Finally...Gabe has a tooth!

Ty says that he does not understand why I was so worried that Gabe would pop his first tooth while I was not there...and he did. It is just a mom thing to want to be there to experience all the "firsts' in life! I shed a little tear followed by cheers and celebrating 'cause I feel like we have been in the midst of teething for at least a century without any progress. Of course, I believe he is now working on tooth #2 because he is drooling and chewing just as much as yesterday!

Happy BIrthday...to Auntie Jenni and Auntie Carli

So we had a lovely party for the both of you, and we wish you could have joined us...but we took some pictures so you could enjoy some of the sights!!!

This is our chocolate chip birthday "cookie" and candle (sorry, it was the smallest candle I could find to light...)!


We enjoyed every bite of the birthday cookies....(of course, Gabe's was a baby cookie, but he never knew...)
Yes, we made the most grandest mess I think I have ever seen, and we went straight to bath-time from our little party! Hope you had a lovely special day, Auntie Jenni and Auntie Carli!
Love, hb and gg
PS....we even blew up a pink balloon in your honor!

Sunday fun

Gabe and I decided to make some Valentines today, cause I thought that there is no rule that says you can only send "I love you" cards on certain days of the year (despite what Hallmark tries to convince us)....so enjoy some baby toes and lots of purple...don't you love baby feet? You may even be so lucky to find one of our specialties in your mailbox!

So, first we bared the little toes...and then proceeded to fill the diaper and had to take a break and ended up needing a complete change of clothes (not abnormal for my dear sweet boy who sure can stink up a room!)

Then, we donned our play hats, took a few fun pics...and started to ink up the toes! See our art work?

Of course, cleaning up was just as fun...

And no matter how hard we scrubbed...the feet still looked purple, so we had to put some socks on before daddy saw:)

And this was what we ended up with....we'll think of a really sweet something to write on these really sweet toes and get them in the mail!

You are known by your fruit...

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control"...I felt very challenged when I read this today, especially as a mom. When I sit here and think about the little details of my day, and the reactions that come so quickly when something is not going right....I want to show these God-things to my son every day, for he has been entrusted to me to teach him by the way I live. It is an awesome responsibility that alone I cannot accomplish. Give me the character to show this fruit in my marriage, at home, at work, and in all my relationships...

Boys and their trucks!

Gabe's favorite thing to eat are baby cookies...and he sure makes a lovely mess in the process!

It is hard to believe that at 7 months, Gabe's favorite thing to do is play with Tonka trucks!

Some fun photos!

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Gabe's new Valentine's slippers from Grandma...playing peek-a-boo with mommy...Gabe and Shadow are best friends...and waiting for mommy and daddy to get ready for church!

Not so distant memories....from my diary

Christmas is in a few days and all that I want is a Christmas miracle. I am in the midst of the most difficult time of my life. The little boy that has just captivated my whole life has also brought to my heart the most pain. I cry every day to the Lord to please give me this pain instead of him. It is the darkest valley I have ever walked through, holding him for hours at night while he cries. He is in so much pain that he won’t eat, and when he does, he just throws everything up. The doctors say that there is nothing that they can do. He just has to outgrow it. We all just sat and cried the other night at 4am-we both feel like God, you are punishing us, but we don’t know why. I know that is not true-I know we live in a world that is imperfect b/c of sin in general, and thus, we endure sickness and suffering. But why us? Why, when I have to work, and finances are so tight, and our marriage is so strained (probably b/c of Gabe)-things are in shambles around the house, bills go unpaid, no laundry or cleaning or garbage gets done….I snap at Ty all the time and yell at the dog. We are so sleep deprived and I am sure out jobs are suffering as a result. I broke down at work on Thur. I feel like a horrible teacher and a horrible wife. I feel so alone, like no one knows what I am going through right now. My hair is falling out, probably from stress. And all I ask is WHY???? WHY???? And I know now that I am not going to get an answer. I must stopping questioning and learn to trust. Trust that YOU will take this and use it for your glory. To trust that there is something greater than my own comfort that you are after-to trust that you will not allow more that I can handle. To trust you will hold our marriage in your hands and keep us together. To trust that You are taking care of my baby and you will comfort him. To trust that in the end, you are forming a character in us that people will see your glory from it.

Sunday mornings...

I love Sunday mornings. Gabe has decided that he is an early morning bird, so we are up by between 5 and 5:30 these days. And, of course, after laying still for so many hours, he is raring to go. So, his newest rave, after his morning bottle (complete with prune juice, which I am sure you can figure out why), is to cruise around the dining room chasing Shadow....it makes me laugh so hard that I almost pee my pants! Of course, I am laying on the couch downing my first of many cups of coffee. I hate to admit that it is an addiction, but once I start to sleep normal hours, I will attempt to curb the amount I consume. Back to Sundays...I have fallen in love with watching the sunrise, seeing my little chickadees gather around the feeders, and wait for the rest of the world so slowly come alive. We roll around on the floor, tickle, giggle, and growl at the dog, of course. By 8, Gabe is ready to crash for a nap, and then the house gets SO still and silent. I have learned to sit and drink in these moments (with another cup of coffee, of course). I see glimpses of God's character all around me, and it brings me to a moment of "wow". His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and goodness is tucked into little packages all around. What an awesome responsibility as a mom to show these pieces of God through the way I live every day!

Aunt Ki-Ki...I'm crawling!

I took my first crawl...and then promptly did a nose dive into the carpet!

LOVENLIFE

I was deep in thought the other night about 4 am when Gabe was just restless and barely sleeping in my arms....I was trying not to move so he would not wake up...and I was thinking about life and how it is so true that the only thing that counts is love. I was thinking about how selfish my love is....how frustrated I get when I have to give up hours of sleep at night for someone that I love. I cannot imagine loving anything more deeply, yet I am reminded about someone who loves me so much that He gave up his life so that I could live...

seven months ago....

I cannot believe that seven months ago I was pacing the floor trying to decide if I should call the doctor....it seems like years ago and then it seems like last week. And Gabriel Glen Alan Weaver was in our arms in less then 2 hours after that LONG drive to the hospital (I won't wait so long next time). All I can say is it has been the hardest and the best seven months of my life. In these last seven months, we have spent thousands of dollars on formula, hundreds of sleepless nights pacing the floor, and cleaned countless loads of puked-on laundry!!! And we have learned to rely completely on the grace of God, while seeing all the things we truly do have to be thankful for, amidst these trials! Gabe has had many firsts, already...his first foods (oatmeal and pears), his first word (mama), his first crawl (only to do a nose dive into the floor), his first favorite book(a counting book from his Aunt Mercy), and just today, his first ear infection.:( On the good side, that means that mommy and baby got to stay home together all day today and play and SLEEP!!!! YEAH!!! On that note, I have dishes to do, laundry to fold, pear puree to freeze, lunches to pack...and the insanity starts all over again tomorrow. Please, God, let there be a snow day tomorrow!