, and so an important part of our naming process is listening to what we feel like He is saying about the names. That may sound strange to some people, but it's become so normal for us.

With Levi Blaze, it's been a blast to watch his personality develop and be such a reflection of his name. We waited several hours after his birth to name him, and Levi Blaze was the clear choice for us. We love it, and I can't imagine him with any other name.

But, as pregnancies are different and kids are different, the naming process this time around was also very different.

Nathanael's naming process actually began before we were pregnant and came very unexpectedly! I have a note in my phone that I love to go back and reference, and it's dated January 15, 2012 at 11:13 a.m. I was sitting in a church service at my parents' church, and to be honest, I had sort of tuned out. Gib had taken Levi, who was almost one year old, out into the hall to sing him to sleep, and my mind started to wander just as the sermon was beginning.

As the pastor began speaking on John 1:43, my attention somehow refocused, and I felt the story come alive as only God can do with His word. John 1:47-51:

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 

And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Wow. What a powerful scene. The faith of Nathanael, the way Jesus sees him, and Jesus' promise for him.

I sat in awe reflecting on this Scripture, somewhat puzzled about why these verses had captured my heart as they had, when I felt like the Lord was speaking to my heart very clearly. And though it sounded bizarre at the time, I felt with complete confidence that what He was saying was that Gib and I would have a Nathanael.

Wow.

I remember getting up to go find Gib out in the hallway to tell him, and I love his matter-of-factness. His reaction? "Ok!" And so it was, that if we were to have another child, and that child was a boy, he would be Nathanael.

The meaning of Nathanael is "God has given," which we love.

Nathanael's middle name came about from Gib. Isaiah 61 has been a cornerstone verse for us this year. It's been a part of Scripture that we've meditated on, prayed aloud, and talked about. The words themselves are powerful and beautifully written, and we've had some incredible spiritual and emotional revelation in reading this chapter countless times:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives… to grant to those who mourn in Zion -- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. (emphasis mine)

When Gib suggested Oak as a middle name, we loved the meaning of this Scripture, as well as the physical associations we have with an oak tree - strength, sturdiness, with healthy roots firmly planted by streams of water, as described in Psalm 1:1.

In addition, an incredibly powerful story for me is the story of David and Goliath, found in 1 Samuel 17. David, the man described as being after God's heart, whom God anoints as king much to his family's surprise, defeats Goliath in the Valley of Elah. The meaning of the Valley of Elah is "valley of the oak."

Nathanael Oak: God has given, a man of faith and without deceit who will see greater things, a strong oak, a place of victory, a promise of transformation for others through righteousness. We already stand amazed at this perfect little boy God has given us, and we wait expectantly and excitedly to see what the Lord has in store for him!

12/21/12

I know it sounds ridiculous to say that I have a favorite number, but I do, and that number is 21. The reverse of that number is 12, which happens to be my birthday as well, making it my second favorite number. I know, I know, it's silly, but I can't help it. I love those two numbers. So when our sweet little son was born 12/21/12, I had to smile. The kindness of God.

But, the kindness of God in this birthing experience goes waaaaay beyond numbers. If I could pinpoint one revelation God has revealed to me through the last few weeks, it would be His kindness. I've seen  that blessings come in unexpected ways and that though  a current situation may initially look bleak, it can in fact be glorious and full of hope.

Our birth story for Nathanael has changed my life, just as Levi's story did almost two years ago. Both are poignant and meaningful and incredible, yet very different. Just as with Levi, we didn't find out if we were having a boy or a girl until the delivery. We love the surprise! As we waited to see whether Levi would have a baby brother or sister, we prayed over this little one and over the labor experience. It wasn't any secret that we wanted to try for a VBAC and avoid a second c-section, and had God not already known that desire of my heart, I verbally mentioned it to Him enough that He most certainly got the point.

Over the last few months, we've received some amazing words of prayer and encouragement for baby Shofar that really stirred our hearts. A man within our church's global organization prayed over us this fall, not knowing anything about us, and specifically declared that this birth would be uncomplicated, with no fear, and that any bad experience from the past would have no bearing on this birth. WOW, I thought. Helloooooo, confirmation. Natural labor, here I come.

As I approached my due date, several friends began individually sending me Isaiah 40 references, and I began seeing that Scripture everywhere… it was even mentioned in the sermon our pastor preached the Sunday before Nathanael was born. Each time I read the verses of Isaiah 40, different parts would come alive for me and really encourage me. Yet my prayer continued to be, Lord, please just put me into labor. You know I don't want to undergo another surgery. 

As the days inched closer to our "if-not-in-labor-let's-have-surgery-day," I thanked the Lord that He would turn my mourning into dancing, and I felt His interruption, speaking to my heart, gently telling me that I had nothing to mourn. That was all of the wake-up call that I needed.

A good friend of mine prayed over me on the Sunday before I delivered that I would have the Shalom Peace of Jesus in this situation, that I would stand on the promises that I felt God had given us. As our set surgery date loomed, I began resolving that while I hoped I would go into labor, I needed to be at peace if a c-section was necessary. And on Thursday, God was so kind to really pour that peace over me. I went to bed feeling no anxiety, and instead being excited to meet our newest family member.

At 2:00 a.m., Levi woke up with a fever, and as I rocked him back to sleep, I felt something. And then another something. And another. Contractions! Whoa! Hallelujah! I truly rejoiced with each one of them, and as I thanked the Lord, again He spoke to my heart with one word: Watch.

Although the contractions continued, we decided to go ahead and drive to the hospital for our scheduled 6 a.m. arrival for surgery. The drive was exciting, as we had no idea what was about to happen. When we arrived, my midwife (thankfully recovered from her illness!) was encouraged by our report; however, when she checked me, she found that the baby was still positioned high in my pelvis.

After talking and praying, we both felt that proceeding with surgery was the right decision. Looking back, we firmly believe that God let us experience a part of labor together before confirming that surgery was the right choice.

I realize how strange it sounds to say that we had an amazing surgery, but that's the only way I can describe it. We actually had the same surgical team who delivered Levi, and they were wonderful. I had no nervousness in the operating room, and when I heard our sweet baby cry, and Gib announced, "it's a boy!", I was overjoyed. Brothers! I exclaimed. My heart soared.

With Levi's birth, he had needed some medical attention after delivery to get the fluid out of his lungs, so I wasn't able to hold him immediately, but with Nathanael, our midwife placed him on my chest all fresh and gooey (!). As soon as he felt my chest, he stopped crying and burrowed into me, while Gib trimmed the cord. To say those first moments were sweet is both a reality and also a huge understatement. I will savor those moments forever. The kindness of God.

My recovery from surgery has been incredibly smooth and when I look back to the promises I stood upon for this delivery, I see that God fulfilled every one of them, just in unexpected ways: it was uncomplicated, I had no fear, I experienced His unseen grace and peace, and the words of Isaiah 40 are forever woven together as part of our birth story. And the desires to experience some labor at home, to be able to hold my baby immediately, for nursing to be seamless… each one of those was given to me.

While I am extremely grateful that surgery was available for Levi, it was hard for me physically and emotionally. True to his name, Levi Blaze "blazed" many a parenthood trail for his little brother, and in many ways he has already made life easier for Nathanael. What a good big brother. :) With my second c-section, the Lord has redeemed surgery for me. He's given it beauty and life.

Just as I'm reminded of God's goodness and blessing every time I look into Levi Blaze's bright blue eyes, Nathanael will also be a reminder of the kindness and tenderness of the Father.

Welcome to our family, Nathanael Oak. We already can't get enough of you!

Shout-Out

Today, I had my first dose of being the parent of two children. I'm still reflecting in thankfulness at the  teamwork between Gib and my parents.

Apparently, when you have a little one in the midst of the Christmas holiday, it isn't particularly easy to get a newborn wellness appointment booked with your pediatrician, who has his own holiday plans. And then, when you have a 23-month old who has been sick for more than a week, who needs his own appointment with this same pediatrician, but not an appointment at the same time as your newborn because he has yet to meet his little brother (and that initial meeting is NOT taking place in an exam room!), let's just say that the receptionist/scheduler isn't your biggest fan.

After several phone calls made between the doctor's office and my parents, it worked out and both of my little boys had their time with the doctor.

But, this isn't really a post about the doctor's office, so let me get to the point. To state it succinctly, my parents are saints. Today, they drove an hour and a half each way to get Levi to the doctor. For the past 11 days, they've kept our eldest little dude, with him being sick eight of those days, and as a result, none of them getting much sleep. They made us a roast this week. And, while they got a quick glimpse of our youngest little dude following his arrival, neither of them got to hold him until this week because we all agreed that keeping a sick little boy at their house was probably best.

Mimi and Didi, we are so thankful for you. I honestly don't know what we would have done without you in the last few weeks. Thank you for loving our boys so well and for loving their parents so well, too. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. I couldn't be more grateful that you are such prominent members of that village.

Introducing...

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our second precious son, Nathanael Oak! We are joyful beyond measure and have thoroughly enjoyed the last few days spent bonding with this new little life. More details to come, but we couldn't wait to post a few pics!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I love driving around and seeing Christmas lights on houses and Christmas trees festively decorated, and today it's cold enough to see my breath in the air, which finally means it feels like December!

We've been singing Christmas carols with Levi for the last few weeks, and he knows them well enough  to request them by name. This is the first Christmas that he's realizing something special is happening - he loves Christmas ornaments and lights on trees, our rolls of wrapping paper, his Christmas book about the birth of Jesus, and even the word "Christmas."

I'm beginning to look a bit more like Christmas, too! With my due date just days before the actual holiday, the appearance of my stomach is an excellent indicator that our little Shofar baby's arrival is coming any day!

Christmas is always a fun time of year, but this year, the weeks leading up to it have been particularly enjoyable, as we watch our sweet toddler delight in what's happening around him and as we continue to grow in excitement at the thought of meeting our second child. So, so fun!

Gib's immediate family came to visit this weekend so that we could celebrate an early Christmas together. It was a short trip, but we loved getting to spend time with them, and Levi loved getting to see his Papa, Grandma, Uncle Brian and Aunt Kim. And, he loved getting to open his presents! Here are some snapshots from our Park Family Christmas:

The whole gang

A long-time family friend up-cycled several things to make a tractor/trailer set!

Sharing a snack

Such a fun weekend!