We just returned home from a very last-minute trip to Fayetteville. More on that later. I am extremely exhausted and really should be asleep, but I wanted to document the drive home, before these thoughts leave my mind.
Tonight I felt as though my family was nestled tightly in the hand of God as we traveled. All day, we drove through spitting snow, but about 90 miles outside of Louisville, things got pretty nasty. The roads were extremely slick and several cars were off in the ditch. At one point, we watched a police car spin around in front of us. From 8:45 until 10:00, we traveled a total of four miles due to the stand-still traffic on I-64 East.
As miserable as all three of us felt in our shoebox of a car, we were so thankful to be sitting in the warmth watching Strawberry Shortcake for the third time than to be stuck on the side of the road in the cold. God was truly guarding us and watching over us as we traveled.
Tonight I'm so very thankful for the power of prayer, my extra-cautious driver of a husband, and my (for the most part) content and well-behaved daughter. I'm thankful for the sack of snacks I put together before leaving last week, pull-ups, and portable DVD players. I'm thankful for stickers, books, baby dolls, and all the other things that keep my precious one occupied for (what was supposed to be a 10 hour trip) 12+hours. I'm thankful for that Blizzard I ate at the Dairy Queen, even though I complained about it being too much. It certainly stuck to my ribs! I'm thankful to come home and find my dad and nephews hanging out in my living room, who also traveled on some icy roads. Having them here makes leaving Fayetteville not sting so badly.
And most of all, I'm thankful for God's hand of protection heavy upon my family tonight. Thank You, Lord!
Showing posts with label Prayers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayers. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Two Stories
Story #1
We ended up closing on our house yesterday instead of Monday due to the bank not getting the paperwork finished in time. (Surprise, surprise that it got pushed back two days!) Anyway, all the papers are signed and we have officially started the ripping of wallpaper. YAY!!!
However, yesterday we had a little drama after the closing. Here's what happened:
We were in separate vehicles at the bank because I had to meet them from school. As I was putting Kendall in the car and Evan was trying to get the stroller loaded, I saw that he put the folder with all our papers, home warranty, etc, on the hood of the car. I thought to myself, "That is not a good place for that." (Did I mention that the folder also contained the check we got back and closing AND a gift card to Home Depot from our realtors?) In the process of my noticing that, I bumped Kendall's head on the car and she starts screaming hysterically (more out of being tired and hungry than pain) and I guess I didn't say anything to Evan about the folder. We drive home in 5:00 traffic only to realize that neither of us picked up the folder. Evan jets out of the house as fast as he could as I get down on my knees and start praying.
He gets to the bank parking lot and no luck. We just knew it fell off the car somewhere when I was pulling out, because neither of us saw papers flying all over the place. At this point, Evan goes on to church and I stay home (mainly because I'm just tired of driving all over creation). I then call my best prayer warriors and ask them to pray. Miranda, my sweet accountability partner from AR, prayed with me right there on the phone. (I loved her words of, "God, you know where that folder is and we just pray you will return it to Evan and Leah without anything missing." ) We knew that the worst case scenario would be that we would have to stop payment on the check, recopy all the papers, and just loose the gift-card, but we also knew and believed that God was bigger than that. I was pretty much praying continually throughout the evening, Evan and I prayed together and then I read/prayed through the "worry" verses in Matthew 6 and went on to sleep.
Surprisingly, we were both able to sleep pretty well last night.
This morning, I woke up, got on my knees again. I just had hope that everything was going to be okay. Around 8:30 this morning, I got an email from Evan that said "THE FOLDER HAS BEEN FOUND!!!" A bank employee found it in the parking lot and gave it to our loan officer!
God is so faithful!
I've been thinking all day about the lessons learned from this situation. First, I know part of the lesson is to slow down and pay attention! We were so busy and excited about finally closing that we were getting too anxious and careless. Second, I also know that God has already proven his dependability to me, but he continually reminds me how faithful He is. He will always hear us when we cry out. I am so thankful. Last, I think God just wanted to remind me that my satisfaction and contentment will ALWAYS be from him alone. Not from a new house, decorating, paint colors, more square footage, etc. This is something that I've had to remind myself a lot along the way...that just because we are getting more space and I have new projects, I still need to remain faithful to Him and spending time daily in prayer and in the Word. I could just see Evan and I coming home from that closing talking about renovation projects, what we would do with that gift card money, more paint color/furniture buying talk (which I don't think any of that is bad at all) and clearly, last night, God wanted us focused on Him, as we should be ALWAYS.
He is so good. If only we would truly believe that all the time.
Story #2
Today is one of those days that I would have gladly quit my job. I'm not sure if my kiddos were on a day-after-a-field-trip high or if they just had the Thursday crazies, but EVERY ONE of them pushed every button on me today! I promise you, if I said "Stop talking" or heard "Mrs. Smith, I don't have a pencil/paper" one time today, I heard it 500 times, along with a plethora of other whines and cries. At one point, in my next-to-last period class, I said, "I am so tired of putting out fires today..." and the whole class starts in with, "Where was a fire?" "Who caught something on fire?" "You had to put out a fire, really?" When that all started, I just bent down over ever-so slightly and hung down my head for a minute. I just needed to "check out" for a moment. The longer I stood there bent over the kids started in with, "What's wrong, Mrs. Smith? Are you throwing up? Are you crying? What's wrong?" To which my sweet little George yells out, "No, she's pushing out a fart!"
Oh, the joys of middle school!!!! Will I get an extra jewel in my heavenly crown?!?!?!?!
We ended up closing on our house yesterday instead of Monday due to the bank not getting the paperwork finished in time. (Surprise, surprise that it got pushed back two days!) Anyway, all the papers are signed and we have officially started the ripping of wallpaper. YAY!!!
However, yesterday we had a little drama after the closing. Here's what happened:
We were in separate vehicles at the bank because I had to meet them from school. As I was putting Kendall in the car and Evan was trying to get the stroller loaded, I saw that he put the folder with all our papers, home warranty, etc, on the hood of the car. I thought to myself, "That is not a good place for that." (Did I mention that the folder also contained the check we got back and closing AND a gift card to Home Depot from our realtors?) In the process of my noticing that, I bumped Kendall's head on the car and she starts screaming hysterically (more out of being tired and hungry than pain) and I guess I didn't say anything to Evan about the folder. We drive home in 5:00 traffic only to realize that neither of us picked up the folder. Evan jets out of the house as fast as he could as I get down on my knees and start praying.
He gets to the bank parking lot and no luck. We just knew it fell off the car somewhere when I was pulling out, because neither of us saw papers flying all over the place. At this point, Evan goes on to church and I stay home (mainly because I'm just tired of driving all over creation). I then call my best prayer warriors and ask them to pray. Miranda, my sweet accountability partner from AR, prayed with me right there on the phone. (I loved her words of, "God, you know where that folder is and we just pray you will return it to Evan and Leah without anything missing." ) We knew that the worst case scenario would be that we would have to stop payment on the check, recopy all the papers, and just loose the gift-card, but we also knew and believed that God was bigger than that. I was pretty much praying continually throughout the evening, Evan and I prayed together and then I read/prayed through the "worry" verses in Matthew 6 and went on to sleep.
Surprisingly, we were both able to sleep pretty well last night.
This morning, I woke up, got on my knees again. I just had hope that everything was going to be okay. Around 8:30 this morning, I got an email from Evan that said "THE FOLDER HAS BEEN FOUND!!!" A bank employee found it in the parking lot and gave it to our loan officer!
God is so faithful!
I've been thinking all day about the lessons learned from this situation. First, I know part of the lesson is to slow down and pay attention! We were so busy and excited about finally closing that we were getting too anxious and careless. Second, I also know that God has already proven his dependability to me, but he continually reminds me how faithful He is. He will always hear us when we cry out. I am so thankful. Last, I think God just wanted to remind me that my satisfaction and contentment will ALWAYS be from him alone. Not from a new house, decorating, paint colors, more square footage, etc. This is something that I've had to remind myself a lot along the way...that just because we are getting more space and I have new projects, I still need to remain faithful to Him and spending time daily in prayer and in the Word. I could just see Evan and I coming home from that closing talking about renovation projects, what we would do with that gift card money, more paint color/furniture buying talk (which I don't think any of that is bad at all) and clearly, last night, God wanted us focused on Him, as we should be ALWAYS.
He is so good. If only we would truly believe that all the time.
Story #2
Today is one of those days that I would have gladly quit my job. I'm not sure if my kiddos were on a day-after-a-field-trip high or if they just had the Thursday crazies, but EVERY ONE of them pushed every button on me today! I promise you, if I said "Stop talking" or heard "Mrs. Smith, I don't have a pencil/paper" one time today, I heard it 500 times, along with a plethora of other whines and cries. At one point, in my next-to-last period class, I said, "I am so tired of putting out fires today..." and the whole class starts in with, "Where was a fire?" "Who caught something on fire?" "You had to put out a fire, really?" When that all started, I just bent down over ever-so slightly and hung down my head for a minute. I just needed to "check out" for a moment. The longer I stood there bent over the kids started in with, "What's wrong, Mrs. Smith? Are you throwing up? Are you crying? What's wrong?" To which my sweet little George yells out, "No, she's pushing out a fart!"
Oh, the joys of middle school!!!! Will I get an extra jewel in my heavenly crown?!?!?!?!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Good News/Bad News
Which do you want first?! (HA!)
Well, I'll give the bad news first! We have been without power since SUNDAY. (It is now Wednesday night, 10:00.) I am actually typing this from a friends' house; we came over to Adam and Holly's to do laundry, eat, and check email. (Well, and just to have some real light and dry my hair with a hairdryer! Ha!) Basically, a wind storm came through Louisville after Hurricane Ike and knocked out about 3/4 of the power in all of Louisville. School has been cancelled all week for both of us. (Had we known before today that I didn't have school for the rest of the week, we would have road tripped to Fayetteville!) :) Anyway, we are surviving. We had to throw out most of the groceries I bought last Thursday because we couldn't find any ice until Tuesday morning. (Yeah, stinks. Like ripping up dollar bills and throwing them out the window!) We were able to salvage some cheese and lunch meat, so at least we've had that! Hopefully, we will get power back soon, but we aren't holding out hope. We've heard it could be 10 days. Just keep us in your prayers!
The good news is that WE ARE CLOSING ON OUR HOUSE ON MONDAY!!! WOO HOO! We are so excited and a little bit nervous. We've got lots of work to do, but Evan and I are looking forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty. We won't officially be in our house until October 10, but will be painting/doing a few repairs for a couple of weeks. I'm sure we will have tons of before/after pictures!
Kendall is hanging tight in all this...she just walks around smiling and jabbering all the time. I think she just likes having her mommy and daddy's attention all the time, since we literally can't do anything! :)
Well, I'll give the bad news first! We have been without power since SUNDAY. (It is now Wednesday night, 10:00.) I am actually typing this from a friends' house; we came over to Adam and Holly's to do laundry, eat, and check email. (Well, and just to have some real light and dry my hair with a hairdryer! Ha!) Basically, a wind storm came through Louisville after Hurricane Ike and knocked out about 3/4 of the power in all of Louisville. School has been cancelled all week for both of us. (Had we known before today that I didn't have school for the rest of the week, we would have road tripped to Fayetteville!) :) Anyway, we are surviving. We had to throw out most of the groceries I bought last Thursday because we couldn't find any ice until Tuesday morning. (Yeah, stinks. Like ripping up dollar bills and throwing them out the window!) We were able to salvage some cheese and lunch meat, so at least we've had that! Hopefully, we will get power back soon, but we aren't holding out hope. We've heard it could be 10 days. Just keep us in your prayers!
The good news is that WE ARE CLOSING ON OUR HOUSE ON MONDAY!!! WOO HOO! We are so excited and a little bit nervous. We've got lots of work to do, but Evan and I are looking forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty. We won't officially be in our house until October 10, but will be painting/doing a few repairs for a couple of weeks. I'm sure we will have tons of before/after pictures!
Kendall is hanging tight in all this...she just walks around smiling and jabbering all the time. I think she just likes having her mommy and daddy's attention all the time, since we literally can't do anything! :)
Monday, August 18, 2008
Quick Note...
We made it home to Louisville around 6:30 last night. I was sad to leave my daddy, but I knew that even if I didn't leave on Sunday, I would have to do it eventually. I think he had a hard day yesterday, but today sounded a lot better.
We are back in full-swing here...although I'm still in a fog and struggle to get motivated for the most part. I went to work today, and it went okay. I pretty much just "winged" it. I did just about loose it when I saw one of my students with double hearing aids crying in the hallway. (I'm not sure what the deal was, but apparently, this young man has struggled some upon arriving to school. I guess the combination of him crying/wearing hearing aids/my mother wearing a hearing aid just kind-of got to me. I know. Silly. But "they" say it hits you at the most inopportune times.) I'm getting ready to write out my lesson plans for the rest of the week, so I'm sure that getting a little ahead of the game in that area will help. We have a field trip (already!) on Friday, which means I only have to make out plans for three more days. Evan is trying to get caught up with his reading for classes this week, since he missed his first two days of school as well. And Kendall...well...I'm pretty sure she's going to be walking soon. I've seen her let go of the furniture a couple of times today and take a step!!!
I'll try not to turn our family blog into "memoirs of my mother" but at some point, I'd like to share a few things. We'll see. Right now, I just didn't want the "funeral arrangements" post to be the first thing I saw when I clicked on our page.
I really am doing okay. I just have moments. A lot of moments.
Thanks for all the encouragement! (I may never get to respond to some of you...I'm trying to clean out my inbox now. Just know that I got your notes and I am thankful!)
Love to all!
We are back in full-swing here...although I'm still in a fog and struggle to get motivated for the most part. I went to work today, and it went okay. I pretty much just "winged" it. I did just about loose it when I saw one of my students with double hearing aids crying in the hallway. (I'm not sure what the deal was, but apparently, this young man has struggled some upon arriving to school. I guess the combination of him crying/wearing hearing aids/my mother wearing a hearing aid just kind-of got to me. I know. Silly. But "they" say it hits you at the most inopportune times.) I'm getting ready to write out my lesson plans for the rest of the week, so I'm sure that getting a little ahead of the game in that area will help. We have a field trip (already!) on Friday, which means I only have to make out plans for three more days. Evan is trying to get caught up with his reading for classes this week, since he missed his first two days of school as well. And Kendall...well...I'm pretty sure she's going to be walking soon. I've seen her let go of the furniture a couple of times today and take a step!!!
I'll try not to turn our family blog into "memoirs of my mother" but at some point, I'd like to share a few things. We'll see. Right now, I just didn't want the "funeral arrangements" post to be the first thing I saw when I clicked on our page.
I really am doing okay. I just have moments. A lot of moments.
Thanks for all the encouragement! (I may never get to respond to some of you...I'm trying to clean out my inbox now. Just know that I got your notes and I am thankful!)
Love to all!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Untitled
This is another one of those random posts about a lot of random things.
1.) I have some GREAT friends. I am so thankful for them. Today I am especially thankful for my Northwest Arkansas friends. Especially Miranda, Rachel, Kendra, and Allyce. These are my girls that pray. They don't just tell me they will pray, they really pray. I've talked to each of them on the phone this week and they encourage me so much. I'm especially thankful for my phone conversation with Miranda and Rachel today. Somehow, they just knew. They just knew I needed to hear from them. As I tell them what is going on with us right now (more on that in a sec.) one word that kept coming up was afraid. Finally, Miranda (who was my accountability partner in AR) said, "Leah, say our verse. Quote our verse to me right now." Our verse, that Miranda painted on a canvas and hangs on the wall in Kendall's room, is Isaiah 41:10..."Do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (I totally typed that from memory, just to let y'all know!) :) I could barely get the last words out because of the tears. Oh, how I needed the reminder today that I don't have to have fear. My faith is in God...He will help me! Thanks girls. I needed to visit with both of you more than you know!
2.) We had a wreck on Sunday. All of us. We were on our way to church Sunday evening and Evan t-boned the Dominos delivery car. He was trying to make sure these two pedestrians got across the road safely, and he didn't do a very good job looking the other way. It's always really difficult to see due to trees, telephone poles, double parking, etc., but the wreck was still our fault. Nobody was injured, thankfully, but both vehicles suffered major damage. The front of the 4-Runner is pretty messed up...to the point the hood is duct-taped shut.
I know a lot of people have more serious issues than we do with our vehicle situation, but if you think about it, will you please say a little prayer that we'll make a good decision about what to do next? Most of you probably know that we've been a one-vehicle family for this last year. We've planned on getting a second vehicle before I start back to work, but we were also planning on having the 4-Runner as a secondary vehicle since it is completely paid for. Besides the fact that the 4-Runner is majorly damaged in the front, we are also having some issues with it starting. The past few days, it's been hit or miss. We just aren't sure what to do next. It just seems like we need to make a decision out of some not ideal scenarios. Does that make sense?
3.) I've cut way back on my internet time. I didn't get on the computer at all on Sunday, which allowed me to get really organized with all my bible study stuff. I was excited. I got my journal organized AND made some prayer lists. I've also had a consistent quiet time the last 4 days. I found one of those guides that shows you how to read through the bible in a year. I just started in January and am going from there. I'm also using one of Evan's study bibles that has better notes than my bible. I also finished the chapter about Eve in the Extraordinary Women book that Evan gave me for Mother's Day. I hope I will continue to discipline myself.
4.)If you are looking for something funny to read, go visit here. My friend Reba has two biological children and has adopted two children from Guatemala. She blogs daily as her journal and I love reading the adventures of her family. Never a dull moment! I was laughing out loud as I read, and then had to read it out loud to Evan. He, too, was cracking up. Let's just say...she got creative with her discipline strategy. I'm putting this one in the parenting file for sure! :) Thanks, Reba!
5.) I'm sure many of you are familiar with this blog, but I just HAVE to mention it here. Bring the Rain is Angie Smith's blog. Her husband is the lead singer of the Christian group Selah. (Even you folks who don't know who Selah is, you know some of their songs. They sing You Raise Me Up, but I don't know if Selah or Josh Groban recorded it first. They've also recorded Bless the Broken Road.) Anyway, the blog is the journey of her pregnancy and the loss of her daughter only a few hours old. She has amazing faith. And it's not because she just grew up knowing God. It's because she searched for Him and found Him. I'm thankful for people like Angie Smith because she will reach people that I will never be able to reach with her story. Go read, but be warned, you need a box of tissues.
I'll close with a couple of Kendall things...
(Sorry, no pictures...I'm on the laptop!)
Kendall isn't really into feeding herself. She especially doesn't enjoy the puffs. I think it's mainly because she doesn't have the pincer grasp down. Last night, I put some puffs on her high chair tray. I was trying to show her how to pick up one and then I just put it in my palm, thinking it might be easier for her to grab it. Instead of grabbing it, she licked it off my hand! Isn't that funny??? Evan and I were cracking up.
When I had her weighed last week, she was up to 15 pounds! Woo Hoo!!!
She LOVES LOVES LOVES the water...bath time, the pool...it doesn't matter. She loves it. We've sure got our $8 out of that blue plastic pool!!! Everyday that it isn't raining, she is playing in it! So fun!
I will spellcheck, but I'm not going back to fix any grammatical errors. It's too late. I'm going to bed.
1.) I have some GREAT friends. I am so thankful for them. Today I am especially thankful for my Northwest Arkansas friends. Especially Miranda, Rachel, Kendra, and Allyce. These are my girls that pray. They don't just tell me they will pray, they really pray. I've talked to each of them on the phone this week and they encourage me so much. I'm especially thankful for my phone conversation with Miranda and Rachel today. Somehow, they just knew. They just knew I needed to hear from them. As I tell them what is going on with us right now (more on that in a sec.) one word that kept coming up was afraid. Finally, Miranda (who was my accountability partner in AR) said, "Leah, say our verse. Quote our verse to me right now." Our verse, that Miranda painted on a canvas and hangs on the wall in Kendall's room, is Isaiah 41:10..."Do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (I totally typed that from memory, just to let y'all know!) :) I could barely get the last words out because of the tears. Oh, how I needed the reminder today that I don't have to have fear. My faith is in God...He will help me! Thanks girls. I needed to visit with both of you more than you know!
2.) We had a wreck on Sunday. All of us. We were on our way to church Sunday evening and Evan t-boned the Dominos delivery car. He was trying to make sure these two pedestrians got across the road safely, and he didn't do a very good job looking the other way. It's always really difficult to see due to trees, telephone poles, double parking, etc., but the wreck was still our fault. Nobody was injured, thankfully, but both vehicles suffered major damage. The front of the 4-Runner is pretty messed up...to the point the hood is duct-taped shut.
I know a lot of people have more serious issues than we do with our vehicle situation, but if you think about it, will you please say a little prayer that we'll make a good decision about what to do next? Most of you probably know that we've been a one-vehicle family for this last year. We've planned on getting a second vehicle before I start back to work, but we were also planning on having the 4-Runner as a secondary vehicle since it is completely paid for. Besides the fact that the 4-Runner is majorly damaged in the front, we are also having some issues with it starting. The past few days, it's been hit or miss. We just aren't sure what to do next. It just seems like we need to make a decision out of some not ideal scenarios. Does that make sense?
3.) I've cut way back on my internet time. I didn't get on the computer at all on Sunday, which allowed me to get really organized with all my bible study stuff. I was excited. I got my journal organized AND made some prayer lists. I've also had a consistent quiet time the last 4 days. I found one of those guides that shows you how to read through the bible in a year. I just started in January and am going from there. I'm also using one of Evan's study bibles that has better notes than my bible. I also finished the chapter about Eve in the Extraordinary Women book that Evan gave me for Mother's Day. I hope I will continue to discipline myself.
4.)If you are looking for something funny to read, go visit here. My friend Reba has two biological children and has adopted two children from Guatemala. She blogs daily as her journal and I love reading the adventures of her family. Never a dull moment! I was laughing out loud as I read, and then had to read it out loud to Evan. He, too, was cracking up. Let's just say...she got creative with her discipline strategy. I'm putting this one in the parenting file for sure! :) Thanks, Reba!
5.) I'm sure many of you are familiar with this blog, but I just HAVE to mention it here. Bring the Rain is Angie Smith's blog. Her husband is the lead singer of the Christian group Selah. (Even you folks who don't know who Selah is, you know some of their songs. They sing You Raise Me Up, but I don't know if Selah or Josh Groban recorded it first. They've also recorded Bless the Broken Road.) Anyway, the blog is the journey of her pregnancy and the loss of her daughter only a few hours old. She has amazing faith. And it's not because she just grew up knowing God. It's because she searched for Him and found Him. I'm thankful for people like Angie Smith because she will reach people that I will never be able to reach with her story. Go read, but be warned, you need a box of tissues.
I'll close with a couple of Kendall things...
(Sorry, no pictures...I'm on the laptop!)
Kendall isn't really into feeding herself. She especially doesn't enjoy the puffs. I think it's mainly because she doesn't have the pincer grasp down. Last night, I put some puffs on her high chair tray. I was trying to show her how to pick up one and then I just put it in my palm, thinking it might be easier for her to grab it. Instead of grabbing it, she licked it off my hand! Isn't that funny??? Evan and I were cracking up.
When I had her weighed last week, she was up to 15 pounds! Woo Hoo!!!
She LOVES LOVES LOVES the water...bath time, the pool...it doesn't matter. She loves it. We've sure got our $8 out of that blue plastic pool!!! Everyday that it isn't raining, she is playing in it! So fun!
I will spellcheck, but I'm not going back to fix any grammatical errors. It's too late. I'm going to bed.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Learning and Growing
I'm trying to gear myself up/pray about an internet fast. I'm not sure how it's going to work out, being that I'm the one in charge of giving inquiring minds new info on my mom's condition. I just know that the one thing that is a hinders me from really digging into God's word is the time I spend messing around on the computer after Kendall goes to bed.
I begin with that just because, obviously, I've gone through a roller-coaster of emotions this last week, and the journey is only beginning. Evan and I had some great conversation last night about everything that is going on with my mom/my emotions and feelings towards it all and more. The one thing I know is that through this, God wants me to KNOW HIM. Not just know ABOUT Him, learn some new lesson or have an "a-ha" moment, but truly KNOW HIM. I'm determined that I can't miss out. I just can't.
I mentioned not too long ago about my quiet time (or lack thereof) and how I couldn't seem to spend consistent time in God's Word since finishing up the last bible study. I'm not sure why, but I've never been very good at just sitting down, opening up the bible and reading it. I am just one of those people that needs structure or some sort of a guide. But I really LONG to be a person (like my hubby) who can just sit down, open up God's word and read. Sometimes I feel like I'm just not smart enough to do it on my own. Sometimes I just feel like I go to the same places over and over...Psalm, James, the Gospels, Genesis 22. Other times I feel like I don't read things the way they are written or intended. Really, those are all just excuses and Satan's attempt (sadly, victorious) at keeping me from reading God's word. I've realized,though, that if I will make the effort to read the Bible, God will bless that effort. He will reveal to me places I need to turn or books I need to read. He will give me the wisdom and understanding, if I will just do it.
Last Monday evening, after we got word about my mom needing the transplants, I sat down with God. It was HORRIBLY late, but I couldn't sleep. I just talked to Him, wrote in my journal and then I turned to a comfort passage, Romans 8:28. The verse says, "And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Usually, I read on to the end of the chapter, where it talks about "God being for us," how he "spared his own son" and "that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ." That night, however, I stopped reading after verse 28 and decided I wanted to know more about what God said about "working together for good." I went to the cross-references (you know, the tiny writing in the middle of the columns) and wrote down all the verses that were cross referenced to verse 28. I've been reading through those the last few nights and God is revealing Himself to me. I'm learning things that I've always believed as truth, but now I KNOW it's written in scripture. At this time, while my mom is so ill and the future is so uncertain, I need to know WHO GOD IS more than anything else.
I know this is getting long (for those of you who have stuck with me!) but I really wanted to throw in this one passage that just keeps screaming at me. It's in Hebrews.
Hebrews 6:13-20 (NIV) says the following:
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants."And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
First, I just want to point out how big God is. When the promise was made to Abraham, God swore by himself. God couldn't swear by anyone else, because there was nothing bigger to swear by. What happened? Abraham received what was promised and was blessed with many descendants.
Next, right here in scripture it says that God's nature is UNCHANGING and it's impossible for Him to lie. In a world where things are in constant change and lie after lie is told, I'm so thankful that I can trust in God's unchanging nature and know that he will never lie to me. He will never break a promise or promise something He can't fulfill.
Last, God is HOPE. He is an anchor that is FIRM and SECURE. I don't know what tomorrow holds for my family, but I know that I can trust in the promises and truth of God's word.
If you don't hear from me via this blog for a while, just know that I'm taking some time to get rid of some distractions. I'll be back. I'm sure I'll have lots to share!
I begin with that just because, obviously, I've gone through a roller-coaster of emotions this last week, and the journey is only beginning. Evan and I had some great conversation last night about everything that is going on with my mom/my emotions and feelings towards it all and more. The one thing I know is that through this, God wants me to KNOW HIM. Not just know ABOUT Him, learn some new lesson or have an "a-ha" moment, but truly KNOW HIM. I'm determined that I can't miss out. I just can't.
I mentioned not too long ago about my quiet time (or lack thereof) and how I couldn't seem to spend consistent time in God's Word since finishing up the last bible study. I'm not sure why, but I've never been very good at just sitting down, opening up the bible and reading it. I am just one of those people that needs structure or some sort of a guide. But I really LONG to be a person (like my hubby) who can just sit down, open up God's word and read. Sometimes I feel like I'm just not smart enough to do it on my own. Sometimes I just feel like I go to the same places over and over...Psalm, James, the Gospels, Genesis 22. Other times I feel like I don't read things the way they are written or intended. Really, those are all just excuses and Satan's attempt (sadly, victorious) at keeping me from reading God's word. I've realized,though, that if I will make the effort to read the Bible, God will bless that effort. He will reveal to me places I need to turn or books I need to read. He will give me the wisdom and understanding, if I will just do it.
Last Monday evening, after we got word about my mom needing the transplants, I sat down with God. It was HORRIBLY late, but I couldn't sleep. I just talked to Him, wrote in my journal and then I turned to a comfort passage, Romans 8:28. The verse says, "And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Usually, I read on to the end of the chapter, where it talks about "God being for us," how he "spared his own son" and "that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ." That night, however, I stopped reading after verse 28 and decided I wanted to know more about what God said about "working together for good." I went to the cross-references (you know, the tiny writing in the middle of the columns) and wrote down all the verses that were cross referenced to verse 28. I've been reading through those the last few nights and God is revealing Himself to me. I'm learning things that I've always believed as truth, but now I KNOW it's written in scripture. At this time, while my mom is so ill and the future is so uncertain, I need to know WHO GOD IS more than anything else.
I know this is getting long (for those of you who have stuck with me!) but I really wanted to throw in this one passage that just keeps screaming at me. It's in Hebrews.
Hebrews 6:13-20 (NIV) says the following:
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants."And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
First, I just want to point out how big God is. When the promise was made to Abraham, God swore by himself. God couldn't swear by anyone else, because there was nothing bigger to swear by. What happened? Abraham received what was promised and was blessed with many descendants.
Next, right here in scripture it says that God's nature is UNCHANGING and it's impossible for Him to lie. In a world where things are in constant change and lie after lie is told, I'm so thankful that I can trust in God's unchanging nature and know that he will never lie to me. He will never break a promise or promise something He can't fulfill.
Last, God is HOPE. He is an anchor that is FIRM and SECURE. I don't know what tomorrow holds for my family, but I know that I can trust in the promises and truth of God's word.
If you don't hear from me via this blog for a while, just know that I'm taking some time to get rid of some distractions. I'll be back. I'm sure I'll have lots to share!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
My Mom
**Update-6/18-Mom got word today that she will be taken to Vanderbilt tomorrow or Friday for the prelimenary testing for the transplant(s). (My dad actually called it something else on the phone, but I can't remember now!) Daddy snuck his cell phone up to CCU tonight, so I was able to hear my momma's voice for the first time since last Monday. I told her I felt like I was talking to Darth Vadar since she is wearing an oxygen mask! We talked for a few minutes, and she is VERY hopeful. I heard the hope in her voice. I told her, "I'm scared, excited, nervous, sad, etc." My mom's exact words were, "Don't be scared, Leah. It's all in the Lord's hands. It's gonna be okay." What comfort.
Keep praying. It's working.
I don't even know where to start this blog post. I've started and erased about 10 times already.
Here goes...
Keep praying. It's working.
I don't even know where to start this blog post. I've started and erased about 10 times already.
Here goes...
(My mom and me, November 05)
For those of you who don't know my mom, let me introduce you. Her name is Janice. She's 53 years old and was diagnosed with a very serious lung disease called Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) about four years ago. Since that time, she's gone through some extensive treatment for her disease, the latest being a main-line port/pump/IV (whatever you want to call it) that was put in about a year and a half ago.
Since falling and breaking her elbow a few weeks ago, my mom hasn't felt well at all. She's retained a lot of fluid again (the same thing that happened back in December when she was in the hospital for about 10 days) and has struggled to get her oxygen levels regulated. She's been in CCU at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock since last Wednesday.
My mom's main pulmonologist is located in Nashville, and he was on vacation last week. Yesterday he teleconferenced extensively with the cardiologist and pulmonologist in Little Rock. Through the teleconference, the doctors have decided that my mom's "pump" has done about all it's going to do to help her. The next step is a heart AND lung transplant.
Right now, about all we know that she will go on to Vanderbilt for preliminary testing to see if she is even a candidate for the surgery. A lot is unknown at this point. Please keep my entire family (especially my dad, sister, and me) in your prayers. We have a lot of emotions and unanswered questions.
The good news is that right now, my mom is doing very well. They were able to turn her oxygen down to about 65 yesterday, which is huge, considering it had been at 90-100 the last few days. From what I hear, she is as alert, positive, and full of life. She has had lots of visitors, which I'm sure brighten her spirits always. I am now, more than ever, thankful for the week Kendall and I got to spend with her--even if it wasn't at the beach.
If you would like to send her your thoughts, you can do so at this link. We don't know how much longer she will be in LR, but while she is there, I know she would love any encouragement/well wishes from friends and family.
Please know that my family's faith is not weak. We serve a BIG God who can heal and perform miracles anytime he so chooses. We fully trust and believe that is truth. We also know that a heart/lung transplant is a very big deal. My mom knows and loves the Lord with her whole heart. While death from an earthly perspective is sad, it's glorious from an eternal one. We are praying (I know, because my dad, sister, and I have talked about it) for God's will to be done. However God chooses to heal her (whether it be through a miracle transplant or taking her home to heaven), we just hope and pray she won't endure much more suffering. Either way, my mom wins and God will recieve ALL the honor and glory!
Please just remember my family in your thoughts and prayers! I will try to keep the blog updated as best I can with info on how she's doing and how you can specifically pray for us.
PS. I'm very sorry that some of you are having to read this in a blog post. So many of you I wanted to call or email personally, but I just can't do it. Please don't be upset with me! I feel kind-of funny writing this for lots of reasons...it's impersonal, I'm putting my family and myself out there for everyone to see, and I'm having to process a lot of this while a I write (which is somewhat therapeutic). If you know my family very well, we wouldn't be classified in the "private" category when it comes to issues as these. I think the way we see it, the better off we will be because we have more people praying!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
New Things...
1.) A new job...I accepted a job teaching 6th grade Social Studies at Conway Middle School this week. (Not Conway, Arkansas...I know some of y'all were getting excited thinking we were moving back to Arkansas! Conway is the name of the middle school. It's in the Jefferson County Public School District.) I'm excited about it and believe this is the place I need to be. I don't think I ever shared about the interview at the Christian School...while I am very thankful I had the opportunity to interview, I never had a peace about the job for many reasons...longer day, longer drive, dual prep, etc. I actually was offered the job, but turned it down. For whatever reason, I'm learning to truly believe that God has called me to work with impoverished students at this point in my life. (I often ask Him if that will be my calling forever. My teacher friends that read this can understand why I ask God this a lot.!!! Working with this population of students is NOT an easy task!) My new school seems to be a lot like KMS, minus the Hispanic/Marshallese population, so the language barrier issue is not one I will have to worry about much.
I have told several people this week, and even emailed my former principal, that I don't think I will ever have a problem getting a teaching job for the rest of my life. I'm not saying that out of vanity or thinking that "I'm an awesome teacher" because I often feel VERY inadequate to do my job. I say that because of the experience I had working at J.O. Kelly for 5 years. I wish you could have seen the faces on the interview panel when I told them I worked at a school that was about 60% Hispanic. Most of their eyes about bugged out of their heads! When I told the ones interviewing me about the high Marshallese population in Springdale, they had never even heard of the Marshall Islands. I felt such honor being able to share about the Marshallese culture and my experience teaching these students. Now, more than ever, am I grateful that I was hired by Ms. Ford six years ago. I learned so much and grew so much professionally during my experience at J.O. Kelly and I know all of what I learned will come in handy in the near future!
One of the questions I asked the panel was "How would you describe the relationship among the staff at your school?" They all said that everyone got along really well and even spent time together outside of school. One of the guys went on to say that "Out of all the schools he's taught at in the United States and a couple overseas, that by-far Conway's staff was the best staff to work with." I had to bite my tongue because I just wanted to answer with, "Oh, yeah? Well, you've never worked at J.O. Kelly Middle School. Nobody can hold a candle to the staff there!"
Oh...6th grade Social Studies is geography, which is what I taught when I was 7th grade at KMS. However, I think I gave away my notebook with all my resources!! (Carol...I may be getting you to fax me some stuff again!!!) :)
2.) Kendall discovered herself in the mirror this week. This is somewhat new. We have a little video of it that I'll have to get Evan to put on here later. So funny. She would get as close as she could to the mirror and then would crawl over to the side to see if she could see someone behind it. She played with "her friend" in the mirror forever!
3.) Kendall also is REALLY trying to pull up. She can get on her knees, but can't seem to figure out how to get all the way to her feet. One afternoon, I put her down for a nap and could hear something in her room. I poked my head in the door to see, and she was up on her knees banging on the rail of the crib. Now it seems like she's pulling up on her knees with everything. The pictures that follow are her pulling up on her car seat. (We have a video of this, too, but again, I don't know how to download those on blogger to make them play.) Today, I looked over and she had actually crawled into the car seat!!! Evan and I were sitting on the couch just a few minutes ago, and Kendall pulled up (on her knees) on the coffee table. Look out!!! She's becoming more mobile by the minute!!!
4.) A new sickness...Kendall has been sick with something since last Wednesday. She started running a low-grade fever Wednesday afternoon and had a runny nose, but I really didn't think too much about it. Evan and I have terrible allergies and it seems like every time we come back from a trip, Kendall gets allergy sick. She's never had fever before, but I really just thought it was probably her teeth. Then, on Thursday, the runny nose turned into a yucky, snotty nose and she still ran a little temp. We debated about taking her to the doctor on Friday, and talked ourselves out of it because it said to only call if the fever was higher than 101 degrees. She was running about 99 most of the time. (I think once we took it and it was 100.) Anyway, I'm really wishing we would have taken her to the doctor, because I'm a little afraid she might have an ear infection. She is still sleeping through the night, eating and playing fine, and hasn't really been tugging on her ears, but I'm still a little concerned, being that TODAY is the first day she hasn't had fever. I stayed home from church with her this morning and it seems as though her snotty nose is clearing up some, but it's still kind-of gross. Plus, she has this bump on the back of her head like a pimple that we aren't sure what it is. Evan was thinking an ingrown hair, but it has progressively become larger. I'd kind-of like to get that checked out as well, so I'm thinking I'll probably make an appointment tomorrow. It's just so difficult to know what to do!!!
5.) A new accountability partner...(I'm putting this out there in hopes that some of my N&O friends are in the same boat I am) I NEED ONE!!!! My quiet time is all out-of-whack since the Thursday Morning Bible Study came to an end. (Not to mention traveling twice in one month!!!!) My friend Miranda and I met weekly in AR to pray, talk about what God was doing in our lives, memorize scripture, etc.and I am DESPERATE to have this again!!! I'm praying God will provide this person for me!
6.) A new pool...I am missing my pool/sun time this summer. I have yet to step my foot into any kind of water! In the summer, I am not an "inside the house" kind of girl! I am TOTALLY having withdrawls from the FCC pool, Scottie and Allyce's pool, and the PG Aquatic Park. The seminary has an indoor pool with a little fountain area outside to sit in the sun, but I haven't been yet. (I'm also a little afraid to take Kendall swimming by myself, and I also don't think a swimming pool is the best place for her to be while she is sick!) All the other pools nearby are indoor, too. Plus, we haven't taken Kendall to the pool yet, so I don't know how she will do. She's so little and doesn't need tons of sun exposure, so I don't really want to pay an arm and a leg to only be able to stay somewhere for 30-45 minutes, you know? Evan has offered to stay with Kendall so I can go sit in the sun somewhere for an afternoon, but I feel gulity leaving Kendall, knowing that I'm about to go back to work full time this fall. Anyway...such a dillema, huh??? Do I need to just get over the fact that I'm going to be pasty white this summer?!?!?! HA!!!
7.) A new rule...I'm debating on having a "no-edit" rule when I blog. I just re-read this post and I see about a million errors I need to fix, but it will take way too long and Kendall is waking up from her nap. It's killing the grammar teacher in me...
I have told several people this week, and even emailed my former principal, that I don't think I will ever have a problem getting a teaching job for the rest of my life. I'm not saying that out of vanity or thinking that "I'm an awesome teacher" because I often feel VERY inadequate to do my job. I say that because of the experience I had working at J.O. Kelly for 5 years. I wish you could have seen the faces on the interview panel when I told them I worked at a school that was about 60% Hispanic. Most of their eyes about bugged out of their heads! When I told the ones interviewing me about the high Marshallese population in Springdale, they had never even heard of the Marshall Islands. I felt such honor being able to share about the Marshallese culture and my experience teaching these students. Now, more than ever, am I grateful that I was hired by Ms. Ford six years ago. I learned so much and grew so much professionally during my experience at J.O. Kelly and I know all of what I learned will come in handy in the near future!
One of the questions I asked the panel was "How would you describe the relationship among the staff at your school?" They all said that everyone got along really well and even spent time together outside of school. One of the guys went on to say that "Out of all the schools he's taught at in the United States and a couple overseas, that by-far Conway's staff was the best staff to work with." I had to bite my tongue because I just wanted to answer with, "Oh, yeah? Well, you've never worked at J.O. Kelly Middle School. Nobody can hold a candle to the staff there!"
Oh...6th grade Social Studies is geography, which is what I taught when I was 7th grade at KMS. However, I think I gave away my notebook with all my resources!! (Carol...I may be getting you to fax me some stuff again!!!) :)
2.) Kendall discovered herself in the mirror this week. This is somewhat new. We have a little video of it that I'll have to get Evan to put on here later. So funny. She would get as close as she could to the mirror and then would crawl over to the side to see if she could see someone behind it. She played with "her friend" in the mirror forever!
3.) Kendall also is REALLY trying to pull up. She can get on her knees, but can't seem to figure out how to get all the way to her feet. One afternoon, I put her down for a nap and could hear something in her room. I poked my head in the door to see, and she was up on her knees banging on the rail of the crib. Now it seems like she's pulling up on her knees with everything. The pictures that follow are her pulling up on her car seat. (We have a video of this, too, but again, I don't know how to download those on blogger to make them play.) Today, I looked over and she had actually crawled into the car seat!!! Evan and I were sitting on the couch just a few minutes ago, and Kendall pulled up (on her knees) on the coffee table. Look out!!! She's becoming more mobile by the minute!!!
4.) A new sickness...Kendall has been sick with something since last Wednesday. She started running a low-grade fever Wednesday afternoon and had a runny nose, but I really didn't think too much about it. Evan and I have terrible allergies and it seems like every time we come back from a trip, Kendall gets allergy sick. She's never had fever before, but I really just thought it was probably her teeth. Then, on Thursday, the runny nose turned into a yucky, snotty nose and she still ran a little temp. We debated about taking her to the doctor on Friday, and talked ourselves out of it because it said to only call if the fever was higher than 101 degrees. She was running about 99 most of the time. (I think once we took it and it was 100.) Anyway, I'm really wishing we would have taken her to the doctor, because I'm a little afraid she might have an ear infection. She is still sleeping through the night, eating and playing fine, and hasn't really been tugging on her ears, but I'm still a little concerned, being that TODAY is the first day she hasn't had fever. I stayed home from church with her this morning and it seems as though her snotty nose is clearing up some, but it's still kind-of gross. Plus, she has this bump on the back of her head like a pimple that we aren't sure what it is. Evan was thinking an ingrown hair, but it has progressively become larger. I'd kind-of like to get that checked out as well, so I'm thinking I'll probably make an appointment tomorrow. It's just so difficult to know what to do!!!5.) A new accountability partner...(I'm putting this out there in hopes that some of my N&O friends are in the same boat I am) I NEED ONE!!!! My quiet time is all out-of-whack since the Thursday Morning Bible Study came to an end. (Not to mention traveling twice in one month!!!!) My friend Miranda and I met weekly in AR to pray, talk about what God was doing in our lives, memorize scripture, etc.and I am DESPERATE to have this again!!! I'm praying God will provide this person for me!
6.) A new pool...I am missing my pool/sun time this summer. I have yet to step my foot into any kind of water! In the summer, I am not an "inside the house" kind of girl! I am TOTALLY having withdrawls from the FCC pool, Scottie and Allyce's pool, and the PG Aquatic Park. The seminary has an indoor pool with a little fountain area outside to sit in the sun, but I haven't been yet. (I'm also a little afraid to take Kendall swimming by myself, and I also don't think a swimming pool is the best place for her to be while she is sick!) All the other pools nearby are indoor, too. Plus, we haven't taken Kendall to the pool yet, so I don't know how she will do. She's so little and doesn't need tons of sun exposure, so I don't really want to pay an arm and a leg to only be able to stay somewhere for 30-45 minutes, you know? Evan has offered to stay with Kendall so I can go sit in the sun somewhere for an afternoon, but I feel gulity leaving Kendall, knowing that I'm about to go back to work full time this fall. Anyway...such a dillema, huh??? Do I need to just get over the fact that I'm going to be pasty white this summer?!?!?! HA!!!
7.) A new rule...I'm debating on having a "no-edit" rule when I blog. I just re-read this post and I see about a million errors I need to fix, but it will take way too long and Kendall is waking up from her nap. It's killing the grammar teacher in me...
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
6 Month Report
So here are the results from Kendall's six month check-up today...
Kendall weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs. 11 oz. and was 24 7/8 inches long, meaning she didn't grow very much between her 4 month visit and her 6 month visit. I didn't even get the percentile, because I'm pretty sure her weight is below the charts! We saw Dr. Lynch (whom I LOVE) and she had me go over Kendall's feeding schedule. (Kendall nurses about 5-6 times a day and has solids 2-3 times a day.) After sharing Kendall's feeding schedule, Dr. Lynch recommended that we begin supplementing with formula. (Enter: breakdown!) Yes, the tears started flowing in the doctor's office! I was actually prepared for this news, but that didn't make hearing it any easier.
Before I was a mommy, I never thought I'd even want to nurse much past 6 months. I was one of those "when she gets teeth it's time to stop" kind of person. How things change!!! Once I started reading about nursing and learning more about it, my plan was to solely nurse for a year and just go straight from nursing to whole milk, that way we could by-pass the whole formula thing and the expense of it. Funny that most of the time my plan is not the way things end up. (Anybody hear me on that one? If things always go according to YOUR plan, I'd like to know. Does people like that even exist???)
So...as of today, we are giving Kendall formula three times a day. Dr. Lynch told me a couple of ways I could go about doing this, but I think I've about decided to go with nursing at her first and last feedings of the day, then formula feeding the three middle of the day feedings. I just think this will be a lot easier and a lot less stress. After I've had time to process all the information, I think I'm okay.
I KNOW that supplementing is the BEST thing for Kendall right now, and that having to do this doesn't make me a bad mom. I think this whole thing has just been hard for me to swallow because I've been her primary source of nutrition for her whole life and it's not good enough for her now. AND the whole "plan" thing...it's just not how I wanted things to go. I guess it's all about knowing how to monitor and adjust!!!
As far as everything else goes, Kendall looked great! We have to take her for a weight check in two weeks and are praying for some significant weight gain. If not, then Kendall will have to start undergoing tests to figure out the problem. Our prayer is that the problem is just her caloric intake and that supplementing will correct it. One good thing was that her head circumference was right on track, so that shows that her brain was developing well. (Plus, she's SO active!) Dr. Lynch also said this was VERY common, that she had talked to three mothers just this week with the same issue. I guess that made me feel a little bit better. So, I guess in two weeks, we'll see!
Okay...enough of that...
Tomorrow night, Kendall will have her first "real" babysitter. (One that isn't family!) Evan and I are going to see this group tomorrow night. Evan got tickets for us way back in January for $12.00 a piece. We are pretty pumped. We aren't really concert people, but this group has been on our list of "must sees" for a while. I'm actually not nervous/sad/worried about leaving Kendall, I'm more concerned that the concert doesn't start until 8:00 and that our sitter will be out so late!!! Not to mention Evan booked us on the 7:00 flight Friday morning!!!
Kendall weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs. 11 oz. and was 24 7/8 inches long, meaning she didn't grow very much between her 4 month visit and her 6 month visit. I didn't even get the percentile, because I'm pretty sure her weight is below the charts! We saw Dr. Lynch (whom I LOVE) and she had me go over Kendall's feeding schedule. (Kendall nurses about 5-6 times a day and has solids 2-3 times a day.) After sharing Kendall's feeding schedule, Dr. Lynch recommended that we begin supplementing with formula. (Enter: breakdown!) Yes, the tears started flowing in the doctor's office! I was actually prepared for this news, but that didn't make hearing it any easier.
Before I was a mommy, I never thought I'd even want to nurse much past 6 months. I was one of those "when she gets teeth it's time to stop" kind of person. How things change!!! Once I started reading about nursing and learning more about it, my plan was to solely nurse for a year and just go straight from nursing to whole milk, that way we could by-pass the whole formula thing and the expense of it. Funny that most of the time my plan is not the way things end up. (Anybody hear me on that one? If things always go according to YOUR plan, I'd like to know. Does people like that even exist???)
So...as of today, we are giving Kendall formula three times a day. Dr. Lynch told me a couple of ways I could go about doing this, but I think I've about decided to go with nursing at her first and last feedings of the day, then formula feeding the three middle of the day feedings. I just think this will be a lot easier and a lot less stress. After I've had time to process all the information, I think I'm okay.
I KNOW that supplementing is the BEST thing for Kendall right now, and that having to do this doesn't make me a bad mom. I think this whole thing has just been hard for me to swallow because I've been her primary source of nutrition for her whole life and it's not good enough for her now. AND the whole "plan" thing...it's just not how I wanted things to go. I guess it's all about knowing how to monitor and adjust!!!
As far as everything else goes, Kendall looked great! We have to take her for a weight check in two weeks and are praying for some significant weight gain. If not, then Kendall will have to start undergoing tests to figure out the problem. Our prayer is that the problem is just her caloric intake and that supplementing will correct it. One good thing was that her head circumference was right on track, so that shows that her brain was developing well. (Plus, she's SO active!) Dr. Lynch also said this was VERY common, that she had talked to three mothers just this week with the same issue. I guess that made me feel a little bit better. So, I guess in two weeks, we'll see!
Okay...enough of that...
Tomorrow night, Kendall will have her first "real" babysitter. (One that isn't family!) Evan and I are going to see this group tomorrow night. Evan got tickets for us way back in January for $12.00 a piece. We are pretty pumped. We aren't really concert people, but this group has been on our list of "must sees" for a while. I'm actually not nervous/sad/worried about leaving Kendall, I'm more concerned that the concert doesn't start until 8:00 and that our sitter will be out so late!!! Not to mention Evan booked us on the 7:00 flight Friday morning!!!
I've got lots to do to get us ready to go on our trip...better go for now. I'm sure I'll have lots of excitement to post about as we travel to AR for ten days!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Forever God is Faithful!
It's 11:15 and I'm tired. I've started a post and erased it three times because I just can't get the words out. All I know is that I'm completely overwhelmed by God's faithfulness!!!
I type this as Evan sits in the living room playing with his new laptop computer!!!!!!
Evan has needed a laptop for a while now for both work/school purposes and purchasing one has been a huge matter of prayer! Today, God gave us a very CLEAR answer about purchasing it AND the means to be able to do it!! We are so thrilled. Not at the money. Not at having the laptop. We are thrilled because God moved and worked in order for us to get it!!! He is SO big and cares about ALL the details. If you don't believe it, put yourself out there and just find out. I promise, God will NEVER fail you!!!
I looked back in my prayer journal and saw prayers over and over that went something like this, "God, provide a laptop for Evan. In a way unimaginable." Today, He answered our prayers. I really wish I had the time and the words to explain how this all came to fruition, but I don't. Maybe someday I will. All I can say is, "Praise Be to God!"
I type this as Evan sits in the living room playing with his new laptop computer!!!!!!
Evan has needed a laptop for a while now for both work/school purposes and purchasing one has been a huge matter of prayer! Today, God gave us a very CLEAR answer about purchasing it AND the means to be able to do it!! We are so thrilled. Not at the money. Not at having the laptop. We are thrilled because God moved and worked in order for us to get it!!! He is SO big and cares about ALL the details. If you don't believe it, put yourself out there and just find out. I promise, God will NEVER fail you!!!
I looked back in my prayer journal and saw prayers over and over that went something like this, "God, provide a laptop for Evan. In a way unimaginable." Today, He answered our prayers. I really wish I had the time and the words to explain how this all came to fruition, but I don't. Maybe someday I will. All I can say is, "Praise Be to God!"
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations. Forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20 (NASB)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)