My Funny Little Niece!

I just have to share this, it's too funny not to share! My niece, Dakota, who will be 7 next week, is such a funny girl! But, it's that kind of funny that's not intended to be funny. Does that make sense? She is so genuine in what she says and does, yet sometimes it is so cute and funny! I was talking to my mom tonight and she shared some new stories that are hysterical (well, I thought they were!)

A couple of weeks ago, while my mom was taking Dakota to school, this conversation took place...

Dakota: "Oh no, my mommy has a test this morning and we have not prayed for her!! Ma, (she calls my mom "Ma") let's pray for her."

My mom: "Ok Dakota, let's pray. Dear God, please help Lauren...."

Dakota: breaking into the prayer, "MY mommy"

Mom: "Yes, Dakota's mommy, to do well on her test this morning."

Dakota: "And help my little brother Camden be able to poop, he's having trouble."

Mom: trying to hold back the laughter, "Yes God, help Camden go to the bathroom."

Dakota: "Oh, and my mommy told me that baby Karis has a bad diaper rash, help her too."

She is so stinkin' sweet and cute! I love it!

Then, mom told me this story....

On their way to school (lots of funny stuff going on the ride to school!) Dakota likes to play pretend with my mom. They will play teacher where Dakota is the teacher and mom is the student, or office, or doctor. This particular day they were playing doctor.

Dakota: "Hello, how can I help you today?"

Mom: "Umm...My big toe is hurt."

Dakota: "Ok, which one?"

Mom: "My right toe."

Dakota: "Alright, well have you been here before?"

Mom: "Yes I have."

Dakota: "Does anyone in your household have a gambling problem?"

Mom: "WHAT?"

Turns out that Dakota found a phone book in the back seat, opened it up, and proceeded to read what she saw. Just so happened that helping family members with gambling addiction was there for her to read! Cracks me up! She also could not understand why my mom kept laughing! There are so many funny things that she says and does! I am sure Karis will say some funny stuff too as she grows up, and I hope I will remember to write them down and remember!

Thankful....

I am thankful for so many things....salvation, life and breath, so many things! I wanted to take a moment and share some things that I am oh so thankful for in this particular season of my life. Two things in particular.....

First, I am thankful for moms who have gone before and can help those of us trying to figure things out with new babies! I have said, on numerous occasions, how blessed I feel to have so many godly women to look to for help/advice/encouragement in being a mom. Our church is filled with some amazing mommies! In midst of my questions about making baby food, schedules, sleeping, there is always someone who I can talk to if I need them. So thankful for that. Take for example the following situation. I asked my friends Dana C. and Kari B. for some advice about Karis' sleeping through the night difficulty (more MY difficulty of her not sleeping!) and just wanted some advice about what to do, how to see Christ through this time, and any other insight they could give. Kari asked me how long I was letting her cry in the middle of the night before I was getting up to go to her. I responded, "5, maybe 10 minutes." I only wish I could have seen the look on her face! (she was sitting behind me) She said something to the effect of, "Oh girl, you need to let her cry." They suggested that I let Karis cry for 30 minutes before getting up, and see how she does with that. So, that night we let her cry for 30 minutes, which leads me to my second thankful thing....

I am so thankful that my child has slept through the night for 2 weeks now!!!!! That first night, it took her a good 30 minutes, but then she went right back to sleep! Every night since then, she has slept right through! I am just shocked and amazed, but oh so thankful! She may wimper at some times in the night, but just briefly, and then goes back to sleep. I kept thinking, man we should have let her cry it out months ago! But, I am truly thankful for the lessons learned during that time of getting up in the middle of the night. It was hard, very hard, but God was so good and so faithful to meet me there. I wouldn't trade it (someone remind me of this when we have another kiddo!) I can also clearly sympathize with the other mommies out there that are struggling with lack of sleep. God is sovereign, even over our children's sleeping.

I don't say all this to brag on the fact that Karis is sleeping now, but just to point to the goodness of my God. He is just as good in midst of the difficulty (lack of sleep) as He is in the easier times (sleeping), and He is in control of both! Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, "In the day of porsperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider- God has made the one as well as the other..." I am in a time of "prosperity" but I know days of "adversity" are ahead with this little one (I can already see the sin nature, discipline time is on the horizon...) When those days of adveristy hit, I will seek the Lord in His word, I will seek the Lord in prayer, and I will humbly ask for help and advice from those who have gone before.

So thankful for this time of learning and refining.

More 5:30 am lessons...

It has been a little while since I updated, and there is lots to mention! But first, I want to finish up with more lessons I learned while getting up in the early morning hours with Karis. God was so gracious to reveal these things.

Lesson 3:
In my first 5:30 am lesson post, I mentioned Psalm 103 and how God does not deal with us according to our sins. Further down in this chapter, in verses 14-16, the Bible reminds us that we are only here for a little while:

"For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more."

This truth was important for me. I know that my time with Karis is going to go by so fast. I heard this all the time from people before we had this little girl, and I have tried to take every moment in. However, I was surly ready for the waking up at night to stop! When Karis is older, driving, wearing make-up, etc, I am sure I will miss these days. She's only a tiny baby once, so I am trying to take it all in.

Lesson 4:
I learned that my only true hope is in Jesus. We started giving Karis some baby food, and I thought, "Surely this will help her sleep better." When it didn't make her sleep through the night, I had to really check my heart and realize that I had put hope in that little jar of sweet potatoes. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, and being reminded of this was hard but so so good and helpful.

Lesson 5:
I was reminded of just how sinful I am and how much I desperately need my Savior. There was such anger in my heart towards Karis when she would wake me up, so much selfishness revealed when all I wanted to do was take care of myself and sleep. I wasn't trusting that the Lord was good and that He was "working all things for good for those who love Him." There were times that I was so overwhelmed by the sin in my heart, but I am so thankful that God would reveal these things to me. One night in particular, I had a major anger issue towards Karis (in midst of fussing and crying, she inadverntantly scratched me under my eye). My heart was so angry, but The Holy Spirit convicted me of this, and I confessed my sin to Karis and practiced sharing the gospel with her. I know there are going to be many more times in the course of my life with my children that I will fail them or sin against them. It was good practice to confess and point to the Gospel, as I know I will probably have to do this a lot in the future.

It has been quite a learning time for me. I have prayed that God would use this little life to make me more like Jesus, and I am so thankful for Karis being in my life! I LOVE my daughter so much! I pray that God will continue to reveal sin and help me fight for holiness. I am thankful for His grace and His mercy.