Saturday, October 25, 2008

Sunday, October 19, 2008

WORLD SERIES BOUND!


GO RAYS!
Yes, I'm up at midnight watching the Rays beat the Red Sox!!!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

DR. BROWN ROCKS...so far




Carley had gotten fussier and fussier over the last two weeks and then had a rough weekend and a horrible day Tuesday (four hours of crying almost non-stop). Of course Scott is out of town.


The doc called me back yesterday and, assuming it's reflux or just colic (did I say JUST colic?!!), recommended Dr. Brown's bottles. I pumped immediately and flew to Target (while she screamed the whole way) to get the bottles, then fed her in the parking lot.


Believe it or not, she's been a different baby in the last 18 hours.


Thank the Lord. Pray it continues...and GO GET SOME DR. BROWN'S BOTTLES!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Oneness of Identity

"Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning on her beloved?" ~ Song of Solomon 8:5

In the book of the Bible, The Song of Solomon, there are several aspects of faithful commitment. The first is a oneness of identity. The question is asked, “Who is coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” (Song 8:5)

Solomon’s wife was unrecognizable as being distinguished from Solomon. They were one in the flesh and one in their place in society. Nobody perceived them as being apart from each other. That does not mean that Solomon’s wife lost all her identity as a person; it meant that nobody would dream of inviting Solomon to a social engagement without also inviting Solomon’s beloved wife, and nobody would think of flirting with Solomon because Solomon was committed to his wife and she to him.


We have all known couples who seem to go their separate ways even though they are still technically married. He does his thing, she does her thing, and the two of them rarely do the same thing.

That is not a faithful commitment. Marriage calls a person to a oneness of identity with another person.Paul urged, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church…Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies” (Eph 5:25,28). This type of love is very personal. It requires a certain loss of self to take another person so completely into your own life that you make the other’s concerns equal to your own. That is a faithful commitment.

Does your marriage or relationship look like Solomon’s? Do you and your mate have a oneness of identity?

What are 2 ways that you could improve the unity in your marriage or relationship?

Will you commit to communicating these things to your spouse or significant other this week?

--Tommy Nelson

On a side note, please pray for my baby. I'm thinking she might have reflux. She has continued to get more and more fussy throughout the last week but it's been a really rough two days...

Monday, October 13, 2008

C&C









Will, Mel and Callan are here and it's so fun. Our lives have changed drastically--no more quick trips (or long trips) to Target or Classy Consignment without bottles, carriers and diapers--but we wouldn't change it. We so look forward to the girls playing "dreth-up" together one day. So much so that we put their pumpkin hats on and tried to take a picture. These are a few of the better ones (out of about 100). It is NOT easy to take pics of babies but it was fun.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Nevertheless...

I’d like to share a quote from When the Heart Cries, by Cindy Woodsmall. (Warning: if you haven’t read When the Heart Cries, the following is a plot spoiler.)

As she stared through the window, a soft whisper crossed her soul.
Nevertheless.
It was an odd word coming to her at an odd time, but it kept circling through her mind, whispering hope.
Life hurt. Nevertheless, it was a gift worthy of honoring.
Nevertheless.
The word came stronger this time, immediately lifting her spirits and causing sprigs of new faith to grow.
Her infant had died. Nevertheless, Rachel was now with God.
Hannah’s relationship with Paul was over. Nevertheless, God’s strength would pull her through.
If everything ended with God, then those who were in Him had a good ending—eventually.
A deep warmth comforted her.

I believe this is a truth for every believer. Nevertheless, God. I also believe there are untold victories to be won all throughout life as we fight the good fight.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Birthday story

I think I'm never gonna have a chance to catch up with some of you. So, I'll tell you the birthday story here in short form...

My water broke Sat night in the night but I didn't know it. Thought it was a bladder control problem--sorry men. Sunday night, the same thing happened so I called Mon and went in and, sure enough, my water had broken. They sent me straight to hospital because of that but also because my Group B Strep was positive. I got to hospital at 1, and was b/t 2-3 cm. They did antibiotics for the GBS and b/c water had been broken awhile. Started Penicillin and it BURNED like nothing else. It was horrible. Doc came in, though, and wanted to change it to Ampicillin (sp?) because that covers more bacteria in case of infection. They started the antibiotic at 2, stopped it at 2:30, and started the Pitocin. They told me I could have an epidural whenever so I told them to bring it on. I think I felt 3-5 contractions total. They checked me at 4:00, and I was still b/t 2-3, so I assumed it would be a long night.

At 5, Mom called to say the kids were restless so I told them to go eat at the mall and then come on to the hospital. They gave me the second round of antibiotics at 6:00, and came in to stop it and check me at 6:30. Doctor started smiling and said, "I feel a big head but no cervix. You went from 2 to 10 in two hours, dear." Scott was SHOOK. He said, "What does that mean?" She said, "It means we're having a baby now!"

He had to call Mom and Daddy and tell them to abort the mall plan and get down there. They had me push once then made me stop because she was coming and they had to "suit up." I pushed during the next two contractions and she was born at 6:39. That means they checked me at 6:30, I pushed, they made me stop pushing, got their gear on, and I pushed twice more for her to be born in 9 minutes.

The recovery is WAY better than w/Reagan, which is not a surprise with such a shorter labor and delivery (18 hours with him and an hour and forty five minutes of pushing).

So the kids love her. They are great with her - want to see her and hold her but aren't too "in her face" about it all.

Anyway, there's the story. I am sorry I haven't caught up with several of you. It's just hard to get any alone time and when I do get a good break, knowing she'll sleep awhile, I try to nap. She's a good baby, though. :)

Saturday, October 04, 2008

My helpers are gone :(



My parents are so much help when they're here. Bless their hearts, I kept talking them into staying longer. They had been here for two-and-a-half weeks, though, and needed to get back to their lives in Alabama. Daddy has to ref soccer, work hours on the visitors' list and move chairs. Mom has to teach tomorrow, go to the jail tomorrow and drive to Nashville Monday for her aunt's funeral. PLUS they miss their OTHER new granddaughter.


There is no way to thank them appropriately for everything they do--taking the children to school and picking them up every day, driving back and forth to the hospital, getting Starbucks for me every morning on the way home from school, keeping up with the laundry, taking Reagan to baseball practice, sitting in the Florida September heat for Tyler and Reagan's baseball games, going to Taylor's volleyball games, fixing our smoke detectors and falling shelves and clothes hang-ups and garage car stoppers and stopped-up sinks and recessed light canisters, keeping up with the laundry, ironing, decorating for Halloween, letting me nap, stitching up holes in school uniform pants, helping with homework non-stop, cleaning the kitchen, helping with dinner, keeping up with the laundry, climbing on ladders to dust the things on the high shelves, teaching Reagan all sbout baseball, washing and vacuuming out my car, changing diapers (they didn't hate that part), hanging prints, taking pictures, etc. Did I mention keeping up with the laundry?


I will miss them terribly but I'm so thankful they have such full lives at home.
On another sad note, my big girl shaved her legs tonight for the first time and my little girl already weighs 9 lbs, 4 oz. WHERE IS THE TIME GOING???