As of today, I think we may have found a rental house in Columbus. Praise God for that answered prayer! Our potential landlord wrote to me in an email, "I see you're from Charleston. What a great place to live! Why would you want to move here?" Haha. Gee, thanks for the reminder...
Life with the Lamberts
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Two. 2. To.
As of today, I think we may have found a rental house in Columbus. Praise God for that answered prayer! Our potential landlord wrote to me in an email, "I see you're from Charleston. What a great place to live! Why would you want to move here?" Haha. Gee, thanks for the reminder...
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
We're Having a Baby! And It's a Girl!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Imagine Life Without Post-It Notes
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
She's one...
Exactly one year ago, I was studying for a Pharmacology exam with my friend Brandon….and as usual, wishing for more time! Well, I got an unexpected answer to my prayer. Erika called and said I should probably come home because she “thought” her water might have broke. We were about a week and a half away from the due date, but I knew her voice was different and we had a serious situation on our hands.
As we checked into the hospital, a few quick tests confirmed that it was indeed “go time” for the Lambert family! And so I slept on and off throughout the night on one of the most uncomfortable pull-out couches you can imagine. As the hours passed…and so did the time for the Pharmacology test…I was struck with the reality that my life was about to change. Jackson and Brandon came by to check in on us, and around lunch-time we started kicking everyone out of the room because Ava was about to make her entrance!
Ava was sooooo beautiful! Her skin was so smooth and her lips made you want to smother her with kisses. Erika reenergized with a timely Starbucks Frappuccino from my sister, Lara, and I proudly paraded around the hospital room holding my daughter. Now honestly, I would have told you straight up that I was hoping for a son so I could rough-house and play sports, but the moment I held this little girl, my heart melted and I was hooked! As we left the hospital Anna, Golden, and Kristin came by to cheer us on…and watch us struggle with installing the car seat. I don’t think I’ve ever driven so carefully over the James Island connector, nor yelled so much at other drivers for their “crazy” driving patterns.
The first night at home she slept beside my side of the bed. Every little noise woke me up and I compulsively checked on her. Over time, I became used to her noises and the nightly rituals of feeding and changing her…every hour or so.
Each month we took a picture of her sitting, then standing, in her green chair to document the changes we could see. But what the pictures can’t exactly show is the change in my life. I went from wanting to stay downtown and play basketball each night, to rushing home after clinics were over so I could pick up Ava and give Erika a few restful moments.
Every event this year this year has been a “first” for either us, or for Ava. There were so many moments when we were amazed at the new thing Ava was able do that week, and we were thankful for the family & friends who made the many transitions of this year seamless.
Now, as Ava develops her own personality and even laughs at my corny jokes, we see what the process of becoming a family means. There’s plenty of sacrifice and compromise, blended with moments of pure joy and total frustration. We’ve balanced the busy schedules of a Division 1 basketball coach and a full time student with a baby who couldn’t care less about our careers, so long as “mamma and daddy” continue to love each other and her more & more each day.
As Ava turns 1, I fully acknowledge that I’m not 100% sure what foods she should and should not be eating. I still don’t enjoy changing diapers and I’d rather roughhouse on the floor than indoctrinate her with the princess mentality just yet. BUT….this little girl has stolen my heart and I’d have it no other way.
Daddy’s little girl shoots me the biggest smile every time I walk into a room. When she points at me and says, “Dadda” and I can’t help but scoop her into my arms and smother with love. The way she nestles into Erika’s arms makes me thankful that my “team” has turned into a little family.
We have truly been blessed with a wonderful little girl, and an amazing support system of family and friends. We’re excited for the new adventures of this next year, and hope that you can share in some of those moments too.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Whoa! Come look at this weird poop!
It’s safe to say that Life With the Lamberts is different nowadays. Analyzing poop is just one of the many things I never imagined I’d do, but has now become a routine part of life as a Mama. Other thoughts, sayings, or behaviors that fall under this category include, but are not limited to:
· Doing a double take at a BOB in the Charleston Farmer’s Market. That’s a NICE stroller…
· Constantly asking myself, “How much time do I have?” as in: what can I accomplish between baby’s feedings?
· “It’s your turn.”
· Playing the game Things with unmarried friends at a Bachelorette party. The category is “Things that should not be shared.” First thought that comes to mind: breast pump. (NOTE: I did not submit this response. It would have been a dead giveaway in that crowd!)
· Grocery shopping wearing a Tshirt with spit-up on it. And not caring one bit.
· When bringing baby to a public gathering, always formulating a “meltdown” exit strategy upon arrival.
· Defining success according to sleep. Adequate sleep for Ava, Paul, and Erika=a good day. (Thank you Dr. Weissbluth. And thank you to the Moms who got me on the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child train.)
The first six weeks of Ava’s life were simply ridiculous. Paul was finishing year 2 of dental school, which was a very challenging time for him. He had to devote tons of time to studying for his National Boards exam (he PASSED!) After my Mom and Grandma left Charleston, I felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants as a parent. Thank God for babycenter.com! Ava has acid reflux and it is just as awful as everyone says it is. She rarely slept early on, and cried most of the time when she was awake. Poor thing! There was not much we could do to help her.
Fast forward to present day, and those early challenges seem like a distant memory. It took us several weeks, but baby and I finally got the hang of the whole breastfeeding thing. Ava sleeps wonderfully at 7pm each night. Paul is a 3rd year, so he is actually practicing dentistry at school and that is rewarding for him. We were so proud to see Paul get his white coat in July J Plus, he has a lot more time at home. I got a great new job as an Assistant Coach at Charleston Southern University. That was a total blessing! I started believing God for a promotion back in January, without any real reason to believe that a position would open up for me. But the God we serve calls things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17). So…Go Bucs!!
My heart melts each morning when I get Ava from her nursery. She is always happy, rolling around in her crib and grabbing her toes with the SWEETEST smile on her face. I put her on the changing table and we have our usual morning “conversation.” Then I get to dress her in some precious little girl clothes and we sing the “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” song to start the day. I’ll be honest, even though I love to sing I have a hard time coming up with songs to sing to Ava. I can never remember the words to a whole song, so I invent some interesting medleys!
This has been a summer of celebrations: Ava’s birth, Paul’s White Coat ceremony, my little brother’s high school graduation, the Cafarchio wedding, the Brown wedding, and our 3rd anniversary. That is a whole lot of JOY! We have been able to enjoy this time because we’ve had a LOT of help from family and friends. Thank you so much for the encouragement, gifts, dinners, prayers, and babysitting.
Veteran parents have warned me that just when you think you’ve got the hang of things, babies’ needs change and you have to learn something completely new. That is very true. We’re smooth sailing for now but next up: solid foods! And then the real test: parenting during basketball season. When I’ve had a particularly demanding day, I have often asked myself, “How do you do this with multiple children?!” For now, we’re just taking it step by step, and cherishing the precious moments.
Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. Proverbs 14:26