Happy Valentine's Day!

Hosea celebrating his 1st Valentine's Day...and Packer victory in the Super Bowl.  :)

Oh how we love our little boy!  Today we celebrate the love God has for us, the love Jed and I share as husband and wife, and the love we have for our son.  We also celebrate the love God has put in our hearts for so many other people in our lives.  Being parents and loving on Hosea for the last seven months (Hosea's 7 month birthday was on 2-11-11) has taught us something new about God's love for us. 
When Hosea was born, we found ourselves holding this little person and loving him so much, without knowing why.  He hadn't done anything to earn our love.  It reminds me of the David Crowder song, "How He Loves Us."

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all God loves us so much!  He loves us just because He does.  We have done NOTHING to earn His love, and yet He has great affection for us.  Jed has reminded me that loving Hosea requires a commitment, as well.  It is not automatic.  Right now, caring for Hosea is actively loving him.  When he frustrates us and tires us out, it tests that commitment.  We choose to love our son in the best way we can, looking to our Lord, the perfect model of love, for strength and help.

Sidenote: Hosea had a little Valentine's Day well-baby visit at the doctor this morning.  Hosea is in good health.  At 7 months, he weighs 19 pounds 5 1/2 ounces and is 28 inches long.  Within the last week or so, Hosea started sitting up on his own.  Before, he could sit with help and only balance by himself for less than a minute.  It's crazy how babies can learn a new skill, seemingly overnight.  Check out our video from the doctor's office.

Grow baby, GROW!

Check out that cute little frog belly