Josiah Henry

The doctor tried to tell me to wait, don't push yet, hold on one more minute.  Sorry lady, no can do.  This 6lb 8oz child currently feels like a line backer in the 4th quarter of the most important game of the season.  He's coming right now whether you're ready or not.

I should have known.

He arrived just after noon on his due date.

I should have known.

Where his brother embraced practically every new food we threw at him, I'm pretty sure Josiah would have been content to live out his life on breast milk, given the opportunity.

I should have known.

Before he could even walk, he figured out how to give his brother a wet willy to get him to release any given wrestling move.

I should have known.

At 9 months old he could already climb the entire flight of stairs in our house.

I should have known.

At 10 months he took his first steps - determined to keep up with every move his big brother made.

I should have known.

I should have known this kid was filled with determination from the beginning.  I should have known he would always know exactly what he wanted and when he wanted It.  I should have known the sheer force of his will.

I thought will-power wasn't supposed to fully rear it's head until the second year of life.   Isn't that why they call it the terrible twos?

But this child, Josiah Henry, my beautiful surprise, with a gorgeous grin, expressive eyes, and precious cuddles, this child has been practicing the art of will-power from the very beginning.

And now he's one year old.  An entire year has passed since his birth.  Now I'm weaning him.  Now I'm moving past the stages of praying that tonight will be the night he sleeps through the night, carefully propping him up in case he falls over while sitting up, and pureeing all his food.

Infanthood is behind us and there is a little boy growing rapidly in front of me.

I should have known it would all go by too fast.

Happy birthday, baby boy!  I can't wait to see all that God has in store for you!

Today we celebrate 8 years of marriage.

8 years of ups and downs.

8 years of fights and laughter.

8 years of learning to communicate better and love each other more.

8 years of everyday life and wonderful adventures.

8 years of him by my side.

It's a beautiful thing!

This summer was filled with wonderful, glorious time spent by the water.  Time staring at it's blue vastness, time listening to waves lap against the shore, time out on a boat enjoying the wind in our faces, and time spent swimming and splashing.  It was a beautiful thing.

First, my parents took us up to Lake Tahoe for a couple of nights where we were blessed to spend an afternoon out on a boat with friends of theirs. The boys loved the time on the boat and splashing on the shores of (freezing cold!) Lake Tahoe, while Dave and I loved being back at the lake staring at the bright blue water and gorgeous trees and mountains that surround it.  I was not introduced to the beauty that is Lake Tahoe until I moved to Reno, NV in my early 20s.  It is so much fun to watch my kids experience it at such a young age.

Next, Dave's parents took us on the family's annual trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  The vastness, beauty, and strength of the ocean never cease to amaze me.  Personally, I think it's one of God's greatest creations.  Eli loved being out in the water with his Dad while Josiah's favorite activity was using the beach chairs as a jungle gym.

Then, while we were back in Maryland staying with Dave's parents, we got to spend time at his uncle's house enjoying the beach of the Severn River and time out on the Chespeake in his uncle's yacht.  The temperature of the water was surprisingly warm this summer and the boys absolutely loved playing in the water and sitting on the shore playing in the sand as the water lapped at their feet.  I can still picture their smiles as they soared up in the air and back into the water in their Daddy's arms.

Let me tell you people, friends and family with boats and access to beach-side houses are wonderful things!  We were incredibly blessed by all the people who let us share in these experiences with them.