jacob at 4 months

With our move to Africa approaching in just over two weeks, I don't really "have" time to post about Jacob's 4th month of life.  Yet when I take a minute to realize how quickly this precious baby is changing, and I remember how very soon our other little ones are becoming such big kids, I know that it's well worth it to "make" some time to record some of our family's recent memories.







Soon after Jacob turned 3 months, he celebrated his first Thanksgiving.  Because my parents were out of the country visiting family in India at that time, we spent the holiday with our friends in Houston.  It was a nice, low-stress time of giving thanks and relaxing.  The kids helped Kathi with some decoration and food prep, and I was in charge of baby Jacob and a brie...not a bad deal at all, I'd say.  Chris was busy on call the night prior, but made it home in plenty of time to enjoy a delicious meal with all of us, including this happy little butterball :)







Once my husband completed his work after that Thanksgiving weekend, we were given the gift of two weeks in a row with him at home with us.  What better to do with that kind of time than load up the whole crew and hop in the car for a cross-country road trip?!  Our trip to South Carolina deserves a blog post unto itself, but I will say that it was a wonderful time of reuniting, sharing, and catching up with many dear, dear friends.  Those days were full of so much joy and laughter, all made even richer because we were able to introduce our sweet Jacob to so many friends back at "home," which is what Greenville continues to feel like for me.
 

Before we went to Greenville, however, we spent almost a week in south Georgia, where we enjoyed a quality visit with Chris' parents.  It was a treat to hear stories of how much Jacob reminded them of Chris as a baby, as well as to watch our older kids' relationships with their paternal grandparents continue to grow.  

We enjoyed lots of meals together, a visit to a bookstore where Grandpa let the kids each pick a book for themselves, and some time outdoors enjoying the mild southern winter.

This time was especially meaningful for Chris and me, not just because of the connections between generations, but also because of the wholehearted support we received from both Grandma and Grandpa as we embark on our missionary journey.  It takes a whole lot of self-giving love to be able to say, "I'll miss you like crazy, but I'm so glad that you're doing what you feel you are called to do."

Since Chris' parents do not do much on the internet, we left with lots of hugs and promises to send handwritten letters at least once in a while.  This is a habit that I am so hopeful we will all adopt when we are overseas.  It's just too easy these days to dash off an email or text.  While terribly useful, and honestly almost indispensable, such communication is also fairly easily forgotten.  But there is nothing like receiving a piece of mail written just for you––no carbon-copying or forwarding or cutting and pasting.  No spellcheck or autocorrect.  Just a beautifully simple reminder that someone you love has taken the time to pause and share a bit of his or her life with you.

Once we returned to Houston in early December, the remainder of our time there was spent getting back into the groove of homeschooling (who was I kidding carting all those books with us on that trip?), and preparing for our move back to Louisiana.  We fell back into a pretty good rhythm, and Jacob has continued to enjoy the doting affection of all of his siblings.

Our youngest reader is undoubtedly the one who most enjoys sharing the gift of books with baby Jacob.

 And he loves every minute of it.

I really appreciate those of you who've sent well wishes, hoping that Jacob is sleeping better these days.  I wish I could say that he was.  Really, really I do.  In fact, on the morning of 12-12-12, I suddenly awoke with the realization that Jacob had slept a full seven hours and had not made a peep.  What a glorious feeling that was.  Rest!  Rejuvenation!  Normalcy!  And then he slept through the next night as well!  But I have been a mommy long enough to know that a couple of good nights does not a great sleeper make.  And we haven't had another long stretch of sleep since.  So yes, Jacob and I still greet each other once or, ahem, twice a night for a quick feed.  It's not ideal, but really, do I have any room to complain?  Just look at this face...  

There are worse things in the world than having to hug this angel baby a couple of times a night :)

And, just for memory's sake, he weighed in at his 4 month check-up at 16 lbs and 2 oz (apparently only 50th percentile?!), and measured 26 inches (which is at the 97th percentile!).  Yes, he does continue to wear mainly 6 and 9-month clothing and fits into it just fine, thank you.  He is getting better at rolling over on his own, is still babbling and cooing a lot, and has an amazingly sweet belly laugh.  And when you hold him, he loves to be held upright, where he can show off his awesome head control and reach right up to the nape of your neck to grab a nice handful of hair while you hold him.

I'm just sticking in the picture below because it is so typical of our lives right now, but I imagine that in years to come, my kids and I will look back and laugh at the fact that Jacob sat in his car seat, right on the table, while we enjoyed a meal at a (clearly rather casual) restaurant on our recent trip.

And while we're talking milestones, our road trip also provided Jacob with his first trip to Cracker Barrel.  While a stop at that country store slash restaurant may not seem like a big deal to most, it's been a bit of a tradition for our little family.



Ever since Joshua was an infant, my drives back home from Texas to Louisiana with our one, then two, then three kiddos almost always included a stop at the ole CB, where I knew I could get a good meal, a clean bathroom, and a safe, friendly place to take a break...Geez, I should get a commission for that kind of an endorsement :)

  
Anyway, it was fun to share a meal as a family of six at this favorite spot.

merry christmas 2012

It's Christmas night and somehow this is the night that I've chosen for another blog update.  Funny how our normal days are so very full, and yet now––Jesus' birthday, the day that we've been preparing for all these weeks––is the time that opens up for a few moments of reflection.  Oh well, I'll take it.

Earlier today I was looking at all the things strewn about and feeling a bit overwhelmed at the work that lies ahead as we prepare for our departure to Tanzania one month from now.  There are baby clothes to be packed, winter clothes to be briefly worn and then stored away, next summer's kids clothing to be gone through, kitchen supplies to be sought out and repacked, not to mention art supplies and homeschool books and solar-powered rechargers and lanterns and mosquito nets and water purifiers and I could absolutely go on and on but I'm guessing that you get the idea...a LOT of stuff.  And then I took a deep breath and decided to, as our friend Kathi has repeatedly admonished, cut myself some slack.  I realized that in the one year since we last celebrated our Savior's birth, the Powers family has gone through more than a few fairly significant transitions.

After packing up just about everything we owned and leaving Greenville in late December last year, we transitioned to a month at my parents' home in south Louisiana.  Though that was certainly a happy time, there was (startling but eventually fantastic) news that brought many new questions to our minds in the early days of 2012.  Then there was the major road trip and move to Los Angeles in late January, where we moved our lives into three small bedrooms and shared a house with 12 others for the following four months.  Following that, there was the early June move to Houston, where our family of five (including a very pregnant me) settled in with dear friends and traveled several times to my parents' home for summer fun as we awaited our sweet little one's arrival.  And finally (for now), we've just transitioned once again back to my parents' home.  Except this time there are six of us, as well as all of our worldly possessions.  So with the gift of perspective, I'm feeling a bit less overwhelmed by all that must get done in the next few weeks.  Because in truth, it's not much compared with all that we've already experienced.  And in even more truth, I know that we are going to get it done, one thing at a time, with lots of graces showing up as we trust and walk and move ahead.

And yes, Christmas 2012 has been a great one.  We've cherished the time to spend with family.  We've indulged the kids a bit with presents, as we know that Christmases for the next few years will be less stuff-filled, yet likely more peace- and joy- and spirit-filled.  We've relaxed and laughed and played and rested.  We've taken a break from homeschooling and just stopped to enjoy one another.  We've sat in wonder at the marvelous and marvelously simple way in which the Lord of the universe decided to come into our world--not as a great commanding warrior, but as a sweet baby, helpless and dependent as our own precious Jacob--and at how His life turned history on its head, not by might and war, but by submission and love.  And we realize anew that this is our call--not to coerce or control (either our lives or the lives of others), but to submit, to serve, and most of all, to love.  And when we simply follow this simple call, we know that our joy will be complete.

Wishing all a most joyous and happy Christmas. 

our sweet 3 month old jacob

I think that the biggest change that Jacob's 3rd month has brought has been his increasing interaction.  We are now treated––several times a day--to his amazing smiles, coos, and engaging nature...and each one of us falls more and more in love with him every day.  

Jacob continues to grow bigger and stronger all the time, and we are so happy with (and grateful for) his beautifully normal development and growth.  He is suddenly so big!  He's completely outgrown his newborn clothes, and now comfortably wears 3-6 (or 6-9) month clothing, and has moved up a diaper size as well.  His personality continues to emerge, and I would still describe him as incredibly sweet, loving, tolerant, and peaceful.  He is sleeping a bit better (regularly goes at least four hours between nighttime feeds and has given me the gift of longer stretches once or twice) and is awake and playful for longer during the day.  He loves being with his big siblings and seems to have a special relationship with each of them.  He is so accepting of their different personalities and the ways that they hold or try to entertain him, and he has a unique smile for each one.

And boy, does this little guy love his Daddy.  Just the sound of his voice gets Jacob quiet and looking around for his loving father.  

How I love that analogy for all of us--I want, like Jacob, to get quiet and look for my Father's voice, knowing that I am Beloved...trusting wholly in His care.

As Jacob has grown and we have (thankfully) developed a more predictable schedule, we've enjoyed some fun outings.  And so this month has been a busy one for our Jacob.

He had his first visit to a pumpkin patch

...which he seemed to rather enjoy :)

He is enjoying bath time so much now

And he did great with his first set of vaccinations when he turned 2 months old.  I, on the other hand, had managed to forget that whole immunization experience.  After having had a six year buffer since the last time one of my infants received shots, I had totally forgotten that initial shock, then the look of betrayal as the pain of the needle set in.  Heartbreaking for Mommy, only temporarily painful for Jacob.  Here he is resting peacefully afterwards:

He also enjoyed his first Halloween

...as part of a packaged deal

...which was part of an even larger package of silliness and fun.

He enjoyed a wonderful visit with my parents and sisters during his baptism weekend. And everyone loved getting to know, snuggle, hold, cuddle, play with, feed, sing to, and care for our sweet baby Jacob.

Amma's little Scrabble partner :)

I know that I say it all the time, but the days really are flying by.  It's hard to believe that we are now only two months from our planned departure to Africa.  So much planning and praying and preparing, and the time is almost here.  Just so, the lives of these beautiful kiddos are racing by before our eyes.  I'm grateful for the time we are taking, each day, to notice, to give thanks, and to love these little lives that have been entrusted to our care.

What a privilege to be parents.  What a joy.

christening jacob christopher

After negotiating a number of busy schedules, we had the opportunity to have baby Jacob baptized last weekend.  On the afternoon of Sunday, November 4th, we gathered with about 60 dear friends at a church near my parents' home in south Louisiana, and officially welcomed Jacob into the Christian family.

Although it sounds like a large group, we were surrounded by wonderful family friends whom I have known since childhood, and who have been great supporters and encouragers of Chris and me from the time of our wedding, through our multiple military moves and his deployment to Iraq, and to the births of each of our sweet children.  So it was extra special to me to experience this important milestone in Jacob's faith walk in the presence of so many loved ones.

Equally special was the fact that we were able to share this weekend with my entire immediate family as well as our great friends from our Greenville days, the Carrolls.  These dear folks pulled their kids out of school early on Friday and drove the almost 700 mile journey to my parents' home just to be with us for the baptism weekend.  And we cherished every moment we had to reunite, catch up, laugh and share this time with them.  Their beautiful girls were always so welcoming and gracious to our kiddos back in Greenville, and all six of them have gotten along very well since we met back in 2009.  Despite the fact that these girls are in middle and high school, they possess that awesome and unique ability to interact very naturally with all age groups.  Our girls had everyone playing dress-up, tag, and running around within minutes of their arrival.  Their presence there was a gift to us all.

The celebration of Jacob's baptism was lovely.  Our whole family joined the god parents at the front of the church, and we were so fortunate to have our old Jesuit friend, Fr. Paul, officiate.  Chris met Fr. Paul in New Orleans in the early 1990s (before Chris met me!), and he has been a great friend to us since.  He was one of the pastors who officiated at our wedding, has stayed in touch with us over the years, and also celebrated Joshua's baptism in 2001.  That sort of history is so very meaningful for us, and we truly appreciate Fr. Paul's involvement and support.

We also loved having my sister, Michelle, who has been an incredible aunt to all the kids, as Jacob's godmother,

And a few shots of all of Jacob's godparents. 

 He's a lucky guy to be surrounded by all of this love...

It was, indeed, a very special time.

God bless baby Jacob.

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:26-28

looking ahead

When we were finishing up our mission formation time in Los Angeles this spring, all of our fellow pre-missionaries were busy making packing lists, preparing to say goodbye to loved ones, completing their needed vaccinations, and completing many other tasks as they prepared to leave the country for their three-year commitment.  Our family, on the other hand, was busy deciding on a homeschooling curriculum, making final plans for our transition to Houston, looking forward to a summer full of visits with family and friends, and happily awaiting the arrival of "baby brother."  Needless to say, we were in a decidedly different place than our friends.

Well now we feel like we are finally catching up.  Our homeschooling adventure is in full swing and thus far, "Powers Academy" seems to be doing pretty well.  Everyone (myself included) is learning a lot, we are helping each other to grasp new concepts, we are reading a ton, and we are finding time most afternoons for lots of other fun stuff.  That other stuff includes gymnastics and a church children's choir for both girls, watercolor class for Madison, and tae kwon do lessons (usually 6 times a week!) for Joshua.  We are thankful to have found activities that all the big kids enjoy so much, and all of which are located less than a mile from our current home.  That is great news to this mommy who is still attempting to find a good balance as a mother of four (including a very cute 11 week old who still has some frequent nighttime feeds), homeschooler, and missionary preparer.

And about that mission preparation––things are happening fast.  We obtained Jacob's passport just a couple of weeks after he was born, and we updated everyone else's.  We have all received our series of three rabies vaccines in anticipation of our move to Africa.  We have incorporated a focused study of Swahili into our homeschooling days.  We are scheduling our last medical and dental appointments before our departure.  We are planning for homeschooling curriculum at least for our first year in Africa.  We are purchasing things like solar-powered battery rechargers and portable water purifiers, as well as downloading books to our Kindles and educational apps to our iPad.  We are trying to look ahead, while simultaneously being fully present to the gifts of each day right here before us.

In addition, we are planning a much-anticipated trip to visit Greenville and beloved old friends there in early December.  We will also travel to visit Chris' family in south Georgia and my family in Louisiana, as we begin the unavoidable but necessary process of saying our goodbyes.  Ugh--that is absolutely the hardest part of this whole deal.  As with any other experience of significance, the wonderful and happy portion comes with a price.  Our excitement and joy of finally becoming missionaries means that we will not have frequent visits with our dearest ones...and that is hard.  Hard for me to not see my parents and sisters at least a few times a year.  Hard for our kids to not have that regular interaction with their amazing grandparents.  Likely harder still for those awesome grandparents to not see their incredibly cherished grandkids.  Hard to think of a life for our kids that doesn't include traditional schools or neighborhoods or after-school activities or birthday parties or vacations.  But despite these challenges, we still feel very much called to this journey.  Every step of the way, when we've met what the world might call insurmountable challenges, God has opened new doors of opportunity and shined a purpose to each experience.  We continue to hear His voice say, "Come," and we are deliberately taking the steps that we feel we should, so that we can follow.  Because we know that He has promised to always be with us and to never forsake us.  And that promise is enough––more than enough––to sustain us.

Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid

or terrified because of them, for the Lord

 your God goes with you; he will

 never leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

jacob at two months

(finally posting the following, which I began on Jacob's two-month birthday, and just had a chance to complete tonight...)

Just wanted to jot down a few thoughts about baby Jacob as he turned two months old today.

Even though he is our fourth child, even though I've been a pediatrician for eleven years now, and even though most children progress through the same developmental stages, I am acutely aware that each child's journey is uniquely his/her own.  Jacob's first two months have been no exception.  I believe that the experience of having three older children has significantly altered––in a mostly very positive way–– my experience of mothering this infant.

From the moment his siblings met him in the hospital, when he was only a few hours old, they have loved him with such a completeness that it surprises me.  And as with many relationships, time has strengthened their already strong connection.

Joshua, our tween who is reticent to "ooh and ahh" over a baby or ever speak of things like cuteness, is clearly smitten by this little guy.  He is eagerly greets Jacob with a good morning each day, anxiously awaits a turn to hold him or feed him a bottle, speaks with amazement at how cute he is, and often mentions how great it is to hear Jacob coo and "talk" to him.  "Mom, when I was holding him, he cooed like 20 times!"  And this big, growing boy, who rarely lets his sisters embrace or kiss him, takes the time every evening to come and kiss his baby brother and wish him a good night (and also adds an instructional "without too many wake-ups for Mom").

And––make no mistake––those two big sisters fiercely love Jacob as well.  Madison, little mommy #1, who once swore that she'd never change a dirty diaper, now begs to change Jacob's diapers as often as possible.  What a dream for me!  She watched me for the first several weeks, asking questions and observing closely as I repeated that ever-so-frequent task when he was a newborn.  And after carefully taking mental notes, she tried on her own and is now quite proficient at it herself.  What a sweet help this is for me.  This is so typical for Madison, who is naturally such a caring and helpful soul.  She assists with getting Jacob dressed, is always available to run up or down the stairs to grab whatever I've forgotten, and is constantly asking what more she can do.  She also often asks when Jacob will be big enough for her to carry him around while walking.

Caroline, little mommy #2, has her own sense of how to care for Jacob, and I've got to admit, she does a pretty good job.  From the start, she has enjoyed tucking him into his swing, car seat, or bassinet, carefully arranging his blanket and burp cloth and assuring that he is comfortable and happy.  She's like a mini-flight attendant just for him :).  She also loves to fold his clothes, she's often the only one who can get him calmed by giving him his paci, and she does a great job of holding him on the boppy as frequently as she can.  The only downside is that I sometimes fear that her outpouring of affection may cause Jacob to catch a virus or cold, so I feel like I'm constantly reigning her in with the kisses and hugs and über closeness to his little face.  But I am so very happy that she seems to feel not the least bit replaced, but instead has opened her sweet and loving heart as a wonderful sister and caregiver to Jacob.

Okay, and as for our sweet two month old himself, he is doing great.  His sleep (which seems to be my primary focus!) is steadily getting better.  After heeding the advice of a good pediatrician buddy back in South Carolina, I've taken that baby out of the swing during the day and encouraged/taught/prayed him to sleep in his bassinet in the daytime as well.  This has resulted in a baby who is often (with some exceptions for sure) able to get himself to sleep in just a few minutes both during the day and at night.  He breastfeeds about every 3 hours during the day and every three to four hours at night.  {I said better, not perfect!}  And his personality continues to be as gentle and sweet as the day he was born.  He loves to smile at everyone in the family, sharing that adorable dimple just to the left of his mouth.  And he's cooing and "talking" much more these days.  He is growing with the rapidity that only infants do, having increased his birthweight by 30% in just these two months!  At his two month checkup, his weight was 12 pounds, 10 ounces, and his length was 24 inches.  And yes, after the initial slow weight gain, our little man is nursing like a champ, is clearly more comfortable since starting zantac for his reflux, and has turned into a "happy spitter," as we say in pediatrics.  He still spits up, a lot, but since he's comfortable, we don't need any other intervention.  I just walk around with a burp cloth on my shoulder at all times and a change of clothes nearby.  No one is surprised to see a puddle of milk splattered where Jacob and I have recently walked, and I have returned to the sport of spit-up-dodging, perfecting the forward dash and swerve anytime I feel those gurgles coming :)

Yes, all in all, though I am tired, though I feel like there are still not enough hours in the day to complete all the homeschooling, cooking, laundry, emailing, phone calling, blogging, or resting that I'd like to do...all in all things are good.  Challenging and busy, but altogether so very good.  And I am filled with so very much gratitude.  It's all a gift...every single part.

And we know that in all things God works

 for the good of those who love him,

 who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28