On November 22nd, our wonderful son Judah turned 2! I feel it is only fitting to begin this special (albeit a month late) birthday post in honor of our boy with the first entry I ever wrote in the journal I keep for him:
August 29, 2020
“My son, after reading the Scripture I read while nursing you to sleep this afternoon, it seemed like a fitting time to begin this journal for you. Oh what a joy you & your sister have been to Daddy & me!!! This has been my heart’s glad cry, & this is what I read today:”
HOW KIND YAHWEH IS! He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” (Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, after living many years with no babies to love).
Luke 1:25
OH HOW MY SOUL PRAISES YAHWEH! How my SPIRIT REJOICES in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl… For the Mighty One is holy- set apart- & He has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear Him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things!” (Mary, mother of Yeshua the Messiah, after realizing she was pregnant & the angel’s message to her was coming to pass).
Luke 1:46-51
Every time I am in the presence of my son Judah, my heart rejoices all over again, & I am filled with Love from the Father for giving us such a precious & incredible gift. I told Eliana when she wasn’t even 1 yet, that God was giving her the most wonderful present in the world: a best friend, a sibling!!! It utterly melts my mama heart to see my two little miracles love each other so well; to laugh with (& at) each other; to express care for each other; to teach & talk & engage their imaginations together; & to each come into their own- uniquely girl, & uniquely boy. Judah is a young MAN through & through!!! It is remarkable how much he is like his dad in such unique & special ways. Yes, he loves to play & ride things, yelling “Drive! Drive!” anytime he gets behind a wheel; but it is his innate desire to figure out how things work & go together that has us in awe… for that is exactly how his Daddy was as a little boy, and still is. So inquisitive! Judah received different sets of tools from both sides of grandparents for his second birthday, & he immediately set to work building a Take-Apart-Airplane with the one set, and went around the entire house “Workin’ on it!” with every tool from the other set. He now knows what the name of each tool is! Not to mention, his favorite book is called “Digger, Dozer, Dumper,” and he can easily identify every type of truck or piece of machinery we see as we drive around doing life. Today at St. Vinny’s, he ran speedily up to a toy crane he could see from a distance, yelling, “CRANE LIKE DADDY’S! CRANE LIKE DADDY’s!” (My husband is a crane operator by trade 🙂 ). He found every button & crank, & pointed out the outriggers to me. Mark has even taught him how to steer “Left!” or “Right!” in our Ranger- did I mention he’s TWO??? Oh, these qualities run deep, and it is the best part of parenthood to see your children’s interests, giftings, and passions click into place & hit the ground running. (Sidenote: while Judah was playing “crane like daddy’s,” his sister was busy finding a Barbie, discovering a red Corvette that apparently perfectly fit the Barbie, and a pretend cup of Starbucks coffee to put in her front seat, LOL!! Trust me, Eliana is interested so much more than dolls & coffee shops, but the distinct differences between my boy & my girl- played out in a matter of seconds before my eyes- had me rolling, as well as the sweet St. Vinny’s employee stocking the shelves).
Also like his Daddy (hey, it’s our 9-year anniversary today, so yes, I have my hubs on the brain 😉 ), Judah is a very tender, sweet, & loving guy. He gives incredible hugs & the most heart-melting kisses. He still loves to snuggle me, with his blanket, of course. He cares deeply about his sister, and is incredibly playful- with her & anyone who will pick up on his joy & join in!! It is the easiest thing in the world to make him belly laugh, which happens to be my absolute favorite sound in the world. Judah is the piece of our family we didn’t know we needed at the time. But the Creator knew, & like for Elizabeth, He opened my womb right at the perfect time: after He had brought our precious daughter to us, & a mere 2 weeks after her adoption had been finalized in court!!! Someday I will get my act together & make a post- or, say, a baby book- of all of his fantastic, happy photos from his first two years of life. But for now, I am pleased to present his precious two-year portraits, taken with his big sis, and followed up by a chocolate muffin picnic under the falling leaves <3. Wisconsin Photography is at its prime in the fall!
To see Eliana’s 3rd birthday post, click here 🙂
