Growing Up Fast

It's so hard to believe that it has already been a month since this precious little girl came into our lives. She has already grown up so much, it's hard to believe. Here are a few pictures over the past month.

This one is Claire at the hospital the day after she was born.



Claire getting ready for her first big outing at two weeks - a Thanksgiving dinner at our church.



I love watching Claire's face while she sleeps - she makes the best expressions! I'm just ready for her to smile at me when she is awake!



Don't be fooled, she is really very sweet. She just looks super intimidating in this picture.


Claire's mommy (I find myself increasingly referring to myself in third person these days) has had quite a ride over this past month. From the rough delivery to surgery to infections to complications and mistakes made by the medical team during surgery, I have had to change my perspective on what my new mommyhood was "supposed" to look like. Of course, I had envisioned myself leaving the hospital ready to take on the world with my new little girl - running five miles with Claire in the jogging stroller, keeping up with all the housework, cooking gourmet meals, making frequent trips to the store and visiting friends and basically saving the world. Instead I have officially now spent one month on the couch. It's been one of the most trying times of my life, both physically and emotionally. At some point along the line it dawned on me that I should be putting our middle of the night feedings to good use, so I have now moved my quiet time to 2:00 AM. I just finished Genesis (one of my favorite books) and was reminded of how nothing in Joseph's life went as he had planned. Things really didn't make sense when they happened - bad things happening to this good kid. But Joseph didn't despair over his circumstances - instead he allowed God to use them to mold him into the leader he was meant to be. I don't know why I've had to go through all this pain, but I trust God has a good purpose in it. Maybe He's developing my faith or patience. And one wonderful purpose is named Claire Alyse, and she is worth every ounce of pain I have been through.