Diary of a Stay At Home Mom: My Morning Thought...

I just put Maggie down for her morning nap.  And as I held her for just a minute before sitting in her bed, I was praying for her future and for her salvation.  Suddenly it occurred to me that I sort of presume on the Lord's grace.  I think that many times when I pray for her salvation, when I pray that she will hate her sin, see her need for the Savior, submit to the Lord, love His church, and live her life as a worshipper of Christ...I just assume that that will definitely happen.  On one hand, I feel like that is due to great faith and confidence in the Lord's kindness, compassion, and love!  On the other hand I feel like it's because I have become complacent at the thought of the greatness of salvation.  Yet again I feel so humbled by the blessed life of mommying!

What do you think?  Do you ever feel like that?  Praise the Lord that He is sovereign and that the gracious Holy Spirit intercedes on my behalf.  Salvation truly is a miraculous and amazing gift!  God is so gracious to save sinners, like me.  And I trust and pray for the future salvation of my baby Maggie.

Hope you have a great day!  God is so good!

Chickpea Chicken Soup for my Chica

Lately I've been trying to bring a lot of variety into Maggie's diet.  I'm always trying new combos of fruit and it's exciting every time we can add new foods into her menu - like CHEESE!  It's a favorite of mine, and thus far proved to be a favorite of hers.  She will eat almost anything if I melt some cheese on the top!  To be honest, though, I usually just make stuff up for her, like whatever sounds good or what might go ok together or what can I add to make it more nutritious (like some sneaky spinach!)...  Last week I blended sweet potatoes, avocado, and a small apple and she totally loved that random conglomeration!  But, this week I thought I'd try an actual baby food recipe.  I ended up tweaking it a bit to fit what I could find at my TJs/what I thought would be good, and Maggie loved the result!  So, if you have a little one, you should try it!  It's yummy (to a baby), nutritious, and easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 can of organic garbanzo beans, drained (15oz)
1/2 clove of garlic, minced (*I used a whole clove, but I think it was a little too much)
2 small or 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 small onion (or less) chopped
2 tbsp of olive oil
3.5 cups of water
1/2 cup of boiled organic chicken, shredded

Directions:

Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil for a few minutes.
Add in the beans (drained) and the potatoes.  Then add in the water.
(You can add the chicken now or just add it straight into the blender with the soup [gross. i know.])
Simmer for 15-20 minutes/until the potatoes are soft enough to blend.
Blend it up.  Yum?

Let it cool and it's ready to go**.  I served it to Maggie with a slice of wheat bread.  And, from what I can tell she definitely enjoyed it!  So, try it if you want!

[**cottage cheese or whipping cream/milk is optional.  I added a smidge of cottage cheese to bring some creaminess, and also to make it less watery (you also might need to add some other thickening agents such as oatmeal cereal, depending on the consistency).  ALSO, if you are going to freeze it, do so sans "cream" and add the cottage cheese or what not as you serve it.]    

A "Relaxing?" Family Hike

Here's our baby girl, just catching a few zzz's while mommy and daddy have a fun hike in
the sun on Memorial day!!

,

I have 4 other videos I really wanted to load of the sweet Mags, but for some reason it's not letting me? So, for now, this will have to do...  I will try again later, but I've officially wasted far too much time trying for now.  Off to finish the dishes before the babe awakes :)

A Beautiful Saturday

Life has been BUSY lately!  Most recently my amazing husband graduated from Seminary with his M.Div. (don't worry, i will be singing his praises in my next blog!), family was in town from NoVa, Maggie turned 6 months (yet another blog to come), and of course just living the high profile, high energy Wauhop life - you know what they say, work hard, play hard ;) and we do!

But seriously, we had SO much fun this weekend at the gorgeous Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills!! (Thanks Carly Brannon for the tip!)  We brought a picnic (Chipotle) lunch - yum!  It turned out there was no "picnicking" allowed, nor the throwing or catching of balls, and a few other random things.  But it was an absolutely gorgeous and FREE activity!  Even the drive down was super fun, (we took the 2 to the 134 to the 101 and got off on Coldwater Canyon and followed that down most of the way) very scenic - the secluded Beverly Hills!  Here are few of my favorite pics from the day.  Enjoy!

Handsomest Hubby/Daddy I've ever seen!!

My two most favorite people!!  Love their big, beautiful blue eyes!

Maggie loves giving kisses...big, wet, slobbery ones...all the time!!

and a few of the place, itself...

Thank you, Lord, for your beautiful creation, a super fun day in the sun, and an amazing family to enjoy your graces with!!!  We are so blessed!!

5) The Honor of Working at Home

Titus 2:4-5 is very clear, "...so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored." Yet, this seems to be interpreted so many different ways by so many believers, truly trying to please the Lord with the way they live their lives.  Being a homemaker is offensive to some, outdated to others, and to others still it is the greatest joy!  There is only one correct interpretation of this verse, and I do believe that to be that a woman's place is in the home...even a working woman with no husband or children should cultivate a love for the home.  In the short amount of time I've been a full-time stay at home wife and mom I've had many people say, "It's so nice that you can do that..."  Implying that it is a nice option I've been afforded.  Praise the Lord, He has provided for me to stay at home without greatly altering our style of living.  But my "choice" to stay home with Maggie is something that I am actually called to - not just as a seminary wife, or a future pastor's wife, but as a believer!  When family or friends see homemaking as a burden, an unnecessary sacrifice, or even to the other extreme as a luxury, it becomes all too easy to "succumb to worldly thinking rather than viewing my profession as the Bible portrays it - a high calling from God."

 

In this chapter Carolyn Mahaney writes, "What we need is a biblical perspective.  For in God's economy, homemaking is a high and noble calling...By 'working at home' we can present the gospel as attractive to unbelievers.  Our homes can actually be a showcase for the gospel!"  How awesome and daunting is that!  It is my ultimate goal, as a homemaker to create an environment for all who enter to think of Jesus Christ, to be refreshed, encouraged, and happy.  Playdates, Bible studies, recipe parties, new neighbors, friends, family, you name it - there are countless opportunities to share the gospel and encourage one another in love and good deeds in the home!  And as a wife, that's my job!  

Think back to the beginning...why was Eve created in the first place?  She was created to be Adam's helper!  "We are to be our husband's helper (Gen 1:26-31, 2:7-25; 1 Cor 11:8-9)...She is called to the work of ministering to him.  He is oriented to the task, and she is oriented to him."  God ordained it to be so in the garden!  A huge part of my glorifying God on this earth is to serve my husband, family, and home.  Careers, trends, traveling, "me time," etc. are not a part of the plan.  Nothing is wrong with many of those things, but the calling is the same for all women.  Especially as wives and mothers, our lives should be centered around our husband's and children's needs - everything else can fall into place after that. 

Some think that as a stay at home I don't get to exercise my skills or interests.  First, I'd say that I actually don't have that many marketable skills :)  And secondly, it is a true joy and "skill" to love the home and manage it excellently.  I cannot wait for the day, Lord willing, when I am that super organized, cool wife/mom who has the menu ready, the cleaning all scheduled, and the calendar worked out, helpful projects lined up, and her hair done!  Maybe I'll never get there, but that is certainly a goal to which I attain.  Since staying at home, I've found a new love of cooking (and I am going to post 3 new recipe blogs asap!  The Wauhop's have been feasting on some delicious new dishes these past few weeks!).  I get so excited each week to plan out my menu and try something new.  Ask Robert, I'm always so excited for him to get home and try whatever I've been working on that day.

Honestly, I think that I have got the BEST JOB in the whole wide world!  I mean seriously, my child is gorgeous and sweet and so much fun!  My husband is the greatest man ever and my very best friend.  My house/apartment...well, I'm on my third one in three years and although it's nothing too special, but it's our home and I'm so thankful for it!  So much joy can be found in working at home.  Working at home is hard and dirty at times, it's tiring, especially when new babies come onto the scene, but I find it to be super rewarding and fulfilling - and even fun!  Either way, though, it is what God has called me to do.  And in His will there is great joy!  So, that's what you'll find in the Wauhop household - great joy!  The saying goes, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" and I really think that is pretty true.  As the mom, I set the tone for the home.  If I begrudgingly do my chores, make the meals, attend to Maggie's schedule, etc - well, home isn't Robert's or anyone's favorite place to be.  So, if you struggle with this area, when I struggle in these areas: PRAY, BE THANKFUL, and be in the Word!  The Lord is kind to provide the grace to obey and to be delighted to do so!

Ps. 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."  

P.S. - If you still aren't convinced...listen to this sermon from Johnny Mac!

My Girl Maggie - 5 months!

One more month and my Maggie Grace will be half a year!  Half a year!  I cannot believe that she is growing up so quickly.  This past has month has been so much fun!  Life with a baby gets better and better; each month she is learning so much and it is awesome to be able to be there for ALL of it!  It is such a blessing to be a stay at home mom and hang out with my baby girl all day, every day!  We have a blast together, reading stories, going on walks, playing with toys, spitting, making silly noises, having little photo shoots, singing songs - you name it, we love it!  *Don't get me wrong, we (I) have our moments when things get frustrating...but God is SO GOOD!  And it is awesome to be being sanctified as a mommy!  What a blessing 

Maggie is to me!

So...On to the interesting things:

Maggie is talking!  She babbles and coos and gaga-goos all the time!  It is pretty much the cutest thing you've ever heard!  I am convinced she will have a scruffy, raspy little voice.  She's going to be this beautiful, little, petite, feminine thing with the voice of a smoker.  It's going to be pretty cute,  I'm sure :)

We started doing solids every day, morning and night!  Mostly just oatmeal cereal...we tried avocados and sweet potatoes (not together) once, but she didn't love them.  I think it was a little too chunky.  I mixed it by hand; I think we need to get a blender of sorts to assist in my baby food making efforts.

She is sitting up for around a minute at a time all on her own!!  So fun and scary!  I know crawling is right around the corner.  I've caught her caterpillar crawling a few times, just inching around!  Baby-proofing is coming, I guess.  I actually think my biggest need in that area will be to vacuum the insane amount of hair I lose daily (which is apparently normal) off of our floors so she doesn't eat it - GROSS! 

She was sleeping about 11 hours a night (AMAZING, thank You, Jesus!) - until the day she turned 5 months, actually, when we entered into the fun world of teething!  (I think/I hope this isn't just a new phase she's in).  Mom's any sure fire teething tricks you'd like to send my way are greatly appreciated!  I will be sad to see her priceless little toothless grin go, but a little tooth will look pretty adorable in her precious mouth!

We also started a 4 hour feeding schedule - which has been the bomb (again until the teething started, but hopefully it's just a hiccup... :) !!

Maggie had her first Easter!  She is so beautiful!  I cannot get enough of this sweet girl!!  I could just kiss her little face all day -  so I do!

22 BIG weeks!!

The happy happy Wauhop family!  We love our little Maggie!!  Thank you, Lord!

2) The Blessing of Loving My Children

To me, one of the weirdest things in the world is that I'm a mom. CRAZY! I have been a mom for almost 5 months - i guess for much longer if I count my pregnancy! This has definitely been the most difficult and amazingly awesome and very sanctifying time of my life! I'm tired and busy and ridiculously happy; I'm in love with my little family - big time! Robert and I are always saying to each other, "Can you believe we're parents? We have a baby!"

This was a great chapter! So again, looking to God's Word and Titus 2, women are instructed to love their children. Just like with our husbands, this is phileo: it is not just my job as a mother to fulfill my responsibilities, but to take great pleasure in my children. I so want to be one of those super fun moms, not who talk incessantly about their kids as if the earth was lucky to have them, but who thoroughly LOVES mommyhood and little laughs and crafts and carpools and game night and forts and feels the immense blessing of children every day! Thankfully, that is all part of my role as a godly mom, and I am excited to try and fulfill it with God's help and to His glory.

There is nothing in my life that has required greater sacrifice than being Maggie's mom. I say that with the utmost humility and the great realization that I fail so often. And she is just a baby; I just have one baby! I hear the actual hard stuff is yet to come, plus adding future kids into the mix (exciting and terrifying!). Carolyn Mahaney writes, "Because mothering requires constant sacrifice, the temptations to resentment, complaining, and self-pity are always close at hand. But such selfishness will quickly sap the strength of our love for our children." I've seen this be true in my life multiple times throughout these last few months. When Maggie doesn't nap all day and I have no idea what I'm doing; is she eating enough, did I do the right thing by going in to her or letting her cry it out, and I haven't slept...and it gets really easy to fall into sin. These are the times that I need to remember that fighting my own sin is the key to loving my children and serving my family! Remember, "Our speech and actions are shaped by our thoughts." On hard days, the motivation behind loving Maggie needs to be the promotion of the gospel. Which is why it is so awesome that "we can draw from God's grace and receive His help to cheerfully lay down our lives for our children," because I am definitely inept on my own.

As I read this chapter I was overwhelmed and convicted. I suddenly knew Maggie was going to grow up - soon - before I was ready for her to... and the next few nights of waking up to feed her in the wee morning hours were a joy. Then I got over it and fell back into my sin. No, I'm just kidding, but seriously - sin, selfishness, self-pity, these things will be a constant temptation that I must be fleeing and actively fighting against as a mommy/as a human being. My life is Christ's, and He has called me to be a wife and a mother - so now, more than ever, my body is not my own, my time, my talents, my everything is about serving this amazing family with which the Lord has blessed me. And I'm so excited to do so!

Knowing that Maggie's exposure to the gospel and most everything else in life starts with me, during the in and outs of daily life is a huge responsibility! I am grateful and humbled by this, God's calling for my life. J.C. Ryle urges mothers to ask this question before everything they do, "How will this affect their souls?" No one will have a greater influence in Maggie's life, most likely. Carolyn Mahaney shares some thoughts from another mother:

"I seldom feel like much of an adventurere - standing in this kitchen, pouring cereal into bowls, refilling them, handing out paper towels when the inevitable cry comes: 'Uh oh, I spilled.' But sometimes at night the thought will strike me: There are three small people here, breathing sweetly in their beds, whose lives are for the moment in our hands. I might as well be at the controls of a moon shot, the mission is so grave and vast." (emphasis mine)

So, as I get a little emotional and close out this rather lengthy post...Carolyn Mahaney writes, "What greater privilege could we possibly have in all the world than to lead our children to the Lord? ... Though the mission is grave and vast, God's grace is greater (2 Cor 12:9)." Can I get an Amen?! I love you, Maggie Grace, and cannot wait to love you for the rest of your precious life!

Patch the Pirate

I love music!  And I'm pretty sure Maggie does, too!  I know that Seeds is really great music for kids, and I'm excited to get into that and start memorizing Scripture with Maggie through song in year or two...  But, I am also all about playing Patch the Pirate!  

I don't know if anyone even still knows who he is, but my brothers and I grew up with Patch the Pirate and he was our favorite.  Think Adventures in, Odessy, but WAY cooler!  He might be a little fundamentalist, but I promise I learned so much actually good stuff from him.  We had a bunch of Patch the Pirate on cassette tape; I actually need to see if my mom still has any of those...  But, long story short, you can listen to Patch and the crew on-line for free (just the songs, not the stories)!  So, if you have little ones, you will LOVE these!  Some of our (my) favorite songs are "Family Fun," "Wiggle Worm," "Poochie- Lip Disease," "Obedience," "The Lord's Army," "I Do My Part," "The Gratitude Attitude" and basically all of them (most of these can be found on page 2 under the last 5 albums)!  And my favorite stories as a kid were "The Custard's Last Stand," "The Evolution Revolution," "Patch the Pirate Goes to the Jungle," and "Camp Kookawacka Woods."  I mean honestly, don't those all just sound AMAZING!  haha.  Well, I do hope that you take a listen.  I think you're going to like it!

My Girl Maggie - 4 months!

I can't believe my SWEET baby is now a whole 4 months old!  Wow!  Yikes!

Her stats, unfortunately, are unknown.  Her 4 month appointment isn't until the end of the month, but I'd guess she is about 13lbs and 25.5in.  But, we shall see on the 29th!  

Maggie's Favorites:

 BATH TIME! 
Singing songs! 
Rainforest Jumperoo
Mrs. Giraffe

Her Playmat   

Goodnight Moon, Green Eggs and Ham, The Grouchy Lady Bug, 

Moo, Baa, La La La, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar 

A little article we read on babycenter.com confirmed what we already knew...that Maggie has "Advanced Skills" for her age!  She can roll over, both way! (Back to belly was quite the accomplishment!)  She is getting closer to sitting up, but I think that will take a few more weeks.  She started rice cereal (last week, though, so technically that was past her 4 month mark).  She can't get enough of her hands in her mouth and she drools like it's her job...I hope she's not teething : /

Nicknames:

Mags (or Baby Mags)

Mags-a-million

The Magster

Maggie G

I think the most fitting word for my Maggie, is SWEET!  She just has the sweetest smile, 

and the brightest eyes...  Her daddy said beautiful; she loves her daddy!  And she will share a smile with almost anyone.  I LOVE this little girl!  I'm so excited to get to know her more and 

more as she grows up, but I at the same time I so hope it doesn't come too quickly.  I 

know it will, though.  But, she is such a blessing and I am forever thankful to the Lord 

for this gift of stewardship!

"The Future"

So, Robert is about to graduate from The Master's Seminary this May! In 58 days to be exact! That fact literally blows my mind! For our entire marriage (almost 3 years) we have lived out here in LA while Robert was pursuing - and dominating, I might add - his MDiv. Now that this chapter is coming to a close, what's next for us??

Answer: We have NO idea! Well, we have a few ideas...

It's a little bit awesome and a whole lot of scary to have no idea what 3 months from now might look like for us?! Especially as parents, now, we can't just "fly by the seat of our pants" as easily as we could before. Robert has already started taking classes for another degree, the ThM. With this degree it would open up doors for teaching at a college level, both now and for the future. If he decides to stay and do the ThM, we would probably be ready to leave TMS this coming December or January. At the same time, however, "we" are actively interested and looking for churches that we could go to and begin implementing all of this training he's received! And while this option, and a more permanent zip code is higher on my list of preferences I am praying for and growing in contentment for what the Lord has for us - whatever that might be!

Honestly, it seems like every other week we could go one way or the other. After a fabulous class or chat with an esteemed professor Robert is excited and driven to stay for the ThM. Then, he talks to an already graduated friend in ministry or someone further along in the candidating process and he can't wait to get his own ministry and just preach! All the while, I'm thinking about the timing of our next baby, when we will live somewhere that has a real oven (and maybe even a dishwasher?!), where will that be, will it be close to our families, I wonder if there's really good food there, there's really good food here, maybe it would be nice to stay in CA with Dr. Frields for a while, warm weather year round...you know, real spiritual stuff, haha. But, my main ministry stays the same, here or there - Robert and Maggie! So, who knows what 3 months from now will hold. Who really even knows what 3 minutes from now will hold - I mean, I have a sleeping 4 month old in the other room! BUT, what I'm saying is that God is good and He knows exactly what each moment for the rest of eternity holds, and even better, He has planned it for my good (becoming more like Christ and then that we would be presented to Him) and ultimately His glory!!

And this is not where I was planning at all on going with this post. I mostly wanted to share Jesse Johnson's blog about candidating...candiDATING. So, check out his interesting and true perspective on candidating at the Cripplegate!

This Morning with the Mags!

Ah! I love this girl!  She is way too cute! I'm so thankful for this happy girl!!

DON'T YOU WISH YOU WOKE UP THIS HAPPY THIS MORNING...

KICK, KICK, KICK!

Watch This!!

If you want your heart to MELT completely please watch the most ADORABLE little girl play peek-a-boo!! I mean seriously - she is too precious and so funny! It's a little small and garbley...but that little laugh is to die for!! I love this girl! Please watch and fall in love!

Introducing...My Girl Maggie (after the fact)

So, about four months ago the sweetest and most beautiful little girl entered into this world, on November 10, 2011 my precious Maggie Grace was born!

Labor: I was induced at midnight on Wednesday the 9th.  My nurses were amazing, the hospital was freezing, and the day was long.  Around noon (after 12 hours) I got an epidural - and in my case that actually sped things up; plus, it was pretty amazing!!  Then, at 6:30ish I began to push.  At 8:27 my new love was born!

Eating, Sleeping, and Diapers: That pretty much sums up a new babies life, haha.  At first I felt like all she did was eat because she would always fall asleep while eating and it would take practically an hour for her to eat, and then in about another hour it'd be time for her to eat again! So, I a lot of Netflix...  Maggie and I spent many nights on the couch; it was so sweet and easy - there is nothing like cuddling your sweet baby, holding her in your arms for hours while you sleep.  So precious!  (I did miss my bed and my husband, though, so after a couple weeks we really started to work on sleep training.)  And, Robert was a champ and changed most of the first week diapers.  

Schedules: We did/do Babywise, and I would highly recommend checking it out.  It's basically a three hour schedule of eating, playing, and sleeping.  So, she eats - now at 8:30 or 9, 12, 3, 6, and 8).   Then plays, at first there isn't much playing, there's hardly any awake time.  But now it's so much fun.  Maggie and I read stories and play in her bouncy chair and go on walks...she's such a joy!  Then there is napping!  Praise the Lord that napping is no longer a great mystery or daily challenge for us over here!   Lastly, it's bed time - and I do love our bedtime routine.  When she eats around 6 she stays up to play until around 7:45 and then she has a bath, which she LOVES!  Then it is time for jammies with daddy, and one last feeding to send her off to sweet sleep!

Now, Maggie will be four whole months this weekend!  I seriously cannot believe it.  I love my girl SO much!  I don't know how I imagined motherhood to be...not exactly like this, I'm sure, but I am so glad that it is this way!  Maggie is beautiful and fun and joyful and amazing!!  I can't wait to see how she grows and learns and changes.  She loves reading stories and singing and she rolled over at 6 weeks - what an Einstein!  Before I know it she will be sitting up and crawling and getting more hair and sleeping 12 hours and holy cow I'm so excited, but at the same time I can't believe how much she is already growing up so quickly!!  Thank you, Lord, for the great gift of Maggie Grace Wauhop.  Robert and I are so blessed!  We love you baby girl!

I'm Back!!!

YAY! I'm blogging again! It's been quite a while since my last post...and, a huge new part of my life is the one to blame...my sweet Maggie Grace Wauhop! Can you believe that she will be 4 months old in just a few weeks!?! I can't! But, at the same time, i feel like she has been a part of our fabulous little family forever! I've heard that's how motherhood is, though. And it is so wonderful. Seriously, the faces she makes, the "stories" she tells, she is just the sweetest girl this earth has ever seen and Robert and i are so in love with her!!

So, my plan so that I don't get too overwhelmed, but am still connected to the blogging world and the 3 people who read this (don't give up on me kristen!) is: 1. to share new and delicious recipes that i am trying (i told Robert that i'm going to make at least one new thing every week [thank you pintrest - making better wives and moms everywhere, haha!]) - that's the easy blog. 2. Maggie's Mom posts, aka things i love about being the cutest girl ever's mom! these should include pictures and milestones and maybe videos if i can ever figure out how to upload all of the adorable things that she does onto my ancient computer. and 3. just things that the Lord is teaching me, encouraging stuff, and updates on our life - seminary, graduating in May, future plans, etc?! So, with that being said, I do want to just share this link to an awesome sermon by our pastor JMac that was super encouraging as a stay-at-home mommy! It's so good to know that you are doing the Lord's will for your life and loving it! God is so kind to make our desires His desires and to give us such joy, peace, and grace! Thank you, Lord! And, please listen to this sermon if you get the chance :)