just 4 of the many things

just 4 of the many things i love about this kid who is turning 4 today

1. he is a great helper.  whenever his daddy has a project he is working on, david wants to be right in the middle of it all, learning how it is done, and being a part of getting it done.  he is going to know how to do lots of different things when he is older. 

2. he is very funny.  this kid has a great sense of humor and makes jokes that are actually funny (and has for quite a while).  he is goofy and silly and a big clown.  he is always making us laugh and lightening the atmosphere when it is tense. 

3. he was my easiest baby.  when you have had 4 kids, soon to have 5, you usually have an opinion on who was hard and who was easy and perspective of what hard and easy are because you can compare your experiences.  now, i really have never had that hard of a baby (thankfully!) - clingy ones at times, but never colicky or anything like that.  but... david was like so easy it was crazy.  he slept.  he was happy.  he loved to snuggle, but wasn't clingy.  he fit right into the family without any crazy awkward transition.  he was such an easy and fun baby.

4. he is not afraid to be his own person.  david loves and looks up to his older brothers, but he is completely happy doing his own thing.  being number three i would wonder if he would feel pressure to live up to the older 2, but he is happy playing with them when it is something he is excited about and doing something on his own if he is interested in something different.  even when his brothers ask, at times beg, him to do something specific that they want to do, he is totally secure saying no and doesn't fall into peer pressure even at a young age.  he picks out his own clothing and wears interesting combos, to say the least.  many times his clothes, especially his shirts, are backwards or inside out and his shoes on the wrong feet or mismatched (the classic is two mismatched left shoes).  if i ask him about it, he just replies, "i am okay with it."  he is his own little guy. 

for more about my sweet david, read a bit about him and his crazy birth (no graphic info, it is safe) in my post last year 1.2.3.4...

happy birthday david!  i love you!

charis

2 thoughts on my birthday

a favorite picture of me and my babe by my fabulous sister-in-law for my 30th birthday

birthdays when you have all boys

today is my 32nd birthday.  i bet you didn't think i was that old. (wink).

yesterday my family celebrated my birthday and uriah, my 5 year old, told me when i saw my present i would "melt."  i asked him what it meant to melt.  he said it meant i loved my present very much.

my older two boys have been spelling "m-o-m    i    l-o-v-e   y-o-u" and "m-o-m-m-y    y-o-u    a-r-e    s-o    b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!"  over and over again the past couple days (one of the perks of being a mom to boys.)  my 3 year old david wanted to join in so he started spelling "m-o-m-n-t-m-z    l-m-n-g-b-p   w-x-y-z."  i say, "david, i love you too!"  he says, "mommy, do you know what that means?  it means happy."

though my family is always so thoughtful about gifts and special birthday time (i am a quality time girl to the max!), i think my best birthday present this year it God's protection over my boys each and every day.  last night, while at my sister's house for a bbq, my little beloved david fell off the top step of a step ladder while getting off her trampoline.  he fell head first, literally head first, onto her blacktop concrete below without catching himself at all or breaking his fall.  i will spare you the pictures, though i do have them.  my mama's heart broke seeing him so hurt and all i wanted to do was make sure he was going to be okay and take away his pain.  after icing, motrin, treats, cuddles, checking his pupils multiple times, praying, consulting my sister-in-law who is a nurse and was there, and a little bit of worry in this mama's heart, he is going to be okay.

waking up this morning and reaching over to feel his little hand as he lie next to me in my bed, my heart filled with thankfulness that my little boy is okay.  there are so many worse ways this fall could have turned out than his now shrinking goose egg.  there are many mamas who will be celebrating this upcoming mother's day missing one of their special gifts that made them mothers.  my heart aches with them.

beauty

this morning i read a blog by one of my favorite people that reminded me about true beauty.  she was writing it to her 5 year old daughter, but she was also writing it to me (not knowingly).  she spoke the truth in love.  i am rebuked and thankful for the kind rebuke. you can click below to go to her blog and see just small peaks at how blessed i am to have her as a sister.

any woman reading this blog, and even men, could use this reminder of what beauty really is.  for my 33rd year, i hope to go ahead being thankful for all God has given me and who He made me to be.

here is to the past 32 years of blessings and gifts from God, grace enough for each day, and grace to go ahead.

charis

1.2.3.4...

1.2.3.4.

2.4.8.

1.2.3.4.

2.4.8.

i kept seeing these numbers again and again during my pregnancy with my number 3 son.

1.2.3.4.

2.4.8.

what did they mean?  i did not know, but i would see them over and over again.

well, my number 3 son has an interesting story about his birth.  we were starting the house of prayer in redding and our very first worship and prayer set was going to be on a friday night in january.  my parents volunteered to watch my older two boys while they slept... the set was very late at night... and my husband and i went to pray and worship.  as i played the keyboard i started having contractions so hard i would have to stop singing.  i started having them so often i started to cry and stopped playing.  i motioned over to my husband, who was playing guitar, that this very well may be the night our number 3 son was to be born.  we found another member of our team to replace us as worship leading the set, and off we went to my parents' house in preparation for a possible baby.

no, david did not come that night, as i prayed through 4 hours of contractions at my parents' house that he would wait.  but if it were up to david, he wanted to come and join us in starting the house of prayer in redding.

just like his namesake, he has always been a little worshiping warrior.  mama and dada put our hands to helping rebuild the tabernacle of david... and our own david wanted to come out early to join our efforts.

oh david!  you were in a hurry to join our family weren't you?

david not only tried to join us early that night, but he came as our only surprise baby of our four... about 3 years before we were planning on another baby.

david!  you knew God had a purpose for you to come when you did.  you knew that you had destiny.  this was the time.  mama did not see it, but God did.  you did.  you knew you were a house of prayer baby... bringing the prophesy of your name with you.

beloved.  the Lord strengthens.

david ezekiel.

your name literally means beloved, the Lord strengthens.

oh david, that is who you are!  if anyone was a living prophesy of his name, it is you.

as i asked the Lord about my number 3 baby while he was still in my womb, as i did so often with all my babies, i heard Him clearly say:  destiny.  this baby is My treasure.

this meant something to me.  you see... this baby came before i thought i was ready for another baby.  but the Lord knew i needed him.  the Lord knew his specific destiny.  the Lord was shouting to me, this baby is MY treasure.

my beloved son in whom i am well pleased.

so 10 days later... 10 days after david tried to come join our very first house of prayer worship set at bethel church, our david really did arrive at 12:34 on 2.4.08

1.2.3.4.

2.4.8.

destiny.  this baby is My treasure.

david, you were my only baby where my water broke at home.  i was talking to your pa on the phone and it was so surreal, just like the movies!  i called to your dada and said, i think my water broke!  he didn't believe me at first and questioned how i knew.  it was night time.  your brothers were in bed and one of them was sick.  good thing uncle kurt and aunt heather were there to play cards with us because they became last minute babysitters.  we were not ready for you to come, but God was always ready with a plan.

david, i am so glad you waited those 10 days because God was protecting you from a very bad virus your brother uriah had.  God knew uriah needed a few more days of being mama's baby because of the seizures he would have from his high fevers.  God knew you needed to be protected for a few more days.  so He answered my prayer and kept you in a little bit longer.

but david, when my water broke, you were waiting no more.  we had you only 40 minutes after we got to the hospital.  we only live 5 minutes from the hospital.  it was not even quite 2 hours after i started labor.  david you were in a hurry to meet your mama.  dada will always remember the sound of the doctor's sneakers running down the labor and delivery hall to try to get there to catch you!  my fastest labor, delivery, and biggest baby delivered sunny-side up in one push at 9 pounds 11 ounces though 5 days (well, 4 because you held out for just after midnight) early!

oh david!  your mama did not smile for more than an hour after you were born.  i was so happy for you to be here, but i hurt so badly.  your birth was unbelievable.  your birth may have been my fastest, but in so many ways you were my most painful.  but never fear david, for in the pain of life the Lord has promise:  beloved.  the Lord strengthens.

you are the perfect fit for our family.  the Lord knew what He was doing.  you were my easiest baby among 4 amazing babies.  you slept in my sling while i led worship during prayer sets at the watch.  you slept in a nest of blankets on the stage next to my keyboard as i led worship as you got older.  you were in the house of prayer from day one.  you are my worshiping warrior.  God will use you mightily david and you will be zealous for Him as a youth.  He promised me this about you.  He has His hand on you and you have destiny for being here.

you are His treasure.

you are my treasure my beloved son.  i am so glad God knew better than i did and that He gave you to me when He did.  you have made me a better person by being your mama.  i love you more than life.  i would give my life for you.  thank you for being my friend.

you will always be my beloved son in whom i am well pleased.

charis