The Elliott's Happenings

Tic Tac Toe

2011-03-08T20:48:00.003-05:00

3 in a row! I'm not saying I'm committing to this blog thing but I've had a good week!! Honestly? I don't really do the blog thing often because, well, those of you that do it, I'm totally jealous of you & you seem to have it so together. And I just don't feel like I have it together.

Some examples of how I fail on the "having it together":

I don't do baby books for my kids. Printing pictures & actually putting pictures in my frames is a stretch, people. (Our new camera will hopefully help alleviate this!)
I don't write down a lot of the cute, impulsive things my kids do. I think about them in blog form, though. Like, I literally think the commentary through in my head & about the pic that would have shown the heart of the story.
I'm a "messy" as in if I took pics of cute random things you would see clutter in all the pics & that's just not cute.
I'm not a good decorator.
I'm super cheap: I color my own hair, get it cut at the beauty college (when I get it cut, every 6 months or so), most of my clothes are hand-me-downs or SHOULD be handed-down, lol!
I don't do organized craft time with my children.
I don't plan a lot of traditions for holidays. And even when I try, it seems something goes wrong that makes me think that's why I don't do these things!
(This list has to have 10 to give the numbers purpose, so I need to think of something else...)
Ya know what, stopping with 9 proves the point again! lol

But one of my problems--change background music from light-hearted to serious here--is thinking negatively about myself. I am a harsh critic of myself. And I'm making an effort to be kinder to myself. So I thought blogging a bit might be a good addition to this effort :)

I know I don't have to do the things I listed above to be worthy. And I could do all of the above and STILL not be worthy, so my perfection scale & standards really don't matter a hill of beans. So, I'll just try to be honest & be ok with that. It's a good starting place :) And lowering my expectations for myself and even for others is a healthy thing to do. All too often we set ourselves up for failure by having unrealistic expectations, including for our spouses. When you set yourself up with realistic goals & are able to exceed them, you encourage yourself & bless others :) There are godly standards that we must follow (in order to be godly) but I don't need to follow cultural standards in order to measure up! And neither do you :)

Kiddo Korner: Just a quick mention of how cute my sweet loves are right now...

- Isaac loves chocolate milk now. He calls it, "tok-lit nuh." He also loves cocoa. In a mug. WHY did I start this? I don't know--I'm trying to serve it in his spill-proof cup now; he's coming around, thankfully. But I have little lovely tok-lit nuh splatters all around his train set in our living room. :) Funny, though; even the little splatters are endearing to me b/c I know how quickly he'll be able to drink w/out spilling, so I'm taking in every minute of his toddler years :)

- Sweet Neena-pie :) She met a lady named Neena (spelled the same way!) at the old folks' home the other day, when my choir was singing. They were just mesmerized with one another. My Neena sat in big-Neena's lap during the songs & when we were done, she helped push her walker back down to her room. She isn't afraid to let the elderly people talk to her & make over her. I joked that she likes to talk about herself, so with the old folks, she has a perfect audience :) And I know that's part of it. But she REALLY has a heart that loves people. She loves serving others, even at home. Chad & I can't hardly pick out our own clothes for Neena trying to get them out for us--even our underwear! lol And most nights, she not only gets HER cup of water before bed, but she gets a glass of ice water for each of us & puts it by our bedside. (Except Isaac's goes straight into the crib!) She gets out her & Isaac's pj's when I start catching their bath water :) This could REALLY be an ad for having kids a little ways apart. They are 4 1/2 years apart. And we are so blessed by them & their love for one another :)

Slap-Hapy]py

2011-03-07T21:51:00.002-05:00

I was trying to type it for the title but after multiple attempts of failing at it I decided it was appropriate to just leave it that way. I've had a GREAT night! And I thought I would share it :)

There are just SOME THINGS in life that are worth getting slap-happy about. I am somewhat subdued now but just a few moments ago I was ready to run & sing & dance on the table. I settled for waving a makeshift flag on the sign-in table at the church & singing the Star Spangled Banner. I swear, getting in God's word is exciting. And I just can't contain it all.

Do you ever have trouble trusting God b/c He just seems far away? I am in a Bible Study that is correcting so many lies I've been believing! And I feel like my perspective of God has grown SO MUCH! The principle one is that God's REDEMPTION IS COMPLETE!! When you believe what Christ did for you and receive the forgiveness He offers, your forgiveness & restoration to Him is complete. I know, that's the simplest founding Christian principle out there...but when you see people hurting for their sins or you are hurting over your own sins and you are reminded that He LOVES you to the CORE, it's life-altering! Satan wants us to believe the lie that our sins should be treated as "You made your bed & you have to lie in it" but Jesus redeems us beyond that. Yes, there are earthly consequences to many sins but His grace is still complete. And in His body, the church, there should be complete forgiveness. I know we're human & we have to work on this one...but we are striving to live in this.

Praising Jesus!!! Gonna go hang with my hottie-hubby now :)

Pancakes

2011-03-05T11:19:00.004-05:00

Lately, my little fella has been very interested in the toilet. Thankfully he keeps his hands out of it (so far, anyway.) Although I can't say the same for keeping his hands out of his pants. We affectionately call him, "Stinky Fingers" b/c, I kid you not, the child has his fingers in his butt crack at least once in every two-minute span of the day. I need to invest in more onesies! He thinks he would like to "go potty" but we have tried a few times & it has amounted to him enjoying a nice long squat & throwing loads of TP into the toilet. Ha! The past few days, I have seen him pour things into the toilet: a glass of water, a cup of chocolate milk (gross to find in the toilet & dried on the seat looks very questionable; if you come to my house & use my toilets, please keep this in mind).

This morning I made Isaac some pancakes for breakfast. The "silver five" size, if you speak IHOP lingo. I heard Isaac close the toilet when I was coming down the stairs & ran in to find him squishing his hands together. Gross. So we washed his hands & I determined that the squish was all pancake syrup. My boy loves sugar. Especially syrup. Last week we dog-sat & he got the syrup & poured it all over poor Bella. She smelled like pancakes. She was thoroughly crusty by the end of the week but I waited till the night before departure for a bath because I knew Isaac would just decorate her again ;0) So back to this morning...after concluding there was no toilet water on his hands & cleaning him up, I opened the toilet to check on his shenanigans. There sat one whole pancake in the toilet, and syrup all over the seat. Silly boy! I wanted to take a pic but Chad found it & flushed it before I could get to it. You're spared that sight for today :)

2010 Top 10

2011-01-05T23:02:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

Doesn't it feel good to start a new year??? I've had the best time reading about the new year and people telling about their resolutions & what they've learned or enjoyed in the past year. I have a hard time writing "enlightened" blogs because I feel like I'm setting myself up for failure, lol. If I write about how I've learned xyz in life, darn if xyz isn't going to come & hit me over the back of the head! I hope I've learned & grown, ok, I KNOW I learned & grew in 2010 but I'm human & I'm going to make many of those mistakes again. So I think I'll tell you about some of the year's hi-lights (in no particular order):

We bought a house. This was one of the coolest blessings of the year :) The trail that led us to the house we bought was long, uphill, through the thickest, briariest part of the forest but the end result was worth it! hehe
Isaac turned one. And I was able to nurse him till he was 11 months old. He has had a wonderful second year of life; we just enjoy him to pieces every day.
Fell more in love with my spouse than I thought was possible. You won't believe me when I tell you this...but I thought seriously about sending out Christmas cards with my favorite picture of Chad & I as the "big pic" & just a thumbnail of the kids. I LOVE our kids...but kids look cute & grow each year no matter what you feed them or what you put on them. But loving your spouse & having a good marriage??? THAT'S something to be proud of :) We had the best year of our marriage this year with moments that were by far the worst of our marriage. And some of the best moments were a product of the worst moments. I have given & fought against my flesh & prayed & cried over our relationship...and I think we have seen some of the rawest, deepest, ugliest parts of each other. And I have never felt more loved. I am passionate about loving and serving my husband and I am going to go out of my way to show him that often. I love being married. I love being in love. And I feel infinitely unworthy to be so blessed.
Worked on my priority list. And made some changes.
Learned about giving & God's economy. :) Opened my grip on our savings account & let God move. Got to bless our church & others financially. That story is just beginning :)
Had an amazing mini-vacation with my husband in Gadsden, AL. I know it's on your top 10 list of cities to vacation at, ha! But after the memories we made there, it makes me want to plan our next trip already :)
Went back to school & dropped out again. It will happen one day...but it's just too much right now.
My sweet angel girl started school. This one thing has turned my world upside down! People did not prepare me for how TOUGH this is on parents. Not talking emotionally (although it is); just physically adjusting our family-schedule to revolve around her school schedule is wearing me out! Now I see the advantages of home schooling!
Had an amazing year at our church. Uh-mazing. AMAZING, PEOPLE!! :) It is so cool to be at a church that has experienced God's redeeming power. We brought in a new pastor last February & God has blown our socks off!! We didn't expect to maintain life as we knew it when we lost our former pastor in May of 2009. We expected it to take years to build back/up to being a healthy church. But God came in, redeemed, & built His body back to health in no time. We are now in the middle of a building campaign & are going from three to four services, starting this Sunday. God is using our church to reach people who don't know Him and it is SUCH a blessing to be a part of.
Had a successful year of coupon shopping. I know that seems like a very ridiculous thing to include in any top 10 list...but the amount of time I put into those little darn pieces of paper is worthy for some sort of recognition, ha! I don't know how much I've saved. But I've saved a LOT & gotten lots & lots of good things as a result of it. My goal is to be a tad more organized this year, though.

Perhaps I'll make a list of my goals for my next blog. Blogging is not one of them; I rarely find time to sit down & write (I don't know how good bloggers find time for it!) but I hope that this year is even more amazing than last year & that I'll be excited to post often about all the exciting things!

Happy Birthday Neena

2010-11-12T08:16:00.001-05:00

Something to laugh about

2010-11-12T07:47:00.003-05:00

When Chad & I were coming up to bed, Neena calls out "Mama, Mama!" Chad beat me up to her room & when I find them Chad is feeling her sheets & determining she has wet the bed. Except the bed wasn't wet. So we are trying to find the pee when I finally step in it. So I clean it up & send Chad & Neena to the bathroom to clean her up. When I get to them, Neena is doing some sort of strange, frustrated dance & Chad is trying to reason with her to calm down. I determine it's the potty dance & send her in to go. Which she does, a lot. "Problem solved." Right? HA!

I wipe her legs down. (She is so gone, here...it's all we can do to not crack up. She is OBVIOUSLY sleep-walking/not coherent at all.) I get her panties & pants on, finally. I tell her, "Just calm down, take your time, then you can get up." To which she shoots herself back on the toilet, straight into the hole. So she has soaked ANOTHER pair of PJ pants & panties, we have to wash her off AGAIN, & finally get her into bed.

So, I pile up the soiled laundry & we set off to bed.

And find in OUR bed, another wet spot. Isaac had peed on our bed during the few minutes it took for me to grab him a diaper after his bath.

Leading into this story from the other night: Neena got in the bed with us when she was sick. All of a sudden she sat up & threw up all over our bed: comforter, sheets, & all. So I had to take the comforter to the laundromat & in the meantime, I used all the extra blankets we had to keep us warm in its absence. But I left them on there when I put the comforter back on, just waiting till the next time to clean the sheets to change it all.

So we changed the sheets & then I had to scrounge up all the miscellaneous blankets & sleeping bags to cover us up last night. None of them were big enough to cover us both up, so we had a couple of "feet blankets," a "middle blanket," & a "top blanket" that was soft enough to touch our faces.

But my husband is so chill, supportive, & sweet, that we just laughed through it all. :) We love our kids & even all the craziness that comes with our fabulous lives.

Shoot Straight With Me

2010-11-05T07:10:00.005-04:00

Neena is such a little stinker. Last week she got on red at school. As in "green, yellow, red" for behavior. Why? Because she had an OLD scratch on her hand & she decided it would be a good idea for her to go see the nurse. Without asking. So she did. Then yesterday she got on yellow because she & her girlfriends turned around backwards & wash their hands behind them. This didn't occur to her that it wasn't a good thing to do.

I think the problem is we have never specified these things to her.

"Neena, don't leave the playground to go see the nurse without asking the teacher first."
"Neena, the only proper way to wash your hands is with your hands in front of you."

I love the way she thinks like a child. She's delightfully unaware of many things and, to be honest, I never felt that way. She LOVES baby dolls. And stuffed animals. She carries them everywhere she goes & tells everyone all about them. When I was little, I was ashamed for people to know I played with dolls. One time a friend of mine spent the night & wanted us to bring dolls to church with us & I was MORTIFIED. I've had a lot to overcome with my shy tendencies. I love how Neena can just put it all out there, take it or leave it. I love getting to watch her grow up. Trying to lead her & teach her is impossible at times. But I trust in God and His ability to use me and I have a lot of great mentors to learn from.

It's Summer!

2010-06-01T13:18:00.002-04:00

Crazy schedule this month & then next month will be mellow :) We've been to the pool several times already (& I fear I won't get a tan at all with a 15-month old running around!). I'm still in school & will be till the 15th; I love my class & teacher, though, so I'm truly enjoying it. After that, it's class reunion & then VBS. We currently have one vacant rental property, one on the way to being vacant, & therefore 2 properties to fix up & rent out.

We got a dog. (She just got in my lap & made me think about her.) Come to find out, she used to be a neighbor's dog but after she was roaming for weeks & spending most of her time here, we thought she was a stray so we adopted her. They haven't even posted a sign, so I think we're all clear. I can honestly say, I even like her. Except the licking. That is just gross. Maybe one day she'll learn I can't stand that & let it go, lol.

We also made an offer on another house. I'm dying to hear back on this one! We are really hoping to hear back today. We expect them to counter our offer & I'm ready to accept, no matter what it is. I'm praying for God to open this door with no glitches; He has very clearly shut the door on every other property we've looked at. But this being the best deal we've seen, I'm fearful of other people making offers on it & having to have a "bid war" which is way too much for my comfort level. I'm trusting God to give us this house if it's His will, but I'm definitely not afraid to let Him know I'd really like to have it :)

And other than preparing for Neena to start "big school" on Aug 2, that's all that's going on here!

Neena's Graduation Video

2010-05-22T07:25:00.002-04:00

Chad was able to borrow a nice camera to film Neena's graduation :) It made it such a great video! We are so blessed!

Neena's Graduation from Chad Elliott on Vimeo.

Isaac Video

2010-05-22T07:13:00.003-04:00

In this video you'll see Isaac point to and say names for "Papa, Mimi, & Neena." At the end, he gives a big "Pwea" (please) to ask for Chad's phone.

A little background about what was going on:

We were sitting at the table & Chad was saying, "Where's Daddy? Where's Mommy? Where's...?" (etc) Well, Isaac doesn't do great at this game; everyone ends up being called a resounding "DADA" so I thought I'd try my mom's method.

She always hits her chest when she says "Mimi." When I said "Mama" I hit my chest. So he said, "Mimi," which reminded him, "Papa!" & he pointed to the picture of them on the fridge. He's always pointing to Papa on the refrigerator. I went & got it for him. This video is made after a longer first video when he's more distracted when we're trying to prompt him. He did it much better on this one, solely on his own! It is AMAZING how quickly these babies learn! It's amazing to see how amazingly complex God created us!

The really funny part is that Isaac whispers "Papa" just like Neena did when she was his age!

Infidelity

2010-05-17T00:42:00.004-04:00

I had been married for over a year when I learned what that word meant. I was 21. Talk about naive ;) I remember a friend telling me she was concerned about getting married because of it. And I thought she was talking about infertility. What a strange reason to not get married??? I thought.

Chad and I have been married for almost 8 years. And it has been the hardest and most wonderful thing in my life. Aside from my relationship with Jesus, that is. I was so protected all my life & have been so devout in my faith from early childhood that I took so many things for granted. We have, as of late, become surrounded by couples who have suffered infidelity and divorce. And it's hurting my heart so deeply. I look at our culture from an "Anthropological" viewpoint (to steal a term from Bones that I really don't know enough about to quote but nevertheless I'm abusing it) and I see a people who are so carnal and sensual it's just absolutely ridiculous. When did we get so self-focused?? So unwilling to take a punch and stay in the fight?

It makes me think...We've been watching this new series on tv about America and seeing all that the settlers went through & other people of previous generations & I feel like with all the obstacles they had to overcome they grew a sense of responsibility and self-control that we have the misfortune of missing out on.

Or do we?

The things we have to overcome are so hidden & I'm not really sure we're seeing them as what they are. We accept things without question because it's culturally the norm...Bu is it right? We are such cowards! We don't stand up for what's right. We don't fight for our marriages. We don't fight for our friends. Or our kids. We give in to whatever is easiest. What will we look back on when we're old and see how stupid we were about the decisions we made? The easy routes we took? The things we did that were culturally accepted but absolutely unBiblical?

I am so blessed to have friends worth fighting for. Whose marriages are worth fighting for. Whose kids are worth fighting for. I've made the mistake of taking the easy road at times. Of not telling someone to fight for what's right. I know it's a sticky subject because I won't challenge someone who's not close enough to receive it in love. I'm not talking about judging people. But sometimes you need someone to give you a healthy rebuke. Someone to tell you it's worth the fight. That THEY are worth fighting for. And that Jesus loves them & cares about them. And HE fought for them. He went to the cross for them. And just as we receive grace, we are to offer grace. Have you accepted the grace He offers to even be able to understand it?

I realize this is a very vague rant from my soapbox, lol ;) But I just wanted to get it off my chest. I am fortunate enough to have some wonderful friends who will tell me I'm doing something wrong. AND family. And it's certainly not easy. And, oh yes, I defend myself; and God has to deal with me & break me down! But at least I know I've got someone in my corner who cares about what's truly best and not just the simplest thing to do to get out of a sticky situation. I pray that I'm the kind of friend who will always care about truth & what's Biblical and not just get stuck on current circumstances. And that I'll be bold enough to share.

I'm not saying that there aren't situations where throwing in the towel is right. But before you make that decision, seek Godly counsel. From someone who will speak truth. BE someone who will speak truth. And if you don't know what truth is, seek it.

April

2010-04-21T09:03:00.002-04:00

I decided not to blog for a while because I feel that my time is crunched as it is, so why add one more thing? But hey, it's here, so I might as well every once in a while, right?

The newest things going on in the Elliott family as of late:

1. Isaac turned one. Poor little fella had two birthday parties planned & ended up sick and still has not had a party. Second child syndrome at it's worst, right?

2. Neena is about to "graduate" from preschool. MY HEART IS BREAKING THAT THIS BABY OF OURS IS NOW A REAL, FULL-BLOWN CHILD!!!! I randomly have these moments when I panic, cry, & experience extreme guilt for not being able to recall every detail of her life or enjoying every moment to the fullest. I'm a stay-at-home Mom. Pretty sure I was here for everything. Nevertheless, those Mommy hormones are pretty harsh little drugs!

3. I took over the cafe ministry at our church. I'm pretty sure this was a match made in heaven ;) I love getting to serve people coffee. And obsessing on the little details is what I'm made for, so it's going well. It's a definite challenge but I truly believe God is providing & changing my heart through it & even growing some new habits through this opportunity to lead :)

4. I've been reading about my strengths & weaknesses. It makes me cry. I don't really understand why, but every trait we (me & Chad) read about me sends me looking for tissues. I think I'm just so prone to only focusing on my tasks that focusing on and evaluating my strengths embarrasses me & puts me beyond my comfort zone. It makes me look at "ME" & I'm a very harsh critic of myself. Trying to focus on God's perspective of who I am is hard for me; grasping the fact that I'm truly "fearfully & wonderfully made" is something I have to continually remind myself. The book we're reading talks about honing your strengths instead of always trying to overcome your weaknesses. A really cool concept :) One of which I'm trying to grasp...which brings me to my hoarding weakness...

5. My good friend is coming over tomorrow to help me purge & reorganize. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna cry all morning, lol! We decided not to move after all, so instead we're doing a few make-overs in this house to make it more accommodating. I'm excited!!!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T23:38:00.002-05:00

I'm doing my quarterly check-in ;) We had a great Christmas this year; it all went by so fast & now we are having a few nearly quiet days to relax & try to catch up on a few things. It's currently 11:40 & Chad & I are both on our computers; what a way to bring in the new year, right! It's never been the biggest holiday for us but this is pretty lame! We may up & dance a jig in 20 mins, though; never can tell!

Isaac is now 10 months old. He has had a BIG week. This week he started pulling up by himself, standing by himself for a few seconds, & cutting his 3rd tooth. He is just totally thrilled with himself. He is still "bobble-heading" when he's happy & smacking his lips--and I mean hard!--when he's hungry. He is adorable & sweet as pie. He naps well, plays well, & prefers his mommy to anyone; what's to complain about there?!?! ;0)

Neena is just as big a mess as ever. She's 5 years old & I have to say, it's really funny to remember back to her 2nd & 3rd years; she was so sweet & silly...now she's learning to be a little girl. All the ups and downs of learning responsibility in little things (big to her, of course) like cleaning her room & other chores around the house, being a good, nice big sister, and trying to have fun and learn at the same time, too. I love to sit back & watch her help with Isaac; you can see how much she loves him, but then I have to jump in & save him because let's face it, she's 5. She can't handle babysitting yet ;) But she would like to! She's got a lot of love to give, lol.

And as for this year and what it holds for us?
This is what I plan to be this year: a follower of Christ, a wife to Chad, mom to Neena & Isaac, housekeeper to my house, Director of Children's Choir, Servant at church, College Student (btw, I made an A on my first class last semester!), a Coupon-er!, a friend, a sister, a daughter.

"Oh God! I'm Married"

2009-11-01T22:51:00.000-05:00

Oh God! I'm Married! Promo from Revolution Church on Vimeo.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year?...sigh

2009-10-29T22:39:00.007-04:00

I'm stopping in to try to get a little more in the habit of blogging again. It's just that any time I think about it, I always think of so many other things I should be doing. When I think about all that is on my plate, my heart rate increases a little & I get even more ADD than usual. Does anyone else suffer from these things?

Anyway, I thought I'd stop by & tell you what's going on 'round here.

First, Neena turned 5! It was last month & we had a cute little party for her...however I was sick in bed & unable to attend :( Mom, Chad, & my friend Melissa stepped in to pull it together for her because I was afraid if we put it off (again--we had already postponed a week) we wouldn't EVER have it! I think it went well & Mel has pics to pass to me when we have a chance. We did a princess tea party. I got the idea out of a book from the library & it turned out that several other friends of hers are having tea parties at this age. It really is a fun age.

Well, I say that...there are definitely ups & downs with any age, I suppose. And any personality type. Neena is an expressive and whole-hearted kind of gal. It is what makes her so wonderful & also what drives me crazy! ;) Here are some examples:

We got some of her work home from preschool the other day & the teacher said, "try to work on moderation with glue" to which I just laugh because the last time we tried to use glue at home I banned it temporarily because she poured out half the bottle. Literally. She just can't help herself. If she's gonna sing, she's gonna do it at the top of her lungs. Dance? All over the room with arms flared. Draw? Nothing short of 5 pages IF she keeps it ON the paper. And tool of choice for her art? Sharpie. Stickers? A whole sheet in one use.

[Right here I had posted pics but they had partial child-nudity & Chad made me take them down :( That whole taking-care-of-your-children bit. sigh. I'm gonna post w/out pics of her for now & I'll post more later.]

We keep saying one day it's going to work to her advantage. And I really believe that because she is a decisive person, like her dad. Me? Can't make a timely decision to save my life. And I'm glad she's not afraid to make a statement :) She's also not afraid to love excessively, no matter who she's loving on. I prayed for that; I'm so thankful for that.

And Mr. Isaac. The cute little fella is 8 months old now!

Here's one with him yelling at us. Bless him. It's been rough trying to get into a schedule with that tornado of a sister & whirlwind of chaos. BUT...I think I got it all worked out this week! WooHoo!! I'm on top of it again & it's made a huge difference.

He's starting to get around, although not crawling. He's such a boy, though; gotta figure things out! He is "Mommy's Boy" for sure right now. Sometimes I need a break (because he WON'T take a bottle, so we're stuck to one another like glue, still) but I am thankful to be needed & preferred because this time in your child's life goes by SO quickly! Look how cute, though. The one below is of his first tub (not toddler tub) bath. He had so much fun.

Now, for the rest of us...We made an offer on the white house I posted pics of a while ago. It's a short sale which means it's gonna take a long time. (If you read the article on short sales, the "Consent" portion explains the lengthiness of the process.) We are really hoping all goes well; we keep hearing positive reports from the seller's end.

I am officially a student again. (Insert dramatic gasp here.) Who wouldda thunkit? I am taking it slowly, just a 3-hr class this quarter. But it's got a TON of work & keeping me busier than I expected. But I AM makeing a 99% in the class, so I'm very proud :) I am pursuing an Associates in Accounting. We'll see what happens!

Also, I'm up to my nose in Children's Choir for our Christmas Pageant. I love it. The kids are amazing & even though I get so stressed because of all the planning it takes, in addition to everything else going on, when I get in the Choir Room with the kids, I just feel like I am meant to be there. I am so blessed to be able to pursue such varying interests!! I hope to learn better skills for balancing everything in my life. I feel like Isaac has just gotten to the age for it to affect me; everyone asked at first how life was with two kids & my answer was, "Why not have 4 or 5? This is great!" Hahaha! Not SO now!! (Chad has an appt next month; need I say what kind?)

SO, while I'm on this subject, if you have any words of advice, please share! I am on a quest to succeed, not just make it by, in life & everyday is a battle. I'm so thankful to walk in grace.

Right Behind New House

2009-10-27T21:32:00.004-04:00

Everything we consider buying, for probably the past 2 years, always follows my motto statement:

Put that right behind new house.

Because, really, I need the reminder. And you have to tell your money where to go or it'll run away & you won't know where it went. I don't need little things when compared to a new house. You'd know that if you saw my house that we don't fit easily in here. I suppose we could choose to get rid of half our belongings but I struggle a bit with letting go of things, so that would hurt me. I'm working on it.

I'm rambling...the point is: We're on our way to owning a house now! I hear we may be setting a closing date soon. It feels unreal; I'm so excited.

House Blog #2

2009-09-21T19:50:00.007-04:00

1st house got the chop on the block! Here's one we're "seriously" considering. Time to weigh in! This house currently has an offer on it but we have reason to believe we still have a chance :)

From the road:

Coming up the driveway:

Front view:

Forgot to take "walking in the door" shot but here's the foyer from overhead:

Yard shot from formal dining room:

Pantry b/n the LR & kitchen (the hallway to the front door is where Neena is standing):

Breakfast area--b/n the kitchen & LR & obviously the sliding door out the back; it has a sidewalk that goes out to the driveway:

Other pantry in the kitchen:

Kitchen & breakfast area:

Formal DR coming out of kitchen & walkway into formal LR:

Opposite from last view (formal LR looking into DR & kitchen):

LR from foyer view:

View from front bedroom (Neena has claimed this room):

Front BR closet:

Main view front bedroom:

Closet in BR 2:

Main view BR 2:

Window view BR 2:

BR 3 corner view:

BR 3 hall view:

Master bath tub & window:

Master bath view from room:

Master BR view 1 from corner:

Master BR view 2 from corner:

Master BR main view:

House blog

2009-09-12T19:11:00.012-04:00

Just putting this on here so I can share the pics with those whom we'd like to give us input about purchasing this house. I can't put comments on emails with each pic so I'm sharing it here :)

The front--we're not really crazy about the color but oh well:

It needs lots of love. This is the living room/what you walk into:

Another view:

And another:

This is the kitchen:

The island, dining area, & window:

View from the window:

Out the door from the kitchen--top back porch:

View of the front of the back yard from the porch:

More of back yard from top porch:

2nd porch:

More yard:

View of living room from kitchen:

View of house split from living room--when you walk in from front door, it's on your left:

Upstairs extra bedroom:

Its closet:

Attached bathroom:

Other view of bathroom (pretty, huh, lol):

Master bedroom:

Master closet:

Master bath:

Master bath:

Hallway downstairs:

Downstairs bedroom:

Bedroom closet:

Laundry Room:

Bonus view from hall:

Bonus view:

Downstiars bathroom:

Other bathroom view:

Downstairs hallway view from bonus room:

View to basement:

Basement room:

Basement room view 2:

Condensation or leak prob? Needs to be checked:

Driveway (3-car garage w/openers on all 3!):

Back side/steps:

Another view of the bonus room from the corner:

One of the street views (it's a corner lot):

Another house for sale in the neighborhood, for $204k:

Another house:

And one more shot; just giving you glimpses of the neighborhood:

Am I crazy???

2009-08-26T10:12:00.002-04:00

I wanted to celebrate with friends without announcing to the whole world that I am on my way to becoming a student again! I just ordered my transcripts & the application is filled out =) I'll save the rest of the info for later just in case for some reason it doesn't pan out.

I am approaching it like I did with natural childbirth, lol: I'm going to prepare for it, hope for it, do my best to complete it, but if it doesn't work out, I'm not going to feel like a failure. I may get started & decide it's not for me & I'm ok with that. But when I was in school before & God opened the door for me to quit, I KNEW that was right & told Him I wouldn't attempt school again unless I felt called/had the desire to do so...

I am feeling the desire now & trusting Him with the desires of my heart, so here it goes!

JK

2009-08-26T00:04:00.003-04:00

Ok, God provided! So much for not posting!! Neena broke my last computer, so I've inherited Chad's old (awesome) computer, complete with iphoto (that's really all I care about)!! I can now upload pics, post pics, charge the computer easily, upload video, edit video (ok, I really don't know how to do that but it's time I learn!), etc!! I'm soo excited! What more can a mom want???

Latest Neena phrases that will crack you up:

at Isaac's Dr's appt: Yeah, I'm sick too. I have allergies. I'm allergic to sneezing, coughing, yawning, & bless-you-ing.

at bath time: Look at him grab his little wee-wee!!!

need I say more:

Signing Off

2009-07-28T22:30:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking...and as much as I want to be a good blogger, it's just not the right timing. I think I would thoroughly enjoy it if I could post pictures of my babies but that's not working. And I don't feel like I can really be vulnerable about what's going on in my busy life or in my crazy mind ;) so I am going to take a break. I'll try to stop in every once in a while just to keep it going till something changes & I'm ready to go again.

Thanks for stopping by!!

"My name is Christie"

2009-07-06T01:05:00.002-04:00

"...and I'm a faithful believer in Jesus Christ."

When I was teaching preschool, there was an AA group that met right across the hall from my room & in between classes, I enjoyed watching them & sometimes picking up on bits & pieces of what was going on in there. I was captivated by their honesty & vulnerability. It made me think about joining even though I've never had a full glass of any alcoholic beverage, lol!

Our church is doing a ministry, Celebrate Recovery, that works in the same way as AA but for everyone! It helps you overcome "hurts, habits, & hang-ups," which we ALL have, whether we recognize and confess it or not. I don't get to attend regularly but I just wanted to mention it for a couple reasons...One, if it sounds inviting to have an environment where you can confess your struggles and have a group of people who will accept you as you are, encourage you through your rehabilitation & pray for you, let me know & I will tell you more about it! And, two...I wanted to share what my struggles are.

I struggle with time management and being OCD (the 1st is mostly caused by the 2nd) and with my attitude. By God's grace, I have overcome anxiety & depression! I hesitate to say that because I know my tendencies & recognize I could struggle with them again but at least I can say it for now! I may update periodically on how I am doing in those areas :) Oh...and I definitely struggle with fear from time-to-time when it comes to my kids' health.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, about my kids!
My sweet Isaac is able to roll over! Stomach-to-back but also back-to-side, so I figure if he had any reason to desire being on his stomach, he could go back-to-stomach, too :) Yesterday was his first day to do it totally SOLID by himself!! He's just precious! We took him to the Pediatric Gastrointerologist recently for his "loose stool" problem. They did a couple tests but overall believe everything will prove he's just fine! I will post when I get results.

And, Neena, my little 110%-er. She's currently in the washing machine. Trying to put the clean clothes in the dryer. I am in the process of learning to discipline a nearly-5 yr old. It's more difficult than a toddler. Your words, attitude, and timing matter a lot more. And choosing your battles is tough, too, at least with a child who pushes you on everything. I have to remind myself that one day she will be able to make a good choice the first or I'd even settle for the 5th
time without having to be corrected! :) Oh, how I love her. She will never have trouble making her mind up when she's older, at least. She stays in a constant state of making up her own mind! I can't imagine feeling that way; good thing her daddy understands her :) He is a constant encouragement for me, thank you, Lord!

Been too long

2009-06-17T16:40:00.003-04:00

Soo, I'm just checking in because it's been way too long since I've blogged! Some things have been going on around our lives (not inside our fam) that have consumed my thoughts but not something I will blog about, so I've been away.

In the meantime, Isaac has found his feet. I just LOVE this stage!! He is so gosh darn cute! Oh, how I love him! And Neena is growing, growing right now. Maturing in a lot of ways & making bad choices on purpose in other ways. Like the other day MiMi was holding Isaac & Neena came & poked his foot as hard as she could. Mom was appalled. I told her, "It's called sin. Yep. She did it on purpose to be mean & there's no excuse for it!" At first Mom had a hard time not wanting to find some way to explain it away but really, what it comes down to is that we are all sinners! We do ugly things on purpose. We just try to hide it better than we did when we were kids, so it's really even worse as we grow up. The lessons our kids preach! LOL! But she has super-sweet tendencies, too, so I can't only share her struggles. She is quite the little helper these days. She is VERY good at cleaning off the table for me after meals, cleaning the floor in her room (which means putting everything that was strewn SOMEWHERE--not always the RIGHT place, but it's a good start!), & about expressing her love for others.

I have been in prayer & in the Word like crazy lately & God has been answering & teaching me. I love times when I am able to focus for a long stride like this. Life is just better all around!!

Random other things I am happy about:

Chad got an iphone so I inherited his old...just realized I don't know what it's called. Anyway, a newer phone ;)
One of my friends, Bekah just got married; I am so happy for her!
Rental house will be rented again soon & the work we've been doing on it will come to a close!! (Another reason I haven't blogged--it has zapped all our time!!)
My BROTHER IS COMING HOME!!! THIS WEEK!!! FROM IRAQ!!!! WOO HOO!!!
I am so in love with my husband. I enjoy EVERY minute I spend with him!
Love my church!
I need to blog about Celebrate Recovery ;)
Reading The Shack right now. It hasn't really "gotten good" yet but I'm sure it will & to be honest, it's just nice to read anything for pleasure for a change! I never take the time to read b/c I can't quit when I start but I think I've done good so far this time :)

Sometimes it just "clicks"

2009-05-28T22:50:00.002-04:00

I have been feeling so selfish lately. I think the "Christian" life was so much easier for me as a teenager & young adult because there were less responsibilities and there was time to just focus on "me." Any time I was feeling down, I could get alone & spend time with God, go to a corporate worship service, join a Bible study, spend hours chatting with a friend; whatever I needed, me was my only responsibility.

Now, when I am feeling down, the show must go on. My kids must be fed. And played with. And bathed. And loved on. Even when I'm feeling like having some quiet moments--and I try to insist on them--it fails...and sometimes I turn into a monster trying to insist upon them. I have to do my work. Fix dinner. Serve my husband. Etc, etc, etc. There's no time to just focus on regaining my focus. No time to get away long enough to get a new perspective.

So I have to really cling to the things that work. I cling to the time I spend with my husband. And if we're in a "rough patch," that makes life super-tough. (Praise GOD we're in a FABULOUS patch right now!!) I cling to a few moments of Bible &/or devotional reading at night. I cling to sneaking peaks at my babies while they're sleeping for a refreshing of my mind at what they look like when they're peaceful :) I put up scripture to read.

And sometimes I forget to do these things or I don't forget & I still lose perspective. I get selfish & don't enjoy life or my kids or my husband. I try. But I don't do it selflessly.

And then out of nowhere God reveals Himself in a new way & it clicks. Last night I was at the Hillsong United concert & they played a video that had pictures and a scripture verse & I got the wake-up that I needed. Just a simple reminder of what love is. Now I'm gonna have to paste this all over my house to keep it in my head : )

1 Corinthians 13

Love

¹If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Blame it on my childhood

2009-05-26T08:26:00.002-04:00

I never had a dog growing up. Mom would've had one in a heartbeat for us but Dad was anti-dogs. Not sure why.

When Chad & I first got married, we had a dog. I was so excited about it! I thought I liked dogs till then. It was neat to try it out for a while. But reality set in. I tried to enjoy her kisses & constant companionship but it just got on my nerves. Luckily for me, she got trained off our electric fence & we had to give her away.

I have no idea how you all can put up with them.

Right now we are dog-sitting. Kate is a scotty & she's sweet enough to endure Neena, which says a LOT for her. But already she's peed on the carpet twice--not to say that it was her fault. coughCHADMICHAELcough But I'm sorry. After that, it's all over! I don't pee on the floor. I don't let my kids pee on the floor. And I definitely won't have an animal that can pee on the floor!

On the other hand...Neena is never happier than when Kate is over. She loves to have someone to control, er, take care of. And I'm going to give in soon & let her get one. sigh. You can be praying for me when we do. Or start praying now that I'll be able to love or at least tolerate the poor thing. B/c we all know who has to take care of it. And if you knew our past history with fish, you'd be fearing for its life. Still struggling with some guilt over that...But my theory is that b/c it's an animal who can remind me to feed it, we'll be ok :)

So, I've got till she's 6 :) The clock is ticking...

Mother's Day, Dedication, Gymnastics

2009-05-24T21:33:00.008-04:00

Got lots of pictures for you and dang if I can't figure out how to turn them for you : (

Nevertheless, there are some cute ones. Here's my big boy sleeping happily in the bouncy seat.

He's such a happy baby. I told Chad we can go ahead & get "fixed" but I would still be hoping that we can be one of the 3 in 1,000 that still conceive, lol. I'm sure if I had no reason to NOT want to get pregnant, I would probably feel more sure than I do with good reason to be done. Just a part of life, huh? So here's Isaac in his frog towel :o) He loves baths.

This is a sleeping pic in his bed. I keep the extra paci's in there & always a few receiving blankets. I use the blankets to keep his head straight & to "burrito" him in when his hands & legs get to flailing & keep him from sleeping. So peaceful.

Happy Mother's Day to me. Check out the last line; it reads, "My mom is funny when she toots." Thanks, Neena. Thanks for sharing. And, really, the face says it all here. Sigh; that's my girl!

Oh, how I love her!

And I love my Mommy :o) Even when we have no make-up on, first thing in the morning!

Neena & MiMi! They are suckers for one another.

Neena's BFF at church: Zoe. Their Daddy's names: Chad & Thad. Both worship leaders at the church. Hahaha ; )

More mom-daughter love on Mother's Day :) This is my sis-in-law, Laila, & her mom, Linda. We got to hang out on Mother's Day & Laila even got ME roses for M's Day, too! She's a freak about giving; it's ridiculous. We love her for it & think Allen is quite a lucky guy! (He'll be coming home SOON, too! Woo Hoo! Pray his homecoming goes as smoothly as possible so it happens as QUICKLY as possible!!!)

M's Day pics of me & mine w/make-up. (Much better.)

This smile just goes on & on!

OK, here's an action shot of Neena at her gymnastics performance. I love the gym she goes to; if you live in Holly Springs or close by, I recommend it!

So, we may have gotten a little distracted in between her performances....

Proud girl :) Proud family, too. She did soo good! When all the other kids her age did their solo "ta-da" performance b/f receiving their trophies, they did forward somersaults; not my Neena. A perfect cartwheel! OK, maybe a perfect start with an adorable finish sprawled across the floor, but perfect in our eyes, of course!!

Baby dedication! Pastor Gary had just told someone to come help Chad's mom w/the camera, so we were all looking at her for this picture, lol. He likes to rag her & I can't blame him; she's adorable & she gives it right back to him.

Happy Dedication Day, Baby Isaac!!! We are so thankful God has blessed us with such sweet babies to love. We acknowledge that they are HIS, not ours, & that we are responsible to lead Godly lives as examples for them. It's overwhelming when I stop to think about it.

Baptism day, also; here's a few shots from the view from our seats. Uncle Brian (Chad's bro) in the sunglasses, bottom left).

You can catch a peek of Gege, Cousin Amber, & Isaac in the corner of this one ;)

Neena w/her cousin Rhiannon, who is TWO years younger than her, almost to the day. Nope, I never would've guessed it, either! Aren't they CUTE?!?!

One last thing: a video of Isaac at Neena's gymnastics performance. We DID get her on video, too, but it's on the video camera--not the digi-camera ;)

For a Friend

2009-05-17T19:06:00.002-04:00

I am going to post an email from a friend in just a second--it's an email about supporting the CF Foundation. I wanted to share it because this friend was such an encouragement when we were in the "waiting period" to find out the verdict on CF for Isaac. They prayed for us & offered to talk to me whenever I had questions. I am compelled to give because when I consider what our medical costs would've been if our kids had had CF, a donation sounds like nothing. And I figure that I would've been doing the same thing they are, and that you all may want to give something for that very reason, even if Gavin's story isn't enough...but when you read about him, you'll see that it is. Be sure to click on the link she gives to read Gavin's full story:

Hello Friends!!!

In just 3 days I will be walking in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides walk in support of my little nephew Gavin Bartlett. Gavin was diagnosed with CF, a life threatening genetic disease, five years ago. The CF Foundation receives no federal funding and relies on donations alone to fund clinical trials that improve Gavin’s life and hopefully lead to a cure.
Please donate by clicking on this link
In these tough economic times, your support is even more important. Already clinical trials for new CF drugs have been stopped due to lack of funding. We have news of a trial about to start that would make CF more like a chronic condition such as asthma! Gavin and all those with CF cannot afford for us to put the search for a cure on hold. I know that this year family budgets are tight and we have all been affected by the economic downturn. I am not asking for a lot -- any donation you can spare is a blessing. And I really mean any- even $5. And please help get the word out about CF and Team Gavin by forwarding this to your friends and family.
Thanks so much for taking time out of your life to help add years to Gavin's!
Jake, Christina, and Everett

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2009-05-17T15:02:00.002-04:00

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Becoming Sarah

2009-05-03T20:33:00.000-04:00

This is a post I've been working on as I've had moments to spare to work on it. This story is something that has shaped me and continues to even now and for who knows how much longer! For starters, if you don't know how Isaac got his name, I told the story here. That's some background to why (parts of) this story is (are) relevant.

When I was about 6 months pregnant with Neena, I found out Chad (my husband) & I were both carriers for Cystic Fibrosis. I was 22 years old. First baby. Had a perfect pregnancy up to this point. We learned our baby (& each child we would have in the future) had a one in four chance of having a disease that would necessitate daily therapy, more than likely regular hospitalizations, possible infertility, and a shortened life expectancy (to name a few of MANY symptoms/results). Our world was turned upside down.

The Dr's wanted to induce Neena to reduce the chances of her passing her meconium in utero & asperating it at birth, which would give an opportunity for her to catch pneumonia. So we did. (She DID pass her meconium but did not ingest it & it wasn't a big deal; chose to have Isaac naturally after this.) She was, however, a "spit-up" baby. And it scared me to death. I was literally sick to my stomach. I had dreams that men with knives were trying to get us. I was afraid every time she cried & fed her just in case her body wasn't applying the nutrients. I didn't know what babies were like! She was 5 months old when we had her DNA tested & found out she did NOT have it but was a carrier.

And at that time, I determined that I may not be able to handle going through that again. I told God that unless He gave me an overwhelming PEACE and DESIRE to have another baby, I would determine to be happy with just one. I was worried that having another baby, considering our situation, would be selfish of me. That people would look at me like I was crazy for having another child.

I had a few bad moments about wanting to get pregnant again and being uncertain along the way. But for the most part, Chad & I just enjoyed letting Neena be the baby & watching her grow. I really couldn't imagine 2 kids during this time. 3 years and 2 months passed. And then, as surely as the fear of CF was there, it vanished. November 2007. I was even on the pill & stopped mid-month! Literally, I just felt peaceful about having another baby. We began planning when we would get pregnant & decided, based on our health insurance & expenses we would have, to get pregnant early summer & have the baby in early 2009. We got pregnant in May & were due in February. It was a blessing to get pregnant on our "first try"--if it had taken a long time in our circumstances** I would have felt that God was saying it was not His will for us to have another child.

**I stress "in our circumstances" b/c I don't think that's true as a rule; I totally believe God uses fertility treatments & allows couples to have difficulty getting pregnant even when it's His perfect will that they conceive. I would have struggled with that in our situation b/c I wondered if God allowed us these circumstances as a way to close the door for us on more kids. And while I'm rambling about this, I'll explain even further...I believe God uses circumstances to speak to us but moreso, I believe you should trust your heart's desires as long as they line up with His word when trying to discern His will over circumstances.

I had the most wonderful pregnancy. I did have a few nagging side effects toward the end of it but I enjoyed EVERY minute. I didn't worry about CF. I embraced every minute of snuggling my baby & not sharing him with anyone, lol. I felt cute for pregnant & enjoyed getting dressed up. I knew it was my last pregnancy & wanted to take it all in! I praise God for an amazing 9+ months!

So then our due date came and went & God opened the door so that my brother could be in town the week we were due. Extra blessings!!!! I set up an induction date for the evening of Feb 26th but did EVERYTHING I could think of to go into labor naturally. It worked! Went into labor the evening of Feb 25th & had him at 9:28 the following morning :) I had him naturally--NO MEDS--and LOVED the experience. I still can't believe it. And I still feel like I could take on the world after accomplishing it! But I'm dragging this out now...

Anyway, after he was born, he seemed completely healthy. No spit-up. Nursed like he'd been doing it for years, lol. Gained weight. Slept well. Etc. Then the Dr. mentioned something about making sure his poo was "seedy." I watched. Just water. Water with goo if I'm being direct. And suddenly he had a CF symptom. And immediately his name yet again had a significant meaning to me. I felt like CF would literally be the death of him (albeit years away) unless God provided another cause for the symptom as He provided another sacrifice for Abraham.

I mentioned earlier that I was worried about what people would think of us choosing to get pregnant knowing the odds of CF. Well, during our pregnancy God called Chad & I to a new church. I didn't want to tell them about us being carriers. About Isaac's chance for CF. 2 main reasons: I didn't want them to think we were selfish or crazy for getting pregnant with those odds. And I felt like it was our burden to carry since it was our choice to get pregnant. I felt like prayers were irrelevant b/c we knew the odds when we got pregnant & the decision was made, whether we liked it or not.

Then I went to church one week (Isaac was 4 wks, I think; maybe 3). I just couldn't handle being home that day. I was worrying sick over it & I just really needed some support. And Gary preached about being "in the dip." About how you're going along in your walk with God & something comes & causes you to sin or stumble. He said sometimes it's a "God-dip"--not something you caused--just "life." And that was me. I was struggling with worry & I was being selfish about it. I felt like I had to carry the burden alone. So...I confessed our circumstances. I know it sounds like such a small thing. But it was hard. And then it was liberating. And God used His earthly body to love on me & bless & encourage me.

April 13th we found out the loose stool had no fats in it & the Dr. reconfirmed his newborn screening was negative and that was confirmation that he does NOT have CF. I look at my children every day aware of how blessed we are. I am so thankful. We still don't know what is causing his loose stool. We're working on that now. But in light of CF, nothing sounds scary :)

In Nov 2007, I felt like God gave me the promise of a child. I asked for a healthy boy. He gave me one. I feel like God pressed me, showing us a girl then revealing he was really a boy later on. And again when I was so afraid the symptoms were showing CF. I continually give my children back to God in my heart. I thank Him that He lets me take care of HIS children here on earth. I wonder what I have done to deserve 2 healthy children. The truth is I don't. But I strive every day to show them their Heavenly Father. Often times it's from MY mistakes but even then it's an opportunity to teach them (Neena) about God's grace! I don't know what Sarah went through when Abraham took Isaac to offer the sacrifice. But I believe in the promise God gave me, just like He promised her a child in her old age & that He gave us the name Isaac to teach us about loving God above everything and everyone else & trusting Him even when it's tough to understand what He's doing.

Neena's Letter to Isaac

2009-05-03T18:14:00.004-04:00

Dear Isaac,
I love you. I'm glad you're here at home. I like to smile at you. I like to smile when you jump up & when you crawl--oh, he can't crawl. I love you and I miss you--oh, I can't miss you, you're here. It's so good when you're at my house. And I love you. I like you to stand up and move around. And I like you doing stuff with me. And it's fun to hang out with you. And I love you. I love Daddy too, and he holds you because he loves you and me and Mommy and Gege and he makes good choices and he loves us and he plays with me every day but sometimes and he loves me and misses me when he went to Texas a long time ago. (If I could only keep up this would be even better.) Mommy loves you & you love Mommy. You cry a lot. I like you being happy because you love me. And I miss you while you're gone with Daddy. Gege loves you. MiMi loves you and smiles at you and Papa loves you too. And all of the family loves you and I love you.

Now it's Neena's turn to "write":

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Photo Op :)

2009-05-02T09:46:00.005-04:00

Here's a video of Happy Isaac on the changing table; & we even caught a little sneeze :)

Not sure how to rotate =/ This is tummy time; pretty cute, eh?

Isaac at bath-time. Yeah, we got rolls & lots of 'em. That double chin looks just like Neena's did!

These up-close ones always look clear in the camera. Gonna have to learn to back up a little =/

2 different purple bows. That's how we roll.

Neena photography. Her daddy will do whatever she asks. Sometimes this works in my favor...sometimes it doesn't. He's still hot, though ;)

I think she looks gorgeous here. One of my favorites. She adores this dress from Aunt Melanie :)

Is he cute or what?

I think he knows it :)

Fat belly shot; I spared you the graphic nudity, lol! Check out the leg rolls, too.

At the park. Wouldda rather been curled up at home but with a big sister as wild as Neena, we gotta get out regularly. Bless him!

one-handed

2009-04-29T13:04:00.002-04:00

these days if i'm on the computer it's because isaac is nursing; right now he is sleeping. and i'd like to sleep, too but i'm afraid to move him b/c it'd be the one time he'll not go back to sleep! normally i am super grammar-picky but typing one-handed makes that difficult, so consider this my disclaimer. :)

Well...he's awake now. He is growing like a weed! I weighed him yesterday at the hospital (breast-feeding support group) & he weighed a whopping 11 lbs, 11 oz. My little fatty ;) I have some fantastic photos to share if/when I ever get to Chad's computer. He is all smiles now & is making sweet little sounds; it's amazing. And he can hold his head up really well for short periods of time during "tummy time." We are working with a homeopathic Dr. to try to find out what is causing his poo to be so runny. He seems totally healthy otherwise; we had confirmation that he doesn't have CF (story to follow), so I am in a constant state of thankfulness. I'm hoping his (probable) food allergies aren't long-term but we'll do what is necessary either way.

Neena is getting to be such a big girl. Goodness, I love her so much. She had her end of the year performance at preschool today & she sang the best she ever has for it. She has a habit of biting the corner of her lips on the inside & when she wasn't singing, she was chewing. I wonder if she'll keep the habit or if it will pass by as other little phases can. She is always "loving" Isaac a little too roughly =/ That's my only complaint about her with her brother. Oh! And the fact that she is totally jealous about other people getting pregnant/having babies. She wants her baby to be the only baby. Bless her. It was "HER" special thing for so long she's not sure how to share that privilege. I can't say I don't understand! But we are working on it. We prayed about it. She was actually the one to ask about us praying about it. Love that she understands prayer & wants to pray about the things she struggles with.

OK; I'm gonna try to take a little nap while I can! God bless ;)

Yard work & Dr's visits

2009-04-25T17:25:00.004-04:00

Things are a blast & totally crazy at our house lately. I think of soo many things I want to blog about but never do b/c I am waiting on a serious story to tell but don't have time for it, so for now, I'm just putting it off so as to blog about the day-to-day stuff :)

We've been at the Dr's office more than I could have ever imagined the last month! Isaac's first month of weekly visits looked like this:

check-up
jaundice follow-up
thrush
loose stool
month check-up

Then 2 weeks later Neena had a urinary tract infection, followed by a 1-wk follow-up which luckily coupled with her already-scheduled check-up. Isaac is supposed to go back again next week for another stool check round but I think I'm going to cancel it b/c I'm going to take him to a homeopathic Dr instead. That'll be Mon afternoon; can't wait to get the results!

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In other news, we FINALLY had our lawn mowed for the first time this spring. Oh, it feels so good. We also managed to do a little lawn work ourselves. UNFORTUNATELY, however...my husband needs some yard-work lessons. I swear, Jane, didn't you teach him better than this??? Dang if I didn't give him the weed spray & leave him alone to kill almost all of my plants!!! The pansies at my mail box are all dead. 2 hostas dead. Unknown name groundcover: dead. Even a new plant still in a pot got a bit of spray. Oh well. I can plant some more & at least the weeds will die (I hope).

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Yesterday we went to a fire station to bring the fire fighters some cookies. Neena is obsessd :) She even loves "Fireproof" the movie. One of our friends from church is a paramedic at the Woodstock FD, so we went & saw him there. He did a great job showing us around & then got a call, so we got to see him suit up & leave. I recommend taking a trip if you've never been; Chad & I thoroughly enjoyed it as well! (She just told me she wants to go see them again, lol...I may have started something!!)

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Chad quit his extra job yesterday! In 2 weeks he will officially be in full-time ministry :) He is so excited! Me too :) We will be adjusting financially to the change but we know God will provide. We are sooo excited to see how his ministry will respond now that he can put 100% into it; not to mention having TWO days off each week! It's been years since he's had 2 days off; I can't even imagine what it will be like but I am soo pumped about it.

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Now...let me find a few cute pictures to share with you. Don't have a recent photo b/c no photo program on my computer :( but my sweet sister-in-law gave me some by CD, so I have a few! And boy, is my sweet boy a cutie!! His smile is just gorgeous! He's gettin' little leg rolls & a double-chin :) Praise God for a healthy growing child!!!

Where'd it go?

2009-04-03T11:32:00.002-04:00

OK...I know time flies but, seriously. I feel like I was pregnant for about 1.7 years & Isaac's first month of life has gone by in about 3.9 minutes. sigh Babies just aren't babies long enough! :(

My boy is getting soo big so quickly. Praise the Lord! Still waiting to test for CF. Only one thing that can be seen as a "symptom" & his weight is wonderful. Check out this link then click on "Client Access."
User name: Elliott
Password: Isaac
You can see what a CHUNK he's become!! :) He's a cutie! And a baldie, lol! You can also see the pregnant pics if you haven't seen them yet.

That's all for now. Precious few moments to clean my house, so blogging has become a luxury I don't often partake of :( I'll get back soon!

A Weak Moment

2009-03-14T22:08:00.003-04:00

Trying to confess without tears...

Many moments, even most moments I am strong & unafraid. But not this moment. I had fears & questions & decided to do an internet search of CF. Isaac has very loose stools & while this could be my diet (I can't say I have had a good or even mostly healthy one this week) I know this is a "symptom" & my mind is stuck on the subject.

The Dr. says we will do a sweat test at 2 months. That's not long but moments like these make it seem a lot longer.

Say a prayer for me & my boy when you think of us :)

God, I know that Isaac is yours and I am honored to be his mom while we are on this earth. I have never asked that you promise good health...I recognize that YOU know what's best & I don't expect our lives to be exempt of tough times. I do ask that Isaac's health be wonderful but that pales in comparison to him having a heart after your heart, having love, joy and wisdom; help me to focus on the things that will matter eternally. Give me faith when I have none. Grow me into the mom who teaches her children with wisdom and guides them to be faithful, successful, resourceful, and confident in their identities in You and You alone, never to be victims of their circumstances or even health or motivated by the world's standards. Give me wisdom, empathy and words to share with others who are hurting because I know you have allowed this in our lives for a reason and I pray that you use it for your glory. I love you, Father; thank you for hearing my prayers...

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Changes

2009-03-08T10:04:00.003-04:00

Isaac was born a week & a half ago now & already my life has been turned completely upside down. Everything that was "normal" is no more. It is so strange to consider that! I've been wanting to find a few minutes to blog about everything but there has been NO time, what with having to hold Isaac every moment I can find & things such as that ;o)

Yesterday Mom & Dad took Neena to AL with them--they're shooting for her to stay for a week! Oohhh, the pain! I have been in a crazy whirlwind of emotions since Isaac arrived...the reality of Neena growing up has become too real! I am okay with little mister even though he had to go & grow out of his newborn size clothes already :(

When we took him to the Dr on Tue (5 days after he was born) he had gained 7 oz. The doc came in & said, "Has your milk come in yet?" so I'm thinking they have reason to suspect it hasn't, but at that point I was still fighting engorgement so, oh goodness, yes, I had TONS of milk! "Because normally breastfed babies haven't gained any weight at this point" she finished. Yep. That's my boy! :) BUT......

So sad to grow up so fast!

On the other hand...gaining weight is a GREAT sign that CF (we're both carriers) is not in his genes. AND the fact that the boy doesn't spit up. He just eats, sometimes burps, & is pretty much always happy. When he's not he will surely let you know, though, but I can usually figure out what the problem is. Thank you Lord, for such a sweet baby!

I did have a moment the other night when fear kinda took over for a moment. He is super grunty & snorty--it's really cute--but the first night I heard it, automatically I go "CF" in my head. And the list of life changes & health problems start hanging around my head, messing with my thoughts & completely clouding my vision. It also happened to be the first night I got all emotional about Neena growing up. Oh man, I was a wreck. I needed a new perspective and fast!

The next night my devotional was basically about remembering what loving Jesus and serving Him means & how it's NOT about our actions but about getting closer to Jesus by the things we do. It was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. It's not about me or about my babies--it's about Jesus and pointing them to Him. I'd been trying to hang on too tight to every minute & grieve over the time that was gone AND question every decision I had made. I felt like the time Neena has had with me--birth up till the current moment--was stolen from me & I was completely torn up over it. That may sound totally ridiculous but I kid you not, I was in a really bad place over it!!! Just another reminder that if you don't know Jesus or the peace that He offers, let me tell you, I don't know how you can stomach this world that's full of heartbreak, unanswered questions, & despair. When I consider how tough things get & get lost in that, spending a few minutes or a day without seeing life from an eternal perspective--living every moment in the grace & peace of Jesus--I really don't know how anyone can make it in this life without a relationship with Jesus.

So, like I said...emotional week & a half!

And while I am still broken-hearted about my baby GIRL becoming a CHILD--4 & a half years old, people--I am going to take a moment to brag on her & hope I don't drown the computer while I think about her :)

~~
She's learning her cartwheel right now. She started learning it a couple months into gymnastics but it started out as a glorified, 1-handed somersault. Now she can actually turn sideways & get a decent start but of course her hegs don't end up in the right place & she doesn't land on her feet. But it's adorable & she's extremely proud of it!

~~
The other day her preschool teachers told me about her taking a little boy who has some sort of mental disability around the playground with her & then she led him to bow & pray with her. No idea what they were praying about but oh my goodness...I cried when the teachers told me; they were almost in tears too :) Love those girls; they are pure angels! And love my sweet Neena.

~~
One thing I have been sad about with her is that I have been such a disciplinarian & haven't played with her with my whole heart enough...

(Side note: Not that I shouldn't be a disciplinarian but I have felt guilty to spoil her at all...I was so worried about only-child (spoiled brat) syndrome that I have hardly spoiled her at all! I have allowed others to but haven't myself. So now I feel more freedom to spoil both my kids a little for 2 reasons. #1 because I haven't done so with Neena & I'm her mom; if I'm gonna let anyone spoil her a little, I should be at the top of the list! And #2 I feel freedom to spoil them b/c with a sibling, neither child gets to feel like they're the center of the universe; only-child syndrome is not a possibility!)

...Being pregnant only made that tougher, too! This is something I have renewed vision for & am going to allot more time for during the day. Her favorite things to play right now are:
**Being a waitress at McDonalds, taking orders & bringing food
**Playing with her pet shop pets, Cinderella action figures, Nativity people, and blocks. They all join in together & we make rooms for them with the blocks :) Super fun.
**She loves barbies & her barbie house.
**She pretends to be "Kayla" & I'm "Christina" & she comes to paint my house. I have to call her & ask her to come over to work. She has a husband, John (used to be Gary), that she talks about who also works at Revolution with my husband, Chad. :) Very cute. She also uses a silly accent!
**She plays Chad's mandolin. She puts the strap around her neck & can strum pretty well! She looks like she's playing bass for a rocker band b/c of how low it hangs down, lol. She & Chad play together & have concerts for us! :) One of these days, I will get a video for you...
**She plays with her monkey that Amber got her from Build-a-Bear. It's name is Lollipop & it's her sister. NOT her baby. Lollipop goes EVERYWHERE with us. It's especially great at the mall; I let her bring her toy stroller & push her around. It is the answer to keeping her near me; without something to occupy her, she's all OVER the place!

~~
She is quick to make mistakes & messes but even quicker to apologize. Most of the time. She has enough independence to feel like she should be able to make her own decisions. It's tough for both of us but I've realized lately I need to let her make more decisions & praise her a lot for when she makes the right ones. She is a good girl & she's got heart. (She's got a lot of spunk & drama, too, though!)

~~
After she left yesterday, I called Mom to ask them to call me if they stopped to eat so I could have a new ETA. They'd only been gone a few minutes & Neena wanted to talk to me. :) I needed that.

Well...Chad is at work for the entire day, so it's just me & Isaac! It's so quiet! I'm not quite sure what to do with myself :) I'll find a chance to steal Chad's computer & share some pics soon. I think I'm going to try to get a few things done...Or go snuggle this baby boy :)

Unplugged

2009-03-05T22:51:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let you know that Isaac DID arrive safely :) Many more details to come but here's the main details:

We went into labor Wed night, the 25th
Arrived at hospital Thur morning, 1:00 a.m.
Natural labor :) No drugs! (Am very proud of this.)
Born at 9:28 a.m.
7 lbs, 6.9 oz
21 inches long
VERY good baby :) Already on a good schedule--eats good, doesn't cry unless something is wrong, doesn't spit up. His one hang-up: He pees on us almost EVERY time he gets a diaper change.

I am enjoying being "unplugged" right now. No blogging, trying to facebook as little as possible without being rude, & not even answering my cell phone. I have been super emotional & am trying to soak in all that is going on & breathe in every moment to its fullest :) When Mom leaves & I need some adult interaction, I'll probably be back in full force--it may not be REAL adult interaction but, hey, it counts for something!

Thanks for your prayers, love, friendship, & of course for keeping up with us on here!

Disclaimer

2009-02-20T12:56:00.002-05:00

I just saw that the little Baby-Gaga Gadget at the top of the page claims that Isaac is here.

It's WRONG!

Why it doesn't say, "I'm due!" or "I'm full term!" or something of the like, I'm not sure. But it's just not right for the thing to assume that all babies are born on their due date!

Getting Bigger & Staying the Same

2009-02-20T12:39:00.002-05:00

I'm in unpredictably good spirits considering today is my due date & my sweet baby is showing no signs of going anywhere. The Dr's say I'm healthy & he looks good. But they'll also induce if I want them to.

Although I appreciate the offer, we're fighting for natural & so far so good.

Except...one little detail that is bothering me...See, I'm getting bigger in the tummy area but my weight is staying the same. The scales at home stay around 146 (at the dr's office with my boots on it says more, so we'll go with mine whether they're right or not). I might not notice how my belly is growing if not for a few activities that continue to grow increasingly difficult. One of the toughest things to do is wash dishes. I can't really reach the sink like I expect to be able to. I end up hunching over at the most awful angle & my back hurts, I inevitably get water all over my shirt--the part that presses up against the counter, & I can't quit trying to turn sideways to find a better angle & I'm just not coordinated enough for that.

Yesterday I bought paper plates & plastic cups. So much for being green, guys--I'm over it! And for those who know me, I NEVER use paper/plastic. Mostly b/c I'm obsessed with using our china. You don't pay $26 per item & let it sit in the cabinet, People.

If anyone is praying for the arrival of this baby boy, I'm now shooting for Monday. My sister-in-law's father passed this week; it's been so tough on her family--please pray for them: Laila, her mom, Linda, & brother, Keon. The blessing from this, though, is that my brother was able to fly home from Iraq to be with her; he'll be here for 10-12 days. And during that time, he'll now get to welcome his little nephew into the world!! I want him to come on his own but he's got until Thurs before I induce; I want plenty of time for Allen to snuggle the little guy before he goes back to war.

I'm so thankful for God's hidden blessings. He is so good.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T15:00:00.003-05:00

Today is one of those days; actually, I've had a few of them lately. I think hoping for Isaac to come any day has pushed me into a sentimental mood--both anticipating his arrival and letting go of him. (Although it will only be from my womb to my arms.) And I complain a lot about the pain of pregnancy but it's only half-true. Yes, it is painful & I can't WAIT to deliver him, see, & hold him...I also relish every moment--especially the moments of him wiggling around like crazy, but also the moments of lugging my belly around & not finding ANYTHING that fits right.

Things have been pretty hectic around our house lately. From Chad's new ministry position to fitting the new position around his "day job" or vice versa to trying to get the nursery ready, added on top of my house-work-challenged self and the emotions of pregnancy magnifying all the changes...I feel like I've been in a whirlwind. But God has been faithful. We are so excited about all the changes but moreso to get to a place when they're not "new" and we can feel settled with everything. I hope those thoughts aren't keeping me from living in the moment. I constantly feel in a state of "trying to catch up" and that is just a part of who I am, I fear. I pray about it a LOT & am always trying new methods to "get ahead" but I still feel behind.

Maybe I'll take a minute to be thankful for the things I'm NOT behind on to remind me God's still working on me & I'm still responding:

I am super thankful Isaac's room is finished.I am not behind on my Beth Moore Bible study (b/c I did 1 1/2 this morning...but still).
Isaac & Neena are packed for when labor comes.
The bathroom supplies & a few things are packed for me & Chad & I have a list for the rest ready to check-off. (Harder to pack for us b/c we use all our clothes we'd want to pack.)
Kitchen is stocked with frozen meals & lots of groceries.
Still mopping & changing the sheets weekly on their "day" to be done & keeping the bathrooms pretty orderly!

So it's only 5 things right now but those are still significant to me ;) And I am also thankful for the love I feel for my husband. Happy Valentine's, Honey. All these changes have really put a lot of pressure on us & it's definitely not been easy. It's a choice to love him and also for him to love me when we might not like each other so much at times. I'm not saying anything he wouldn't agree with; don't think I'm trying to put all the blame on him! I am trying to learn to pick priorities really carefully and to serve him before me or the rest of my family but sometimes I forget that just because I think through doing something for him doesn't mean it's going to be received if I don't say it in the right language. That's a little vague but that's what's going on in my mind these days. So many times he's come home from work & I feel like I've done so much for him b/c of the things I've cleaned in the house & he doesn't notice it. And at the same time, he's been at work, feeling like he's loving me by working & he comes home & all I recognize is that he's left me alone to deal with the frustrations of being a mom.

Well, I'm going to try to change that! I'm going to try to recognize the things he's doing to communicate how much he loves me & try to do things that he can recognize as me loving on him. Not totally sure how to do that. But we're going through a series at church, "Bringing Sexy Back" that is so timely for our household and the 1st week was just awesome. (You can get to the podcast from therevolution.tv I recommend it!) I am praying that Chad & I both receive the message. (And it doesn't hurt that Chad has to hear it in 3 separate services, on top of pre-reading and critiquing it!! LOL!!)

And in addition to all of those things, I think I'm starting to realize the importance of embracing and enjoying the small things. A lot of people I know have really mastered that art & whereas I am quite aware of details in some areas, there are a lot of things that I just see the whole picture. Like clothes. I am in awe of girls that put an outfit together and all the details work, from jewelry to shoes to handbag to hair. Me? I have some "pieces" I like--shirts & pants--and then the basic needed shoes and thank God for my mom & all the jewelry (clothes, too, but esp. jewelry) she's given me or I'd be OUT on that catagory, too. But I enjoy looking at people who detail putting it all together. I hope one day to do a little more of that (and not feel guilty spending the money & time to do it but that's another issue entirely.)

My sweet Neena Michelle is such an instrument in reminding me about that. The poor thing is getting on my every last nerve this week b/c I just want some peace & quiet...and the girl doesn't have "quiet" in her vocabulary. Most of her time is spent singing made up songs or Christmas carols at the top of her lungs. But if I get onto her for it and then see that sweet face, I think, One day she's not going to sing like that & you're going to miss it terribly & long to have it again!!! and I am immediately apologizing for not loving her up--even things that may drive me crazy. The other day she came back to the bedroom with the full trash bag from the kitchen. She noticed it was full & was trying to help by taking it out. She is a sweet, loving little angel!!

Hopefully by next post I'll be sharing the delivery story!! Say a prayer for us :) God is so good! And He hears our prayers :)

Pregnancy

2009-02-10T16:33:00.003-05:00

Everyone says each pregnancy is different but I couldn't have imagined how different they would be. I'm gonna try to do a little comparison so I don't forget :)

With Neena: Found out with a bunch of friends at a friend's apartment; they actually bought the test for me b/c they were convinced before me. Not trying but had baby fever. Found out on Jan 24th, 2004.
With Isaac: Found out at home; had taken 2 tests that said negative (from the Dollar Store), one that I forgot to read till it was past the time for it to be valid & it looked positive, & after it I was out & had to wait till the next a.m. to go to the store for another. I was at Kroger at 6 a.m. Got home, took it, & couldn't believe it! I had been "fertility tracking" online & it was our first month to "try."
Neena: No morning sickness, whatsoever.
Isaac: 5 weeks of miserable morning sickness
Neena: No caffeine, whatsoever
Isaac: Started out not even eating out so I could eat totally organic...after morning sickness, I ate whatever, whenever & decided a little caffeine wouldn't kill either of us ;)
Neena: Extreme exhaustion
Isaac: Extreme hunger.
Neena: VERY few Braxton Hicks contractions; didn't even know what they were
Isaac: Tons of contractions
Neena: Rib pain for months
Isaac: Pubis (sp?) bone pain for months & rib pain at the end
Neena: Movement was spontaneous & ALL over the place
Isaac: Movement is always the same; stays in the same position
Both: Weight gain looks to be about the same: 30 lbs w/ each
Both: Picked their names immediately after finding out the sex. Funny thing--when we thought Isaac was a girl, we couldn't come up with a name! As soon as we found out he was a boy, we chose right away! Oh, & didn't have the names as choices before we found out, either.
Neena: no weird side effects
Isaac: every weird side effect known to pregnancy!

That's all I can think of for now. I am hoping for a very different delivery than I had with Neena but with the same amount of enjoyment & happiness :) With her, the docs took over completely & I was induced. With him, I'm hoping for as natural as possible!

I have to share a story about Neena now. The other day, we were on the way home & found a girl about my age walking in the cold rain carrying groceries. I turned around & went & picked her up. Not my normal routine for people on the road but, c'mon people, she was OBVIOUSLY not dangerous & could OBVIOUSLY use a little help. So we brought her home--found out she lived with her dad, his car was broken down, & she was out to get groceries to feed her 17-month old son. Break. My. Heart.

Neena was very excited about helping the girl. Since then, EVERY person we've seen on the side of the road, including a Shriner out collecting money today, she's tried to convince me to pick up. The girl's got a huge heart :) I hope she never stops loving people like she loves them now. That was my #1 prayer for her before she was born: to love God & love people--and I see that answered prayer every day. Thank you Lord!

18 days

2009-02-02T22:17:00.003-05:00

Till Due Date!!

Check this out :)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My friend, Dayana Cagle made these for us. She's located in Canton GA & if you need a photographer, I totally recommend her! cdmphotostudio.com Check out her site!

In other news...Isaac's room is completely painted, trim is up, the beadboard is in place, carpets cleaned, blinds scrubbed & put back in place! No furniture yet--well, the dresser is in there & fully stocked. If he will wait just a few more days, I may be totally ready. Except the mess that was in the former office is ALL OVER the rest of the house. Especially our bedroom :( Hope to fix that tomorrow. Not gonna happen tonight! Huge THANK YOU to Jane & Amber for coming & helping--working your butts off!!!!!

I'm gonna go eat a cinnamon pop tart now! I had a rough, tiresome day & I'm not gonna fret about it :)

Healthy Hints

2009-01-31T03:12:00.003-05:00

I don't usually do an "informative" blog but I was chatting with a friend the other day about all the health tricks I've learned to stay healthy & thought I would share them! For Sinus Health:

Simply Saline: I heard about this product from a friend. It's an aerosol nasal spray with NO preservatives AND you can't contaminate the rest of the contents b/c of how it's sprayed. It's meant to be used as an irrigation rinse, too. I use it every night. What does it do? When the air is dry, the tissue in your nasal cavity swells, which makes you congested...then you get runny, & bacteria love the mucus--you end up with a sinus infection. Keep the inside moist & you're in great shape!
Vaporizer/Humidifier: Helps with what I mentioned above in a different form; it keeps the air moist. Especially helpful in a little one's room who won't willingly use spray/drops. But you have to keep them clean OR bad stuff will grow in them & MAKE you sick.
Vaporizer cleaner: No idea what they're called. I just bought one this month for the first time. It is a little ball with something inside that keeps your vaporizer clean for 30 days without scrubbing :) Pricey little thing at $4 a pop but I wanted to give it a shot; I'm always ready to drop when it's bedtime & never want to clean the vaporizer but want to run it!
Nasal Irrigation: This is for those of you who are hard-core about staying healthy. It takes moist nasal cavity to a whole nutha level! It will literally get the old junk out of the nukes & crannies in your nasal cavity, along with refreshing/moisturizing the tissue I've already talked about. I have a recipe for one you can make but I also recommend the Simply Saline I mentioned above. If you use a pure liquid version, use cold or tepid solution (never hot!). With either, you stand over a sink, wash cloth in hand, head sideways, and spray/pour the solution into one nostril. Be sure to start breathing through your mouth so as to close the "nose opening" in your throat or you'll get a mouth/stomach full--yuck! Try to hold it in for a few seconds so that the junk can loosen up. Do with other side also & repeat if desired. I'll find the recipe & add later...
Steam inhalations: Noticing a trend? Yep, it's all about the moisture. This is a great way to get a little facial, too, lol! Put on some water to boil; when it's boiling rapidly, take it off the heat, place on a trivet & drape a towel over your head & the pot. Be careful not to burn yourself! This is great, though, & your nose will start running like a faucet. I've done it before till all steam was gone & reheated for an extra round. Feels fabulous when you've had a hard time breathing!
ACV: Hands down, #1 natural medicine. Raw, unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar, "with the mother." (Bragg is well-known brand.) You can't find it at a grocery store; local vitamin/supplement shops should have it or Whole Foods, Harry's, etc. It works as a natural antibiotic; is actually amazing for quite a number of things; Bragg from above mentioned brand wrote a whole book that I love! But the best way to take it is 1-2 tsp in 8 oz hot water with a tablespoon of honey. Taste--not great but better than taking it alone; is kind of like medicinal tea. For kids, put 1 tsp in a cup of apple juice or give them a REALLY good incentive in a small amount of whatever. Neena knows it's her medicine & I'm gonna win; she's learned to take it quick & earn a prize :)
Avoid mucus-producing foods such as dairy, carbonated beverages & caffiene, citrus, wheat, bananas, & grapes. Onions & garlic help to thin mucus. (But I think when you have extra mucus in your system already the stench sticks to it & lasts longer...but that could just be me!)
Listerine: Always use listerine to kill germs in your mouth; it can help prevent you from getting sick!
Change your tooth brush: Don't forget the germs that live there, too. If your tooth brush is new or if you're trying to fight getting sick, soak it in Listerine to kill the bugs without hurting your pocket :)
I've been trying to think of which drugs I prefer as I write this...I have pretty much given up on all of them because they are honestly not nearly as effective as these treatments. They are more time-consuming but are healthier than antibiotics for everyone & they REALLY WORK! Oh, I did think of one I endorse: Vapor Rub. I use it as my chap stick at night & sometimes put a dab on my nose; it says not to but I prefer that over covering my chest--yuck. There are also "Vicks Kleenex" that I am totally digging! Much less messy than the rub, just take a big whiff before you blow! Sometimes I put them by my mouth/nose on my pillow at night; it works! I stick to the store brand on the vapor rub, though, b/c the name brand is MUCH pricier (even when I had a $1 off coupon!)
Homemade bread with fresh ground wheat: sounds totally Amish...the mills you can buy are expensive but they're small & soo simple. Fresh ground wheat does SOO much for your body but for sinuses, specifically, it helps your body get over allergies. Simply amazing. Get more info at www.breadbeckers.com

If you have any hints to add, please leave them in the "comments!" Glad to know of all we can do to maintain good health!

Free Coffee for Service

2009-01-21T14:04:00.002-05:00

What a cool idea :) Wanted to share the info.

Starbucks is giving away a tall cup of brewed coffee (I know--not as appetizing as a frapuccino but c'mon, they've got all those great flavored powders to dose'em up!) to individuals who pledge 5 hours of community service. I'm not sure all the details, so here's the website to find out more:

http://pledge5.starbucks.com/

Checkin' the microphone

2009-01-19T07:54:00.006-05:00

In December at Neena's gymnastics class, they had a little "show" for us. Ms. Carrie, Neena's teacher, let them each come up to the microphone to tell about what they had learned each month. Neena is saying, "In October...we learned...sideways skills...My name is Neena & I had a good day at joe-nastics...& I love to like...and hug myself" or something like that. Not shy at all on a mic. Nope. She'd have done a full concert for anyone willing to watch.

Last night we watched the first American Idol of the season. Neena loves American Idol. I did opt to not let her see bikini girl although Chad didn't understand why. Sigh. When it was over, she sat down at her little keyboard & began to sing & it hit me that she sounds like many of the people auditioning for American Idol. And I hear it ALL DAY LONG. I love my girl & I believe that one day she'll have mad singing skills from all this practice but I can only hear it so long before I just want some quiet time!! When we're out & Neena is singing her songs, people always look & smile at me & I know they're thinking, "Oh, if we notice her she'll realize she's in public & we're listening & she'll stop." Nope. Normally she'll just sing louder. And I have to admit, I enjoy the attention she gets from it most of the time because it generally comes with smiles & conversation & most of the time she has wonderful manners. She loves people. And that is an answer to prayer :)

The girls who teach her are amazing. They are so creative & are so good with the girls. The girl sitting with Neena used to cheer with me :) And they are also good about making Neena obey--and she needs it. Really, I need all the help I can get! Reinforcement is a good thing.

This video was from the end; I missed getting this while they were doing this activity, so it's kind of chaotic. But she has come a LONG way getting her jump all the way onto the mat. I'm very proud of her. She loves "joe-nastics." She's not very flexible; I was like a limp noodle at this age & wish she could've gotten a little more of that from me. But if it doesn't come with time, the motor skills & listening skills will do her good!

My Job

2009-01-14T22:19:00.002-05:00

This is for you, Allen.

So, Allen was asking what I do for my job & I think that's a good question because I never go into much detail about it. Not sure why--just haven't. I am a Children's Choir Director for a church. I have the special privilege of it being a paid position at a church that is not my home church, so I end up with two home churches, really. Which = a lot of love & support & prayers, etc. to give & receive.

My job technically is to teach the children songs about Jesus that they can sing in church every so often--about 4 times per year. But really, it's about casting vision for these kids for their ministry & their lives :) What an honor! During 1st semester & through Christmas, I had about 45 kids & tonight there were 26 (spring tends to lose some kids to sports, dang it!! WHAT are these parents thinking?!?!). I'm kinda nervous about this semester with Isaac on his way & leaving my volunteers "on their own." But I'm also excited about the music we're doing.

When I first started, I was totally overwhelmed. Honored that they had faith in me to accomplish the task...but no real wisdom or much skill to lead me. I was given the goals from the last choir teacher before me who, from the comments I heard, was not very well suited for the job. They included things like, "10 minute vocal warm-up, sit still during rehearsal, sing out during performance, etc" and came with a huge box of sheet music with things like, "Be Thou My Vision" & "Collection of Sacred Hymns." Not bashing those songs or goals but I had NO idea what to do with them. I just knew songs I liked & knew that I wanted to use accompaniment CD's for the most part b/c I'm NOT skilled at all on sight-reading or mastering sheet music on piano.

It's so cool...After the 1st week, which was a little shaky, I have left looking for someone to call & share with about how wonderfully it has gone. We do some fun activities to learn music & then we sing, practice plays, & I remind them about why we do what we do. We have a lot of fun & they have really gotten confident about singing in front of people. I think they trust me & I think they have fun & believe in what they're doing. As much as they can recognize those things as 1st-6th graders, anyway. I try to do a lot of parent-coaching, too. I give the parents subjects to discuss with their kids, ask them to pray with their children before singing in church, & disciplinary reminders.

The funnest part has been watching a few kids in particular blossom :) Some kids really connect through music & it's awesome to be a part of that as they discover their talent and/or passion for music. Oh, & the volunteers I've been blessed to work with. They are amazing. I could write another whole post on them :) But I'm getting sleepy tonight.

And apparently I was when I was getting dressed earlier today...My undershirt kept bunching up in the back & my sweater was tight enough to show when it did, which left me tugging on it all day, in addition to the usual ritual of pulling up my pants. *pull pants up...pull shirts down* Sooo, when I got home tonight, I realized my undershirt was on backwards. Classic.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

2009-01-10T21:03:00.007-05:00

Captions under pics :)

Here's a few from Neena's preschool performance just before the holidays :) Isn't she sweet!?!?

"Peanut, Peanut Butter--and JELLY!!!!"

These 2 girls were fighting over which sets of animal prints to stand on. Somehow they ended up a set short. Neena managed to push herself to the front most of the time--not sure HOW, I mean, she's so quiet & shy & passive. Yeah right!!

This is a pic of Chad leading worship at Revolution last Sunday. Yes, there's a small black choir behind him. Pretty cool, huh? :) He had a blast - you couldn't tell, could you?

(And another.)

This is from Christmas. It's Chad & I holding up one of Isaac's window valances :) Laila got them for us for Christmas. It was very useful today while we were working on the nursery, trying to pick paint colors. Thanks Laila!

This is a pic of my brother, Allen at his office. Yep, his office is one of Sadam's old palaces. I'm just wondering what sort of liquid you pour out of that huge copper pitcher-thing on the right. Crazy!

I'm guessing this one is in front of the palace. Isn't he all soldierly cute in his uniform? I can say that b/c I remember what a cutie he was when he was still a nerd-child playing on a Commodore 128, lol. And now he gets to play soldier; I mean, he IS one, doesn't just "play" one...but he still gets to work at a computer all day. Thank you, Lord!

I love how he's holding the gun like this. Next to the Christmas tree. It totally screams "Merry Christmas!!"

Neena got a rock star outfit for Christmas. She was quite at home in it =)

Aren't my grandparents adorable!?!?!?!

To-Do List

2009-01-09T20:33:00.004-05:00

Christie, you have a job. You should work on it...Pick songs, practice them, write a small skit.
Seriously behind on delivering 2 birthday gifts & 2 Christmas gifts.
And 1 wedding, no, 2 wedding gifts. Dangit!
Clean office/nursery
Transform office into nursery
Learn Bradley Method for natural delivery in 6+/- weeks (12-week course)
Read for fun (even happy things deserve a planned place in time!)
Start working out to be in shape for labor/delivery
Write out music for a song for the student whose senior project you're in charge of
Pack for the hospital

I am not known for my timeliness. I am usually not the world's worst (don't ask my husband, though)...I'm just a 5-10 minutes late kind of person. It frustrates my poor husband because it doesn't matter how early I start getting ready--that's not what's at fault. What I have a hard time with is letting go of "everything else I could be doing" in order to leave. That would mean I would sacrifice precious time I could be using for something else. Not considering, of course, the other 192 minutes give or take a few that I waste on a daily basis doing other things. When I say I would love to see a counselor to help me change some thought processes, I am SERIOUS. I would love to be rescued from some of the boxes in which I'm trapped in the way I see things. But I am starting to find some freedom :) And God was gracious enough to give me a husband who would think I was cute no matter what & would try to be understanding & helpful in spite of my OCD tendencies.

Neena had a good day :) She was a perfect angel at the library--quite an accomplishment for this little ADD princess. Except she also crumpled up a piece of pop tart in my & Chad's bed. And she kept sticking her tongue out at me while I was trying to nap. Why would that bother me if my eyes were shut?? Good question...The girl had NASTY tortilla chip breath. She also had major improvements in her manners with adults; she tanked yesterday while we were at Three Sisters so we had to have a little talk. She seriously turned up the charm today; unfortunately none of the sisters were there to appreciate my good parenting skills that they were questioning yesterday when we left. Note to self: stop by again soon! And while we were there, drumroll, I got a new Vera Bradley purse & wallet!! Happy Birthday to ME! I'm so excited!!

Tomorrow we're scheduled to work in Isaac's room, putting up the beadboard & trim. We'll see how far it goes; I'll report back soon on progress & eventually pictures.

10 Things

2008-12-31T00:11:00.004-05:00

10 Things that Make My Day

1. Waking up early--before Neena & Chad--and getting something done.
2. Good breakfast
3. My sweet Neena & all her loving
4. Lunch with Chad
5. Cooking for people
6. A clean house (this very rarely happens)
7. Things in the mail
8. A message from the Lord
9. New recipes
10. When Chad plays with my hair

10 Things that Frustrate Me

1. When Neena says "Mama" 15x in a row & before every little thing she tells me
2. When I have to reset my router b/c my computer is pitiful
3. When Chad wads his socks into little balls; I HATE touching dirty socks!
4. When I can't seem to accomplish anything
5. Watching the news--particularly politics
6. Missing socks when I do the laundry
7. When I run out of groceries I want to cook
8. Feeling tired with no time for nap
9. ....That's all I can think of right now....No, here's one--Getting a stupid song stuck in my head

10 Things I Want to Improve On

1. Patience
2. Ability to focus
3. Housekeeping
4. Serving my husband
5. Being a Godly Mom
6. Serving the Lord
7. Thinking of others before me
8. Housekeeping (I am REALLY working on this...neverending battle)
9. Frugal shopping
10. Being so anal

10 Things I Want for My Children

1. Relationship with Jesus
2. Wisdom
3. Love for Christ
4. Love for others
5. Respect for authority
6. Intelligence
7. Homeschool education =/
8. Healthy Inheritance
9. Health
10. Guarded hearts, minds, bodies

10 Things I Enjoy Eating

1. Biscuits
2. Gravy
3. Steak (even though my blood type says I should be a vegetarian & eat seafood....I don't eat any seafood!)
4. Broccoli--steamed
5. Fruits; I go through phases on which one. Most recently grapefruit
6. Chocolate Pie
7. Coffee
8. Potatoes--I think any way they come
9. Chicken & Dumplings & other soups--big soup fan
10. Munchy food--like assortment of appetizers

ONLY in my dreams

2008-12-22T22:43:00.002-05:00

Last night I had a dream that Isaac was born weighing 10 lbs, 11 oz. And I was unconscious through the delivery thank God b/c I might be scared right now if I had experienced any pain. And when he got here, he moved straight into 6-9 mo size clothes & I was very disappointed that I wouldn't get to use any of the 0-6 mo clothes we've been given. Then, when he was 2 days old, he was already walking AND talking. But the first thing he said was "Pretty Mama." Hahahaha!! I hope not to save that one for just my dreams!!

That reminds me...Neena has been playing "house" in our room lately. She has a husband named Gary & likes to have Chad & I over to visit. While we were "visiting" Chad pointed out the messes in her "house" & Neena very quickly blamed all of the messes on Gary. We were cracking up! I was having a hard time convincing Chad that I DON'T blame all our messes on him!!!

Proud of my Hubby

2008-12-22T10:16:00.002-05:00

Chad played at our new church yesterday :) There is a photographer who volunteers his gifts to take photos during the services. Here's a link to see them.

I guess some of you may still be wondering how we ended up there because I have not given any details--just mentioned it. So, here's the story...

At the beginning of October, Chad & I began to feel the desire to check & see if we were still ministering where God wanted us to be. We have prayed about that several times during the 5+ years we have been at Morning Star & have always been reaffirmed in our calling there. We felt like it would be about a 6-month time-frame before we would leave the church; that way it would be at the end of the school year. And basically, we are just reluctant to change. Chad is very consistent by nature, wanting to see everything he does finished to completion.

Now I have to give you a little background on our new church. For years, we have honestly thought that we didn't particularly like this church or endorse its ministry. Seriously. That's what happens when you use limited perspective/worldly judgment on something spiritual you don't know enough about, I suppose! BUT...Chad had the opportunity to help them do a sound system install through his other job. And he came home amazed by the staff, the vision, & the excellence that they demand in their ministry. He had SO much to say about them that he made me want to meet them. I had not seen Chad so impressed by a ministry in, well, maybe ever. And Chad works with a LOT of churches. He has been in a place of seeking the Lord about what "church" should look like & for quite some time has been more confused than settled in his answer. I loved seeing him passionate about seeking the Lord out in that matter. So, when he was so excited about this church, I wanted to know more.

Fast forward back to October...About a day or two after Chad & I started praying about where God would have us serve, Gary (the pastor) offered Chad a job. Chad wasn't even sure when he came home if he was really serious. But we were both eager to know more. Within the next week, he was given another offer by a church & was asked to consider a church out of state by a minister there. We felt the Lord's affirmation in leaving Morning Star but weren't sure about where the "right" open door was. But our hearts were already so compelled by Revolution that we just felt peaceful about it the entire journey. And the rest is history :)

Chad's officially starts in January but has already lead worship with the team & will lead again on Christmas Eve. CantonChristmasEve.com He is going to be one of two worship leaders & also share in running the technical side of production. We are excited about our new church because 70% of the church body were unchurched before coming to Revolution. The vision is to reach lost men because most churches reach Christians seeking a new church home or lost women--their service style only attracts women. Revolution is different & we are very excited to experience it & be a part of it. We'd love for you to come see what all the fuss is about, too :) Come experience a church that is passionate about Jesus & making Him known! (Again, the church's main website is therevolution.tv)

Photos!

2008-12-21T20:25:00.006-05:00

Ok, it's been soo long since I posted pics, I am excited to be on Chad's computer & will stock up on as many as I can get to!

Here's one from a long time ago that I ran across & just had to post...

This is from this summer at MiMi & Papa's house. We've had that tractor since I was a kid & it's a blast.

Here's my little "Princess Aurora" at Halloween. She was so cute; she ran across all the yards, leading all the "big" kids with no shoes on. Her dress looked like a little marshmallow floating across the ground. It was precious.

Neena's 2nd day at Gymnastics. But she calls it "joe-nastics." lol!

No idea what this is from:

And that's all I have for you right now! Have to find more for you later.

In other news...Today was Chad's first day to help lead worship at Revolution. It was very exciting & he did a great job. I'll share more about that later. Here's the church's sites if you want to check them out. We would love for you to be our guests for the Christmas Eve service; let me know if you want more info!

therevolution.tv
cantonchristmaseve.com
garylamb.org

30 weeks

2008-12-15T23:33:00.002-05:00

Not much news to share...or that I really care to share right now...just want to mention that we are at <10 weeks till D-Day! Boy, is he busy! I constantly have a foot coming OUT my right side. Like, if you saw me from the back while he was moving, you could see it. Not sure HOW my uterus managed to get all the way over there & is nowhere near the left side but he sure does love to stretch out! Someone told me the other day that I was pretty small so far, that she just remembered me being HUGE the first pregnancy. Niiice. Cause I still have 10 weeks to grow! I'm going to insist on Chad taking prego pics tomorrow & giving me time on his computer to share :) We're going out to dinner with the staff from Revolution & I'll be "dressed up" with a cute outfit. AND I've got to share pics of Neena's cutie new hair cut! We just love it!

Other pregnancy news:
I'm feeling the weight in the mornings--pretty sore & not wanting to get out of the the bed, which is NOT me; I love the mornings!
I napped 2 1/2 hours today.
I cooked...hmm....let's see, 2 batches of lasagna sauce, 1 batch broccoli cheese soup, 2 batches Mexican Chicken Tortilla soup, leftover roast, bran muffins, turkey goulash, & beef tips & gravy to have prepared for when the baby is here & I don't feel like cooking.
Seriously need to get the baby's room ready!
Seriously need to clean the basement so we can finish it & have room in this house for all of us!
More than seriously need to save the $$ to finish the basement & get the room ready =)
Feeling VERY joyful & thankful!

Blogging for Cans

2008-12-14T00:03:00.002-05:00

If it's still the weekend (as in Dec 13-14) when you check this out, click on this to give a can of food to a local shelter--from someone like you & me who wants to make a difference!--AND be entered into a drawing for an itunes gift card! What a cool idea, Courtney--thanks for giving =)

Thinking of you

2008-12-12T18:34:00.004-05:00

Before I get started, I have to share this story...Yesterday I had a couple of friends over for lunch. In an attempt to pacify my child, I let her get on barbie.com & then open a word doc to just type for a while. Well...before I know it, she is blogging. On here. In another language. She's 4; of course she's typing in her "own language." No, like, she changed my dashboard to appear in a different language so that I couldn't change it back because I couldn't discern anything on the page. I finally decided to go to my dashboard & scroll over all the buttons to see what they would say & basically got lucky & figured it out. As for my 4-yr old blogger, I'm putting the computer back on hands-off indefinitely. (And she just mentioned she better get in the bed or she'll be put on Santa's "Snotty" list, haha! She also came up with this one, "Oh you better watch out, you better not cry. You better not shout I'm telling you why..." And I've left it at that b/c it's more useful around this house.)

I would like to dedicate this post to some special people that are on my mind a lot. In a crazy-busy time, I am constantly aware of friends who are hurting in various ways or are inspirational by how they live their lives but I am so busy with my own family & work/church that I hardly take the time to either love on them or let them know I appreciate who they are and that I truly care. I'm going to do it namelessly so as to not give away some private hurts.

To my loves who are sacrificing so beautifully for our country; their strength & faith is amazing. Their love and patience unwavering. I love you & I am so proud of you.

To my friend who has suffered from one highly consequential fall but has choosen to glorify the Lord through it. I hurt for the pain & sorrow you went through. But God has redeemed you & you ARE beautiful even though you don't see it. May He bless your sweet baby, your marriage, & your self-image.

To my friend who has miscarried, is so hungry to mother & is so vulnerable with her story. Thank you for allowing your testimony to be so honest & shared with many; God is using you in soo many ways. Your miracle will come in His timing. I long for it for you. I love you.

To my friend who just graduated, defeating cancer & all the effects of it. You are the biggest joy to be around. I have been so blessed watching you break free from that painful chapter of your life. I pray that you can experience God as your Redeemer & Friend.

To my "family" that we are leaving...I am so thankful for your graciousness to us as we leave. You all have been so understanding and loving during this difficult time. We hurt for your loss but trust God's hand to provide & to use us where He has led us.

To my friend who is still battling cancer. I just hurt for all that you have gone through & continue to endure. I hope deep in my spirit that you feel peace that only our Father can offer, that you feel joy in spite of pain, that you feel loved & never alone.

To my love who is patient & consistent to a fault. You are my rock. (You & Jesus, that is.) You are more than I ever dreamed of although sometimes not what I wanted, if you will understand the positive side of that. God knew what He was doing when He paired me with someone who would make sense out of my madness, forgive and overlook my countless faults, & stay on course when I want to focus on everything else around me. I am in awe of how God has blessed us & how He continues to mold us to be a wonderful pair.

To my loves who are far away & content with their lives even though I'm not right in the center all the time anymore, lol. I'm so proud of all that you do & who you are. It's been my blessing to see the Lord grow in each of you; thank you for your faithfulness.

To my friend who just knows. Who just is. Who is as crazy as I am & sees God in me when I can't. You are such a joy to me, an unexpected BFF almost twice my age (or you were when I was 14, anyway). I hope we always stay close.

To my friend who has had a tough life. Who has made me see how much difference making good choices while you are young makes. I love you & I'm not giving up on you. I'm fighting for you.

To a new friend who I'm not really sure I trust 100% yet...I really do like you a lot; I think a little time will make the difference. I thought I would see something "special" in you but I don't. And that's a good thing because I trust that what has happened through you is Christ alone. So I have to pray for you a lot, which is also a good thing. I'm excited for what's to come. Thanks for having faith in us.

To my creator, I am just in awe of the work that I, in my small piece of this world, have seen you do. I love you. Thank you for not giving up on me and for allowing me to be part of your team even though I've never done a thing to deserve it.

Satisfied Saturday

2008-12-06T22:33:00.002-05:00

My work:
So today was my "big" dress rehearsal for my Children's Choir Christmas Pageant. After the disasters on Wed, including not even making it to the end of the play, I was a little apprehensive as to what would happen. And....it totally ROCKED!! I was so excited =) I am so proud of my kids! They have worked sooo hard. My volunteers have worked & stressed even harder. And I have poured myself into this thing over the past month. But seeing it all come together is just beautiful. The past 2 years, I have been teaching preschool music & Spanish, which means 2 additional programs to direct & teach, and it was soo tough. I am so thankful I minimized my interests this year because I have NOT been over-worked. My house has NOT completely fallen apart. I have NOT lost any sleep because of a mind that won't turn off, thinking of all the untied ends. I just LOVE my job! It IS stressful this time of year...but I have been so peaceful, pleasant, and positive this year. I feel soo blessed! I can't wait till tomorrow night for the BIG PERFORMANCE! Hopefully one day soon I will have some pics to share with you.

Still hating not being able to post any photos =(

Baby update:
I am feeling Mr. Isaac move & stretch like crazy. He's going to be so strong when he gets here! We've only got about 10 weeks till D-day. (due day). I can't believe he could potentially triple in size!

Stinker-mess:
We went & got Neena a live Christmas tree for her bedroom today. She was a crab almost the entire day, which is really not like her. She is normally a happy, strong-willed child. Today, crabby strong-willed child; bad combination. She continued to show me she just didn't like me. I don't take it personally; not at this age. Sometimes when it's against me & FOR Chad I do; but he spoils her & I can't afford for BOTH of us to spoil her!! She told me I wasn't pretty. She told me she didn't want to take pictures with me. She didn't want to sit by me. She wouldn't smile when I was taking her picture. It was unreal. I felt like I had a taste of her teen years...scary. I need to be praying about this!! Yesterday we went & got her hair cut. It's to her chin & lightly stacked in the back. She looks sooo cute! She just hates for me to put it up & loves wearing head bands, which works really well for this cut. I miss the long hair but this really makes more sense & it really is adorable!

Neena sings:
Tomorrow night with her choir before my choir's performance. She knows the songs & did really well at practice tonight. The only problem is, during Silent Night, she keeps singing, "Sleep in Heavenly pee-ee. Slee-ep in Heavenly pee." Trying to redirect things that crack you up just isn't easy. Once she knows it's funny, she'll just turn up the volume rather than change the word!!

Thankful

2008-12-02T20:03:00.002-05:00

Today I was going about my normal Tuesday routine when out of no where I was knocked over the head with a dose of reality. I had to fight seriously bawling at the grocery store. Maybe I shouldn't have fought it. It was so overwhelming. What I saw was breath-takingly beautiful.

Neena & I were going down the last row when a woman & small child--maybe 6 yrs old--started coming up it from the other side. The little boy was pitching a fit, throwing himself in the floor right there in front of the refrigerated alcohol & ice cream toppings. Now, I must be honest, when I first saw them, I saw the lady get down with him in the floor & try to talk him out of the fit, & I thought, "uh oh; that tactic is never gonna work. she's giving in to his tantrum, letting him be in control." But then I realized he had on a special seat-belt-looking harness & I knew, of course, that he had special needs and she was doing a fantastic job working through it. My heart went out to her immediately because I realized how tough that had to be on her. So when they made it past the fit & continued shopping, I echoed her words of praise to him, just as much for her as for him. She thanked me. HOW EASY I HAVE IT; I am sooo blessed. I choked up a bit after we got past them & I was wondering if the lady with him was a teacher, sitter, or mom. To be honest, from personal experience, I was more inclined to think it was one of the two former rather than the latter.

To my dismay, they came & got in line right behind us. I was only dismayed because I saw how full my cart was & I was concerned another fit would ensue if he had to wait a long time. And also because I was already on the verge of tears. But the lady continued to encourage him & he smiled & made it, no problem. And then, when they paid for their two items, she did it. She referred to herself as "Mom." Such a simple phrase. And all the difference in the world to me. I was so proud of her. Humbled by her determination & day-to-day struggles. I wished I could give her the moon. And I realized again how much I take for granted even though I feel like I make a conscious effort to be thankful & to realize what all I have to be thankful for. I am so blessed. Even as I type this, Neena has been over playing on the keyboard playing & singing, "I will call upon the Lord...Ruby tuby luby praised." What a cool kid.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, I ran into someone to whom I complained about my severe pregnancy heartburn. That person is a former bulemic. Made mine sound like nothing. Aside from the fact that she may not be able to have children because of the abuse she put her body through. And MY heartburn is only because I'm having a child. Wow. Life can be so hard. And I'm not exempt from hardships. But my life is different because of my Savior. I am reminded of how when Jesus saved me, He not only saved me from eternity in hell--He saved me from a life of misery, insecurity, fear, & pain. Of course, I still face those things...but I've never had to face them alone. Everything I've ever gone through, Jesus has been with me. The Holy Spirit has been my guide. And I have never faced anything without having a Biblical, heavenly, eternal filter to see it through.

And it made me so excited. So excited that Christ is real in my life. I am so thankful for my blessings but I am also so eager to share what Christ has done for me with others. I want to tell the world about Him =) So I thought I'd start with you all here on my blog. Thanks for listening!

For No Reason

2008-12-01T23:33:00.002-05:00

Do you ever do things for no reason?

Because I can't. Unless it's by omission of action. I can not do something simply by letting my mind wander long enough to keep me feeling busy and that's just as bad if not worse. But I am just curious as to how everyone else's mind works.

For example, how do your thought processes work & can you think about nothing? I used to think that Chad was keeping something from me because I'd ask him what he was thinking about & he would say, "Nothing." but I can't think about nothing, so I was afraid he was thinking of something he didn't want to tell me. And my thoughts are all connected: one thing to the next thing to the next & so on. Time alone for me goes by soo quickly. I stay so enveloped in thought that my actions aren't very effective unless they can replace my thoughts. If I am doing something that is very meticulous, it can replace my rigorous thought ritual; otherwise I am much more effective as a team player than alone because it keeps me from getting so stuck in my thoughts & my actions can continue to be effective.

Anyways...the whole reason I wanted to blog tonight was to tell you that Neena & I made Fruit Loop garland for our Christmas tree today. I love things like that because it gives me an excuse to do a craft =) I was totally into designing the "needle" to use. I like to pretend that I take after my Dad with the engineering mindset; this was the perfect opportunity. So, I took the fishing line & taped a small tip of it to the top end--not quite to the rounded off tip, which would've made the tape bunch--of a tooth pick. The rest of the tooth pick remained untaped so that if you dropped the fishing line & string of Fruit Loops, it would separate & make a "T" shaped end & keep all the Fruit Loops from falling of

I felt so accomplished. Dad, maybe somewhere down deep there is a chicken plant designer passed down, after all ;)

Neena's Post; I found my computer like this:

2008-11-17T14:39:00.001-05:00

gytittyttyuiofyvuiyymvnfhjjdhbdjbcjkdgaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggdujgdhgvhdudduyfjduduhduufy8ta8shduyydgtgdydyfgydyfutdyutfyffgd8gtftftfufuoffsdyfuudtfutf7td8tfftf8td8ffttd8fyd89ytft8fyf7dyyf7f6y7d7wyytuy8fuuyyr4q12

You know she's mad when...

2008-11-15T21:01:00.002-05:00

"DADDY MICHELLE ELLIOTT!!!!!! DADDY MICHELLE ELLIOTT!!!!!!!!!"

"No, Honey...My middle name is 'Michael'."

"DADDY MICHELLE ELLIOTT MICHAEL!!!!!!!"

Thanksgiving Trial Run

2008-11-15T07:22:00.002-05:00

Last night I was very motivated to cook a good dinner. Chad & I were having the most fun day chatting online with each other & I really wanted to impress him with some good food. Which could be a whole sappy post on its own, because we've been married for over 6 yrs, people. I'm so blessed to be so in love with my hubby! And since he's been on this diet I have bought a few of our non-favorite dishes to prepare for him. Last night was turkey--very high in protein--good for both of us, actually. But I don't really like turkey. I mean, I've only fixed it as a meat-dish (not ground up in something) a couple of times and it's tolerable but not my first choice, kwim?

This is totally off the subject but I have to mention that this diet HAS really stretched my cooking portfolio. Most of the time I can figure things out fairly proficiently. But the other day I made shrimp in pasta & never took the shells off. That was a lovely meal to try to eat.

So to go with the turkey, I decided I would make dressing. I googled all of these recipes. I made strawberry balsamic vinegarette dressing to pour over the turkey, which was divine, by the way. I made green beans, ambrosia, & roasted potatoes. I am very proud of myself :)

The only problem was, the Italian sausage really indulged the rest of the house in its aroma. So much so that last night around 3 a.m. I could NOT sleep because it smelled like raw meat to me. I laid there & tried to go back to sleep. I was having BAD DREAMS over this meat smell. I began to wonder if it were the house or my breath, my clothes, etc. So I finally got up & used lysol & febreeze all over the house to knock the smell. This appeased my senses enough to let me go back to sleep but just barely. I don't know if I can do it ever again. I think I'll be looking for more of a "country" dressing dish rather than an "Italian" spice dish. But once for last night was a really great accomplishment.

Mistakes

2008-11-07T07:21:00.002-05:00

Yesterday evening I came home & found my calendar had a huge hole & then tear right smack in the middle of the page.

"Neena, come here!!" I called her back to the office without giving away my frustration.

When she came in, she saw what I was holding & immediately her face turned to concern.

"I'm sorry, Mommy. We can fix it. I'm sorry. Ok? I'm sorry."

Her voice was so quiet & careful & she immediately comes & holds my face to give me kisses & hugs. Oh my goodness, that kid is precious! It has been a long road of immediate punishment/discipline to earn the respect I have with her now...and now she HATES getting in trouble. And I just hate having to get on to her. It just hurts her so badly! She tries sooo hard to obey & if she makes a mistake--like tearing up my calendar--she really feels badly for it!

"It's okay, Honey; I will fix it. You know that you're not allowed to play or draw in the office; you need to obey. Thank you for saying you're sorry."

"Okay, I forgive you." (She doesn't quite understand who needs to do or receive the forgiving yet; it's so cute.)

"I forgive you, too."

Recap: It's a Boy

2008-10-26T15:29:00.003-04:00

I can't tell you how excited I am to be having a boy! I love being the mom to a girl & definitely would've taken another quite happily but I didn't realize how exciting it would be to have one of each. It's like being pregnant for the first time again, enjoying the "boy" things like I did the "girl" things the first time. And I'm also excited because I wanted Chad to get to have a boy so badly. Many of you know that Chad didn't have much of a "Daddy" in his father; by the time Chad & I started dating (in 1996) he didn't have any contact with him & by college, he didn't know where he even was...he just knew from his record that he had no job, was probably homeless, & was surrounded by alcohol. We found out shortly after we married that he passed away. I don't feel comfortable sharing any more details but the sum of it is that I am soo proud of the grace & peace that Chad has found in the Lord. If you saw him with--well, anyone--you would never imagine he had any kind of turmoil in his past. I am so excited for him to get to be a Daddy to a son for that reason.

So do you want to know the name we've chosen for him???

.........Building Suspense.........

Isaac Michael Elliott

We really feel like God gave us this name for our boy. Brittany was the first to share the idea with me & I really liked it--not "love at first sight" kind of connection--but I liked it enough to want to share it with Chad. So, the night we found out it was a boy, I mentioned it to him & he liked it too, just as one to be considering. So the next day, Neena & I were in the car & she randomly states:

"Mommy, we could name the baby Isaac."

I'm like, "Dang it, Chad; did you already tell her this & now she'll have it stuck in her head, telling people before we've decided?!?!!" but instead of saying that, I said, "Who told you that name, Sweetheart?"

"God told me we could name him that."

WHAT?!?!?! "Yeah? Well...Where did you learn that name?"

"It was in my book that has Goliath in it."

That would be her Bible.

Now, many would be convinced after one prophetic announcement...but not me. I enjoyed the story & considered it a possibility. But God continued to surround me with stories of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Ishmael, & the servant girl. And one day I finally decided to look up "Isaac" in the baby-name book. It means Laughter. Which I would've known had I taken time to think through the story. God promised Abraham and Sarah a baby even though they were too old; when the angels told Abraham about its coming, Sarah laughed. Isaac.

When I found out the news of our CF genes, I wasn't sure if we would have more children. But I trusted in my heart that if God would give me a peace about having more children, it was a part of His plan, not just a selfish desire of my own. I received this peace as a promise last November that God was caring for us. He was caring for us when we conceived at the first "try" in May; He has been so faithful. I prayed for a healthy boy. I thought I had a girl. My dad was the first to parallel us to Abraham & Isaac; he said, "You had an Abraham moment: God wanted to see if you would love a girl; then he pulled a boy out of the bush." *tears*

I am so blessed. I don't know the health of my Isaac. I don't presume that God would call me to have a baby only if he were to be healthy. Why not us instead of someone else? But I am determined to live a life of FAITH. Not doubt. Not worry. We will live beyond this world, trusting the heart of the God who loves us, who guides & protects us. I covet your prayers for a healthy son. But more than that, I ask that you pray faith & peace over us. Health can come or go or be taken at any moment; we are striving for so much more than that.

Special Weekend =)

2008-10-18T22:31:00.009-04:00

This weekend I had a girls' retreat with my church. A much needed time for us to just get to know each other a little better & focus on our sweet Father. And Neena & Chad got to have a Daddy-Daughter sleepover. Then, tonight Corey & Brittany & all their kiddos came over & we cooked out & then made s'mores. (I say "we" made s'mores. All the grown-ups & C&B's kids ate s'mores; Neena just swung on the swing & ran around (barefooted & short-sleeved). They make it look so easy. Haha!)

I am pretty sleepy but I have to say--this retreat was so refreshing for me. So much more than I expected. I just love the ladies at my church. We had three Bible Study times, "Blessed," "Test," & "Rest." During the "Test" study, we learned about why we are tested but mostly about how our tests affect our testimony. Debra told us to remember, "TEST--I'M--ON--whY?" Then she gave us a test about our most recent "test." I realized at that point I hadn't really taken time to STOP & thank the Lord & reflect, relish, & cherish what the Lord has done for me and our pregnancy. There is a reason for that. I don't think I've talked with you all (depending on the reader) about my anxiety--more about that later. For now, just know that I have been afraid that if I stop long enough to think about all that is going on that I will get fearful of the odds of CF. I am peacful. I am soo thankful for that. And I cope with my anxiety by trusting that peace a lot, not stopping to think too deeply. I don't know if I'm making any sense right now; I'm so tired. But I realized when I stopped to think today just how joyful, peaceful, & thankful I was. Not fearful. And I wanted to cry out to God to thank Him. Because He has given me a son! There were so many times I thought this would never happen to me. Which is also part of the reason the name we have picked out is just perfect.

I'll keep you waiting on that till we're 100% sure & till I'm a little perkier, hehe; I've only got one eye open I'm so tired.

Addition to answer my brother's questions:
We learned that the either Latin or Greek--can't remember--form of the word "Test" is "Testa" which is an earthen vessel that is used to refine gold & other precious metals. She taught us that the the refiner would cast the vessel with the gold in it at the top of the fire first & then the bigger impurities would come to the top. The refiner would draw off the impurities & eventually they would put it to the hottest part of the fire to get out the deepest & finest impurities but that if they left it in one degree too hot, that it would ruin the entire batch. The refiner knows how long to leave it to draw out the impurities without damaging the gold.

Then we talked about how this is the way the Lord uses tests in our lives. We learned how tests are important to clean out the sin in our lives & draw us close to the Lord. It's like the "Sermon on the Mount," when Jesus teaches us about "Blessed are those who..." (Matthew 5, I think) and that those Jesus speaks of are blessed because they learn to trust in the Lord & to have more of Him, less of themselves, etc. I never understood why Jesus would say that until Jamie preached on it, specifically. Thank you, Lord, for putting it to me in a way I could get it.

And the test we took on "Tests" was to help us see what we learned from the last test we had had of our faith, to see what we learned about the Lord and about ourselves. To me, the bigger tests are easier...it's the day-to-day attitude & such that challenge me, like not reminding the other drivers around me how to drive or not making a frustration face or worse, remark, when Neena spills something or disobeys. Those are the big struggles that I tend to lose. I struggle a lot with feeling like a child of God. I constantly try to earn His love & grace rather than receive it and the consequences are a really poor self-image, low self-worth, & lack of confidence. Having time to focus on the big picture--not just the perspective I have of me, of God, & of life--is priceless to me. I feel loved, forgiven, thankful, & like I'm on God's team. I'm going to strive to be more aware of the truths I'm believeing vs. lies & bookmark this moment in my mind so that I can come back when I struggle with the same thing, remembering what I learned & all I experienced with my Savior.

Pics of our New Baby Girl

2008-10-10T16:11:00.003-04:00

Look at this sweet baby!! 4-D pictures are amazing :)

Here her arm is up by her face. She kept it there almost the entire time we were there, which was about 45 minutes. And moved the whole time. We didn't catch too many great shots in that much time b/c of how wadded up she was!

Here she is sucking her thumb...That was soo cool to watch in action!

Then up came the rear side. Any of you proficient in reading these things? If not, check out where the arrow is pointing or the word written at the top...

YEP!!! "She" is actually a "HE!!!!!" We are sooo shocked & super excited :) The little thing deserves a good name meaning something like, "the one who deceives" or "secret-keeper" or maybe even "modest to a fault." I CANNOT believe it but I am sooo happy! And Chad is like a giddy little boy :)

Thank you Jesus ;) It was a really cool surprise & we receive it as a blessing. Soo...bring on the BLUE people; we're gonna need it!!!!!

Prayer Closet Requests

2008-10-03T20:13:00.002-04:00

So here's the news...God has been so faithful :) I have been praying to make some major changes in my life & we are actually making some progress on me!! I have such a heart's desire to be a good wife, mom, & housewife but the follow-through to actions is not always even close to being on the charts of where I want it to be. I realize that in spite of the way I portray myself (or that I feel that I behave with others) is generally positive--and I feel positive--but at home I just don't smile much or enjoy life. The best way I can describe it is that I don't feel like my time at home "counts." Like, it's just the in-between of the actions that matter. So I don't "feel" at all unless things don't go the way I want them to...which is about 97% of the time...and then I get grumpy. I am very quiet & introverted & focused (in my ADD way, which means I focus on one thing for about 8.7 seconds & then move on to something else) & I literally have to remind myself or be reminded that I can be happy. I can enjoy life at home & my family. I can get things done without being so focused with how they're done to the point of not getting them done. And THEN...I can have JOY & feel like I am living life--not just doing the in-between.

I had the biggest encouragement the other day: Mom told me I just seem happier these days :) I am focusing on loving on Neena. I have worked to the bone to change my "life at home is just the in-between" attitude about my house; I am constantly cleaning & actually keeping the house in presentable condition for the most part. I am trying soo hard to lighten up & just have fun instead of just feeling like things aren't going the way I think they should. Example: Neena & I are just polar opposites. I will not ever completely understand her confidence, boldness, & strong will. For the longest time (& sometimes still) I got so frustrated because I feel like I'm failing when she tests her boundaries over & over & over displaying her will...I felt so at a loss because I couldn't understand or feel like I could conquer this constant battle of the will. But after time & consideration & counseling from lots of people...I am learning to let her be a kid & just continue to use good methods to deal with each willful act but to show her unconditional love. You people with infants/young toddlers think you have it tough with sleepless nights & dirty diapers.......you just wait!!!!!

Ok, I kind of went on & on with that but, hey, there's a lot to talk about on that subject. The point of this blog is that change is possible. It has to be extremely focused upon & severly fought for. And it's not fun. But it's possible. Without the Lord...I'm not sure. I think I mentioned a few blogs back how Chad was telling me that my attitude wasn't changing even though my actions were. (Maybe not???) But either way, I have totally been trusting that God will change my heart; I have to work on my actions & give Him room in my heart to do some cleaning & re-decorating :) I'm not sure if I can change my heart. I can change my thoughts. My actions. My goals. And I'm sure that helps change my heart. But maybe the heart part was already there & I just had to tap into the resources God puts available there?? I'd love some feedback from anyone who takes the time to listen to all this rambling on that one...

Enough of that...

The other point of this blog is that I am about to work on a prayer request list (a document I can update, change, & enjoy creating) & I am going to fight for some time--maybe just one time--for some serious prayer during my week. My newest item to want to change in my life--making prayer a real priority instead of a routine or a "just enough to make it by" :) Hehehe...I already said I'm ADD; I can't focus on just one thing & these things still all relate either way. Soo, if you have a prayer request for me to add, please let me know. And I'll be accountable to you all now to make sure I'm following through with this change. Thanks in advance for sharing; I love you all.

You may never look at me the same way again

2008-09-29T22:14:00.002-04:00

I realized tonight that I haven't brushed my teeth since Saturday night.

That would mean forty-eight hours ago.

I am just disgusted with myself. I have used mouth wash but I didn't have a chance to brush my teeth before we left for church Sun morning, so I just packed it & then forgot where it was till tonight.

And really, I didn't notice it till tonight. What is wrong with me?!?!?!

I'm calling the dentist tomorrow...

Loopy Day

2008-09-26T10:58:00.003-04:00

Chad & the boys & I lead worship at the HS this morning. We got there at 5:45 AM. And last night we were out getting gas at nearly 11:00. This whole gas thing is CRAZINESS!! I called 20 gas stations in pursuit last night before getting a tip from a friend on a place that they quoted was 10 minutes away from running dry when we were leaving. Wow. It is kind of exciting in an if-the-world-falls-apart-and-we-all-have-to-take-care-of-each-other/fight-for-our-needs-with-the-crazy/selfish-people kind of way. The guy next to me said he was filling his 3rd car. The one he never drives. Because he doesn't need to. The one that holds 30 gallons. He needs to go back to kindergarten & learn to share.

So anyways, I was telling you about that to say I didn't get much sleep. And so after I picked up Neena this morning & she asked to go to the park on the way home, I thought, "this is a good bargaining tool for me to use for a nap later" & agreed to go. Then, I kid you not, I had to turn around THREE times to get there. Did I mention this park is less than a mile from my house & I have been there at least 331 times??? It's pretty bad when your 4-yr old has to give you directions.

But to top it all off....

I got home & Neena points out, "MOMMA, YOU DIDN'T PUT MY SEAT BELT ON!!!"

(Note to self: don't let Christie watch children on less than 8 hrs sleep.)

And on another note, I had to hold my bass to my side slightly this morning b/c it was mashing my belly :) AND someone asked me if I was pregnant 2 days ago--pregnancy is so much fun!!

Season Change Days

2008-09-22T14:03:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again...when the honey-colored sun weaves its way around the dancing trees and shines upon the world in such a way that highlights any particles in the air and everything seems to be dusted with glitter. The kind of weather that makes you want to just stroll outside in nature. Everything is still alive and colorful but there are hints all around that all will change in just a short time, reminding you to cling to every moment, every memory as if it could blow away with the leaves.

It romances me in such a way that I want to write poetry. To think of this day in years past. My child's birth. My first kiss, wrapped in Chad's letter jacket standing on my front porch...and then listening to his heart race when I buried my head on his chest: falling in love. Cheerleading practice. Flirting with the football players. A broken heart that felt so alone. College days: freedom from responsibility except of course class & school work. Homecoming. Driving with the windows down when I first started driving. Silly things from high school that were so much fun.

It's when I think back that makes it seem impossible for 26 years of living, breathing, feeling to have already passed in my life. (Almost. Still living the last bit of the 26th year.) I remember soo much. How can it feel like yesterday when it was 10, 12, 15, whatever years ago??? Life is so precious. I can't thank the Lord enough for how He has blessed us and how He continues to work in us, to make us more like Him & to make our lives count. If I were living for me & not for Him I think season change days would be a really sad reminder of getting old & life being spent. It's emotional enough as it is, relishing the past...but the promise of eternity makes pressing on to the future a joy.

Wishing for pictures

2008-09-21T22:36:00.002-04:00

I had started to entitle this: Lots of Pictures until I plugged in my cord & realized that iphoto has been deleted from my computer. So, alas, I will continue to look like the uninvolved parent blogger. Sad.

But I do have random news to share. I'll do it quickly.

I made a really great Mexican casserole yesterday without using a recipe. Ok, I did kind of combine a recipe I've done before & one someone mentioned...but it was still my creation.
Chad ordered a work-out program on ebay. Now he has to be accountable to all of you to get in shape :) Probably has something to do with the fact that he gained almost as much as me during my first pregnancy. We're talking nearly 30 yrs old, people. He's feeling the pressure.
Neena got up & didn't come in our room screaming, "GET UP!" like she has done every day this week. Instead, she got up & opened all the blinds in the living room for me--my daily first task. She is so learning about service. This is why people say, "3's are awful; 4's are sweet." I really hope this trend continues.
Chad is still working way too much. But he is so joyful about our youth group & church & is seeking the Lord with renewed passion.
My messy tendencies are improving. And believe me, it's because I'm working unbelievably hard at it.
I get to play with the band (elsewhere) this Saturday!! I am excited about every last chance to play before I get too big to hold the bass. We have a new bassist scheduled to play starting in Nov at church. If you want to see something funny, come to church at the end of October to see me stretching the thing around my side to keep the weight off the baby!!
The baby is moving lots. I love it. Still small movements, so it's hard for anyone else to catch them but Chad got to feel her once already :) We have a name in the works.
...I say "in the works" but with Neena, once we had her name in our heads we never even considered another, so I think that may happen again. When it's for sure, I'll let you know because, really, do I keep secrets???
Oh, & I got her a crib set & all the accessories today!! Thank you Lord!! And craigslist!! (Again, wish I could post pics!)
I hear that my brother is doing well on his job in Iraq & his wife is still an amazing jewel, toughing it through her masters with no family down in FL. I miss them both so much! *Cough-Iwishyoubothwouldblog-cough-cough*

That's all for tonight. I feel so loved & blessed. Aaugh! The baby is moving all over the place & Chad is feeling it :) Pregnancy is sooo much fun!! Thank you, Lord.

Notice: Seeking Simply Amazing & Affordable Health Insurance

2008-09-16T08:49:00.002-04:00

Last year we sought & fought & changed our health insurance 3 times while trying to find something affordable. Not having an employer that offers health insurance has forced us out there on our own, in the "private" plans, which are unbelievably unaffordable & complicated. We were fortunate enough, however, to find a plan that is offered through the GA Baptist Convention that would give us a bit of a head start over regular private plans. We found a HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan) option that would allow us to pay only $282 per month for the premium, give us a $5200 deductible (which we would have to meet before they would cover anything), followed by 100% coverage. Oh, & our max out of pocket WAS the deductible.

So we planned to have a baby early in the year so that we would meet the deductible right away & then any medical things that the whole family could need would be covered through the end of the calendar year 100%. Only we got a letter in the mail the other day that our plan will not be offered again next year. :( The plan that is replacing it includes a $5600 deductible, 80% coverage after we meet the deductible, & an additional $6000 max out of pocket. That means a potential of $6400 MORE out of pocket than we had anticipated.

I just hate finances. And insurance.

But this baby girl is wiggling around so sweetly even as I am typing & I LOVE it!!! I know it will all work out...but I have some serious planning & studying to do to be prepared now. stink.

Mommy Tears

2008-09-13T14:04:00.001-04:00

After the high we've been on from the fabulous ultrasound & birthday party we had yesterday, I have been a ball of emotions & tears today. It all started with one of those horrible dreams where something horrible happens to your baby. (to Neena this time) I was awake for a good 2 hrs in the middle of the night after that. It was the kind that brings hidden thoughts to life & gives you a strong urge to hold & protect your child for all your worth & never let them out of sight.

Then I had to kiss her goodbye as she left for a trip to AL with MiMi & Papa. And I just lost it! Always the struggle for parents: wanting time alone to focus on your spouse....not wanting to leave your child to do it!

On Sunday, Chad & I are leaving for Guntersville Lake. We are going to stay at the Lodge there & a couple friends of ours (friends that are a couple--how do you say that without spelling it out that specifically???) are coming for one night/day & we're staying a total of 3 nights. WooHoo! Good timing with an (almost) 4 yr old & a baby on the way. We are so excited. But we've both already cried today about leaving her :(

And she is such a sweetie about these things. She just loves all over everyone, her signature 3 kisses: one cheek, lips, other cheek, followed up with a big "MMM-AHH" hug...And she is so understanding of loving on Chad & I. (Even if she DOES focus on Daddy when he's around.) Having another babe on the way makes me want to relish every moment alone with her right now. And most moments right now are great.

The past 2 yrs of Neena being in preschool, I have been working the whole time she has been there...and with the ability to stay home & get stuff done while she's there, I feel like a whole new person. I am so much more productive. I feel like I get to focus on what I'm doing and even prepare things ahead for her & for Chad. :) What a joy! I am really hoping to make some serious progress & mindset changes preparing for a 4-people family. Just 3 makes things pretty simple & I need to step-it-up a bit. Chad & I were talking the other night about how my actions have changed more quickly than my heart in the matter, though, as I was frustrated as I could be cleaning the house the other night. He said, "if it makes you so frustrated why don't you just stop?" And I'm like (Moms, please give me an amen on this one...) "But if I don't keep up EVERY DAY, I'll get behind & NEVER catch up!" So the mix between accomplishing my goals without becoming totally anal & ornary about it is not quite figured out yet. But I am focusing on putting my actions in place, hoping my heart will learn to follow.

And on that note....I've got some work to do before Chadly comes home!!!

Nothin' But Pink At Our House!!!

2008-09-13T08:16:00.002-04:00

It's a GIRL!!!

You all know that I've been praying for a boy so now we're all wondering if Chad & I are sad. The cool thing is...nope. There are lots of reasons that another girl just seems perfect. And it's also super helpful that we trust God to give us whatever the perfect fit is--both for child & for us. I really wanted a boy for Chad--so that he'd get to be a daddy to a boy--but he sure is good with girls :) And I'm so excited that they get to be sisters. I didn't have one growing up (it's great having sisters-in-law now) & I always wanted one. Now I can be a mom to sisters, which seems almost as good as getting to have a real sister. Most of all, it seems so wonderful to have gotten to see her little self in there, kicking her feet & moving her hands. We've got the cute little skeletal pics & lots of video, which I will try to learn how to do something with so I can put pieces of on here for you all to see.

Yesterday was Neena's 4th Birthday Party!! :o) And it was oh, so fabulous. We had planned for a pool & rented inflatable jumpy-thing for the party & then had to prepare for an indoor, rainy day party...then low & behold, the sun came out, clouds disappeared, & we had the most beautiful weather for the original plans!! That child was as excited as I've ever seen her; the day was just perfect.

We've got to get packed for Alabama; more about that later & pics to come.

The random thoughts that occupy your mind at 5am

2008-09-09T05:10:00.003-04:00

Chad left for a work trip on Sunday night & will return sometime in the early AM on Thursday. Neena & I have been having "sleepovers" in our room & our normal night-time schedule is a little lax. I have realized from the last two nights that she really has some anxieties about him being gone--or about us being here without him, rather, bless her little heart! I can go either way about it; I normally do really good but then sometimes I get a bad thought or a bad dream & it grows into the "f" word.

(F-e-a-r)

I have always strived to keep fears and scary ideas away for Neena because I was so shy when I was little, the world seemed awfully big--not that I had a lot of fears, but I eventually saw enough TV to keep me awake at night & was deathly afraid of wolves (the 3 little pigs brought that one on!). Neena has stayed right by my side since Sunday; even in the bed, & talks about the "strange mans" coming to get her. She learned the term "strange man" from Veggie Tales, Josh & the Giant Wall. There's a part when Josh goes out & sees a "strange man" who he learns to be an angel of the Lord. We have explained over & over to her that someone strange is just someone whom you haven't met--they're not a friend yet, but once you meet them they will be. She can quote that to you but she still doesn't get it. I am really glad that Chad doesn't go out of town more often; I think it might really bother her if he did.

Neena has really gotten into the phone lately. She'd calll MiMi & Papa 15 times a day if I'd let her. Sometimes she has real words to share & sometimes she just likes to hear herself. I love hearing her sweet little voice on the phone; they do to...but sometimes it's really hard to understand over the phone. And we've both got a touch of a cold right now :( We're trying to fight it & it's not too bad but I really hope we can nip it soon b/c my friend, Kim's baby who I mentioned a few posts back should be coming home this week & I want to visit! Well, that, & who really wants to be sick any time??? We went to Harry's yesterday to replenish our supply of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, nature's natural antibiotic, to try to fight it off, & then topped it off with a visit to the Chiropractor for each of us. (If you haven't learned about the benefits of Raw, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar "with the mother" you need to google it or something; it's amazing.)

At church, we are still continuing our read through the New Testament & it's been so awesome! We are on 2 Corinthians now (ok, I'm still finishing 1 Cor...) and Chad & I have both been so touched by God's Word. If you don't have a copy of the NT on CD and would like one, comment me or email me & I'll gladly pick up a copy & send to you. They're in mp3 format & have to be downloaded or uploaded--not sure about the terminology--to your computer; then you can put it on your ipod or make CD's from there with the files. Of course, I'm still reading instead of listening because I am sooo ADD that it's mostly pointless for me to try to listen to it.

We go in for an ultrasound on Friday morning, so hopefully we'll find out what we're having!! I'll post when I find out :)

Accomplishing Greatness

2008-09-08T10:22:00.002-04:00

For six years we've lived in this house & have had this lovely shade of yellow for the sink, toilet, & bath in the guest bathroom. For six years I've made everyone suffer through one of those squishy toilet seats that I've managed to find in yellow. Those things are nice when you first get them, soft & not as cold...but over time they get cracks in the plastic where they crease. Neena hates going potty in there b/c she says it cuts her. (Bless her!) So, the other day, I finally had the great idea to order a hard yellow toilet seat. $16 & three days later we're in business!!! I can't tell you how excited I am.

(Expect a pic in a few days in honor of our new throne.)

Reminiscing

2008-09-01T16:45:00.002-04:00

I have a few minutes to myself & so I thought I would take a deep breath & think for a few minutes. Having a new baby on the way makes me realize how far my first baby has come...which then reminds me of all I'm going to go through again.

I have been reading about how so many mindsets are determined based on a child's infant-toddler years & I am overwhelmed with the responsibility of parenting. Well, that & I have been trying to reevaluate my methods in order to have a happier mom & daughter. It's just wild to me because I can remember turning 4. I remember feeling so big. I remember having on a frilly dress (why did they do that to us back then?) & Mom staying outside so long tying balloons on the mailbox that I kept going down to see them & getting in trouble for going outside in my frilly dress.

And I want Neena (& new babe) to have wonderful memories. And be responsible. And obedient. And fun, loving, smart, beautiful, Godly, talented, etc. I have to come to grips with the fact that I can't create a person--that's God's job. When Neena was born, I was so overwhelmed with the fact that the new baby in the room "belonged to me" because I really just felt like she was God's. I didn't do anything to create her. (Ok...you could give me a little credit in a couple areas...) But it was so cool to have her cry & to be the one who wanted to comfort her and furthermore, to be the best one at doing it.

She has grown up so much! And, I have to admit...she's a Daddy's girl now. She prefers his kisses for her booboos, to sit by him at dinner, to snuggle with him. I always wanted her to be Daddy's girl, though, because, let's face it...

A. Her Daddy is totally awesome.
B. I was very much Mommy's girl b/c my dad was very quiet even though we always had a special bond. But I was always in awe of girls who were just closer to their dad's. I guess I picture her gleaning a wonderful picture of her Heavenly Father by being "Daddy's girl."
C. It's really good for teenage years to have a strong relationship with Daddy.
D. If I were Neena, I would definitely be Daddy's girl. He's just fantastic.

But I have to admit...it does make me a little jealous. I am working on that :)

Chad & I have been married for six years :) I've been in love with him for twelve years. That's almost half my life. I have been reminiscing a lot about how blessed I am. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Baby Powder Fresh

2008-08-28T22:33:00.002-04:00

The other day I was at a bridesmaid dress fitting for a good friend. When we got done, I went & used the restroom & found a can of "Baby Powder Dry Mist."

I thought, What a great thing to have at a dress shop: so that girls who are sweaty can come in, dry off, & freshen up.

So, I picked it up & sprayed one pit...but it didn't feel right. So I stopped & read more of the label.

Directions for use: Shake well. Hold can at arm's length & spray toward the center of the room...

Reality Hits

2008-08-26T07:52:00.003-04:00

Today is the day my brother leaves for Iraq for a year. Please be praying for him & for his wife: Allen & Laila Smith.

I found this passage & thought it was really cool:
When you go to war against your enemies & see horses & chariots & an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. --Deuteronomy 20:1-4

Please pray for vision, peace, & passion for their current "missions."

I love you both with all my heart.

Day 1

2008-08-20T23:06:00.003-04:00

We made it through preschool with no tears & lots of smiles today. Her teacher confirmed my premonitions, though...She said Neena only tried to lead the class a few times today. (Just wait till music class starts...then you see her true colors come out.)

Trying to teach this girl submission/obedience/being part of the class is like trying to break her arm off. She just can't help herself. I am somewhat at a loss as to how to shape this quality in my sweet child. She makes Chad & I laugh & shake our heads as we embrace the person God has created her to be AND embrace the role we have in trying to teach & lead her in Godliness. Man, have we got our hands full!!

(This is just a random shot--not a 1st day shot. Had Neena-problems with my camera this morning...)

My disclaimer

2008-08-19T21:34:00.004-04:00

Thanks for asking about my not blogging, friend! Made me smile :) Here's my explanation: Internet life was sailing a few weeks ago until randomly my screen went black on my laptop. For a while I rigged up our desktop screen to my laptop in the living room so I could use that computer but decided that was a little to redneck & messy for me. THEN, Chad got a new computer so I inherited his newer old one...It is, however in worse shape than compute-a-saurus numero uno-- sooo slow & the fan doesn't work, so on top of burning you, sometimes it overheats & dies. But it was manageable...UNTIL...The battery died. As in, I'm working on it now & if I manage to barely let the power cord slip, it dies & I have to restart.

So here's what's been going on around here...Neena starts pre-k tomorrow. She is so excited. I can't wait to make pictures. And since I'm not teaching there this year, I actually got to play "Mom" and buy all her teachers' "wishlist" supplies AND embellish her bag this afternoon. I feel so domestic. Well, I did, that is, until I decided to go on a serious clean-the-house rampage & I realize that one major reason I'm messy is that I turn into a nazi & I can't even stand myself when I get anal about a clean house. There is NO inbetween! I feel so hopeless.

But I do have good news on the hopeless front. Normally I neglect important things like Bible-reading & having good art or learning time with Neena because I am spinning my wheels trying to get things done...but NOT today! I am keeping up with our pastor's challenge of reading a new testament book a week, which is totally rocking life to the core. And I had serious art time with Neena today :) A good, needed reminder that bulking up my schedule a bit helps give me the frame I need to keep my time wisely used. So there is progress. I'm not hopeless after all!! (God says He's working on me to see His work to completion...woohoo!)

Last week I had a day when everything stunk. We're talking some kind of laquer or turpentine smell. The car smelled like it. The house smelled like it. Even the sheets smelled like it so much so that I couldn't nap. So I told Chad about it & had him come by the house to see if it was me or everything else. Not the house, the sheets, or the car--must be me. Something is wrong with me--I must have some serious medical thing going on!! Then I start doing laundry & realize a select group of clothes have that smell, including the shirt I was wearing that day. I have had to throw the clothes away!! I don't know what it is, but even after 4 washes, they STILL stink. And I do NOT want the smell being passed on to other things. Any guesses as to what it could be???

Chad & I were marvelling at how cute Neena has been, watering my plants for me on the front porch with her little watering can. I finally went to see if she was doing ok & realized she'd been using HOT water the entire time. I'll be lucky if anything is still alive tomorrow ;) She was my "big helper," though!

Say a prayer for Neena & her teachers & all the teachers, really--it's a tough week getting started!

I got to see baby Aiden today & he is gorgeous & unbelievably small. What a precious miracle...I<3 babies & am getting excited!!

My Little Mess

2008-08-19T02:44:00.002-04:00

Many of you know my sweet child, Neena...but for those who don't or aren't around her often, I thought I should try to define her...Or at least describe her...Ok, try to.

Neena was born in '04. She will be 4 years old soon--my how the time flies! To start off, let me give you a little background. When I was a child, I was sooo shy. I was trying to describe just how shy to Chad this morning. I would play silently with my toys. I would die if someone saw me playing with babydolls or other age-appropriate toys. I was always attached to my mom. It took me years to come out of my shell. When I was pregnant, I thought I would have a cuddly, quiet baby girl that needed me. She would need me to protect her. To rock her & read quietly to her.

I could not have had more of a polar opposite. From her time in the womb, Neena has been dying to be free & independent, not held back or confined in any way. You think I'm joking but, seriously, she would literally vibrate all over and kick & hit, just going totally nuts. I have never seen such. Then when she was born, that swaddling thing was out the window. Not even once did she stay wrapped tight; she couldn't stand it.

So here's my time for confession: I am a bit of a perfectionist in some ways. I can definitely say it doesn't come across in the ways I'd like for it to, lol. But as much as I am fairly laid back as a mom in a lot of ways, I am totally unwavering in disobedience. I'm not really sure if this is a help for Neena's strong will or if it just butts heads with it. Nevertheless, I have met my match in my child. She is super sweet and helpful in a lot of ways but there are just some things that, try-as-we-may, she nor I can defeat. Here's the picture...

With our cat, Cali. Neena loves this cat. As in the looney toones character suffocation of animals. I always thought that show was ridiculous. Until now. I don't care what animal we're talking about, Neena can put it on edge or tick it off in 10 seconds flat. I have had to come to grips with the fact that she cannot help it. She is not trying to disobey--that's just what comes natural to her. And with her volume. Her controls are set to full blast & no amount of reminding can keep it down at reasonable. And she loves to sing. Sigh. You just have to laugh. We are on a counting system with directions; if she doesn't obey by "3" it's a spanking or time-out. And she is "one of those" who just has to do it because she decides to--not because you're asking it of her. I thought the "battle of the will" was something to be determined & then your children learn that if they disobey there are consequences, therefore deterring the bad behavior. And we do do that...but oh my goodness, she has to push it and test her boundaries all the time.

Since I'm dissing on her right now, I feel I should mention her good qualities. One thing I have always prayed for her is that she will have a love for people. And, boy, does she ever. She loves everyone. And she is dead-set on hugs and kisses for those she loves. She can work a room full of adults and command anyone's attention. She likes to help and is actually quite effective with many household tasks. She doesn't pitch fits. Not ever, really. And she can pray. Oh, how sweet she is when she prays :) She just talks & talks to God & it is amazingly precious. She can almost quote John 3:16; she just needs a few reminders along the way! I'll have to video it as soon as she gets it down to show you. Neena is pretty good at dressing herself and she always packs her "pack-pack" (back pack) with toys every time we leave the house. And if it keeps her occupied, I'm all for it.

I could go on & on...can't we all about our kids?!?!?! Such a blessing & joy to be a parent. And a blessing to have another one on the way!! I am 13 weeks--the end of the 1st trimester, yea! My nausea is gone, PTL. My intense, insane hunger/craving is gone. WooHoo! And I am able to track how far my uterus is growing, which I love.

Prayer Request: My friend, Kim, just had her baby at 34 weeks. He is doing phenominal but they had to come home without him. :( Pray for Aiden's (the babe) health & for peace for Kim & Keith. Thanks!

The expensive side of pregnancy

2008-08-08T21:48:00.002-04:00

We spent $1274.71 in food last month.

Our budget says $850.

Chad laughs at me because we'll be driving down the road & I'll be like, "I need to eat...now...Oh, look--there's O'Charley's! Can we p-lllease go there?"
But it's not all me. I had to do our checkbook registry today because something about something about one of our bills not being paid in 2 months & they were going to turn something off if we didn't pay reminded me that we have a budget meeting for a reason around this house. And by checkbook registry, I mean excel doc, fully labeled, dated, calculated, amen. I love stuff like that. But I started noticing that the $25 cash Chad gets for lunch each week isn't exactly going as far as it's supposed to. The man likes sushi. But should it cost $25-$30 per meal? He is eating like a king!! I told him he's going back on the paper bag budget till we can make up for all the extra fish. I mean, I have an excuse for eating out, right?

My sweet hubby, though...he takes being a team player seriously. When I was pregnant with Neena, he gained 25 lbs. When we finally realized how fat he had gotten by the end of the pregnancy & he topped the scales at just over 200 at my dr's appt, my doctor sympathized, saying, "She's eating for two; you're eating for three!" So do I need to let him splurge on a little sushi? He is working 3-5 jobs (depending on how you count it), feeding my every craving, & taking Neena off my hands when I'm sick. Maybe I let this go just this once...

On the Neena front, she is swimming without floaties now! And her face is changing; I see more definition, less "baby." And she is getting so darn cute. She also has the wittiest things to say. I love to watch her mind think things through. She uses so many descriptive words & explains herself so well. If only she could contain herself when she gets excited around other kids & not attack the cat every time she sees her. *Please, Lord, let her understand what is appropriate for a baby!!*

I am now 3 months :) & the babe is the size of a lime!! WooHoo! Thank you Lord!

Be like Daddy

2008-08-07T21:49:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Neena had fallen asleep in the car. We won't discuss how she refused to nap when I could have napped inside...When we got to Jane's & were walking up the side walk, she says,

"When I get big and strong like Daddy, I won't get to ride in the shopping cart any more. I'll have to walk."

"Yep, Honey, you will." But I chose not to mention that I hope that she's never quite as big or strong as Daddy.

She is such a Daddy's Girl.

Picture taken by Kayla Aimee Terrell :) 2 yrs ago.

Blind Bartimaeus

2008-08-01T19:34:00.002-04:00

Just had to share something that jumped out at me while I was reading just now! Pastor Jamie has been challenging us to overflow our lives with the Word for 40 days. The church gave us all CD's of the new testament to be able to listen to it but since I am so unbelievably ADD & such a visual learner, I am opting to read instead. Which takes forever b/c I am not a speed reader. But it has been really cool.

I just read the story about Blind Bartimaeus & upon reading the title, I immediately thought, "Poor guy; what a horrible surname." But then I read about him--a story I have heard a gu-zillion times but heard in a different way. (The neat thing that it is the living word.) So, two main reasons it spoke to me more this time.

1st, reading it in light of reading the entire book: they mention soo many stories of Jesus healing people without mentioning their names. Each story is really neat & it notes on different points but listen to what it says about Bartimaeus:

When [Bartimaeus] heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he bagan to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and said, "Call him.".....Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped tto his feet and came to Jesus. (Mark 10:47-50)

2nd, I heard a message on Wednesday at Bridgpoint youth & the speaker noted how Jesus always asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" He asks over & over. God asks, too. And He is willing to give what we ask for.

So when He asks Bartimaeus here, it jumped out at me. And the fact that Bartimaeus was willing to shout for everyone to hear is just awesome. He wants to be healed. He is willing to be mocked and to be made a fool in order to have Jesus answer him. What would we be like if we were willing to cry out to God like Bartimaeus? I want to keep this message alive in my heart & in my mind & I knew that writing it down would help remind me. Hope you enjoy it, too =)

I can't believe July is almost over...

2008-07-29T11:12:00.005-04:00

Life has been a little busier & better in general for the last couple of weeks. I am learning to deal with the morning sickness a little more effectively & I think it's affecting me a little less, too. WooHoo! And I'm 10 1/2 weeks, now. Yea baby Elliott!

Chad and I will celebrate our 6-year anniversary Aug. 3rd. So cool. I decided to surprise him & celebrate early last night. We had talked to a couple of people about possibly getting together last night but we really didn't expect it to happen. So I got balloons, food for a special dinner, a card, & a pie. As I was pulling into the driveway, Chad called & said he was going out for dinner with a friend. Isn't that how life always goes? No big deal =) I got to share with him my surprise gift for our anniversary, which was really the point of the whole thing. I am planning a trip to Asheville to a Bed & Breakfast for us in September. So I didn't want to wait for him to buy me something or plan something for us for our anniversary--which is why I did it early. He is excited. We are excited! Thanks, Lauren, for the good idea!!

And since I'm on Chad's old computer because my screen died, I can post the pics from the trip to Laila's in Tallahassee from earlier this month!

Here's MiMi & Neena in a cool tree at the park:

Here's Laila helping Neena into the tree. She's such a great aunt!!

Here's Neena & I singing "Boogaloo" by Dr. Jean in the car on the way down. If I get real brave, maybe I'll post the video one day...On a side note, look how long my hair is getting!!

This is at the park feeding the ducks.

This is me pretending not to feel sick on the couch. I love my girl!!

The Spider

2008-07-21T23:02:00.003-04:00

This morning I killed a spider. It was a rather large spider. I was on the phone with Jane & I yelped rather loudly but nevertheless, I killed the dreadful thing. Then I left it there. Not totally uncommon for me to need a breather before I finish the work on such a task, especially while on the phone. So, a little later Neena brings me a sippy cup.

"Here, Mom."

"Thank you, Darling. What is it?"

"It's a spider. I scooped it up in the cup."

That's what I get for not finishing things. Bless her.

A Tribute to Aunt Kayla

2008-07-16T10:00:00.004-04:00

I found these & just had to post. Neena is sharing some chocolate mousse with Kay but what you can't really see from the video (but you hear us talking about) is that for every Neena-bite, the spoon is full. For every Kayla-bite it has basically nothing on it. And Neena is saying (yelling) "Ahhhh" to get Kayla to open her mouth.

And I couldn't decide between the two videos I took, so here's the other...

The Best Happiness Money Can Buy

2008-07-15T13:46:00.003-04:00

Having my house cleaned. Hands down #1 best money I've ever spent.
Loving my Dr.

So, I promise not to over-burden you with excessive medical info because, really, I totally obsess on pregnancy details & I can go way past TMI. But there were several reasons I went into my first Dr's appointment (new Dr.) a little leery of what I would get for my money. See, when I had Neena we were fortunate enough to be on the "good insurance" with the board of edu. We paid $20 for the entire pregnancy & delivery. This time, however, we have a private insurance in form of an HDHP: High Deductible Health Plan. There are lots of good things about it. But the bad is that we have to meet a $5200 deductible before our insurance covers anything. Per. Calendar. Year. And...I'm due in Feb-ru-ary. That translates as $10,400 to have this baby. Up to, anyways.

So, you think about what you're paying for a little differently when you are directly paying the bills. Like, for my yearly check-up before we tried to get pregnant & the nurses/financial people at the gyno's office assured me that my wellness visit would be covered 100% & then we get a bill for what the insurance didn't cover:
Handling Fee $15
Blood Screen $12
Ultrasound $436
...blah...blah....Total................$492
"WHAT???? You people said it wasn't going to cost me anything!!"

Hence the poor frazzled nurse to whom I protested the pee test today. "Well, Honey, I won't charge you for it...but we have to have it for our records." Oops. Looking like a total cheap, swollen-faced, no make-up psycho? That would be me. But they won't pull an unnecessary ultrasound over on me, I can guarantee that.

But my Dr had all the right answers to our questions; here's a brief summary of our conversation since I've been so long already. Us in red; his response in blue.

Rash/allergy?
You can try Claritin.
Homeopathic treatment?
Sure.
No ultrasound up front.
Okay. Let's go ahead & wait for your other tests for a month, too.
CF risks...
I'll be praying for you.
Natural Delivery.
No reason not to!
High Deductible...
Shouldn't meet it this year. We'll watch any extra expenses.
I know you from church. I teach your kids.
You do a great job. We're proud of your work.

I am so blessed! I left with utmost confidence & excitement! Was sooo not expecting those kinds of emotions from my Dr.'s appointment. And the other great thing--he's just a couple miles down the road from our house & even closer to Chad's work, which means Chad can sneak away to my appointments easily!!

I am excited that I will be happy to pay for them to care for me & the babe. And I did the math while we were in the waiting room. If we didn't have this health plan, we would STILL be paying as much OR MORE in monthly premiums plus a deductible. This way, though, they cover 100% after we meet the deductible AND hopefully we won't always meet the deductible every year. Woo Hoo!

PS: Thanks for my clean house, Brittany =) You totally rock.

Going Tribal

2008-07-14T18:02:00.005-04:00

I left Neena in the kitchen painting yesterday & this is what I found...

She was so proud of herself. Check out the "proud-of-myself-smile" in this one. She cracks me up.

Good news: my nausea seems knock on wood to be gone & the rash is clearing up--kind of. Neena has been quite a trooper for it all. She has helped dry & put away dishes, empty the dryer & put away clean clothes, & play by herself. I don't know how you people manage with babies back-to-back; you have my utmost admiration.

In fact, while I'm on the subject, I have to admit that I am a lot more nervous about this baby than I was about my first. Mostly because of the dynamic of the family. Right now, the only fighting possible is over which parent Neena wants to sit with. And really, that's Chad & I teasingly fighting over Neena. Now...or, soon...we will be having to break up fights between the kids. What has been a solid unit will be parents vs. children. And looking at some families & the chaos & fights that can come up is just scary. Like, I don't think I have the wisdom to sort through all that all the time & keep my head about me. But I am sure that God will give me the wisdom & grace in the moment; I don't doubt what He will provide thank you Jesus.

Another thing I'm thankful for...not being fearful. I just admitted my big fear about this whole pregnancy. The fear I'm NOT announcing or repressing or hiding is the health of our child. Now, I admit that it does make me a little emotional from time to time just thinking about it. But fear? Nope. See, Chad & I found out when we were pregnant with Neena that we are both carriers of Cystic Fibrosis. Which means 1/4 chance with our children. I struggled for 3 years with the fear of having more children & being responsible for their health because of our genetics. But somewhere, maybe even before Neena was born, I just knew that if God would give me a peace about getting pregnant--a peace beyond the fear of what CF would mean in the life of our child--that it was God giving me that desire, not just MY selfish desire to have another baby. There is not a day that goes by that I am not aware of our genes. My reality is forever changed. But I cannot begin to describe to you the peace that the Lord has given my heart concerning this issue. I think the fact is, maybe I finally faced that reality & have accepted it as part of life--the norm for us--and I can only trust that if we have a child with health problems that even threaten his/her life that God will continue to sustain us with the peace that only He can offer.

When Neena was first born, she had a lot of congestion in her chest, & I was almost paralyzed with fear. There were moments when I only existed. And I could only be honest with God & tell Him I didn't feel peace. Didn't know how I could ever feel it. But...I think now that most of that had to do with the fact that it was our first baby & everything was scary b/c we just didn't know what to expect. I believe that with a second baby, we won't take every wheeze or lack of bowel movement or long stead of sleep with no feeding or spitting up as a "symptom." We'll just take it as a "baby."

The cool part is, we are reminded of the goodness of our Lord, with hope that our home is in Heaven & all that is here is for a short time. Blessed are those who find strength in you. Their hearts are on the road that leads to you. Psalm 84:5

It's Saturday

2008-07-12T09:36:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned in my last blog, I have been horribly sick this past week. The biggest problem is, it always seems to come with something else. See, it started with nausea, then added migraines, then I had another strange reaction (rash all over my face, neck, ears) to who-knows-what. So for the past 2 days, I have been pumping the Benadryl at the very slow pregnant rate, which is just enough for me to stay groggy & feel sorry for myself all day. I'm also quite certain I'm NO fun to be around right now. I am slowly getting better but I still want to scratch my face off right now. It seriously looks like I have poison oak all over my face :(

Aunt Laila gave Neena a little keyboard while we were down to visit this week. Thanks Aunt Laila!! Neena loves it. She loves to play & sing & then makes us clap every time she finishes a song. She is quite the happy camper. Every time someone leaves, like when Chad leaves for work, she says, "Bye Daddy! Have a good fun! Be sweet at work." It's so cute. I would post pics from our trip but Chad deleted them off the camera when he loaded them onto his computer, so I will have to wait to post from his computer sometime.

Chad got a new MacBook Pro (or something like that). Can't say I'm so knowledgeable about the computer terms. So he is a happy camper as well. He's having some trouble getting the stuff off the old computer, so he went to the Mac store for some help. Which means he's in heaven right now.

I'm 8 weeks pregnant now & I finally made a Dr's appointment for this week.

And here's a pic of my loves...aren't they sweet???

I got sick

2008-07-09T11:38:00.002-04:00

Morning Sickness--not even sure why they call it that b/c it no where near stops in the mornings...

Feeling sorry for myself.

But at least Mom is keeping Neena. Actually, she took her to WalMart, bless her.

I should take a shower or attempt to leave the couch.

The only good news in this whole mess is that they say if you're sick your hormone levels are good=good for the baby. But with Neena I was never sick, so maybe it means my body is acting differently b/c it's a boy?!?!

Happy 4th

2008-07-03T08:01:00.004-04:00

There are a few things of serious nature that are on my list to blog about. With celebration of Independence Day tomorrow, I think it's the perfect time to tell you about my brother, Allen. He will be leaving for Iraq in just a few months, after his training is complete. He just finished his first month of training & his wife, Laila is out visiting him in Arizona.

When Allen finished HS, he joined the Army & signed for 5 yrs, as was the protocol for someone going into Military Intelligence. After a few changes and soaring through his final program of study, he became an Electronic Warfare Signals Intelligence Analyst. He was stationed for the remainder of his time in Owahu, Hawaii. Of course we went to visit him there...

When he finished there, he came back to GA to finish school; he went to KSU, where he met Laila & fell in love. They are the cutest couple, the perfect match. Chad & I kind of get along by picking at each other & playing around, whereas Allen & Laila are all mooshy-gooshy & serve each other, love on each other, etc. Reminds me I should be that way to Chad sometimes but that is another story. Anyways, they have had sort of a "Romeo & Juliet" sort of relationship as her dad was determined that she would not be in a serious relationship until she finished her Doctorate. She ended up finishing her undergrad & moving to Tallahassee for graduate school at FSU (in December of 2006).

Allen moved in with us at the time. As soon as he graduated in December of 2007, they secretly eloped & he moved down to FL to be with her. (A lot went into that decision; it was totally God at work.) I forgot to mention that he joined the Reserves. That's what brings us to where we are now. The second weekend in April, he learned that they were asking for volunteers from his unit to transfer to a unit that was going to Iraq & he was a candidate for being volunteered if no one else did. And that's what happened. He left June 1st to begin his training in AZ. He can be gone up to Dec 2009 but maybe as soon as Sept, if I am correct.

Pray for my sweet family, if you will. We are very fortunate that Allen will be at Camp Victory working at a computer. We realize, though, that no matter where in Iraq he goes, if it is where the Lord led him, he is as safe as he could be here with us. My personal prayer for him is that he will have a passion for his mission & a peace about Laila. The Army is such a great match for him; he is able to plug into the mindset & strive for excellence. I can't begin to tell you how many awards he has won. Aside from that, though, we're ready for him to be done serving for our country when his time is complete. I say that because I'm selfish for his home life, his wife, future children, etc. And I am so proud of all he has done for our country.

And for sweet Laila, I pray for purpose while he is away, that she can plug into God & let Him lead her to new places in her life where she can apply herself (other than just at school), learn about God's amazing peace & to trust Him in ways she never thought possible. And I pray for peace. Peace that God is protecting Allen, that Allen is making good choices, & that the time will go by quickly but productively.

They were going to have a real wedding this December.

But on the up-side of all these things...they get to be Newlyweds over & over again. They get to trust in and lean on our Heavenly Father for things I can't even fathom thinking about. They are building character, memories, & love for one another. I am so excited for them for all that.

They are my heroes.

You can totally tell how chilly the pool is by the look on their faces!! The pic below Allen is wearing Neena's "bug" hat. Hehehe; if his head wasn't so big, he could pass for a leprechaun.

(I chose NOT to include the one where I zoomed in on his hicky so as to keep it a secret & not embarrass anyone.)

The one where I talk about poop

2008-07-02T18:11:00.000-04:00

I've been going to Curves every day to work out this week--yea me! I set my alarm for 7:10, let it snooze 2 times at 5 min's each, then get up, try to quietly find something to eat, put some work-out clothes on, read my Bible & devo if I'm alert enough, & I'm out the door. Hopefully before Neena & Chad wake up. And normally it works out so that I get my personal potty time in, as well. Yesterday I was out the door by 7:40 & it hit me that I needed to go only about 3 minutes into my 15-minute drive.

No problem; I'll be there in a few minutes.

I'm munching on my granola bar & sitting at a red light when it went from ok to real bad in about 15 seconds. I went from being a bit chilled & wearing my jacket to sweating. I literally peeled out in my mini-van pulling away from the light.

Ok; there's a Rite Aid right off the road; that'll be fine. You can make it.

Only the Rite Aid was locked. 10 minutes till opening time at 8:00.

If only there was somewhere I could hide & squat. Oh my gosh I'm gonna die. No. You'll be fine. Kroger is next door.

I raced across the parking lot, parked in the closest spot, grabbed my keys & barely shut the door. So much for even pretending there's a legitimate reason for entering the store. I had to focus everything I had on walking; my body was just fighting falling over & letting go of everything. I almost cried when I made it to the bathroom. It only took a second or two to be finished but I must have sat there for 5 minutes, just breathing, being thankful that I made it, that I didn't have an accident, that we have plumbing, for relief.

And then it hit me this morning when I almost left early without making time for that, that I couldn't live through that scenario again. It is worth making time for.

Rock'n Out

2008-06-29T18:10:00.000-04:00

Today Chad & I got to lead worship at Bridgepoint Church. We had a wonderful time. You can go to the "Media" link on the page & click on today's date to hear =) It's not up yet but it should be soon. As I'm writing this, Neena keeps coming in and out of the bathroom telling me she needs to go "real bad." She's trying to convince me to come help. But we all know she can go by herself. I haven't been playing bass too long--just since last January. So sometimes I am a little intimidated that I am the weakest link and today was no exception. UNTIL they insisted that we listen to the cd Andy recorded from the house mix and I have to say...I rocked. Don't get me wrong; it is in no way flawless. I say that with as much humility as possible when I am seeking to rock out. And I try to rock out for God's glory, to express worship, & to connect with those worshiping in the audience. To that end, I feel that I am really improving. Jimmy's son said I was "sick nasty." Quite a compliment, I thought, from a 14ish-yr-old boy. And it is such a joy. Such a blessing that Chad & I get to lead worship together; we play together so much that I pretty much know what he's going to do before he does it.

I have struggled in the past with standing in front of people & playing; stage fright/caffeine jitters/anxiety. I am so thankful for what I learned through that struggle. It can be difficult to focus your mind on worshiping the Lord when focusing on playing takes so much concentration. I realized that sometimes what you're doing is really worship in action--much like being home & washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. You don't have to focus on worship the entire time to be able to do it to the glory of the Lord. As a result, however, when I am able to worship in the audience, I tend to really connect & cry & dance & clap a lot. And also, I am just an emotional girl at times.

Here's a pic of me with my bass at a D-Now we played at over Easter weekend this year.

I had to post one more video...

2008-06-28T07:12:00.000-04:00

We pulled out the videos last night, trying to find a "fat" picture of CHAD when I was pregnant the first times. We could NOT find one. (If I ever do, I'll show you.) So there are lots of favorites. Apparently the video file version in our new digi-camera is not supported on here =( but I've got plenty of old ones to choose from for now!! If you know how to put on a video in .mov format, I would love some help; thanks!

About this video: she is feeding her "Bunny Bear." I am doing the amazing sound effects. We call him Bunny Bear b/c normally he has a bunny pj outfit on. She has been in love with her Bunny bears we have 3 of them almost her entire life now. =)

In case you're wondering what happened to those overalls...

2008-06-28T06:53:00.000-04:00

This was from October 2006. Almost two years ago! It feels like it was an eternity ago in so many ways. I love my girl!!!!

do Not go in there...

2008-06-25T20:33:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Neena had ballet and I was hungry so I went next door to get a bag of those pre-cut apples to munch on. But I couldn't find them. So I settled on a pack of Celery/Carrot Ranch to-go snackers. Only there were no carrots or celery--only the Ranch. The package was totally misleading. So, I settled for the cheez-itz that I had in my purse. (You always have to be prepared, ya know?) But that is not the point of this story. While I was in the apple section of the produce department, I was overwhelmed by the scent of the apples. Like a tv commercial where someone closes their eyes & breathes deeply & suddenly they're taken somewhere different b/c of the scent. That totally happened. If it was a commercial, they probably would've pictured something like an apple orchard or outdoor setting but what came to mind was a miniature version of me in a wooden crate of apples. Nevertheless, it smelled wonderful.

Then it reminded me of another story...Ya know how they say that smell is a powerful tool for recalling forgotten memories? This past January, we had a full/backed up septic tank & went through quite a bit to get it fixed. While the septic guy--what a title, poor guy; but he WAS my hero for the day--was here, my job was to go inside & start flushing. "If it starts overflowing, just start plunging." Riiiight. I was so not prepared for what was about to come. I got the wet/dry shop vac ready to suck out the water if it started overflowing. (That is the point of THIS part of the story.) So I flushed.....immediately the water started overflowing on me & the rug, I turned the vac on, it didn't work, I was plunging with the other hand, water was still going everywhere, including through the floor to the basement. I got the vac going & then Neena unplugged it in the hall, so I start screaming at Amber to plug it in. But she can't b/c it's childproof. We finally got it going & eventually got everything clean again. I will never again take happy, healthy plumbing for granted again. Side note: In order to prevent said disaster, try to find the water on/off knob in advance.

Now for the relevance of this...Jane & I used the shop vac after this whole mess one day & this nasty toilet smell came from the filter which we changed after this. then after the smell sort of subdued, I realized, "Aww, Jane, it kind of reminds me of my grandmother." To which she said, "Lord, I hope you can never say that about me."

I was talking about my mom's mom; she lived with us almost year-round when I was young. She had Alzheimer's disease & was in diapers at the end. It was a huge sacrifice for my mom but we loved her & enjoyed getting to spend that precious time with her. So it was endearing, even if it was a, well, potty smell.

Oh, & here's one more pic of Neena at ballet =) She looked like a little angel.

Hats off to MiMi

2008-06-22T17:32:00.000-04:00

I am beginning to experience the preliminary symptoms of pregnancy. Exciting but also embarrassing. I went to my friend's house the other day, a friend of SEVEN years and could NOT remember her mom's name. A name that also happens to be MY mom's middle name. Luckily my friend is pregnant too, so she's experiencing much of the same thing.
I was on the way to Curves the other day & drove right past it. By three miles. I was already running late, so I might as well have just not gone. I go before Chad leaves for work so that I don't have to arrange childcare, so I'm always rushing as it is. I was only there for 15 minutes but spent 35 minutes driving. sigh.
I'm not sleeping well. I can lay in bed & feel my whole body move with my extra-human-strength heartbeats. I now set the temperature to two degrees cooler than normal. The upside to that is when I'm "big" it'll be winter. Neena & Chad better get ready to bundle up.
I'm hungry =) And I get to eat a lot. And food tastes sooo good. Trying to avoid sugar; I have good days & bad days. I don't want an extra big baby, extra pounds, or extra stretch marks. I'm pretty determined. I want to deliver naturally this time, so I gotta be in really good shape.

Mom was in town this week :) A shout out to her for all the cleaning/organizing/child care that she provided whilst I worked on the computer for a new short-term job I've got & rested. I did help a little. But I have to be honest & give her all the credit. Here's a cute pic of her taking her make-up off with Neena copying her & playing right along.
Pretty cute, huh? MiMi also took us shopping & out to eat. You're the best, Mom!!