I like to read directions. I cannot do complex tasks late at night. Come Tuesday I’m reading directions to this new camera when? Late at night. Oh yes… All the knowledge I’ve garnered about the way I operate disappeared in my zeal for camera usage — thus my first photos. I now have nicer shots with crisp, clean edges, photos with flash used only when necessary, etc, which will be shared shortly. But for now, my fellow bloggers, you can share in my learning process as I share my darling child.

I love the first picture because it shows how Livia sleeps — flat on her back, arms and legs spread out, not a care in the world. She sleeps the way adults would kill to — ah, to sleep like a baby! Picture #2 was a great revelation to Mama Tredway: Livia loves mobiles! She coos at them and, quite opposite to her relaxation in sleep, kicks and punches furiously at the spinning toys. Super cute. Finally, the last pic is Livia and Halle Cutler, roughly three weeks apart in age. Halle’s mom and I are thrilled to have baby girls so close in age. I’m already anticipating sleepovers in coming years.

I’ve listened to this clip about three times today (the first just to get my bearings and the second and third to laugh out loud). Andy is a Covenant alumnus and a friend of Charity’s, as well as an excellent photographer. I got our new digital camera today… Hopefully I’ll be taking some great Livia pics and movies soon.

Wishing:

…I had more time to read Anna Karenina and that the Lincoln City Libraries would grant a special allowance to me whereby I would never be charged overdue fees.

…This wall hanging was in Livia’s nursery… or that an artiste would paint a mural for free.

…A magic wand could be waved over my home and all my clutter would be brilliantly organized. Oh to be Mary Poppins right now!

…I could tape Livia’s pacifier to her nose (just for short naps and only ’til she figures out how to hang onto it).

…The fruits of the Spirit would flow from me constantly. How wonderful would it be to always be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient and full of self-control? Darn my self-serving nature.

Wishes Fulfilled:

…The Amazing Race 5 series premiere is airing again tonight! Woohoo!

…Jeremy & Livia.

Dear Livia,

Yesterday you turned two months old. When you’ve only lived eight and a half weeks, each month is a big deal! We brought you home to Lincoln on July 2nd and you arrived at the Prairie Box to a host of family and friends. They were all terribly excited to finally meet you and hold you and cuddle you and kiss you! You took all the attention in stride and managed to look quite adorable in the process.

Mama and Daddy were especially happy to be home for the 4th of July. Your Grand aunties hosted a barbecue in your honor and we had lots of fun on the back deck. There were several backyard parties on our block—lots of fireworks, too—and the noise didn’t bother you one bit. That night we walked over to Miss Dena’s apartment to capture a fantastic view of the Lincoln skyline. The night breeze gently cooled us as we watched the brilliant colorful explosions in the sky. We marveled at God’s blessings on our family and our country as we took turns gazing at you and the fireworks. It was a great evening. (Thanks again, Dena, for the party and the photograph!)

In the past few weeks you’ve learned how to suck on your fingers and how to smile great big happy smiles at friendly faces. The finger-sucking is quite important… You haven’t perfected it yet—your hand still tends to move away from your desperate mouth—but your technique has improved greatly in a matter of days. We simply LIVE for your smiles. I’ve seen five grown-ups standing around your small body, making all sorts of crazy expressions just to catch a glimpse of this grin. You have the power to make us act really silly! Uncle Adam believes you are one of the most interactive two months old ever and, of course, your daddy and I think you’re just fabulous.

We love you. We are amazed by you. We praise God for bringing you into our lives.

Much love,
Mama

PS. I forgot to mention that your first 4th of July weekend was all about FAMILY! You met lots of family members within a few short days. First, the Tredways… Great Uncle Bob and Great Aunt Laurie and their children and grandchildren, Great Uncle Kurt and Great Aunt Diane and their boys as well. Then Great Uncle Steve and Great Aunt Cathy Lawton stopped by after Ben Shannon’s wedding in North Dakota. We have Uncle Steve to thank for the beautiful flag photo! He takes amazing pictures. Finally, your dad’s cousins came by… Keri and her little boy Brian, and Michael. You are so blessed to be a part of such a huge, loving group of people!

Can you hear my cries of frustration?

I’ve been looking forward to one (count that, ONE!) television show for months now… And I missed the 90 minute premiere tonight! ARGH!!!!! Yeah yeah… so I’m a mama now and I’ve got more important things to do like make ninety million formula bottles a day and change umpteen wet diapers, not to mention do everything possible to make this darling child smile. (And oh, what a smile! It melts hearts of stone, topples crusty dictators, cracks uncrackable codes. It’s simply amazing.) Was I smiling so hard that all thoughts of The Amazing Race fled through my widened eyes and stretched lips? I think so.

Friends, fellow television viewers and owners of VCRs, please please please let me know if you just happened to tape the premiere of my FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOW EVER. I’m dying here. Can you feel my pain?

For some time now I’ve intended to explain the title of my blog… “View from the Prairie Box.” So here goes.

Our home was built in 1915 and is called an American Foursquare. It looks like a huge place, but really, what you see is exactly what you get… A square box with a basic four room layout. We fell in love with the wide front porch, lovely oak woodwork and yellow pine floors, and special touches like our built-in linen closet upstairs. Apparently homes like ours were built from a Sears catalog floor plan in the early 1900’s. Another name for the American Foursquare is, you guessed it, the Prairie Box. Someday I will research the history of our home and hopefully I can find pictures of this portion of Lincoln around 1915. By that time Zion Church and the larger homes on our block had been built. I imagine the homeowners of the day could sit on their wide front steps and watch the trains roll by, puffing out clouds of black smoke just a few short blocks away. Now we have lots of trees and a great green park, not to mention multitudes of houses, between us and the railroad tracks. But what what was it like in 1920 during the Prohibition? or in the ’30s under the strains of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl? or in the 40’s while World War II raged on in Europe (and Germans in Nebraska were under much suspicion)? or in the rock ‘n roll days of the 50’s? the racial tensions of the 60’s? the Vietnam, hippie 70’s? I just can’t help but wonder… What has the Prairie Box seen?

When adopting a child from a different state, you have to abide under certain laws—one being the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). ICPC paperwork must be filed, first within the state the child resides in, then within your home state. Apparently there is ONE person within each state department who looks through the papers and then gives the big thumbs-up to the adoption. If you attempt to cross state lines before receiving approval you are partaking in criminal activity.

Though I’m certain Jeremy and I have both engaged in some degree of criminal activity over the years, we’d rather not attempt to parent Livia from behind bars. So we’re stuck in Kansas. That is, we’re stuck until the ICPC folks say otherwise.

Yet we have so much to be thankful for in this period of waiting… We are in a baby honeymoon, so to speak; away from the cares and pressures of normal home routines. My current home gets cleaned once a day by a delightful housekeeper, we eat a hot breakfast (when we get up early enough) in the hotel’s breakfast nook, there’s also the reception/dinner hour (the last two nights they’ve had wine with appetizers—yum!)… And all the while we get to literally stare at this wondrous piece of creation and marvel at every coo, hiccup, grunt and smile.

So thank you, ICPC, for a lovely start for our new family.