Packing for Baby

Taking trips with a baby can be stressful! I'm a new mom, so I completely understand (and have experienced!) the desire to take everything your baby owns on a trip! I've always tried to balance how much I pack-  I pack the essentials, with some comforts and extras, but that's what works for me!

In Claudia's short six months of life, we've taken five overnight trips! I've learned from each one and I'm convinced that organization and planning helps everyone have the best experience possible. It helps baby have everything she needs (and a few things she might want) and it gives me peace of mind.

Let's be honest, babies have tons of stuff and its all little!! I can't tell you how many times I've gone digging for a sock, hairbrush, lotion or something while holding Claudia on my hip while she's squirming. Can anyone relate?

The packing tips I'm going to share with you creates a place for everything and makes it convenient so there is, hopefully, minimal digging :-)

Here's a step by step for planning how and what to pack for your little one! I'm going to use my baby's things and our upcoming trip this weekend as an example.


1) Plan the Details of the Trip

When it was just my husband and me, we could be more flexible in our travels! With a baby, however, asking yourself these questions will help you know how and what to pack!

• Where is the baby going to sleep? (some grandparents may have a crib, if not, you will need to pack your pack n play!)
• Are there any special events we will be attending? (wedding, funeral, church, etc.)
• Where will we be spending time besides where we are sleeping? 

Once you have a framework for the trip, you can coordinate your baby's schedule with the itinerary of the trip! 

2) If possible, plan to travel when it best fits into your baby's routine! 

Claudia eats around 4 p.m. each day and then again at 8 p.m., so we're planning to do the majority of our drive during that window of time! If she sleeps the entire time, that's even better! Planning travel times strategically should help avoid hungry and tired meltdowns.

3) Pack Ahead of Time! 

Okay, I've done the packing thing both ways now. At Christmas, I ridiculously over-packed everything which was miserable plus I had a hard time finding things! When I had to make an impromptu several week trip to Atlanta following my knee surgery, I just threw stuff in a bag and hoped I had everything! Both ways were stressful, so I'm hoping that with this trip, this tweaked system will serve both me and Claudia well! 

I'm going to preface this by saying that I am a first time mom and don't pretend to know everything about traveling with a baby. This is what works for me and my family and, I hope, it can help you and yours! I've found that my life is a lot less stressful when I take time to plan and prepare things ahead of time. I've gotten caught too many times packing as my husband is loading the car and, now that baby is in the picture, I'm done with that! 

For this trip, all of Claudia's things can fit into three bags: her diaper bag, her little weekend bag and a tote bag. I'm going to show what I packed into each bag and explain the method to the madness as I go along! 

The Diaper Bag

My  thought regarding the diaper bag is that it should have the stuff Claudia may need in the immediate future. Therefore, this bag doesn't need to be buried in the trunk and should be accessible at all times :-) 

Side note, I LOVE my diaper bag! It was a gift from one of my best friends and has tons of space without being bulky :-) 

These are the items I put in the bag: 

A bottle, water and formula for Claudia's 8 p.m feeding. Because of when we're travelling, we'll have to stop and feed her on the way, so I have everything I need to mix up a tasty bottle for her! My husband found the cute little plastic containers at Target and they are the perfect size for a serving of formula! I can stick them in the bag instead of carrying around the bulky formula box! A lot of times if I'm taking a day trip, I pack extra of these, just in case of traffic or other delays! 

The diaper stuff, of course! I need to buy more diapers, but I make sure to pack plenty of them for the duration of the trip so I don't have to interrupt the fun to make a Wal-mart run for diapers. No bueno. I have the changing pad (that came with my diaper bag), and plenty of wipes in my plastic wipe holder! In a gallon ziploc bag, I have: diaper cream (Austin still giggles when we call it by its name "Butt Paste", baby powder, hand sanitizer and two rolls of the Arm and Hammer Baking Soda diaper bags. I like having these items in one see-through bag so I don't have to dig for them. It makes diaper changing so much easier! 

Baby clothes fit into ziploc bags so well! The first ziploc bag contains Claudia's sleeper and two diapers. I've labeled it "Thursday PM" with a sharpie.  Since we'll be arriving late, we'll just pull her sleeper and double diapers out of the diaper bag so we don't have to even open her weekend bag before we put her to bed! The other bag "Extra Outfits" contains (surprise!) two extra outfits, including bibs, should Claudia need them. I'll keep this in the diaper bag throughout the weekend! 

Everything fit so nicely! Done! Just a reminder, replenish the diaper bag with supplies as you need them throughout your trip!

The Weekend Bag 

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to call this adorable little bag that my aunt got for Claudia and I thought "the weekend bag" sounded classy :-) 

Now for the breakdown: 

I had so much fun coordinating all of her little outfits! Her granddaddy will, I'm sure, take tons of pictures of her, so having cute outfits is a must :-) She is so much better dressed than I am! I've labeled each bag with the day. We're staying the night on Friday and Saturday, so in those bags I included: a cute outfit, hair bow, coordinating bib (she's cutting her first tooth so drool is abundant!) and a sleeper. I made two bags for Sunday. The "Sunday AM" bag contains her accessories for church (bonnet, tights, shoes) and the "Sunday PM" bag contains a comfy outfit for her to change into after church. She'll also be travelling home in this outfit. 

These are her two Sunday morning church options! I'm packing two dresses in case something happens to one of them before we can get to church :-) I won't pack these in the bag, but will hang them in the hanging bag with my things. 

Her bath stuff!! This bag includes: a hooded towel, a washcloth, shampoo, soap and lotion. She'll get a bath on Saturday night before church on Sunday! I'm not packing her bather because my dad has a sink that will work just fine now that she can sit up on her own! :-) 

Last but not least, her safety/grooming kit and Tylenol. Claudia is cutting her first tooth, which can be painful and could cause a fever, so I'm taking the Tylenol and the kit with the thermometer. I've also looked up which emergency care places are in network for our insurance, just in case. 

Everything fit perfectly! Her adorable sun hat and new sandals are on top. I'm hoping we'll all have some fun in the sun this weekend! 

The Tote Bag

I got this cute Thirty-One tote bag from my best friend a few Christmases ago and have used it for EVERYTHING! It is the perfect bag to pack Claudia's bedding, food stuff and toys in! 

Now for the itemized list: 

Here are her nighttime necessities! We are taking her pack n play, so I've packed a fitted white sheet, her blanket, a pad to go under the sheet and a second pad to go on the changing table attachment to the pack n play. In the ziploc bag, I put her soothing blanket (it really helps her go to sleep!), her pacifier, and her bedtime story, Goodnight Moon. 

Next comes all of her food stuff! Claudia is 6 months old, is formula fed and eats cereal/baby food twice a day. Since this trip is lasting several days, I'm bringing the entire containers of formula and cereal. However, I'm also packing two extra little containers to fill and put in the diaper bag if we're away from the house during mealtime! Claudia only eats about a tablespoon of baby food per meal, so I'm just packing one (unopened) jar of squash in the same bag as the containers. I've also included two spoons. My dad has a bowl we can use and wash so I'm not packing one! 

In the center, I've packed several cloth diapers and Claudia's plastic bib to help with mealtime messes! Cloth diapers are sooo versatile! Like I mentioned before, Claudia is bottle fed. I've tried bringing all of the bottles I own and I've also only brought one. Neither system worked very well. My rule of thumb is to bring as many bottles as you use in a day. In Claudia's case, that is four. Then, once she goes to sleep, I can take my handy dandy bottle brush and wash them for the next day! 

Toys!!! Again, I've packed too much and too little. You need to be realistic about what your baby will actually use/play with during the trip. I've packed four of Claudia's favorite toys to keep her entertained (this doesn't include a toy for her to play with in her carseat). I've also included two books because I like to read to her throughout the day. Our current favorites are The Real Mother Goose and The Jesus Storybook Bible. 

Lastly, I put her blanket on top of everything and this bag is ready to go! 

In addition to her three bags, the bigger items we're taking for Claudia are: 

• Pack n Play (with the changing table attachment)
• Stroller (canvas to save space)
• Doorway Excersaucer (to provide entertainment for baby and Granddaddy- can fold easily!)

Now I just need to get Austin and me packed and we'll be ready to go!

All About Claudia: 5 months

Claudia Grace Ward. When Austin and I chose that name, we had no idea what our daughter would be like. Now we do! This adventure of parenthood is a roller coaster of emotions, exhaustion, patience, endurance, love, joy and laughter. We are crazy about our little girl and fall in love with her more each day! We praise the Lord for this priceless gift and desire to be good stewards of the little life He has entrusted to us.

Yesterday I read back through some of my weekly pregnancy updates and thought I would begin something similar now that Claudia is here! I'm not going to promise an update every month, but for those of you who would like to join us in our adventure of parenting Claudia Grace, enjoy!

Like the pregnancy updates, I'm going to use a list of headings/questions so it will be easy for me to look back :-)


Daily Routine: "Routine" is one of my favorite words! Now that I'm mobile again and our life is settling into a version of normal, it has been fun getting into our daily routine :-) I read Babywise when Claudia was two weeks old and it helped reinforced ideas about creating a routine for her. I highly recommend it. This is our "flexible schedule"; if we get off by an hour, if Claudia oversleeps, skips a nap, we're traveling or something else, its okay. It is the basic structure that we revolve around and Claudia is thriving in it!

8:00 a.m.:Claudia's Breakfast

9:30/10:00 a.m.: Nap

12:00 p.m.: Claudia's Lunch

1:30/2:00 p.m.: Nap

4:00 p.m.: Claudia's Late Afternoon Meal

4:30 p.m. (every other day): Bath time!

5:00-5:30ish: Nap

8:00 p.m.:Claudia's Dinner

8:30-9:00 p.m: Bedtime

Claudia's naps usually last about an hour to an hour and a half, so during the time between her naps and mealtimes, we read books, sing, play, run errands or go for a walk. :-)  


Sleeping Habits: We began sleep training Claudia at 4 weeks and she now sleeps about 11 hours through the night in her own crib! We are so thankful that she sleeps so that we can get some time together in the evenings and can get our own rest!

Right now she takes three naps (10, 2, and 5:30) that usually last about an hour. She starts rubbing her eyes (its sooo cute!) when she's tired and falls asleep on her own once she's in the crib. She definitely fights naps sometimes, but usually stops crying after just a few minutes (unless she's hungry which is a different story!). I enjoy her nap time because it lets me be productive, make a phone call without baby noises in the background, take a nap myself, or watch a show. I try not to have the T.V. on too much when she's awake.

When we put her to sleep for a nap or for the night, we make sure she has a clean diaper (we double diaper her at night!) and speak in quiet, soothing voices. Before bedtime, we read her a book. Goodnight Moon is her favorite. Once she's in her crib, we give her the pacifier, put her soothing blanket near her hand, and pull her blanket up to her face. She loves to sleep with the blanket close to her face, which used to scare me so much! Fortunately, this blanket is crocheted, so that helps me not to worry! Lastly, we play a music box that Austin's grandfather gave us when we were engaged.

Here are a couple of pictures of her nursery!

Eating Habits: Claudia eats 4 times a day (8, 12, 4 and 8). Right now, she eats 8 oz of formula (we use Enfamil Gentlease and love it!) at all but the 4 o'clock feeding. At 4 she eats a serving of rice cereal followed by 4-5 oz of formula in her high chair! She still looks so small in that big chair :-).

Claudia's pediatrician, Dr. Owens, has given me the freedom to feed Claudia solids at the pace she determines. She's really getting the hang of eating with the spoon! About 90% of it actually stays in her mouth now! She's still a messy eater, but she's so cute, so I forgive her!

Over the weekend, we're going to start feeding her the rice cereal twice a day and in the next week or so, we'll probably introduce some kind of pureed vegetable. I'm planning to make her baby food so we'll see how that goes!


Bath Time: Claudia loves her bath! Following her 4:00 meal, she's usually pretty messy, so that's why I decided to put it at this point in her routine! She also has been known to sleep from 5:30 until her 8:00 feeding, so that's another reason I do it then.

We have been using this baby bather since she was a newborn and I love it! When she starts sitting up on her own (she's almost there!), we won't use it anymore, but for now, its great! Claudia's sensory development is exploding and she loves putting her feet under the running water as I'm filling up the bathtub. She has also started touching the water as I pour it over her to rinse her off. At the end of her bath, I take her out of the bather and hold her upright in the water. She enjoys splashing around and is captivated by the drain when I let the water out. It is so fun to see her experience such simple things for the first time!

Following her bath, I put her in one of her adorable hooded towels, put a fresh diaper on her, put lotion on her and change her into a clean sleeper and bib. Lastly, I brush her hair and put vaseline on her little cheeks that have been chapped recently. I love how sweet and clean she smells after her bath! She is usually so relaxed that she transitions into her nap very easily after that.

Favorite Activities: "standing up" on our laps and squealing, bouncing in her "Excer-saucer", playing on her activity mat, looking at pictures in books and her bath.

Favorite Things: Her soothing blanket, "The Jesus Storybook Bible", "The Baby Colors Book", her seal, her paci, and eating.

Current Phase: Unfortunately, I think she's going through some separation anxiety. Whenever other people are in the room, she checks to make sure I'm around. Sometimes she cries if anyone other than me gets her up from a nap. She's just been more clingy/needy lately.

She's so frustrated in general right now! I've read that between 4-6 months are so difficult for a baby because there is SO much development happening at once. I can tell she's ready to crawl, but she's not there yet.


Milestones: Claudia has discovered both of her feet, she likes waving her arms around like crazy (we think she'll be a conductor some day :-) ), she's eating rice cereal, her manual dexterity is great, she makes noises and moves her mouth like she wants to talk to us, and she can roll over from her back to her tummy! She can't quite roll from her tummy to her back yet. She gets so frustrated and upset. It's difficult watching her struggle with it.

Funny Habits: This one isn't really a habit, but she drools ALL THE TIME! Austin calls her "drool box". We have to keep a bib on her at all times, except when she's going to bed for the night, so that her clothes don't get soaked! I'm waiting for that first tooth to pop through anytime now!

She sucks on her left index and middle fingers, which is what her daddy used to do. So cute!

She likes sticking out her tongue whenever she's concentrating and curling it over her top lip. Her mommy used to (and still does) do that!


Teeth: None! We adore her gummy smile! But, from the amount of drool, one should come any day now!


Nicknames:
Austin's: "Drool Box" and "Gummy"
Elizabeth's: "Little Precious Love" and "Love Bug"


Diaper Size: 3 (Pamper's Swaddlers)


Clothing Size: 6 months


Fun Times: Over the past several weeks, Claudia has experienced her first snow, spent quality time with each of her grandparents (and her-great grandmommy!), made a trip to Paducah, and gone to church. I'm so glad the weather is finally warming up so we can get outside and enjoy doing things!

Its hard to believe she'll be 6 months old in just a few weeks! Stay tuned!

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Our family has made a lot of "lemonade" recently. In the past two and a half months we've moved, Austin started a new job, we've been taking care of Claudia, I've had knee surgery and we were in a wreck. We've faced more financial, emotional, spiritual and physical challenges than we ever have. I would love to say that I've been able to totally trust in the Lord and focus on His plan for molding us to be more like Him through everything, but I haven't. It seemed like every time it seemed like things were manageable, something else would happen. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and, thankfully, the Lord is using this time to reinforce some important truths in my heart. I would love to share them with you:

There is beauty in dependency. 

I'm a very independent person. I don't know if its because I've always been self-sufficient or if I just like to be in control (probably both!). Our culture reinforces this, telling us to do whatever makes us happy, to take charge of our lives and to live with our google calendar/planner at the center of everything. We live in single family homes. Asking for help has become a humbling experience, not an expected one. I'm not saying that being self aware, organized, or successful are bad things in and of themselves. The problem happens when we put being independent and in control before our relationships with others and, especially, with the Lord. And when we struggle with pride as a result.

When I hurt my knee doing an everyday task (just when I'd recovered from having Claudia!), I went from feeling like a capable, structured mom to a burden. I had to let Austin and other family take care of Claudia in the ways I couldn't. After the actual surgery and I was on crutches, I really couldn't take care of her. We went to Atlanta for two weeks to stay with Mom and Larry because we needed more attention than Austin could give with his new work schedule. It was difficult for our little family to be apart, even for that short time.

In my many weeks of living with this injury, I've experienced so many emotions. I was mad that I even hurt my knee in the first place. I felt like a failure because I couldn't be the wife and mother that I wanted to be. I was so thankful to the family (especially Mom and Larry) that so lovingly cared for me and for Claudia. Somewhere along the way, I looked at Claudia and the truth that dependency is beautiful came to my mind.

Motherhood has taught me many things, but the parallel that God is my parent like I am Claudia's parent has particularly resonated. Claudia depends on others for everything! She can't feed herself, bathe herself, change her own diaper, dress herself or even move from one point to another. She trusts wholeheartedly that her needs will be met, and I, as her mother, delight in meeting those needs. Similarly, God delights in meeting my needs and (unlike my imperfect parenting), is perfect in doing so. Wow.


Focus on one day at a time.

Our lives are comprised of one. Day. At. A. Time. God designed this for a reason. In my life, I'm convinced it is to help me abide in Him. I spend so much time planning for the future that sometimes I miss out on the blessings He has for me in the present. When going through a difficult season, the mentality that I only have to worry about today is very comforting. Eventually those days are going to add up and maybe later it won't be so difficult. I'm not promised tomorrow anyway!

Jesus is so clear in telling us not to worry about tomorrow and to trust the Lord to provide for our needs.


To have a thankful heart is to have a happy heart. 

Those Veggie Tale Lyrics come straight out of scripture. I'm also reminded of the song from White Christmas, "Counting My Blessings", which, incidentally, I found the yellowed sheet music for during our move. Thanking the Lord for what I have is the quickest way for me to stop worrying about what I don't have and thinking about what I do have- viewing the glass half-full in a sense. :-)

Austin absolutely loves his job, which was sadly not the case before we moved. The Lord provides us with income and health insurance through it. He is using Austin for His purpose and glory at Monroe Harding. We have a snug little place to call home. Claudia even has her own adorable little room. We have loving friends and family, both far and near who support, encourage and pray for us.

Our most obvious blessing is our little Claudia. I'm so incredibly thankful that she is healthy, happy, and developing! She just turned five months and is experiencing something new every day. I really can't imagine what our life was like without her. There is no feeling better than when she smiles at me with her gummy smile first thing in the morning, or snuggles into me, rubbing her eyes when she's ready for a nap. I delight in her.

I'd also like to briefly mention that depending on your circumstances or even on your spouse to make you happy, especially during a difficult season, is foolishness. I'm going to write another post just on marriage during difficult times soon. I've been learning a lot on this subject in recent days.


The joy of the Lord is my strength.

This is a truth that the Lord has reinforced in multiple seasons of my life. There have been many times over the past couple of months (especially immediately following my surgery) that I would just sob and declare, "I can't do this anymore!"  I was right. I couldn't do it in my own strength. Its silly to me how often I try to "handle things" on my own. The result is misery and defeat.

As believers, the good news is that we have new life in Christ! When we turn to him in any situation we may face in life, He comforts us, sustains us, and gives us the endurance we need. It's not about our needs being met, however. When we focus on what He has done for us by dying on the cross and rising again, that puts life into perspective really quickly! This is what it means to choose joy!


God has a special, unique plan for me and my family. 

When I stop to remember that this hard time is merely a chapter in the greater novel that is my life story (of which the Lord is the author), it really helps me put things into perspective. I can look back and reflect upon other difficult seasons and see how the Lord worked in my life then. It helps strengthen my faith.

There have been many times where I've thought something along these lines..

"We've been married 4 years, we should really have _______ by now" (insert some material possession, financial security, etc).

Who says we should have it? Society plays a role in setting these "milestones" for our lives (should be married by a certain age, should have kids by a certain age, should be out of debt by this time, etc. etc. etc.) There is wisdom to be found in some of these guidelines, but ultimately, the Lord is totally in control of my life! The experiences He has me go through are for a specific purpose. These are lessons and blessings specifically designed for me, for my marriage and for my family. This helps with the pitfall of comparison (which is so easy to do, especially with social media). Comparison is the ultimate joy stealer.

Knowing that all the Lord asks of me is to trust Him, abide in Him, seek Him, and to be obedient to His specific plan for my life makes me able to choose this joy, no matter what my circumstances are.

................

So, I keep taking life one day at a time. The fields surrounding our home have hints of green and crocuses are beginning to bloom. Spring is on its way after a cold, barren winter. May the beginning of this new season remind us all of the life and joy we have in Christ!

Home is Where the Heart Is

Home. There aren't many words in the English language that have such meaning. Each person thinks something different when they think of it. To some, it is a place full of love and warm memories. Sadly, to others, it is a place of heartache and sadness. Some never had it; some lost it. Many yearn for it. Some think of a place, a family pet, a favorite meal, a tree house, a grandmother's china set, or a faded print on the wall. There are countless songs about it. If a house is "homey", it is comfortable, warm and inviting. We all have a picture of what "home" looks like to us.

"Home is Where is the Heart Is" is a familiar phrase that appears upon many an embroidered pillow or in a frame. Although no one knows for certain, its origin is credited to Pliny the Elder, a first century Roman author, philosopher and naturalist. This concept of one's "home" makes up a part of a person's identity and is something that has been discussed for thousands of years!

To me, "home" is a place where I'm with those I love, where I can relax and have the freedom to be me, knowing that I'm loved just because I'm me. The actual dwelling isn't as important to me. I've had many homes in my life- not all of them always including my immediate family. I always felt "at home" in my best friend's house, with my grandparents and with my friends in my college dorm. I was blessed with a happy childhood with beautiful houses that I called home. When my family broke up, other places had to become home. Austin and I made a home together over the past four years in Jackson.

When I was a child and a teenager, I was very sentimental about things- the toy I played with for years, a doll I asked for at Christmas, knick knacks that belonged to my mom when she was a little girl and holiday traditions. There were several times I remember being mad during holidays when we departed from the traditions. I held onto everything and was very possessive. However, stuff and traditions aren't what makes a home.

Home consists of people and the love that weaves them together. As Christians, we know that we love because God first loved us. He is the source of our love and our joy. I believe that truly happy homes are where people are valued more than things, and hospitality is practiced out of an overflowing of grace. It all comes back to the heart. What I value and love becomes my home. This is why I yearn for my heavenly home.

There was a time in my life where I would have been heartbroken to leave our little house in Jackson. I used to put so much value on the place itself, and not as much on people. However, when I walked out of it's empty interior for the last time on Sunday night, I knew that my home was going with me to Dickson. This house would be someone else's home.

Austin and I prayed for that someone else our last night in Jackson. We are confident that the Lord will bring the right person along to purchase that wonderful little house in His timing. What we already miss most about Jackson are the amazing friends  and family we left behind. Although we won't get to "do life" together as much, we know that those relationships will extend far beyond this season in our lives! When we do go back and visit, we will be "at home" because we will be with those we love.

For now, our home is in Dickson. I am with those who hold the largest pieces of my heart (Austin and Claudia) and we look forward to what the Lord has for us in this temporary season.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of today. Thank you for the ability to meet with You no matter where I am. Thank you that our nation has set aside a day to give thanks to You for our many blessings. I pray that I may have a heart of thankfulness every day, not just the fourth Thursday in November. I have so very much to be thankful for.

Thank you for family. Thank you for choosing them for me. Thank you for the ways they have blessed me over the years. Thank you for using them to teach me so many valuable lessons. Thank you for revealing parts of Your character to me through them. Thank you for times of laughter, times of tears, and for countless hours of fellowship around kitchen tables. Thank you for the unique gifts You've given each one of them. Bless them all, near and far, and be with them in everything. May we continue to pour out Your love on each other. When we don't, please give us the grace we need to forgive and to move forward.

Thank you for my husband. Thank you for choosing him for me and for being the author and sustainer of our love. Thank you that he desires to honor You in every aspect of his life. Thank you for how well he loves me. Thank you for how hard he works to provide for our family! Thank you for who he is. I pray that I may reflect Your unconditional love to him daily in my words, thoughts and actions. Draw us closer to you and closer to each other. Help us discern Your will for our life together and use us to further Your kingdom!

Thank you for my precious child. She is a gift from You that I don't deserve. Thank you for entrusting her to me. Please give me the wisdom, strength and grace to be a godly mother to her. Thank you for the joy she brings to me and to so many. May we relish in that joy, for You are the source of it! I pray that she would come to know You at an early age. Thank you for knitting her together- she is so beautifully and wonderfully made!

Thank you for friends, near and far. They bless me in so many ways! Thank you that we can live in community with one another. Thank you for how they challenge me, listen to me, encourage me and walk beside me on mountaintops and in valleys. Thank you for all the means of communication we have to keep those relationships strong!

Thank you for my church, Your body. Thank you for the freedom I have to worship You with fellow believers. Thank you for the way the pastor speaks Your truth into our lives every Sunday. Thank you for placing me with people who love You, desire to know You more, enjoy studying Your Word and with whom I can enjoy fellowship. Thank you for providing us with a beautiful building where we can worship and serve You. I pray that You use our church in a mighty way in our community. Help us to stay completley centered in You.

Thank you for all of my material blessings- my home, my car, clothing, food on the table and money in the bank, to name a few. Thank you for a comfortable bed where I can rest at the end of every day. Thank you for the house that provides my family with shelter, a place to "do life" and a place to show hospitality to all who enter. Thank you for a refrigerator and pantry full of food. We have in abundance what so many do not have at all. Thank you for providing for us financially. May we be good stewards of everything You have entrusted to us and use these things to bring honor and glory to You!

Most importantly, thank you for who You are. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for loving me so much that You sent Jesus to atone for my sin, that I may be reconciled to You in this life and the next! Your grace is so amazing! Because of Your great love, I can experience the joy of the celebration of Christ's birth! As I enter into this Advent season, may I be reminded of the promise that you fulfilled so long ago with the cross and anticipate the promise of your return! Thank you for hope; and because of hope, joy! Joy to the world, You have come! Let earth receive her king!

I ask all of these things in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

An Exposé

Sometimes I feel like I'm going to burst because I have so many thoughts about so many topics! I've always used writing as a way to express myself, process my emotions, tell stories and share life experiences with others. There is no activity that makes my spirit soar or that brings out my passion for life more than writing.

In this blog, I have chronicled our family adventures so that we might share and preserve memories. Recently, I believe the Lord has been stirring me to use my love for writing to share more of my heart, specifically what He is teaching me so it might be an encouragement to others.

Recently, I've realized that I'm a private person. I'm an introvert by nature, despite my very outgoing personality, and have a few close confidants that have seen me at my best and my worst. I cope with the struggles in life by choosing joy (the joy of the Lord is my strength!) and focusing on the positive which, unfortunately, can be preceived as superficiality.

So here is the truth. I feel emotions very deeply. I have very strong opinions about most everything. I'm very passionate about being a godly wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend. I want to share what the Lord is doing in my life. I want to be open and genuine. I LOVE people and love talking to them about anything, even the silly stuff. I want to meet people where they are. So I ask you, dear reader, to meet me where I am.

I will not always express my opinion right away, if at all. I pick and chose my battles very carefully. I care more about people and relationships than I care about my preferences or getting my way all the time. This does not mean I'm a pushover.

I will not talk about controversial topics in a group, if at all. Its my way of being considerate of the opinions of others and preventing myself from saying something I may regret later.

I avoid drama because its damaging and a waste of my time. It sucks the joy out of life and fosters things that aren't pleasing to the Lord: selfishness, pride, gossipping and discontentment, to name a few.

I am totally in love with my husband. He demonstrates the Lord's love to me in amazing ways. We have an incredible love story and it keeps getting better! We are NOT perfect, but we understand that we are in a covenant relationship and we work to have a great marriage daily!

I'm a new mom! I have a precious little daughter and she is beautiful in every way. I love being her mother and taking care of her! Does this mean I don't get impatient and exhausted? No! But when she is content and looks up a me with her big blue eyes and a gummy smile, its all worth it! She is a priceless gift!

The Lord has given me an amazing community of friends and family, near and far. I love that doing life together doesn't have to be limited to a specific place!

I've worked several jobs in my life: camp counselor, post office student worker, Marketing Director and Office Coordinator. The Lord has used each of these jobs to teach me so much! I've learned my strengths, my weaknesses and how to work alongside people who are different than me. My favorite job is what I get to do now: being a stay at home wife and mom. Serving my favorite people through everyday tasks is so fun!

I'm a huge nerd. I get super excited about anything to do with history and can map out, in detail, troop movements during most major Civil War battles. I love libraries, the smell of old books and reading. I fall asleep reading every night. I am a polical junkie and get a little too excited about Saturday Night Live political parodies! I am also a huge movie fan (like any self proclaimed nerd, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are up there!) and can quote most of the dialogue from my favorites. However, I can't stand when people quote movies out loud while the movie is playing!!!

I desire to be a lady. Etiquette is important. Its not meant to be a set of constricting rules, but to outline behavior that puts others at ease because they know what to expect. It is all about being considerate of others. Elegance is a combination of knowing these rules and being confident in who you are as a woman. I believe that there is an appropriate time and place for everything.  I'm thankful that this training has been passed down through the generations of women in my family.

I love good food! Cooking and eating delicious food is something I enjoy immensely, especially when its with someone I love. No matter what culture you're from, food and fellowship always go together!

Sports are not a part of my every day life. I don't have an allegiance to a particular team of anything. However, I really enjoy going to sporting events and get really into them! I embarrass whoever I'm with by yelling at the top of my lungs at the players (like they can really hear me!).

The outdoors are so fun! I enjoy camping, hiking, biking and anything on the water. Allergies limit my ability to do these activities sometimes, but I love outdoor adventures! I also feel closest to the Lord when I'm surrounded by His creation.

Most importantly, I desire to follow Christ with all that I am and to continually be transformed into his likeness. I am so far from perfect and want my life to be a testimony of His grace and kindness. He has blessed me so abundantly and is everything to me. I'm constantly learning!

Join me in this new adventure!

Claudia Grace Ward

On October 10, 2014 at 7:57 p.m., our lives were forever changed as we heard the first adorable cries of our little girl and welcomed her into the world. It is hard to believe that it has been 5 weeks since then! I've been wanting to write this post for a while!

Let's rewind to the week before Claudia was born. I was HUGE (which is hilarious, considering that Claudia was a small baby!) and felt like I could go into labor at any second. Any time I was out in public, I prayed that my water wouldn't break. There was a lot of lounging on the couch, take out, Netflix, ice cream and impatience. There wasn't a lot of sleep, comfort or rest. It was so hard not knowing when I would go into labor- it can really mess with the mind! I sincerely hoped that Claudia would arrive on time, instead of a week late (like I was!). Austin and I were living minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.

In the very early hours of Wednesday, October 8th, I felt a strange sensation in my lower back that moved to my front. Then about 20 minutes later I felt it again. My contractions had begun! We went to the doctor's office when it opened that morning to get things checked out. It was determined that I was in the very early stages of labor, but was sent home until things progressed further and my contractions were more regular.

Mom and Larry decided to go ahead and drive to Jackson from Atlanta, since they were the family members that had to travel the furthest distance. There was very little action the rest of the day until about 1:30 a.m. The contractions came back, this time more intense and more regular. We timed them, called the doctor on call and were told to go ahead and come to the hospital. So, in an excited rush, off we went. Several hours later we were back home again. I had not progressed at all and the contractions weren't intense enough. In the words of the physician, I wasn't to come back to the hospital until they were so bad that I couldn't talk or walk through them. That was scary to hear! And it really is the pits when you are rejected from the hospital!

So we waited. Sure enough, that night, about 2 a.m. we went back to the hospital and stayed! As soon as I was admitted, I got some pain medication to "help take the edge off" and some anti-nausea medication. Although the medicine helped some, I still felt everything and was sooo glad when I got to the point where I could receive an epidural. At that point, I'd been in labor for three days and hadn't really slept at all! Once the pain went away, I was able to rest! It was so wonderful!

Besides periodical checking from our nurse, once I received the epidural, things were very relaxed and calm in our room. We watched a couple of movies and just hung out. My regular ObGyn was the one on call (that was definitely a God thing!) and he elected to let me progress on my own instead of giving me medicine to speed up the labor. So, I progressed until about 6 p.m. when I was told it was time to start pushing.

Just under two hours later, our daughter was born! Hearing her cute little cry was a moment I'll cherish forever. I couldn't see her at first, but when I did, I stared at her, so overwhelmed with the knowledge that I was finally meeting my precious daughter. Of course, I cried tears of joy! As the nurses cleaned her and weighed her, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I couldn't believe how tiny and how perfect she was. I felt, and still feel, like the most blessed woman in the world.

Introducing Claudia Grace Ward! 6 lbs, 12 oz and 20 inches long! 

The next few days brought a flurry of family and friends, all sharing in our joy at Claudia's arrival! Their presence and excitement meant so much to us. We are so thankful that Claudia was born healthy and safely. Our nurse, Katelyn, was absolutely precious and was the perfect person to minister to us that day. Dr. Ball, my wonderfully knowledgeable and gifted doctor, was the one on call and delivered her. Before he left, he prayed with us, asking the Lord to grant us wisdom as parents and that Claudia may come to know Jesus at an early age. The nurses and other staff that attended to me while we were there were so kind and patient! We really had a great experience, and we thank the Lord for that! 

We brought Claudia home on Sunday, October 12. Mom, Larry, Dad and Mary were here to greet us and had decorated the mailbox, door, and inside the house! There was also an ice cream cake to celebrate. 

I'm so very thankful that my mom was able to take off work and stay with us for the first two weeks at home! We really couldn't have made it without her! My recovery was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. The first week was especially hard. After that, though, things began to improve day by day. They have been doing that ever since. 

5 weeks down the road, I can't imagine life without our little precious love. Sure, adjusting to parenthood hasn't been easy (I've never been more exhausted in my life- including when I was a camp counselor!), but in the moments that she's snuggled up next to me, or when I see her experience the world around her, or when she makes cute little faces, all I can think about is how much I love her and the joy that she brings to our family! 

Here are some of my favorite pictures of her so far: 

She has stolen my heart! She was about a week and a half old in this picture! 

I love her scandalized expression!! Following a bath at 2.5 weeks old! 

Such a happy baby!!! 4 weeks old! 

The struggle of putting on receiving gowns is real! This was taken last week (at almost 5 weeks!)

By looking at these pictures, it would be easy to get a very romanticized impression of Claudia and of our lives the past 5 weeks. I have been in more physical pain, cried, experienced every emotion under the sun, been dependent on others, felt like I have no idea what I'm doing, and been more tired than I ever have in my life up until this point. It hasn't been pretty. It's been messy (complete with blowout diapers and lots of baby laundry!). We're finding a new normal. But, there is such beauty even in the hard stuff. The Lord is constantly teaching me about dependence on Him. I'm coming to understand the Lord as a parent in a whole new way. 

Austin has been such an example of the Lord's patience and love throughout everything. Nothing makes my heart happier than to see him love our little girl. The sweet moments will be the ones I will remember from this season- and there are so many sweet moments! I am still so humbled that the Lord has granted me a desire of my heart- to be a mother. I pray that I can be faithful in that role! 

Welcome to the world and to our family, Claudia Grace Ward! You were totally worth the wait!