The 11th Month

If I said it, I would sound really old, so I'm not going to say it.

That's right: I'm not going to say how quickly this year has gone by and how I can't believe it's already December and where did the time go and all of that stuff.  Instead, I'm just going to say here's November in a nutshell, as recorded on Facebook.  ;-)

November 1 - Oh, the things they say! This evening during Josiah's group violin class, Tobin was looking at a book about farm animals. He had the book open to a page about pigs when he leaned over to me and whispered, "Why can't I jump into a book?" (meaning, literally get into the action of it). I think my response was something profound like, "Because you just CAN'T." When he asked, "Could I try?", I just shrugged. He laid the book down on the floor, waited a few minutes, then--sure enough--jumped onto the book. Seeing that he had not succeeded in landing into a pile of pigs in a green pasture like he was wanting but was instead standing on a book in Josiah's violin class, he looked over at me...and smiled sheepishly. :)

November 1 - Oh, the things they say! (part two) 

David, this afternoon: Do you think the neighbors (who gave us their dog Buddy before they moved away) think Buddy is dead?

Me: I don't know. 
David, insistent: But what do you THINK?
Me: What is the value of this conversation?
David: (doesn't know what to say)
Me: What do YOU think about what I think about what the neighbors think?
David: (laughter)
Me: What do you think Josiah thinks about what you think about what I think about what the neighbors think?
David: (more laughter)
Oh my! I love my kids deeply and passionately, but sometimes I'm ready to stop thinking for the day before they're ready to stop asking! ;)

November 1 - When next Wednesday rolls around, I'm really going to be lonely. My phone is going to stop ringing, I'm not going to get nearly as much mail as I do now, nobody's going to be telling me how significant I am and how much my vote means to the future of America. The number of people who pay attention to me will be reduced drastically. Yes, I really might go through withdrawal. I'd better enjoy these last few days of feeling important before the election happens. ;)

November 1 - I'm staying up late tonight, working on a writing project that I MUST finish tonight. From Shav's room, I hear him call out something in his sleep. I can't understand the words, but I think I hear him mention "yogurt." He continues to mumble a few more times, but doesn't seem to be in any distress, so I stay in my chair and don't go to him. And then, from the bed where my beloved is sleeping, I hear him start to say something. "Shav, wake up!" he mutters in a voice that's little more than a whisper, before sinking back into deep slumber again. I appreciate his daddy heart that's always looking out for the well-being of his children, but somehow I don't think his whispered wake-up call is going to do a whole lot to help Shav. ;) ... The nighttime conversations continue... Tobin just called out, clear as a bell, "No, Jed." And then in a higher-pitched voice, "No, Jed!"

November 2 - Tonight is my Family Night, so because I didn't want to cook, I asked if we could go to Golden Corral for dinner. Jeff had an even better idea: go there for lunch, then eat popcorn and snacks for supper. Sounds good to me! :) While we were eating lunch, I suddenly realized that the date was November 2, and I hadn't changed my blog header and background for the new month yet. Oh no! ;-) I knew what my job would be this afternoon. Whew, now it's done. I feel better. ;-)

November 4 - Darkness comes early, thanks to the time change; but tonight it doesn't bother me. Not when I am snug and warm at home, with all my little chicks (and the daddy rooster!) ;-) around me. Jeff is in the kitchen making chocolate chip cookies with Tobin and Shav, Josiah and David are sitting at the table sipping homemade hot chocolate that I just mixed up for them, Moriah is in her highchair, smiling at anyone who walks by and pops a Cheerio in her mouth, a fire blazes in the woodstove. Cozy - what a lovely word. :)

November 4 - Excellent comparison between a driven woman and an abiding woman. As a new week kicks off, I am striving to become more of an abiding one!

November 6 - In recent days, I've been trying to explain the concept of electoral college and popular vote, etc. to my kids. This video did a better job of it than I've been doing! ;-)

November 6 - Voting was surprisingly quick and pleasant this morning. I took all five kids along (thought it was important that all of them see the process and be a part of it), and I was prepared mentally (and with a full bag of goodies/books/etc.) for a long wait. When I got there, I discovered to my surprise that there was no line at all. We breezed in and out without a hitch. :) We also discovered that there's a very good reason four-year-olds are not allowed to vote, because about a half a dozen times or so between our house and the polling place, Tobin changed his mind about who he was "going for." Oh, and he calls Romney, "Rom-a-ney." Apparently it's a three syllable word, instead of two. :) (Hey, Obama has three syllables in his last name; isn't it fair for Romney to have three, too?) ;-)

November 7 - No matter what else is going on in the world, feeling the arms of your three-year-old around your neck as he softly says, "I sure do love you, Mom," is a pretty amazing way to end the day.

November 9 - On this day seven months ago, our precious Moriah was born. I can't help but be a little nostalgic as I remember the events of that morning. Right about this time, on that day, I was realizing that I'd better go ahead and start pushing. I'd been so relaxed up til that point, and I really didn't want to go through the work of pushing her out. I did, however, very much want to see my daughter face-to-face (and I wanted to do it while our wonderful nurse, Arlene, was still there - her shift ended at 11:00). Moriah was born at 10:57. 3 whole minutes to spare. ;-) Happy seven-month birthday, sweet girl! You are dearly loved!!!!!

November 11 - I read this recently in The 30th Anniversary Reader's Digest Reader (copyright 1951): "A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband, while a man never worries about the future until he gets a wife." Jeff and I talked about it during our date last night and, for the most part, we think it's true. Do you? :)

November 12 - I love the fact that, when I asked Josiah just now about an opportunity that he could be involved in, he pondered before giving an answer, then asked, "Would Dad approve?" What a wise son to be giving weight to his father's opinion!! :)

November 14 - You might live in the country if your excuse for not getting your kids to their violin lessons on time was this: "I got stuck behind a tractor." (And for the record, I WASN'T late to Josiah and David's violin lessons today; but if I had been, this would have been my excuse. Fortunately, the tractor I was following eventually found a place to pull over and let me--and the rest of the line of cars following him--around him, so I was able to make it to their lessons on time after all.) Ah, I love country life! ;-)

November 14 - I'd rather do laundry than dishes. You?

November 17 - Josiah wanted to make Fruit Jewels this morning which was certainly fine with me. Now that they're done and in the refrigerator, next up is Peanut Blossom cookies. Cooking in pajamas with boys is a great way to start a relaxed Saturday morning. :)

November 18 - I finished reading this book today, and--wow!--what a story. I could hardly put it down. The faith of these two families is inspiring, to say the least. What a powerful example of choosing acceptance and forgiveness over bitterness!

November 19 - The boys are sitting at the table eating lunch and, between bites, talking about how sad it would be if certain people were to die. As I was sitting on the couch nursing Moriah and cuddling with her, I overheard David say, "If Moriah died, we would have to move." I was thinking, "Yeah, it sure would be rough to live here in this home with all the memories of her." His thoughts were going somewhere else though. "Because our house would be flooded," he paused dramatically, then added in a voice heavy with tragedy, "WITH MY TEARS." Ah, David, my little actor! How sweet that he loves his little sister so much. But why, oh why, were the boys talking about people dying?

November 20 - I learned something new about Jed today. He was sleeping peacefully by the front door, as is his custom in the afternoon, when I turned on the bread machine. He instantly woke up and went nuts, and now he will not stop barking at it! I don't know what he thinks it is, but obviously it must be something that presents a great danger to our family because Jed will not quit. Silly dog. :)

November 21 - "What day is it?" Shav asked as we drove home from a Thanksgiving Eve service. "It's Wednesday," I told him. "No, it's not," he replied, "it's Moonday!" He then went on to tell me that when it was Wednesday, it had been sunny. Now that it was dark, it was Moonday. And what's more, sometimes when it's dark, it's Starday. The moon shone down on Shav in his carseat as we drove home in the dark, and I smiled to myself, thinking that sometimes--even when it's technically wrong--the mind of a three-year-old makes perfect sense. ;-)

November 21 - I stayed up late tonight, getting some food ready for our Thanksgiving feast. (I know I'm not the only person doing that tonight!) :) When I finally came upstairs to my room, I turned on my lamp and discovered, not only a small sleeping boy in my bed curled up next to his daddy, but also a red lightsaber. It's so reassuring to know that my three-year-old is always ready to protect me. ;-) But as a matter of fact, I sleep better WITHOUT a lightsaber in my bed! :)

November 24 - David was sitting at the lunch table today, munching on a clementine, when he suddenly announced, "I'd like to be a violin teacher. I would make a lot of money, and I could tell people what to do!" :) 

November 25 - You know how sometimes when you're reading the Bible, you'll be going along in a chapter when suddenly a verse pops out at you and stops you in your tracks? This one did it to me this morning: "I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, 'Why has the Temple of God been neglected?' Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties." (Nehemiah 13:11)

November 27 - "Mom?" Shav's voice crosses the hallway in the darkness. "Mom?" he calls again, with a little more urgency. I shuffle to his room as quickly as I can, my old brown slippers shielding my feet from the coldness of the wood floor. "I'm here, Shav," I say softly. "I want you to sleep in my bed for a little bit," he says in a sleepy voice. Well now, how could I say no to that invitation? So I said yes. :)

November 28 - Just had a VERY interesting conversation with Josiah and David, sparked by David saying something to the effect of "Every time I go to group class, I see somebody with a shirt that says 'Girls Rule' or 'Girls Can Do Anything' or something like that, but I never see a 

shirt that says 'Boys Rule.' Why is that?" Whew! THAT is a loaded question, but so insightful. So...in about 15 or 20 minutes, we covered the history of male/female relationships, specifically the patriarchal societies that have been so prevalent around the world throughout history. We addressed Biblical guidelines for the way men and women are supposed to relate to each other. I told them briefly about the women's lib movement. I even told them a few points from this article I read the other day. We waltzed our way from Deborah and Barak in the book of Judges through the women in the genealogy of Jesus to the family pictured in the movie Mary Poppins. We even talked about dads changing their kids' diapers and the way Josiah and David are blessed with a daddy who makes his kids his hobby and chooses to spend his free time with them, rather than pursuing an outside interest. It was quite a verbal journey. :) It was also a very worthy way to spend part of my evening. I love those boys so much and am so proud of the young men they are becoming! I deeply desire for them to embrace all that it means to be a man of God!

November 29 - I was straightening a few things in the living room just now and happened to glance over at our nativity set. Every time I set it up, I spread out the figures in (what I think is) a nice arrangement; but one of the boys had gotten to it and had moved the pieces. ALL of them, human and animal--except, oddly, one lone wise man--were circled around Jesus, crowding around him as close as they could get. The whole scene had such an aura of awe and wonder. Surely that's how it must really have been on that night so long ago. I had to pause for a moment to soak in the sight, and when I realized that what I was seeing was WORSHIP, my heart began to worship, too.

November 30 - Tonight for David's Family Night, he wanted to play Risk, so here it is, 10:15 p.m., and he and Jeff are still battling for world domination. Josiah lost, and eventually wandered off to bed so he could read. But David and Jeff are still at it. Back and forth across the board they go, but no one is powerful enough to pull off a complete victory yet. However, one thing is clear: Jeff is an incredible daddy to be spending HOURS playing a game (that honestly, he wouldn't have chosen himself) for the sake of his son. I think I'll meander up and see how the game is going now. Who will win? :)  {Jeff did.}

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P.S. Every time I do one of these Facebook posts, I either wish I knew more about HTML or I have sudden urges to punch the computer.  Or both.  The crazy, messed-up formatting of this post DRIVES ME NUTS, and I know it's because I copied and pasted these status updates from FB and somehow got some formatting junk from that.  I do not like it one bit, but at least I got the words recorded here.  Even if the spacing leaves something to be desired...  ;-)

P.P.S.  Time for happier thoughts: designing my new blog look for December.  I'm not sure if I'll get it all done tonight.  Hmmm...how much sleep am I willing to give up for it?  ;-)

WITH, Not OF

Late Monday night, I read this, and it moved me so much that I decided to throw out my whole agenda for the next day and focus on one simple task: taking pictures with my kids.

You see, I, like so many other moms, love to take pictures of my kids.  When they are posed or candid, individual or group, sleeping or active--it makes no difference.  I have so much fun capturing the moments of their lives through the lens of my camera.

But rarely do I hand off the camera to someone so I can be in the picture, too.  The one notable exception to this is when I'm pregnant; during those times I'm glad to have pictures taken regularly of me so that the growing baby is able to someday look back and see how my body changed during that time (and, of course, so that I can look back and remember, too!).  When I'm not pregnant, however, I've been reluctant to put myself in the picture.

Until I read that article, that is.

Tuesday morning I got started with my mission.  Even though I was dressed in very casual clothes and even though my hair was just twisted and clipped up after my shower that morning and even though I didn't feel fancy, I tried to disregard all of that and simply take a picture with each of my children.

I began with Moriah; and before her morning nap, I set the camera on her changing table and, with the help of the self-timer, was able to take a few pictures of my sweet daughter and I.

Then I tucked Moriah in bed, went downstairs to our library, hung up a white sheet in front of a bookcase, set up the camera on a chair, and stuck a joker hat on my head.  It wasn't hard at all to convince David to take silly pictures with me.

And then it was Josiah's turn.  When I saw his western getup, I got out an old bonnet.

This pioneer lady sure loves her wild cowboy.

Shav wanted a turn with the joker hat, so I wore the goggly-eye glasses.

Then Tobin with his Bibleman cape inspired me to try to be a superhero, too.

We had so much fun using the self-timer on the camera and then running to try to get into our positions before it took the picture.  Lots of laughter while we were doing all of this.  :)

David wanted another turn, this time with his Mario costume.  Fine with me.  :)

We had to take a group shot, of course; and although I wish Moriah could have been in it, too, her sleep seemed more important.  Someday we'll get one of me and all the kids.  :)

On that very fun morning, my mission was simple: disregard the other tasks calling for my time and attention, put aside any insecurities about how I look, and get in the picture with my kids.

Mission accomplished.  :)

Wordless Wednesday {It's Christmas, Baby!}

Recipe Box - Dried Beef Dip

When we get together for Thanksgiving, all of us bring some food to share.  My wonderful sister-in-law Lori does most of the cooking, but the rest of us contribute some dishes as well.  Although I love all the traditional foods for Thanksgiving, I also like to make something new and different, too; and my unique contribution this year was Dried Beef Dip.

This recipe came from an entirely different branch of the family tree than the one we celebrated with on Thanksgiving!  Jeff has some relatives who live in Texas; and when we were driving across the country from California to Virginia on our way here from Israel back in 2005, we stopped there to visit them.  I have NO idea how she's related, but one of the very nice ladies we met there made this dip for us one day and then shared the recipe with me when I told her how much I loved it.  I still love it; and every time I make it, I wonder why I don't make it more often.  :)  (And then I remind myself that it's because I'm trying to watch my weight, and when I have this dip around, my self-control goes out the window.)  ;-)

Here's what you need:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sour cream
2 Tbsp. milk
1 (2 and 1/2 oz.) jar sliced beef, finely chopped
1/3 c. finely chopped green bell pepper
1/3 c. finely chopped green onion (but regular onion works fine, too)
1 Tbsp. chopped pimento
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. coarsely chopped pecans

Here's what you do:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and milk; mix well.  Add dried beef, bell pepper, onion, pimento, black pepper; mix well.  Spoon into 8" baking dish; sprinkle with pecans.  Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve hot with crackers or chips.

OK, that's the official version.  Here's what I really do.  Get out a pan, dump everything into it, heat it on the stove, stir it often so it doesn't burn.  When it's all mixed up, it's ready!  :)

I like to eat it on Wheat Thins or other crackers, but I also like to eat it on tortilla chips, especially the kind from Costco (which happen to be gluten-free, which came in handy for one of the guests at our Thanksgiving meal).  Most of all, I just like to eat it.  Period.

(Even by the spoonful.)  ;-)

On Thanksgiving, We Always...

...go to Pennsylvania to celebrate with my brother David and his family.

Well, maybe I shouldn't say we always do that.  I know the year I was pregnant with Tobin, we didn't make the trek north for Thanksgiving.  But almost every year since we moved back from Israel, we've gone up to their house for the holiday.

We always have a feast of delicious food, the kind of meal that makes me wish I had two or three stomachs so I could eat more...because even though my hunger has been satiated, it all tastes so good that I really don't want to quit eating!  :)

The ladies always spend time together in the kitchen.

The men always congregate in the living room, watching something on TV (the parade? the dog show? a football game? all of the above?).

Even though it might seem like the women get the short end of the stick when it comes to roles on Thanksgiving, I don't think we mind a bit.  If someone told us we had to leave the kitchen and go sit on the couches, it would drive us nuts, I think.  ;-)

On Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law Lori (she's the one on the right in the picture below, and her sister Lisa is on the left) always does a fantastic job of hosting those of us who gather there (this year, there were 20).

The kids always go downstairs to the basement to play games on the Wii.

Since we don't have one, it's a special treat for my boys; and they look forward to this with great excitement!  :)

I don't always have a baby at Thanksgiving, but this year I sure had a sweet one.  Little Moriah peacefully took her afternoon nap on the floor.  :)

The kids always (weather permitting) go outside to play.  This year the weather was delightfully warm for November, and the boys took a break from the Wii to go out and jump on the trampoline.

As the afternoon passes by, there is always more relaxation in the living room.  The pictures don't show it, but there is a fireplace in that room that makes it SO warm and cozy.  Jeff usually falls asleep at some point in the afternoon.  ;-)  (Which is a good thing, because he's the one who does all the driving, and I'm always glad when he gets some rest before we get started on the drive home.)  :)

This year Moriah got to meet some relatives that she'd never seen before.  This picture shows Keith (who is the husband of the sister of the wife of my brother...so what does that make him?)  ;-)  playing with Moriah who rewarded him with some great smiles and giggles.

Moriah was actually pretty clingy that day, however, so most of the time she was with me.  In this picture though, my sister-in-law's mother was holding Moriah for me and trying to distract her by pointing to the lights on the ceiling.  It reminded me of a few years ago when she held Shav at Thanksgiving when he was just a few months old.  :)  (And, by the way, she's the one who made the absolutely delicious mashed potatoes for our feast.  It was the first time Moriah had eaten mashed potatoes, and she gobbled them up.  She knows what's good.)  ;-)

One of the things I love about this Thanksgiving gathering is the opportunity it gives us to spend time with my sister-in-law's family.  I wish we got to see them more often, but I'm grateful that our Thanksgivings together are such happy days with so much laughter and good will present.

This year Josiah had taken his piano books along, so he and my mom played some duets for us.

And the Davids had their picture taken together.  Like always.  :)

One thing was different about this Thanksgiving however: it was likely the last time we'll get to see Belle, my brother's pug.

She's been a part of their family for a very long time and is about 98 years old (well, the equivalent of it anyway).  Her health is failing, and it's really only a matter of time for her.  I don't think she'll make it another year.

But I hope and pray that all the rest of us will be there again next year.  Eating turkey with all the trimmings, chatting in the kitchen, lazing in the living room, watching the cousins play together, catching up on the year gone by, smiling and laughing, making memories.

Most of all, giving thanks.  We have so much for which to be grateful!

She's Big Enough...

...to enjoy "standing up" in this farm toy/activity center.

So a few days ago, I got it out and let Moriah play in it for a while.

 Of course, Tobin and Shav had to show her how to do it.  They're so helpful.  :)  (Actually, as I watched them, I was reminded of how my older children always have a great time playing with the younger kids' toys when I pull them out after they've been put away for a while.  Having little siblings is a good excuse for my bigger ones to play with "baby toys" again.)  ;-)

 I have a feeling this was the first of many happy hours Moriah will spend like this!  :)

It sure looks like she's following in the footsteps of those big brothers of hers.  :-)

When Tobin's in Charge of the Manger Scene...

 ...he makes sure that everyone lies down and takes a nap in the afternoon.  Most of the figures are fortunate enough to do that inside the stable, but a few of them (a shepherd, a wise man, and--oddly--Mary) have to sleep on the roof.

Let's hope they don't roll over in their sleep.  ;-)

It's About So Much More than Turkey

The very quality of your life, whether you love it or hate it, is based upon how thankful you are toward God. It is one's attitude that determines whether life unfolds into a place of blessedness or wretchedness. Indeed, looking at the same rose bush, some people complain that the roses have thorns while others rejoice that some thorns come with roses. It all depends on your perspective. 

This is the only life you will have before you enter eternity. If you want to find joy, you must first find thankfulness. Indeed, the one who is thankful for even a little enjoys much.

~ Francis Frangipane

I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual…O how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my bank can drain it, for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.

~ Henry David Thoreau

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Happy Thanksgiving, friends!  May it be an enjoyable, but more than that, a meaningful holiday for each of you!

Wordless Wednesday {Van Windows Reflecting Beautiful Sunset}

After the Recital

When life is so full of blessings and happy events, it seems impossible to get everything recorded here on the blog; and so it is now.  But I do want to at least mention one special thing that happened recently.

Josiah and David performed in a violin recital last Friday evening, and I had the pleasure of accompanying them on piano.  For memory's sake, I'll record here that David played Andantino (from Book One of the Suzuki method) and Josiah played Theme from "Witches' Dance" (from Book Two).  I think they both did very well (but of course, I would think that).  ;-)

We took all the kids with us, so I didn't even ask Jeff to attempt to take a picture while the boys were performing.  I knew his hands would be full with caring for the three little ones.  Afterwards however, he did snap these photos for us.

 I wish I would have remembered to have him take these pictures before Josiah and David put their violins away, but I guess it doesn't matter too much.  At least it shows us there, together (along with a little sidekick who hopped into the picture, too).  ;-)

Besides the music, what I want to remember from this recital is that Jeff, who was holding Moriah at the time I asked him to take the pictures, handed her off to the boys' violin teacher (whom we are very fond of), so Megan got to hold Moriah for the first time.  :)

And after the recital, one of the other moms--a lady whom I did not know at all--came up to me and said with a glance at Moriah, "You're brave to bring a baby to a recital."  I laughed and answered something about Moriah being easy-going, but inwardly I was thinking that this was going to be a negative conversation about children and that this woman was probably anti-big-family in her opinions.  Little did I know that the lady has 11 children, and what I expected to be a downer was actually a very uplifting, inspiring conversation!  We were some of the last people to leave after the recital, and I wished that I could have talked with her a lot longer.

Sometimes first impressions are wrong.  Sometimes that's a very good thing.  :)

Having a Girl {One Year Later}

One year and two days ago, I lay on my back in a darkened room with cold gel on my bare skin, watching a black and white figure squirm and kick on the screen.  Our baby.  And then the ultrasound technician gave us the marvelous news that we had never heard before: this child was a girl.

This week as I've been remembering the excitement of that week, I've had fun reading back through some of my posts from that time:  the post that first announced it, the details about how we found out and shared the news, the first prayer I prayed for her, more thoughts about having a daughter, etc.  If I thought my joy cup was overflowing back in those days, it's overflowing even more now that Moriah is here with us and has graced us with her presence during the past seven months.  Having a daughter is a delight!  (And to be clear, if God had given us another son, I'm sure I would be sitting here writing about how wonderful that child was and how grateful I was to have the incredible blessing of five sons...)  :)

I love to watch Moriah--just watch her.  I love to study her and notice everything I can about her.

 Like how she sleeps face-down on the mattress, but still manages to get her left hand close to her mouth so she can suck on her two fingers.  I don't know how she sleeps like that; I'm sure I couldn't!  :)

 I love to see the expressions on her face.

 Especially the way she lights up when she sees someone looking at her.

She has brought us SO MUCH joy!

But I'll confess to feeling another emotion recently: anxiety.  In an email to Jeff yesterday, I wrote, "Now I'm officially worried."  Why?  Because Moriah is not gaining weight like I would expect.  She started out in a "normal" pattern--just over 8 pounds at birth (and 19 inches long); 10 pounds, 4 ounces at one month; 11 and a half pounds (and 22 inches long) at two months; 12 pounds, 15 ounces at three months; and 13 and a quarter pounds at four months.  Would you like to know how much she weighs now, at seven months and nine days?

13 pounds, 11 ounces.

Which means that in 3+ months, she's gained a whopping 7 ounces.

Does that alarm you like it does me?

If you're my dad, the answer is no.  "I'm not worried," he told me yesterday when I took her down to his house to have her weighed on the official baby scales.  "She's alert and happy and healthy.  She's fine."

Jeff's reply was the same: she smiles, eats, drinks, pees, poops, babbles, etc.  Just what you'd expect a seven-month-old to do.  Nothing to worry about.

OK, I won't worry.  (Much.)  ;-)

But when I look at the growth charts for a baby girl (like this one, for example) and I notice that she is at the VERY bottom of the range for her age (or maybe even a little below it), it does make me wonder.  Then I look at the chart for length and realize that, at 27 inches, she's in the 75th percentile for that.

I guess she's just a tall and skinny girl.  ;-)

Even before I found out her official weight, I had noticed that her face isn't nearly as chubby as it used to be, and her legs aren't as roly-poly as they once were.  Not that her ribs are sticking out or anything like that ;-), but she has definitely lost some of the plumpness she had a few months ago.  The thing is, she eats like a horse.  Everything I feed her, she gobbles up; and since she has recently started having success with self-feeding finger foods, she really gets excited when she sees Cheerios or other baby finger foods on her highchair tray, and she immediately starts grabbing at them.  She nurses well and is generally quite cheerful.  So everything's fine, right?

Yes, I think so.

Oh, how I hope so!

Despite my concern, I feel a deep sense of peace about Moriah.  What a comfort to know that God's hands tenderly cradle her and His plans for her life are already established!  I'll rest in that knowledge, knowing that my beloved daughter--the one whose presence lit up my life a year ago and hasn't stopped lighting since--is safe.

Safe in Him.