Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Pretend Food and Soft Baby Feet

I just returned from spending five days with my first born, Laura after the birth of her third born, Josiah. The experience was a mixture of deja vu, joyful gratitude to God and a reality show, Lifestyles of the Exhausted. I have to admit, I also found myself barely able to keep my eyes open at 9:00 PM! Not really sure why. The same thing happened to Summer who was visiting when Laura went into labor and she's only twelve years old!



 As I was braiding Lucy's hair every morning to get her ready for Vacation Bible School, I was transported to when I would brush Laura's hair as she stood on a step stool. Lucy has beautiful hair just like her mommy and she loves for me to braid it. She also volunteered that her mommy forgot how to braid.  Then I brushed her face with a little sparkly blush. Lucy is a girly girl and loves make up of any kind! I  also brushed her little sister Bridget's blond curls into a spout on top of her head with a bright yellow bow as she lovingly held her precious panda bear. I Fixed Panda's "hair" while I was at it! Such an ordinary thing to brush their hair but not ordinary at all. God is so kind to me to give me these precious moments with my little granddaughters, to see His faithfulness in the life of my daughter and her precious family. I even found Bridget's dinner time melt downs and Lucy's after dinner time hysterics, entertaining. I'm confident that God has equipped Laura and Jason with everything they need to train them up in the way they should go, but I would recommend large regular doses of caffeine.


Somehow cleaning is more fun at Laura's house than my own. I couldn't get over how super organized Laura's house is. I spent my days cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping (going to Starbucks) eating pretend food that Bridget served me, reading books to both of them, watching Lucy and Bridget make tents and watching Bridget create and run through Toddler American Ninja Warrior. We also ventured out to Target and made it into the store after a 12 step process just getting out of the car. Not sure how Laura is going to swing that alone but I'm confident she will try. How happy I am that they can spend each day with Laura who loves and cares for them and a daddy who comes home every day, plays with them and reads them a Bible Story every evening before bedtime.

I tried my best to keep Laura from doing too much but I wasn't nearly fast enough. I found her once cleaning the floor under the kitchen table on her hands and knees and blowing up the splash pad on the deck for the girls! She never has understood the concept of taking it easy. She was working on a website while in early labor!


We all couldn't get enough of  tiny, perfect Josiah and I held him as much I could, knowing how different he would be already before I saw him again. I loved holding his warm little body, marveling at his perfect pink lips, and I watched him stretch and make sweet newborn sounds. This surely must be what heaven is like.

My grandmother used to say that newborn babies remind us that God has not given up on us yet. Josiah would be her great, great grandson. She was so right and she would have loved our newest miracle, baby Josiah.