Annika, Child of God

Annika was baptized on Sunday. We had a friend take pictures, and the light was not very good, so slightly blurry. Katrina behaved very well and seemed engaged in the whole proceeding. Annika looked around with wide eyes the whole time...even when the water was poured on her head. No crying, just looking about as if to say, "what's going on here?"

This morning, Katrina said, "Annika is part of God's family now." Yes she is, baby. And so are you. Thanks be to God for the miracle of you both.

7 Quick Takes Friday

Jennifer at her excellent blog Conversion Diary has begun a meme that suits my random, sleep-deprived brain. So here are my 7 quick takes for this week.

--1--
I have not succeeded in getting Annika to nap for any significant amount of time in her crib or bouncy seat. Which is why I'm typing this with one hand. She does sleep well in her crib at night, up one or two times per night but usually quickly back to sleep after a bottle.

She slept from 9 pm to 7 am the night before last. Hopes were raised.

She was up at 2:30 and 4:30 am last night. Oh, the desolation (mine, not hers).

--2--
My computer keyboard is broken. The numbers five and six, the hyphen, and the page up key do not work. I've been using the "on-screen keyboard" for those keys. I use the hyphen/dash a LOT. For the second time, now, I get to go computer-free soon so HP can fix it. I think we bought a lemon laptop.

--3--
A friend brought us dinner a few days after Annika's surgery. Until yesterday, I had been holding her dishes hostage because I kept forgetting to either call her to drop them off, or in one case, actually take them with me when I was going to see her at a meeting. And yet I can recite the jingle for a local shoe store from my childhood (Super Shoes, for those playing along). Maybe I need to write my to-do list in rhyme.

--4--
Katrina played a cloud in "Scarecrow's Christmas" at the school. She had one line and delivered it admirably. The cast included the preschool, kindergarten, and first grade ages. They were all adorable. I was relieved that Annika, though awake through the performance, did not make a peep.

--5--
We traded in our Volkswagen Passat for a Mazda 5, mostly so we could fit more people than just the four of us. The Mazda was the smallest vehicle we could get that seated six. I like it so far. Katrina was very sad that we got rid of the Passat and had to go through some time of mourning. You know, until she discovered that she could open and close the Mazda's cool sliding doors herself.

--6--
I'm reading a book called Making Work Work for the Highly Sensitive Person. My mother-in-law gave it to me mainly because of its interesting concept of work being either Drudgery, Craft, or Calling. But as I'm reading it I realize that I fit into way more personality traits of highly sensitive people than I thought. I thought I was just pretty introverted, itself in the minority in American culture. Now I'm highly sensitive too, which the book says is only 20% of people? I really am a bit out of step.

And did everyone else already know this about me (being highly sensitive, not out of step :) ), because now I'm thinking, well, duh, of course?

--7--
I think everyone should go watch my cousin Dave's porcupine videos. Katrina was fascinated and now wants to "see a REAL porcupine, not just on the computer."

Advent

Advent is a time of preparation, church folks hear nowadays. Not the preparation of buying and wrapping gifts, but preparation for the coming of Jesus. Not too long ago, my pastor noted last week, it was a time of repentence, like Lent. The two aren't too far apart. In Scripture and in other spiritual writings, the holy Presence always shows us that we are not holy. The same robes of righteousness that look white in the grey of early dawn turn out to be dirty rags when the sun breaks through.

Perhaps that's why Advent speaks to me more than Christmas. The longing, the waiting, the awareness that what we see is not quite right. Perhaps because the world seems oh, so dark right now.

But "those who have lived in darkness have seen a great light." We know that there is something wrong in the world. Those of us who are Christian as well as those who believe in something else, or nothing else. We know it, bone-deep. Something is not right.

Christians believe that once upon a time, God came to earth to heal it. And that he will come again. And we wait...for the child, for the Christ, for the healing.

"Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God.
You've been promised, we've been waiting..."

Me, Too

Ode to Obnoxious Christmas Letters.
Send me your Christmas letters! I read and enjoy every word. I'm working on mine right now...you just may get it in time for New Year's.

In Which I Channel My Dad

So the stereotype is that women worry about turning into their mothers as they get older. I, apparently, should worry about turning into my father.

I was getting dressed the other day and rummaged through my sock drawer. And then I thought, "You know what I really need for Christmas? Some new socks."