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parenthood

mama day 2010.

So my first Mother’s Day (2010) came and went, and with it came some morning sunshine in the form of a smiley baby, pretty wildflowers + a sweet note written on parchment paper from my hub, a beautiful card from Dhara, a trip to my new-found favorite Yogi Berry — a delish up and coming frozen yogurt joint I could go to absolutely everyday (it actually tastes like yogurt, and not that TCBY yuck stuff!), and lastly, the lovely gift of a serger from Greg!  I’ve been dying to have one so that I can fine tune my little creations.  I feel so blessed to be a mom, even though I went through the whole day thinking more about my mom, my grandma and Greg’s mom.  It has still yet to hit me that I’m a full-time mom with a full-time baby.

Greg, Dhara and myself had a wonderful weekend with Greg’s parents and extended family, the Smith’s.  I was so very bummed I forgot my camera to capture all the warm and fuzzy moments.  Especially this morning when we came down for breakfast — Dhara handed a daisy to her teary-eyed Grandma Smith.  It was so very special.  When we went home, I got some photos of Dhara with her other grandma, or as we call her, Ammachi.

Last, but not least, is Dhara’s great grandma.  Again, I didn’t have my camera on hand, so I had to use my camera phone for some quick shots at church.  Look at my grandma looking all bashful!  But she sure is proud of her little great granddaughter, Dhar-uh!


1 month old.

Today she is officially 1 month old.  We have a one month old!  Crazy.

She had her first outing yesterday.  We took her to church.  We thought that church would be the most appropriate place to go for the first outing ever.  It’s a strong desire of ours that our children know the importance of living a life for God.  That He comes first and everything else after Him.  So we also dedicated her at church yesterday.  And her great-grandfather got to do the honors.  What a blessing to have a great grandfather!  What a blessing to have such a godly heritage!

It’s kind of amusing because we tried to do everything in our power to have her asleep during the dedication, but she decided she wanted to be awake and let out a cry during the prayer.  Afterwards she went right to sleep!  Guess she wanted to make a statement on her first day out.  I’m not sure if she gets that from her dad or me?  : )

[teal kurta on fine young man, from FabIndia + vintage inspired petticoat dress, from Comfy Kid + covered button felt hair clip, from jellabee jr.]

1 week old.

It’s so weird to think that we’ve had her for a week already.  A lot of times we just sit here and stare at her, wondering how this all came to be and how such a little one could be ours to keep.  I mean really keep!

I told Greg the other day that I think that God gave us one of His favorites.  Of course we are all His favorite, but I’d like to think He gave us one that He greatly delighted in.  It’s an interesting concept to think that He’s sharing His daughter with us.

To all of you who prayed for us while we were in the hospital, thank you for your prayers!  We came home on Tuesday after a 6 day stay at the hospital.  Dhara was released because her jaundice levels were progressively getting lower.  Praise God!  He really does answer prayer!

Our days with Dhara so far have been somewhat sleepless, wonderfully joyful, and super surreal.  We really don’t know how to be parents — it’s this learn-as-you-go thing.  But I guess this is exactly what God intended.  From what I’ve understood this past week, God’s intention for parenthood is to break you of your selfish streak.  It takes away your schedule.  It makes you forget to eat, because you are worried about when she’ll eat.  And the list goes on.  This parenthood thing really makes you into a better person…

[Here’s our little sunbather getting her daily dose of sunlight — per her doctor’s orders!]

[Here she is napping on a pretty little quilt handmade for her by her Grandma Smith.]

[knotted hat + patterned purple kimono sleep gown, from Kate Quinn Organics + Zutano owl onsie, from Comfy Kid.]

children + toys.

handmadehome

Amanda Blake Soule, author of the wonderful, “Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures”, was interviewed by Indie Fixx.  I love what Amanda says about children + toys.  She was asked:

“Your home is so lovely and yet still kid-friendly.  I love how you make spaces that both appeal to kids and adults.  Do you have any advice for people wanting to do the same in their own homes?”

Amanda’s response:

“Thank you!  I think my one piece of advice for that would be to choose carefully the toys you bring into your home.  For lots of reasons, ‘less’ is more.  It’s better for children’s imaginations, better for creating a peaceful family environment, and it’s much easier on the space in a house.  I also think ‘beauty’ is an important factor to consider when bringing a toy into your home.  Shouldn’t children’s toys and surroundings be beautiful, too?  I think so.”