A Sleepy Abigail

Today the girls have been feeling sick. I keep hoping they'll be getting better already, but we keep trying to make the most of it- we've been doing a lot of our 'rainy day' activities and I've been able to get some great snuggle time with each of them in. Tonight, though, Abbie was having a really hard time falling asleep. She's so tired, but her little nose was so congested and rubbed almost raw that she just couldn't get comfortable enough to fall asleep. It really was quite heart wrenching; she was crying on her bed, saying she just didn't want her nose to hurt anymore. I felt quite helpless, and was torn between complete compassion and wanting all her pains to go away, and tough love, where I wanted her to learn to endure and even enjoy the trials that come along.

I found relief as I felt inspired to say a special prayer with her that she'd be able to fall asleep and be comforted, even though her nose was hurting her. She calmed down, I snuggled her some more and sang her another lullaby, and she was able to fall asleep.

I feel blessed for many things during this simple experience- I'm blessed for her and her sweet petitions to me to make everything better, I'm blessed for the inspiration to pray to someone who really can make everything better, I'm blessed to know that we can be granted strength and comfort, even when everything isn't made better, and I'm blessed to share these sweet teaching moments with my Abigail.

A Full Night Sleep

I know I've been slacking at keeping these posts up to date- I think the adversary is trying to distract me from remembering all of my blessings and from whom they come. And so, I'm even more motivated to make time and record the wonderful ways in which my life is daily blessed. Today: a full night's sleep.

Sleep is something that Drew and I take pretty seriously- we are advocates of the BabyWise methodology and have had our kids sleeping through the night and taking quality naps from when they were very small, so when they start getting together and causing mischief we definitely take notice, and well, lose sleep. Lauren, in particular has been a recent little rascal in the night- and insists on waking up Abbie (who can open up the door for her) and then come to our room and wake us up. Well, last night was different. The girls slept in different rooms and neither one woke up at all. All night. And for me, that is a much needed blessing.

Now, if I can just figure out how to get Abbie to take a good nap before 4pm...

Birthday Boy

Drew is a blessing to my life every single day and today is his birthday. I feel so blessed to have someone love me so much. Sometimes I feel so undeserving- I'm really such a goof at heart- and yet he still loves me.

Tonight while we were out celebrating his bday together we did a little shopping to spend my "$10 off a $10 purchase" coupon that was burning a hole in my coupon organizer (you thought I was going to say 'pocket' didn't you, but remember- I'm a goof). I thought it would be a great chance for him to pick out a little extra something fun for himself, but he insisted that we get me some more funky socks that I love wearing (yet again- goof), and so we did. Drew is the biggest blessing of my life, and yet it is manifested in so many small and simple ways- like a few pairs of socks for me on his birthday. I am blessed.

Potty-Training Big Girl

Lauren has really been amazing me recently- she is practically potty-training herself, I'm sure in an effort to always keep up with Abigail, but it has been such an unexpected and wonderful blessing! She will tell me when she needs to go potty and then sit and read her book as she goes and then get wiped, put her little potty seat away, close the lid, and flush her potty. It is the sweetest thing! And even sweeter because she is the one initiating everything. I haven't changed a messy diaper in days- what a great blessing!

Also, she wears panties over her diaper so she can be like big sister. What a cutie!