Noah's One Year Birthday

Friends, I have a great deal to blog about, but before I get into the issues now surrounding our lives Nick and I are eager to spend a little time sharing about our first year as parents. We are so grateful to all of you who have helped us survive, and enjoy, this year. We praise the Lord His faithfulness and your friendship every day!

Our first year with
Noah Lewis Graham
12/19/07-08

I (Heidi) walked in last Friday after having spent four hours at the hospital waiting for and going through my 20 week ultrasound for our new little girl. I was reminded throughout that process of the capacity for worry we are subjected to for our kids' health and safety, especially during pregnancy. There are so many "potential" problems, and with few exceptions, hardly any way to know things definitively. So...when I walked through the door and saw my tall, strong, healthy Noah break into big smiles I felt a whole new wave of appreciation for him. He was quickly in my arms and being covered with hugs and kisses, as is the case anytime I've been gone for a while (or he's just being especially adorable).

Starting Out
It must be impossible to really understand how drastically having a child changes your life unless you've had kids. I was certainly very arrogant before I had Noah, but I became aware of it almost as soon as Noah was born. The first moment of realization came in the hospital when I discovered that even though I was recovering I still had full mom duty and shouldn't expect the nurses to come in every time he cried. I also remember the first time I realized that there isn't just one way of teaching a baby to sleep, and that every theorist adamantly believed their theory was the onlyright way. The only thing I believed adamantly was that I was exhausted and had no idea what was right.


More importantly, I knew within a week of Noah's birth that we are not meant to raise our kids alone, and I'm not talking about how many parents there are. Even if a child is being raised in a two parent household, at least one of them is gone most of the day working, which leaves the other (usually mom) at home alone to cope with crazy hormones and a demanding infant. Praise the Lord that He knows me and understands the importance of community!!! In the months leading up to Noah's birth and over the last year He brought along a group of women (most of whom were also having their first children) to form a community of support and friendship. Aside from the joy of getting to know and raise Noah, the greatest gift of this last year has been those friendships.


Watching Nick become a dad...
Has been amazing!!! Certainly he has struggled through as much, if not more, uncertainty as I have, but from my perspective Nick has been as selfless and helpful as I could hope for. Nick's job in Roanoke gave him little time to be around, but when he was home, Nick truly was home. I love and respect him so much for the way he values his family.

Nick also has the special privilege of being the best tickle monster ever to enter Noah's young life, and it is such a joy to watch them play together. I still maintain that no one can send Noah into spurts of laughter as quickly as his dad. It is a real blessing that we have more time together now, and as Noah grows older, and we begin to transition into the toddler phase it is my great joy to watch the same guy who tickles and loves on our son be consistent in training and disciplining him as well.

To Work or To give up the discount....
I returned to Starbucks in March, after maxing out every possible way of taking time off. I worked to provide health insurance for our family, and went back under the best of circumstances. My manager loved me and was willing to work out a very specific schedule, so that I only worked Thurs.-Sat. My mother babysat the first two days and Nick got daddy time on Saturday. Logistically I had no room to complain, but I am not made up of logistics. The first cost of returning to work was that Noah could no longer be nursed (and believe me I tried). The second cost was emotional, as the weeks dragged on I felt like every ounce of joy was being drained from my body so that I was in tears at the thought of having to leave. The third cost was to my store. I wrestled and prayed to stay focused on my job as a supervisor, but I knew my longing to be a stay-at-home mom was impacting my performance. Long story short, July 12 was my day of celebration. I did not celebrate leaving Starbucks, but I did celebrate the ability to be a full time mom. I do hope that I will at some point return to photography in some form, but for now I have no doubt that this is what I am called to. I pray that the Lord will protect that desire, and continue to make it possible.


Heidi, "Noah, say 'mama'"
Noah, "dada"

Noah has this special litle glint in his eyes. He shares it with his father, and the glint always seems to indicate that they have some special secret they are protecting. It is mischeif, delight, joy, and more love then you could possibly imagine all wrapped up in one little expression. He has that glint in his eye, every time we try to have the above conversation with him. To date he refuses to say mama, but I'm convinced he can and is just playing a game with me.

Here are some other fun tidbits: Noah...

has eight teeth - no particular favorite foods, but loves to clap after every bite that he enjoys - sleeps 11-12 hours at night - climbs up and down stairs - loves people - doesn't get seriously upset very easily - flirts every time we take him out - will initiate chasing games - wiggles a lot - is learning how to help clean up his toys - consistently is in the 97 percentile for height - will "sing" along when I'm playing the piano - likes to cuddle - handles change well


Thanks for Reading!! Heidi and Nick