Because He Lives

We had our family picture taken on Sunday for the baby dedication that is coming up in October. It will be an incredibly special day for Shane and I to dedicate Silas to the Lord. So it was of special significance to me that we sang Because He Lives during the worship service this week. The song has always evoked some emotion in me because it was sung during the service when my parents dedicated me. While I have no recollection of the event, I have often been grateful that my parents and all those in that service trusted for themselves and for me what the song proclaims.

Like so many of the old songs of our faith, we regularly sing two or three verses of this song and leave out the others. So perhaps you haven't heard the verse that they sang at my dedication...

How sweet to hold a new born baby
And feel the pride and joy he brings
But greater still the blessed assurance
This child can face uncertain days because He lives

Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
All fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

The Coming Home Moment

Silas will be 12 weeks old tomorrow. Each day is filled with a hundred different moments, all precious and unique, as our baby learns about this world around him. All the moments are what I miss the most when I'm gone to work. His newest interest is to look at himself in the mirror. Tonight we had a picture of him up on the computer and he just kept staring at it, smiling and moving himself closer to the screen. It was so cute.

Had I mentioned before today that I am back to work? I go in on Mondays and Fridays all day, then just 3 hours on Thursdays. It is a perfect schedule for us, as Shane keeps Silas at home on Thursday and Friday and part of the day Monday. So the little mister spends about 5 hours of Monday at a friend's house. While I love what I do while I'm at work, I have to say that one of the best parts of the day is coming home. Getting that first snuggle from Silas after being gone all day is about more than a heart can bear. The picture above was our coming home moment on Monday.

In other news, Silas is sleeping through the night! We are so proud of our little man...he is sleeping from about 9:30 pm until 7 am. Then last week he also started taking a 2 hour afternoon nap. He only sleeps about 45 minutes for his other naps, but the long afternoon stretch is perfect for me to get some things done around the house or for Shane to study.

Sleepy Silas

My sweet baby has found his thumb, as evidenced by the pictures above. He has loved chewing and sucking his fists and fingers for weeks, but has only recently figured out how to separate his thumb from the rest of his hand. It is adorable now, but I'm not sure how I'll feel about it when he is older.

Last night Silas accomplished what I thought was impossible...he just about slept through the night. He woke up three times, but put himself back to sleep each time. For my hungry baby boy to go from 9:30 pm to 7 am before nursing again is quite remarkable. I am so thankful for one night of extended sleep. He woke up extremely happy and content, smiling and talking to himself in his crib. What a darling.

Perhaps Silas' sleep-filled night was due to yesterday's excitement. We spent the late morning and afternoon listening to strong winds blow all around the house. The distant effects of Hurricane Ike, the winds were strong enough to send our city into a state of emergency last night and today. Thousands are without power still, and the schools remain closed. While our lights came back on late last night, many of our friends are facing the possibility of days before their power is restored. Shane has an unexpected break from school...Southern cancelled classes today through Friday as campus still does not have electricity. So in the meantime, we are all enjoying his extra time at home, especially the puppies...

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Shane's birthday was on Saturday. We had a blast celebrating his first birthday as Silas' Daddy. Silas and I each got him a card and we had gone shopping together to get his gift. I told Shane that Silas picked out the elephant bag (actually, it was one we got at a baby shower and thought was too cute to toss). Shane is back in school full-swing for the fall semester, so he spent a majority of the afternoon studying Hebrew. Later we three went out to dinner then on a long walk with Luther and Auggie. Today Shane is continuing to celebrate by going to a Cubs/Reds game in Cincinnati with good friends Tak, Chuck, and Moran.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Our Springfield Visitors

This past weekend we had some dear friends from our church in Springfield come visit. You will see in the picture below Lydia, Emily, Denise and Tracy. I had the privilege of leading a Bible study at Tracy's house over a two-year period. Lydia and Emily were in the Bible study. Denise (you'll remember she hosted our Springfield baby shower) co-lead that group with me during our last semester. What fun we had while they were here...visited Churchill Downs, ate outside on the Ohio River, worshipped at our church, shopped, walked through the seminary, and talked endlessly. Silas was quite happy the morning they left so we took lots of pictures before they hit the road (note Silas is still in his pjs)...

First Road Trip

This was a big weekend for our family. Silas took his first road trip! We drove our Accord with Silas and two dogs six hours to see Shane's family in Illinois. Thankfully everyone did great in the car. We stayed with Shane's mom out at the lake. As you can see, Silas was all smiles with Grandma and Grandpa. I'm actually not sure which was cuter, Silas smiling or Grandma and Grandpa trying to get those smiles...

Silas also got to meet several other very special people while we were in Pekin. We spent some time with Shane's dad and his sister, Tara. Silas loved snuggling and sleeping with Grandpa Mike...

Shane, Silas, and Aunt Tara. Silas has two Aunt Taras (we both have sisters named Tara) so we'll have to figure out how to distinguish between them someday...

On Sunday, Shane's family had a get-together to celebrate the recent marriage of one of his cousins. So Silas got to meet the whole family. It was very special for him to meet his Great Grandma and Grandpa Draher. Silas is their fourth great-grandchild...

One of our dear friends, Susan, had twins this spring. We had to go see them while we were home! What precious girls they are. Here is me with Susan. She is holding Delanie and I have Natalie. I still can't believe that Silas will be that big, sitting up, and interacting soon...

We also went to see the Josh, Kim, and Ava Fryman while we were in town. They were so sweet to have us for dinner. Silas looks pretty curious about Ava. In reality, he was pretty fussy while we were there, but I suppose he was just getting Kim ready for their second little one who is on the way...

We had such a busy, but wonderful weekend. It is a joy to share Silas with friends and family who mean so much to us. It was pretty late when we headed home on Sunday so Grandma got to give Silas a bottle to save us some time while we packed the car.

Six Favorite Weeks

Our baby is six weeks old today. I can't believe how much he has grown and changed already. At our doctor's appointment last week he was pushing 12 pounds. He has rolled over several times from tummy to back, and is starting to hold his head up on his own. He is smiling a lot, which we love. And last night he moved from our room to his crib with no problem.

These weeks have been six of my favorite weeks ever. What a treasure it has been to have our baby at home with us. And what a gift it has been to have so many family members and friends get to share the days with us. We have loved every minute.

How am I blessed enough to get to look into these eyes every day?