6/52

“A portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2014.”

Week 6: Fighting the stomach bug this week. Since the weather was warming up we kept him bare-skinned towards the end. It was just easier... 

At Present

5 THINGS AT PRESENT

1. Josh and I started a new diet last week! It's a 30 day challenge we are doing through our chiropractor which includes a fat-burning diet and exercise program. Essentially it cuts out all carbs and focuses on organic meats/cheese/dairy, loads of veggies, and healthy fats, nuts and low sugar fruit and we do 20 minute burst exersise every day (except Thursday's when I do a Yoga class at the YMCA). It's been a BIG change for us because we are used to chowing down whole plates of pasta for dinner and cereal or bagels for breakfast. But 10 days in and Josh is down 15 lbs and I'm down 10lbs and our energy & happiness levels are through the roof. After the 30 days are up you start to introduce healthy carbs like whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, etc. But the idea is to make a life change from the SAD (Standard American Diet) path that we were on and keep us healthy for the long run. Here is what a few of our meals look like.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Felix is sleeping better! This is HUGE news around here. YAY! I'm still going in once a night around 3:30/4 to nurse him, but that is a massive improvement from where we were 3 months ago - up ever 1.5-2 hrs. Here's my little love sleeping off the stomach bug in my arms the day after Valentines day. 
   
3. 3. Josh and I have decided to set aside one night a week where TV isn't turned on and we focus solely on pursuing creative endeavors. Writing, design, playing guitar, editing photos, website tweaks for Voyage Creatives, Etsy store, etc, etc. Tonight is that night.  So you all get to be blessed with a random, disjointed blog post from me to keep my writing chops from getting too rusty. Last week I worked on some designs. I've been having fun with Save the Date designs lately.
   
4. 4. My Sister-in-Law, Joanna, and her sweet 1 year old Finely are back in the U.S. for a month! She is Normally in Cameroon, but is back for some Doctor's visits and is staying with her parents here in Nashville so I get to see her all the time! Yay! Tomorrow we are headed to the zoo. Should be a nice outside so the Vitamin D will be much welcome.
   
5. 5. Josh's Beard is now huge and it's a daily topic of discussion. Should he shave. Who commented on it at work. How it's sorta getting wavy. How the mustache gets too long and makes it annoying to smooch around. How he touches it way...waaaaaaay too often. How the beard is an instant conversation starter.  About how his beard needs to make it on the blog. 
   

5/52

“A portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2014.”

Week 5: Felix LOVES to read! This book is Snuggle Puppy - one of his favorites.

Intentional.

The house is still. Felix is down for the night, Willow is snuggled up next to me and Josh is spending some time out with friends.

Life has been exquisite. There is a predictable rise and fall of our mornings, afternoons and evenings. Our little family of three gracefully dancing together with comfort and familiarity. Serving one another. Loving one another. Even studying one another and learning how each one of us tick. What our individual, likes, desires and passions are. Watching and learning to see how the calling that God placed on each of us emerges in our daily choices, emotions and fascinations.

Josh, for instance, really loves it when I give him my full attention during conversations. No phones, no dishes, no folding laundry. I'm working on that, and can already see a difference in our relationship. Felix really loves to be held and involved in our work in the kitchen. Whenever possible I pull up a chair and let him hold a few plastic cups under the running water while I do the dishes, or that 22 lb boy is balanced on my hip trying to see what i'm pulling out of the fridge or what the cream looks like going into the coffee.

I've even been learning about myself. I feel my best when I get a shower, some alone time to create AND some time with friends. So going out of my way to meet up for coffee, working out, strumming my guitar, or play dates are vital water to my soul. I also really love the moments when all three of us are together. In the morning laying side by side with Felix leaning back on his Daddy resting for a few minutes before we rise into the bustle of a new day. In the evenings when we eat a meal together and then play on the living room floor before bath and nighttime prayers. And even sometimes a special afternoon get together, like we had today. 

We took advantage of the warmer temperature and had a snack at a park near Josh's work. Felix was so happy. He laughed and screamed as he explored the outdoors with fresh eyes after weeks cooped up inside. No one else was at the park, so we let him wander pretty far from us, but still within eye sight. Every now and then he would stop and pick a little stick up off the ground, or smack the side of the slide just to see what would happen. A child's discovery of life is a wonder to behold.

And then Josh called for him and our little man shrieked happily and ran to us in these tiny baby steps that almost made it seem like he was running in place. Laughing and squealing the whole way back to our bench swing. I honestly couldn't help but tear up a little at the beauty that is our little family.

Anyway, I know that's sappy, but life has been good and purposefully taking time to learn about each other has been fruitful. I have found that unless I willfully pour into Josh and Felix then those relationships end up just floating by aimlessly. I will go through the motions and not truly find the joy in the special bond I have with each of them. And these are THE most important relationships I have.

I guess the moral of the story is rhythm is good. Predictability is good. There is an intimacy that comes with the simple steady flow of the everyday. But, the comforting cadence of daily life shines best when paired with a melody of intentionality.

4/52

“A portrait of my child once a week, every week, in 2014.”

Week 4: Family trip to Miami. Not as warm as we wanted, but still fun!