I recently had a baby. She is just over two months old. We are coming out of a fog of sleepless nights, endless laundry and being sick. Daisy now has a sister Violet (AKA "Wowie"). I am now a mother of sisters :D
Daisy likes "her baby." I can tell she is more emotional, and that things hard for her to understand. But she is more helpful. She is more aware of others' feelings (the concern on her face when Violet cries is very sweet). She has already grown because of her sister.
Violet is different. She is not just a copy of her sister. She looked very much like Daisy in newborn pictures, but at two months she is already looking very different. She has smiled from day one and laughs in her sleep. She loves to be snuggled and swaddled. I am so excited to get to know her as she grows.
So here's to sisters. To being able to communicate with a single look. To watching little ones grow together. To my sisters, whether by blood, marriage, or friendship. I love you and may the Lord keep you!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunshine!
Life is so good right now. Spring has finally come to Alaska! The temperatures have been getting up to the mid 30's (yes, that is WARM up here.), the snow is melting slowly but surely, the sun is out 12 hours a day now, and the roads are clearing a bit more every day.
A while back I went to Virginia for a couple weeks to visit my family, and wasn't really looking forward to coming back home, since I was leaving warm air and ice-free roads for what I had left: -40 degree temperatures, snow, clouds, and darkness. But during those two weeks I was gone, Alaska changed drastically. I came home to this weather, and it's getting better every week. This is making me want to go out and get clothing with bright colors and grow flowers in our windowsill and do things outside every possible chance I get. I have never in my life been so excited about spring and summer coming.
On top of all that, the nausea seems to have finally left me! After 4 and a half months of getting sick every...single...morning (and often multiple times a day!), and feeling very nauseated all day and night long, it is a huge relief to feel almost normal again. Almost. For now, changes are happening in my body that I've never experienced before. Some of it is very strange, some things frustrating, and much of it makes me smile at random moments throughout the day. I felt good enough last week to take a mile long run, but today I tried it and had a lot of discomfort that prevented me from running. I walked a mile and a half at least, hopefully I can try again and succeed later on this week. I felt the first little kicks while I was in Virginia, and every week they've been getting stronger. Sometimes now I can watch my stomach and see little ripples and bumps where the baby is kicking or moving around. This is all very strange, but thrilling at the same time. I can hardly wait to hold our baby in my arms and see him for the first time.
And yes, it is a "him." We wanted to wait until the baby was born to find out what gender he was going to be, but when we had the 20 week ultrasound, it was so blatantly obvious what the baby was, we couldn't really help but know. And then we figured it would be ridiculous to keep it a secret when we knew what he was. Still keeping his name a secret until he's born though. ;) I'm sort of disappointed that we won't be surprised, since we'd both always imagined it'd be that way, but at the same time, it's fun to know so we can better prepare for him.
Anyway, that's a very brief update on my life at the moment. I can't make it longer though, due to this ridiculous "to-do" list. Just for fun, I'm posting it.
To Do:
Go to bank for quarters
Write Rachel
Write Grandad
Write Grandma and Pappy
Put laundry on
Take a shower
Sweep kitchen/bathroom
Mop
Vacuum
Load dishes
Change bedding
Fold laundry
Unload dishes
Clean the bathroom
Figure out what to make for supper
Wash bedding/throw blankets/towels - if there's time and quarters left after clothing has been washed
Piano lessons: two students today
A while back I went to Virginia for a couple weeks to visit my family, and wasn't really looking forward to coming back home, since I was leaving warm air and ice-free roads for what I had left: -40 degree temperatures, snow, clouds, and darkness. But during those two weeks I was gone, Alaska changed drastically. I came home to this weather, and it's getting better every week. This is making me want to go out and get clothing with bright colors and grow flowers in our windowsill and do things outside every possible chance I get. I have never in my life been so excited about spring and summer coming.
On top of all that, the nausea seems to have finally left me! After 4 and a half months of getting sick every...single...morning (and often multiple times a day!), and feeling very nauseated all day and night long, it is a huge relief to feel almost normal again. Almost. For now, changes are happening in my body that I've never experienced before. Some of it is very strange, some things frustrating, and much of it makes me smile at random moments throughout the day. I felt good enough last week to take a mile long run, but today I tried it and had a lot of discomfort that prevented me from running. I walked a mile and a half at least, hopefully I can try again and succeed later on this week. I felt the first little kicks while I was in Virginia, and every week they've been getting stronger. Sometimes now I can watch my stomach and see little ripples and bumps where the baby is kicking or moving around. This is all very strange, but thrilling at the same time. I can hardly wait to hold our baby in my arms and see him for the first time.
And yes, it is a "him." We wanted to wait until the baby was born to find out what gender he was going to be, but when we had the 20 week ultrasound, it was so blatantly obvious what the baby was, we couldn't really help but know. And then we figured it would be ridiculous to keep it a secret when we knew what he was. Still keeping his name a secret until he's born though. ;) I'm sort of disappointed that we won't be surprised, since we'd both always imagined it'd be that way, but at the same time, it's fun to know so we can better prepare for him.
Anyway, that's a very brief update on my life at the moment. I can't make it longer though, due to this ridiculous "to-do" list. Just for fun, I'm posting it.
To Do:
Go to bank for quarters
Write Rachel
Write Grandad
Write Grandma and Pappy
Put laundry on
Take a shower
Sweep kitchen/bathroom
Mop
Vacuum
Load dishes
Start dishwasher
Tidy up clutterChange bedding
Fold laundry
Unload dishes
Clean the bathroom
Figure out what to make for supper
Wash bedding/throw blankets/towels - if there's time and quarters left after clothing has been washed
Piano lessons: two students today
Friday, January 28, 2011
One of those days
Wow, it's been a while since I last posted something. We have internet again now, so perhaps posts will hitherto be more in the making. (I want to use fancy words today.) I'm not even sure what to write. Or rather, I'm not sure where to begin. There are many things running through my mind now. I suppose the very first thing that monopolizes my thoughts is: will the nausea EVER end? According to the ultrasound, I am 13 weeks along today. Granted, I am having MORE better days than I've had in previous weeks, but it feels like it's never going to go away. Last night was awful where this was concerned, and I've been more than usually nauseated all day today. I'm tired of food. I'm tired of thinking about food, smelling food, eating food, planning food, lugging food around. Unfortunately, it's either eat food or be even more nauseated all day. I'm trying to remember I'm going through all this for our baby, but it's hard to keep that focus sometimes. *sigh*. Lord, help.
Also in my thoughts a lot: how do you follow in Jesus' footsteps when someone is taking advantage of you in a very frustrating way? Involving money? I know the Bible calls us to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" but when does this apply? Should I use the world's common sense and stop letting this person take advantage of me like this? Or should I cancel all debt owed me, and let it go? I've been patient with this for the most part, trying to be understanding and compassionate towards this person, but part of me knows this person is perfectly capable of doing what he/she needs to be doing, which is what makes me ask all these questions. This is all so very frustrating.
On to brighter things, I believe I have found a Bible study! I've been struggling a lot lately, church does not really feed or lead me spiritually, and I'm starting to feel very lost and alone in my walk. Especially now as I go through a rather dry phase, and I'm not exactly sure how to get close to God again. But I told a friend about it, and she invited me to go with her to a women's Bible study on Ft. Wainwright, it was an immense encouragement, not only for the study itself, but I was surrounded by a group of women who were closer to my age and are in my situation as well. I felt like I belonged there. So, I'm very excited to dive into that. I'm hoping to make some friends, but I'm going to have to get over the wall I keep putting up. Being military wives, it seems every time I make a friend, that friend moves away within 6 months or so. I find myself trying to avoid talking to people and make friends if I know they're leaving soon. I suppose that's not very Biblical. So I will get self out of the way and reach out to others without thought to what it may cost me.
Anyway, there's another random post for you, from me. It seems like my brain has a sort of fog around it, I am tired and I don't really care right now whether or not my grammar is correct, or whether my sentences even flow together smoothly. Hopefully some of it makes sense to those of you bored enough to read it. I hope the rest of you have a wonderful weekend!
Also in my thoughts a lot: how do you follow in Jesus' footsteps when someone is taking advantage of you in a very frustrating way? Involving money? I know the Bible calls us to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" but when does this apply? Should I use the world's common sense and stop letting this person take advantage of me like this? Or should I cancel all debt owed me, and let it go? I've been patient with this for the most part, trying to be understanding and compassionate towards this person, but part of me knows this person is perfectly capable of doing what he/she needs to be doing, which is what makes me ask all these questions. This is all so very frustrating.
On to brighter things, I believe I have found a Bible study! I've been struggling a lot lately, church does not really feed or lead me spiritually, and I'm starting to feel very lost and alone in my walk. Especially now as I go through a rather dry phase, and I'm not exactly sure how to get close to God again. But I told a friend about it, and she invited me to go with her to a women's Bible study on Ft. Wainwright, it was an immense encouragement, not only for the study itself, but I was surrounded by a group of women who were closer to my age and are in my situation as well. I felt like I belonged there. So, I'm very excited to dive into that. I'm hoping to make some friends, but I'm going to have to get over the wall I keep putting up. Being military wives, it seems every time I make a friend, that friend moves away within 6 months or so. I find myself trying to avoid talking to people and make friends if I know they're leaving soon. I suppose that's not very Biblical. So I will get self out of the way and reach out to others without thought to what it may cost me.
Anyway, there's another random post for you, from me. It seems like my brain has a sort of fog around it, I am tired and I don't really care right now whether or not my grammar is correct, or whether my sentences even flow together smoothly. Hopefully some of it makes sense to those of you bored enough to read it. I hope the rest of you have a wonderful weekend!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Here in the quiet I sit. It's New Years Eve. We spent the evening with friends celebrating the year gone by. Now Daisy is asleep in bed. I can faintly hear the fire works from the city. The AC kicks on every now and then with a deep rumble on the edge of hearing. The click clack of my keyboard is keeping me company tonight as I think through the last year.
We had many exciting things happen this year. We are blessed with a new member of our family who has yet to make an appearance. We hope to see and hold our little one in the next few weeks. I was able to celebrate in AK with Scott and Erin as they were married. Daisy turned one at the beginning of the year and has grown leaps and bounds and is nearly two. Daisy and I spent most of the summer in WA with family.
We had sad things too. Nate was deployed for four months this year. While a good time for growing it was not fun to be apart. We have had friends and family who faced sickness. I was sick while pregnant with uncertainty of how it would affect the baby.
But here in the quiet I am reminded that my life is in Gods hands. He directs my steps. And I choose in my heart to say that what God has for me is best. This year has been His plan for my life. I pray that next year I am more diligent to seek and know His will and then trust in His plan.
With our little one on the way anytime now and the uncertainly of a move in May that could take us anywhere I remind my heart to be still. To listen in the quiet for God's plan. To be a person like Job, who after losing most of his wealth and all of his children responded in this way:
We had many exciting things happen this year. We are blessed with a new member of our family who has yet to make an appearance. We hope to see and hold our little one in the next few weeks. I was able to celebrate in AK with Scott and Erin as they were married. Daisy turned one at the beginning of the year and has grown leaps and bounds and is nearly two. Daisy and I spent most of the summer in WA with family.
We had sad things too. Nate was deployed for four months this year. While a good time for growing it was not fun to be apart. We have had friends and family who faced sickness. I was sick while pregnant with uncertainty of how it would affect the baby.
But here in the quiet I am reminded that my life is in Gods hands. He directs my steps. And I choose in my heart to say that what God has for me is best. This year has been His plan for my life. I pray that next year I am more diligent to seek and know His will and then trust in His plan.
With our little one on the way anytime now and the uncertainly of a move in May that could take us anywhere I remind my heart to be still. To listen in the quiet for God's plan. To be a person like Job, who after losing most of his wealth and all of his children responded in this way:
Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said:
“ Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Job 1:20-22
Friday, December 3, 2010
A Miracle
There is some wonderful news in our household that's got our minds completely occupied. We are having a baby! I couldn't post this before, until everyone knew, but now it's official. This is our first, so when we found out, we were astonished, somewhat anxious, and excited all at the same time. I really can't believe it. I don't feel pregnant, I don't even have pregnancy symptoms. We found out on Thanksgiving day, what an amazing thing to be thankful for! My prayers now are often that the pregnancy will be healthy and safe, and most importantly that all of our children come to know God. I'm nervous at the thought of becoming a parent, but as my father-in-law reminded me today, no matter how messed up we are, God's plan cannot be sabotaged. It's amazing to rest in that peace.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Catchin' Up
Well, it's been a while since the last post. The reason? No more internet at our house for now. I'm only able to get on every once in a while when I go to the base library. So, to catch up from last time...
I actually DID get some things done from that list I posted last week! I cleaned up all the closets except the entry way closet (which is always in a state of disarray), and got it all organized. It only took a day. Not even that because I was able to do other household chores as well. I also began to learn how to crochet. I discovered it's actually very easy to remember all the stitches, how to turn your work, and such things as that, but I'm struggling with keeping my tension even. Every attempt I've made so far at making a scarf has been ditched, because it starts looking more like a triangle than a rectangle when I've worked several rows. Very frustrating. But I have one lesson left, hopefully she'll be able to show me strategies on keeping my tension even.
Last week was quite interesting. Many states in the lower 48 stay home from work and school because of a snow storm. Alaska apparently shuts down when there's RAIN. Last Monday, I was going to take the car for the day to go grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, so I went to work with Scott and took the car from there. On the way towards the base gate, I hit a patch of ice and spun out. It was scary. I already don't like driving, but driving on very slippery, rainy ice is much worse. Praise God I didn't hit anyone, or even end up in the ditch (as many other cars were doing) although I almost set a whole line of cars swerving and spinning. I managed to get home after driving 35 mph on the highway all the way there, and decided it would not be wise to attempt driving again for the day. Fortunately, at about 11:00, Scott told me he was on his way home, and he ended up staying home for the whole Thanksgiving week! Definitely something to be thankful for. :) Everything shut down (except, fortunately, grocery stores) and it ended up being a great week.
Thanksgiving was very enjoyable. The house was all clean, I'd prepared most of the dishes the day before, and the house smelled good with the cooking turkey. It was my first one and it actually turned out very well! Thanks, Mom, and other ladies out here for all their tips. We had another couple over and enjoyed fellowship, homemade pies, English tea, Mexican train, and a movie. All in all, a wonderful first Thanksgiving as a married couple. We have so much to be grateful for.
And that sums up the week and brings me to today. I must comment again on the weather. It is now -16 degrees outside. I made the discovery that touching metal with your bare hands in that kind of cold is NOT a good idea. Everything hurt when I touched it for a while after that. And my thumb is all red and blotchy now and was stinging for a while. I think I've FINALLY learned my lesson about always having gloves handy. Also, every time I walk outside, my nose hairs curl, I feel like sneezing or coughing when I breathe that air in, and I also get a brain freeze just by walking for a few minutes. It's very entertaining. :)
That's it for now, nothing deep or reaching, just daily life for the Mathews family in Alaska.
All for His glory,
Erin
I actually DID get some things done from that list I posted last week! I cleaned up all the closets except the entry way closet (which is always in a state of disarray), and got it all organized. It only took a day. Not even that because I was able to do other household chores as well. I also began to learn how to crochet. I discovered it's actually very easy to remember all the stitches, how to turn your work, and such things as that, but I'm struggling with keeping my tension even. Every attempt I've made so far at making a scarf has been ditched, because it starts looking more like a triangle than a rectangle when I've worked several rows. Very frustrating. But I have one lesson left, hopefully she'll be able to show me strategies on keeping my tension even.
Last week was quite interesting. Many states in the lower 48 stay home from work and school because of a snow storm. Alaska apparently shuts down when there's RAIN. Last Monday, I was going to take the car for the day to go grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, so I went to work with Scott and took the car from there. On the way towards the base gate, I hit a patch of ice and spun out. It was scary. I already don't like driving, but driving on very slippery, rainy ice is much worse. Praise God I didn't hit anyone, or even end up in the ditch (as many other cars were doing) although I almost set a whole line of cars swerving and spinning. I managed to get home after driving 35 mph on the highway all the way there, and decided it would not be wise to attempt driving again for the day. Fortunately, at about 11:00, Scott told me he was on his way home, and he ended up staying home for the whole Thanksgiving week! Definitely something to be thankful for. :) Everything shut down (except, fortunately, grocery stores) and it ended up being a great week.
Thanksgiving was very enjoyable. The house was all clean, I'd prepared most of the dishes the day before, and the house smelled good with the cooking turkey. It was my first one and it actually turned out very well! Thanks, Mom, and other ladies out here for all their tips. We had another couple over and enjoyed fellowship, homemade pies, English tea, Mexican train, and a movie. All in all, a wonderful first Thanksgiving as a married couple. We have so much to be grateful for.
And that sums up the week and brings me to today. I must comment again on the weather. It is now -16 degrees outside. I made the discovery that touching metal with your bare hands in that kind of cold is NOT a good idea. Everything hurt when I touched it for a while after that. And my thumb is all red and blotchy now and was stinging for a while. I think I've FINALLY learned my lesson about always having gloves handy. Also, every time I walk outside, my nose hairs curl, I feel like sneezing or coughing when I breathe that air in, and I also get a brain freeze just by walking for a few minutes. It's very entertaining. :)
That's it for now, nothing deep or reaching, just daily life for the Mathews family in Alaska.
All for His glory,
Erin
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Blessing of house work
I am blessed with the ability to be a mom and housewife. I don't need to work outside the home. I can focus on family and home and bringing in income can take a very second role to that. I must remind myself of this often. It is a blessing when the sink is full, the laundry needs to be done, the floors need swept (and mopped!), the carpets need vacuumed and toys are strewn everywhere. Our house is LIVED in. Our house is where we show our love. Where dishes get ignored for dancing with a silly girl. Where those same dishes get done late by a loving husband who lets his wife rest. Where Daisy and I do laundry together even though it takes longer with her help.
Yes it's work to keep up with it all. Yes I often feel a step behind. But these are the moments and days that add up to life. We wouldn't be living if there wasn't house work.
Yes it's work to keep up with it all. Yes I often feel a step behind. But these are the moments and days that add up to life. We wouldn't be living if there wasn't house work.
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