I decided that I was going to document our church visiting experiences because when we were trying to find a church in Memphis it was very interesting! As you can imagine the are many diverse churches in the Atlanta area. I do most of my searching via the internet, so if you have a lame wesite I am probably not going to visit your church... Harsh I know, but I have to weed them out some how. So I find a church, look over their beliefs and then try to listen to a sermon online before I actually visit. As I have been looking at churches online and scan through their beliefs, I have come across one problem that wasn't an issue in Memphis. Everything will look real good and then there will be a line that says "we are a gay affirming church". Now don't get me wrong, homosexuals need to be in a church body like all of us sinners. I have no issue with that, but I am not "signing up" or raising my kid in a church that says it is okay to be homosexual. That is like saying, we are a church that affirms the sin of murder, stealing, alcoholism or beating your kids. (BTW definition of word affirm is: to assert as valid, or express dedication too)
Anyways, that is another way in which I narrow down my church search here in Atlanta. So after prayer and google I have come across only a couple of churches that are visit worthy for what our family is looking for in a church body. The first one I visited was Passion City Church. This one caught my interest because of the leaders. Louie Giglio is the pastor and Chris Tomlin is the worship leader. If you have been in the christian bubble for anytime at all both of the names probably ring a bell to you. My thoughts were "how could a church with these leaders be anything but amazing?". So last night, along with 2,749 other people, I went to visit. I knew going into it that no childcare was provided because of the temporary location that they are meeting at. So I packed a bag full of goodies for Layla and headed to church. There were a ton of people there! I was one row from the top in a large arena. Chris came on to lead worship, which was great, just hard to get involved because he looked like an ant on the stage from where I was sitting. Too many distractions! We didn't stay for preaching for 3 reasons.
1. Layla could not have sat still any longer.
2. I had heard Louie online and could listen to this sermon online as well.
3. And I didn't want to sit in traffic of all the people when it was time to leave :)
So I am glad I went so now I know. But when I think of a church home for our family, I am looking for something with a little less production and maybe a little smaller so I might run into atleast one or two familiar faces every week. I might try PCC again once they are in their permanent meeting place, have childcare, and have more than 1 service so there are not so many people.
I have just continued my prayer that we would feel a peace at a new church home like we did when we found our church in Memphis. I did not feel that peace this Sunday so I will continue my search this coming Sunday. I know God has a home for us in this huge city. Just might take a minute to find it.
Next on my list is Grace Midtown. Their website is very appealing. I was able to listen to sermons and download some of their music on itunes. Their meeting place is blocks from Georgia Tech so I am sure there are a lot of people my age there. I am looking forward to it!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Tough Love
Disciplining is hard but I am afraid that if can't be avoided much longer. I bought my first swatting tool this week and have already put it to use. Before you get your panties all in a wad about me "spanking" my baby, let me explain.
Let me start by saying that Layla is a lot like me in the sense that it doesn't take much to hurt her little heart. If I say a firm no and remove her hand from what ever it is, she has a melt down, crocodile tears and all. She has been pretty good at responding to that up to this point but now she is beginning to test the waters a bit. I tell her "Layla, no touch" and she looks me straight in the eye and deliberately continues to try and touch. I had been delaying any farther action other than just removing her from the situation that I am telling her no because I thought well maybe she doesn't quite understand yet. Well, now there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she does understand.
Other than just little things here and there, my biggest battle has been the changing table. EVERYTIME I would lie her down for a clothing change or diaper change there would be kicking and throwing her body all over the place. It was becoming quite miserable for the both of us. I would restrain her legs from the kicking and tell her no, but then she would fight and kick even harder. I know what you are thinking, not that precious little angel....Right. Lucas and I had decided a while back that we didn't want to use our hands for swatting. I never want my child to fear any part of me. Momma and daddy's hands are for hugging, back rubbing, and high fives.
SO, I bought our "rod". After reading Joe McGhee's parenting book, God knows how to raise your kids even when you don't, I went to Lowes and bought one of the smallest dow rods that they had. Joe's book is one of the best on parenting that I have read and would definitely recommend it! One of the things he mentions is that no tool used for discipline is more biblical than an actual rod. Made sense to me, and because this is my first time at this whole parenting thing (poor Layla), I bought a rod! Now don't let me get all super spiritual, if I need to have a coming to Jesus meeting with Layla and I don't have our little rod I will use whatever else can be found.
This is how my first and only use (thus far) of the rod went. It was after bath time and I went into her room and placed her on the table. Just as I had anticipated the fighting began. Very calmly, I grabbed her legs and said "Layla No Kicking". The restraint made her even more angry. Even though it was way beyond her understanding for me to say this, I picked up the rod and said "Layla you are going to get a swat because you disobeyed and did not stop kicking". And then I tapped her, NO Exaggeration, on her thigh with the rod. Then she froze, her eyes got really big and the crocodile tears flowed. After about maybe 8 seconds she stopped crying and layed very still. Next thing I know she is grabbing the shirt of her pjs and initiating a game of peek a boo with me. She would cover her face and I blew on her stomach. By the time she was all lotioned up and dressed she was just a cackling. This just made my heart melt. I could not remember the last time we had shared laughs on the changing table! It has been almost two days, and the rod is still lying by the pad on the changing table but I have not had to use it again. Now don't get me wrong, I know not all discipline is going to have such positive outcomes so soon but it is so nice to know that sometimes a little tough love is what is best for everyone!
Let me start by saying that Layla is a lot like me in the sense that it doesn't take much to hurt her little heart. If I say a firm no and remove her hand from what ever it is, she has a melt down, crocodile tears and all. She has been pretty good at responding to that up to this point but now she is beginning to test the waters a bit. I tell her "Layla, no touch" and she looks me straight in the eye and deliberately continues to try and touch. I had been delaying any farther action other than just removing her from the situation that I am telling her no because I thought well maybe she doesn't quite understand yet. Well, now there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she does understand.
Other than just little things here and there, my biggest battle has been the changing table. EVERYTIME I would lie her down for a clothing change or diaper change there would be kicking and throwing her body all over the place. It was becoming quite miserable for the both of us. I would restrain her legs from the kicking and tell her no, but then she would fight and kick even harder. I know what you are thinking, not that precious little angel....Right. Lucas and I had decided a while back that we didn't want to use our hands for swatting. I never want my child to fear any part of me. Momma and daddy's hands are for hugging, back rubbing, and high fives.
SO, I bought our "rod". After reading Joe McGhee's parenting book, God knows how to raise your kids even when you don't, I went to Lowes and bought one of the smallest dow rods that they had. Joe's book is one of the best on parenting that I have read and would definitely recommend it! One of the things he mentions is that no tool used for discipline is more biblical than an actual rod. Made sense to me, and because this is my first time at this whole parenting thing (poor Layla), I bought a rod! Now don't let me get all super spiritual, if I need to have a coming to Jesus meeting with Layla and I don't have our little rod I will use whatever else can be found.
This is how my first and only use (thus far) of the rod went. It was after bath time and I went into her room and placed her on the table. Just as I had anticipated the fighting began. Very calmly, I grabbed her legs and said "Layla No Kicking". The restraint made her even more angry. Even though it was way beyond her understanding for me to say this, I picked up the rod and said "Layla you are going to get a swat because you disobeyed and did not stop kicking". And then I tapped her, NO Exaggeration, on her thigh with the rod. Then she froze, her eyes got really big and the crocodile tears flowed. After about maybe 8 seconds she stopped crying and layed very still. Next thing I know she is grabbing the shirt of her pjs and initiating a game of peek a boo with me. She would cover her face and I blew on her stomach. By the time she was all lotioned up and dressed she was just a cackling. This just made my heart melt. I could not remember the last time we had shared laughs on the changing table! It has been almost two days, and the rod is still lying by the pad on the changing table but I have not had to use it again. Now don't get me wrong, I know not all discipline is going to have such positive outcomes so soon but it is so nice to know that sometimes a little tough love is what is best for everyone!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Layla's Life as a 14 month old!
I just uploaded a few pics over the last couple of months. She had her 1st birthday with the family and then she got her 1st haircut and celebrated her 2nd 4th of July!
As a 14 month old, Layla's routine looks a bit like this:
What she is eating: Her appetite has really slowed down over these last couple of months. She eats about 1 big meal per day with just mini meals at other times of the day. She is also showing signs of being a picky eater, but I am sure it is just a stage. Like any child her age she LOVES bread. A few of her other favorites are blueberries, yogurt, milk, water, & cheese. I am sure the heat has a lot to do with it, but Layla definitely meets her quota of milk each day. She loves to drink through a straw, so she has sippy cups where the straw flips up.
How she is sleeping: She gets her sleeping habits from me. She requires a lot and is cranky if she doesn't get it :) She sleeps about 12.5 hours a night. Usually from 8:30/9:00pm to about 9:30am. She then naps for about 2-2.5 hours about mid-day and then a little catnap around 4-5pm. I keep waiting for her to transition to one nap. They say it happens about 14 months, so we shall see. I am in no hurry for her it to happen! To go to sleep, she still wants her paci, along with her stuffed animals monkey and Minnie. We have limited the paci to pretty much long road trips ( when she doesn't throw it out of reach) and nap and bed time. If she is fussing any other time of the day, she is no longer satisfied by it.
How mobile is she: Layla is almost running. She does a feet shuffle that resembles running. She still has her tumbles that toddlers take. She does well stepping over things such as the door jam or up on the curb. Now that we have stairs in the house, I have really been surprised by her lack of interest in them. Occasionally, I have to tell her no or assist her up and down so that she can learn. She can almost get off the furniture without falling. She has learned to swing her feet around first but I still have to watch her closely.
Her favorite toys: She has finally taken an interest in her books. She will bring me book after book and say "up" to get in my lap and then sit there and flip through the pages with me. She likes to play with her toy that makes music when you put the ball in and any of her babies. She is also still our little dancing machine. Anytime she hears any kind of beat, she can't help to move. She even dances to the background music in stores when we are shopping. She will definitely start dance when she is 2. She still shows no interest in tv!
Words she is saying: daddy, momma, baby, Lilly (our dog), drink, up, hot, kitty, thank you, hi, bye. She hasn't learned any new signs because I have not been consistent. Still just drink, more, all done. She makes the animal noises of a dog, cat, and cow.
She is also giving kisses on the lips with her mouth open. Mostly only to her daddy. He gets them whenever he asks, I just get them when he is around because she wants to be fair. :)
She finally got her one year shots and handled them like a champ. Many prayers have been answered because Layla has been one healthy baby. The sickest she has been in her 14 months is a little runny nose that she gets every time she cuts teeth. So thankful for her health and pray that in continues. I am as equally thankful that I am able to be home full time and was able to breastfeed for the first her year. I know that these two things have contributed greatly to a healthy child. It will be interesting to see how this fall goes as I am planning a few more activities where she will have even more exposure to germs :)
Although as a mom at home I have my days where I feel like a need a day off, each day with Layla is a gift. She brings me so much joy and I thank God everyday that he chose me to be her momma. I am trying to enjoy each moment with only one child because I will never have an "only child" again!
As a 14 month old, Layla's routine looks a bit like this:
What she is eating: Her appetite has really slowed down over these last couple of months. She eats about 1 big meal per day with just mini meals at other times of the day. She is also showing signs of being a picky eater, but I am sure it is just a stage. Like any child her age she LOVES bread. A few of her other favorites are blueberries, yogurt, milk, water, & cheese. I am sure the heat has a lot to do with it, but Layla definitely meets her quota of milk each day. She loves to drink through a straw, so she has sippy cups where the straw flips up.
How she is sleeping: She gets her sleeping habits from me. She requires a lot and is cranky if she doesn't get it :) She sleeps about 12.5 hours a night. Usually from 8:30/9:00pm to about 9:30am. She then naps for about 2-2.5 hours about mid-day and then a little catnap around 4-5pm. I keep waiting for her to transition to one nap. They say it happens about 14 months, so we shall see. I am in no hurry for her it to happen! To go to sleep, she still wants her paci, along with her stuffed animals monkey and Minnie. We have limited the paci to pretty much long road trips ( when she doesn't throw it out of reach) and nap and bed time. If she is fussing any other time of the day, she is no longer satisfied by it.
How mobile is she: Layla is almost running. She does a feet shuffle that resembles running. She still has her tumbles that toddlers take. She does well stepping over things such as the door jam or up on the curb. Now that we have stairs in the house, I have really been surprised by her lack of interest in them. Occasionally, I have to tell her no or assist her up and down so that she can learn. She can almost get off the furniture without falling. She has learned to swing her feet around first but I still have to watch her closely.
Her favorite toys: She has finally taken an interest in her books. She will bring me book after book and say "up" to get in my lap and then sit there and flip through the pages with me. She likes to play with her toy that makes music when you put the ball in and any of her babies. She is also still our little dancing machine. Anytime she hears any kind of beat, she can't help to move. She even dances to the background music in stores when we are shopping. She will definitely start dance when she is 2. She still shows no interest in tv!
Words she is saying: daddy, momma, baby, Lilly (our dog), drink, up, hot, kitty, thank you, hi, bye. She hasn't learned any new signs because I have not been consistent. Still just drink, more, all done. She makes the animal noises of a dog, cat, and cow.
She is also giving kisses on the lips with her mouth open. Mostly only to her daddy. He gets them whenever he asks, I just get them when he is around because she wants to be fair. :)
She finally got her one year shots and handled them like a champ. Many prayers have been answered because Layla has been one healthy baby. The sickest she has been in her 14 months is a little runny nose that she gets every time she cuts teeth. So thankful for her health and pray that in continues. I am as equally thankful that I am able to be home full time and was able to breastfeed for the first her year. I know that these two things have contributed greatly to a healthy child. It will be interesting to see how this fall goes as I am planning a few more activities where she will have even more exposure to germs :)
Although as a mom at home I have my days where I feel like a need a day off, each day with Layla is a gift. She brings me so much joy and I thank God everyday that he chose me to be her momma. I am trying to enjoy each moment with only one child because I will never have an "only child" again!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Settling In
Lucas flew back to NYC very early this morning after his long weekend visit. It was great to have him home but I don't think that we stopped all weekend. We got everything moved in the house and mostly unpacked. Wish we would have not spent his whole time at home working but that is just the way it had to be. Good thing is that we live about 12 minutes from the Atlanta airport so there is not much time wasted traveling back and forth. We went to Ikea one day to find Lucas some office furniture. I had experienced Ikea before but Lucas had never been. What an adventure for sure. We found something that works perfectly and made our trip productive. Other than just a few details we are settled in. It is amazing how fast a house can become a home!
Layla did something over the weekend that she had yet to do. She is now giving kisses on the lips (to only her dad and I of course!). We were going through the bedtime routine and telling daddy night night and giving him a kiss, when Layla opened her mouth and stuck her lips around his. We were both shocked and it made Lucas's heart melt that he got the "first kiss". Layla's new word of the weekend has been "baby". She has become even more obsessed with her baby dolls and waving to all the babies that we see in public. I think it is funny because she is still a baby too, right?
We had a great weekend and Lucas has already booked his flight back for the last weekend in July. I love him being home but it seems like a vacation every time, so I get way off my routine. So today we are catching up and getting back on track. Hope you all have a great Monday!
Layla did something over the weekend that she had yet to do. She is now giving kisses on the lips (to only her dad and I of course!). We were going through the bedtime routine and telling daddy night night and giving him a kiss, when Layla opened her mouth and stuck her lips around his. We were both shocked and it made Lucas's heart melt that he got the "first kiss". Layla's new word of the weekend has been "baby". She has become even more obsessed with her baby dolls and waving to all the babies that we see in public. I think it is funny because she is still a baby too, right?
We had a great weekend and Lucas has already booked his flight back for the last weekend in July. I love him being home but it seems like a vacation every time, so I get way off my routine. So today we are catching up and getting back on track. Hope you all have a great Monday!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
You know you are in Atlanta when...
You are walking through the neighborhood and a funeral procession comes by with the hurst bumping to some gospel music. ...or wait was that back in Memphis??
So yes, as I type this I am in Atlanta but not in our house yet...Let me back up to share a couple details.
As I had previously posted we got a contract on our house in Memphis. It was only listed for about 4 weeks when we got a contract which was confirmation that God was on our side, especially during this day in time. So the next step was where were we gonna go? My brother n law is a homebuilder in East Atlanta. The very first house that he restored in the Kirkwood area of Atlanta , that him and Natalie lived in for a couple years is still under his ownership. He was renting it to a woman whom he had been going back and forth about kicking out because she was not paying rent. Lucas had been in Murfreesboro visiting for about a week, and when we were on the way back to the airport, he said " we need to pray specifically about the Warren St. house, that the tenant would be gone and that Chris would rent the house to us for a price that we can afford". (What Chris was renting it for was WAY out of our price range) So, a couple of days later I was in the car driving to Memphis to pack up our house and I got a call from Chris offering us the house for a price that we could afford! It was an answered prayer and was neat to see as we were closing one door of our life, God was leading us through the next.
While we were in Memphis packing the house, I was able to meet the lady who had puchased it. She said that 6 months before they had made a couple of offers on other houses, all of which fell through at the last minute for crazy reasons. She said that she hadn't officially started looking yet, but noticed our house when she was driving through the neighborhood. She called her realtor, who was surprised that she was looking at houses again, but agreed to show her the house. She said to me that when she walked in our house she just felt such a peace there. It was funny because she said that she didn't want me to think that she was nosing through our stuff, but she noticed books I had been reading and they were some of the same studies that she had done. She said that she was so excited about the thought of being in a house that "good things" had been happening. She said that our house was an answer to many prayers of their family. I had to fight back tears when I told her what a blessing it was to us as well. God really does work in crazy ways. We should really talk about Him more because He is involved in a lot more that we give him credit for.
We packed up our life in Memphis, and the house closed on time without any issues. And not only did we get a perfect house in Atlanta, but the house is freshly painted inside and out and the hardwood floors are all being refinished. Not only does God give us what we ask but goes above and beyond that. We will be moving into what will seem like a brand new house! I even got to pick the paint colors that went inside :) Now we are just waiting for the floors to be finished so we can start moving in. That should happen the early part of this next week. Lucas is currently still working in NYC. Everything there is going great. The day is getting closer to when the business will be moved to Atlanta. We are all looking forward to that day but we still have a perfect peace about this time we are spending apart.
Now to mention the most important part of our life: LAYLA!!
Layla is no longer a baby but a toddler. She is now a whole 13 months old! She makes me laugh so hard everyday. She is walking very well. Although she did fall pretty hard and bust open her whole top lip. She recovered very quickly. Amazing how resilient their little bodies are! Her top 4 teeth are finally making an appearance. She is very late getting these teeth! She has only had the bottom two up to this point. She can communicate very well. She will say yes or no when I ask her questions and she signs "more" and "all done". I have been meaning to teach her more sign language but haven't yet. She still LOVES music and has great rhythm., which def came from her daddy! She is now taking 1 and a 1/2 naps a day. Usually about a 3 hour mid day and then an hour before dinner time. I know the day is coming when she will be taking only one. Nighttime sleep is still 12 1/2-13 hours. The move from central time to eastern time has been weird. It stays daylight till 9pm! Layla has also discovered her really high screaming voice in the last couple of days. It has made me laugh a lot watching her hold her mouth a certain way in order to make that tone come out. I could go on and on about different things she does but will spare you all that because no one cares as much as I do :)
Hope this post finds all of you well. Please continue to pray for our family. We are just taking on step at a time! We will finally have a consistent internet connection on Friday in our new house. I have a lot of pics to catch up on from the last couple of months so stay tuned!
xoxoxo LK
So yes, as I type this I am in Atlanta but not in our house yet...Let me back up to share a couple details.
As I had previously posted we got a contract on our house in Memphis. It was only listed for about 4 weeks when we got a contract which was confirmation that God was on our side, especially during this day in time. So the next step was where were we gonna go? My brother n law is a homebuilder in East Atlanta. The very first house that he restored in the Kirkwood area of Atlanta , that him and Natalie lived in for a couple years is still under his ownership. He was renting it to a woman whom he had been going back and forth about kicking out because she was not paying rent. Lucas had been in Murfreesboro visiting for about a week, and when we were on the way back to the airport, he said " we need to pray specifically about the Warren St. house, that the tenant would be gone and that Chris would rent the house to us for a price that we can afford". (What Chris was renting it for was WAY out of our price range) So, a couple of days later I was in the car driving to Memphis to pack up our house and I got a call from Chris offering us the house for a price that we could afford! It was an answered prayer and was neat to see as we were closing one door of our life, God was leading us through the next.
While we were in Memphis packing the house, I was able to meet the lady who had puchased it. She said that 6 months before they had made a couple of offers on other houses, all of which fell through at the last minute for crazy reasons. She said that she hadn't officially started looking yet, but noticed our house when she was driving through the neighborhood. She called her realtor, who was surprised that she was looking at houses again, but agreed to show her the house. She said to me that when she walked in our house she just felt such a peace there. It was funny because she said that she didn't want me to think that she was nosing through our stuff, but she noticed books I had been reading and they were some of the same studies that she had done. She said that she was so excited about the thought of being in a house that "good things" had been happening. She said that our house was an answer to many prayers of their family. I had to fight back tears when I told her what a blessing it was to us as well. God really does work in crazy ways. We should really talk about Him more because He is involved in a lot more that we give him credit for.
We packed up our life in Memphis, and the house closed on time without any issues. And not only did we get a perfect house in Atlanta, but the house is freshly painted inside and out and the hardwood floors are all being refinished. Not only does God give us what we ask but goes above and beyond that. We will be moving into what will seem like a brand new house! I even got to pick the paint colors that went inside :) Now we are just waiting for the floors to be finished so we can start moving in. That should happen the early part of this next week. Lucas is currently still working in NYC. Everything there is going great. The day is getting closer to when the business will be moved to Atlanta. We are all looking forward to that day but we still have a perfect peace about this time we are spending apart.
Now to mention the most important part of our life: LAYLA!!
Layla is no longer a baby but a toddler. She is now a whole 13 months old! She makes me laugh so hard everyday. She is walking very well. Although she did fall pretty hard and bust open her whole top lip. She recovered very quickly. Amazing how resilient their little bodies are! Her top 4 teeth are finally making an appearance. She is very late getting these teeth! She has only had the bottom two up to this point. She can communicate very well. She will say yes or no when I ask her questions and she signs "more" and "all done". I have been meaning to teach her more sign language but haven't yet. She still LOVES music and has great rhythm., which def came from her daddy! She is now taking 1 and a 1/2 naps a day. Usually about a 3 hour mid day and then an hour before dinner time. I know the day is coming when she will be taking only one. Nighttime sleep is still 12 1/2-13 hours. The move from central time to eastern time has been weird. It stays daylight till 9pm! Layla has also discovered her really high screaming voice in the last couple of days. It has made me laugh a lot watching her hold her mouth a certain way in order to make that tone come out. I could go on and on about different things she does but will spare you all that because no one cares as much as I do :)
Hope this post finds all of you well. Please continue to pray for our family. We are just taking on step at a time! We will finally have a consistent internet connection on Friday in our new house. I have a lot of pics to catch up on from the last couple of months so stay tuned!
xoxoxo LK
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