“Bye bye,” repeated Ezra, waving to everyone in the room. He wasn’t leaving. He was ready for his nap. At only sixteen months, he’s adept at communicating. When he is hungry, he repeats, “Nak nak,” or he goes to the pantry and begins bringing out whatever he can reach. When he’s ready to play outside, …
Answering the Enemy
What are your last wakeful thoughts before you fall asleep each evening, the thoughts that follow you into sleep, whether consciously or subconsciously, informing your dreams? Mine tend to be instant replays, like a slide show of conversations or events from the day. Sometimes I’m deliberate about transferring them into longer term storage because they’re …
Pour Out Your Heart
The baby monitor’s dual display makes it easy to see who’s awake. The side of the screen outlined in red is registering sound, but before my eyes are fully opened, I’m unsure who’s cries I’m hearing. My grandchildren, like my own children, are close in age and their tiny voices sound very much the same …
Nothing Is Certain, Or Is It?
In my experience, babies sleep through the night when they are ready and each child is different. Like us, they have good days and not so good days, but one thing I’ve learned and I try to encourage my girls with this truth- appreciate, even celebrate each milestone, just don’t depend on it. Even the …
Good Night
Good night, God bless you, sweet dreams Last night I struggled to fall asleep again. I’d almost forgotten how frustrating it feels to long for sleep. My body needs rest and my mind agrees so I toss and turn, unable to find stillness. Finally I get up and head for the kitchen, determined to be …
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
Paul and Silas sang praise to the Lord at the midnight hour from their prison cell. I hum hymns and choruses long past midnight until the words come back, verse after verse, to soothe my newborn grandson as I did my own children. He may not yet understand the lyrics but the familiar tunes will …
Defining Moments
Becoming a grandmother has quickly become one of those moments in life that changes everything! I’ve spent months preparing for it and thinking about it and still it seems surreal. I’ve looked forward to our grandson’s arrival since a few weeks after his conception, but until I held him in my arms, I didn’t really …
Upheld
Baby’s First Bath Being a new mother is tough. I knew it well at one point (actually at three separate points) but over time I’ve forgotten. It’s amazing how memory has washed away the monotonous unpleasantness, leaving me with rose-colored snippets of raising my own children. I’ve had the immense privilege of walking with my …
Sleepless
I’ve always been a night owl, mentally more alert in the wee hours than early mornings. In fact, I’ve been known to quote the Creation account in Genesis claiming that I’ve had it right all along because the King James Version says “and the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:5) The …
A Fitting Reply 