You are mine

Riley Elizabeth,

You are mine. Everyday I stare into your beautiful, yet to commit to a color but looking like your headed towards brown, eyes I am amazed that you are mine. I adore you and could spend all day watching your every move...and sometimes I probably spend too much of my day doing just that. But I hear time is short. That you will grow so fast. And I am already beginning to see that. You seem so big already and you are just 11 weeks old.

I can't believe that 12 weeks ago I didn't know you were Riley. I didn't know you would have the cutest chubby cheeks and crazy long fingers. I didn't know that you would have hair like me and your daddy's chin (minus the hair). Life has felt like a whirlwind with all that we have had going on but you in it feels so normal already.

I delight in the smallest things you do. How you have started kicking your legs more and more. And how you pull your arms in and smile with a big open mouth when you are overwhelmed by the craziness of my faces.

And I begin to think that that is just a tiny taste of how the Lord looks at us. I am reminded that he delights in me. That he looks upon me with joy the way I look at you. That even though I am sinful and broken he loves me so deeply and he calls me his. He wraps me in his arms like I do you and sings over me. He is my protector, my comforter, my savior, my lover, and my friend.

Your daddy and I pray everyday that you would be His. That he would call you to himself and that you would fall in love with him. And I pray everyday that I would respond to his love for me the way that you respond to my love for you. That I would relax in his arms and turn to his voice and be comforted by his presence. That I would trust him completely for my every need and delight in his goodness.

I love you Riley. And I love that you are mine.

-Mommy

Matthew: Gift of God

The name Matthew means Gift of God. And God gave me a good and precious gift when he brought Matthew into my life. Our relationship was on a fast track that I would probably never have recommended to anyone else but God definitely planned our steps perfectly. I can't believe that we have been married over 3 years and now have a beautiful daughter together.

I am incredibly guilty of under appreciating my husband for the incredible man he is so I thought I would share some of the things that make me so grateful for him.

His selfless and thoughtful heart

Matthew is always deeply aware of how any tiny thing he does (or we do) will affect others. He is mindful of not putting other people out and is also aware of how we can be a blessing to others.

His patience

I do a good job of regularly making us run into the same issue over and over again. I can be very selfish, communicate very poorly, be very manipulative, and on top of all that stay very stubborn. I will pick a fight, be mad that it isnm't beling resolved, refuse to let him off the hook but also refuse to speak to him. And still he loves me and as frustrated as I can make him, he stands by me and gives me grace.

He laughs with me

It is so easy to be joyful around Matthew. I tend to be pretty easily amused and I think that event though he may think what I am laughing at is slightly ridiculous he finds joy in my delight.

He laughs at me

This could come across wrong but usually it is when I am welcoming the laughter. Or there are the times when I may do something like get confused and think that the Wild Basin Preserve off 360 in Austin is actually a Wild Bison Preserve (because it translated incorrectly in my head for 3 years!) and ask him if Austin really has Basin (in my head picturing a Bison). And although he may correct me and laugh at me he doesn't make me fell TOO ridiculously stupid in that moment.

He steps outside himself

He lets fo of the things that are hard for him or go against his nature in order to love me. Mostly this means his logic...because he is very logical... and me...not so much. There are a lot of things that require him to put that aside in order to love me. For instance, I LOVE HAVING A REAL CHRISTMAS TREE. I think a fake Christmas tree= a fake Christmas (no offense!). But they cost money every year and are a lot more work. Matthew would much rather make the investment and pull it out of a box every year and be done with it. They are a lot of work and he does most of it. But he still does it. And he puts up with me when I don't keep it watered well and end up killing it (or whatever you would say since I guess it is actually already dead) and then I sit on the phone with Home Depot convincing them to replace it for free. When the agree Matthew helps me undecorate the old one, load it in the truck, drives to Home Depot to exchange it for a new one, helps pick out the new one, loads it up, carries it to our 3rd floor apartment, sets it up in the base AND helps me redecorate it. He does a lot that would be illogical, ridiculous, and JUST PLAIN SILLY in his mind. But he does it because he loves me.... and I can tend to be illogical, ridiculous, and just plain silly! :)

His pursuit of Christ

Matthew is quick to admit his imperfections. He confesses that he is sinful. But he looks to Christ to sustain him and to forgive him. He strives to be more like Christ and to push me to do the same. He has learned and grown so much since I have met him. He has learned to lead our family well.

His love for Riley

Through my whole pregnancy Matthew had so much excitement about becoming a father. And one of the best parts of the day Riley was born was seeing the look on his face while he looked at her. He rarely leaves for work without taking a moment to hold her and talk for her. And he is quick to do the same when he gets home. He helps with her bedtime routine every night he is home and prays for her before we put her to bed. He delights in her and adores her and it is the most beautiful thing to see.

He is pretty freaking hot

...but I don't think you want to read a description about that! :)

I'm a Mom!

So my blog is in desperate need of an update! We are overjoyed by the newest addition to our family so I will try to do a better job of updating to keep everyone updated on her life. I also am working on writing out her birth story because it is so precious to me and I don't want to forget any of it. I will share that on her once it is complete.

But for now meet Riley Elizabeth Moore. She was born Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 11:27am. She weighed 7lbs, 2oz and was 21.5in long. And I am absolutely in love with her!