Resolutely resolving

There's a song our church back in Kennesaw sang a while back that I've been thinking of recently...

Morning by morning I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God’s hand in mine
Season by season I watch Him, amazed
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways
All I’m in need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful to me

I can’t remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can’t remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand
All I’m in need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful to me

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I’m in need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful to me

I was reminded of these words again as I read today's post on GirlTalk. Nicole Whitacre quotes Iain Duguid, who writes:

"Don’t we often act toward God like little children? We kick and fuss and scream because we want what God has promised, and we want it now.... But, like a patient and long-suffering parent, God bides his time, neither delaying nor hurrying, until everything is in place. Then—and not a moment sooner—he gives us the good things he has promised."

Looking back over 2007 (not an uncommon thing to do on New Year's Eve) I realize just what a crazy year it's been. This wild year took us away from everything familiar and thrust us quite unexpectedly into unfamiliar territory with a new daughter, new jobs and a new home. And through it all, God has been faithful to our family.

A few Sundays ago, our pastor asked why we ever doubt God. I've thought on his question often since then, and I realize it's because part of me just cannot wrap my mind around the idea that God is in control and that He will always be the faithful Father he's promised to be for His children. Even though He has never let me down. Not once. God has always provided for me and for my family. He has blessed me far beyond what I could hope for. So why do I doubt Him? Why, when trials come, do I bite my nails and ponder the worst-case scenario and wonder how I'll handle this, when I know He's never failed me? God has always been faithful, and He will be again. And again. And again. My new year's resolution is to make this the promise I'll rest on in 2008.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Aunt Sarah...that's got a nice ring to it

Congratulations to Ryan and Sarah on finally making it official! The Fishers are looking forward to adding another girl to the family when Justin's brother gets hitched in 2008, and we're excited that Abby's going to have her first aunt! (In a world full of uncles--four of them, to be exact--this is a really big deal!) We couldn't have asked for a better one. Good job Ryan, and congratulations to the two of you...you've got quite an adventure ahead in your life together, and you're going to love it! (Guess the fake dating is officially over now, huh Ryan?)

Who knew fat rolls could be so cute?

Just came across these pictures as I was looking through the thousands that we've taken since Abby was born and had to share them. I guess I don't notice because I'm with her every day, but the comparison between Abby at six days and at three months really is incredible. At her four month check-up yesterday the doctor said our little girl is the size of your average six-month old, coming in in the 97th percentile. They weighed her when we got there and I took it upon myself to put her back on the scale after I fed her before we left the doctor's office and found her to be 10 ounces heavier than before she ate. If she's eating like that five times a day, it's no wonder she's getting so hefty. Way to pork up Abby!

What a difference a year makes

It was one year ago today that we found out our lives were about to change dramatically. What a joy it is to celebrate this Christmas with the child we were only looking forward to this time last year! It was a truly momentous occasion last December 19 when I woke Justin up at 7 a.m. to show him the positive pregnancy test. An "imprinted" moment, as Justin's mom would say, and certainly one neither of us will ever forget. So here's a look back at last year's blog entry (the one no one knew to look for until after the fact) ... how things have changed!

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Thursday, December 21, 2006

We're having a baby!

We're having a baby! Congrats to all the soon-to-be grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles! We hope you'll enjoy watching Christina's belly grow with us as we anticipate the arrival of the newest Fisher.

Thanks for joining us as we countdown to baby Fisher's arrival. Since we don't know what we're having yet (a baby, yes, we know...but we won't find out for a while if we'll be painting the nursery pink or blue), our baby's nickname is Ziggy. Click the links at left to keep up with baby Ziggy's progress!

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Week 5

We just found out this week that we're having a baby, and can't wait to start telling family and friends! We're both so excited, with a fair share of nervousness mixed in. We're waiting until Christmas to tell everyone, so for now, our lips are sealed!

No signs of morning sickness yet (thank goodness)! In fact, the only day Christina felt anything was earlier this week when a "yucky" feeling that wouldn't go away made one of her friends ask if she was pregnant. She took a test to be sure, and, in fact, she was! Justin was truly surprised when she woke him up at 7 a.m. to show him the positive pregnancy test.

Baby Ziggy is about the size of a small sesame seed this week and looks like a tiny tadpole. The cells are forming for his major organs, and his neural tube is beginning to develop, from which will sprout his brain, spinal cord, nerves and backbone. His heart and circulatory system are beginning to form this week and his tiny heart will begin beating soon.

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Rollin' around

Abby's got new skills...

After the brief preview of rolling over that we saw at Thanksgiving, Abby's side-to-side activities pretty much screeched to a halt. But yesterday, she picked it up again, and now she's a rolling champion! Well...maybe more like a rolling third-runner-up. But she's getting there!

240 minutes

Dear family,
We know this blog is primarily for your Abby-watching enjoyment, and it has proved to be a great way to close the gap between Virginia and Georgia as you watch Abby growing up in pictures. But I have to take a break from addressing my usual audience for one night, and say a special thank you to the couple who made it possible for us to enjoy 240 Abby-free minutes this evening.

An open letter to our neighbors:

Tonight we were able, for the first time in almost four months, to get out of the house for a long-awaited date night. It was a wonderful (albeit strange) feeling to be able to go out and enjoy dinner without worrying about when Abby might start getting fussy, or when I had to feed her next, or when we needed to be home to put her to bed. We enjoyed getting to spend time with the other parents at Justin's office Christmas party--it was quite different seeing everyone all dressed up with no spit-up stains on their shirts or toddlers tugging on their trousers. I realized however, that when a group of parents finally gets away from their kids for a couple of hours, we find ourselves talking incessantly about...our kids. But talking about them and talking over them are two very different things, and it was nice to do the former without the latter for once.

Yes, we're parents now, and we love it; but long before there was Abby, it was just the two of us, and these little date nights are invaluable when it comes to keeping that relationship strong and sane. So please let us return the favor, and soon. Because tonight was fun, and it won't be long before we'll be asking you to babysit again. Thanks again you guys!

'Tis the season...

First, some holiday fun -- click here to check out our dance moves! (It takes a while to load, so be patient. And be sure to turn your speakers on!)

Now back to your weekly Abby update...

We've decked the halls and have found we have a new source of entertainment for our little girl who's so fond of looking at lights: the Christmas tree! Our boring old lamps will never capture her interest quite like they did before she saw the imitation Douglas Fir growing in her living room covered in multi-colored lights. Now if only I could make them blink...

Abby's becoming much more purposeful in her movements, grabbing toys that are put in front of her and moving her fingers to her mouth when she wants to suck on something. She's also developed a new interest in trying to sit up, which seems to frustrate her since the best she can do is lift her head up. She still lacks the ab strength to pull her upper body into a sitting position, but when we offer her our fingers to pull up on, she's all smiles. This has turned into a game we've nicknamed "Up and Abby," and it keeps her entertained for minutes on end.

We've been experimenting with some new toys to see if we can expand her horizons beyond the floor jungle and her crib mobile. The exersaucer, as you can see above, proved far too much fun for our little one, and after a few minutes of banging at the toys, she simply passed out from all the excitement.

Abby's starting to do a lot more "talking" now too! Her grunts and cries are evolving into more vocal sounds, and sometimes we'll catch her laying in her crib or sitting in her high chair making the most adorable noises in her conversation with herself. We've tried to catch it on video, but every time our chatterbox sees the camera she stops making noise and stares intently at whoever is attempting to film her.

We tried for three days to take a family picture for our Christmas card, but getting a 3-month-old to hold still while we wait for the timer on the camera to go off proved to be a pretty difficult task. We did end up with some cute pictures of her with one or the other of us though.Merry Christmas!

I've arrived

There have been lots of things over the past year that have pointed to the fact that I am, indeed, a mom. A positive pregnancy test is a good early indicator of momhood; giving birth is another sure-fire proof. But when you suddenly find yourself excited by things that, in a previous life, would never have even been on your radar, that's when you know you've arrived.

Abby made a pretty big mess this morning in her bouncy seat. But the poop came out of her sock, and I did a little happy dance in the laundry room when I realized that everything came out clean.

I've arrived.

I survived the blizzard of '93

Turns out it really does snow in parts of the world in the winter...and now, we happen to live in one of those parts. I'll admit, we were a little disappointed to realize that snow in Virginia doesn't shut things down quite like it does in Georgia. Justin still had to go to work, and the grocery stores aren't experiencing a shortage of bread and milk. Our kind neighbors cleared the snow from our windshields for us, and within an hour, mine was covered again. Guess it's time to invest in some boots and sweaters if we Southerners expect to survive in this winter wonderland. (And don't worry...I didn't keep Abby out in this below freezing weather long, but we had to get a picture of her first snow.)

She's been very, very good

Real Abby. Fake Santa.