Swim Class

Noah and I finished up our little swim class at the Aquatic Center today.

Guess how much he liked it?

a LOT.

He was a good boy and obeyed the lifeguard every day.

He worked on floating on his tummy and back. Kicking is practically second nature for this kid, so I just laughed when his teacher was so impressed. In or out of the water it seems like his legs are always moving.
He can hold on to the side of the pool all by himself for about 20 seconds. He'd probably hold on for longer if he understood that he'll sink once he lets go.
Noah knew just how to charm the moms who were waiting as their kids swam. He'd get their attention and make the sweetest noises and then smile. He had quite the following every day at the pool.
It is hard to ignore a happy, sweet boy who smiles all the time.

It's a little early to tell if this kid is going to have any real swim talent, but he does love the water. Next summer, though, I'm expecting to see perfect freestyle form for one length of the pool. :-)

Cousins

It's been SO fun having the cousins all together!

After about a month of being here, they headed for home today.

These girls are such happy, creative wonders.
They have been great helpers with Noah and are always making him smile.

We've had fun swimming and being silly.
We've gone to the library and Nuyo. We even headed over to Burger King one night so that all of the grown ups could try the new Coke Freestyle machine.
Thanks Aunt Brittany for getting the kids their crowns!

We can't wait to add one more cousin to the mix very soon!

Seven Months

Noah is seven months old!

Seven months. It's going too fast.

Before long the scooting will turn into crawling, and the crawling will lead to doing lots of big boy things, like running. I'm excited for those milestones, but trying to hold on to the sweet experiences we have every day right now.


Last month Noah found his feet, and this month those feet made it to his mouth. Such cuteness.

Sitting for longer than about ten seconds is still tricky. Twenty-two pounds is a lot of weight to hold up!
Right now sitting is accompanied by a very forward lean for balance.

As soon as we give Noah a toy, he maneuvers it in his hands until he can find the tag to chew or suck on.

At first the sippy cup was just a fun biting toy, but Noah likes drinking out of it too.

This guy is a happy swimmer. He kicks his legs and likes to splash.

Since Noah was born I've thought a lot about sacrifice.

Never in my life have I sacrificed more. That's not a complaint, it's just reality. It seems like 'sacrifice' often has kind of a negative connotation...and it really shouldn't. Sacrificing some good things for something better (and definitely more important), like being Noah's mom 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, has been a process of refinement. Sometimes it's an exhausting process. But, it's a choice I'm glad that I've made.

Refining isn't always easy or rosy and sweet, but it does create new strength. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of Heaven. I see that everyday. The blessings of heaven, many as they are, come daily; and those blessings would not be mine without the challenging beauty of sacrifice. I love being a mom.

Oh, and I liked reading this recently.