So now, I give her to the Lord...

Today was a special day for our family.  Three babies were dedicated this morning at Green Hills Church and one of them was our little Abigail! It was such a JOY to take vows before our relatives and church family as we dedicated Abigail's life to our Lord.  


One of my favorite memories of my maternity shoot with Abby Gray Photography is standing on the steps of a church in downtown Franklin and holding this chalk board sign.

   

" I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him." 1 Samuel 1:27

In my own season of waiting, God often reminded me of Hannah and her story in 1 Samuel. Hannah was a woman well acquainted with waiting, yet she continued to trust in the goodness of the Lord. I love her story, because she poured her heart out to God and when He answered her prayer, she responded with worship.  Hannah's words truly reflect my heart and her response to God has been my desire this week.  

" So now I give him to the Lord" 1 Samuel 1:28

My sweet family!

She loves her Doo Da!

Her granddaddy can always make her smile!

This little girl is such a blessing to our family and I am so grateful that God answered my prayer.  So now, I give her to the Lord...

  

Abigail is 3 months old today!

This sweet baby is growing so fast!!!  She is 3 months old now and her personality is starting to show a little bit as you can see from this little grin! She is all smiles and the cutest part is that she smiles with her whole body.  Her little shoulders raise up to her ears and she turns her head from side to side with the most precious gummy grin you can imagine.  Melts my heart every time. 

You wouldn't think a lot could change in just one month but in baby land, she has learned SO much!  Here is what Abigail is doing now at 3 months old:

* smiling ( she means to now- not just gas!)
* sleeping 11-12 hours a night
* pressing up during tummy time and ALMOST rolling.  Mostly lands on her side right now :)
* discovering her hand and observing it from all angles
* noticing the birds hanging from her swing and play mat
* trying to make sounds and copy your expressions - so cute

Some of my favorite moments this last month have been watching her smile and seeing how happy she is when you sing to her.  I also love the expression on her face when she studies her hand.  Her top lip tightens down and her eyebrows scrunch together.  It is so much fun to watch her learn and explore, even when it is the smallest thing.  I have heard it said before that there is so much simplicity and joy in watching the world through a child's eyes and I see that now more than ever.

Checking out her hand!

I also wanted to say thanks to all of you that prayed for me as I returned to work.  The transition was better than I expected.  The hardest part was the anticipation of my first day back and the first time I handed her over so I could leave.  I really have enjoyed being back at Vanderbilt, and I am thankful to have wonderful friends as co-workers. I also see my workplace as a mission field and it feels good to know that the Lord uses me to love on his children.  I feel very blessed to work part-time and I am thankful that I get paid to help people feel better!

Happy Easter from The Harders!

Today was a beautiful day in Nashville, Tennessee!  I was so excited to see a few new faces at Green Hills Church this morning and of course it's always good to chat with old friends.

My heart has traveled back to Israel a lot in the last few days as I have remembered the Garden Tomb and what it felt like to actually stand inside.  If you remember This post from my trip to Israel last summer, visiting The Garden Tomb was the most emotional experience for me in Jerusalem.

We have been singing a new song at church the last few weeks leading up to Easter, and the words are still in my head even now as I type!!

"Christ is risen from the dead

We are one with Him again

Come awake, come awake

Come and rise up from the grave

O death, where is your sting

O hell, where is your victory

O church, come and stand in the light

The glory of God has defeated the night"

Christ is Risen - Matt Maher

Happy Easter from The Harders - He is Risen!

" The flowers of the field are crying to be heard"

Spring is absolutely my favorite time of year, and being home with Abigail during this season has been good for my soul.  We take a long walk every morning before she goes down for a nap and as she rides along peacefully in her stroller, I am free to soak in so much of the beauty around me.  

Our morning routine has actually become my favorite part of the day.  I like to walk early so she doesn't get too hot so it's very peaceful and a lot of times it's just us and the squirrels on the sidewalk.   Most mornings I will try to listen to a sermon podcast during our stroll but I catch myself hearing the birds sing around me instead.  

If you follow me on instagram or see my facebook page, you might notice that I am slightly obsessed with pretty trees and flowers this year!  I think it's because when I take the time to hear the birds and look at the vibrant colors around me, I am reminded that they were designed by an awesome creator. Here are a few of my favorites! 

New blooms are a gift each year.  It's a reminder that our God promises to make all things new and that He alone gives life.  I remember asking my parents when I was really young why they believed in God.  Dee Dee told me to look around and see if I could come up with any other explanation for so much creativity and beauty.  It would still be years later before I would actually believe in a Creator and put my faith in Jesus Christ, but those words have always stuck with me.  How could there be so much beauty and creativity without a wonderful designer?  

My prayer this Spring is that each of you would look around and soak in the beauty our God leaves for us.  This week starts the beginning of Holy Week and as I get my heart ready for Easter, I am burdened for so many of my friends that don't know Christ as their Savior.  If you are reading this blog and you don't have a church home, come celebrate with us at Green Hills Church.  If you are plugged in at your own church, I encourage you to invite someone to come with you this next Sunday.  You never know when someone's heart is open for the Lord, and what a blessing it is when new life blooms! 

Below are the lyrics of one of my favorite worship songs.  The words have been in my head all week so I have been singing it to Abigail!  Good thing she doesn't know her mommy can't sing...

The flowers of the field
Are cry'n to be heard
The trees of the forest
Are singing
And all of the mountains
With one voice
Are joining the chorus of this world

And I will not be silent

I will not be quiet anymore

" Make a Joyful Noise/ I will not be Silent" - David Crowder Band

Abigail visits her Nana!

A few weeks ago, I finally came out of hibernation and took Abigail down to Columbia to visit with Nana.  It was my first BIG adventure out by myself and we had a wonderful day!  I am very close with my grandmother and can't wait for my baby girl to get to know her great-grandmother.

Pulling into the driveway and looking out across the farm brought back so many memories from my childhood.  It seems like only yesterday that I walked hand in hand with my Nana up and down her long driveway " exploring"!  Years later, this same driveway is where my dad would let me practice driving his car.  He would stop the car just as we crossed over the cattle gap and let me take over.  I have such sweet memories of all my trips to Nana's house.

One day, when Abigail is big enough to run around and play outside, I'm sure she will face the same temptation that I did...the Bell!  I always wanted to sneak out back and ring the bell, but there are hornet's nests inside it and Nana always told me to stay away.  

After walking around the farm and enjoying the crisp Spring day, I settled where I always end up at Nana's house - the kitchen table.  I lived in Memphis for 7 years and almost every trip I made home to Columbia, I would head out to visit my grandmother and sit for hours at her kitchen table.  She is such a wise woman and we have had many talks about life over the years.  So while my sweet Abigail napped in her infant carrier, Nana fed me pineapple cake and we talked about this new blessing in my life.

Here are a few precious pictures I snapped of Abigail and her incredible great-grandmother.  You can see that Nana has a special touch with the little ones!

I recently came across a few polaroids of me at one week old out at Nana's house.  Check out where Abigail got her head full of hair!  There are several similarities in both sets of pictures and I think that's why they are so special to me.  We love you Nana!!

2 Months!

I can't believe my sweet girl is already 2 months old.  Time seems to be on fast forward now and I do not like it.  I just want to hold her every second and soak up each new little sound she learns and capture each new expression her eyes make as she explores her new world.  Being her mom is such a gift and I am so thankful.  Look at this sweet face!

Okay, so she isn't thrilled that I put the bow on her head and she just woke up from her nap so I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm crazy taking so many pictures of her waiting for her to finally grin.




But she finally did!!

This is the face she gives me when I talk and coo back at her.  Confusion...  Sometimes I think she is totally surprised that I am actually out there talking back to her!

She is growing so fast and I catch myself squeezing her into her newborn onesies because she can't possibly be ready for her 0-3 outfits! Watching her explore her surroundings and learn that her hands are actually attached to her body is the joy of my life right now.  Friends have asked me how I am doing staying at home and honestly I am loving it.  Mike and I have made some adjustments financially so that I can work less and be at home with her more and I am so thankful that Vanderbilt is letting me work part time.

Abigail at 2 months:
* She is starting to smile and coo back at us
* She loves to stare at herself in the mirror
* She enjoys taking a bath and splashing her feet in her little tub
* She is almost sleeping through the night ( Thank you BabyWise and Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child!)
*She is so happy in the morning when I go into her room and pick her up!
* She likes to stretch her arms over her head and kick her feet around when she wakes up
* She is starting to notice her black and white toys and her mobile


I love to sneak into her room before she wakes up and watch her sleep.  She seems at such peace with the world.  But there are times that she is fussy and fights her sleep, and I know that if she would just give in and let me rock her she would finally rest.  Isn't that what our Father offers us?  There are times that I am so tired and over stimulated by the world around me.  If I would only lean into Jesus and let Him give me the peace He promises, I would rest too.  So much to learn from a little baby!

I love you sweet Abigail!

Cloth Diapers can be fun!

I have had so many friends and family members ask me about our cloth diapering adventure so I thought I would do a little post on them!  If you are like me, then your first thoughts go straight to white cloths with safety pins.  Now these are still used by lots of cloth diapering moms out there and have actually evolved some with the use of " snappis" and cute diaper covers!  We decided however to use a more modern version and I have to say.... I LOVE them!  Take a look!

Not so scary, huh?  These are Bum Genius diapers and we chose them based on recommendations of moms that used them from birth through potty training.  The diapers in the picture are All in One ( AOI) diapers for a newborn and we started with these because they fit Abigail's little booty a little better.  The rest of my diapers are pocket diapers with a removable insert that you can wash.  They also have snaps that adjust as your baby grows so once she fits into those, she can use them until she is potty trained.

There are so many different styles that I would definitely recommend trying out different kinds before you buy your whole stash.  Borrow them from a friend if you can and see how they fit your little one.  I have several cloth diapering mommy friends so it's been great to try out a few different styles.  If you are really lucky ( like me) they may even hand them down to you!!!  Take a look at these cute Rumparooz Lil Joey's that are made for newborns - borrowed from a sweet friend!

The Lil Joey is great for a preemie or a small newborn and they will fit your baby from 6-12 pounds. They also have adjustable snaps on the front so they will grow with your baby.  I am borrowing several of these from a friend now that her daughter has outgrown them and transitioned into another size and I really like them! I would definitely recommend these!

You will also notice that I have them drying out on our deck.  This can save you money and the sun is a natural " bleacher".  Since the weather has been so nice, I have been air drying them but you can throw all of these in the dryer too.

The biggest question I seem to get is how to launder them and what about the POO!?!  There are several methods of laundering cloth diapers and there are still a few cloth diapering services out there.  You can actually leave your bag full of dirty cloth diapers on your porch and a service will pick them up, leave clean diapers, and wash your dirty ones for you.  There are also many different laundry detergents made for cloth diapers now and even recipes to make your own detergent if you like. This is what we use.

You can buy Tiny Bubbles through Amazon or at Costco and it can also be used for your baby clothes so you don't have to buy an extra detergent.  Loving it so far!  You want to stay away from " Free and Clear" detergents because these can actually leave a residue that over time may build up and decrease the absorption of your diapers.  It's also recommended that you " strip" your diapers from time to time to make sure you aren't getting a build up.  This just means that you run the diapers through multiple rinse cycles and occasionally add a little vinegar.

Now for the poo!  I am breast feeding so right now her dirty diapers aren't very smelly and there isn't much to her bowel movements, but I know the day is coming...  Most moms just empty the poop into the toilet and then toss the dirty diaper into their wet bag.  You can also use flushable biodegradable diaper liners like These.  You keep your soiled diapers in a wet beg that hangs in your room and when it's time for the wash, you just empty the bag into the washing machine and then toss the wet bag in with them.  The diaper champ ( not diaper genie) will allow you to use your wet bag instead of plastic bags so you can store them in that as well.  I am still reading up on this because of the potential build up of ammonia in a confined space.  Most people recommend a little airflow to your wet bag.

So there you go!  I'm not a hippie or a tree hugger but I am a fan of the cloth.  We didn't have the upfront cost because I got all my diapers at showers or handed down to me from friends, so it is definitely saving us a ton of money.  And as for the laundry, I am finding that with a newborn - it will never end anyway!!

Happy cloth diapering!