Tristan: Six Months

Summer has flown by, and so has the time with my little baby!

Tristan is becoming quite the animated little guy. He absolutely LOVES his big brother and will giggle at him for really no reason at all. I love that they like each other so much right now, and although I know that will inevitably change, I can see them being quite the pals during their childhoods at least.

At six months, Tristan is around 20 pounds. I have no idea where this big boy came from, but soon he will be closing in on Brady's lean 32-pound frame! It's hard to keep him in any one size of clothing, shoe, or diaper (size 4!) for very long.

He is wearing 12-month or 12-18 month clothing, although I still squeeze him in some 9 month items if I can. I just can't wrap my mind around his size - he is outgrowing stuff at six months that Brady wore at 1+ years. The one thing that ISN'T large - his head :)

Even with his size, the kid still loves to stand. He finally started rolling over back to front at around five months, but if he could have his way, he'd stand all the time.

Tristan is a bit of a mama's boy - in the evenings, he will watch me like a hawk and hates to be away from me. It's cute and all, but hard to be gone for very long. And he's stopped taking bottles of any kind, so yeah, we're mostly a package deal these days!

Little man is really good with his hands. He loves batting and shaking toys, and grabbing his toes. Patty Toes (aka Patty Cake) is his very favorite, and I even found him grabbing his toes and patting them together a few times when I would sing the song - it's so precious!

As much as daddy really wants a ball player, T-man might just be another musical type (not that he can't be both!). He is terrible at riding in the car, but a few weeks ago I discovered loud rock-type music with lots of guitars and drums will quiet him immediately! Unfortunately for Gamma Lauterbach, I forgot to pass along this handy little tip the other night when she drove him from downtown to her house....whoops!

I think he is going to be teething soon - I sound like a broken record, but he's so slobbery, and his gums are rock-hard. He's got a constant runny nose this week, so I'm betting something will break through soon. Oh, joy.

In case you couldn't already tell, Chubber LOVES food. It took him two times to get the hang of eating with a spoon, and now he hoovers it. I can't shovel it in fast enough. He loves peas, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, rice cereal....everything I've given him, he's loved - EXCEPT the sweet peas I made for him. Awesome.

We are going through a phase now where he constantly wants attention. He loves to be held, and that includes while he falls asleep. I really don't hold him all the time and let him fuss quite a bit, but it's a bad habit he's developed and it needs to be stopped! In fact, he's screaming right now, has been for at least a half an hour, and it's almost 10:30pm. Did I mention he's strong-willed? He's exhausted but just won't give up - I even put the pacifier back in, but he just wants to be held. It's hard to know if he's just being a stinker, or if he's not feeling well from his teeth. 

When he's not screaming endlessly, he really is the happiest, smiliest baby alive, I swear. He is constantly grinning from ear to ear, and just loves to interact with people. I think he might be a little distracting at church to those who sit behind us, but who can resist a cute, toothless grin from a baby :)

It's so hard to believe he's already six months old. It feels like I just brought him home. Our nephew Jaxon was born at the end of August, and he weighed the same as Tristan did when he was born. I just shake my head in amazement, and a little sadness, that Tristan went from less than 7 1/2 pounds to the boy he is today in so few months. God truly is incredible.

Tristan: Three Months

I know it's a tired expression, but in this case, the time really has flown by. I don't know if it's because I have two kids, or we've kept busy, or maybe because Tristan is just gargantuan, but I feel like my little baby is gone already at 3 months!

Tristan is such a joy and at such a fun age right now. He is such a happy, smiley, LOUD baby. He will tell you all about it and then some, competing to be heard over big brother's constant jabbering.

At three months, Tristan weighs SIXTEEN pounds. yes. sixteen. He's very tall and has a budda belly as well as some mega-thighs :) I would swear he is older than he is if I didn't know better, he looks more like a six-month-old than an infant half that age!

He has great control of his arms and found his thumb a couple weeks ago. I know it's not a good habit, but it is just adorable to see him sucking his tiny thumb. He loves to lay on the floor and play with toys suspended over him. He is quite good at batting or pulling on toys, and loves when people play with his feet.

He seems to look less like Brady all the time and more like me. But one thing that is a total deja vu moment for me is when he gets excited about something. He stands up (with assistance of course!), gets this serious, Zoolander "Blue Steel" kind of look, and shakes his arms. It's really cute, and exactly what Brady used to do when he was excited, too.

Praise God the colicky phase is over, but now he might be teething....it's early, but he chomps and drools, and just gets kind of crabby. He loves gnawing on my knuckles, and kind of seems like he might be trying to cut some teeth soon.

I figured out I wasn't drinking enough water to keep up with his appetite. Since I have been forcing myself to drink more, I've been able to keep up with nursing much better. Obviously, his weight isn't suffering :)

Tristan is in size 2 diaper, and is in size 6 month clothing, although I think he will be out of that pretty soon. I can't get out the next box of clothes and get them washed up fast enough, he starts outgrowing them immediately.

I feel kind of bad that all of his nicknames revolve around his size. chubber, chubber cheeks, budda belly, chunky monkey, to name a few :) 

He may be a big boy, and I do miss my little baby, but he's super snuggly. My favorite is when he rests his head on my chest, wide awake, and just lets out a few coos and gurgles. He's just happy and content to lay with his mommy, and it's those moments that I wish I could just bottle up and cherish forever.

Tristan's Milestones

I plan to keep this post updated with Tristan's milestones. For now we don't have many, but that changes daily as he grows into a happy little boy!

First roll (tummy to back): March (yes, MARCH!!) 23

First (real) smile: April 11

Introducing Tristan Daniel Marks

Whew, it's been a whirlwind of a month, but I think we've finally settled into life with a toddler and an infant! It's a bit overdue, but I'm glad to finally introduce Tristan Daniel to the blog!

Tristan was born March 7 at 6:11am. He was 7lbs, 6oz and 19 inches long. A full pound smaller than his big brother, which I didn't mind! I also didn't mind that he came a week early, also opposite of his brother :)

I hope to post details of his arrival soon, but until then, here are some fun facts about our little guy:

• Tristan was tongue-tied at birth, which was a whole big issue I won't go into. But one tongue-clip later, he eats great and has full use of his tongue!

• Tristan also had an ear that was bent forward and didn't curl at the top (I call it his Yoda ear). We had a mold put on his ear that was supposed to correct it in two months, but after 10 days, it had already worked!

• The boy eats like a CHAMP. Before bed he downs 5-6 oz at a time!

• He is a super fussy/spitty baby. It's taken a full month, but I am hoping we've turned the corner away from sleepless nights and screaming until 2 am.

• With his big appetite, he has a big tummy to go with it :) Brady was always a small, skinny kid, so this chubby baby thing is new to me! His tummy and cheeks have earned him the nickname "Chunky Monkey".

• Tristan is the squeakiest child! He grunts and squeaks ALL the time - earning "Squeaky" as his other nickname.

• When he was born, Tristan could hold his weight with is legs. He could also hold up his head and look around without flopping. We knew he was strong, but we were pretty surprised when he started rolling over at two weeks!

• When he's happy, Tristan breathes really fast like he can't catch his breath, his eyes get really big, and then he sighs with a happy "OHHHHH!". It's pretty cute :)

• We've fought it for a month, but it's clear that Tristan is a tummy sleeper.

• I know it's not on purpose, but he smiles in his sleep all the time. Not little smirks, but full-on, gummy grins that are really precious!

• Although I admit I was hoping for a girl this time, I love my two boys!

• Brady is the best big brother, and loves Tristan more than I ever thought he could at age three.

• Two children is a lot bigger adjustment than I thought it would be. Thank goodness for family and friends who've helped in the beginning, especially my mom and dad!

I don't know when I'll get back into regular blogging, but for now, here are some photos from Tristan's big arrival!

Pregnancy Update: Week 36 + WYRW

Swollen, blobby mess. That about sums up my physical and mental state these days! I think a ban on all photos of me should be enacted now through D-day.

Last Friday, I went to the OB for a check up and to get the OK to travel to Minnesota for a quick weekend getaway. I have suspected I've had low iron at various times throughout this pregnancy, and a hemoglobin test confirmed that - so more steak, broccoli, and spinach for me! Hopefully that will help curb my lightheadedness, extra fatigue, and irritability I've been experiencing. Yes, I blame all irritability on the iron deficiency, and not that fact that I am an emotional roller-coaster anyway and have a tiring toddler to contend with everyday. The attitude of a teenager with a toddler's body and mind. It's just such a treat....

I gained three pounds in two weeks, which was more than past weeks, and I have a feeling between vacation, my couch-potatoness, and swelling, that trend will continue. But we did discover that I have started dilating (tmi? sorry!), which could mean nothing but is encouraging nonetheless! I KNEW all these contractions aren't just practice :)

The doctor also said once I was considered full term, they would probably order an ultrasound to check the baby's size. It took a couple seconds and then I realized what she was saying. "He's big, isn't he?" I'd been saying for the last two weeks that he just all of a sudden felt HUGE. She said yes, he seemed to be a good size little guy. Good news - maybe I will go into labor early and/or be induced (ick) closer to 37 weeks rather than 40 (or 41). Bad news - I am not a large or tall person, and I have a short torso. My ribs, lungs, and back are at their limit NOW!

As soon as we got back from Minnesota, which was an adventure in and of itself that I will write about shortly, serious swelling set in. And I've had about as much of our mattress as I can take - it USED to be comfortable due to our nice feather topper. A couple years ago after a suspected bed-bug incident, we purchased an expensive casing to go over our mattress and feather-topper. Well, since then the feather-topper ripped, and the thousands of feathers that are now loose in the casing have nestled into every crevasse where our bodies DON'T lay. Basically, we need a new mattress - NOW.

Complain much, huh? I do want to acknowledge that I am very grateful for relative health and well-being for both the baby and myself. I know I sound ungrateful - around 8 weeks I was annoyed and irritated with my nausea. I felt terrible and couldn't muster the energy to do anything. Granted, our scare at 10 weeks gave me a little boost of "I will endure anything I have to if the baby can just be ok!" But, the woe-is-me attitude returned once the pregnancy was back on track.

I have close friends and family who have struggled with fertility. In all honesty, it’s nothing I have experience with. I can’t imagine how couples endure who wait months, or years to have a baby. Or how women who have one, two, three, more miscarriages, well into that first trimester. They endure over and over the gross symptoms I complained about so routinely, with no baby to show for it in the end.

It’s true, at least for me, that much of pregnancy just sucks. But I hope I never, ever forget how lucky I am to even be married and able to carry children naturally, without intervention. My prayer today is for those who are unmarried and desire children, those who are married and struggling with conception, and those who have tried everything and still continue to wait. That God would choose to give to them what He so abundantly has given to us!

Even if all I feel like today is a swollen, blobby mess :)

Would You Rather Wednesday: Would you rather take multiple, small trips each year, or one bigger trip every year or two?

I'd say a combo! We haven't been on many big vacations, but like to take smaller ones more regularly, especially a warm-weather escape in the winter. However, even with the new baby and basement expenses, we are going to try to get in a nice, big trip this fall to celebrate our five-year anniversary. How far we've come in five short years!

Baby B

I apologize in advance for the lengthy post. Chances are you know we are expecting baby #2 mid-March. I wanted to share the other part of the story that not many know. Some people may think it’s private and shouldn’t be shared. For whatever reason, I just don't feel that way.

At around 10 weeks, I was working on a normal Thursday when I (sorry if this is TMI!) had some spotting, which is not really what you want to see at any stage in pregnancy. Back at my desk, my phone was at 5% battery life. It was 4:30 so I shut down the computer, left work quietly, and texted Joel: “I’m spotting, low cell battery. Call the OB to see what we should do, text me back.” I then used what little battery life I had to call my parents to get them in the loop. Between all of us, we got the message that the OB said to go to the ER since their offices were closing for the day, and my parents would be waiting with Brady at our house for the plan of action while Joel came from Ames.

I drove the 25-minute drive from Adel to home as fast but safely as I could. A million thoughts went through my mind. I knew the risk of miscarriage was significantly greater in the first trimester. I don’t tend to panic prematurely – I am the type who tries to stay calm and cool until I know the outcome of a situation. But it was a long drive home.

At home we decided my mom would accompany me to Mercy West, since it was close by and Joel was not due home for another 40 minutes or so. Check in went pretty fast, and Joel arrived soon after I was admitted.

At the exam, everything looked good. We were waiting on the final piece of reassurance, the ultrasound, but due to some complication at the downtown hospital, we decided to go home after three hours and do the ultrasound in our doctor’s office the next day. We felt pretty confident that nothing was wrong, but still anticipated the results of the ultrasound.

The next day, the technician got right to work. After checking a few organ-type things, she focused in on the baby. She told us, “I have good news and bad news.” That was not at all what we expected her to say! She started by telling us that she didn’t see any concerning signs or sources of bleeding, and that the baby seemed healthy and normal for 10 weeks….but that we were pregnant with twins and, unfortunately, one didn’t make it.

That was…..totally unexpected. Aside from some several jokes on my part about carrying twins, (maybe I just knew??) we never expected to hear that kind of report. We could clearly see, though, the larger, thriving baby with beating heart, and the smaller, less defined baby measuring a couple weeks behind.

The tech left Joel and me, and we didn’t quite know what to say or think. We were sad and happy at the same time. What a strange range of emotion, to be relieved I was still pregnant, but to also mourn the loss of the other baby. While I’m not sure I would know what to do with twins, no one wishes for the loss of a child.

Healthy Baby "A" at 10 weeks.

Baby "B" at 10 weeks, stopped growing around  weeks.

The twins - you can definitely tell size and developmental differences.

We met next with an OB in our practice. He came in and didn’t quite look at our chart closely, making a couple errors. Most notably, he didn’t realize one twin was no longer alive, and he was just Mr. Jolly about the whole thing, asking us if we were surprised by the ultrasound and what not. I think he thought we were ungrateful and weird when we replied with melancholy faces and indifferent expressions. After he explained the whole twin thing to us for awhile, he finally flipped the chart and realized his error.

I was still unsure what to feel the whole time we were in the appointment. The hardest part was seeing the lost baby on the ultrasound and in the photograph. I did manage a little humor, telling Joel, “You know, Dwight was a twin.” Referencing a favorite show of ours, The Office: “Yeah I was a twin. I reabsorbed the other fetus. I now have the strength of a grown man and a little baby.” It made him smile, and I think he was glad to see I was doing ok with the situation.

We are now just weeks away from delivery. We weren't sure if we'd see anything of Baby B on the 20-week ultrasound, and to our untrained eyes, we didn't.

It’s a strange feeling, knowing we lost that baby. Many people who miscarry don’t tell people about it. I can understand why some would want to keep that private. For whatever reason, I think I’m the opposite. It feels unfair to just pretend he or she never existed. Most people would never know they lost a twin since you don’t actually miscarry the fetus. I’m so thankful we didn’t plan on having twins and then find out otherwise: we found out at the same time that we had two and lost one.

In the book Heaven is for Real, the author claims that his son met a girl in Heaven who was the miscarried child of his parents. That she was alive and well in Heaven, and anticipating the day her parents would get there and name her and meet her. I don’t know if that is true, if unborn children, who would never be viable outside of the womb, are in Heaven, but I like to think that could be the case. And maybe someday, we will get the joyful surprise of meeting a child we never got to hold and love here on Earth.

So, this is our recognition of little Baby B. We can't wait to meet Baby A in March :)

On a side note: our neighborhood has eight houses, with three pregnancies at once. The other two families are expecting or just had twins and, well, we were on that path, too. We marvel at how statistically impossible that is! So, I don’t know what’s going on, but if you don’t want twins, don't move here :)

A Mother's Love

One thing I've wondered since Brady was born is how I could possibly love another child as much as I love him.

From the moment Brady was put into my arms, he had my heart. It truly is a miraculous connection, which I've written about before, but I couldn't help but wonder how I would be able to love another child as much.

You see, once Brady was born, he had my whole heart. All of it. No other kid even held a candle in comparison. That's normal, I think. So what happens when baby #2 comes along? How is that 100% distributed? Do you lose some love for child #1 to accommodate for another child? Do I care less about the new baby than I did about Brady when he was born? How can you divide a mother's love?

I guess time will tell, but I have this funny feeling it won't divide, but simply double. It's a concept that puts mathematics and logic aside. The 100% love I have for Brady will remain, and instantly my capacity to love will be doubled. It's probably a lot like God's love for us: we don't get a fragment of His love, we get 100% of His unconditional love, all the time.

I guess I'll find out soon enough :)

Boy or Geal? ANNOUNCEMENT

So who was right? If you remember, Brady was pretty sold on the idea of the baby being a boy. In fact, he recently told me that if it was a "geal", that he wouldn't like the baby! Ahhh, the words of a two-year-old :)

Well I think everyone predicted a girl, even Joel and I! We were a little surprised on Wednesday when the technician turned to us and said, "Well, he's right....we have a boy here!" 

Brady, not so surprised, declared with a smirk, "I KNEW it was a boy....I told you...."

It's true, we would have loved to add a girl to the family, but are excited that Brady will have a little brother to harass and bully love and play with. And, needless to say, Brady is pretty excited! He also likes to point out the "wee-wee" on the ultrasound photos....oh dear.

We are currently in the midst of finishing our basement, which in a ranch home is quite an undertaking (more on that some other day), and while I had grand plans for a little girl nursery, it will be so much less stressful (and easier on the checkbook!) since we already have what we need for this little guy.

Most importantly, everything checked out normally, baby is growing perfectly, and, maybe not so important but still - I'm not yet a whale! :) Although Halloween candy might do me in.

Hopefully soon I will be getting to some posts on the basement project, the nursery, a garden recap, some pregnancy updates, and more....stay tuned!

Brady: 3-Year Photos

I may be a tad bit biased, but could these photos really be any cuter??

Boy or Geal?

Boy or Girl? Our ultrasound is scheduled for November 2 - 21 weeks! Although with three nephews and a son ourselves, having a girl seems like the impossible :)

What does Brady think? When we ask him, he gets this cute smirk/smile on his face with his eyes rolled up in the air like he's searching for the answer and he declares, "Maybe it's a boy!" Once in awhile we can get him to say "Maybe it's a geal (girl)!" but even if he does, he always comes back to "Or....maybe it's a boy!"

Needless to say, big brother is hoping for a little brother - we'll see if he's right!

18 Weeks and Counting....

I've been on a bit of a blog-cation lately, which tends to happen in the summer. But I had an added reason the last few months to be less-than-inspired when it comes to anything that required work, effort, brainstorming....energy of any kind really!

Joel and I are expecting a new addition to the family in March, and we are excited! Although, the first 14 weeks, I was not excited about anything....ever.

When I was pregnant with Brady, I remember feeling really sick and nauseous, eating gross and random things, and never wanting to get off the couch. Which, lucky for me, was doable since I didn't have a job. I'm not sure if I really was sicker this time, or if it was just the the fact that I have a job now - oh yeah, and this little thing called a TODDLER to keep up with - but I was miserable.

I stayed home at all cost. I went to bed at 9pm (before Brady). I slept as much as I could, including naps. One silver lining: instead of craving canned ravioli and fish sticks this time, I turned to Claussen pickles, ginger ale, and Mrs. Grass chicken noodle soup to calm my stomach. I felt sick most all of the time, but especially toward the evening hours. So yeah, I was a LOT of fun to be around.

We found out about our little bundle on my birthday, July 8....20 minutes before our closest friends came over for a party in my honor. It was hard to keep our excitement to ourselves (and to not drink alcohol and go un-noticed!) but we managed. Girls, if you thought I was adamant that night about our period-math discussion, it was because I had just calculated it myself, and my "suppose you got pregnant mid-June...you would be due mid-March" assertion was not purely speculatory :)

At any rate, I FINALLY made it over the first trimester hump, and am feeling exponentially better. After a  scare at week 10 (which I'll write about more another time), I was really reminded of what my body is going through and why this temporary YUCKINESS is really all worth it.

For now, my main battles are lightheadedness/faint feeling, round ligament pain (I do NOT remember having that with Brady....Yowch!), massive headaches, and weight gain. Although I swore to myself I would be more responsible and not gain 50+ pounds ever again, and I thought my marathon training last year would give me a head start with that, so we'll see. I'm hoping I can eat smarter and exercise more than I did during Brady's second trimester to curb that trend. I have no desire to relive looking like Princess Fiona - Ogre version (Joel's words!); to explain to people that yes, I was smiling in the post-birth photos with Brady, but my FAT FACE prevented my cheeks from moving; or to use any other photo of myself as birth control for my teenage youth group ("see what I looked like? you better be married before you have children because NO MAN is going to stick by you looking like that unless you are married!).

Ah, the joys of pregnancy. 18 weeks down, 22 to go!

Around 15 weeks: I intentionally wore a shirt to hide things for our annual family photos :)

Cinnamon Rolls, with a Twist!

Who doesn't love a good cinnamon roll? Warm, gooey, melty....but if you are like me, you can't really eat a lot of them if you want your pants to fit :/

SO, I reached back to my childhood days to recreate what has to be the easiest, fastest, and healthiest way to recreate those tasty treats.

When I was growing up, my dad didn't cook....really at all. He made pancakes, the occasional egg (which somehow ended up looking like a pancake), cream of wheat (which I thought was disgusting but I ate anyway because I wanted to be like my dad. I also watched Field of Dreams every night with him for the same reason!), and these cinnamon treats! Maybe it's the memories associated with these little guys that make them taste that much better to me, but you NEED to try these. Do it. Right now.

Tortilla Cinnamon Wraps

What you need (measurements approximate): One large flour tortilla, one teaspoon ground cinnamon, one-two tablespoons white sugar, half tablespoon of butter or margerine.

What you do: Lay your tortilla flat and generously spread the butter/margerine all over (don't forget the edges!). Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar all over the tortilla, and pop it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. Roll up the tortilla, watch out for drippy sugar and butter, and DEVOUR! You won't be able to eat just one, I promise. They are so easy, so yummy, and the perfect fix if you are craving a sweet snack cinnamon roll-style. I know, they aren't exactly nutritional, but they are a heck of a lot better for you than a Cinnabon :)

These have been resurrected from my childhood vault, and I know Brady will enjoy these yummy snacks as he grows up, too!

DUUUUUDE!!

The other night, I was reading bedtime stories to Brady. He wanted to read a book where a bunch of animals just say "shhhhh," which I thought was too boring, so I changed it. 

"Meeeooowww" says the cat and "Ruffff" says the dog. I changed everything from "shhhh" to the noise that particular animal makes. Then, we came to the turtle page.

Now, I can bluff my way through most animals, doing a blubbery noise for fish, a nibbling noise for bunnies, etc. But that turtle completely stumped me. After a few seconds, I just said, "I don't know what turtles say; turtles don't say anything!"

Brady waited a second, looked at me, and told me, "No, nemo turtle say DUUUUUUDDDDEEE!"

FATS!

The other day, Brady and I were at the mall. He is in a phase where he likes to hold my hand and run as out of control as possible, which he calls "fats" (he means FAST, but it sounds like fats). So we were running "fats" all the way down the center aisle of Jordan Creek. He particularly enjoys it when we both yell out that we are going "fats". Some people laugh, some people are probably annoyed, but overall it's really pretty harmless. At least he is holding my hand and not running half way down the length of the mall, turning around every few seconds to see me chasing him only to squeal and run faster, duck into a jewelry store, and cling to the leg of some poor guy looking at rings with his girlfriend....but that's a different story.

So there we were, doing our thing, when we came to the section where those back massager guys are. You know what I'm talking about: those guys who always try to get you to put your face in the chair hole for a few minutes so they can rub your back and make a few bucks. There was one young woman taking advantage of these services right as Brady and I whooshed by. At this moment, Brady chose to stop talking so the only thing you could hear was me randomly shouting "FATS". To a young woman. With her head down in a hole. Who was more than slightly overweight....

She kind of looked up at me, and I quickly proceeded to "tell" Brady we were running FAST, in hopes she would think I actually said FAST, and wasn't just giving her a run-by insult. I have no idea if she heard me, if it was coincidence she looked up as I said FATS, or if she got that I was running "fast" with my son; but I felt bad nonetheless! Mommies say the darndest things....

Christmas Letter

Here's our version of a Christmas letter - what we've been up to in 2010! Merry Christmas!
(Click on the image to expand, then click on it again to make it even larger!)

Ho, Ho, Ho: Part Three

This post is a follow-up to Ho, Ho, Ho: Part One and Ho, Ho, Ho: Part Two.

I have to wonder why are some families so quick and ready to embrace the tradition of Santa, yet unwilling to live in the faith of Jesus Christ? How is it any scarier to believe in Santa, who clearly does not exist, than to believe in Jesus, who has been proven to at least have existed? Why would anyone want their children to believe in something that ultimately doesn’t exist and not want them to experience faith in one who does? I honestly think anyone who can allow their children to believe in Santa, even the most stubborn atheist, in their hearts are longing to believe in a Santa that does truly exist.

I think these people should look at the parallels between Jesus and Santa. Both are believed in all over the world; both have a small group of close followers who are present wherever they go (Disciples/Reindeer); both have the ability to know your thoughts and actions without being present; both require faith in the unseen; both have beards (at least our perception of them does!), both spread joy; and both are celebrated at Christmas time. Seems to me that whoever “invented” the idea of Santa was perhaps taking the idea of Jesus, dressing him up in a fat suit, and stuffing him down chimneys and into our homes.

I know a lot of Christians who debate whether or not their children will or won’t believe in Santa. My children will definitely celebrate the tradition of Santa. But more importantly, I will use that belief, that faith, to help them form and understand what faith in Jesus looks like. They will know the true meaning of Christmas, and when the time comes, their faith in Santa, I believe, will help solidify their faith in Jesus Christ.

Ho, Ho, Ho: Part Two

This post is a follow-up to Ho, Ho, Ho: Part One.

When I was in fourth grade, my classmate started hinting at the notion that Santa was not real. I didn’t want to believe it – but it planted the seed of doubt in my mind. Then I noticed the wrapping paper and handwriting of Santa was the same as my mom’s. Then I started planting the seed of doubt in my sister’s mind….if I was going down, she was coming with me! 

Ultimately, I had my first taste of making a choice about my convictions: stand by my beliefs, or question what I knew was truth. My faith was tested and tried. I attempted to bring others (i.e. my sister) into my doubt and hesitation. I was teased and mocked for my steadfast belief that Santa did, in fact, exist. It was up to me to decide if I would allow that seed of doubt to penetrate myself and others, or if I would remain steadfast in my convictions.

To me, belief in Santa is very much akin to belief in Jesus Christ. Now hear me on this: I do think it’s important to make a clear distinction between faith in Santa and faith in Jesus when a child gets to a certain age. Otherwise, the kid just might lump Jesus in with all other fictitious characters (Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Santa, etc.). And I do realize the outcome (Santa not actually being real) isn’t comparable to the outcome of Jesus. But how can we expect a child to understand faith in the unseen, joy in multiplied gifts, and the desire to do good works? How can they understand the concept of what faith produces if they have never experienced it? And how can we expect them to remain steadfast in their convictions when the pests of this world try to invade their thoughts and change their ideas? 

The answer: Santa. To deprive a child of experiencing the joy and faith of believing in something they cannot see actually deprives them of forming their first ability to experience the joy and fruit that comes from faith in the unseen and a desire to do good, even when the world tells us not to.

Ho, Ho, Ho: Part One

When I was growing up, I LOVED waiting for Santa to bring our Christmas presents. Sometimes, due to traveling, we had to write letters to Santa to get him to come early, but he always came. Without fail, every year, he faithfully brought our gifts. Oh the joy of waking in the morning to find our gifts had doubled overnight. To wait expectantly with anticipation, knowing he would deliver the goods, but curious to see just what exactly he would bring. Hopeful anticipation.

You can’t see Santa, but your belief that he exists will produce a much larger yield of presents than unbelief. You have faith that if you just believe in him, he will gift you with the desires of your heart. Your desire to do good and be good will in turn allow you to reap the good you have sown in the form of gifts that bring joy to your life. If you are good at heart, Santa will deliver. Why wouldn’t you believe in Santa?! Why wouldn’t you believe…