8 Months Old!

8 months old!

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5 months

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Dear Elliot,

Merry Christmas, big boy!

The last month has held lots of activity for our family, packing for a big move North, Christmas preparations, two rounds of colds, and your first (double) ear infection. We are in Iowa now, and despite the best intentions, I forgot to take your blue chair picture before we left.

But given the latest weight check (at our urgent care visit on Wednesday ... 23 lb 5 oz!), I can confirm that you are certainly still growing and growing.

Despite those crummy colds, you continue to be very mellow, sweet-natured, and easy-going. But this last round has had you refusing to nurse (something never before experienced in your little life!), and I'm so glad that you seem to be getting a tiny bit better already with a couple doses of antibiotics in you.

In the past month ...

- You have added quite a variety of baby fruits and veggies to your diet. We even polished off a container of green beans (snuck in along with other purees), and you can pretty much put away a full container per meal.

- You have recently begun blowing kisses to us. Well, at least when we blow kisses to you, you smack your lips and give a big grin. So sweet!

- You are solidly in size 4 diapers and 12-18 months clothes. Well, the 12 month clothes are actually a tight squeeze to get on, but I haven't mustered myself to pull out the 18 month bin yet.

- Your cousins on both sides are so sweet to you, and you love hanging out with them too! You are generous with grins and cuddles.

- With all the neb treatments in our home lately, you're getting to be a big fan of Shaun the Sheep yourself. You will watch very intently with the rest of the crew on the couch.

It is such a special season of the year, son. Christmas lights, wrapping gifts, gatherings with family. But those are just the trappings, little one, the pointers to a bigger gift, a bigger hope.

That hope is the reason for your name: "The LORD is my God." This God, the great I AM, the God who sees, the God who provides, the God know created all things, the God who holds all things together by the word of His power--that God did not remain at a distance from us. Nor did He observe all the sin and brokenness of our hearts and our world and let us get what we deserve.

No, that God, our God, set aside the glory He was due and bent low to enter this torn world. A tiny little baby--like you were just a few months ago, nestled in His momma's arms. He came helpless and human so that He could offer Himself as a covering for our sin. The King of all kings and Lord of all lords came cloaked in flesh so that His flesh could be torn and pierced and could breath His last ... and by that final surrender forever break the grip of sin and death that keeps us away from Him.

These days may hold their trouble and trials, little one, but be certain of this: the One who came to be our Peace will never fail. May He find hearts of worship in our home today and every day we live.

Merry Christmas, Elliot, we love you!
Momma



One of my favorites this season:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Merry and Bright and Otherwise

It has been quite a December! Amid the dishes a-washing, laundry a-folding, and boxes a-packing there have also been many festive and sweet moments tucked in.

Special dinner with Mr. Kevin and Miss Sue

Our little family Christmas (coinciding with a new round of colds), 

and new sleeping bags to snuggle in during neb treatments

We got together with the Kattersons for a little Christmas celebration the night before we hoped to go to Iowa. It was a fun time, with jambalaya, games, gifts, and skyping Grandma Kay!

We made it to Iowa! 

Here is our houseful of cousins watching Shaun the Sheep

Pizza Ranch with Grammy and some droopy little boys

So good to see Grandma Vaupel and Aunt Sue!

All the boys were sniffling, coughing, sneezing, and generally seeming sluggish and lethargic. Elliot was not eating or sleeping well, and they were just feeling pretty crummy.

That night, instead of the planned big family dinner all together, we had a "big Katterson trip to the urgent care," where 2 of 3 boys were discovered to have ear infections.

After many prayers and several doses of antibiotics, 

we were able to get all the cousins together 

for Grammy's special ornament activity!

A little cutie pie (and a big one) able to smile again

Sometimes Christmas, with all its togetherness (or not), chaos, bad attitudes, sleeplessness, and viruses, provides an uncomfortable reminder that Jesus' first advent was not a journey of unbroken sweetness and cheer. The reason that Perfect Child came (in the chill and smelly welcome of a barn) was to unbreak the painful brokenness of our world, to extract the poison sting of sin and death, and by His own bruised body to crush the serpent's head. What a Savior!

Coming Up for Air

Whew.

December has been mild thus far as far as weather is concerned, but the level of activity around here definitely feels like a whirlwind.

We are packing for a move at the end of the month, so our only Christmas decoration set up right now is a Nativity scene.

BUT, we have been doing our Christmas chain, and thus far we have enjoyed these activities:

1. Go to a Christmas potluck at small group.
2. Go to IKEA with friends.
3. Make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (and eat 3 extra chocolate chips).
4. Set up the Nativity scene.
5. Sing happy birthday to Silas.
6. Wrap a Christmas present.
7. Bake a tasty treat. And eat one!
8. Open a present.
9. Have a movie night.
10. Visit Mr. Kevin and Ms. Sue.

Crazy but special times.