I just had to write a little post about my sweet girls… so bear with me.  The past couple of days with Justin gone overseas I have had some really sweet times with each of our little loves and I want to remember each detail of this time with them.

Rebekah – our 4 month old – is everyday more captivating to me.  Her eyes seem to have settled dark green with long dark eyelashes – absolutely beautiful.  The most distinct thing about Bekah is that her eyes are kind  – her little gentle sweet spirit shines through those precious green eyes.  She smiles constantly – it is her default expression.  She makes these high pitched cooing noises – she loves to experiment with sound and with rolling her tongue.  If we get right in her face and make noises she already tries to replicate what we are doing.  I just feel like she is going to be such a sweet spirited person and I am totally in love with her.  She honestly does not cry unless she has a real need or is in pain – the easiest baby I’ve ever been around.  I am a “proper” mommy about some things – and bedtime is one of them.  I have put my daughters in bed awake since they were tiny to train them to go to sleep easily.  But I have been drawn into an amazing blog this week about a sick infant (www.mycharmingkids.net) and because of that story  – it has made me want to snuggle with Bekah a bit more the past few days.  So I have let her fall asleep in my arms for naps both yesterday and today.  That time with her of closeness – with her sweet baby smell and chubby little body – has really been touching.  I have delighted in it.  I may have to stick with this routine for awhile – it won’t be much longer until her sleeping on my chest while I rock her won’t be an option – so I might start bending my own rules.

Grace is growing up.  It is sometimes actually hard to believe she’s only two.  It is astonishing how much she is taking in and the hilarious things she comes up with.  We can carry on actual conversations and it is amazing.  She is brilliant and sweet and so loving.  For the first time today she asked me for two kisses.  She has never been big on giving away any sugar – but today she came up to me and offered and I was thrilled.   Normally I chase her through the house and steal my kisses.  She continues to love letters and has begun to sound out words – I really think she’ll be reading soon.  She’ll walk around and see a W and proudly say “Mama the W makes a Wa Wa sound.”  I love that she loves books.  So many fun books that my brother and I loved I’ll get to introduce to her – and I’m sure she’ll introduce many more to me.  She is fiercely independent – and she will push boundaries.  She fights my control but upon the realization that she cannot win the battle (which sometimes takes a while), she seems almost comforted in working within the boundaries.  I had read that was true but Grace has definitely proven that theory to me.  Today she wanted apple juice instead of water and macaroni and cheese instead of the lunch I made her.  She fought me with tears for almost 30 minutes.  But I stayed firm and for the most part ignored her.  Finally I realized that she was eating the lunch and saying “Mama – look!  Yummy water and quesadilla!” as if it were her idea all along.  She realized that the battle was a losing one so she decided to make the most of it.  About food – and those of you who were my friends before I became a mom will laugh at this – I have recently been informed (and I think it is true) that a new side of my personality came out when I became a mom.  In my life – about myself – I am pretty laid back.  With my children – I am not at all.  With their diets especially.  I was pretty heavily mocked about this one day and I defended myself – but in looking back – I knew it was true.  So I have tried to loosen up a bit.  So Grace has had a FUN time lately with her first introduction to snocones, ice cream, corn dogs, and tater tots all in the months of June/July.  She still hasn’t tried soda (that I know of) but for the most part – I think she has at least sampled most of the available junk food.  Not that I want any of you to feed any of it to her :), but at least I am cracking open the door.

My sweet husband is gone and we miss him terribly.  He is doing amazing work in Croatia and we are thankful he is there – but the house is so very quiet, big, and lonely without him here.  Since Justin and I dated we have worked really closely together – and we talk at least 10 times a day. That is the part that is so hard for me.  His access to internet has been severely limited so we’ve broken down and used the phone 4 times since he’s left – once for 31 minutes as we just caught up.  He is my best friend and we really enjoy sharing all of the mundane details of our day with each other.  We may have to sell plasma to pay the phone bill – but it does assuage the loneliness a bit to get to talk to him.  We are 4 days in now to his 18 day trip – so I have a while to go – but I think I’m going to make it through alright.  I have DEFINITELY learned a lesson about appreciating him these days.

I think that’s been the lesson of this week for me overall with my sweet family.  The blog that I’ve been reading reinforces the value of our sweet families and the importance of being fully present with them and sharing the love we have for them with them.  Letting them know how very much we need and love them.  And that is what my heart is full of tonight.  I just love my husband and my two beautiful little girls and I praise my God for them.  I am so thankful.   God has been so good to me.