Just when things reach the peak of squeezing me (oh, so prideful me) into the image of Christ, I’m blessed with a little respite.

Sedryn sleeps a sudden 6.5 hours and holds steady at one night feeding.

Sedryn starts leaving the fussy super needy infant stage as we figure his needs/schedule out and moves into the cute but still needy stage.

Derek’s car gets fixed and mine returned to me so two stir crazy toddlers (and their momma) are no longer climbing the walls all day.

I make phone calls to Karen and get good advice/solidarity with my issues.

Tamara wordless cleans my kitchen and its floor while I fall helplessly into bed.

I invite a blog/church acquaintance over to the house on a “momma date” and find out we have a ton in common and laugh grace as our children throw tantrums or scream or eat fistfuls of brown sugar while everyone else is melting down.

I come up gasping for the air of grace and thankful that, despite my own sinful heart, there’s so much grace to breath in.

Counting 2682-2724 of these graces that I can soak in right now.

• Sedryn having a good non-fussy morning
• Getting to cvoer a box in wrapping paper with the girls
• watching them excited over stickers and crayons coloring the box
• Looking forward to them getting excited about their Leopar house (the bos) when they see it tommorow with the cage door glued on
• Visit and a meal from Amber
• All four older kids building towers together
• Syler and Bronwyn staring at each other and giving kissing
• Watching YouTube elephant, snake, and tiger videos with two excited girls
• Sedryn boy wiggling happily on the exam table at my six week check up.
• Quiet moments for us to stare at each other without fear of sisters lying on him
• Nursing laughing when I told him to ‘just spit up already’ as he got fussy, burped, and gagged down spit-up.  “You’re not a first time mom are you?” followed by laughter.
• Ruthie hanging out with the girls to make it all possible.
• FREE parent-tot swim lessons at the YMCA
• Derek able to make the Wednesday Lessons
• Childcare at the Y
• Two excited and shivery girls enjoying time with mom and dad
• Warm milk for chilly girls
• My man sandwhich cuddles with Derek and boy watching a movie
• Laughing as I looked at myself in the mirror for the first time since the Y- I looked like a crazy lady with mascara all over my face.  I can only imagine what the Y childcare ladies must have thought.
• Phyllis, the lady holding my son, not even batting an eye over my crazy appearance
• Christmas ornaments worn as earrings by little girls
• Sedryn going 6.5 hours between feedings
• Surviving a trip to the children’s museum when I’m outnumbered 3 to 1
• the girls obeying
• B conquering her fear of the elevator
• Browsing the art museum with the girls
• Them enjoying pointing out objects they know in the pictures
• Parsnip- I love them
• Soft boy mohawk brushing my cheek
• Screaming and fussing lessening as we learn his needs/routine
• Morning shopping with Sedryn
• 2 weeks of groceries for $85 simply by taking stock of the freezers
• Daddy and girls bird watching
• Derek showing me a cute video on his phone of the girls holding hands and jumping/running through thigh high leaves while shrieking in glee
• a glass of wine
• A comatose nap
• cookies and hot chocolate with Derek
• Yummy cheese crackers
• making and crossing off lists again
• catching up with Julia a little via email
• naptime
• brainstorming with Derek about putting the girls’ big girl room downstairs and moving office/crafting into their room
• waiting long and patient for my new camera body to go on sale,my old camera to sell on Craigslist, or my stroller to sell so I can buy it
• 1 (maybe 3) session in December that might cover the remaining costs.