Roots of Independence

I've been told many times that upon birth, your child beings the process of finding their independence. I'd have to say that those independent tendencies are setting roots in Mason's life. First up, he's learning to hold his own bottle. Considering he only gets one bottle a day (breastfeeding is his primary mode) he's learning fast. When I wheeled around with the camera, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Then there is the cereal feedings. We've started the process of introducing solid foods. He's been doing really well with rice cereal and oatmeal. Then after a few days he decided to give mom some help. JP had to snap the picture quick, but ff you look closely, you will see that Mason believes he should control his own spoon.

Of course coming from his two parents, it is only to be expected that he should have a pretty fierce independent streak...God Help Us!!!

Final Week

We are down to the final week of sales for the bookstore. God has really been moving on behalf of his girls...sales have been brisk and the product we've prayed so hard over is finally finding a good home. We have been overwhelmed with the response from our faithful customers. There have been hugs, well wishes and stories of appreciation. I know that validation shouldn't be desired, but to truly know that we are making a difference helps us to going. We are still praying that we come through this process debt-free and without the smell of smoke (Daniel 3:19-27).

I will have to say that working close to full-time and juggling Mason at the office has taken it's toll. He's not a child that likes to hang out in his Pack-N-Play. He prefers interaction and would rather sit up as opposed to sitting back in his bouncy chair or swing. Both he and I are coming home at the end each day a little cranky and in need of a long nap.

But being that he is only 4 months old, he's been a trooper. He willingly goes from mom to Grammy D to Aunt Mo and back again all day long. He's also been entertaining the customers. We've sat him in his Bumbo chair on top of the long cash counter and let him call the shots. He's made a lot of people smile and has been a great distraction for us. I'm thinking he might very well be our "good luck charm."

Four months down...

...and so many more to go. Our little boy has been blessing us for 4 months. Hard to believe how fast time flies. I'm so glad that JP and I have made the conscience decision to savor every phase of his development, rather than wishing each phase away waiting for the next step. He's developing more sounds, throwing his hips around, holding things so well and introducing his mouth to all of his toys.

He had his 4 month well-check visit and another round of shots. He continues to top the charts with his growth.
Weight: 18 pounds
Length: 27 inches
Head circumference: 17.75 inches
All of these measures put him at 95% on the growth charts. I've naturally had concern for his size so Leigh and I talked about that today. After looking at his composite profile (height, weight and other factors), our boy is not overweight but simply big.

We also hit another milestone today...our first try at solid food. JP was so excited to go to the store and pick out new spoons for the occasion. Mason wasn't so sure about the process. I'd imagine he'll be getting over that real quick, once he gets his tongue to cooperate.

Hook it right

Mom, Maureen and I have been walking an interesting walk the past few weeks. For those that may not know, we have come to the decision to close our Christian bookstore. Our bookstore...technically, it's God's bookstore. He's been the sustaining force for the past 5 years. Irregardless of ownership, to close has been a decision driven with many prayers.

The three of us take our faith walk very seriously. We know that to "walk by faith and not by sight" is a VERY real experience if you dare to do that as a believer. But be warned, when you subject yourselves to the faith-walk, you just may find yourself in uncharted territory. We certainly have. You see, we've been instructed to stop walking this particular path rather than the traditional "keep walking in blind faith." We've found ourselves at a huge right turn.

And here's the lesson. You never really know just how much faith it takes to stop when you've been on a particular path. We always assume that when we pray to God for a miracle, the answer is YES, keep going, there really is some light if you just hold on. I believe in some circumstances, that is very true. But I'm understanding that NO, stop, and let go is also a valid answer from God, when you open yourself up to the full will of God.

We've had so many customers come through the doors the past few days encouraging us to believe in miracles...don't give up. Funny thing is, we've experienced His miracles for years. I can't fully explain just how sustaining His power has been the past 5 years. We've ministered to over 4000 customers, prayed for over 700 prayer request (cataloged prayer slips) and have literally layed hands on countless people in need of healing. And as we do the business of closing out the store, we continue to expect God to move in his miraculous ways. But I truly believe that this time, his miracle is "Hold tight and take a right."

So we buckle our seat belts, and look forward to the next adventure in Christ with my "Sisters." And when you look at some the pictures below, understand that if God can use these three crazy girls, He can use anyone to advance His kingdom!!!

Anniversary Trip

August 11th marked our 2nd wedding anniversary. We decided to go to the coast for a couple of days and had a great time. If you look at the previous blog, you now know that our son found his voice and entertained his parents in high-style.

We were able to take a really neat picture this weekend. For those that don't know, JP proposed on the beach in March 2007. So to mark a new milestone in our family, we took Mason to the same spot and snapped a family shot. I guess it will become our family spot for the future.

We decided to introduce Mason to the beach life in small doses. It all started at the condo. Surfs up!! (Aunt Becky, does the "surf board" look familiar).


After driving the beach for a while, we got out to walk and see how the boy responded. He was completely fascinated with the water movement and the sand. I'm thinking he would have stared at it forever if offered the opportunity.


My Granny would be overjoyed watching me share "My Ocean" with our son. Hope he enjoys it as much as his parents do.

He's found his voice

We've been having a great time with Mason on vacation...first trip as a family. I'll be sure to share some fun stories and pictures soon, but just HAD to share these video clips. As we've been talking with Mason, he's been working on his sounds the past few weeks. Well needless to say, THE BOY HAS FOUND HIS VOICE in Port Aransas. (Aunt Becky and Uncle Eddie, it must have been the condo). Watch and enjoy!!



Sorry for the burst of laughter at the end...Mom's funny bone just plain flipped over on this one.



Dad can always hope for that boat!!!

"Told you"

That's right, my mother-in-law told me so. Vicki and I were visiting a few weeks ago about raising kids. She was telling me to keep an eye on Mason because he was likely to start chewing on the edges of our coffee table and other low lying furniture. I had never heard such a thing. I'm 4 years older than Clifton, so I remember some of his really early years, and I never remember him doing that.

Well, I was working in the kitchen a few days ago. Mason was in his high-chair at the table and JP was working on his computer. JP told me to turn around slowly and watch Mason.


That's our boy gnawing on his high-chair tray. He clearly chewed on it long enough for me to snap a few pictures. I tried to get him to stop and he was undeterred. Whether it was the taste of the plastic tray or the feeling of chewing on his pre-teething gums, I'm guessing that bite marks are a part of our future.

Raising a Mighty Man

So we know that Mason doesn't come from the smallest parents in the world. And if you know his grandfathers, you know that neither of them are men of slight-build. There have been many that have commented on the size of Mason's hands and the mass of his legs, but I've found another surprising measure of his future size. I was changing his clothes this afternoon and decided to let him take a nap in his diaper. As I laid him down, I noticed his chest...


...do you see the width of his chest. My mom has been saying from early on that we are raising a gentle giant and I'm starting to believe she right.

Another aspect of his "Mighty" status has been his faith, even at his age. Mason is so full of joy, laughing and smiling more than anything else. I really can see Christ in his eyes when he laughs. As some of you know, JP and I took up the charge to pray for Mason daily before he was born. Now we get to hold hands with the one we prayed for and he starts to cooo and gets so excited during those times. I pray that enthusiasm never stops. And this past week, I took Mason with me to Praise Team practice. I wasn't sure how he would do with all the music, people, activity, etc. He was AWESOME!! He sat in my lap almost the entire time watching everyone and "singing" with the group (his ooos and cooos). It dawned on me, he'd been hearing all the music before in the womb...it was kind of like a reunion for him. Looks like drums will be a fascination for him. Don't most little boys love to bang on things?!?!

I really believe God is preparing me for the person he is to become. I think our Mason is going to have a personality that is larger than life. And if we can continue to give him the tools he needs to develop his faith and relationship with Jesus, we've got ourselves a Mighty Man of God on our hands.

Seeing double

If you happen to follow Amy's blog (shearrerfamily.blogger.com) you know that she had the great idea of getting the boys dressed alike and taking some pictures of them before they were too far along. It's amazing how they are so uniquely different, but there are some extreme similarities (those Shearrer genes are apparently strong...notice the head, arms, legs and hands). Thanks Aunt Amy for the groovy surf outfit!!

Mason on the left, Layton on the right

I did some sneaky camera work last week and caught my boys napping together. Amazing how strong the JP genetics are...both of them love to sleep on their side, they both kick at the covers violently and they both stretch the same way. So I guess you can say I'm seeing double, just 30-some years difference.