Dear Joy/Joyzers/Doodle Bop/Toodles/Sweetheart/Darling,
I have so many names for you lately. You have so many for yourself. I called you a princess several days ago, and you insisted you are NOT a princess. I then went through a list of pet names for you. You shot them all down. Not a princess. Not a cheerleader (something you had agreed you were just a day or two before). Not my sunshine. Not my darling. Not my sweetheart. So many things you sometimes are, that day you were not. Jokingly, I asked if you were a penguin. That was the first thing I'd thrown out you agreed with. Joy Penguin you became and insisted I call you all day long. You've even brought it up a few days since. The other day, you were Cheerleader Joy Penguin the Super Hero. Quite a lot of responsibility you heaped on your own shoulders with that one!
You bring so much light and laughter into my life. I love experiencing the world anew through your eyes. Your imagination has added sparks to my own. I like your world.
Sometimes I wish I could give you more. I wish I could be more. I wish I could give you the world. But you, wisely, know that the world is already yours. Everything good about it is at your fingertips. And you, wisely, leave all that is undesirable behind. The simplicity with which you live and the focus you give to fun, laughter, and enjoyment remind me of what is important. This is something I need to remember and cling to when life gets tough.
I love you, Joy Penguin!
Mom
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Such a joy
My dearest Joy,
You are such a joy these days when you're not throwing tantrums. Watching you get so excited about letters and numbers that you randomly identify very loudly brings a smile to my face every time. Even today, when you found a K in the hymnal and shouted it out loud at the beginning of church while the rest of the room was quiet, causing several people to giggle and my face to flush, and then repeated it moments later, it is adorable.
I also love hearing you "sing" or "read" to yourself. In fact, I wanted to listen so much that I turned off a football game I had been looking forward to watching all week long so I could listen to you. I laughed as I listened to you, unable to make out one word of what you were so passionately saying.
You love to hug your stuffed animals and even ask me to hug them sometimes too. And as you give hugs, you like to say, "Ohhhhh!" and move to the right and left quickly, as though rocking them.
Your favorite thing right now seems to be chasing our cat Sandy around. You will ask, "Kitty cat, where are you?" or ask me where Sandy is. But most of the time, you can be found running after her and giggling. You like to let me know she's silly or funny or you're silly or funny. I love it.
I love watching you learning more and proudly sharing your knowledge. I am trying to enjoy every moment with you, knowing that you are growing so quickly and becoming more and more independent.
Don't grow up too fast.
Love,
Mommy
You are such a joy these days when you're not throwing tantrums. Watching you get so excited about letters and numbers that you randomly identify very loudly brings a smile to my face every time. Even today, when you found a K in the hymnal and shouted it out loud at the beginning of church while the rest of the room was quiet, causing several people to giggle and my face to flush, and then repeated it moments later, it is adorable.
I also love hearing you "sing" or "read" to yourself. In fact, I wanted to listen so much that I turned off a football game I had been looking forward to watching all week long so I could listen to you. I laughed as I listened to you, unable to make out one word of what you were so passionately saying.
You love to hug your stuffed animals and even ask me to hug them sometimes too. And as you give hugs, you like to say, "Ohhhhh!" and move to the right and left quickly, as though rocking them.
Your favorite thing right now seems to be chasing our cat Sandy around. You will ask, "Kitty cat, where are you?" or ask me where Sandy is. But most of the time, you can be found running after her and giggling. You like to let me know she's silly or funny or you're silly or funny. I love it.
I love watching you learning more and proudly sharing your knowledge. I am trying to enjoy every moment with you, knowing that you are growing so quickly and becoming more and more independent.
Don't grow up too fast.
Love,
Mommy
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Prayers
Dearest Joy,
Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing enough to teach you the things that are important. I mean, I know you love watching Pingu and Sesame Street and other shows on TV, but that takes time away from my teaching you. I want to be sure you know that I know my Redeemer lives. He loves me. He loves you. I have had some really tough times in my life, and yet through those times, I have never been alone. Whenever I've remembered that I should pray for help and support, I have received it. I have countless stories I could tell of little miracles in my life and of various people answering my prayers without knowing that was exactly what they were doing.
I know it's hard for you to learn how to be still and quiet when you should be. I appreciate the effort you put forth to do so during prayers, especially around other people at church. One of these days soon, you will want to be saying your own prayers, and I will be happy to help you do that.
Just today, I warmed up some leftovers in the microwave for lunch, not thinking you'd want more than a bite here and there because you'd recently eaten. But when you followed me to the kitchen table to eat and climbed up on a chair by me, I was reminded that I needed to say a blessing on the food to show my thankfulness for it. So I did, and you obliged by folding your arms. And this time, you even closed your eyes tight, which I saw before I closed my own to start the prayer. Then I started eating, giving you a small bite here & there between my bites. But I guess I wasn't fast enough for you, so you figured maybe you needed to pray first before eating. You folded your little arms, bowed your head, closed your eyes, whispered, and then cheerfully called out, "AMEN!" to let me know you were ready to eat.
Then I got a text from Daddy and had to share this story with him before I forgot, because it is so precious. As I was doing so, you repeated the process two more times. Praying helped you get what you wanted the first time, so you were confident that it would help again!
At times like this, I think that I must be doing something right, because you are learning of the power of prayer. You are learning gratitude and humbleness and to turn to God.
I am so proud of you.
I love you.
Mom
Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing enough to teach you the things that are important. I mean, I know you love watching Pingu and Sesame Street and other shows on TV, but that takes time away from my teaching you. I want to be sure you know that I know my Redeemer lives. He loves me. He loves you. I have had some really tough times in my life, and yet through those times, I have never been alone. Whenever I've remembered that I should pray for help and support, I have received it. I have countless stories I could tell of little miracles in my life and of various people answering my prayers without knowing that was exactly what they were doing.
I know it's hard for you to learn how to be still and quiet when you should be. I appreciate the effort you put forth to do so during prayers, especially around other people at church. One of these days soon, you will want to be saying your own prayers, and I will be happy to help you do that.
Just today, I warmed up some leftovers in the microwave for lunch, not thinking you'd want more than a bite here and there because you'd recently eaten. But when you followed me to the kitchen table to eat and climbed up on a chair by me, I was reminded that I needed to say a blessing on the food to show my thankfulness for it. So I did, and you obliged by folding your arms. And this time, you even closed your eyes tight, which I saw before I closed my own to start the prayer. Then I started eating, giving you a small bite here & there between my bites. But I guess I wasn't fast enough for you, so you figured maybe you needed to pray first before eating. You folded your little arms, bowed your head, closed your eyes, whispered, and then cheerfully called out, "AMEN!" to let me know you were ready to eat.
Then I got a text from Daddy and had to share this story with him before I forgot, because it is so precious. As I was doing so, you repeated the process two more times. Praying helped you get what you wanted the first time, so you were confident that it would help again!
At times like this, I think that I must be doing something right, because you are learning of the power of prayer. You are learning gratitude and humbleness and to turn to God.
I am so proud of you.
I love you.
Mom
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
What you're up to these days
My little Monkey,
You are growing so quickly! I can't believe how much you can do! Hearing you counting to 5, and helping me count to 10, is amazing. Now that it's fall, there are pumpkins everywhere. You love saying apple and keep calling the pumpkins apples until I correct you. The other day, you even started saying your own name. Although, instead of sounding like Joy, it sounds a little more like "Doy" sometimes. And your attempts at saying your last name are adorable.
You love Sesame Street and pretty much everything related to it. You have plush characters of Ernie, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Big Bird, and Abby. Sometimes I will hear you in your crib calling for one or more of them. And you recently even shocked me by saying Dorothy (Elmo's goldfish) quite clearly.
Enoch still wishes that you said his name. I think I may have heard it once or twice, but you refuse to even attempt to say it whenever he asks. You'll say many other names, including Debra and Joseph and Grandma and Grandpa, but you are frustrating him. He is really good to you, letting you play the piano with him and otherwise entertaining you. So, if you could do me a little favor and say his name for him, that'd be great.
Oh, and while you're at it, please give me a break with the swing. I know you love it. I know you want to swing pretty much all the time when we're outside or even near the door or you see it in the window, but there are so many other fun things we could do! And, when we do swing, could you please not freak out every time I take you out of the swing? I mean, how long do you think you need to swing anyway? I know you want to do it all day, but sometimes you get a little cold, and I get tired of pushing you and have things to do. I simply can't do it all day!
I'm hoping you will start getting some more teeth one of these days soon. You still only have 10 teeth, with 2 in the bottom middle, and it makes it hard for you to take bites sometimes. I'm also starting to worry. Not that there's anything you can do about it, but it has been months since any teeth have come in, and I'm kind of worrying now. So I will be worrying less when they finally do come in. But please don't use them to bite me or anyone else (like I've seen you attempt a couple times).
Love you, my climbing monkey,
Mom
You are growing so quickly! I can't believe how much you can do! Hearing you counting to 5, and helping me count to 10, is amazing. Now that it's fall, there are pumpkins everywhere. You love saying apple and keep calling the pumpkins apples until I correct you. The other day, you even started saying your own name. Although, instead of sounding like Joy, it sounds a little more like "Doy" sometimes. And your attempts at saying your last name are adorable.
You love Sesame Street and pretty much everything related to it. You have plush characters of Ernie, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Big Bird, and Abby. Sometimes I will hear you in your crib calling for one or more of them. And you recently even shocked me by saying Dorothy (Elmo's goldfish) quite clearly.
Enoch still wishes that you said his name. I think I may have heard it once or twice, but you refuse to even attempt to say it whenever he asks. You'll say many other names, including Debra and Joseph and Grandma and Grandpa, but you are frustrating him. He is really good to you, letting you play the piano with him and otherwise entertaining you. So, if you could do me a little favor and say his name for him, that'd be great.
Oh, and while you're at it, please give me a break with the swing. I know you love it. I know you want to swing pretty much all the time when we're outside or even near the door or you see it in the window, but there are so many other fun things we could do! And, when we do swing, could you please not freak out every time I take you out of the swing? I mean, how long do you think you need to swing anyway? I know you want to do it all day, but sometimes you get a little cold, and I get tired of pushing you and have things to do. I simply can't do it all day!
I'm hoping you will start getting some more teeth one of these days soon. You still only have 10 teeth, with 2 in the bottom middle, and it makes it hard for you to take bites sometimes. I'm also starting to worry. Not that there's anything you can do about it, but it has been months since any teeth have come in, and I'm kind of worrying now. So I will be worrying less when they finally do come in. But please don't use them to bite me or anyone else (like I've seen you attempt a couple times).
Love you, my climbing monkey,
Mom
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Not just love
Dear Joy,
Ever since I can remember, I have been repeating over and over again the simple three-word phrase, "I love you." Part of me has hoped that in all your babbling and learning new words and phrases that you'd repeat it back to me. But lately I have been thinking about what exactly it means to love you. If I had to explain it to you the way I point to a cat and say "kitty" or "cat" or some other illustration so you can better understand its meaning, I want to be clear that you are aware of what I mean.
When I say I love you, I mean that I have positive affection toward you. It means also that you bring me joy and I am so thankful that God has blessed me with you in my life. But it is still so much more than all that. "I love you" means I want your happiness and safety and security in life. I want those righteous desires in your heart to be fulfilled. I think of you and act with you in mind. I cherish the memories I have, some of which I know will fade over time, of your firsts and demonstrations of your personality. I delight in you. I care for you. I pray for you. I serve you. I cater to you. You brighten my life and give me a purpose and meaning I didn't have before I met you. Each day on this earth with you is a wonderful gift from above. Nothing you say or do could take my love away from you. Nothing. Even when you make mistakes, big or small, I will still love you. I will still be your mother. I will never turn my back on you. I will never regret time spent with you. I will continue to smile fondly as I think of you and how great it is to get to know you.
So when I say, "I love you," know that it's not just some word. It's not just some sentiment of positive regard from me toward you. It is how I feel about you that shapes how I think about you and pray for you and hope and dream with and for you. It is about who you are just as you are, even though I know I don't really know you yet. It is not contingent upon you acting, looking, feeling, or thinking a certain way; achieving a certain goal or being anyone other than the person you are and will be at each and every step of the way, through good times and bad, through laughter and tears, through thick and thin. YOU. I love you.
Always and forever,
Mom
Ever since I can remember, I have been repeating over and over again the simple three-word phrase, "I love you." Part of me has hoped that in all your babbling and learning new words and phrases that you'd repeat it back to me. But lately I have been thinking about what exactly it means to love you. If I had to explain it to you the way I point to a cat and say "kitty" or "cat" or some other illustration so you can better understand its meaning, I want to be clear that you are aware of what I mean.
When I say I love you, I mean that I have positive affection toward you. It means also that you bring me joy and I am so thankful that God has blessed me with you in my life. But it is still so much more than all that. "I love you" means I want your happiness and safety and security in life. I want those righteous desires in your heart to be fulfilled. I think of you and act with you in mind. I cherish the memories I have, some of which I know will fade over time, of your firsts and demonstrations of your personality. I delight in you. I care for you. I pray for you. I serve you. I cater to you. You brighten my life and give me a purpose and meaning I didn't have before I met you. Each day on this earth with you is a wonderful gift from above. Nothing you say or do could take my love away from you. Nothing. Even when you make mistakes, big or small, I will still love you. I will still be your mother. I will never turn my back on you. I will never regret time spent with you. I will continue to smile fondly as I think of you and how great it is to get to know you.
So when I say, "I love you," know that it's not just some word. It's not just some sentiment of positive regard from me toward you. It is how I feel about you that shapes how I think about you and pray for you and hope and dream with and for you. It is about who you are just as you are, even though I know I don't really know you yet. It is not contingent upon you acting, looking, feeling, or thinking a certain way; achieving a certain goal or being anyone other than the person you are and will be at each and every step of the way, through good times and bad, through laughter and tears, through thick and thin. YOU. I love you.
Always and forever,
Mom
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Happy birthday!
Dearest Joy,
This past year my life has changed in more ways than I could have ever possibly imagined it would. I have laughed a lot at things I never would have thought I'd laugh at before. I have rediscovered the innocence of youth and joys of life as seen through your eyes. I have felt my heart ache when you have been sick and inconsolable. I have cried with you and over you and prayed for you. I have watched you sleep. I have taken more pictures of you than any other subject in my entire life. I have watched you grow, celebrating with you as you first rolled over, first sat up on your own, first crawled, first pulled yourself up to stand, first walked along furniture, and took your first steps. I have also taken note of your likes and dislikes and all your personality quirks.
You're now 18 pounds and have 3 teeth (one on the bottom and 2 on the top, all on the right side). You're walking everywhere, and you like to throw your arms up (as though you're declaring a field goal attempt was good) frequently. You love the cats, especially Ashley, and try to show them your love by grabbing them (Ashley is the only one who usually lets you get near her). You follow me into and around the kitchen, often standing right behind me without me noticing, and sometimes getting knocked over as a result. You love pulling your toys out of your cupboard and playing games with me, but you also love hurrying over to see Dad walk through the front door, greeting him with anticipation.
I love you so much and look forward to getting to know more about you!
Love,
Mommy
This past year my life has changed in more ways than I could have ever possibly imagined it would. I have laughed a lot at things I never would have thought I'd laugh at before. I have rediscovered the innocence of youth and joys of life as seen through your eyes. I have felt my heart ache when you have been sick and inconsolable. I have cried with you and over you and prayed for you. I have watched you sleep. I have taken more pictures of you than any other subject in my entire life. I have watched you grow, celebrating with you as you first rolled over, first sat up on your own, first crawled, first pulled yourself up to stand, first walked along furniture, and took your first steps. I have also taken note of your likes and dislikes and all your personality quirks.
You're now 18 pounds and have 3 teeth (one on the bottom and 2 on the top, all on the right side). You're walking everywhere, and you like to throw your arms up (as though you're declaring a field goal attempt was good) frequently. You love the cats, especially Ashley, and try to show them your love by grabbing them (Ashley is the only one who usually lets you get near her). You follow me into and around the kitchen, often standing right behind me without me noticing, and sometimes getting knocked over as a result. You love pulling your toys out of your cupboard and playing games with me, but you also love hurrying over to see Dad walk through the front door, greeting him with anticipation.
I love you so much and look forward to getting to know more about you!
Love,
Mommy
 |
| Enjoying your birthday owl cupcake |
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Walking
Dearest Joy,
It has been far too long since I've written. I am so busy chasing you around these days that I barely have time to think. Once your wonderful father comes home from work, he lets me take a much needed break so I can shower and eat and relax a bit. But because I am playing with you so much, I've been neglecting writing letters to you.
I enjoy watching your personality continue to emerge. Through you I see the world with new eyes, once again enjoying things I did when I was younger. So many things make you smile and laugh. And I'm glad to see that smile and that laugh emerge. It's also nice to see your first tooth preparing to emerge!
You are just learning to walk, and while I'm proud of your new accomplishment, I admit I was secretly hoping you might wait until 12 months or longer to start. Luckily, you aren't yet getting into anything more than you have been since you started crawling. And crawling still is your favorite mode of transportation.
Some of your favorites: You love theme songs for TV shows that play in the background. I turn on reruns of What I Like About You, and you stop whatever you are doing to look at the TV while the theme song plays, returning to whatever you were doing as soon as it ends. You also enjoy the cheering on The Price is Right, especially at the beginning when the first 4 contestants' names are called. You enjoy watching bits and pieces of TV shows for kids, especially Sesame Street (and Elmo's World seems to be your favorite part about that show).
Watching you make noises with your mouth is very amusing. In fact, you're lying down right now moving your empty bottle rapidly to the right and left while blubbering. You usually do this with your tongue. You enjoy staring at my mouth as I make various noises with my mouth and fingers. Sometimes you even stick your fingers in my mouth to make the noises with my mouth and laugh.
Well, I think you want some more milk instead of just this empty bottle, so I must be going. But know that even though playing with you is exhausting, I do love spending time with you, and I love you so much!
Love,
Mom
It has been far too long since I've written. I am so busy chasing you around these days that I barely have time to think. Once your wonderful father comes home from work, he lets me take a much needed break so I can shower and eat and relax a bit. But because I am playing with you so much, I've been neglecting writing letters to you.
I enjoy watching your personality continue to emerge. Through you I see the world with new eyes, once again enjoying things I did when I was younger. So many things make you smile and laugh. And I'm glad to see that smile and that laugh emerge. It's also nice to see your first tooth preparing to emerge!
You are just learning to walk, and while I'm proud of your new accomplishment, I admit I was secretly hoping you might wait until 12 months or longer to start. Luckily, you aren't yet getting into anything more than you have been since you started crawling. And crawling still is your favorite mode of transportation.
Some of your favorites: You love theme songs for TV shows that play in the background. I turn on reruns of What I Like About You, and you stop whatever you are doing to look at the TV while the theme song plays, returning to whatever you were doing as soon as it ends. You also enjoy the cheering on The Price is Right, especially at the beginning when the first 4 contestants' names are called. You enjoy watching bits and pieces of TV shows for kids, especially Sesame Street (and Elmo's World seems to be your favorite part about that show).
Watching you make noises with your mouth is very amusing. In fact, you're lying down right now moving your empty bottle rapidly to the right and left while blubbering. You usually do this with your tongue. You enjoy staring at my mouth as I make various noises with my mouth and fingers. Sometimes you even stick your fingers in my mouth to make the noises with my mouth and laugh.
Well, I think you want some more milk instead of just this empty bottle, so I must be going. But know that even though playing with you is exhausting, I do love spending time with you, and I love you so much!
Love,
Mom
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