It had been one of those days. Two weeks of waking every forty-five minutes to settle a sick baby had taken their toll, and I was beginning to feel the warning signs that a cold was in my future, too: the aching joints, the pounding head, that tickle in the throat and chest that hint at … Continue reading "On Rough Days and Mommy Wars and Grace"
Read MoreCategory: Family and Parenting
Worthwhile Weekend Words
I sometimes have a hard time remembering that small things matter. Perhaps that’s a part of why I started this blog – to remind myself, more than anyone, that faith happens in the daily, in the mundane, in the ordinary, that I need to choose, this moment, who I am going to serve. There were … Continue reading "Worthwhile Weekend Words"
Read MoreRelationships That Can Never Be
She sits on his lap, tiny fingers reaching first for his own age-spotted ones, then for his starched plaid collar, then for his mouth, which curves up as her touch flits across his cheek. Her head follows her hand, slowly traveling up until their gazes lock. The look lasts only a moment before she is … Continue reading "Relationships That Can Never Be"
Read MoreOn Winter Storms
The snow swirls, flakes drifting lazily from a storm-darkened sky. I must admit this is somewhat anticlimactic; yesterday, they were predicting doom and gloom, telling us that certainly the end was coming, that we would all be confined to our homes as the world turned white. There will be piles of snow, they told us, … Continue reading "On Winter Storms"
Read MoreWorth the Risk
“We hope to give Katie siblings some day, brothers or sisters as companions and playmates and friends. And despite the pain we suffered, despite our ability to conceive without medical intervention, we hope that one or more of those siblings might come through adoption.” I’ve got another post up at Brain, Mother today – join … Continue reading "Worth the Risk"
Read MoreDancing, Despair and Hope
We danced the other night, Katie and I. Lest you have any visions of grace and beauty running through your mind at that statement, let me dispel them right now: by “danced”, I mean I spun awkward circles in my living room, made fumbling sashay steps back and forth, and sang an off-key version of … Continue reading "Dancing, Despair and Hope"
Read MoreOf Infant Sleep and Answered Prayer
Note: This may seem like a standard new-parent-detailing-of-infant-sleep (or lack thereof) at first, but hang in there! There’s more to this post than that. In the past several weeks, Katie has decided that sleep is simply not for her. She has fought naps, arching her back and crying when I try to convince her to … Continue reading "Of Infant Sleep and Answered Prayer"
Read MoreA Glimpse of Love
We traveled for Thanksgiving, packed our suitcase and our little girl into the car and made the oh-so-very-long drive through the desert to my Grandpa’s house nine hours away. She did well, Katie did, sleeping a good portion of the way, only needing the calming presence of Mom or Dad in the backseat and the … Continue reading "A Glimpse of Love"
Read MoreFocusing on the Finish Line
I’m not usually one for cutesy sayings, for pithy quotes, for warm and fuzzy cliches – in fact, I generally scorn them. Though I often strive for contemplative and beautiful here in this space, my sense of humor tends toward the cynical and the sarcastic. (Case in point: I find this post and its follow-up … Continue reading "Focusing on the Finish Line"
Read MorePast Sorrows and Present Joys
She caught me in the church parking lot a few weeks back, waved at me as I was unlocking the car door, walked over to say hello. It had been some time since I’d seen her last and she had never met Katie, so she commented on her smile and her amazing infant Mohawk and … Continue reading "Past Sorrows and Present Joys"
Read More