miscellany monday

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{one}  i'm sure we've all seen the huggies jean diapers.  at first glance, i assumed it was a joke.  seriously?  really?  umm, well... to each his own.  would you actually buy them?  the commercial with the lil' stud sportin' the jean diaper says in the background, "i pooh in blue."  bahaha.  i laughed and had to tell you.

{two} i must admit, after a day of taking care of two kids under the age of 16 mos, i feel like i deserve to pull out my cape with an embroidered "swm" standing for "superwomanmom," and to dance around the house in excitement while exclaiming, "i did it.  i made it through another day.  and everyone survived."  

{three} i would never fake nurse in order to just sit for a few extra minutes while getting my sweet husband to do some chores for me since i'm busy nourishing our daughter.  no, i'd never do such a thing.  not ever.

{four}  we are going insane and our bodies are going to hate us for it.  in less than three weeks when i get the green light to work out, we are starting beachbody's insanity workout.  we're about to get all fit as long as we don't die on day one.

{five} is it lame that i often spend several minutes deciding how i want to write out the numbers for my miscellany?  


{six} i'm in love.  my awesome and fantastic friend, liz {who happens to be moving far away, which happens to break my heart (even though they are moving for the best reasons), because she happens to be one of the most fun people ever.  i mean ever.} introduced me to naartjie, a children's clothing line that i now adore.  i want it all.  you have to go peek at all the cuteness.  and here's to hoping that someone from naartjie is reading this and sends me like a $1,000 gift card.  or a million.  either will do.

{seven} clearly my blog cannot be reserved only for miscellany monday.  wish me luck {and energy and brain power and time} so i can hopefully come up with more posts this week.

miscellany monday

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one.  chocolate chip cheesecake... my father's day present to my handsome hubby who celebrated his 2nd father's day this year... it's highly caloric and scrumptious all at once.  by the way, cheesecake batter is my fave.  plus, the calories don't count until it's all cooked; lucky me.  good thing i only make this for his birthday and now father's day.  i must share this recipe soon.

 

two.  there's an announcement sign when you enter our neighborhood that reminds the residents of upcoming things.  i noticed it said: "july 4th is coming soon - 07/04/10."  really?  even my sleepy, fatigued brain knows that july 4th is celebrated on, well, july 4th.  

three. my absolutely adorable reason for being so sleepy:

four.  my sweet baby boy and his dog.  they are buddies.  and conveniently entertain each other for hours.

five.  don't you dare steal my unwatermarked photos.  i don't have the energy to add the watermark...  you know the whole 2 seconds that it takes.  ; )  by the way, the new preview feature in blogger is fantastic.

six.  life has been an adventure these past two weeks.  my 16 month old is nonstop energy and my newborn gal is as sweet as ever but especially loves to nurse every hour.  it seems that these kiddies are always hungry, have poopies and cry at the very same moment.  i'm in charge of this beautiful chaos everyday at the graham household and i'm enjoying it.  

memory moments.

memory moments.  you know, the kind that you want to multipy by a million and make last forever?   i've added a few to my list...

a) sweet moments with sage, just before leaving the hospital and bringing her home.

b) the fatigue.  it's tiring but way more than worth every second.

it's amazing how the sweet scent of a newborn - especially your newborn -  can make you rethink everything... how you spend your time, what you think about, what you're thankful for, what you pray about... all of a sudden nostalgia sets in and everything becomes so meaningful and cherished; even dirty diapers and spit up.  every moment is treasured and inevitably my memory moment list gets longer...  my thankfulness to the Lord for His gifts grows all the more and rejoicing ensues!  if you can't tell, i'm head over heels for my little gal.  oh, and these guys too - 

miscellany monday

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one.

so, sorry i've neglected the blogosphere as of late... there's something about having a newborn that makes me want to enter a cocoon and just soak up every minute with her and my little guy... these baby days aren't going to last forever and i want to cherish every moment.  even the sleepless nights.  there's such a beauty in all of the fatigue... knowing that you're beginning to shape your child's life...  what a great responsibility and blessing.

two.

i think referencing the toilet as an oval office is awesome.  thank you clorox (or lysol; one of the two) commercial for bringing this to my attention.

three.

i hardly watch tv.  i don't have any shows (except for the office) that are must sees.  until now.  i'm loving the next food network star and design star.  i even watch reruns of the episodes... several times.  

four.

confession: yesterday i knowingly walked around with poop squirts all over my shirt.  and shorts.  hey, it's only newborn poop; it's not that nasty.  plus, the post prego frump only affords a small variety of outfit selections.

sage's strut.

today our sweet sage is one week old.  she's learning so much already.  in an effort to raise our gal to be as well rounded as possible, we've already begun dance lessons.  we've been impressed with her progress.  she knows how to make her mommy and daddy proud... let's just say we have a so you think you can dance prodigy on our hands {no, i'm not biased at all}.

example one: a celtic jig

example two:  a bit of hip hop

p.s. - i hope to catch up on your blogs soon... as you might imagine, i've been a bit preoccupied.  : )

miscellany monday

grab the button and link up below!  keep your miscellany as random as possible! : )

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{1} this week i'm coming at you live from the hospital.  and i must confess that my miscellany isn't going to be so random.  sorry...  i'm breaking my own rule.  but at this point, i'm eating, sleeping and drinking baby.  and i love it.  we get to go home today as long as jaundice doesn't show too much of it's ugly face.

{2} every woman should get the privilege of wearing meshy, net like undies.  they are seriously so comfortable, especially since they go all the way to your rib cage.  i'm going to ask the nurse for some extras.   

{3} what is it with hospital food?  i know it's not that bad, but just the thought of eating something prepared in the very same building where liver transplants are taking place just simply churns my tummy.

{4}  my husband watched the entire c-section.  he got a first hand look at my uterus and ovaries {tmi?... probably}  and he claims that he can now officially say with all assuredness that "i'm beautiful from the inside out."  thanks babe.

{5} thank you for all of your overwhelming kindness and congratulations!  you are so sweet and thoughtful!  your prayers mean the world to us.

introducing...

june 4, 2010

1:24 pm

7 lbs, 12 oz.

20.5 in. long

mommy's 1st glimpse

proud daddy

we attempted a family shot

we are in love

so precious!

thank you for all of your sweet prayers.  we are doing well and are overjoyed!

a letter to her.

dearest sage,

it's about 4pm on the eve of your birth and i'm pondering you... today is the last day of being just the two of us... tomorrow i won't get to keep you for myself any longer.  and i'm okay with that since it means i'll get to stare into your sweet eyes and look at you face to face.

you were our blessing in surprise, but now we couldn't even imagine our lives without the surprise of your life.  the Lord is good indeed, you were never a surprise to Him, for He planned for you before the foundation of the world.

you have a daddy that is going to be smitten by you upon his first glimpse.  you have a big brother, but he's still a baby too.  mommy is ever so blessed to get to love on two babies.

i'm nervous...  i hope you'll eat well.  i pray you won't have any complications like your brother did.  and that you'll be completely healthy. 

and while i'd love for you to stay longer, safe inside of me, not scathed by the world, it is here that i trust you to the Creator of all things, for i know He has cared for you as only He can while knitting you together.  He will continue to care for you much more than daddy or i ever could. 

so i'm reminded that you are a gift the Lord has given and entrusted to us.  ulimately, though, you are His.

that's right baby girl, you belong to the beautiful Creator who is good, faithful, and trustworthy.  and while He has entrusted you to us, to hold, shape, and nurture, we will be thankful for every moment of it.  we love you to pieces already.

the header explained.

i must give credit where credit's due and take no credit for my header.  it's all the work of my entirely sweet husband.  that's right folks, my husband designed my blog header.  {you can hold your applause until the end} umm, can you say, wow, what a husband?!?!

so, as you've noticed... the header is a wide {extra wide... sorry if you don't have a widescreen computer} and full of an assortment of pictures and they all mean something to me.

i know you've been dying to know what they all mean, and guess what?  i'm dying to share.  this works out perfectly.

1 = our sweet hunter @ 14 months.

2 = a really pretty/cool looking flower.  okay, maybe i lied... there's one exception... this doesn't really mean anything to me, i just liked the color.

3 = sorry for the kissy face.  if it makes you want to barf then oh well... when two people are in love, it's hard to hide it.  this was taken on our honeymoon in hawaii.

4 = aww, the majestic redwoods of california.  i'm from california and miss it ever so.  the redwoods are such a serene place to visit.  they remind you just how small you are and how big our Creator is.

5 = a fish.  i caught it.  i love fishing with my husband {i mean i get a tan while i'm at it, but i really just do it all for the fish}.

6 = hunter during his smash the cake photo session.  there's nothing cuter than a naked baby with cake on their face.

7 = a highway.  reminding me that the Lord is directing our path.

8 = i'd love to say that i was praying... but really i was just looking down at my dirty shoes.  this was during our free trip to italy last october.

9 = a typewriter.  how do you think i write all my blog posts?

10 = visiting my family in california last summer at bodega bay, staring into the sweet chubby face of my little boy.

11 = my two handsome boys at bodega bay.  my heart just skips a beat when i see this picture.

12 = december 19, 2004.  leaving our wedding, heading to hawaii.  can you say, excited?!

13 = the golden gate bridge.  my home.  i love it there.  

14 = my 2nd home... lake tahoe.  i miss the mountains and all of their beauty.

15 = the graham's making sweet memories together {before kids} on a vacay in may of 2008.

16 = our sweet baby girl.  soon this picture will be replaced with her face as the countdown is on {2 days} to hold her in our arms!

persecution.

it's easy to get ensnared by the beauties and ease of life in america, all the while forgetting about the reality facing millions.  persecution.  i think the word is so far removed from our minds because we hardly understand what it fully entails... think banishment, bashing, exile, expulsion, galling, ill-treatment, imprisonment, infliction, killing, maltreatment, massacre, mistreatment, murder, oppression, pestering, provoking, teasing, torment, torture, torture.  that helps put things into perspective, just a bit, right?

voice of the martyrs (vom) is my most favorite organization that is seeking to help believers in chains for the Gospel, through prayer, encouragment and monetary support.  it's eye opening {to say the least} visiting their website and reading the countless stories of God's persecuted children.

case in point... right now, iraqi christians have been warned by muslim etremists to leave the country or face imminent death.  despite the dangers, believers remain firm in their faith, "we thank God for his protection during this difficult time the country is passing through... despite the threat that Christians face daily in iraq, we are feeling God’s protective hands surrounding us every minute.” they ask the Lord to increase their faith as they remain faithful despite the threats. 

i want to have faith like that.  it's easy for me to become almost faithless when my prayers aren't answered just as i'd like, when money is tight, you know, when life is "rough."  it's beautiful to see the example of fellow believers who stand firm in their faith in the midst of every adversity.  they are persecuted but not destroyed; they are affirmed, strengthened, and will most assuredly be welcomed into eternity with the words, "well done, my good and faithful servant."

"persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed..."

- 2 corinthians 4:9