Three Months in a Nutshell

So, you heard it here: the rumors of my death were premature. I am finally back after what seems like an eternity. The last 3 months have proved to be a time of many changes and much craziness, but I feel like it is all finally coming together.


To begin, we moved to Cheyenne in late August. Elliot and I really felt the Lord telling us to make the move, in order for Elliot to really begin pursuing flight the way he ought to. It was really hard leaving my comfort zone (Laramie's been my home for 5 years) and my wonderful community, but we knew that if the Lord was in it, then it would be good.

A little before we moved, we found out that we were expecting Rivera number two! As I write this, I have just entered my 15th week of pregnancy. It was a little scary to find out as the reality of impending sleeplessness began to hit home, but ultimately we are excited and trusting that in those times of exhaustion, the Lord will somehow carry us through. We will be extremely happy whether we have a boy or a girl, though I think that we are both leaning towards wanting a girl this time. This pregnacy certainly has been different than the one with James. For one, despite feeling nauseous in the 1st trimester, this time around I didn't throw up once! That's dramatically different from James, where I was throwing up at least once a day for 3 months. Another thing is that I have been so tired this time around. I don't remember being as tired the first time around, though I also didn't have a child to take care of either! I think I'm going to post a poll to see people's opinions on whether or not we're going to have a boy or girl. Leave it to the public to decide! (like that has any influence . . . but what the heck, it's fun)


One of the most wonderful benefits of this move for me has been the fact that I now have the ability to stay home and focus on just being a wife and mom. I can't tell you how incredibly freeing this is to me. For those who didn't know my situation previously, until a couple months ago I was working, going to school, taking care of our house, AND doing my best to give everything I could as a wife and mom. I thought I was going to go insane. I can remember many evenings when I would come home from work and just cry because I felt like I couldn't do anything well. This is a gift that God has given me, and for the time I have it, I am going to cherish it every day. Being a mom and a wife is one of the most important things on this Earth!

My 22nd birthday came up recently. It's funny because even though I continue to mature and live a very "grown-up" life, I still feel on the inside like I will always be perpetually 12 to those who know me. Elliot and I were just talking recently about how common it is for us to feel like kids playing a grown up game. Time just seems to accelerate as I get older, and I'm only 22! Elliot, being the great gift-giver that he is, decided to give me a piano as a present! It's 103 years old, and has amazing tone quality. We just had it tuned yesterday, so it sounds even better than it did before. We only paid $150 for it, though it felt like we were robbing the lady who sold it to us. If she really wanted to price it accurately she should have charged about $500-$900! So needless to say we got a steal.

On a final note, James just turned 8 months old. 8 months! Could this be real? He has now learned to roll in whichever direction he pleases, push himself up into a sitting position, make crawling motions (it's going to happen soon!), and pull himself up. I can barely keep up with him. Changing his diaper is like wrestling a calf. There should be awards given and record time scores. He's also eating solids and loving it. At this point, his favorite foods are applesauce and sweet potatoes. He's started teething, though no actual teeth have been cut as of yet. He has such a sweet disposition that the days he is fussy are the days you know his teeth are hurting. He also loves to giggle, listen to Mom play on the piano, read, and play lots of games. He is such a joy!

So that's the last three months in a nutshell. With my easier schedule I am looking forward to being able to write more regular posts. See you all 'til then!