Dear New Momma

Dear new momma,

    You're new at this. You're still recovering from having a baby; I get it! You're trying to figure out how to be a mom and meet the needs of your husband and baby while trying to catch up on sleep and remembering to eat and take care of yourself as well. It's okay to cry. It's all overwhelming, I know, but God will give you the strength to endure every minute. Choose to focus on the precious gift you have before you, and know that you'll get through the day.

   I want to encourage you and let you know that it gets better! Pretty soon, you'll have the "mom thing" down a bit more. You'll figure out how to balance out spending time with your hubby, spending time with God, keeping up with friends, and still meeting the needs of your baby.

    I promise you, it'll all get better! Nursing will get easier, and you and your baby will soon be in sync with one another. Eventually you'll be able to make dinner with one hand and hold onto your baby with the other. Soon you'll get used to surviving on little sleep, and it'll become easier.

    You'll have lots of people telling you how to be a mom and what to do. Just stay calm, nod your head, and smile. Some of the information you get, you'll use, and some of it you won't. You're the mom; you decide what works best for you and your baby.

   Don't be afraid to ask for help. You'll have days when laundry, dishes, and other household chores won't get done. It's okay! Enjoy those snuggles with your new baby! ... they're only a baby once.

   New momma, above all things, seek God and constantly be in prayer! Becoming a mom is challenging but oh so rewarding! You'll soon look back and see  how far you've come. You've got this! ;-)
From one mama to another,
Caitlin (http://cherishandnurture.blogspot.com/)

Life As A New Mom

     It's been a little over 2 weeks now since I've had my baby. Life has been full of all kinds of new things. I've come to the conclusion that I'm a very selfish person. Having a baby is full of all kinds of joys, but also many challenges.
     From trying to figure out how to nurse, and being sleep deprived, makes mommy-hood all the more interesting.
      James is a wonderful blessing and addition to our family, but it's also been a little tough to adjust to having a baby.
     What once was nights with my hubby, sitting and watching a movie, playing games, evening walks, or having friends over, is now, time spent trying to feed the baby, or put the baby to sleep. Nights with just my husband and I, are no longer. It's been an adjustment for both of us, but we wouldn't trade it for the world.

Josh having some father/son bonding moments.

                I told my husband, "I feel like I won't be able to tell you about my day anymore! It won't be exciting. It'll be, feeding the baby, putting the baby to sleep, and maybe some things in between." ;) It gave us both a good laugh.

     James weighs 6Ibs 9.9oz as of today, which means, he's been gaining an ounce a day for the past week and a half. 

He looks so peaceful when he sleeps.

This is James after he finished eating. ;) 

      James is 16 days old, as of today. Every day is full with new challenges/old challenges, and lots of patience to go with it ... Gods working on me with that one. ;)

     I pray that God will give me the patience to endure what lies ahead, and to give me a peace that passes all understanding. Little baby James is a tremendous Joy to our lives, and we couldn't be happier to have him in our little family. We love you James Randal Narwold!!! <3

Pregnancy Announcement! :)

     Hello all! I've been wanting to tell you for a while now, but my husband and I are expecting our first child!!!! 

I'm pregnant!!! 

     The baby's due-date is June 14th approximately :) Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for a little one! This Thanksgiving, even though I'm a week late, I'm grateful for so much! I'm super grateful for a loving and fantastic husband! I'm also grateful for the little baby in my womb! I'm about 12 weeks along now, so I'd appreciate your prayers for a healthy pregnancy. I'll keep ya'll up to date as time moves on. :)

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am Fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I wake, I am still with You." 

~Psalm 139:13-18~

Days Like These

Hello all! As I write blog posts, I've kind of come to a "writer's block" so to speak. I've been super busy with teaching Piano and babysitting lately, and as the fall season hits, I'm thinking my weekly schedule will be a little more organized. ;) 
     If most of you don't know already, I'm officially an Aunt! :) Precious little Norah Jane Narwold was born a couple weeks ago, and everyone is so happy to welcome her into this world! 

Proud mama: Ashley!

 Proud Papa: Jonathan

 My hubby holding his niece! ;)

 Norah Jane Narwold

 
     As I was listening to "Days Like These" the other day by Natalie Grant, I was reminded about all the times I've had with my husband. The moments when Josh decides last minute, to put our wedding song on speaker, takes my hand, and we dance right before bed. The moments when we take a walk, hand in hand, talking about life's many blessings. The moment when I see my husband hold a newborn for the first time, and I'm in awe. Life is full of so many blessing!... some of which I take for granted so often. I'm so thankful for a wonderful, Godly husband, a wonderful Church family, who's brought me in under their wings, and for those days that I wish wouldn't end. I'm thankful for Tuesday Date-Nights with my hubby. I'm thankful for wonderful Godly parents who are continuing to build Christ kingdom. My mom calls days like these, "Eat-em-up-days". :) I'm so thankful for all my friends and family! Thanks be to God for all the many little blessings in life!
     What kinds of blessings are you grateful for? 

Abortion and Planned Parenthood

     Many of you probably know that Planned Parenthood has been selling aborted babies and their body parts, profiting from the death of the unborn. This dark truth has just recently come into the public eye thanks to a series of videos released by the Center for Medical Progress. For those unaware of what's happening, please take a look at Doug Wilson's writeup on the story (http://dougwils.com/s7-engaging-the-culture/ghouls.html) and watch the video below.
     I thought I'd take this opportunity to share an excerpt from a report presented to the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1971. It's not exhaustive, but it provides a solid groundwork on the topic:     

As we search the Scriptures for God's will concerning abortion, we find that the whole abortion issue can be reduced to one question: Is the fetus in the womb of the mother a human life? If the answer is yes, then abortion for the sake of convenience is murder, and the Christian church has the obligation to teach its members to protect and nourish the life of the unborn child. The sixth commandment gives an absolute prohibition against murder (Exodus 20:13), and so murder is never, under any circumstances, to be regarded as a moral option.    

 Often supporters of abortion confuse the issue by pointing to the financial and emotional hardships that both mother and child will face if a pregnancy is carried to full term. Certainly, the pressing social hardships surrounding unwanted pregnancies are enormous, but if an unborn child is a human life, some way of treating the problem must be found other than licensing the hospitals and clinics of our nation to perform mass executions of unwanted children.     So is a fetus in the womb of the mother a human life? I believe the Bible answers with a resounding yes! Consider the following evidence:

1.  God relates in a personal way to the unborn child (Ps. 139:13-14; 51:5; Jer. 1:5; Luke 1:44). He does so because the child is created in his image.[2]

1.  The Bible teaches that both conception and birth occur because of the sovereign rule of God (Gen. 21:1-2; 30:1-2; 1 Sam. 1:19-20; Job 31:15; 33:4; Ps. 100:3; 127:3). "It would be a willful act of defiance against the Creator intentionally to kill an unborn child whose conception is so intimately a divine as well as a human act."[3]

1.  The Greek word for "child" in Luke 2:12 (brephos) is used in Luke 1:41, 44 to refer to John the Baptist while he was in his mother's womb. A Hebrew word for "child"(yeled) is used of the unborn in the mother's womb (Ex. 21:22).[4]

1.  Theologian John Jefferson Davis points out that "the personal history of the Son of God on earth begins not when he was 'born of the Virgin Mary,' but when he was 'conceived by the Holy Spirit.' His human history, like ours, began at conception."[5]

1. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit even while he was in his mother's womb (Luke 1:15).

The Bible treats human life, from conception to death, as a continuing experience. To willfully terminate it for reasons of convenience is murder. Faithfulness to the Word of God demands that this truth be taught in the church of Jesus Christ.  

(Taken from: http://opc.org/feature.html)

Feeling Accepted

     This past week, my husband and I went up to Missouri for a Family Reunion that happens every 3-4 years. It was such a sweet blessing to be able to meet everyone, and feel loved and wanted.

     One thing that many of you many not know about me, is that I struggle with feeling wanted. I struggle with feeling accepted... for who I am. I tend to think of myself very lowly, and often times read too much into things, and feel un-accepted. In most circles that I've been in, there were clique's, most of which I was never a part of, mainly because I felt like people didn't accept me... they didn't make effort to help me be a part of their circle. They didn't welcome me in.
     So when I went to Missouri, and felt accepted by the family members there, I felt very loved. I felt like I did, when I moved here to Ohio. Where people excepted me, and welcomed me into their group. When I was sitting off alone for even just a few minutes, they'd join me, or they'd welcome me into their circle, and let me know what they'd been talking about.
     All of us to some extent struggle with feeling wanted. We want to be loved. We want people to like us... that's the human part of us. If you've never felt like you're on the outside, then I'd encourage you to look at others around you... welcome them into your conversation... even if you don't really want them to. Make people feel like they're loved. It's not enough to just say hi, you need to have a relationship with them. Check up with them every once in a while. Ask them how they're doing... and when they say, "fine." Ask them again... "No really, how's everything?"
     Another thing I ask, is that you try not to talk to the same person every week, and no one else. Especially if they're at church, and you see them every week to begin with. Go out of your comfort zone, and talk to other people... they do exist. ;)
     Any way, sorry to be totally off subject, but hey, it's me. :) I loved my time in Missouri, and meeting so many new people. We played games, stayed up late talking, ate lots of food, we laughed many times, had a tea party honoring Josh's grandmother. (who passed away many years ago from cancer)
     On our way back, we stopped in St. Louis with Josh's parents, and one of his brothers, and stayed at a hotel, went to a couple Museum's, had coffee, took pictures, played games, and rested. :) I've included some pictures below.
     What summer trip have you taken or do you plan to take?
     "This is the day the lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." ~Psalm 118:24~

Isn't Josh going to be a great dad someday?! :) I love you Josh!

 My husband and I both got awarded. :)

 Little Liam was just adorable holding this kitten in his overalls. :)

 My sister-in-law, Joanna, and her husband, Derek, joined us in a cave.

 Most of the family... Jonathan,(Josh's brother) and Ashley, were missing in this pic.

Serving in Disguise

Yesterday, I had the privilege to go to our friends the, "Davidson's" house, and help them out
with the kids, laundry, dinner, and packing for their trip to Russia. 

     While I was helping the kids clean out the closet, Mrs. Davidson asked me to feed baby "Owen", so that she could get some stuff done. With joy, I took him out of the swing, and fed him his bottle. After feeding him, I went into the girls room to help them clean out the closet, and I lay Owen down on my lap facing sideways...he was so content! As usual, I stared at Owen thinking, "Wow! How can people not like children?" They are so precious...aren't they?!

     As I was sitting there with Owen on my lap, I helped the girls fold their tights, and other miscellaneous things. After that, I rocked Owen to sleep, and vacuumed around the house. When I got home, I was greeted by my little brother, Elijah, who comes out ever time one of us comes home. There's always a welcoming smile on his face, and a big, warm bear hug awaiting us from our little Elijah. Isn't it nice to come to a place that you can call home?

After a long, hard day from working at the Davidson's, (which I appreciated) I kept thinking, "all that I'm doing at home, at the Davidson's, and any where else, is teaching me...teaching me to be patient, teaching me to be slow in anger, and slow to speak, teaching me to 'serve', and teaching me
 to love God even more."

Last week, I was having a hard time doing some stuff around the house, and I've been asking God to help me serve without thinking about it. Whether it's doing my siblings dishes on their dish day, doing  their chore for that week, or merely putting their shoes away that are in the middle of the floor. They might not notice me doing anything...but God does! He sees everything that we do...whether it's with a servants heart or not. So let's serve, knowing that our reward is in heaven! 

The 11th Anniversary

Today marks the day that my dear little sister, "Grace Elizabeth Baughman" would have had her 11th birthday.

For those of you who don't know the story or don't remember, I'll tell you.
The Beginning...
It was a crisp fall morning from what I remember....
I had just woken up, and my cousin was still sleeping. (my cousins came with my grandparents to visit us...my cousins parents would be coming later the next day)
Since my cousin was still sleeping, and knowing how long she sleeps, I went out to the living room....there I saw my Grandma...crying...with her hands on her head. I didn't think I should interrupt her, so I went back to my room. My cousin had just
woken up, and was rubbing her eyes.
My Grandma walks in the room then, her eyes, swollen from crying. She says, "Caitlin...your mom went to the hospital this morning...Grace died." I held the tears back as it stung me. I had prayed to God for a little sister, and now, I didn't have one! "God...what are you doing???"
I asked inside myself.

Grace Elizabeth Baughman was a still born at 8 months pregnancy. She was sick, and my parents didn't know it. My mom felt something was wrong, and so my dad rushed her to the hospital. My mom got to hold Grace for a few minutes before she
was taken away with one of the nurses.

My mom came home a few days later; eyes swollen from crying so much.
She had carried little Grace for 8 months, and now...she was confused.

The Funeral was that Saturday. Our family and friends flew out to visit us in our distress, and for the funeral. I had worn a light green dress with flowers on it. I was
only 9 years old at the time, and I as well was confused.

As the weeks flew by, my mom and dad still hadn't healed. We had wonderful friends watch us kids, which at the time was Corey,(11) me,(9) Ethan,(6) and Austin. (2)
I was enjoying my time with my friends, and didn't realize what a hard time my
mom was having recovering from this loss.

That Thanksgiving, we were at our usual family reunion, which was in California at the time. We were at my Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Danny's house. We were celebrating my grandma's birthday, which wasn't for another few weeks, but we celebrated it any way. My Grandma opened her card, and tears filled her eyes. She stood up, and gave my parents a hug saying, "Congratulations!!!" I was totally confused...what was in the card? "What did it say?" I asked. My dad said, "Mommies going to have another baby!!!" Wow!!! Unbelievable!!! God had answered my prayer!!!

On June 11th...Joy Elianna Baughman was born, weighing 4 Ibs. and 5 Onces. She had a cleft lip, a hole in the roof of her mouth, and was not breathing...UNTIL...my dad said, "Joy! Joy, stay with us sweety!" And she started breathing. She was in the NICU for a week, and with a few surgeries a few months after she was born...she
was a normal little girl! God had answered my prayer!

So...my mom and dad named "Grace" Grace because God blessed us with her, which is what her name meant...we named "Joy" Joy, because God gave us yet another blessing of Joy!!! "Where Grace abounds, Joy Prevails" is what my mom named her Journal.
Our family went through a long journey, but going through this journey has caused my parents to KNOW that God is SOVEREIGN!!! And Ruler over all!
Tonight, my mom is taking an art class...she cried because, she feels like, even though the pain is still there, that she can finally start over. She can enjoy her life as it passes her by, and going through life she is learning that God is in control, and that
he has a perfect plan for everything!!!

...So, that's the story of my sister, "Grace Elizabeth Baughman"...
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to HIS purpose."
~Romans 8:28~

Top 10 Cutest Babies!

My brother showed our family this hilarious video of the top 10 cutiest babies laughing. It's hilarious!!! Please share!