Six weeks ago, we welcomed our fourth child into our family. It’s been a whirlwind month and a half as we’ve adjusted to having a baby in the house once again. I forgot how much work small babies are. Mother’s amnesia is a real thing, and it is the only reason that the human race is still alive, because bringing a baby into this world is insanely difficult.
I was actually surprised how fully and completely I had forgotten that.
Annika has brought a lot of joy to our home. She has filled a void in our family, and given us a sense of being whole. Perhaps not complete, as I will never completely close the door on adoption as an option for expanding our family. I just can’t say we would never do it, but for now I can say that I feel whole, whereas a year ago at this time I did not.
When we found out we were pregnant, I began to pray that the Lord would reveal his mercy and grace to us through this child. My heart was still in a place of tenderness after the terminated adoption, and I laid a fervent prayer before Him each morning as I fought through morning sickness, through discomfort, and through the insane heat of the summer months.
“Reveal your mercy through this baby.”
As Lee and I batted around name ideas, I continually returned to “Annika.” Every time I said it out loud, I felt a swell of joy move through me, and when we found out we were having a girl, I just knew that was supposed to be her name. Once we’d settled on the first name, we moved to the middle name and I suggested such options as “Hope,” “Grace,” and “Joy.”
None of those felt right, though, and we ultimately decided we wanted to honor Lee’s grandmother by giving Annika her name. Annika Rachel immediately felt right, and we were able to pray for her by name.
And still I prayed for mercy and grace as the Lord continued to heal my heart.
Shortly before Annika’s birth, I decided to look up her name to see what it means. I probably should have done that first, but I didn’t. I just loved the sound of the name. I didn’t even think to look up the meaning in the early months.
It didn’t matter, because the Lord in His goodness gave us the name we needed most for this daughter of ours. The name Annika means “Gracious, Full of Grace, Mercy.”
There is not doubt in my mind that this child was meant to join our family for such a time as this. Her arrival has brought the sweetness of God’s grace and mercy into our lives, and each night as I feed her in the quiet dark, I pray that the Lord will reveal His grace and mercy to others through her.
We are tired these days. Life is crazy, and somedays (most days?) I am entirely overwhelmed with it all.
But I’m covered under the banner of mercy and grace, and each time I pick her up, I’m reminded that God is so very good.
I am officially throwing my name in the hat for Baby of the Year. Here’s why I believe I should win.
First, clearly I am adorable. Try to argue with me – I dare you.
Second, I’m five and a half weeks old and I’m sleeping anywhere from 6-7 hours a night regularly. Last night I slept 9 hours because I was feeling generous and deemed Mom-lady worthy of a nighttime reprieve.
Third, I’ve put on two pounds since birth. I’m now in the double digits, and that’s without eating throughout the night.
Finally…did I mention I’m cute?
I’ve got this title in the bag.
This month, I’m linking up with The Nesterfor this 31 Day series as I survive the newborn haze of sleepless nights, endless nursing, and squeezing in life in twenty minute increments throughout the day. If you want to receive the posts directly in your email inbox, just leave your email address in the box on the sidebar, and subscribe so you don’t miss a post!
I’ll share photos every day, some of them good, and some of them mediocre, because baby leaves me little time to worry about taking and editing the perfect photos.
I’ll also be sharing my daughter’s thoughts, as dictated to me telepathically while she nurses, because she has informed me that she is a mind ninja, and I am merely her portal to the outside world.
Mom-lady fed me quickly this morning. I should have known something was up the way she was rushing me through my morning routine. I thought it was maybe because she wanted to hang out with me and look lovingly into my eyes.
Turns out she just wanted to take me on errands.
She took me to some place known as Target. She made a big fuss about how I would one day grow to love this mega-store, what with it’s bright lights, pretty colors, and soothing aroma of all things pretty.
Mom-lady needed a reminder on the drive to the store, and my persistence in screaming paid off because when we arrived, she picked me up and held me while we picked up the necessary items from the “holy land,” as mom-lady referred to the store on and off. Some of the items she had to retrieve?
Actual pumpkins, which are as lovely and sweet as they sound like they would be. So why, again, is my torture chamber car seat called a “pumpkin seat” again? These are curious matters to me.
Incidentally, I quickly fell asleep in mom-lady’s arms while we shopped the store.
Turns out Target is a lovely place, indeed.
This month, I’m linking up with The Nesterfor this 31 Day series as I survive the newborn haze of sleepless nights, endless nursing, and squeezing in life in twenty minute increments throughout the day. If you want to receive the posts directly in your email inbox, just leave your email address in the box on the sidebar, and subscribe so you don’t miss a post!
I’ll share photos every day, some of them good, and some of them mediocre, because baby leaves me little time to worry about taking and editing the perfect photos.
I’ll also be sharing my daughter’s thoughts, as dictated to me telepathically while she nurses, because she has informed me that she is a mind ninja, and I am merely her portal to the outside world.
Mom-lady decided to have another little photo session this morning.
I mean, really.
I’ve paid her back by only cat-napping all day and bellowing for food at every opportunity.
I WIN AGAIN!
This month, I’m linking up with The Nester for this 31 Day series as I survive the newborn haze of sleepless nights, endless nursing, and squeezing in life in twenty minute increments throughout the day. If you want to receive the posts directly in your email inbox, just leave your email address in the box on the sidebar, and subscribe so you don’t miss a post!
I’ll share photos every day, some of them good, and some of them mediocre, because baby leaves me little time to worry about taking and editing the perfect photos.
I’ll also be sharing my daughter’s thoughts, as dictated to me telepathically while she nurses, because she has informed me that she is a mind ninja, and I am merely her portal to the outside world.
I’ve decided that the conference life is not really for me. While mom-lady seems to be have a slam-bang time, I am more exhausted than anything else. Blogger ladies are noisy. They are also a verbose bunch, and when they all cackle at the same time it sounds like an explosion of joy, which one would think would be a delightful sound, but when you’re in a dead sleep it sends you into spasms of fear.
There are a few pros to attending a conference with mom-lady, though. First, I have been held almost non-stop. Mom-lady has been the primary holder, but when her arms started to tremble under my weight, there were an abundance of other mom-ladies here who gladly offered to take me for her.
It’s been a snuggle fest this week in Greenville, South Carolina.
The other pro is that mom-lady finally started feeding me more. Maybe it was to shut me up. Hard to say. In any case, it’s about time she upped the formula because I WAS STARVING TO DEATH.
Seriously – yesterday afternoon I almost died in the two minute that it took her to prepare my bottle. I saw my entire life flash before my eyes.
The cons lie firmly in the fact that I am exhausted. Just when I get into a deep sleep, the blogger ladies start applauding something or other, or someone starts playing music, or mom-lady decides to scratch her nose and jostles me awake.
The nerve.
It’s been a lovely adventure, but I’m ready to go home. And judging by the way mom-lady and her friend seem to have lost their minds, I think it’s time we all got back to normal.
My mom is strange.
This month, I’m linking up with The Nester for this 31 Day series as I survive the newborn haze of sleepless nights, endless nursing, and squeezing in life in twenty minute increments throughout the day. If you want to receive the posts directly in your email inbox, just leave your email address in the box on the sidebar, and subscribe so you don’t miss a post!
I’ll share photos every day, some of them good, and some of them mediocre, because baby leaves me little time to worry about taking and editing the perfect photos.
I’ll also be sharing my daughter’s thoughts, as dictated to me telepathically while she nurses, because she has informed me that she is a mind ninja, and I am merely her portal to the outside world.
When we found out we were pregnant, I began to pray that the Lord would reveal his mercy and grace to us through this child. My heart was still in a place of tenderness after the terminated adoption, and I laid a fervent prayer before Him each morning as I fought through morning sickness, through discomfort, and through the insane heat of the summer months.
