I had a dream last night.  In it, I had told my hubby about a new ring I wanted.  It was very nice, but definitely within our price range and not overly fancy or expensive.  Next thing I know, he’s handing me a tiny box and grinning ear to ear.  I assumed it was the ring I had specifically asked for, but when I opened the box, I was stunned to find 3 gorgeous diamond rings that went beautifully together!

They had to cost him a fortune!  There was no way I could afford or deserve that much bling.  I had only wanted something simple, yet he desired to give me the best.  And he did it with so much excitement, knowing I would be so blessed and touched by his thoughtfulness.  He didn’t give it to me because I had asked for it, but because he loves me and has the best for me.

Needless to say, I woke up with a huge smile on my face!  And it instantly dawned on me, that is how our loving Father is toward us.  He doesn’t give to us out of obligation.  He also doesn’t give to us based on what we deserve.  He is the ultimate Giver, lavishing us with His best, knowing that we can never earn or repay Him for the gifts.  He delights in seeing our faces light up when we open the blessings He has placed before us.  It brings Him joy when we receive the good things He has in store for us.  And He always has the best gifts for each and every one of us, more than we could ever hope or imagine.

Wow, this teething business is serious, huh?  Eli cruised through his first 8 teeth with only needing the Hyland’s teething tablets.  He really didn’t get too bothered by the whole process.  His molars, on the other hand, are giving me a run for my money.  Oh man, are those things bothering my lil guy.  He is typically a pretty fun-loving, easy going kid, but lately he’s been pretty fussy and whiny, plus wanting to be held and nursed all.day.long.

When I’m not holding him or nursing him, I’ve discovered a couple of “teething tricks” to help soothe his gums.

Here he is chewing on crushed ice pieces.  I also put some in the mesh feeder, but he didn’t like that as much.

And here are some things that have been working, lately.  Teethers that I stick in the freezer, Hyland’s teething tablets, a raspberry nuby pacifier that he chews on sometimes, and frozen pineapple.  I stick the frozen pineapple in the mesh feeder, and he goes to town!  I’ll probably be trying other frozen fruits soon.

Oh, and then we’ve been doing some babywearing around the house the past couple of days.  I’ve been using both the moby and the Ergo.  I think the Ergo is working out the best, though, if you can tell based on his reaction!

Remember that 4 hour nap I mentioned Eli graced me with yesterday?  Well, he woke up refreshed and ready to go at 4 am this morning!  Thankfully, I went to bed at a decent hour last night, so I wasn’t completely foggy at that hour.

So what did I decide to do at 4 am?  Maybe you already guessed from the title, you smart cookie, you.  Made 12 mini whole wheat chocolate chip banana bread loaves!  I’ve been needing to churn those out, and had planned on getting started at more of a normal hour, say 9 am?  But Eli had different plans.  After all, the early bird gets the worm, right?

I had a wisdom tooth extracted/pulled today.  Obviously, not the funnest way to spend my day.  Once the numbness wore off, man, the whole right side of my face felt broken and bruised.  It was hard to even relax in bed, as the pain was pretty excruciating.  However, as I was laying there, I realized pain is a matter of perspective.  During the midst of trials or pain, I can choose what to focus on, and that seems to affect the level of pain.

Even though I didn’t enjoy getting my tooth yanked out of my mouth, I realized I am a very blessed girl.

*My sweet and loving husband rearranged his workday so he could take me to my dentist appointment.

*My sweet lil boy allowed me to sleep in until 9 am, which started the day off on the right foot!

*We have a nice vehicle in which to safely travel to my appointment.

*We have savings that allowed us to pay for my dental work (I don’t have dental insurance).

*The dentist was super personable and I truly enjoyed talking with her.  She even told me when the Houston Children’s Museum has free days (Thursday afternoons).

*The extraction itself went super quick and smooth (Praise the Lord).

*Eli was so considerate napped for FOUR hours while I rested!  He’s never napped that long before, and it was perfect timing while the numbness wore off.

*Obi made me a milkshake and homemade soup (best husband ever).

Although it would have been easy and natural to focus on the pain and annoyance that comes along with serious dental work, I truly started feeling better, and most importantly, blessed.  God is so good, and I’m thankful that I was able to see the many blessings that surrounded me today, instead of focusing on myself and my pain.  And just so you can see what a fully grown wisdom tooth looks like after being pulled:

Ewwww, gross!  Sorry!

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