The Man Behind the Camera

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADA!

I have been looking through the past year of pictures in order to find pics of Matt and Addie to post for Father's Day. And there are shockingly few of them. like maybe a dozen. from a whole year. Why? Because Matt loves to take pictures; he doesn't love to be in them.

Matt takes BEAUTIFUL pictures. He really has an artistic flair when he is holding a camera. It's a talent that I am very thankful for. Matt took Addie's newborn pics, her 6 month pics, her one year pics. And we have some amazing shots. Of Ads. Of Ads and me. But pics of Ads and Matt? Not so much.

And that reflects Matt's personality. While Matt is gregarious, outgoing and can talk to a brick-wall (literally), he is also an amazing servant, content to serve behind the scenes. He is remarkably talented, in many ways, far beyond just excelling in his chosen profession. He is a genius at fixing anything and everything, from the computer to the car to the dishwasher. He takes beautiful pictures (and is great at editing them!). He is going to be a fabulous doctor. He is really funny. And the list could go on and on...

But my favorite thing about Matt, what will make him a great doctor, but more importantly, what makes him a great husband and dad, is that he cares about people. And not just those he loves. He cares about everyone he comes in contact with. But the really great thing is that he ESPECIALLY cares about those he loves. He is good at loving Addie (and me!). And that's a rare quality. Seeing that my dad is good at that as well, I am doubly blessed.

Matt, you are the most selfless, kind, caring person I know. Ads and I are SO THANKFUL for you and LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH.

Happy Father's Day!

Didn't Addie do a good job cooperating for our Father's Day photo shoot???

Perspective

Matt has been on a really intensive rotation this month: pediatric surgery. The hours are looong, his days are busy, and he has 2 thirty-hour shifts every week, with only one day off each week. I would imagine he is working around 90 hour weeks and is studying on top of that. We really miss him around here. It's also really easy for me to get mopey and whiny and eat a lot of cookies (don't you do that when you are depressed???).

 And then one evening after work Matt and I have this conversation:

Matt: How was your day?

Me:  Long, we missed you so much. I am so ready to see you. Ads and I had fun though, we...yada, yada, yada. But still, when is this rotation going to be over? Its not fair that we don't get to see you very often (followed by more complaining)...
...anyway, how was your day?

Matt: Long, we had a car wreck with three kids that were badly injured. And we lost a little baby that was born at 27 weeks gestation.

Oh.

Thank you, Lord, that my little one is sleeping safely in her crib. Thank you that my husband is at the hospital because he is being your hands and feet, not because he is sick or injured. 

It is easy to read blogs or talk to friends and think that their life must be easy while yours is hard. But everyone has the easy, and everyone has the hard.

Right now, for us, for me, being a parent, a mom, is pretty easy. Spending time with Addie energizes me, encourages me, blesses me. I know it won't always be so easy. But I am thankful for now.

Right now, for us, for me (&for Matt), Matt's career is really hard. I also know, it won't always be this hard. But I am thankful for this too...it is teaching us, refining us.

With the hard parts of life, it is tempting to lose perspective. But the Lord calls us to look up. Up over our circumstances, up over whatever may be hard, up to Him. And to rest...knowing He has a purpose. To be content in His path for us. To remember that their are those that need your prayers. To be thankful for the blessings He has given us. And, at least for me, to try to have a little perspective...

Everything Birthday

The last of the birthday posts...a recap in pictures.

Celebrating at home, just the three of us...

Celebrating at the park with Mila, Pops & Beks...

Celebrating with all of the Altman clan...

And finally, celebrating with a jungle-themed pool party...

Thanks so much to everyone who celebrated with us!


And thanks for driving in, Aunt Christina, Uncle Will and Gema (and for helping make the cupcakes!...you too Aunt Beks!)

Before 30 Bucket List

 *start the tradition of celebrating the first day of every season (thanks, Ang, for the idea!)

* make our bed, just to see what its like :)

* go dancing with my husband

* learn how to make more paleo-friendly dishes for Matt

* blog more frequently

* finish all of Addie's first year thank-you notes...eek...

* get my eyebrows waxed

* teach Ads to swim!!! yay!

* figure out where we are going for residency!

* read one new book a month...I used to read all them time...I was an English major, after all...I should be able to do this...

* start fasting once a week (not necessarily from food) for our sweet little one's salvation (and all our kids to come)

* finish p90x yoga. the whole thing, even crane...

* get back involved in our Sunday school class

* organize Addie's first year pictures

* go to dinner with my Monday night Bible study girls and their husbands/significant others

* organize Addie's first year book...do you see a pattern here?

* hang pictures on our walls

* get better at ironing our clothes...

* learn how to make coffee (who doesn't know how to do that???)

* take a music/rhythm class with Ads

* Go on more date nights with my hubby

This was going to be a list of thirty things, but I am out of ideas. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know!! Hopefully by blogging about this, I will be more deliberate with the not-so-fun ones (like ironing...).

If you were to come over and sneak a peak...

Playing "fort" under the covers.

into our bedroom, you would see I rarely make our bed. Its actually closer to the truth to say I never make our bed. I have maybe, maybe made it twice since we have been married.

And it's not because I was never taught. My parents taught me. And I used to make mine. every.day.growing.up. That is, until the day my mom stopped forcing me.

It doesn't take much time to make a bed. It's not difficult. In fact, as far as household tasks go, it is one of the easiest. And it absolutely makes your bedroom look sharper, prettier, more like a grown-up bedroom.

I love our comforter. It was a wedding gift. And our shams are beautiful, antique, lacy and delicate. And they were my great-grandmother's. You wouldn't see them though. They are in a corner of the room, never used.


Our guest bedroom has a BEAUTIFUL antique rod iron bed that I had painted turquoise. I LOVE it. And it has beautiful linens that I found for a steal at Olivine.

It's not made either.

Our guest-room bed.

Our sofa is another piece of furniture I fell in love with the second I saw it. It was one of those insanely expensive sofas that cost the price of a semester of medical school. But we found it at a going-out-of-business sale in our price range. It was a gift from the Lord. seriously.

But with a few exceptions, the only time that gift-from-the-Lord sofa is used is when we have guests over.

Why? Its the same reason our beds are never made...

I live life from my bed. Its my home base. I make my grocery lists in bed. Addie and I play, tickle, snuggle, read and laugh in bed. Matt and I watch movies, eat dinner and talk in bed. When most people are eating dinner at their dining room table, lounging in their living room or leaning against a kitchen bar, we are sprawled out on our bed...or to change it up, our guest-room bed.

And I LOVE it that way.

So if you were to come over and sneak a peak, you would see an unmade bed.

But I would see playing fort with my daughter under the covers, late-night talks with my husband and long distance phone calls with old friends.

I guess I'll just have to figure out another way to display our beautiful shams... :)

Thanks for sneaking a peak!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl

Eating her first birthday cake!

Matt and I decided that on every birthday, we are going to write down a list of our top ten favorite things about our little one so we can give it to her one day. Here you go Ads...

10. Your double sneezes
9. Your love for the outdoors: the breeze, the sun and the water (yay!).
8. The way you love and notice people, regardless of who they are (and remind us to do the same).
7. Piranha kisses :).
6. Watching you learn new things, especially when you say "mama" and "dada".
5. Your "monkey face".
4. Your little "brown-berry feet".
3. How you make life SO MUCH fun and bring SO MUCH joy.
2. Your sweet smile (with your Goodwin-gap!).
1. How you are a beautiful and constant reminder of the Lord's faithfulness and goodness.

We love you so much!

Love,
Mama & Dada

Happy Last Day Before One...

When I was growing up we celebrated EVERYTHING. As in, we had special days for the last day of school, the first day of summer, the last day of an old job, the first day of a new job, and on and on and on. But the biggest celebration of all was birthdays. We didn't just have a birthday dinner, or a birthday-day, or even a birthday week, we had a birthday month. And since my parents and all three of us kids were born in the months of March, April or May, it was a BUSY season of celebration. It was awesome. And fattening.

Several years ago, my mom started warning us that we were, absolutely, under no circumstances, allowed to marry anyone who had a spring birthday. Uh-oh. Matt's birthday is in March, and my sis-in-law's is in May (actually it's tomorrow!!). My mom was feeling a little over-whelmed. So, when I got pregnant with Addie, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Due in June. June 12th to be exact. Close to March, April and May. But at least a different month.

But apparently, Ads didn't want to be left out (or she wanted to add to the chaos; both scenarios fit her personality), so she decided to make her grand arrival 3 weeks early...on May 19th (thanks for sharing your birthdays, Aunt Christina AND cousin Suz!).

Last day (and walk) before One!

So in honor of celebrating the last day before turning ONE, here are some fun Addie stats:

Height: 30.25 inches. She is LONG. 85th%.
Weight: 20 lbs 5ozs (with her diaper on). 40th%.
Sleeping: Bedtime is around 7:30 and she usually wakes up around 7:30-8 in the morning. She is still taking a good morning and afternoon nap.
Eating: She loves bitter, sour foods, like lemons, kale, asparagus, broccoli and pickles. Basically, any vegetable. She also loves avocados and berries. So far, we have a healthy, non-picky eater! She is also still nursing, which is one of the favorite parts of both of our days.

Addie giving Sophie a kiss!

Interests: People, people, people. Addie loves people. As in, she will crawl onto a stranger's lap during story time at the library,she will hold out her arms for waiters to hold her at restaurants, and will want to join the people next to us in church. She is also fascinated by other kids, and loves going to friends' houses. She loves books and her giraffe rocking-horse, Sophie (who she gives a kiss to every morning and after every nap). Ads loves to be outside and walks to the park are daily activities.
Getting Around: Addie can take a step before she falls over, but so far nothing I would consider walking. She can crawl around pretty fast though and loves walking with assistance.
Talking: Just "mama" and "dada". She was saying "hi" several months ago, but she hasn't said that in a while.
Temperament: I would say we are very blessed in this regard. Ads is very friendly, happy and easy. She is the most happy when she is with her family and friends. Addie is also very resilient. She can bang her head, slam her finger in the door or fall off the bed and literally keep on playing (don't worry, we do take good care of her, I promise). Her fearlessness means we are way past the stage of just playing on a blanket. I have friends who have said their girls would just sit and play quietly, but Addie is usually very active (unless she is being held; then she can be content for hours...good thing she is a firstborn!).

Obviously, I am biased, but I really do think she is so much fun. I am usually counting the minutes till nap-time is over and we can play :).

Happy Last Day Before One, Sweet Girl!!!