10 months old...past due

Lily is now 10 1/2 months old...where has the time gone? In a month and a half our little newborn baby is going to be 1 year old! I have decided that all parents must say statements like "they're growing up so fast!" about a thousand times over the course of their kids' lives...and I am no different. I find myself continually thinking, when did she get so big? Lily is growing into a little toddler right before our eyes. She continues to be hilarious with her loud voice and unique and bold hand gestures. Just a few days ago she really started crawling! She's been crawling since about six months or so, but she has always done a really fast "military" crawl, but just in the last few days, for whatever reason, she decided it was time to get up on her hands and knees and go for it! We had decided that she was probably content with the military crawl because she was so efficient at it, but she surprised us again. She loves to stand now and walk all around while holding onto the furniture...she's even been standing on her own for 20-30 seconds at a time! Lily has also decided that she loves to dance! Any time she hears music her little behind will start bouncing, it is so funny! She especially likes to dance to this music play table that her Auntie Barb & Uncle Tom got her for Christmas (thanks guys!).



Needless to say, we are so blessed to have this beautiful girl in our lives. Steve and I are continually amazed at the hand of God in our lives. We just started a Bible study and it goes along with the book, "Sheparding a Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp. We have only read the first chapter, but in it he talks about a verse in Psalms that is the foundation for his book: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Psalm 4:23) He reminds us that the heart is the well from which all issues of life gush forth. Through this study we pray that we can become parents to Lily that focus on sheparding her heart and becoming a disciple of Christ.
On a separate note, we would just like to ask for prayers for Steve's brother Tom, his wife Barb and their son Gabriel. Tom will, most likely, be undergoing a bone marrow transplant in the next couple of months (once they, hopefully, find a match from one of his brothers...good thing he has 6 to choose from!). Tom has been through quite the ordeal over the past 6 months or so and could definitely use our prayers. For an update on his health, you can check out the link to their blog, The Highland Park DuBranskys, on the right hand side of the page. Thanks for your prayers for Tom, Barb and Gabriel, and thanks for the love you bring to our lives!