Wyatt attends Buckhead Church.

Seems like God’s been up to a lot of great stuff lately, and well… He isn’t stopping. Today I got a text message from my sister with this picture saying, “Wyatt’s first day going to church.”

Andrew and Teresa got to enjoy the service, and Wyatt slept the whole time. It was so great seeing Wyatt at church today, I love and cherish moments like these. I can’t wait to watch him grow up in Waumba Land and all the other great environments! I pray he enjoys Buckhead as much as we do.

On a personal note, I didn’t enter the auditorium at the same time as my parents… and they left a seat open between them! yay!

Great Grandmother Nana.

Not exactly sure what Wyatt’s going to call Nana (our grandmother), but he’s got two great grandmothers (from T’s side) that love him very much. Nana lives close by, so she gets to give Wyatt lots of love all the time!

Reminds me when I was younger, I knew 5 of my great grandparents. Wyatt’s got 7. Blessed boy.

Joy.

he'll snuggle any day of the week

one month.

Saturday marked Wyatt’s one month birthday. We got to spend most of the evening together – just the two of us. He’s staying awake so much more now, and it’s a joy to watch his little eyes and the expressions he makes with his face. He’s going to be a lady-killer with his two dimples.

Birth             vs.        One month stats

7lb. 11 oz                   8 lb. 12 oz

21 inches                  22 3/4 inches

He’s still our little peanut with his daddy’s chicken legs.

Oh and of course he auntie has to make sure he has a monthly picture beside his mommy’s favorite teddy bear. Cool tid bit: It has Wyatt’s heartbeat inside.

Wyatt - 1 month

Leaving a mark.

I love working/mentoring with people younger than me. I always see it as an important opportunity and thoroughly enjoy creating those relationships. Before I started working at Buckhead Church, I was a tutor. I tutored students from kindergarten to 12th grade in math. It was a challenging job, but I really enjoyed working with the students and investing in their lives. I especially loved getting to know the high school students and listening to them unwind after a long day at school. It seems like the time around prom and other dances there was more talking than studying.

During the course of the two years that I tutored, I had a student that attends the high school where my uncle teaches. At the time, the student wasn’t in any of my uncle’s classes, but knew of him. This student was probably one of the sweetest, most genuine students that I tutored. Unfortunately I took the job as the Weekday Director and chose to no longer tutor at night. I haven’t been in touch with this student in over a year, he’s now a junior and has my uncle as his health teacher. He introduced himself to my uncle a few weeks ago and said, “You’re Tatum’s uncle, right? She was the best tutor I’ve ever had, wish she was still tutoring.” A few weeks later, my uncle and him were talking about a Cross Country Fundraiser Run at the school. My uncle asked him how many people he had signed up (cause everyone was supposed to get five people). He said, “0 coach”. Later that evening my uncle called me and asked me if I’d be interested in helping the student out and running the race together. When my uncle told him that we were going to run the race, he got so excited. This past Saturday, I got to spend a little time with them both, help out the cross country team and get a little exercise. He was so thankful (and a little in disbelief) that we showed up to support him and run the race. Who knows the next time I’ll get to see him, but I am thankful for this opportunity and will seize the next one too.

Just goes to show you, you never know the impact you’ll have one someone’s life… big or small, it’s Christ in you.

Family.

Lately, I’ve been having lots of thoughts about family. Family is huge in my life. My view of family is probably a lot different than most people. I love having family in every facet of my life. I believe in creating family with my parents, with my co-workers, with friends, with whomever is in my life. I believe in creating a feeling and understanding with whomever I’m close to that I’d do anything for them, help them in anyway possible… and not expect anything in return.

So here are some thoughts I’ve been analyzing lately about family:

Family isn’t something you’re born into it’s constantly and consistently created.

Family isn’t defined by the number of hours you spend together but the quality of the time spent together.

Family pushes you to be the person you are created to be.

Family is intimate, honest and supports you no matter what.

Family takes care of you emotionally, mentally, physically and most importantly spiritually.

Family is God’s presence in your life.

Where and how are you creating family?

Mom. Me. Dad.

Ever since my sister had Wyatt, it’s just been Mom, Dad and me at church. If you read often, you know that only in the past maybe 18 months has my dad been going to church regularly (at least as long as I’ve been alive). Probably three weeks ago I had the thought one Saturday night, “you know what I’ve never sat between my mom and dad at church.” Finally after a few weeks, I mustered up enough courage today and plopped myself right down in the middle seat. They both looked at me like what is she doing. I said, “I’ve never sat between you guys at church.” I was giddy like a child.

In 27 years, I’ve never sat in between my parents at church, today brought a lot of emotion and joy. While most people probably take for granted sitting between their parents at church – I won’t soon forget 11/15/09.

Life is changing a lot lately, and I’m loving what God’s been up to. He satisfies my heart.

My sister… the mom.

Growing up I was ‘that’ younger sister… the pest. I always managed to maneuver my way into my sister’s life and her friends. As she now refers to it, “You were my shadow”. I was constantly in her hair, hanging out at the pool with her and her friends, going on vacations with her and her friends. There are countless memories of instances just like that, most ended with me crying and her upset. One time she was so cruel as to lock me in our life-size outdoor doll house. The lock was on the outside and once I was lured in, they’re was no way for me to get out. At which point at the ripe age of 10 or so, I busted one of the windows, bloodied my hand and to this day have a scar on one of my knuckles.

Being four years apart always had its challenges for us. When she went off to college, I headed to high school. When she was finished with college, I headed to college. Somehow over the course of those years of being in college and out of college, we became really great friends. Since then, I stood beside her as she married her best friend, helped her move from home to apartment to their first house and now their second and held her hand as she became a mom.

I still have to pinch myself when I think of my sister as a mom. The same sister that tortured me, which I’m sure she’d say the same thing, now has a living, breathing, human child (cause she’s been a dog/cat loving mom for years). Parenting brings a whole new dynamic to our sisterhood. The hours spent talking on the phone and in person about should I do this or why does he do that in relation to Wyatt. Teresa is learning something new everyday, and she’s doing an amazing job. She loves her little boy so very much and smothers him with thousands of kisses. I can only imagine what greatness God has planned for our future.

T, you go girl! I’m so glad that we are best buds. I’ve enjoyed being able to help you navigate through this new season of life. Don’t ever doubt yourself and your abilities. I support you in all you do. I love you!

Then.

Now.

Tummy Time.

Tummy time isn’t Wyatt’s favorite activity, but he’s learning to like it more and more. He has a baby Einstein “play gym” that is being used for tummy time. He gives you those odd “I’m looking out into space looks” or “you’re giving me whiplash”. He’s so fascinated by the bright colors that he stared him into exhaustion last Friday.

Snoozing like Gran.

There are a few things, ok a lot of things, that we make fun of mom for…

We make fun of the way she dances, but still she dances for us when we ask. We make fun of her blonde comments, but still continues to make them and laugh at herself. We make fun of the way she sleeps on twelve pillows, but still she adds a new one each night. We make fun of the way she naps at the movie theater, but still she naps with her mouth wide open every Friday at the matinee.

For a second, I caught Wyatt sleeping like his Gran the other day. His mouth was wide open, and he was ready for fly season.

oh the innocence.