Growing Richters

2009-08-04T16:39:00.004-05:00

I realized that I hadn't written anything on this blog for a while now. I'm not exactly sure why. I'd like to say because I've been so busy taking care of Kiah, but actually I think it has more to do with being a little less than inspired. And again, I am brought back to the name of our blog: Growing Richters. Growth is sometimes hard. Obviously, sometimes it means change, sacrifice, etc... none of which are fun. But it also sometimes means waiting, which is perhaps even harder. We're feeling those sort of growing pains these days. We're itching for change, don't exactly know why, and don't really know what that means. So... we wait... and try to figure out what it means to pray... and hopefully, no, assuredly, God brings us along in our way.

Kiah's growing like crazy these days. I'll just add a couple of fun pics to show off.

I can't believe she can feed herself Cheerios!

One of the girls from church crocheted this for her... It's beautiful.

Kiah and Daddy playin...

Kiah with Grandma Mary a couple of weeks ago...

Gratitude

2009-05-23T20:39:00.009-05:00

Today we attended a beautiful wedding at our church and for some reason it made me very nostalgic for our own that was only just shy of two years ago. I was teary at the beauty of the bride, the bridesmaids and the music. I wondered again at the serious and holy nature of the vows we say and the life we're committing to. And most of all, I was deeply grateful that God got me there two years ago, and that he got me here today. I sat next to my sweet husband who whispered to me throughout the ceremony dreams for our future, musings on where we have been and could only smile and take a deep breath of gratitude that he is my partner in this crazy adventure called marriage. I held on my lap a squirmy, ever-alert, little girl who is so full of life that she can't sit still. And I smiled and took another deep breath. I sat beside my wise, caring, gentle father-in-law who took turns holding our moving baby, who always wants a turn to hold, talk to, rock, and love on his granddaughter. And again, what could I do but smile and take a deep breath, so aware that I never thought I would be blessed with such in-laws. God has been so good to me.

Tonight I watched the movie "Rachel Getting Married." It's a hard movie, but good. It's so real that at times you feel uncomfortable that people are being portrayed so close to the way we all act and feel. I saw myself in the characters, struggling to love and be love, to forgive and be forgiven, to keep living deeply even when it's harder than I had ever imagined. The most magical part of the movie, in my opinion, was the music. It was jazzy and funky, and melodic and rhythmic, all in turn. It was the soundtrack of life lived, really lived. And I loved it.

So my post today is sort of a toast, to real life and to blessed life. And as I write it, I smile and take another deep, life-giving breath... of gratitude.

And for those of you that really just want to see the new pics... here you go:

Highlights from our trip to see my mom...

And from our trip the next weekend to Michigan...

And then just some classic Kiah moments...

(She is seriously going to kill us one day for this one!)

Newness

2009-04-13T10:42:00.015-05:00

So there are a lot of 'firsts' in the first few months of a new life. And everything is new and momentous to a young life and to those who are watching it. This post is to celebrate some of Kiah's experiences of newness in picture. She is growing like crazy these days, and continues to be such a source of joy!

Ian and I are also experiencing many 'firsts' as well, most of which cannot be accounted for but occur in the day-to-day of our lives together. I have to say, it is good to be alive. And this week, the first of Eastertide, I am especially thankful for our newness of life... and for the hope of ever-redeeming new life that the cross and resurrection promise us. It's so easy to lose sight of that in the midst of getting places, worrying about everyday things, and going about the humdrum tasks we all have to do. But I am hoping, as Kiah is experiencing newness everyday, that I will be reminded to look for God's newness in my everyday as well.

Can you say piercing gaze? She's been holding her head up and looking around for months now, but in the past few weeks she has just been getting stronger and stronger.

She's also found her feet and loves sucking on her toes...

And she loves to sit up and play. At our house, she loves to play in her highchair and on the floor.

In expectation of Ian's birthday, Kiah also had her first photo shoot. Thanks to our great friends, Craig and Alyse, Kiah got to get all dressed up to have her picture taken. Here's one from that day:

Last weekend, Aunt Kate came to visit and she and Kiah got some of their first real bonding time (Kate did come visit when Kiah was just a few days old, but this time they got to interact and get to know each other a little better).

...and Kiah got to go out to her first fancy dinner with Daddy, Mommy, and Aunt Kate. She didn't eat much, but enjoyed grabbing the cloth napkins and trying to master the heavy silverware.

Just another fun pic of our two beautiful princesses.

This last weekend was a busy one: Ian turned 23 and Kiah celebrated her first Easter.

Here Kiah is wishing her daddy a happy birthday morning!

On Sunday, Kiah got to wear her first Easter dress...

...and later we went to spend the afternoon with friends at Grandpa and Grandma Richter's house. Kiah hung out with Grandpa while we got things ready for lunch...

...and a few minutes later we came in to find her with her 'new pacifier!'

During the Easter weekend, Kiah had another first that didn't get caught on camera. At the Good Friday service, Kiah was playing on the floor and reached over the grab her carseat. She was pulling it toward herself, so I put my foot in it to weigh it down. Next thing we know, she pulled herself right up! I couldn't believe my eyes. She's growing SO FAST!!!!

And, finally, this morning Kiah tried her first cereal.

Not sure what she thinks yet, but she'll get the hang of it...

Thanks for walking with us. May you also see God's redemptive hand doing new things in your life today!

Still growing...

2009-03-22T21:53:00.007-05:00

So I having been thinking a lot lately about this time of life and have various musings. One, it is definitely different than I thought it would be. And yet, in many ways, it is what I wanted: the wonderful husband, the gorgeous baby, the great friends... For the past few years I have realized that life is way harder than I thought it would be. I thought if I had the above mentioned blessings in life that I would be happy, content, and at peace. Instead I find myself here, with so much of what I wanted, still longing for so much more. I want to fight less with my husband, to give more willingly to my daughter, to know who I am more confidently and to live and love more fully and selflessly.

I remember back in late high school days my friends and I would sit around and pontificate on what it meant to feel the pangs of living on this side of eternity. Looking back now I realize that we didn't even begin to understand what that would mean. But that adolescent angst turned out to be all too true to the struggle that is part of this life. And now, more than 10 years later I realize that this is life: beautiful, full of more joy than I could have ever dreamed, and so much harder than I ever wanted it to be... all rolled in to one big, messy, crazy package.

I am not a person who likes struggle, or even ambiguity. I grow weary very easily and go quickly toward anything that would bring resolution or seeming peace. But that doesn't seem to be what living life deeply looks like. (Rach, if you're reading this, remember when we used to talk so much about living deep lives??? )

And so back to the title of this blog: growing Richters. Here I am now: a Richter, a Mrs. Richter, a mommy Richter, and trying to learn what it means to grow in grace.

And now for some highlights of the journey:

She's just too cute after bath time...

Yep, she's sitting up in her high chair now, not eating but playing with toys.

And just some pics of our lazy Sunday together:

Miami yay!

2009-03-02T08:42:00.005-06:00

Having been born in the bleak midwest, amidst some of our bleakest of months, Kiah had not seen much of the sun up until this last week... when she got to go to Miami! Renee (Ian's mom), Kiah, and I went to visit some great friends of ours who now live just south of Miami. The weather was warm, the landscape was green, and the time with friends unforgettable.

Kiah's first plane trip!

The Gunthers--our wonderful friends who we miss very much!

Karl and Kiah

Kiah enjoyed Graham's toys...

...and Graham enjoyed hers.

Grandma and Kiah out to a Cuban dinner.

Renee, Wendy and Graham at the beach.

A picture we took for Ian especially, telling him that we wish he could have been there with us. Unfortunately, he had to stay back and work.

Kiah lounging on the beach...and the first picture of her smiling!

Kiah got to put her feet in the water.

It was a wonderful trip. We do wish that we could see Karl and Wendy and Graham more often, but it was so nice to be with them (in the beautiful Miami) for at least a few days.

Learning

2009-02-09T15:33:00.007-06:00

The title of this blog is "Growing Richters" for a reason: we hope to always be growing. Unfortunately, growing is not always easy. Learning is humbling, tiring, and just takes time, patience, and a lot of grace. That's definitely the season we're all in right now, a time of learning. Ian's learning a brand new job (praise the Lord for that provision!) and learning how to sleep less and still function. I'm learning how to be a working mom with a job that you wouldn't exactly call my dream career (my love of coffee only goes so far) and my heart torn between two worlds. Kiah is learning more everyday. Her latest passion is getting things into her mouth. It's so fun to see her learning hand-eye coordination and continuing to be so alert, observant and seemingly curious. She's gonna give us a run for our money! We're all learning so much about what it means to be a family at this stage and Ian and I are learning to trust God in whole new ways. It's humbling. It's tiring. It is taking time and patience and grace... lots of grace. It's life and we're trying to live it for all it's worth.

Here are some of the latest moments:

Kiah's starting to love bath time and Daddy is the pro

The rest are just fun pics!

Our First Christmas

2009-01-04T15:09:00.009-06:00

So of course Ian and I had Christmas together last year, but this was our little family's first Christmas at home. Ian started us off by surprising us with a Christmas tree. These first pics are of our us decorating the tree.

Ian putting up the tree

Kiah's contribution to the tree decorating process

The lights are on, now it's the tricky process of finding just the right spot for each ornament!

Kiah woke up to join us

The proud family and the finished product

The week of Christmas was busy, but so fun. The Richters have a family tradition of going together Christmas Eve morning to get a tree and then coming back to the house to decorate before the Christmas Eve service at church and a night of games at the Welanders. So much fun! And Karl and Jayla and Kayla were around to join in this year. Here are some highlights...

Picking the perfect tree

Both of her grand-babies fell asleep on Grandma Renee's lap while the rest of us decorated the tree.

We're finished!

Kiah played baby Jesus at our Christmas Eve service, but also got to wear a pretty dress!

Mary donning her white elephant gift!

Grandpa and Kiah waiting for their turn in the white elephant exchange.

And finally... Christmas morning with Grandpa and Grandma and the Thompsons.

Daddy and Kiah opening their stockings.

Alyse and Kiah took a nap together while waiting for Christmas dinner.

Mommy and Kiah posing for Kiah's first Christmas pic! She hasn't quite gotten the looking at the camera part... =)

Day by Day

2008-12-04T09:54:00.004-06:00

So today is Kiah's 5 week benchmark and as I sit here watching her sleeping in her swing I find myself already joining the ranks of countless parents who have gone before me in saying, "Our little girl is growing up." Already she can hold her head up all by herself, even if it's only for 30 seconds, whereas she came to us completely floppy and unable to control her movements. Already she is starting to put herself to sleep. Already she is looking intently in our eyes and following our voices with her gaze. Already she is 8lbs., 4oz., so says the scale yesterday. Already she is starting to smile at grandma, at the waitress, really seeing people and responding to them. Yes, she is still so small and helpless and fragile, but already she is a little person. And, as so many people told me it would, it is going by so fast. In an attempt to cherish the moments, here are some more pics of the last few weeks.

She and Daddy are having a heart-to-heart.

Looking right at the camera, or maybe just at Mommy...

She's grabbing Ian's neck for safety!

After eating a good meal, she passed out.

So grown up and thoughtful...

Still Momma's little girl!

Kiah and Portia are getting aquainted.

Ian is helping her a bit, but that is her thumb in her mouth. Maybe the pacifier's days are numbered.

3 weeks in...

2008-11-25T09:08:00.008-06:00

Well we now have 3+ weeks under our belts and I feel a huge sense of relief. We made it this far! The first 3 weeks were hard, so much harder than I thought they would be. But just as all of the wise sages who have gone before us promised, it does get better. Now everyday seems just a little easier than the last, even with the ups and downs of one bad night or hard feeding. All that said, I think we are both keenly aware of the fact that this is truly the hardest thing we'll ever do. And a huge opportunity to grow in grace!
The best part is that just when I feel like I can't do "blank" anymore (e.g.-get up in the middle of the night, calm her crying, etc.) I look down at her and my heart just melts. She is truly an incredible little person, and the awe and beauty of that overwhelms me. Here are some of her latest moments.

Daddy and Kiah taking a nap while Mommy gets a shower!

Milk coma...

Asleep between her loving parents =)

Contemplating the issues of the world with Grandpa

Daddy loves to calm her down

The Cousins Meet At Last

2008-11-23T11:00:00.001-06:00

The joke in the Richter family is that Ian and I have patterned our life trajectory after his brother Karl and wife Jayla. Karl and Jayla got engaged a month before we did, were married 3 months ahead of us, and had their first baby girl just about 6 months before we had Kiah. Because of Jayla's job, that Richter clan migrated out to Arizona just before Kiah's birth. But this last week, Karl and Jayla and Kayla came out for a visit and the cousins got to meet at last. She's still waiting to meet her cronies in Utah, but Kiah now has her first extended-family visit under her belt.

Ian was a little freaked out by a baby that weighs over 13 pounds after holding our little 6 pounder. It was really pretty funny!

Kiah's getting to know her Aunt Jayla

The goofy Richter boys with their little girls.

I'm not sure Kayla knew what to do with a tiny baby

Grandma and Kiah are sharing a calm moment...

Welcome Kiah Mary

2008-11-10T08:52:00.005-06:00

Here we are, just minutes after Kiah came whooshing out of my abdomen. I'd say we all look pretty good after 30 hours of labor and a c-section!

One of Kiah's first pictures--she's just 23 minutes old here.

Mommy finally got to hold Kiah for a little while!

Daddy is in love already. Thanks to my c-section, Ian got to be the main one to hold, change, comfort, and love on our new baby girl. An interesting opportunity for early daddy-daughter bonding.

Look at those eyes. They were midnight blue, almost steely when born. We'll see what they become, but they are so gorgeous and intense right now.

The Final Days...

2008-10-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

My wonderful friend Kate suggested that we get some final pregnancy shots before the baby arrived. As per her suggestion, we borrowed our friends' awesome camera and headed out to one of our beautiful forest preserves to take some pics.

Growing through the waiting days

2008-08-29T15:25:00.004-05:00

Waiting... and trusting... seem to be our keywords these days. Waiting for our beautiful little baby, waiting while we look for a new job, waiting to get the house situated and settled, waiting, waiting. Some of the waiting is fun. Getting to dream about our baby and plan for what we can ahead of time. Some of it is a little harder, like drudging through job applications and wading through random household items out of place and out of sorts. But through it all, we're trying to trust. God's been so faithful in the past. Why is it so easy to forget that? So we take each day, one at a time, and try to trust in this moment, and the next. Waiting days... not always fun, but part of the journey. Some of what waiting looks like is in the pics below.

Why I'm new around here

2008-05-25T22:01:00.000-05:00

Blogging is something I've honestly never really understood. I thought it was mostly for aspiring writers and/or those that have a lot of people interested in what they're up to.... As you will see if you read on, I am no aspiring writer and although I have many wonderful friends, I cannot presume to fit into the latter category either. However, it is that which is growing inside of me that has inspired me to create this space. First of all, because many of said wonderful friends live far away, and I want to share this crazy thing called pregnancy with them. And secondly, because I have recently been persuaded that some amount of memoir-ish writing is a good thing. So for the petite Richter forming inside I hope this will some day be of interest.