Reality Check!

Okay, so it happens to me all the time. I see something Nic is doing and it just reminds me so much of things I did as a child. The other day I found a bunch of pictures of me from around 2 to 3 1/2 years old. Wow, did I get a reality check.

Nic loves to make funny faces whenever I take a picture of him, oh...and he NEVER wants to stand still. He is always asking to take pictures, but he just wants to take what he calls, "funny face" pictures. I'm always thinking, "Where on Earth does he get that from?" Well, ask and you shall receive. In the envelope full of pictures I found there were pictures of me...three in a row, where I was dressed in a cute yellow dress. Now, you may be thinking, "AWWWW." A two year old girl in a cute yellow dress, must be adorable, right? Wrong, in each of these pictures I am doing everything I can to make my Mom laugh and have fun. In each picture I am making funny faces. I can just hear my Mom saying to me, "Donna Mae, could you please hold still and smile for just 3 seconds so I can get a picture of you in your pretty dress?" I know she said this because I have said the same to Nic (minus the pretty dress part). Oh no...another reality check, I'm saying some of the exact same things to Nic that my Mother said to me (YIKES)! How does this happen???

I found another picture of me at 3 1/2 and it blew me away. Again, all I can see is Nic. My hair was just as light as his when I was his age, we have the exact same eyes, even the little puffiness under the eyes is the same, we have the same smile lines, same mouth, same nose, same chin, same cheeks, same eyebrows..everything! How is this possible? I mean, I know how it's possible, DNA, genetics, all that..but really, it blows my mind when I see how much this little boy looks like his Mama, but much cuter :-) !! I hope he stays cute...Mama grew out of it...LOL!!

Here are the pictures:

This is one of Nic's favorite faces to make!!

Originated by Mommy back in the late

70's!

I think I should have been a boy. Never

did do very well in dresses!

Nic and Mommy..we are almost the same age in this picture.

A Letter to My Son

Dear Nicholas,

On Saturday, you will be four. I can't believe it. Your birthday is the day before Mother's Day this year. The year you were born it was the day after. You will always be the best gift I have ever received.

My precious son, do you know how special you are? Do you know how much you are loved? Can you even fathom the amount of love and joy you yourself bring to others? Love radiates from you, a true blessing from God.

For many years I knew God had put me on this planet for a specific purpose, until you were born, I never knew what that purpose was. I can't believe God entrusted me to be your Mommy. I can't believe He chose to bless me with being responsible for such a beautiful soul. I am forever thankful and forever changed.

Would you like to know something my dear little one? You were named after an angel. I use to read to you even before you were born. I remember sitting on the couch at our home in Bealeton and reading Bible stories to you from the time I was three months pregnant. There is one memory that stands out most of all. It was Christmas time and I was reading to you the story about the birth of Jesus, the angel Gabriel appears in the story and when I read his name out loud (which is also your middle name), I just cried. Don't worry, Mommy wasn't sad. I was simply filled with love and joy. I knew you were going to be special and I was so happy that your name had a very special meaning.

When you were born, there were some very scary moments, but when it was all said and done, you arrived very quickly. When you make up your mind to do something, you don't mess around (I wonder where you get that?). I was in active labor for all of 1/2 hour and pushed you out in 10 minutes. I will never, as long as I live, forget that moment, the moment I first got to hold you in my arms. You were the most gorgeous baby I had ever seen. I felt like I was dreaming. Even though you were 3 1/2 weeks early, you had the cutest chubby cheeks and I could see right away that you looked just like me (sorry, buddy).

Being your Mom has brought such joy. You have taught me so much. Even during the trying times. For example, you HATED bath time for the first month of life. I don't remember who cried more, you or me. But, you eventually grew to love it and so did I. There was also the time when you were just six months old and came down with RSV. You were in the hospital for a week and I had never been so scared and worried in my life. As you got older there was potty training (wow, that took patience), but we got through it and now you potty like a champ :-).

Do you remember, my sweet boy, when you first started sleeping through the night? I can tell you that I do! You were almost 2 months old and I was so thankful! There are many other firsts I remember like they were yesterday. The first time you sat up all by yourself you were 6 months old. You could stand all by yourself at 10 months and started walking at 13 months. At 3 1/2 months you took your first trip to the beach and that was all she wrote! You officially became a beach bum, just like Mommy. I love that you love the ocean just as much as I do.

Not to brag, my love, but I have always been so proud of the things you did very early as well. You drank from a cup at 7 months and stopped drinking from a bottle by 10 months. You spoke your first word at 6 months and said your first 2 word sentence at 11 months. Do you remember how everyone laughed at you every time something great happened and you yelled, "All RIGHT!" You knew your colors and shapes by the time you were a year old and could recognize all the letters of the alphabet by 2. You wrote your name at 2 1/2, I was shocked. By 3, you were reading. I hope your love of learning stays with you throughout your life. Mommy use to LOVE school and I hope that I pass that along to you.

Another important day in your life, mi carino, was August 7, 2005. This is the day you were baptized. Of all the things I will teach you in your life, your faith is the most important. Always trust in God, always turn to Him, always love Him, ALWAYS, no matter what, have faith! Life will bring you challenges, trust in God. Life will bring you unbelievable joy, give thanks to God. I pray that I raise you to be a strong, faithful, loving, Christian man. I pray that I don't let you or God down.

So I'll end this letter to you, mi perito, by saying I love you. I love you "the best thing yet." I love you more than all the stars in the sky, more than I ever thought it was humanly possible to love. Thank you for showing me that same, unconditional love in return. I can not believe how fast four years have flown by. I am so sad that it has gone so quickly, but at the same time, I am excited about what the future holds for you. I look forward to the future with you, Nicholas Gabriel; I have a feeling it is going to be very bright.

Te Quiero Siempre,
Mommy

Saying Goodbye, part 2

So I did it. I told Nicholas about Emile. I explained that Emile had died and was in Heaven. The first thing Nic said was, "I want to go see him now." GULP.

I explained, "Honey, we can't see Emile anymore because he has gone to live in Heaven with God, he is very happy there and he will be there forever." He then tears out my hear by saying, "Mommy, this makes me so sad." I tell him I understand, that I am sad too and that it's okay to be sad. I explain that we will always love and miss Emile, but that one day, we will see him again. I explain that Emile is very happy right where he is now and we always want those we love to be happy.

After some hugging and more talking he perked up. He then asked, "Mommy, can I get another fish? It won't be Emile, but I liked having a fish." YES!! He gets it. It was hard, but I told him the truth, talked with him simply and honestly about it and he is doing well! I'm proud of him for understanding his feelings and being able to verbalize them so clearly to me. I'm proud that he understands that the new fish will not replace Emile.

Our new fish is named Remy. For those of you who don't know, Remy was Emile's brother in the movie Ratatouille.

I feel better that I was honest and helped Nicholas to understand this important life lesson. Thank you God for guiding my heart in the right direction.

Saying Goodbye, part 1

My son's Beta fish, Emile, went off to that big fish tank in the sky. My son LOVES this fish. He helps feed him, clean the tank and thanks God for Emile in his prayers at night. But my son is only 3. How do I explain this to him?

Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I have always focused on protecting my child. I know most parents, especially Mom's, can relate to that. When your little one is in your womb you second guess everything. You stop thinking of yourself first. Now you think, "If I eat that tuna, will it hurt the baby?" Before, it was just, "Yum...tuna!" EVERYTHING you do, is to protect your child. I even remember while I was pregnant being in a situation that may not have been the safest place for a woman 7 months pregnant and specifically thinking, "Protect the baby! Protect the baby!" It wasn't just a thought, it was a loud voice telling me this. I removed myself from the situation immediately. I have always been like a Mama lion, protecting my baby! I would even keep my arms wrapped around my belly and "hug" Nicholas all the time.

Now he's 3 (almost 4) and his little fish that he loves has died. My first reaction was to protect him. I don't want my son to be sad or hurt. Just buy another fish that looks like Emile and hope that Nicholas doesn't notice. But my son is smart, I know he will notice. I could tell him Emile changed colors, like a chameleon, but that would be lying. I can't lie to my child. I can't lie, period. I just can't live with myself, especially as a Christian. I know better. I was also worried that I would be sending the wrong message to Nicholas. I don't want him to think that things we love are so easy to replace. So I prayed on it and decided to tell him.

He doesn't know yet, I plan on telling him after I pick him up from school. I don't know what his reaction will be and didn't want him to be upset at school. I will explain to him, in simple terms what happened. I will explain that Emile is in Heaven with Jesus. I will explain that it's okay to be upset and to miss Emile. Then I will let him talk and hear what he has to say and how he feels. If he wants to get another fish, I will let him, but only after explaining that the new fish does not, in any way, replace Emile, we will still miss him. I want to make sure he understands that the new guy is not a new Emile.

I'll let you know how it goes in part 2 of this blog! Wish me luck!

It's Not a Book Review, It's a Devotional Review

Every night, before bed, I read a Devotional, as I'm sure many Christians do. I have one that I received as a gift from by best friend, Angelica, many years ago. It's a Devotional specifically for women and has really been a source of strength for me.

Recently, in addition to my Women's Devotional, I started reading "Night Light" by Dr. James and Shirley Dobson. It is a devotional for couples and one I would highly recommend. Along with scripture, prayer and insight, it gives you discussion points between couples, like "How have I shown you my love this week?" and "Is there an area in your life that you used to struggle, but now have turned it over to God and have positive results?" and "What aspect of my support means the most to you?" These talking points really are helpful with communication between a couple. Sharing this time with your significant other and sharing with them how much they mean to you and how much God has blessed your lives can only help a relationship. Build a strong foundation and you will have a successful, lasting relationship. This Devotional is definitely something that can help you accomplish that and one I would highly recommend.

He's So Cute! Where'd Ya' Get That???

I've had a lot of people ask me about Nic's Easter outfit, so I thought I'd share on my blog where we got his outfit and why I love the store we got it from. Nic's entire outfit, the hat, the shirt, the sweater vest, the pants and blazer all came from The Children's Place and we got the entire outfit on sale! If you plan it right, take advantage of the sales and coupons they will send you if you sign up for their mailing list, the clothes at the Children's Place can actually save you money. How you ask? Simple. The quality of clothes are better and they last longer! Nic is a boy and little boys get dirty! I have to wash his clothes A LOT! The clothes from the Children's Place always stand the test of time. No matter how many washes or how rough he is on them, they last without the shrinking, fading and fraying like some of the clothes we get at the "Big Box" stores. He has a size 4 sweater vest that we got from the Children's Place last year that still looks and fits like new. I also bought him a sweater vest, in a size 4, from a "Big Box" store at the same time. A year later, the "cheaper" sweater doesn't fit, is faded, has frayed edges and "pills" all over it. I can get another 6 months out of The Children's Place sweater, the other sweater has gone to Good Will after running my shaver over it to get rid of the pills. I have found my Children's Place outfits last twice as long as his other outfits so I get more "bang for the buck."

Now, that's the sensible side of me talking, the other thing Nic and I both love about The Children's Place is the style of the clothes. Everyone thinks if you have a little boy you don't have the wide variety of clothes that girls have. In some stores, that is true, there are more options for cute girl outfits than boy outfits, but the Children's Place has just as nice of a variety for boys. Nic likes the "polished/preppy" look, but he also likes cotton t-shirts and fun play clothes too. The Children's Place fits both needs. The style is great, the quality is fantastic, so I would definitely recommend giving them a try! You can check out their latest clothes on their web site: http://www.childrensplace.com/.

Here is my little guy in his Easter outfit:

The meaning of Rainbows

I had the most amazing dream the other night about a rainbow. It was the biggest, brightest most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen, it took up most of the sky and the colors were so vibrant I almost needed sunglasses just to look at them. When I woke up I felt such peace and happiness and my first thought went to God and how he used a rainbow in the Bible to symbolize his promise to us. Rainbows are a blessing and the one in my dream had such an impact on me that I wanted to do some more research.

After doing some research on the dailywisdom.com web site, I found this:

"When we consider the many colors of the spectrum from a Scriptural perspective, it appears that even in the simple design of the rainbow, each shade may hold deeper meaning.

- Blue portrays heaven and infinity.
- Red or scarlet depicts blood and redemption.
- Orange is for the fruit of atonement.
- Indigo was the dark blue dye obtained from the plant; the color of skins used for the Tabernacle covering.
- Green stands for new life or resurrection.
- Yellow or gold depicts perfection and deity.
- Violet or purple is the color of royalty and kingship.

The next time you see a rainbow, consider the silent yet profound message this symbol speaks, not just to mankind, but to you, as a sole individual. The Creator sees you for exactly who you are, and it is important that all people, no matter what their race, creed or color, come to full knowledge of the Divine. God's word is written all around us, and His truth is just waiting for the soul who thirsts for righteousness. Let His awesome light shine upon you!"

I had never read about each color of the rainbow and their scriptural meaning. I thought I would share this so that the next time you see a rainbow, you can think of them too.

Remember everyday to give thanks to God for even the smallest of things and to have faith in Him with the biggest of things. Each day, spare some time to look at the beauty of the world around you, be it the first flowers of spring, the blue sky above or the fact that you have a home to live in and give thanks to God for these blessing that we sometimes overlook. Remember to have faith in Him for the big things, the problems, the worries the fears that you may have. He will take care of you! God has promised in Romans 8:28 that "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." Even though it may be difficult for us to see and understand how this is accomplished, have faith and He will deliver.