Jess Foreman: Mommyhood

Showing posts with label Mommyhood. Show all posts

at 6/02/2016

at 4/06/2016

Dearest Landry,

This month you will be 2.... TWO years old! They say time flies when you're having fun... and life with you is a Disneyland ride that has rushed by before my eyes. I want to write you letters from time to time to share my heart, my wonderful memories of you, and some words of wisdom along the way... I hope you will cherish them one day like I cherish you.

Lets start with you. You are a treasure. Your heart is bigger than the moon and you have a smile to match it. You love people ferociously, and people love you with an equal devotion. You love to hold my hand wherever we go and you squeeze it so tightly as if you are holding on for dear life. But I love it. You are fiercely protective of those you love, especially your Mommy. You exude caution but deep down I can see adventure in your eyes. When I look at you I can see a dreamer who is passionate about everything he does.

Music and touch are your love languages. Where there is music, there is Landry. It's the only thing that stops you in your tracks as you drink it in, captivated by the power and awe it creates. You are little but you command an audience like a giant. You are loud and animated but tender and sweet in the same breath. You are creative and sensitive. You speak your own language but for those of us who are lucky enough to speak "Windry" we are blessed by your little revelations and discoveries.

You move too fast for my camera to capture but I catch your spirit in every blurred image.

I adore the rosy apples of your cheeks and how they are a sandwich with your eyebrows, devouring your eyes in between them as you smile. I love your ears, I love your laugh, I love the way you give "Shoogs" (kisses). I love the way you scrunch your manly nose when you're trying to figure something out. You dance to the beat of your own heart and it entertains the masses. You are created by God, for God and I pray that someday, in Him, you will move mountains.

Never lose your love of people. To love and serve others, putting their needs above your own is where you will find the most freedom and joy out of life.

Try not to be afraid of people just because they're different than you. We currently live in Austin, Texas... a place where "weird" people live.

But can I let you in on a little secret?

You're weird too.

We all are... How awesome is that?

Embrace your uniqueness and learn to love people no matter what they look like. What a boring life it would be if you only surrounded yourself with people who looked and thought just like you. My hope and prayer for this powerful unconditional love is that with it, you will be able to share the love of Jesus with anyone God puts in your path.

Never stop dreaming. When you get older, there will be a tendency to suppress any childlike aspirations due to this thing we call "practicality." Practicality is cancer to dreams. Dream big and pray for God to reveal His heart and plan for these dreams to you. He may want you to surrender them at His feet so you can get more of Him. That's ok... Jesus is better. Or He may want to make them a reality so you can get more of Him. Jesus is still better. But either way, dream away and share those dreams with the One who planted the dreams in your heart in the first place.

You are an amazing little person Landry Reid. Words cannot describe how much we love you and how thankful we are to have you in our lives. Happy Birthday month and thanks for being you!

Love always,

Dearest Landry, This month you will be 2.... TWO years old! They say time flies when you're having fun... and life with you is...

at 2/11/2016

Nothing could prepare me for the emotional Mommy Meltdown that just took place in the middle of the little girl's section at Target today. I wish you could have been there to see it... or better yet... to give me a hug.

For weeks now I have been eying this mysterious "little girl's section" of the store, a section I never venture into because I'm a mom of two littles who proudly rock the "baby/toddler section" outfits like pros. This section might as well be called the "big girl section" to me because it's a place that I will be years down the road... you know... when Liv becomes a big kid?!

What has caught my eye lately though, is how eerily close in size the outfits seem to be looking to what my Liv would wear.

Then today... I was enlightened

Like a magnet I was drawn to this adorable dress in "that" section. I looked at the size benignly labeled XS but it was what was next to the XS that brought grief to my heart and sent the tears trickling down my face.

XS (4-5 years)

Liv will be 4 in less than two weeks.

Wait a minute... I can buy something from this section that will fit a child of mine?!?

I was NOT prepared for this! I have been pretty open about how I feel that Liv turning 4 sounds so much older than 3... but a clothing section CHANGE in our favorite store only solidifies my suspicions.

My little Liv Monroe is turning into a little girl.

Mortified at my uncontrollable emotion I headed over to my old stomping grounds (the baby/toddler section) seeking some solace from the storm only to find my tears turn into sobs as I looked at all the teeny tiny outfits with affectionate sizing ending in a capital letter T. Sizing that until only moments ago was all I knew.

The embarrassment of my very public displays of emotion was only further validated when a very cautious Target employee graciously (and probably with some trepidation) asked me if I needed help.

Yes I need help!!! I need someone to tell me when this happened?! Where was I when my baby got so big?! Why did no one warn me of this?!

But suspecting that this answer was probably more than he asked for... I politely responded (through tears and snot) with a "No, thank you... I'm just looking."

Just looking for where the last 4 years have gone?! I thought to myself as the worker ran (not walked) off...

I finally pulled myself together by talking to my Heavenly Father.

Silently... I didn't want people to think I was crazy or something.

As I shared my heart with Him in prayer I felt a peace that can only come from my Creator and the thought came to my head...

The best is yet to come....

Jarryd and I have been going through a difficult season with Liv over the last year, dealing with her having some fears, anxieties, and lots of sleepless nights. My exhaustion and frustration from this season has pushed me to my knees begging God for encouragement. For me to not wish this season away but rather to be able to slow down and see it for what it is... a season that is fleeting... here today and gone tomorrow. A season that He can and IS using in my ongoing sanctification.

I know one day I will miss it and I will not remember all the hard. Over the past couple of months God has been reminding me of what immensely invaluable gifts my children are. He has been granting me patience and given me a deeper joy and love for my kids amidst any difficulty the day might bring.

Even though I had been seeing this heart change for a while now I was not prepared for the culmination of His answer to my prayers to be in the middle of Target today... but hey... He knows I'm always there ;)

Mommas of littles... this season is unbelievably demanding but so very short. Take it one day at a time, bathe your family in prayer, and soak up every second that you can.

The days are long but the years are short.

And anything that pushes you to run to God for help is worth it's weight in gold.