Open Wide

One of the most attractive physical qualities about a person, in my opinion, is pretty white teeth. That being said, I am a little over the top about brushing my teeth. In college I remember getting into a conversation with some friends about how I brushed my teeth something like 5+ times a day. I recall one of them scolding me that I was going to wear the enamel off my teeth (which is not true - I asked my dentist!:)). Dave and I often laugh at how quickly I wear out my toothbrushes. His is in better shape after a month of use than mine is after a week.

From the time Caleb began cutting teeth, I've been concerned about making sure we keep his pearly whites pearly white too. Dave and I try our best to keep our little boy's teeth healthy by brushing them twice a day. As you might imagine this is sometimes a feat when Caleb decides he does not want his teeth brushed. Any parent who has ever tried to get a toddler to open his mouth when he has made up his mind against getting his teeth brushed can empathize with the difficulty of such a task. 

Despite our best efforts to keep his teeth in pristine condition, to my dismay several months ago I noticed some spots on his teeth that looked discolored. Most people probably wouldn't even notice but in my obsession, I did. While the dentist originally told me kids don't start coming for check-ups until age five, this concerned Mama decided my two-year-old needed a trip to Apple Valley Dental. I've never had a cavity and was not about to let him get one if I could help it. 

I wasn't sure how this trip would go, because, like most little boys, Caleb is very active. We took him to the dentist once before because he had bumped his teeth on some cement stairs last Mother's Day and it looked like he had pushed them up into his gums slightly. On that visit he was tentative about opening his mouth for the dentist to see. This time he was a whole year older though and was cooperative the whole visit opening his mouth just like the dental hygienist and dentist asked, letting them check out his teeth. He did get scolded a bit for trying to push the button that makes the chair go up and down, but what toddler could resist really? However, after the initial exam was complete, the hygienist did let him push the button and even made him a balloon out of a glove for entertainment until the dentist arrived. This balloon definitely came in handy for distracting Caleb during our wait since he wanted to crawl up and out of the chair repeatedly, push the chair button, and check out what was going on in the hallway.

And the final verdict? Caleb's teeth are great. The hygienist said sometimes baby teeth are just slightly discolored at times but his are healthy nonetheless. Shew! She also complimented Caleb by saying he was so cooperative that he could probably come back at age three for his first cleaning if we want. Good job, Caleb! You make your Mama proud. :)

Easter Rush

After church and Hadley's dedication, we rushed around like we do every major holiday to visit both sides of my family. This was the first time Dave's parents were here to tag along for all the craziness.

First, as usual, we went to Granny's house. Pretty much as soon as we'd arrived Dave and I realized we'd forgotten the diaper bag. I think the only other time this has happened was right after Caleb was born on our second trip to church. That time we had to stop and buy diapers; this time we were close enough to home that Dave could to run back to the house. During the half hour he was gone, Hadley needed to be changed of course. Someone had brought me some size two diapers as a present that day so I thought I would try those until he returned. In the diaper changing process though, Hadley decided to go to the bathroom again, messing up the dedication dress she was wearing as well as the bed spread in Granny's guest room. What a start to our visit! In nothing but an oversized diaper, Hadley ended up snacking on a little milk to calm down until Daddy returned.

Needless to say, in the midst of all that confusion, my plan to get lots of pictures of her and Caleb playing with their cousins wasn't working out as I'd hoped. Thankfully, my sister took my camera and grabbed a few shots of the kids outside. The big hit of the day was an old wagon of Ryan and Hayden's. Anabella, Daniel, Peyton, and Caleb piled in to be pulled around by my dad. Hayden tried to help too but realized it was harder pushing a wagon full of toddlers around than he thought.

 

 

  

The kids played outside pretty much the entire time we were there because it was a gorgeous day.

 

 

 

One of the biggest sources of fun for the little ones were bubble "leaf blowers" Granny bought them for Easter.

 

Since Hadley was too little for a bubble blower, she got a VTech pink bunny. She was also too little for the outside fun, so she stayed inside and snuggled.

 

This was the first time most of my family was getting to meet Hadley. Anabella was probably the most excited about her though. She treated Hadley like a little doll, trying to cover her up and love on her. She kept examining her, looking closely at Hadley's feet in what we think was an attempt to figure out if she was real.

Before we left, there was also time for a toddler version egg hunt. There was no need to fill the eggs with money like Granny used to do for us; Caleb, Daniel, and Anabella were happy just to find the empty plastic shells. After gathering all the eggs, no one compared who had the most. They just started throwing them back into the yard and hunting again. (I love this age!) And, when the egg hunting began to get a little dull, Hayden began demonstrating how to climb the trees in the backyard as the toddlers looked longingly - probably trying to figure out how they could get up there too.

 

 

We had one final stop after Granny's. For the first time I can remember, my Grandma Nora Ann did not host Easter. Instead, everyone came to my parents' to celebrate. 

My sister, who is great at picking out presents Mom loves, bought my mother some chickens for Easter. As you can imagine, this was one of the first points of interest for our boy after arriving.

My dad had another surprise for the kids this year - a moon bounce. Everyone wore themselves out! I even tried it out a little. (Later after I had some time to think about it, I realized jumping in a moon bounce was probably included in the no-exercise-for-six-weeks postpardum restrictions, especially since it had only been a little over a week since Hadley's birth. Oh well, I guess... )

 

There was an egg hunt of course too. This time there was money in the eggs but Caleb was too young to notice. He just enjoyed the thrill of the hunt. 

 

Before we left, the kids both got Easter baskets from Na Na and Pop to enjoy. (They'd already received their treats from Grandma and Grandpa McKinstry the day before.)

In all the hype of Easter baskets, egg hunts, wagon rides, bubble blowers, and moon bounces, we lose sight of why we reserve a special Sunday each spring to celebrate Easter - the resurrection of Christ and the hope we have because of it.  Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 tell us that where our treasure is, our hearts will be also. While tradition is fun, Dave and I have begun considering how we can refocus our attention on the real treasure of the day - not the money in the eggs or the candy and treats found in an Easter basket, not the nice weather, not even the time spent with family even though all of those are wonderful things. We want to glorify the Lord everyday but especially on Easter - the day we remember how he's suffered for us, conquered sin and death, and now reigns with God in heaven waiting for those of us who put our trust in Him. We want our children to store this in their hearts and hold it not only as the most valuable part of Easter but as the only thing worth celebrating. So, while I started this post highlighting that this Easter followed the usual mad holiday rush and traditional happenings, it may be the last of that sort as we consider how to better celebrate Jesus' gift rather than putting Him as an afterthought of a busy day. I'm not sure how next year will look but am excited to move forward.

Easter Morn - Dedicating Hadley

On Easter morning, I can remember waking up as a kid to find several items from the Easter Bunny arranged neatly on the couch or the fireplace. We'd usually have a few spring/summer outfits, a swimsuit, some toys, and of course several pieces of candy - my favorite being the Reese's peanut butter eggs. Now it's my turn to pretend to be the bunny and I'm loving it! I'm following my mom's tradition of putting in summer clothes and a swimsuit for each kid but also am starting one of my own putting in summer toys and books. Instead of candy for my little ones this year, I filled their baskets with sunglasses, silly string, foam bath soap, and other small fun items.

 

 

Dave's parents were visiting for a few days and, as a result of us all running on different schedules, we didn't get a chance to go in and check out the kids' Easter baskets as a family as early as I'd hoped. Caleb didn't wait for us though. He went in and explored both his new stuff and his sister's before his parents were ready.

 

Not only was it Easter Sunday, it was also a special day because it was the day we dedicated Baby Hadley back to God. It was her first Sunday at church since we were still in the hospital the week before; I thought it couldn't have been a better day to celebrate new life. My mom and I looked for months prior to the event to find a newborn Easter dress we liked but were unsuccessful. For this special occasion though, my mom offered to let us use a dress and slip she wore as a baby. The sentimentalist that I am, I loved the idea! Here is a picture of the slip, the detail at the bottom of the slip, the actual dress, and the dress with mom's bonnet:

 

 

We had lots of friends at church interested in seeing Hadley during the greeting time. Afterwards, it was time for the dedication ceremony. Since several people asked, I want to explain a little about what it means to dedicate a baby. To begin, I want to clarify a common misconception - it is not a baptismal service. Because only adults are baptized in the Bible, and only after they make a personal decision to follow Christ, we believe that baptism is something that each person should choose to do on their own as an outward demonstration of their commitment to serve the Lord. Since the Bible teaches that each person is responsible for making their own decision to follow Jesus or not and that our salvation is based on our faith alone not our parents' faith, we don't baptize our children but allow them to make that decision when they are old enough to understand its significance. A baby dedication is a chance for the parents to stand before the congregation of other believers and make a public commitment to raise their child according to the Scriptures, teaching them who God is, what He did for us, and how we should respond to His gift and live our lives as a result. It is also a time for us to recognize that our children are blessings that He's entrusted to us but ultimately they are His children and we offer them back to Him to lead and use for His service as He chooses.

 

On a less serious note, the dedication was followed by a fun filled activity our church holds every year on Easter - a peep eating contest. My cousin Lexi (far right) who was visiting for the dedication decided to try her peep eating skills. She quickly decided she wasn't a big fan of peeps.

There were a lot of people who came to see Hadley's dedication. Of course, Grandma and Grandpa McKinstry came since they were visiting. My parents and sister as well as my mom's parents came too. Also, my mom's sister (Aunt Susie) came with my Uncle Randy and their granddaughter Lexi. Dave and Caleb had to leave early so Caleb could nap but here are a few shots of those who could stay to take some pics afterward:

 The whole gang

 My mom proudly shows off Hadley in her dress

Close-up

Four generations