A refreshing weekend

Well, things are looking up with Ada. She is now regularly, without too much "fight," sleeping on her stomach, and she slept until 4 am this morning, which is better than 1 am, I suppose. Scott and I have a new deal--before 3:30, we both get up with Ada and tag team it--he gets the bottle, I change the diaper, from 3:30-5:00 I get up with Ada, and after 5:00, Scott gets up with Ada. This new system prevents Scott from waking up at 4:30 to feed Ada and put her back down, only to wake up an hour later for work, and it allows me to sleep in a little bit longer if she makes it until 5 am. So...Ada and I were up alone at 4 am this morning, but when she woke up again at 5:15, I got to stay in bed. It's a good system, I think.

As for the weekend--it's been a good one. Saturday, I left Ada with Scott and drove to Columbus with Amy Rambo to meet Laura Leary and Jeannie Myers for some quality girl time. It was so refreshing to see friends who have known me for so long--what a comfortable thing, to spend a day with friends who know you so well. We talked and laughed and caught up on each other's lives. It was such a good break for me, and by the time I got home Saturday night, Ada was already asleep, but when she woke up crying at 9 pm--something that normally would frustrate me--I practically ran up the stairs to get her, so excited to see her after the day away.

We ended the weekend on a good note by visiting a community group from the church we have been visiting here in McDonough. The group has been inviting us to come for weeks now, but we have been putting it off for one reason or another, and last night we finally went. The couple who hosts the group has three kids, and they had an extra baby bed, which turned out to be such a blessing!! As soon as we got to their house at 7 pm, we put Ada down, and she slept the entire time we were there--we had to wake her up just to take her home. The couple had this amazing fan that blocked out all outside noise, so though Ada was only one room away from Scott and me, in her room it sounded as if she was sleeping in her own little wing of the house. It was such encouragement to be able to talk and pray with other adults, and I was able to share some of the struggles I am having with staying at home and being in a new town. The mother whose house we were at prayed for me, and it stuck with me. She said, "Lord, help Laura Beth to be completely satisfied that she is in your will. Give her purpose each day." She really put voice to my desires--I know that this life that I am living is the Lord's will for me, as different as it may look from MY original plan, and I want to find satisfaction in that. Isn't that all that I need, to know that I am in the center of God's will? I want to really feel purpose each day that I wake up, realizing the importance of this job that I am doing--raising Ada. Scott and I were so encouraged by the fact that Ada slept so easily while we were there; it felt like such confirmation that God has led us here to this place, and that he is taking care of us. Even in these small, but important, details of our lives such as needing to be able to go somewhere with Ada and enjoy time with other adults. I am so thankful for a God that is present in the details of our lives. As small as my concerns might be, He empathizes with them. What comfort I find in that!!