7 Months

As always, where has the time gone??

It is so hard to believe that Makaela has already passed the halfway mark to her first birthday! C.R.A.Z.Y. I happen to be picking things up in our office and I came across the card that was placed on her little crib at the hospital with all of her information. I had a brief (and fleeting, i might add) moment of (insert cloud/bubble above head here) I want another baby. It is our hope, and plan, however to wait a while longer before we venture down the road of multiple children.
I love to go through and look at the pictures of Makaela from then until now--to see how she has changed and grown--to see how her personality has developed and how it shines through--and as I look at the pictures I am nearly brought to tears at the wonderful joy and blessing the Lord has given to us in our precious little girl. I am also convicted of the huge responsibility ahead of striving to raise a little baby into a godly woman, of living out the gospel in my life so it can be clearly displayed to her and of striving to train her in righteousness. I am convicted of the high calling of motherhood and am convicted of areas of sin in my own life. She might be little right now, but she is an observant little one and she watches my every action. She sees (even though she doesn't know it) my selfishness, my failure to be patient, my failure to be joyful always--she sees the way her mommy and daddy interact--how they love each other--how they fail to love/serve each other. I cannot think that because she is so little that this has no affect on her because it absolutely does. The way she sees me living my life is something that will be a major factor in her development and I am convicted and challenged to be living out the gospel in my life so that she may see the wonderful grace of our savior--and prayerfully that she may come to know that savior herself in a personal and intimate way one day.
Lord, thank you for your grace and for your forgiveness. Thank you for your strength which allows me to persevere. Help me to love and serve you in such a manner that our precious little girl will see you and will desire to have a relationship with you.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:3-6)

This post started off talking about Makaela's seven months, and turned into the tuggings of my heart for a moment :) But, on a less serious note...
We got to meet Makaela's new doctor on Friday. He was very kind, and I am sure that as we develop a relationship with him we will grow to love him. He was a little soft-spoken at first (and to be honest it did make me miss our old pediatrician), but our new doctor is a believer in Christ and a Biblical Counselor. Once he found out we were associated with some other patients of his (friends from church) he opened up a lot more. We are looking forward to having Makaela grow up seeing him and having him encourage Makaela in biblical principles as well.
She gained a whopping 4 pounds 10 ounces since her last visit which puts her at 14 pounds 11 ounces. You Go Girl! (It's amazing what solids and formula will do :)). She popped back on the charts around the 11th percentile and was around the 19th-21st percentile for her length/head circumference. The doctor says her projected height at the rate she is going will be 5'2" so maybe she is just going to stay petite for the rest of her life...lucky. But she is healthy as can be and other than those stats there is nothing too new to report.
We are working on liking homemade baby food as well as water...those are the upcoming tasks :)