Monday, September 16, 2013

13 months and 5 days old!!!

 
This gorgeous child is already 13 months and 5 days old today!!!  I was not anywhere near a user-friendly computer on her 13 month day to capture all her newest tricks.  So, here goes.
 

  • Linmari has added to her vocabulary and now also says "Ouma, Oupa, (Grandma, Grandpa), eina (ouch), eier (egg), no (shakes head)" after a week with the grandparents.
  • Linmari further advanced to saying "Kyk daar (look there), ja (yes)".  I'm sure there were more words, I just cannot remember them. :-(
  • She is too cute for words, starting to point, click, drag and drop (my dad always said that my nephew treated us like a user would treat the Windows OS, LOL).  Last night she kept on pointing at the kitchen counter and we thought she wanted fresh strawberries.  Turns out, she wanted COOKIES and knew exactly where to find them!  Today she screamed and cried like it was nobody's business.  When I investigated, she indignantly picked up a building block that she was playing with and pointed to it.  Then she proceeded to pick up another building block after placing the first one down on the floor again, and pointed at the second one.  And then she BABBLED!  She seemed very upset with her building blocks - HAHAHA!
  • She babbles a LOT and non-stop!  I think she's taking after me.
  • She's started to open the fridge and investigate what's inside.  NOT very convenient when I'm trying to cook.
  • She loooooooooves frozen strawberries and smoothies!
  • She has decided that she no longer likes olives and lemons.
  • She is currently cutting FOUR molars - OUCH! (On Friday night she kept on saying "Eina" (ouch) and throwing tantrums, until we figured out [my husband, really] that her gums were really sore and that she is actually cutting those teeth.)
  • She is quickly becoming quite the master of climbing onto tables.  Her latest endeavour involves figuring out how she'll get onto our dining room table from the futon situated next to the table.  She's already figured out how to get onto her own table out on the patio.
  • Linmari has suddenly become Miss Independent....it's both frustrating and cute at the same time to observe!  If I touch anything that she was about to eat I can forget that she'll eat it.  She wants to, NEEDS to, pick up her own food with a spoon or fork and she doesn't need anyone's help - THANK YOU VERY MUCH!  (*groan*).  So we're on loads of finger foods now and most meals are eaten out on the patio at her table to avoid having to perform hectic clean-ups after every meal.  She seems to love the arrangement.
  • Linmari looooooooves cheese as well!  In any form - grated, sticks, processed, whatever!
  • Her sand pit is one of her most treasured play areas. 
  • SHE CAN STACK TWO CUBES ON TOP OF EACH OTHER!!! HURRAY!!!!
  • She can sort loose cubes into a muffin tray - how cool is that?!
  • She's still not sleeping through - we're attempting sleep training again (a bit of a nightmare with her cutting teeth).
  • She's attended her third wedding for the year and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Especially the bit where she got to dance with her daddy, and then with her stroller!
Every day I'm amazed at what my child can do.  I realise that life in and of itself truly is a miracle!  What a fortunate parent am I to get to stay at home and experience all her milestones with her?!  I just want to call everyone and tell them how wonderful my little girl is!  Love this kid to bits!

On a more productive note, though.  Since our little bit of a financial dilemma (in a worldly view, not by ANY means in a spiritual way) GOD has provided generously in our needs.  I started baking way more, including milktart, and also learned how to make koeksisters from my mom.  Then one of Thinus' colleagues asked whether or not I could make his son turning 5 years old, a SpongeBob birthday cake.  I said "Sure". worked out a price and together with a friend set out to make and decorate the cake.  Below is a picture of the final product.  I couldn't have done it without my friend's help.  She coloured and rolled out all the fondant, made all the facial features from a picture I had drawn her and stood by me till nearly 11 on Thursday night.  The hard work paid off and it seems like there were a few people that were interested in my cake baking skills.  All I can say is "Soli Deo Gloria!" - "Glory be to GOD alone!".


May you all have a blessed week!  I better get my baby's washing on the line and then get into bed.  It's rather late and I need some uninterrupted sleep!

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Putting my trust in the LORD (where it SHOULD be!)

I have been 'unemployed' for just over a month now, but only this month has the financial reality of it all sunk in. 

We've had a third of our income cut by me staying at home.  Add to that the fact that we went from two salaries with a 2/3 subsidised top range medical aid / insurance to one salary that has to cover a whole medical aid premium, and you've got financial chaos.  And let us not forget that I somehow missed the termination letter in my pile of pension fund papers, causing me to get my full salary and now I have to pay back 29 days plus the tax that was taken from the gross salary (my mistake costing us big bucks).  Oh, and the medical bills that keep on coming...and the double medical aid premium for this month to ensure we didn't have a break in coverage.  The list of financial woes feels endless.

And then my husband said to me: "Liefie ("Dear"), did anyone die because we lost this income / you missed a termination letter / medical aid was a double premium?".
Me: "No".
Him: "Then why are you so worried? It's ONLY money. And ultimately GOD is in control and the PROVIDER of our needs. We have VERY little left for the month but GOD knows how we'll make it."
I hear him saying: "Sit back and check how GOD's going to perform miracles in our lives!"

Now, please don't see this as a post in which I'm moaning. I'm not.  I'm sketching the scenario for you.  And I'm excited!!!  Because I serve the Living GOD!  Jesus has NEVER, NOT ONCE, let us down. Not financially or otherwise.  GOD also gave us the ability to be entrepreneurs and use opportunities to add to our necessary income / provide in our needs.  I have recently sold rusks and milktarts, which is now allowing me to keep to certain monthly financial commitments that I have made.  Other people have green fingers and can make anything grow.  I'd like to think that I have 'baking' fingers and can bake and sell anything that I set my mind on.

One of my friends asked me if I'm not considering going back to work in light of these financial strains.  I said there is no way!  I simply loooove being with my daughter and even though that comes at a financial cost to us, the emotional rewards far outweighs the monetary loss!  Not having to stress about work is gorgeous!  Getting to wake up next to my beautiful daughter and getting to lie in some mornings is superb.  Seeing this gorgeous baby girl developing each day is simply amazing! Nothing can convince me at this moment in time that I should be at any other place.
She just loves playing "escape artist"!

And she's a very messy, avo-loving eater!
 
The best part of her day is when she gets to PLAY!!!

For the first time in my life I'll strive to be the COMPLETE Proverbs 31 woman / wife / mother / business woman, not only those parts that suit me.


Cherishing every single moment!
All the glory be to GOD!