Some of my favorite moments with Simeon have recently been early in the morning, while the rest of our family sleeps. Sim has been waking as early as before 6 and I am surrendered to the reality that once he wakes, he is up for the morning. So if I am not up yet, I bring him into our room where he snuggles in bed until boredom takes over and he's ready to get up. We head downstairs and I make breakfast for myself. We let the dogs out. He drinks some juice. I hold him the entire time.
He has taken a liking to all my breakfasts: oatmeal, cream of wheat, an assortment of Kashi cereals, Shredded Wheat. And we share some toast. Then we have been sitting on the living room rug where he plays and I read the Bible for a bit. This has been revolutionary in my life this past week. Just having that moment of time in the morning consistently has made all the difference in my heart and attitude.
So Simmy Nash, the Lord knew what He was doing when He made you with your sleep patterns. It has only taken me 19 months to figure it out, but now I can see it.
My mom went with me for Sim and Lieren's 18 month appointments last week. Simeon weighed in at 27 pounds and is in about the 70th percentile. He didn't get any shots because everyone in the house had colds last week so we have quite a few to catch up on eventually (I've been delaying shots with Sim because they have been so traumatic for him).
At 19 months, Simeon is saying over a hundred words. And starting to put two words together. Tonight he told me that "B" says ba. And I wonder how he is growing up so fast. Sim runs the greatest little boy run with his shoulders hunched up. He jumps anytime he can, multiple times in a row. He is a climber. He does the cutest arm swing when he gets upset (both Shane and I agree we never want to forget it). He is wearing 18 month clothes. Sim loves and can name many of the Sesame Street characters: Elmo, Zoe, Grover, Big Bird, Snuffy, Oscar, Ernie, and Cookie Monster (especially funny since he never sees them on TV, just in our books). He asks many times throughout the day for a widey (Silas called a video, videy, for the longest time so it stuck in our family; Sim makes the name funnier) then carries the box around, studying it and talking about it. Sim is the one who always reminds us to pray before meals, clasps his hands together, and waits for someone to lead.
When our pediatrician asked how I would describe Simeon, I said, "Passionate. He is either very happy or very upset." And I would add funny, energetic, determined, a snuggler, attached.
Today at lunch Silas requested we sing so I decided to play for him the songs I hold as most dear to me for each of our children. It was a cold snowy day so we sang while we feasted on warm tomato soup. I have talked about Silas' song and Lieren's song before, but don't think I've ever mentioned the song I love for Simeon.
Before Sim and Lieren were born, I could never settle on one song for him. Then when the babies were just 4 weeks old, Shane and I drove with them up to Illinois from Louisville one week before we were supposed to move. We still didn't know where we were going to live at the time and were praying that the Lord would give us a place. He did. And on Sunday I went to Harvest Bible Chapel Peoria for the first time as a staff wife. Two tiny babies with us and one toddler back home, I think I was running on sheer adrenaline and grace. That Sunday morning I heard this song for the first time. I remember thinking at the time what a great promise it was for our children on their very first visit to church that anyone who calls upon His Name, they will be saved. Little did I know how very many times I would need to be saved over the next year. I chanted it to myself like a mantra at times, willing to believe that He would save in the midst of daily chaos. As we sang along with it today, I thought how fitting it is for our Simeon, whose namesake looked with expectation for the Lord's salvation.
When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God saying:
"Sovreign Lord as You have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."
Luke 2:27-32
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