:. good and pleasant .:

The past few weeks, I've been helping my little guys memorize Psalm 133:1:

"How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity."

(A grand and perfect verse for brothers to learn, wouldn't you agree?)

We've talked about what those words mean, and what sort of behavior God would like to see from us.

So the other night those loves were over at my house (so mommy could run down to the hospital to see baby Eisley!). They were playing with the Hot Wheels race track, and doing a pretty good job of taking turns. But then Liam started fudging just a tad, and took a couple of extra turns, so Gav bopped him on the head. Liam turned to me with a very pained look, eyebrows furrowed, and lamented,

"Grandma! Gavin isn't dwelling together in unity!"

Aaah, well at least he understands how the verse applies to Gavin.

:. happy mother's day .:

Before you were conceived I wanted you

Before you were born I loved you

Before you were here an hour I would die for you

This is the miracle of life.

~ maureen hawkins

you're as beautiful as a flower.

~ dre'von

(this one from a mother's day poster at the grocery store, in which kids told why they love their mom)

:. welcome, baby girl! .:

Introducing the beautiful and talented

Miss Eisley Christine Saldanha!

Making her appearance at 1:30 am on 05.05.10.

Weighing in at a petite 6 lbs. 15 oz.; 19 inches tall.

Welcome to the world, baby girl! We love you already!

:. scientific proof .:

Whenever I hear someone citing studies that 'prove' there is no link between autism and vaccines, I think of this:

:. thoughts while waiting for baby girl .:

Being a mom means you love more deeply than you ever thought possible.

It means you worry more than you ever thought possible, too.

Motherhood is the place where you leave 'self' behind. What begins during the nine months you carefully nurture the tiny little person inside, lasts . . . for the rest of your life. Because no matter how old your children, they will always be your children. The concern for their well-being doesn't end when they turn 18 or leave the nest or have a family of their own.

Being a mom lets you understand (perhaps for the first time) why your own mother did some of the things she did.

Motherhood is the place where you begin to pray as you've never prayed before.

It is the place where your inadequacies loom large in view of the enormous treasure placed in your hands. Where you realize how little wisdom you have, and how much you need God.

Being a mom means you are in store for the biggest joys you've ever known. And some pretty big heartaches as well.

It means you will hurt like crazy when your child hurts. And skinned knees are just scratching the surface. (Literally.) Wait until your child's heart hurts: when a friend has betrayed them, or life has let them down. When they don't make the team, or that girl/boy breaks up with them.

Motherhood means knowing when to let go. It is allowing your kids to make mistakes, to stumble and even fall, because you know that only through struggle do we grow. And it means being there to help them back up on their feet, encouraging them to never give up.

Being a mom means summoning strength when you are weary, patience when you don't feel like it, and asking forgiveness when you mess up. Because you will. And that's okay; your kids need to learn how to make things right when they mess up. Your kids need to understand the human condition, to see grace in action, to know what it is to be unconditionally loved.

Motherhood means disciplining when it would be easier to let something slide.

It means taking every opportunity to teach your child about God's greatest gift, in the hope that they, too, will want to follow Jesus when they are older. It's knowing that they have a free-will, to choose or reject the Savior who died for them.

Motherhood means realizing that you are being watched; that every word and action is being taken in by a little person who is looking to you to see how human beings act and react.

It is knowing that giving them every 'thing' they want will only leave them empty, but that there is no limit on the amount of love you can shower upon them.

Motherhood is dandelion bouquets and sticky kisses. It is the angelic beauty of a sleeping child. It is a boy digging in the dirt; a girl twirling in a pink tutu. It is a lump in your throat when your child succeeds . . . a lump in your throat when they fail. It is pride in their every accomplishment; it is your heart overflowing.

Being a mother means you will most likely see the day when your children have children. And so the cycle begins again . . . intensified by the word "grand" in front of your name.