ONE

You are ONE year old, baby boy.  Can I still call you a baby boy? Ok good.  The last 6 months have certainly flown by.  We have watched you go from the cutest, sweetest baby to a hilarious, curious little boy.  It happened in a short moment.  You learn and grow and change so much every week.  We are constantly surprised at how you pick up on things  quickly.

This past year has been wonderful.  We have loved being a family of 3 and loved being your parents.  Looking back, I wouldn't change a moment, even if I could.  We are so thankful that you had a very healthy first year.  You only had one major cold that brought a fever and the other times you were a little sick seemed to coincide with teething.

Currently you are not walking on your own but I have a feelng its going to happen very soon.  You LOVE walking behind toys and pushing them around the room.  You are a super quick crawler.  You love any sort of ball and have a pretty good arm already.

You are quite the talker and are communicating more every day. As of 8/12/14 You can say:
Da-Da
Ma-Ma
Ga-Ga (grams and gramma)
Papa (Poppa and pops)
Nanana- Banana
Ball
More
Bye-Bye- You always wave when you say it and you always say it when I get off the phone.  Today you said it when your dad picked up his work bag before he even walked towards the door.
Daisy--Sometimes sounds more like dada but you LOVE daisy (grams and pops dog)
Applesauce (its not precise but its pretty close)
Neh-Neh -No- no
Geewsh -Juice
Wa-Wa-Water
Hiiiiii

You try to mimic many things that we say and sometimes you come shockingly close to saying them. You have also recently become fairly proficient at whistling and it is quite hilarious.  You will whistle on command (except when you don't want to like this morning and then you just say "neh-neh" and shake your head no) or sometimes you will just start whistling while you are crawling around and playing.

I think I can say your favorite activity is eating.  You LOVE food.  And eat lots of it.  Your favorite things are bananas, applesauce, avocados, cheese, chicken, sweet potatoes and mandarin oranges.  The only thing I have found that you do not like is blueberries.
                                                 
                                         
We sure love you, Mack.

8 months

Here we are at the 8 month mark! 7 months came and went with no updates on our little guy.  oops.  Mack is doing so well and growing and changing so quIckly  It is so much fun to see his personality developing more and more every day.  I do love being his mama.  I feel beyond blessed to be able to stay home with him.  I love spending my days teaching and molding his little mind and soul. What a privilege.

Physical Developments: Little bud, you are just a growing! We haven't been to the doctor in a couple months so I'm ot sure how much you weigh, but you are definiltey putting on the LB's.  You are preciously chubby.  We are still kissing your round cheeks constantly and squeezing your chubby legs! You have 2 new teeth! Your top front teeth have poked through and they are precious.  However, I can already tell they are going to make you look more like a little boy, and less like a baby.  I'm not sure how I feel about that. You are sitting up with ease and you are thinking about crawling.   You can push yourself forward a little but you're not on the move yet (and I'm perfectly fine with that)  Clapping is one of your favorite new tricks.  You clap out of delight or when you hear music...or when you see someone else clapping. It's kind of awesome.

Communication:  You are "talking" quite a bit these days.  You still say Da-Da often and now associate it with your da da :)  A few weeks ago, you started saying "maaaa-ma".  You used to only really say it when you were crying (usually while in your crib) but now you sometimes say it when you are happy.  It makes my heart leap every time.  Just in the past few days, you have started waving.  You wave with your entire arm, which is precious.  You now do it with no solicitation.  You waved at a random runner at the park this week and also at cars as they drove by.  Unfortunately, you have started expressing through screams when you are unhappy about something.  You let us know when you don't want to sit in your high chair, if you don't like what you are eating, when you want to play with a forbidden toy or object.  You have quite the demanding tone in your screeches.  While these moments are usually short-lived, they are always reminders of your sin nature and your need of a Savior.

SleepiNg: You are sleeping pretty well these days.  Bedtime is usually 8pm but we try to be flexible depending on what we have going on.  You often sleep 9-10 hours before waking up.  Sometimes I feed you and let you go back to sleep.  I don't love starting our day before 6:45.  You usually nap pretty well too.  You take a morning and afternoon nap and both of those are usually at least an hour.

Eating: You still love to eat! And we are so thankful for that.  You eat 3 meals a day and also nurse 4 times a day.

We have said this every month I think, but you really are at the BEST age.  It is so much fun to see you develop your own personality.  You smile and laugh all the time.  You love to make us laugh too, which is always hilarious to see.  Now that it is spring, I love to take you to the park go for walks or let you play outside on a blanket.  You also like to swing and you smile and laugh the whole time. It is hard to believe how fast you are growing but I am determined to just love and enjoy every stage with you and not be sad that you're not an ittle baby anymore.  We love you so much Mr. Mack and love watching you grow!

Half a year!

Our little bud is 6 months old now! Actually 6 months and 10 days .  And those 10 days make quite the difference. You are surely changing and growing quickly Mr. Mack.  This has probably been our favorite month with you thus far. We are really starting to see your sweet, playful personality come out. You are just so much fun to be around.  I rarely, if ever, feel like I need a "break".  I miss you when you go to bed for the night and look forward to the morning when I get to see your sweet face and bright blue eyes. 

Physical Developments:
You are GROWING.  You have quite the cheeks.  Those cheeks are kissed approximately 3432 times daily.  That being said, you are now down to the 10% when it come to height and weight (you get that honestly) However your noggin is still 75-90%...for all that brain, obviously.  You are rolling around like crazy and LOVE being on your tummy. You can sit on your own, but only for a short time before you fall over.  You are getting there though!

Communication:
Early in the month you started clicking your tongue in response your dad (and then to others) It's as if its your way of say hi.  You always smile real big afterwards.  Now you have started saying your "B' sounds and "D" sounds clearly.  You have definitely said "Da-Da" a number of times but haven't quite associated your dad with the word :)  We LOVE hearing you "talk".  You have the sweetest little voice. You have also started reaching your arms out when you want to be picked up.  It is the sweetest to see you wanting to be held by your mama.  My heart melts every, single time.  It does make it much more difficult for me to get things done though. 

Sleeping:
Before this week, your sleeping was rough.  You were waking up every 2-3 hours.  I felt like I had a newborn again (except I was getting more sleep then).  We have finally started to see improvement though.  As of now, you are usually only waking up once or twice in a 12 hour stretch.  That is much more manageable. We are starting to get into a bedtime routine of reading you books and praying over you before you go to sleep.  Your dad puts you to bed and usually you go to sleep without much fuss. You are down to 2 naps a day (usually in your crib)  You still allow me to hold you and will even sleep on my chest.  I love cuddling you and cherish those times because I know they will be long gone soon.

Sleeping on his Pops

Eating: You have started eating solids! On your 6 month birthday, we gave your oatmeal cereal for the very first time.  You seemed to like it right away and you haven't looked back.  So far you really love to eat, and we are so thankful for that! You have only had cereal, squash and bananas so far.  I pureed fresh squash for you today and you didn't seem to like it quite as much as Gerber but that's ok. You are still nursing about 5 times a day (or more) and I'm not ready for you to give that up anytime soon.  I am totally "that" mom...but don't worry, I'll make sure you stop before your 5 :)

Don't mess with my squash!

Ok Mommy, I'm ready to eat.

Favorite moments/memories:  Pops and Grams came to visit you for a few days! You loved having them here and slept like a champ too.  You had a good long nap on Pops and had so much fun playing with Grams.  We were all sad when they had to head back to SC.
It snowed like crazy the night you turned 6 months (almost 6 inches actually).   We all had a slumber party at Gramma and Poppa's had had the best time. I enjoyed the extra hands and you definitely enjoyed the extra attention.  You have become quite the ham, loving attention and making us laugh.  You are just the cutest.
You love your dad and love when he comes home in the evening.  You always smile real big and squeeze me out of excitement when you see him. You've started reaching for him right away too.  It makes his day. 

Mack on a snow walk!

Overall we just continue to love you with a love we didn't know existed.  The Lord is using you to teach me more about how He loves His children. I can't come close to loving you perfectly, the way He does...no matter how much I wish I could.  I am so thankful that He helps us parent you and He knows exactly what you need at all times. We pray that you will love Him with your whole heart and never waiver in your devotion to Him.  Happy half a year Mack Lanier!

5 month update

I have not blogged since Mack was born over 5 months ago! It is too daunting to try to recount the last 5 months so I'm trying to start fresh and at least do a short update monthly on what is going on with us and with Mack.


Baby Mack, You are now 5 months old! How that happened so fast, I have no idea.  We have truly enjoyed every stage with you thus far. You are such a joy to me and your dad...and the rest of your family  You are generally so happy and have the cutest face on the planet. You have the most expressive eyebrows that always make us laugh. When you smile, you smile with your entire face and it melts our hearts.  You are laughing regularly now which is amazing. Sometimes you just laugh because we are laughing.  Thankfully, your dad has gotten this on video a few times. It is a treasured sound.  You have also started rolling over and you now love to do this ALL the time.  If I put you down and look away for a second, you are on your tummy.  You always look so proud of yourself and give me a big grin.  You have also started playing peekaboo with us and it is hilarious.  You interlock your fingers and pull them over your eyes, then pull them down real fast.  You love getting a reaction from us. It is so fun to watch you grow and learn

Unfortunately, you are no longer sleeping through the night and haven't for almost a month.  I think we had the perfect storm of you getting your first cold (which was super sad), you getting your first two teeth and the 4 month sleep regression.  You are now thankfully through with all of these! You just seem to have gotten used to hanging out with mom a couple times a night.  And while I love some extra time with you, I wouldn't mind a full night's rest at some point soon. 

We are so thankful for you, for your health and for your sweet spirit.  You continue to teach us how to be selfless and how we can not rely on our own strength or wisdom.  We thank the Lord for you all the time and are so humbled that he chose us to be your parents. 

         

37 weeks+

This was at 36 weeks :)

We are soooo close to meeting this little boy!

How far along: 37 weeks and some :)

Size of baby: Last week I was measuring a week and half ahead of schedule.  Eeek.  When I asked the doctor what that meant, he said, "you're not going to have a 5lb baby"  I'm just really hoping he will be less than 9 lbs..for my sake.

Total weight gain:  +31 lbs...phew

Movements: He has busy days and not so busy days but he's still the cutest thing squirming around in there.  I believe he is definitely running out of room and at times he presses on organs which makes mommy very uncomfortable.  I still love feeling and watching him move around.

What I miss:  being comfortable

Cravings: nothing new

Symptoms: I am pretty uncomfortable at this point and have consistent heartburn but still pretty sure my baby is not going to have any hair :) 

Best moments of the Week:  Starting to feel like we are really ready for him to arrive.  My mom came to town and helped me clean and organize the whole house. Bless her. The nursery is so close to being done! I feel like he could come any day and we would feel good about it :)  It is still pretty surreal thinking about him joining us but we are so thankful and excited for this new, crazy season of life!

A letter

My dear son,

You are getting ready to arrive into this crazy world! It is so hard to believe that we will be meeting you face to face within the next month.  I think about that moment often, the moment when I will first see your little face and little body and little toes.  I think about what it will be like to first hear the sound of your voice crying.  It will be such a precious noise. I often think of what it will feel like when the nurse lays your little body on me and I get to hold you for the very first time. I'm pretty positive that I will want time to stand still during that moment.  I also think about what it will be like to see your dad hold you for the first time.  He is going to be so happy and beaming with pride, I am confident.  We just love you so much already.  

There are so many things that we want for you, for your life. We pray for you all the time.  We pray for the Lord's protection over your life.  He is the one that created you and He has been sustaining your precious life.  He has been perfectly knitting you together over the last 9 months. You are a miracle. He loves you infinitely more than we are even capable of loving you.  We pray often that you will know His love and believe on Him at such an early age that you will not remember a time of  not knowing Him.  We pray that you will love His word and walk in obedience to it.  Your dad always prays that God will make you a "warrior" for Him.  He wants you to always fight and stand strong for righteousness, even when it is most difficult to do so. Real, meaningful, abundant life is only found in Jesus.  That is the life we long for you to live.

We are aware that you are about to rock our world as we know it.  Your dad and I love each other so much and are so thankful that the Lord has chosen us to be your parents.  We know our lives will never be the same again and we welcome the change with open arms.  You are worth all the sleepless, worrisome, crazy days and nights ahead.  I have no doubt you will keep us on our knees and in desperate need of God's grace and provision. You son, are a blessing, a heritage from the Lord and a reward from Him.  I could not be more thankful for your little life.

you are dearly loved,

Mommy

"...and be thankful"

I have recently been studying the book of Colossians in my quiet times with the Lord.  What a rich letter Paul wrote.  It has been nicel that our pastor has been teaching through it as well which has helped me understand it more.  There is so much truth to glean, conviction to be felt, and application to live out.  I could write for days on what the Lord has been teaching me but thought I would just share what I was reminded of this morning.  As I looked over the verses from the sermon yesterday, Colossians 3:15-17, the common theme was thankfulness. Verse 15 says "and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...And be thankful", v16 "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another...with thankfulness in your hearts to God", v17 "whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father.

I have been reflecting this morning if my life and my words reflect "thankfulness in my heart".  If there is any season of my life that my heart should reflect thankfulness, it is this season of life.  Yet, somehow I still find things to complain about or reasons to be discontent.  I have nothing to complain about and everything to be thankful for.  I am especially thankful for our little boy that we will be meeting so soon. (5 weeks or less!) I have been praying for this little boy almost daily since Lan and I got engaged.  I asked the Lord often that He would be gracious in allowing us to conceive a child and that I would have the privilege of experiencing pregnancy and carrying a little life within me.  He saw fit to answer this prayer with a "yes", a quicker "yes" than I would have dreamed. Our hearts overflowed with thankfulness when we realized God was saying yes to this deep desire of our hearts. Yet...somehow, now I find myself bordering on complaining, almost daily.  I "share"/complain about feeling so heavy, I will never look the same, being so uncomfortable, my back hurts, my hips hurt, I have lots of heartburn, sleep is interrupted 8 times a night by my tiny bladder, there's so much to get done still, etc...etc.. I don't think it's wrong to be honest when someone asks me how I feel...but I want my "feeling" of thankfulness to so far outweigh feelings of discomfort, that that is what I feel inclined share.  It's just amazing how quick I am to forget the Lord's goodness and faithfulness.  This baby boy and this pregnancy is a GIFT, a blessing, not something that was promised but something the Lord, in His mercy saw good to give.  All that to say, if you read this and you talk to me...don't allow me to go on about discomforts, remind me of truth.  I know when he arrives, it will be a whole new set of "struggles" and "discomforts".  Even then, I am praying that my heart chooses thankfulness.  I know it will be easier said than done :)

The last verse I read this morning was very fitting as I reflected,  Colossians 4:6--"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

Thankful for the Lord's patience with me.