Levi's Dedication

We dedicated Levi to the Lord this morning in the presence of our family, church family, and friends. Ryan read from Mark 2:13-14 where Jesus calls Levi to be His disciple. We pray that Levi will one day follow Jesus with reckless abandon and will glorify the Lord with his life. It is the most wonderful blessing to be his parents and we thank God for giving us our sweet baby boy, a precious child of God.

((Mark 2:13-14))
 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Grateful

No one could have ever prepared me for the joy I would experience in this new season of life. From the moment I knew we were pregnant to the moment Levi entered this world I've felt joy, peace, and love that have surpassed my understanding. I am amazed by God, the miracle of life, and that He has given me the privilege of being Ryan's wife and Levi's mommy. 

I'm grateful that the Lord chose us to be Levi's parents, allowed me to safely carry and deliver this precious child, to nurture and comfort him, to pray for and to love him, to kiss his little cheeks and sing hymns over him. He is sweeter than I envisioned and better than I dreamed. I am grateful beyond words that this baby of ours is healthy, growing, and is loved so deeply by his Creator, his family, and friends.

I'm grateful for a husband who lives out his faith and loves Levi and me so well. From the start, Ryan has embraced his role as a daddy and has been so hands on. I'll never forget our experience in the hospital... he was so interested and amazed at every detail of labor and delivery and burst into tears as he watched Levi emerge. He prayed over us while I held Levi in my arms for the very first time- thanking Him for this new gift, committing him back to the Lord and asking for guidance as we train up this child in the way he should go. He changed every single diaper in the hospital, waited on me hand and foot, and held my hand every step of the way when we arrived home to our new life as a family of three.

I'm grateful that Ryan was home with us for that first week and never left my side. He graciously woke up with me in the middle of the night and changed Levi and brought him to me to nurse so I didn't have to get out of bed. He listened to me and hugged me when I cried during those first two weeks at home while my emotions and hormones ran crazy. He was there to hug me again when the fog lifted and I felt like I had turned a corner after those two weeks passed. He doesn't wait to be asked, he simply acts. When Levi cries, he picks him up and soothes him. He changes him, he feeds him a bottle, he swaddles him and puts him to bed, he talks to him, and most importantly, he prays for him. Having Levi has given me a whole new meaning for my love for Ryan. He's not only my husband now, but our baby's father and it's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

 

I'm grateful to be able to breastfeed Levi. I never imagined how much I would love nursing him or how blessed I would be by it. It is simply amazing how God has designed our bodies. Not only to conceive and carry a baby that He knits together, but to nourish that baby outside of the womb with nothing but your body--only God could do something so marvelous. I have absolutely LOVED this special bonding time with Levi for so many reasons. Of course I'm thankful that it gives him what he needs to thrive (and that it's free and I can do it anywhere!), but also for the forced time to sit and "be still and know that He is God." During his first feeding every morning I have my quiet time with the Lord. I read my Bible and open my prayer journal and pray while the house is quiet and it's just me and my little man. I treasure and look forward to this time every single day. 

I'm grateful that I was able to take 10 weeks of maternity leave to soak in and learn my newborn baby, figure out my role as new mommy AND wife, and concentrate on nothing else but our family. I'm even more grateful that I can now work from home and always have Levi by my side. During my maternity leave I worked through Angie Smith's new Bible study, Seamless, where she outlined the Bible as one seamless story from Genesis to Revelation. She did a great job connecting the dots from the OT to the NT, but what stuck with me most was her paraphrased prayer from 2 Timothy 4:1-2, 5:

"I charge you, Shelley, in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.... As for you, Shelley, always be sober minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

This little person that the Lord has entrusted us with is now my ministry. Second only to my role as believer and pastor's wife, Levi is the ministry that I must fulfill. I'm grateful for the awesome and humbling opportunity to show him what Jesus looks like as his mother, as a disciple, and through covenant marriage. I pray he will grow up to see two gracious, kind, passionate, and loving parents who love and live for Jesus. The same Jesus that saved me, sustains me, and equips me to be the woman of God, wife, and mommy He has called me to be. He is the Firm Foundation beneath me as I walk this amazingly wonderful path of motherhood. 

And for that, I am most grateful.

((Colossians 3:15))

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

{Thank you to Sarah Pascutti Photography for the pictures- taken at 7 weeks old.}

Levi {3 Months}

over the pics 

Size: Still size 1 diapers. Wearing 3 month clothes and size 3-6 month onesies. We don't go back to the doctor until October so I don't know his exact weight and length. His weight on our home scale is 11.8 pounds.

Eating: Still on our Babywise schedule of eat/play/sleep every three hours and it's awesome. He is a great nurser and eats 3-5 ounces at every feeding depending on time of day/my milk supply. He eats 6 times a day and does not seem ready to drop to 5 feedings just yet. He is still exclusively breastfed and I am still on a dairy free diet. I've been able to find lots of substitutions like Smart Balance dairy free butter, Silk vanilla almond milk, Duncan Hines brownies (!!), and we make home made rice crispy treats that are delish! 

I have been pumping some breast milk into bottles so Daddy can help feed him sometimes too or so I can feed him while we are out to eat or running errands. I started doing this early on because I wanted Ryan to be able to have the opportunity to feed him and so he could get used to taking a bottle for when I occasionally have to go to meetings. Thankfully he takes a bottle really well! Poor little guy continues to battle bad reflux. We keep a bib on him constantly because you never know when all that milk is going to come back up. I've been covered in throw up so many times I've lost count. :) We can tell the Zantac definitely helps with the discomfort and fussiness so we are thankful for that. 

Sleeping: The great sleep streak continues! Levi has not woken up in the middle of the night since he was 4 weeks old! All I can say is this is such an answered prayer- thank you Lord! I credit Babywise for helping us create a great schedule and for giving us the gift of nighttime sleep. :) He sleeps anywhere from 7 to 8 hours straight at night. We transitioned him slowly from the rock n play to the crib but he now exclusively naps in his crib during the day (usually 30-45 minutes each time) and sleeps there during the night. His doctor suggested I prop one end of the crib up so he can sleep at incline to help his reflux (which is why he loved the rock n play) and that has really helped. All 4 of my LHS yearbooks are currently doing the trick :) 

We have the same routine for sleep time during the day and at night: turn on sound machine, swaddle, paci, rock, sing and he's OUT. I usually try to put him down barely awake so HE can put himself to sleep. 

He still takes a 2-3 hour nap after his first feeding every morning and that is when I do my work. I typically work about 4 hours a day so it's been great to have that consistent block of time to get things done in the mornings. I usually work the last hour or two during his afternoon nap(s) so that he always has my undivided attention when he's awake. 
    
Milestones: 
~Levi and I went back to church on August 2 
~He slept in his crib during the night for the first time on August 17th! He slept 7 hours and 45 minutes straight! He smiles at me when I come to get him out of his crib and it melts my heart. I can't wait to pick him up!! 
~Rolled over from tummy to back on August 22
~First stay in the church nursery during worship on August 23. He did well for the first 45 minutes and then cried until I came and got him. (I didn't cry, but teared up, after I left him in the nursery for the first time.)
~Two front teeth are showing under his gums. They probably have awhile before they actually cut through, but they are definitely noticeable and bothered him a little when they first started to appear
~Tracks/follows people around the room and loves to "talk" to people, especially while on his changing table 
~Able to grasp and grab at things like his paci, Sophie the giraffe, his hanging toys, pulls off his bib

Likes: Laying on Daddy's chest while watching TV or looking at the fan, being held, the sea dream soother in his crib, laying on the activity mat and batting at his hanging toys, the Bjorn (I usually vaccuum and do housework with him in it and he loves it!), still sucking on his hand :) 

Dislikes: Being unattended-- He can tell when he's left alone and starts crying, the swing, loud noises

Watching the fishies in my sea dream soother

Pelican's with Poppy

((Psalm 66:16))

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

Levi {2 Months}

Size: Levi is mostly in 3 month clothes now and size 1 diapers. At his July 2nd appointment he weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and today at his 2 month appointment he weighed 10 pounds, 1 ounce!

Eating: After noticing several signs and symptoms of an allergy (eczema, green stools, reflux, cough, really bad baby acne/rash on his face), we took Levi to the doctor on July 2nd and the doctor tested his diaper and diagnosed him with a dairy allergy. I started a dairy free diet on June 30 (after calling the nurse a few days before with suspicions that it could be an allergy) and have seen substantial improvement ever since! His skin cleared up almost immediately and the other symptoms are gone as well. We started Zantac on July 20th to help ease the discomfort of the acid reflux which is the only symptom that hasn't improved since no dairy. I'm not talking about the normal baby spit-up here. I'm talking projectile vomiting a substantial amount after most feedings. Not fun for anyone. The doctor says he will outgrow the allergy-- if not by 6 months then by 1 year or 2 years. While it takes a little more time and thought to read labels and ingredients, I am thankful that it's a fixable problem and he is an otherwise healthy, growing boy. 

Rash on June 17

No rash on July 29 after one month of no dairy

Sleeping: We are religious (yet also adaptable) with our schedule of eat, play, sleep every 3 hours (+/- based on Levi's needs) and it seems to be working like a charm! The Lord has blessed us with a great sleeper!! June 27th began a great sleep streak that has yet to be broken. Levi sleeps anywhere from 7-9 hours straight at night after going down between 10 and 11 p.m. He takes a 3+ hour nap after his first feeding in the morning and then takes short naps (30-45 minutes or so) the rest of the day with one longer nap (about 2 hours) in the late afternoon. Levi had his first nap in his crib a few weeks ago and did great. I try to let him nap in his crib at least once a day now but plan to keep him in the rock n play at night until we get the reflux under control. I am so thankful we are mastering our routine... it feels so good!
    
Milestones: We've been busy this month! We went on our first run with the Bob stroller on July 4th and he slept the whole time :) Started running again after my doc gave me the "all clear" at my 6 week post-partum appointment. Feels so good to be running again!! Daddy was in Honduras July 6-13 and we missed him like crazy. He had a great time with our students though and it was a great trip ministering at New Life Children's Home. Holley was a tremendous help to me while he was gone-- I am so thankful for her and for her servant's heart. Doesn't hurt that she loves little Levi to pieces. We took our first overnight trip to the beach at 7 weeks old and he did really well traveling and sleeping. I start working PT from home on Monday and praying for lots of grace as I fold working into our schedule.

Likes: Being snuggled, Avent pacis, lying on my changing table, bath time, standing/pushing off with my strong legs, music, laughing and making cute little noises.

Dislikes: Tummy time (only likes it for about 20 seconds), being wet or dirty, loud noises/being startled.

My sweet angel

Wrapped up in the blanket my Mimi knit for me :) 

We've enjoyed lots of visitors while I've been on maternity leave: Maria and Matthew Owens, Ann Marie Knight, Becky and Kaitlyn Brown, the Delks, Patty Roland, Celin, Kyndra, Aunt Meg, Abbey and David, Lawren Lowdermilk, April Burns, Sara Lynn and Doc, Cookie and Robert, Jessica, Meredith, Amanda Droze, Jess Rupar, Aunt Lauren and Addyson, my mom, and Mimi has been coming to see me on Sunday mornings! 

((Psalm 121:1-2))

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come? 

 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth. 

Levi {1 Month}

Size: Levi is a growing little peanut. He's still in newborn clothes (and some 0-3 months) and diapers but getting bigger every day. Daddy says he has "orangutan arms" :)

Eating/Sleeping: It took a good 10 days or so to really master breastfeeding and an eating schedule, but now Levi is a great nurser and breastfeeds every 2.5-3.5 hours like clock work. We do our best to keep him on this schedule during the day so he has a full belly for good nighttime sleep. I usually cluster feed in the evenings and put him down around 10 p.m. He sleeps anywhere from 4-6.5 hour stretches through the night... and has treated us the last two nights by sleeping 7 hours straight!! He sleeps in his rock n play sleeper in our room at night and usually naps in the Mamaroo, his rock n play, or my arms during the day. I will eventually start transitioning him to naps in his crib so he will learn to sleep there at night- but that's a little further down the road :)

Milestones: He had a good two week checkup and was back up to his birth weight. The doctor was impressed with his weight gain- yay! Levi and mommy survived our first week without daddy while he was at Summersalt. We missed him, but by God's grace, we did it, and are praying the Lord will give all three of us overwhelming peace when Ryan is in Honduras.

Likes: Falling asleep on Daddy's chest, eating, being sniffed by Finley, riding in the car/carseat, being held and rocked/any kind of motion, the white noise on the sound machine, being swaddled, sucking on his hand and fingers, when Mommy sings Jesus Loves Me, staring at the ceiling fan- ha!

Dislikes: His paci (much to my dismay- he ONLY takes his wubanub when he's in his car seat but has starting showing interest in the Avent paci since yesterday!), having a dirty diaper, being cold.

((Psalm 16:11))

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.