Photo Monday

My birthday was a day of feasting. The husband made it me a special birthday breakfast with pancakes raspberries, and whipped cream. After he went to work I chatted with my little one and told him that I just needed him to play, eat, and sleep without a lot of fuss as my birthday gift. He complied nicely. We even went to the bookstore read a few Sandra Boynton books and then baby boy fell asleep in the sling. I picked out a book to buy and then read it with coffee on the balcony. The weather had turned for the better and it was the perfect day to be outdoors.

The husband came home and got straight to work on my birthday dinner (really he is a wonder....the best husband ever). He cooked up some whole wheat couscous with shrimp green beans, corn, and fresh basil mixed in. Wow. So, tasty. Then he took the baby while I went to work out with my brand new i-pod he purchased for my gift. Wow! Alone time with a cool new gadget.

I arrived back at our apartment and my bath was run. I took a long bath and then he had dessert made with some decaf coffee. The lemon creamy custard and homemade ginger snaps were so tasty and melted in my mouth.

As I drifted off that night into a peaceful slumber I thought how blessed I really am.

Why I Needed an iPod

Okay. So there wasn't a real need, but there were some compelling reasons why the husband picked that as my birthday gift. I'll explain.

Lately the child has several good days and then picks a day to vocalize how upset he is with the world. I am reading The Wonder Weeks and he pretty much is fussy around the time he goes through one of these weeks. (This book makes me feel better that my child is indeed normal). Even though it is normal it still wears me down to tears by the end of a screaming day. The husband thought if I had headphones and my choice of videos and music it would help block out some of the screams and calm me down.

I got a chance to use it the day after my birthday. The child was so good on my day that he decided to do a 180 the next day. He got up early and screamed. He didn't go down for a nap so I took him to the zoo with a friend. As soon as my friend left and I went to the bathroom the screaming resumed. He then screamed while I held him, slept in my arms for 30 minutes, screamed waking up, ate, played and then screamed when he was bored, ate, screamed himself for a 20 minute nap, and then finally the husband came home. The iPod helped. Really it did.

Now, the screaming isn't the only reason that the iPod was desperately needed. Lately I have been feeling spiritually starved. I don't have a lot of time to study and get an alone quiet time with a high=maintenance, but incredibly gifted and cute baby. We have visited several churches where we love the service, and the sermons are biblical, but not very "meaty". I feel hungry when I leave. In fact I feel like standing up and screaming........"Don't you know how to teach and feed your flock?" (Don't worry, I don't really do this, I just think it). Every church we go to I realize that I am just missing a certain pastor that was such a good teacher that no one can measure up to how much he gave to me. Today, my husband got online to our former church where this particular pastor is the teacher and downloaded several sermon series for me. Now while I am nursing the baby I can listen and feel like I am getting spiritual food at the same time.

I feel more filled already. Just having someone knowing me so well to take care of me is nice. I shouldn't complain; I am blessed.