Masha

At the first of the year, I was becoming overwhelmed by taking care of Temperance and working at the same time. I was in serious need of help. One Monday night I was praying with two girls and they asked how they can pray for me and I mentioned that I am seeking a nanny, but very very nervous about the whole thing. We prayed and after we were done praying, one of the girls told me that she is looking for work, that she loves babies and that she would love to take care of Temperance. Her name is Masha. She is from Russia and has been in Kentucky for two years. Her husband is a graduate student at UK.
I was very nervous about the idea of a nanny at the beginning, and Temperance was not doing well going to other people. I felt like God had sent Masha to us, but I wanted to be sure. I invited Masha to come spend some time with Temperance one afternoon. I wanted to see how Tempie would react. I knew that if she went straight to her, then it was most certainly God. She did! Not only that, but one of my students came in to the office and asked to hold her while Masha was holding her. Masha handed her over, and she immediately started crying! Masha took her back and calmed her down. Up to that point, almost no one but Bert or I could do that! I knew it was from God. She has been keeping Temperance at my office two days a week since that time. And it has been truly wonderful. She has been such a huge blessing to ME these past few months. I could never have asked for someone with a more genuine sweet spirit. I prayed when looking for a nanny for someone who would pray over Temperance and love her as a spiritual being as well. Masha certainly does this. Often while Tempie is playing, Masha will be reading the Bible to her (in Russian). Temperance LOVES her Masha!!!
It is such a blessing to trust God. He alone can give more than we can ask or imagine!
We love you Masha!!

Character Suspicions

It's so much fun to see Tempie's personality come out every day! For example, we have learned that she is a straight faced clown. Early on I had worried that she wasn't a very happy baby. She would splash around in the tub, which we thought was funny, but she wouldn't even crack a smile. She did all the things that most babies do and laugh about, but she didn't laugh. We have since learned that she just enjoys making us laugh. She will do something that makes us laugh, (like right now the joke is for her to put something in her mouth and then shake her head) and she will keep doing it, keeping a straight face. She will occasionally give a little smirk that lets you know she knows what she is doing and she is enjoying your laughter. It is a funny sense of humor, probably very similar to mine!
Another early prediction came from her great grandma Carswell. Temperance seems so serious sometimes. She will study everything around her. I wanted to think that she is a wise, observant, studious baby. Grandma Carswell had other thoughts. She thinks that during these times Tempie is cooking up a mischievous plan. She says it's something in her eyes. I never saw it, until we took this picture...


Well, Grandma Carswell, you may be right. I guess time will tell. It will be fun to see what happens to all my predictions once she can talk. Then we will have a better idea of what is going on inside that pretty little head. That is if she will tell us!!