Half a Year

Six months ago, it was summer.

Six months ago, we didn't have a skiff of snow on the ground like we do tonight.

Six months ago, I wasn't at home.

Six months ago, I was in the hospital.

Six months ago, I was enjoying the first blissful night of life with Shav on the outside!

To celebrate Shav's half-birthday today, he and I went on a walk. To my dad's office. For Shav to be weighed and measured (16 pounds, 28 inches), but not to be given a shot because, after all, he has a cough and we wouldn't want to vaccinate him while his body is already fighting off a cold! Any excuse will do when it comes to delaying the misery of giving him a shot. :)

I wanted to take some special pictures of him today, so I attempted to do so this morning in a quick photo shoot with poor lighting. Photographically, I'm not thrilled at all with the results. Emotionally, I love them.

I wanted to do a reenactment of this picture of him, taken in late July for my August header.

Here he is today, in all his grinning, I-don't-fit-on-the-chair-anymore glory.

In this picture, his two little teeth are visible...and his sweet smile...how I love it!

Then it was time for him to sit up on the chair to show off what a big boy he is. (Not visible in this picture: Josiah waiting just to the right of Shav, in case Shav lost his balance and started to fall off the chair. Which he did--a few times. Lost his balance, that is--he didn't actually fall!)

This is Shav's alert, what's-going-on look.

And another one of his funny faces...I smile just looking at this picture. :)

Here's a more natural smile from Shav.

When I see this picture, I imagine him saying, "Uh, Mom, did you know there's a tiger on my back? Maybe you could...um...get him off me?!" :)

"Oh, never mind, he can stay. I'll smile anyway." :)

Oh, sweet Shav, how we love you! You have been a precious gift to us for six whole months, and we can't even imagine our family without you. When we look at family pictures from before you were born, they just don't look right anymore! Thank you for all the joy and smiles and laughter and love you bring to us. You are an exquisite treasure!

Happy half-birthday, little dear one!!

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Thanks to everyone for the very kind comments left on my blogiversary post; I am so blessed to be part of such an encouraging, supportive community, and I wish I could meet each of you in real life! I also wish I could give each of you a prize, but the winner of the giveaway (selected by asking Josiah and David--then Jeff, too--to choose a number between 1 and 22, then taking the median of those numbers) is commenter #9, Tim and Michelle! We know Tim from the semester when Jeff and I were students in Jerusalem (and oh, what a semester that was! who knew that a California guy and a Virginia girl would meet and fall in love halfway around the world in Israel?); and although we've never met his wife Michelle, I feel like I know her because of blogging. They are serving the Lord in Mexico, and I admire them both for their passion for God and for the lost. Plus, they've got incredibly cute children. :)

Congrats, Tim and Michelle!