Merry Christmas

I'm just so excited for this Christmas! I can't wait to start our own traditions with Tenley and for her to experience all our other traditions. I know that the years to come are going to be even more fun, and frankly, a little crazy, as she starts getting anxious for Christmas festivities. I'm going to savor every moment this year. I'm so so thankful for our beautiful little girl. Her smile wipes away any worries I might have. Her arrival has made me completely change. I pray that she cares for people with all of her heart. I pray that she stands up for what she believes in like her Daddy. I pray that she feels deeply for others like I do, often very emotionally. She's going to be her own person, but I pray that God instills the qualities of Jesus in her. Tenley, no one on earth loves you more than daddy and I. But God loves you even more than that.

This Christmas, I'm again reminded of our Savior, Jesus Christ. God sent to us such an amazing gift.

Merry Christmas everyone. I pray that you'll be blessed with lots of happiness and laughter this year.

Tenley's Christmas dress!

Pictures!

A great friend of ours, Chanelle Blucker , took Tenley's 3 month pictures. They are so good!! I just love every expression she makes. Chanelle did a great job of catching every little look! Tenley is just changing so much that I'm so glad we were able to document this time. Here's a few of my favorites.

3 Months!

Tenley you are 3 months old today!! You are getting so big and changing so much everyday! It's such a fun time!

What are you doing now?
*You eat every 4 hours.
*You eat 4.5 oz., but I think in the next few days we will increase that to 5 oz. You seem to still be hungry!
*You wear size 1 diapers.
*You are wearing all 3 month clothing, but your 3 month sleepers are getting too short on you!
*We have a nightly routine and it seems to work very well for you! I give you a bath, you eat, and then I rock you. You are in bed by 8:30 and will sleep til 4am, you eat, then go back to bed pretty easily til 8am. You wake up on the dot at 8! I think before I know it you'll drop that 4am feeding and will be sleeping through the night soon! I hope anyway :). We have bad nights once or twice a week, but for the most part you're doing well!
*You are smiling so easily now!
*We heard your first giggle the other night. Daddy made you laugh. It was the sweetest sound, but we haven't heard it since.
*You seem to prefer being with Mommy, but you smile more for Daddy.
*You do not like being burped, you cry and cry until we put the bottle back in!
*My favorite part of you waking up is in the morning when I go to your crib to get you and you smile so big at me.
*You hate your tummy!
*Your left arm is improving so much! You can now put it above your head and move it around better than ever!

We love you so much Tenley! You are the light of our lives.

Peace

I'm sitting by the glow of the Christmas tree and all is quiet. This is my favorite time of the night. I smell like clean baby, since I just gave Tenley a bath. She is sleeping peacefully in bed and I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that she will be sleeping for the next 7ish hours (we hope anyway..we still have some bad nights). I have time to pick up and get ready for the next day, but also to just sit and relax with Mike.

Like every Sunday, I was reminded again today of how happy I am to be back home. We miss our friends in Merrillville, but sitting in church this morning is a great reminder of how "at home" we feel. We're both trying to get back involved in the church and take advantage of all the opportunities there. I've started a grace-based parenting class on Wednesday nights that I think I'm really going to enjoy. Last week the main idea was talking about how we need to meet our kids right where they are at emotionally. In jr. high for example, Tenley is bound to come home crying some day about one thing or another that we really see as trivial. But we can't just tell her that she will face harder things in life. We have to support her and tell her that we're sorry she's going through this or that. And help her through it, because in her life at that age, it's a big deal. She won't want to come to us if we let her think that her issues aren't important. I've been learning alot just in one week and I'm thankful for all the other parents in there that are more seasoned than Mike and I. I learn alot from their experiences and it's nice to know that even now, they still have questions and make mistakes.

Remember too, that tomorrow Baby VanTornhaut will make his/her debut into our family! Katie and Craig are in Chicago now. They will check into the hospital tomorrow morning and Katie is scheduled to have a c-section. Please pray for the doctors, our family, Katie, Craig, and Cole. We know Callie will be looking down on them smiling as they welcome her brother or sister into the world.

Christmas Excitment!

I'm so excited for Christmas! Now that it's December and we've had our first little snowfall, I can't help but get excited! Tenley's first Christmas!! The thought just about brings tears to my eyes (yes, I know, no big surprise.) I'm imagining Christmas in a few years when Tenley will burst out of her room yelling at us to get up because it's Christmas morning! My head is full of traditions I want to start with her.

We will receive an early Christmas present this year in the Marshall family. Katie and Craig head to Chicago this weekend and on Monday they will have their baby!! We pray that everything goes as planned and that we'll soon be able to meet Baby VT. We love you Katie, Craig, and Cole!

Through the eyes of a child...