will & t +1

Someday we won’t celebrate the 13th day of every month, but for now, recounting the goodness of God in our lives through Mercedes Ari is very necessary.

She changes so rapidly. Just a week ago she was barely sitting up; now I even brave stepping away from her for a second to grab my phone or wrestle with Cedar. My favorite part about this development? My daughter sitting contentedly in my lap. She can see the world, play with toys, and I get her little tush on my legs and her hair tickling my nose. 

And those hands!?!? They are grabbing everything in sight. She’s holding on to things longer, dropping less, and reaching more and more. Cedar has learned to give her rings and blocks. It’s the highlight of my day, watching him sweetly, gently hand her his little bobble-head green dinosaur.

I still remember when all I wanted to do was put her down for a nap…and now she won’t nap unless she is put down. She’s becoming quite the consistent little napper, though there are many days she throws me a curve ball and will hardly nap for more than an hour at a time. But she usually makes it up the next day. And I am so grateful to God that she goes down happy most the time, and wakes up happy most the time.

Will’s favorite time of day is going in to get her when she’s done napping. As soon as he hears her stirring, no matter what he’s doing, I hear him say as he rushes off, “O! I’ll get her!”

Every morning I wake up surprised she made it through the night again. I’m not sure why. She’s been sleeping 10–12 hours at night for quite some time now, but I am still shocked at 7am. “Did I really just get 8 uninterrupted hours of rest? Did she really just sleep from 7-7?” Maybe it’s that I know many moms don’t experience this, and for 3 months neither did I. I really go to bed every night thinking I could be up all night. Mom’s: does this every pass?

Mercedes does unexpectedly well interacting with people she doesn’t know, and being held and passed around. I say “unexpectedly” because we’re mostly home all day…every day. She sees me, Will, Cedar, Adrienne, and Talitha on a consistent basis. Church on Saturday nights is our main outing of the week.

Our mellow girl. We still can hardly get her to roll over or move because she’s just so content where she is. When she’s on her tummy and doesn’t want to be there anymore, she just lays her head down and sucks her fingers. No struggling to get on her back. She lays under her dangling toys by herself quietly, sits in her boppy on the kitchen floor while Adrienne and I talk and doesn’t make a peep. I have been told to enjoy this time of non-mobile Mercedes. But truth be told: I can’t wait until she really starts moving!

Our sweet girl. You keep us normal and joyful and laughing and loving the God who would make one such as you. You are truly a reward.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3 

*our pet name for Mercedes. It started as Merchedes (replace “s” sound with “ch” sound), then shortened to “Chades.”