My Faith and Joy… and Boys!

It’s been a long day.  Susie woke up from her nap at church this morning with a fever, runny nose and slight difficulty breathing and she’s just been out of sorts today.  She still felt well enough to play and walk around and, of course, flash her mega-watt smile, but even her smile wasn’t quite as bright as it usually is.  She just preferred just to sit in my lap and watch her sister run circles around us.  She sat quietly in my arms for longer today than she ever has, which was unsettling from a health perspective, but it was a treat for me to cuddle my baby girl.  We’ve been in touch with the pediatrician’s office, and they’re thankfully not concerned with her symptoms at this point.  Please pray that she quickly returns to full health and that no one else gets sick.

Here’s a picture of a healthy Susie from earlier this month.  I just love the look on her face.  It’s like she’s saying to me: “And what exactly do you find picture-worthy about me reading a magazine?”

Please pray she’s back to her old tricks in no time!

The stats are in!  We had a pediatrician appointment today and Rebecca weighed in at 20 lbs. 14 oz. and Susanna’s not too far behind at 19 lbs.  They’re both 29 1/2 inches.  That means both girls gained approximately a pound and a half in two months, and grew half an inch taller.  The doctor was very pleased with their growth, and so were the girls!  Here they are showing off their expanding waistlines:

Rebecca: “Where am I putting all that weight?”

Susanna: “See?  I’m getting to be a big girl, too!”

I am a wimp.  I do not like to be scared.  I do not enjoy horror movies, death-defying roller coasters, or any kind of sudden surprises.  I even hated hide-and-go-seek as a child, because I couldn’t stand waiting for someone to come around a corner at any moment and scream “Gotchya!” 

But I’m glad it doesn’t look like our daughters are going to take after my cowardliness.  They love fast rides in their daddy’s ATV, getting thrown into the air, and they especially relish being the target of a sudden and unexpected “Boo!”.  They shriek with startled delight and always come back for more.  I hope this bravery serves them well in life.  At least they’ll have more fun at Six Flags than I ever did! 

Here’s a video of the girls getting their wits scared out of them by their dad.  There’s a point in the video where I tried to take a picture of Becky, so you’ll see the video momentarily paused while I snapped the shot.  She was moving too fast, but here’s the image:

Looks like she’s enjoying the roller coaster of life! 

My mom and I have been having an ongoing debate over which child is more like me and which is like Jim, in terms of looks as well as personality.  Well, Mom, as of tonight, it’s crystal clear to me both girls are following in Jim’s footsteps in at least one important arena: their sense of humor.  I fed the girls black beans for dinner tonight and, as I expected, the “musical fruit” did its thing.  But I didn’t expect them to think it was so hilarious!  Becky and Susie kept bending over and erupting in giggles when they noisily “erupted” from their backsides.  All I could do was roll my eyes.  I’ve tried to teach them to be ladylike, but apparently Jim’s DNA is quite strong!

So strong, in fact, that they decided to dress like him today too.  Although they put a decidedly feminine touch on their wardrobe – they draped Jim’s dress shirts around them like shawls and admired each other as they pranced. 

Becky (on right): “Sister, those stripes are just your style!”

I always dreamed my children would rise above life’s obstacles…I just didn’t think they would have to climb on the furniture to do it.

Today, Susie decided that she’s part mountain goat, and views every object under twelve inches high as a mountain to be climbed – be it the shelf of a bookcase, toy structure, or her sister kneeling.  I guess I’m proud that she transforms potential obstacles into mere stair steps on her trip to the top, but I wish I could somehow pad the floor to cushion her landings.  Of course, if she never felt the impact of her actions, she wouldn’t learn any lessons…regarding her own limits, or the inevitability of gravity. 

She aims for the top, my little girl.  I just hope she knows what to do when she gets there!

P.S.  There’s no picture of Susie on top of the world accompanying this post because I figured it would send the wrong message to grin and say “Smile Susie!” while she was teetering on the edge of her makeshift stepladder as she tried to escape from her playzone.  I also couldn’t hold the camera steady and carry her to safety at the same time, so I sacrificed a good blog illustration for her safe return to earth.  I figured you’d all understand.

Instead, here’s a picture of her looking decidedly remorseful and repentant of her climbing behaviors:

Susie: “Oh no, Mama, I can’t believe I scared you like that.  I’ll never do it again.”

(Good thing I’m the one writing the captions.  She’s probably really thinking: “Man, I can’t believe I got caught!”)