Dear Jemima,
Happy birthday, sweet girl! It is a joyful day for us to celebrate 2 full years with you in our home! Since you're a big fan of singing "pappy birpy," opening presents, and eating treats, it is a joyful day for you too!
All The Things:
- You run, you crawl, you twirl, you hop, you open drawers and cabinets, you climb... Life is full of adventure!
- You have made a fairly smooth adjustment to our new home, albeit we have definitely had more disrupted nights of sleep than usual. Since the transition, you have also been more hesitant to go to nursery, warm up to people in our home, or venture far from momma. Moving to a new home is a pretty big deal for a little person, isn't it?
- Your diaper rash has finally calmed down, so now you get to enjoy a number of new fruits and vegetables (while still having a solid 3 banana yogurt smoothies on most days!). You are a huge fan of grapes, pears, blueberries, peas, and corn, and you also enjoy sweet peppers, bananas, strawberries, and applesauce.
- In other food groups, you love pretzels, cheese cubes, graham crackers, corn chex, granola bars, pizza, most meals with rice, and pancakes.
- You feel deeply and are unafraid of making your opinions known. The screams and fits have been vibrant of late, so we are working on asking politely, using gracious words, and being self-controlled. We are also practicing obeying right away and coming the first time you're called. I pray the Lord uses your fierce determination and zeal for tremendous fruit in His kingdom!
- You love to read animal books and truck books. You also love to look out the window and see the dogs out for a walk, squirrels frolicking in the yard, and birds singing a sweet tune. Last week you were peering intently at something out the window, saying, "Him! Him!" (which you use for things that you don't have another word for). I couldn't really see anything other than a tree and a truck out there, but when I came a little closer, sure enough there was a little bunny hiding below the window in our front hedge!
- You sometimes sing along with me when I do my blessing song before bed. The absolute best thing ever.
- You continue to think Mr. Steve is wonderful. Even when you were pretty shy of anyone new coming around (and you'd stick to my leg like a little burr if you sensed I might be ready to leave you), you'd be casual and friendly when Mr. Steve was here to watch you kiddos.
- You love puppies. Even the golden doodle or German shepherds that are bigger than you don't seem to intimidate you. This bodes well for Daddy's plan to get a family pet...
- Blankie is still your most special possession. You love to play outside (especially with the neighbor girls who like to color with sidewalk chalk in the front). You are a huge fan of slides ("Whee!" you say.). You have to be persuaded to stay in your stroller for a longer walk, because you'd rather hop out to explore. You have the sweetest facial expressions and comical poses. Your brothers love you to pieces, and you love them right back. ("Boys!" you call from your crib in the morning when you think it's about time for them to come and fetch you.) You love shoes and special dresses. You cannot be trusted around your brothers' toothbrushes or water bottles.
- You give the best hugs.
To sum up, you are a joyful, energetic, funny, spirited little miss, and we love you to pieces!
You are still a wee thing, but you are certainly beginning to understand how the world works.
You know about screaming... what it accomplishes and (hopefully) how it is even better to practice self-control and politeness.
You know about silliness, when Daddy grabs you and tosses you in the air or the boys make funny faces at you.
You know about things that are true. You discern that a puppy is not a kitty, and the neighbor girls are not the same as "our boys." You know what an elephant says, what a snake says, and what a rooster says (and it is really adorable).
As you learn about this world, its laws and limitations, its shape and form, I pray that you are given confidence, clarity, and courage as you see that what God says--that is true. If someone rejects it--that is wrong. When we rebel--that is sin. And in God's overwhelming mercy, when we repent of our sin and turn to Jesus as Savior--that is salvation. We don't work to earn our way in this world. Stopping our futile efforts and trusting in Christ's work as sufficient--that is true life.
As 1 Timothy 1:15 says, The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
I pray that you have a true knowledge of yourself as you grow--that you are a girl, beautifully created by God; that you are a sinner, having sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; and that you are invited to be a child of God, covered by the righteousness of Christ and received as a co-heir of His glorious inheritance. May the light of Christ fill you and flow through you to point others to His amazing gift of life!
We love you so,
Momma
From suppertime:
Calvin: Thank You for making babies.
Victor: I'm thankful Jemima is cute and not always cranky.
Josiah: She’s a good friend to play with.
Elliot: She likes playing with us.
Me: She helps us see how special God made girls.
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