She arrived just in time for Christmas!
Having a Christmas-time baby was never in my plans. I didn't want a child close to any holiday for that matter, because I didn't ever want to have birthday parties on the same day as Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas. I have learned to be very careful what you tell God you don't want!!! :) My 3 girls were born in October, just weeks before Halloween; November, just days before Thanksgiving; and December, just days before Christmas. Not at all how I would have scheduled their birthdays, but I wouldn't change anything either. They are each precious and they all came exactly when they were supposed to!!!
Kellah Grace entered our lives on December 17, 2011 at 8:05 am, just 6 hours after my very first contraction. Supposedly, she was a week late, but she weighed a whopping 7 pounds, so I am pretty sure my due date was wrong. I knew that from the moment we found out about her though. You see, we had miscarried the year before, on December 18. And when I saw the positive pregnancy test and rushed to the computer to find out my estimated due date, I was surprised to learn it was December 10. I just knew she would come later, though, closer to the anniversary of the miscarriage. And she did!!! It was as if God was giving us something to celebrate rather than mourn. She is our rainbow baby, a reminder of God's promises to never leave or forsake us, to always be right there with us even when the flood waters seem to be rushing in and threatening to drown us. She is our beautiful gift, a testimony of God's never-ending grace, His faithfulness and abundant goodness even in the hardest of times.
Kellah's pregnancy was a time in our lives when things were rough in many aspects. Financially, we had no idea how we would pay our bills each month. Yet, God came through time and time again. We had just been licensed as foster parents and had a difficult placement right off the bat, our lives even being put in danger in the first 2 weeks. Needless to say, we were daily dependent on God for every single need. And through Kellah, he seemed to remind us to be at peace, to be still and know that He is God, that He will not only take care of us, but will blow us away with His blessings.
When I was pregnant with Kellah, we prayed she would be a "gracious warrior," like the meaning of her name. We wanted her to stand up for what's right, even when it's not the popular thing to do. We wanted her to notice the needs of those around her and be proactive in helping them in whatever ways she could. We wanted her to be fierce in her love for God, passionate in her commitment to live for Him, dedicated to showing His love to all those around her. Boy has she lived up to her name and those prayers!!! She may be small (still wearing 12 month clothes without any problem), BUT she is strong and mighty. She is a go-getter, a climber, a mover and a shaker, a dancer, a laugher, a lover of life. She doesn't like to miss out on anything and doesn't let her size keep her from doing anything the big kids are doing. She will make herself known - either with a scream or a push or a shove - to get her way. She's not about to let someone tell her what to do if she doesn't want to do it. I love the ferocity and stubbornness, but she can be a handful at times too. That spark and spunk isn't always so cute! :) For every ounce of courage and adventure in her body, Kellah has some sweet tender kindness to match it. She is quick to help me, to get things the daycare kiddos need, and now that she's a big sister to make sure Baby Kyiah is okay - sometimes to the extent that she SHOVES the pacifier in her mouth, SMOTHERS her with a blanket, or attempts to carry the carseat when it's time to go somewhere.
Speaking of being a big sister....SO crazy how Kellah seems to have grown overnight!! She's still small for her age, but boy does she look HUGE next to little Kyiah!!!
Kellah also LOVES her big sister, Coralyn!! I absolutely melt as I listen to the two of them laugh and play together. They play princess, read books, do puzzles, and make HUGE messes together. They just started sharing a room, and oh my goodness did my mama's heart swell when I saw this that first night:
They do love each other...
Kellah is still our reminder of what Christmas is all about! God WITH us. God interrupting our lives and living among us, inviting us to LIVE in His presence every single day.
We celebrated her birthday with family and friends on Sunday. We "had a ball!" That was the theme since she's into balls and GOING. Seriously, the child can NOT sit still for more than .2 seconds!!! But we love that about her...
Today, I took the girls to Zona Rosa to play at The Grove and get "ice cream" at Yogurtini. We had a blast!
Tonight, we will head to Chick-fil-A and let the girls play there too. It's one of their favorite things to do!
It's hard to believe Kellah isn't my little baby anymore. She's the BIG sister now. And the little sister, still. Ah, the middle child. Lawrence tells her they have something in common, at least. Speaking of Lawrence, Kellah is becoming quite the Daddy's girl. When she wakes up in the morning, she asks for Daddy first, not me anymore. She cries when he has already left for work, and RUNS to the garage door as soon as she hears it going up to signal Daddy is home. She calls him, "MY Daddy" and clings to his legs, begs for him to pick her up, to dance with her, to swing her around or do gymnastic tricks with her. Blesses my heart.
Kellah is into balls, but she also likes puzzle and is really good with her shapes now too. She enjoys coloring and making crafts with Coralyn. She pretends to bake and cook in her play kitchen. She is starting to get into books more, but won't sit through me reading an entire one to her. She will, however, sit and flip through book after book on her own. Little Miss Independent. (I seem to have at least 2 of those so far.) And of course climbing -- she LOVES to climb! And then run and jump and dance and fall to the ground, only to get right back up and do it all all over again! She's my little energizer bunny. I pray she uses all that enthusiasm for life to bring glory and honor to God in ways I can't even begin to imagine.
I don't know what plans God has for my Kellah, but I know they are amazing. He has designed her just the way He wants (Psalm 139) and has good works prepared for her to do (Eph 2:10) and will help her live them out. I am just blessed to be a part of this, to be her mama and have her on loan for however long God gives her to me. I am excited to watch her grow up, teaching her about God and helping her live for Him with every fiber in her being. I love her so very much and really can't imagine life without Kellah Grace!
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