God Is Good!!

Emily is a week old today...hard to believe! She is doing great and we are praising God that we have avoided phototherapy for jaundice with Emily. Both Andrew and Kelli had to be on a billi light at home for several days. It is not a huge deal, but it adds lots of stress, especially for me, since I am her source of food and eating well and getting plenty of milk is the only way for the billirubin to be excreted, so there is lots of anxiety that I am not making enough milk. Emily is jaundiced, but we have found a pediatrician, who has been great working with us to avoid the phototherapy. I am praising God for him! He is an athesit, and I am excited to tell him that he is an answer to prayer!! We also went in again today for a weight check and she had gained 3 ounces! So we are on track for being back up to birth weight by 2 weeks of age! I cant even tell you what a difference that has made this time around, to know that I am making plenty of milk and that she is doing what she needs to be doing! I found a pediatrician from Canada who runs a breast feeding clinic and his resources have made all the difference! If you are reading this and are a breastfeeding mom, or will be someday, make a point to check out Dr. Jack Newman's website www. drjacknewman.com

Okay so here are a few more pictures from the last couple of days! My mom came down Sunday and stayed through Tuesday, what a huge help! The kids are loving Emily. Kelli always says "There is my sweetheart" when she comes downstairs after sleeping! Andrew loves to hold her and doesn't mind in the least bit if she is fussy. He just softly talks to her and tells her it is alright, and the other night, he started singing "Jesus Loves Me" to her. So precious!! We are blessed!

Introducing Emily Aileen!!

A lot has happened since my last post! The Lord has blessed us with another healthy baby girl! You know me, I am a story teller and not short on words, and my favorite stories to tell are my labor stories and little Miss Emily gave me quite the story to tell! So here we go! My due date is today, the 18th, but this past week I was very ready to have this baby! I had a doctors appointment on Wednesday, which of course they told me I wouldn't make it to, because surely I would be delivered! Well, 4pm we headed off to the doctors office because surely I wasn't delivered! My doctor was running late so we didn't see him until shortly before 5pm. My cervix (remember I am an OB nurse, so you are going to have to bear with these details!) was dilated to 6-7 centimeters and he gave me a couple of options. 1. Go to the hospital in the morning and he would break my water and see if that got things started. Or we could do that Friday morning, or Monday morning or 2. We could let nature take it's course. Well I was wanting to sign up to go in that next morning and my darling hubby asks the doctor, "What do you recommend?". "It is always better to let things happen naturally" was his reply. So he gave us his cell phone number told us to go home and talk about it and let him know. So shortly after 5 we loaded up in the truck. I was crying because I knew the right thing to do was to let nature run it's course, and that is what I have preached to many the last 10 years, but I SOOO wanted to be done! We went to Andrew's school to finish registering him for Kindergarten and were home around 520. When we got home, I told Brian I was having some more uncomfortable contractions, but figured they were just because of the exam at the office. So we put a few pizza's in the oven and continued on with daily routines....At 540 I told Brian that I was going to start timing these contractions because they were getting more intense. By 6pm I was telling Brian he needed to call someone to get them to the house to watch the kids, because I was pretty sure we were going to need to be going. His sister Amber just happened to call at that moment. After they talked for a while about her recent car repairs (and after he realized I was now crying each time I had a contraction) he asked her if she could come over to watch the kids. She got here around 620 and Brian was getting the kids their pizza and shoveling down a few pieces himself. I had a whoppin contraction and told him we needed to leave NOW! We got out to the truck and realized we didn't have any of our stuff, Amber and her boyfriend were headed out with it and Amber said, "Man, you would think you guys had never done this before!" =) So we got to the hospital, my doctor was already there. They admitted me at 655pm. My doctor came in and broke my water and I was now 7-8 cm's and really feeling like this baby was coming any minute! The doctor encouraged me to fight the urge to push and breath through a few more contractions. My nurse, a good friend, who I worked with for several years, Angie told me I should turn to my side. Now I know what happens when you turn a laboring woman to her side...it gets more uncomfortable! So I got turned to my side and a contraction started right away and let me tell you, words can not describe how unbelievebly painful that contraction was. When I had Kelli, I was kinda just zoned out at this point, and was totally calm and quiet. With this one I was very vocal which surprised even me! I kept yelling that I couldn't breathe and I needed to push. Angie told me to pant, which I did and I got through that one and knew I had to get through a few more. Well the next one came and I grabbed Angies arm and told her the baby was coming out! She got the doctor and 2 pushes later Emily entered the world! Her birth time was 731pm!! I just looked at Brian, looked at the clock, looked at the doctor and we all laughed in complete shock!! Thank you God for a quick, certainly not painfree, safe delivery and another healthy baby! Here are some pictures of the events after delivery!

Because of how quickly she was delivered, and she had the umblical cord around her neck, she needed a little bit of oxygen after the delivery.

When I first saw her, she looked so small, I said I thought she was going to be my smallest. However, she was the biggest!

This was about 20 minutes after she was born, nice and pink and ready to meet her big brother and sister!

Andrew and Kelli were very timid when they first came in...they were afraid to touch anything and just kinda looked around very sheepishly. When Angie asked if they wanted to help her give Emily her first bath, they totally came around and then we couldn't keep them from touching her! Andrew said, "mom I don't think I have ever touched a baby so much!"

This was in the car seat on her way home!!

"Our Soldier"

This is an email I just recieved from my Aunt Madeleine...her oldest son and my cousin, Jeffrey, just came back to the US from Iraq today. I especially loved the verse they have been praying over him while he has been gone...Welcome Home Jeff! Cant wait to see you!!

YES, YES, YES!! He is on US soil!
Jeff just called from Bangor, Maine. Landed about 10 min ago and ready to go on to Texas after they re-fuel and load up more food.
They have been on this plane (commercial but military has contract with it?) since yesterday when they left Kuwait. The whole plane is military, about 300 men. He actually slept 6 hours on the plane!
He said it was special to be greeted and welcomed home by about 100 veterans in Maine.
So, he should land at Dallas- Ft Worth tonight. He'll probably get home Friday.

This has been our verse while he has been gone this past year--
The Lord will protect him and preserve his life;
he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desires of his foes.
~~Psalm 41:2
The Lord has answered our prayers and you have all been a part of that.
Thank You!
~~ Madeleine

Such a big girl!

Well...my baby girl is now a big girl. After much consideration, we decided she would need to have her hair cut after Andrews attempt to cut it yesterday. So off to the salon we went today, Andrew in tow, to get it done! She did pretty good....freaked out a little at first. I guess you can't blame her after all the talk she heard yesterday about how naughty Andrew was and now we are letting some stranger come after her hair with scissors!! Here are some pictures of the new big girl. There is also one at the end of Andrew paying for the hair cut. That was part of his punishment for making the bad choice to cut her hair. He has been saving money, and so he had to contribute what he had saved towards the total. A lesson learned I hope!!

"It's Only Hair"

It happens in most households with young children, I know that. But does it happen 4 times!!! Andrew has this "cute" little thing he does...he likes to cut hair. He did this 3 times to himself over the first 4 years of his life. After being reprimanded, I would shave his head, which most times would even out enough so it wasn't noticeable. He hasn't done it in a while, I was thinking he was getting old enough to know better. Well, today he took it to a whole new level. I cut his hair with scissors on Saturday night. Usually I use clippers, but they are getting old, and they pull the hair while cutting it and it is a major pain for both the cutter and the cuttee so I decided to give scissors a try. I was proud of myself for the job I did and I guess I talked it up too much because today he decided to give Kelli a haircut with scissors. They were upstairs cleaning their room, which needed to be done before they could go swimming, this is a process that takes them FOREVER, so I didn't think much of the fact that they had been up there for a while. They finally got it done and came down and for about 45 minutes I was none the wiser. Then Kelli was walking away from me and I noticed the damage....I freaked!! From the front, you can not tell, but from the back there is this nice new layer cut (quite straight I must say). I couldn't get a picture that does the damage justice, but at least you can get a little bit of an idea. So do I let it go and wait for it to grow out, or do we do a big girl haircut? The shortest part is right above the nape of her neck.

The other funny thing (wait, what was the first funny thing, I don't think this is funny).... When Andrew cut his own hair, I was upset that he got into the clippers and cut his hair, but I didn't shed any tears over it. I bawled like a baby today....I was so upset over this. Pregnancy hormones? Long locks that were so beautifully growing out that now are lost? Girl hair vs boy hair? When I was blubbering to Brian he so lovingly reminded me that it is only hair, it is nothing to get so worked up over! At least there is one voice of reason in this household!

Catch and Release

Early this summer, one evening sitting outside, we were observing a squirrel that didn't seem "quite right". After further evaluation, Brian decided that there was something seriously wrong with this creature, and put it out of it's misery. This was one squirrel of 4 that has been living in our attic. After the babies were grown, we thought they had all moved out, but the last month we have been hearing some rather aggressive "chewing" sounds above Kelli's room. Since squirrel's can cause some major damage, Brian decided to get a trap and see if we could resolve the problem. So Tuesday night and Wednesday, several trips were made by the kids to the back window to check and see if there was anything in the trap. No results. I had a doctors appointment yesterday and when we got home, we could see that the trap door was closed and upon closer evaluation this is what we found...

The kids were fascinated, and watched it for almost an hour from this safe distance. Brian was still at work so we waited patiently for him to get home. Brian and I had not really discussed what the next step was, but Andrew was certain that it was to shoot it with a BB gun! So Brian came home and we had a quick dinner and then took a family trip to a wooded area not far (but far enough) from home to release the poor creature, who was now quite irritated!
The kids and I got up in the back of the truck (I was kinda nervous about how a ticked squirrel would act after being released! So I wanted us to be watching from a safe distance.
Brian got the trap door opened and the squirrel immediately ran up a tree by the river. A much better home (at least in my opinion) than our attic. So I think the trap will be set again this afternoon to try to catch the 2 remaining attic residents!

Sinus Cleanse

Okay~ So wierd thing, Sunday evening all of the sudden out of nowhere my sinuses just totally plugged up. It made for a rough night of sleep and I woke up with a sore throat and still the sinus congestion. I was hoping it would pass as quickly as it came on so I was trying to stick it out without medication. I did however give in and took sudafed twice yesterday and it didn't help at all! Then came flooding back (no pun intended) the Oprah episode where Dr. Oz was talking about the Netti Pot. It is a little watering can looking thing that you fill with warm salt water, pour it into one nostril and the water and whatever else the water flushes out comes out of the other nostril. Oprah had a random audience member try it live, and she lived through it! I had anticipated lots of choking and gagging and sputtering. Since the show aired, Walgreens and CVS pharmacies have been advertising that they are carrying this product. So after my chiropractor appointment this morning, off to Walgreens we went.
Well, I have now successfully flushed my sinuses and I must say I noticed an immediate difference! While it was a little akward at first, it was not uncomfortable! So for the moment, I am recommending it! I will give another update tomorrow after seeing how it helps with nighttime congestion! Here is a link to Oprah's website, with a picture of the audience member using the netti pot... http://www.oprah.com/health/oz/oz_20070426_350_106.jhtml

The Power of Dad

Brian went to hit some golf balls at the driving range tonight. Before he left he told the kids, mom is going to put you to bed, if you are still up talking and playing when I get home, there is going to be trouble! So I put them to bed, reminded them of the impending troubles promised if they were not quiet when dad got home, they said they remembered and that they would be quiet. Down stairs I could hear them playing, actually quite vigorously, but thought I would let them learn their lesson, so left them be. Funny thing though...I heard Brian come in the back door, and coincidently I never heard another peep out of the kids room. I am figuring they were keeping watch out their window which looks out to the garage. Well at least they avoided "trouble". So I go to check on them before I go to bed and this is what I found....

This picture actually doesn't do justice to the scene...but literally all of the toys that stay on the floor, not stored in the toy boxes, were all piled high on top of eachother in front of Kelli's bed. Quite the busy beavers they were! While they slept, I quietly put everything back in it's place, and am anxious to ask them about their nighttime activities in the morning! Here is another picture that I thought was priceless! Makes me relax just looking at it!

My Babies

As the arrival of baby #3 approaches I find myself gazing at Andrew and Kelli thanking God for two such precious children. My eyes well with tears as I write this! Certainly some pregnancy hormones involved, but my heart truly overflows with love like I never imagined possible for these two. I think of how life has changed with the addition of each one and can remember when Kelli's arrival was nearing, I so worried I wouldn't be able to love another baby as much as I loved Andrew. But like my Aunt Lori told me, your capacity to love expands with each child. And I immediately found that to be truth as Kelli was placed in my arms.

I look at Andrew and am amazed at how he has grown. Both physically and his personality. He is so curious and has common sense alot of adults I know don't have. He has such a sweet heart and is so eager to please those he loves. His spirit is soft and teachable and he has shown himself to be such a caring helper as he sees me struggle with the physical challanges of the end stages of pregnancy. He opens the car door, he brings me my shoes when he knows we are ready to leave, he helps get Kelli dressed in the mornings and helps her get buckled in her car seat. And all of this without being asked. And have you seen his freckles? I could eat him up! He also has a great sense of adventure. Loves to ride his bike and try new jumps. His new favorite pasttime is chasing and trying to capture butterflies. He also has been riding a dirt bike and recently got the training wheels off. He crashed into the fence when he was showing me his new skills. He stood up and brushed himself off, and proclaimed "I'm Okay!" as I stood there bawling! Oh the things I am going to have to get used to being the mom of a boy!

And Kelli, sweet Kelli. She has been giving me a taste of my own medicine. At least that is what Brian says. Oh the drama! But the smile and the joy that this girl posseses melts my heart. Life is in her eyes. She is so excited to learn new things and is always following "brother" around. That is what she affectionately calls Andrew. "Brother, will you take me on a bug hunt?" "Brother, come on lets read this book." "I love you, brother." She is excited to share her old room with the new baby and to feed her doll while mom is feeding the new baby. "As soon as that baby comes, I am going to be a big sister!" I know she will be such a big helper!

I will go to bed shortly and before doing so, I will check on them, and every night, no matter what the day has been like, when I kiss their sleeping faces my heart is overwhelmed with love for these two little one's.

Thank you God for the blessings everyday of being a mother. Help me not to miss the treasures.

My heart beats outside my chest...

Neat Update from the Whitfields

So in my "tagged" post, I shared a little about my best friend in the whole world who lives in Africa. I just recieved her families update letter and thought I would share part of it with you! Movety is their guard and his family lives in a small house on their property. This is a letter that Movety wrote...

"I lost my job as a contracted guard because my services were no longer needed. I had no courage to face the problem that my family would encounter. All hope was gone. I could see the plates drying up. I could see a disease attacking my family, chill went through my body and fear gripped me as a sign of defeat. I saw my project coming to an end (building a 6m by 4m room enough for my family). The room was barely on roof level by the time I lost my job. Within my soul, body and mind I turned 360 degrees each day to find a way leading to a solution, be it temporal or permanent, who knows. I find not even a close. I thought of a place where I would take my family where they would not be eviceted by cruel landlords. All I could see was darkness. I prayed...prayed to God Almighty. God flashed a bright light into my life, the light that gave back lost hope to me and my family. I saw showers of food on our plate each day, resurrecting my dying project. I saw my family receiving good medication. I thanked God for thes Light...The brighest light in my life that flashed by God in the month of February 2007 is the coming of the Whitfields. They humbled themselves to come and mix with the less privileged people oin Zambia, Africa. They have gone deep to the grass roots level to see and share the problems those people are facing. They have seen and identified the real problems those people have. Among the people with problems I stand as an example of them touched by the Whitfields' helping hand. When they saw my problems they took them to be theirs and got deeply physically involved. My hope was back when they said they had come for people like me. A month with them they have kept their promises of providing a meal each day and in times of sickness a provision of good medication to my family. A week old in Zambia they saw the need of shelter for me. They helped to finish building my house and bought the roofing sheet. Mr. Luke Whitfield himself fixed the roof of my house. This commitment cannot go without praise. Such people deserve to live longer on this planet earth, to touch even more people those who have real problems. I therfore pray to God Almighty to grant them more time to contiune their good mission. ~Movety Nyrenda Touched Fellow"

Hearing stories like this takes the sting out of her physical absence in my day to day life...Praise God for their ministry to these people!