Love is a Song

The latest song from Switchfoot, 'Your Love is a Song', has been the perfect soundtrack to all the drama that's been going on in our house over the last several weeks. With all of the crap that has seemed to rain down on us lately, somehow we've managed to still find the laughter and joy that each day has to offer. Moreover, we've discovered how our love for one another has changed, grown more deeply and evolved. It's a song of sorts. It has shown itself in so many ways…it has highs and lows, some of it has been messy and unexpected, and other times it has come more naturally and in the usual ways we think about experiencing love. In the latter, I have had the joy of laughing with Lyla and delighting in her growth and discovery of her world. I celebrated, with Michael, our 4 year wedding anniversary in Fredericksburg, TX, where we were able to get away from our day-to-day lives and devote a full day to each other, uninterrupted (well mostly – Lyla did travel with us). Love exists in the quiet of the early morning where you baby girl eagerly awaits the warmth of your arms. It lives in the middle of the night when your mother needs your help because she can’t do it herself. It’s chicken salad, “made just for you,” and it’s baked golden into loaves of poppy seed cake. On the really tough days, this is what I have to remember…

And then love showed up where I least expected it. When Ditty was at home trying to recover from her initial broken femur she needed a lot of care. What at first began as just another “to do” on the long list became a time of tenderness and connection for the two of us. I met her then fragile spirit with compassion and humility. How hard it must be, to be forced to relinquish your independence and your “place” in this world. How she longs to have her young body back – her life back. It was after helping her during her nightly bedtime routine for a few weeks that I think we both knew our relationship had grown from just “in-laws.” Our late night conversations revealed to each other our true hearts. She would get so flustered because she couldn’t believe that I was having to take her socks off for her or help her into the bed. I reminded her that the best love sometimes comes when you're able to serve someone who's in need. And it was in serving her that I truly came to know her and love her more.

As we honor all of our moms this Mother's Day, I can't help but think of what an amazing woman Ditty is. She is, in many ways, the kind of mom I want to be. No- I didn't say she was perfect :) But she gets the important things right. She has given so much of herself and sacrificed alot so that she could help take care of her grown daughter and her grandsons. There's not a thing she wouldn't do to help out her family. But, mostly it is in the little, subtle things that she does. At dinner time, she would often make sure Michael got the biggest piece of meatloaf or seconds on mashed potatoes. It might be that she surprised him with a new shirt because he got a new job. Or making his favorite dessert, just because he likes it so much. Love for her is getting up two to three times in the middle of the night to make sure her daughter is alright - she's been doing this for years now. While visiting her at the hospital a few days ago we held hands as she rested and I updated her on the happenings at the house. She stopped me to say, "Who would have ever thought you'd be here by my side, holding my hand like this? Darling, what would I do without you?" Wow, how humbled I was, and incredibly moved. Because I, too, couldn't have pictured that even one year ago. But, what I did know a year ago was that God had something amazing planned for our family. Michael and I knew that this would be hard and not go without it's challenges. But it's for that reason, and many more not mentioned, that we know we're doing exactly what we're supposed to be doing. And that make's it all worth it.

As you remember your mom this Mother's Day, think of the little subtle ways she loves you - does it come with an extra serving of mashed potatoes? For me, it comes in banana cream pie, lots of hugs, poetry, long talks on the phone, making a cup of coffee for me in the morning, and cooking my favorite dinners when I visit, just to name a few. Thank you so much mom...I love you!

Happy Mother's Day!

To watch Lyla's choir audition, click on the link below :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0AOqUIDDd4

Springing Forward!

With the arrival of spring, we are seeing new growth - both in our home and in the creation that surrounds our home. I was excited to see our first red bloom on our rose bush out front! The trees are beginning to shed their dead leaves to make room for the new growth. Some of our plants and flowers have already returned much to my delight (especially since I didn't have to do anything to warrant their growth :)! We've had the recent pleasure of sitting out on our front porch together as a family. Daddy Mike's Christmas present to us arrived about 3 weeks ago - a porch swing and a couple of rockers. Hence, dusk has become one of our favorite times. The fresh air, natural light, and rhythmic rocking of the porch swing seem to lull Lyla to a calm in an hour that is typically pretty rough after a long day. Michael and I take turns tending to the yard while the other holds Lyla. I am surprised at how much I've come to enjoy working out in the yard. Needing a break from the full house a few weekends ago, I decided to just dive in. I now see what people mean about working outside. It helps quiet your mind and is certainly therapeutic. I must have pulled over 100 giant cauliflowerly looking weeds out of the ground. Nothing like good hard work! Michael and I have spent our evenings over the few past weeks or so working on pruning bushes, potting flowers and cutting back our plants. I think this could be a new hobby...I love it!

As for our little munchkin, Lyla is just growing so much! She's no longer a wee little newborn. Her personality is really beginning to take shape. One thing I've learned about Lyla is that although she's a pretty easy baby, she can definitely be a little feisty at times. She seems to already have her preferences and doesn't hesitate to "tell" us what they are. :) Lyla is also very curious about the world around her and alert to the happenings in her environment. All it takes is some good conversation or a silly game to get Lyla smiling and cooing at us. She's a pretty active baby girl -always kicking her feet and playing with her toys. I wonder if we have a dancer or a soccer player on our hands? Lyla found her hands this past month and boy does she love them! If she's not using them to grab toys she's rolling them around in her hands or is sucking on them vigorously. We do have a few exciting things to report 1.) Lyla has been sleeping on her back in her crib for about a week now - yea! She had been sleeping in her carseat up until then - it's a long story! 2.) She's getting stronger and tummy time isn't such an ordeal - she's able to put weight on her forearms and keep her head up for a long time. 3.) Lyla laughed for the first time tonight! I was playing a little game with her and when I softly blew on her face her eyes got really big and then she broke out into laughter. It's music to my ears!

A fun activity that mom and Lyla have shared together this past month is a Bathtub Babies Swim class. I never imagined this to be so much fun - infact I think I enjoy it more than she does! I know some of you are probably freaking out to know that Lyla is already taking swim lessons at the ripe age of 3 months! But, rest assured, they are not dunking her under and telling her "good luck!" The whole point of the class is to get them used to water at a young age so that they don't later grow to fear the water. They also give us some good ideas for bath time - to help make it more fun for them. We play games, sing songs, socialize with other friends, and help them get acclimated to being in the water. And I must say, Lyla has a lot of fun! She hasn't cried or fussed once since we started. We made a trip to Dallas a few weeks ago to see some family and friends. Some of my aunts and uncles met Lyla for the first time as did some of our long-time friends. Given that it was Lyla's first official trip we think she held up pretty well considering she was in an unfamiliar place and her schedule was a little off. The best part was that she practically slept the whole way there and the whole way back! I even got to catch a nap on the way home which was a nice treat!

After being inside so much during the winter months, warmer temperatures and longer days usually means more plans and more fun! This past weekend my Aunt Lyn visited. We did a little bit of shopping, good eating, and worked out in the yard. We always have a good time together. Over the course of the next several weeks we're also looking forward to having our friends Michelle and Candice come visit, hosting a dinner for the Texas Leadership Forum, celebrating our 4th Anniversary on April 7th, and taking a day trip to Fredericksburg for some wine tasting and yummy German food! I can't wait for our little trip! As much as I love my mother-in law and grandmother in-law, I can't wait to have some alone time with just my hubby and Lyla. The short time away should do me some good. We did go out to dinner last Friday, just the three of us. I thought we'd be golden after feeding Lyla and then putting her down for the night. She was sleeping in her car seat just fine, right up until the Mariachi band came over and started playing right next to our table :) When I peeked in to check on Lyla, her eyes were bug-eyed, wide-open! It was so funny! She didn't cry the whole time we were there, but she certainly didn't sleep either. Poor thing! I'm not so sure we'll be able to get away with dining out in the evenings anymore. Look's like we'll be ordering in for awhile! :)

To see a cute video of Lyla, click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/user/kistner07?feature=mhum

First Things First

The past four weeks Lyla has had many accomplishments. Much to her parents joy she shared her first real smile with us at only 5 weeks old! Talk about melting your heart. We're still so tickled when she responds with a smile to our oohing and awhhing over her. Lyla has also recently shown off other newly learned skills. Just a few weeks ago she gripped her rattle and held on to it for the first time. She's also been working on her hand-eye coordination by swatting at some of her hanging toys. We've been having so much fun playing with and talking to Lyla. She's much more responsive in her communication the last few weeks. And she definitely has a voice! She loves to ooh and ahh when she's happy and playing. And when she's not so happy she has no qualms with letting you know. :)

At 7 weeks old, Lyla slept in her own nursery room for the first time - and did great! Mom and dad were, of course, delighted to have their room back. We were free to read before bedtime, put laundry away, and walk around without tip-toeing. I will say though that the first night I almost bailed on the whole plan. I felt so bad with my baby girl sleeping all by herself in a big dark room :( I got over it though! Some other firsts that we've seen: Lyla attended her first

play group with mom a few weeks ago. I got to meet and hang out with some other moms while Lyla got to be around some other babies. She also worked on her first craft! With the help of some friends, I painted little Lyla's hand red so that she could make a hand-print for Daddy's Valentine's Day card. She was a real trooper and Daddy loved his card! Lyla has had alot of fun looking at her reflection in the mirror and talking to the baby she sees. And she has recently found a lot of amusement in watching Molly, our dog, howl and wag her tail. You have to wonder what she thinks of that strange creature :)

And one thing we're very grateful for is the fact that she's been sleeping through the night for the past three weeks. She'll usually go down between 8 and 8:30pm and won't wake until somewhere between 4 and 5pm.
Trust me - I know we're lucky! She's also been pretty consistently taking a long nap during the day - which mommy is really thankful for. That way I can catch a nap or get some of my own projects done. Thank you baby girl!

All in all, we're just having a wonderful time being at home together. I know how lucky I am to be able to stay at home with Lyla. For many moms, they'd just be getting ready (if not already) to return to work. I just can't imagine having to leave Lyla for several hours every day. So, I know how abundantly blessed I am to have this opportunity. And I'm grateful for it every day.

It's been almost a month since Michael went back to work full-time. He loves his job and is incredibly fortunate to work for such an amazing man! Steve has been such a blessing in Michael's life, and therefore has blessed my life and our marriage. He's been an incredible mentor, in both his prof

essional life and his personal and spiritual life. Every man could hope for a relationship like this. Thank you Steve for the profound impact you've made in our lives!

Finally, Ginger and Ditty are doing well. Ditty has made a full recovery from her hip surgery that she underwent this past October. I've been so thankful for her help as we've adjusted to having a new baby in the family. At 87, she still helps cook some of the dinners, goes to the grocery store with Amanda (our caretaker), and holds Lyla a couple times a day. It's because of her I get to shower every day! As for Ginger, she has found so much joy in being a part of Lyla's life. She loves to watch her play on her activity mat when we're all hanging out together in the morning and late afternoons. With Michael going back to work (out of the house) we've hired an additional caretaker to come out on Wed. and Thurs. afternoons to help out. So far, we feel good about this new caretaker, Alisha. She's already proven to be very capable of doing the job and Ginger seems to like her a lot.

As we move into March we have a few things to look forward to:

• Our first road trip with Lyla to Dallas - my brother, Skai, turns 16 years old! Lyla gets to meet some of mommy and daddy's friends and family
• I start a new mom's group with Lyla
• Lyla starts Bath Tub Babies swim class - can you believe it?!
• Spring time - means more walks and outside time - yea!

Happy Birthday Lyla!

Today Lyla is 1 month old! She now weighs 8 lbs 6.5 oz and is 20 inches long. It's amazing how much she's grown in just 4 short weeks. Just yesterday she was able to roll from her tummy to her side - although I'm not so sure she enjoyed it! She's also been better able to focus on mommy and daddy's face and a few other interesting objects. Did I mention last time that she loves the ceiling fan! And just a few days ago, Lyla teared up for the first time :( She had a pretty rough weekend battling oral thrush, a fairly common infection seen in infants. Fortunately, it only took a few days of medicine before she started feeling better. Even better news - Lyla tends to only wake up once in the middle of the night to feed and then again in the early morning (usually between 6:30 and 7:30am). Mommy and daddy are very thankful for that!

After four weeks, we've finally been able to settle into a routine - sort of :) Let's just say it's a flexible routine. As a new stay-at-home mom, I've really been striving to embrace the monotony of the routine - at times I feel like it's GroundHog Day every 2 hours. Feed her, change her, play with her, put her down for a nap, pump - and then do it all over again. Aggghh! But, then I'm reminded of a few things: 1)This phase is temporary 2) Appreciate and savor every precious (and not so precious) moment that I have with Lyla - I'll never get it back 3) Find joy even in the most mundane tasks - like washing bottles for the 6th time today! On the other hand, I wouldn't change where I'm at for the world. I get to experience every little moment with her. Watching her learn about her world and grow into her own little person is fascinating. And her little coos just melt my heart!

We now have a full appreciation for how hard parenting is - you give every ounce of yourself to your child and it's exhausting! But, wow - we've never done anything more meaningful in our lives. Recently we've been enjoying playing on her activity mat, tummy time, going on short walks in her stroller (thanks to the sunny Texas winters), reading with Daddy, and hanging out with Ditty and Ginger. Every day with Lyla has been a wonderful adventure and an amazing blessing. We can't wait to see how she grows over the next several weeks!

New Year, New Beginnings

It's hard to believe, but Lyla turned 2 weeks old yesterday! I spent some time earlier today reflecting on our labor experience and finished writing it down (before I forgot it all!) and I'm just amazed at how time has already flown by. The last few days, Lyla has been more alert and curious about her surroundings, drawn to the overhead lights, the fan, and her leaf mobile above her changing table. She's also enjoyed some floor time with mommy and daddy, looking at herself (or something) in the mirror. Of course, she loves to be close and be cuddled by her family throughout the day. And she loves her sleep - so much so that we have to pull out all measures to wake her for a feeding!

A few things we've learned about our daughter's growing personality: She's a very happy baby and content most of the day. But, she's also very vocal about the things she does not like ie. being swaddled at night, having her diaper changed, and taking a bath! She is both strong physically and strong-willed (or stubborn). You guys can guess who she got that wonderful trait from :) She's an absolute joy and we are loving being her mommy and daddy!

Michael and I are handling this new parenting thing pretty well...nights of course, being the most challenging time. It's amazing how much sleep you can give up and still feel mostly together during the day. And all those baby books I read during my pregnancy - out the window. There's nothing like real life, in the moment challenges to make you forget everything you're "supposed" to do. Luckily, when I've felt overwhelmed or unsure of how to handle something I've been able to refer to my resources pretty quickly. It doesn't take long for me to feel confident again and reassured that we're doing a pretty good job for 1st timers. The hardest part I think is just remembering that we're not perfect and we may not get it right the first time. We just have to trust our instincts, seek help when we need it, rest when we can, and love on our baby girl.

Click on this link to view pictures of Lyla's first 2 weeks!

Ready or Not, She's A Comin'!

The realization that we’re four weeks away from our due date has hit us and we’re still in disbelief. The reality is that little Lyla could be here in just two or three weeks - aggghh!! It’s not that we’re scared or anxious or anything, we just can’t really believe it. I guess that’s normal. At 36 weeks I’m still feeling good most days. I’m still working full-time so by 3 o’clock my back and feet are definitely cranky. It’s those last three hours of work that I wonder how I’m going to make it working full-time another three weeks. But, I know somehow I’ll make it.

We’ve spent the last several weeks getting prepared for the arrival of our baby girl and also getting in some quality time, both with each other and with our friends and family. Here are some highlights:

• We went on a little BabyMoon to College Station, TX in mid-October where we spent our time eating good food and doing alot of nothing. It was soooo nice to get to sleep in and not have to get up for any reason. I showed Michael my old hangouts, where I used to work and live and then we walked around the A&M campus. We also got to meet up with our good friends Joel and Erin one night for dinner at Maddens. It was a much needed get-away!
• We’ve had a couple of great Baby Showers over the last few weeks! Both showers were so sweet - the hostesses went above and beyond to make our showers so perfect - down to the last detail! It was so fun to get to see all of our friends and family at our showers and to have them there celebrating with us.
• We had our 35 week appointment last week and our doctor said everything looks good. Her heart, kidneys, etc. all appear to be functioning normally so that’s a relief. He estimated that she weighs about 5.1 lbs. so it’s likely she’ll be a 7 pounder. Hey - I’ll take that!
• After 5 long weeks of living at the Rehab facility, Ditty finally made it back home last Thursday. She’s still in a wheelchair, but she’s slowly gaining her physical strength back. We’re all so glad to have her out of there! Now, we’ve just got to convince her to take it easy and not overdue it. Pray she listens!

With less than 30 days to go (or so) we’re just trying to get everything ready for Lyla’s arrival. I have peace of mind now that we have the car seat bought. Now, we just have to put the finishing touches on the nursery, pack our hospital bags, and finish washing her clothes. Other than that...we’re ready!

10 Weeks Away and Counting!

Now that we're on the 10 week countdown (till Lyla is born) and we have most of the house in order, my focus has certainly shifted to getting prepared for her arrival. We just took an infant/newborn care class this weekend which was insightful and fun. We've also made a lot of progress on the Nursery recently which has certainly made me feel more sane. After sampling a few paint colors, we found the perfect color green for Lyla's room. To start the transformation, I taped and Michael painted the room a couple of weeks ago. Then we put together her crib, which was suprisingly not too difficult. This past weekend we purchased the crib mattress and then dressed it in the Love Bird bedding. We've decided to mix a little contemporary (the bedding) with a little classic. We're going to hang a few of Michael's old Beatrix Potter pictures from his baby nursery. The colors go perfectly and somehow the styles merge together just fine. It has turned out to be a darling room. Now for the finishing touches...But first, that brown shade has got to go!