Empathy

em·pa·thy : the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another

1.Brother learned to use the walker and started getting into something he shouldn't.  When I admonished him with a few firm "no touch"s Nina Kate began to whimper and say "Sorry Mama. Sorry Daddy. Sorry Brother."  

2.This afternoon while I was retrieving groceries from the car after a trip to Wal-Mart, NinaK climbed the stairs into the house, found brother fussing in his carseat, gave him a toy, and put his pacifier in his mouth, and said "it's okay."

3.Nathan fell over while playing today.  Nina repeated "over, over," and tried to get him back up to sitting.  I helped him up, and patted his back.  She leaned down ever so carefully and gently patted his back too.  And for the next few minutes every few seconds she'd run back over and pat his back.  

'

Nelly Livingston

David's grandmother passed on this week.  We are both thankful for peace for her body and soul after many many years on this earth.  We are also thankful that she was not alone when she passed, but had her daughter by her side.

I know very little about death and I try not to deceive myself into thinking I can grasp the concept of the eternal life Christ has promised us.  So I write the following in ignorance.  As her body is buried today, I pray that she may feel loved in her parting.  That she may feel whole, happy, and free as she is welcomed into the arms of Christ.  Free from the burden of troubles, age, and worry.  I thank God for what she has passed on to future generations such as my kind husband and these two great grand-babies of hers that I love so dearly.  

Nina Reading

Nina is reading her favorite book about being a big sister.  She turns to the page where the new baby is crying and says:
"Wah Wah! What's the matter boy?"

She uses this phrase on brother when he fusses too.  Or she'll ask him "What's wrong buddy?"

Record Breaking Night for the Kirbys

We seem to have two main battles right now: Nathan's sleep and Nina's pooping.  

Who new that poop was such a big deal.  But NK has been struggling with "withholding" for several months now.  We were just about to celebrate a 1 month victory (to God be all the glory for that month) when Nina had a bit of a relapse yesterday.  She woke up in the middle of the night sobbing and trembling from the "poopies" she'd been fighting all day.  She woke up 4 times!  

Our other battle is Nathan's sleep.  He wants to stay up and play with the rest of the family. It is challenging to get his naps in properly and he is frequently over tired by bedtime.  He wakes up at least 2 times a night, every night.  He is about to be 6 months old, and he must learn to sleep.  Nina had her thumb, but Nathan has only taken to pacifiers which don't really work in the middle of the night when he startles.  He must learn to fall back to sleep without a feeding.  So last night we tried to duke it out.  We let him fuss, and cry, and then after the 15 minute mark I went to console him.  He would not have it.  He screamed so loud my ears were ringing.  Finally took him into the light and got him awake enough to settle back down without a feeding.  We did that twice and then he woke up again at 4 and 7 for feedings.  

4+4=8 

8 disruptions in my sleep

8 moments of questioning what to do

8 prayers

Dear Father, I am SO thankful for my children's health.  I am so thankful that these are only developmental issues and nothing more serious.  I praise you for the help you have given me in my moments of doubt and concern.  I praise you for setting such a wonderful example to us parents in the way you care for us, your children.  Help me to comfort my children when they need it, help me to correct and discipline in turn, give me the wisdom to know which is needed.   

Pasta Love

While in Arizona we went to church with the Cavas, and I put Nina Kate in the nursery for the first time in over a year (our church doesn't have one).  She was so enamored with the toys and crayons her brain could not focus on my departure even though I tried repeatedly to explain that Mama was going to church and she was going to stay and play.  When I returned an hour later it was evident by her recovering gasps of air that she had mourned my absence with a good hard cry, but she was smiling, wearing a new necklace made of yarn and ziti noodles and playing with pasta on the table with the leaders.  They handed me a story and Bible verse and told me she had made the necklace for me.  The story was about Christ's gift to us and a little girl who made necklaces in response to the realization that God wants us to give to others just as Christ did.  I thanked the class leaders and brought her into the sanctuary for the end of the service.

As I held her in my lap and sang the final song she completely surprised me.  She took the necklace off her head and tried with all her might to slip it over mine.  Nina Kate wears necklaces almost every day all day and she has never put them on me before.  So I knew instantly that she had understood the Sunday school leaders lesson, that this necklace was to be given away.  It was my first gift from my children, and I'm sure to most of you out there it sounds completely ridiculous to be so touched by some pasta on a piece of yarn, but I know that for this Mama it was one of the tenderest of moments and I will treasure it always.

Almost 2

This pic is from the Desert Botanical Gardens.  Nina Kate loved finding all the flowers and figuring out what color they are.  She has just recently began to master the colors (ABCs, and numbers 1-10 seemed to come much easier to her).  While yellow is still her favorite color she will correctly identify the other ones now.  She also enjoyed seeing cacti in person after learning about them on the Elmo app so many months ago. 

She will be two in just a few short weeks.  I can't even describe how wonderful these two years have been.  I was so afraid of the toddler stage.  While these days do have tantrums, whining, and tears they also have the brightest smiles as she discovers the world.  Praise be to my heavenly Father.  Thank you dear God for patience, wisdom, health, and moments of much needed correction and enlightenment.  Please help David and I to seek you in all that we do especially loving and disciplining your children.  

a whole new nathan

Watch out world! Nathan is reaching and grabbing and jumping off laps after remote controls.  He might be a bit feistier than NK... we shall see!  He's still as sweet ever, loves people, especially his talkative sister.   

PHX

We not only survived our trip across country with 2 lap children, we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Special note to any daring and thrifty parents who want to brave 2 lap children: We discovered you can NOT seat 2 lap children in the same row because each row is only equipped with one extra oxygen mask.  Big sigh!  David tackled Nina and I tried to keep the Nathan content.  Both did a wonderful job all week considering the 2 hour time difference and we arrived home around 3 am this morning after 2 flights and a 2 hr drive from Nashville to Chattanooga.  I don't know how David managed to stay awake, he is a stronger man than I am. =)

Special thanks to Adam and Veronica who opened up their home to us, took off work, totted the whole Kirby family around AZ, befriended NinaK, and blessed us tremendously.

Now it's time to get the  house back in order! Did I mention I hate unpacking?