I hope I win!

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

Where has May gone?

W is flying to Oregon today, and all month long I have said "oh, that isn't until the last week of May..." well, it's here. I'm praying for peace and strength today. Malerie, I don't know how you do it while Kevin is away. I suppose I'm just a big baby!

Where to start? Two weeks ago a sweet friend took me to the Westin Heavenly Spa in Huntsville. We had 50 minute massages and 50 minute pedicures. It was such a treat! They make you feel like a million bucks there. Thankfully I was so relaxed that when I came home that afternoon, I was able to stay up all night with Sam. Her first tooth cut through the next day! Such a big milestone in a little girl's life!

The next Monday I did what has not been done in ages... I went shopping... for me! I knew a big trip was coming, I just didn't know when. I wanted to wait until all of my weight was off, but summer came first so I needed to go. I usually never shop for myself (for practical reasons like, eh, money) and make sure everyone has what they need, but this was a me-day. I'm so grateful!! I went to Kohls in Franklin, and I got some great deals. And... I'm wearing shorts this summer! For the first time in 4 years. Thank you Jesus that you healed my knees!!

We had a great Memorial Day weekend. We spent it at the river with W's parent's all except Saturday night/ Sunday (came back for church). I have to say, Monday was definitely my favorite though. We literally sat on the dock and boat for most of the day. T-Pup rode in the paddle boat, went fishing and overall had a wonderful time. Sam loved everything except the life jacket when we went for the boat ride. W spent some time on the jet ski, and I just relaxed and spent time in the sun. Oh, and I saw a two foot spotted gar. At first I thought it was a snake, then an alligator... then I finally saw the dorsal fin. Ew. You know how much I love these things called fish, right?

I really feel like the Lord is about to download some major stuff to me. I am more broken now than I have been in a long while... and I am looking forward to new revelation. I want to teach our children to hear the voice of God, to know the stillness His presence brings. You know, all of these things on earth will pass away (except our spirits)...but He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I want my kids to know that.

Yeah David Cook!

He has our votes!

Show me some love!

Ok, so I have a new feature. Live traffic feed! Everywhere from Auburn to NY to Massachusetts... tell me who ya are! I know I love blog-stalking... but it can be kind of freaky too, you know? Show a sister some love and tell me about yourselves.

one of those days

Wow, what a Monday. It's days like these that discourage me. We did all of our laundry Saturday (our dryer is out, so we've been doing it all at once, one day a week at Whitney's parents house) and the house has stayed relatively clean, so I thought we would have a more relaxed, fun day.

I cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast, and got my shower. I then got the children ready to go to the park. We played for a good 25-30 minutes, when T-pup told me he had to use the potty. We go in to the bathroom... nothing. We go out, continue to play, when I hear "mama, I think I need to poop" so, we begin the trek again to the potty. Half way there... "I pooped". Sigh. We go to the bathroom, I clean him up as much as possible. We get in the car, drive home. Pull up, wonderful... we're locked out of the house. We then drive to the church, get a key, drive back home. I start getting T's lunch ready, and cut my finger with the scissors. (Rant: I hate these injuries because they look so little but hurt so bad!)

So, I stop the blood (ok, it wasn't quite that bad) and everyone eats lunch. Whitney is home by now, and wants to go outside to hit a few golf balls after he finishes eating... so T asks to go with him. Next thing I know, T is coming in crying and has peed all over himself.

Bath time.

My day got much easier after all of this, but I hate it because by 1:30, I felt entirely spent. I had no motivation to do anything else around my house, and my mood wasn't that great either. I told myself it wasn't worth it to get all worked up, so I laid down with the kids for a nap.

I jokingly told Whitney that he could stay home, and I would go finish his work for the day... but I don't know how much I was joking. I love being a stay-at-home-mom, but some days I think it would be nice to have an off day. Oh wait, I'm going to have on this Saturday. Thank you Jesus, just in time! My sweet friend Susan is taking me to the Spa. I can hardly wait.

Sorry for the complaints!

Busy as a bee

We had such a great week last week. It started Monday when I took the children to see my sweet, very pregnant friend Shelby and her son Gabriel. They live north of Nashville, so it was a fun day out.

Tuesday evening Whitney had a meeting in Nashville, so we again tagged along and went to the Cool Springs Galleria while he was in his meeting. I had our double stroller and was wearing my new fit-flops and truly felt in control walking through the galleria. It was such a good feeling! Really up until now I've had a hard time getting out with both kids and not being overwhelmed.

Wednesday was normal (church, etc.) and Thursday we went to the zoo in Nashville with my friend and her 2 children. It rained the whole time. Thankfully, my double stroller is very well water resistant and SA stayed completely dry. She just cried the whole time. Afterwards, we went to Chick-Fil-A in Cool Springs, and saw Melinda Doolittle! She is just as cute in person as she is on TV. By the way, the new coffee caramel milkshake at CFA is nothing short of amazing.

Friday (coming to a close, haha) afternoon some friends asked us to eat with them in Franklin. They were not bringing their children, so were able to fit a sitter for Thomas, and just took SA with us. I forgot what it is like to just have a baby and go out to eat. She slept over half the time in her carseat carrier! We had a great dinner with our friends and laughed... a lot! I think we needed that!

Saturday, we slept late and recovered from our four trips to Nashville. We had a big breakfast of bacon and biscuits, and did laundry all day.

Sunday brought Mother's Day, and I throughly enjoyed all of the royal treatment. I could use a Mother's Day once a month!

we did it!

Country Music Half Marathon 2008

Easter pics

These are a few pics from Thomas hunting easter eggs on Resurrection Sunday at our family gathering. I do want to say... I am still grieving that we did not take a family picture in our "Sunday Best". If I may be so proud, we were a good looking group! Both the children were in little smocked outfits (who knew I would ever be such a fan? I never would have imagined.) and I was able to buy a new outfit (the first in a while), and Whit had a nice shirt/tie combo with his suit. I know that going to church is not about what you wear, but as I've seen on "What Not To Wear", you feel better about yourself when you look good. Know what I mean? At any rate, Whitney said we could re-create our fashion for that day and take a family picture.

First Foods

So, we have arrived. SA will be 6 months this week, and we're working on foods now. Wow, I never knew it would be such a difficult task with her! Thomas started eating and hasn't stopped. She does not like anything she puts her mouth to (except the mama's milk, of course!). I usually try to introduce veggies first, then fruits... because obviously if you have the sweeter fruits first, who will want a veggie after that? But, she doesn't like either. I really pushed the "baby foods" with Thomas, but now I know that she'll eat when she is ready.

I gave her a piece of zwieback toast last night, and she did great with it. So, we will get there! At least I know for a fact that she is getting all the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding!!

Amazing!

This story absolutely amazes me! I'm so excited to once again realize that God puts the pieces of our lives together in such a greater way than we could ever imagine.

On February 3rd, I had a dream about a dear friend of ours. She was recently engaged at that point, and the next morning I immediately e-mailed her the dream. This is what my e-mail said:

In my dream, it was the day before your wedding and I had come to see you. You had a specific “day before the wedding cake” and it was a blueberry cheesecake, and we were eating it together. Instead of walking down the aisle, you were coming in on a row boat, so we were also decorating the lily pads in the water with candles and pearls. It was a sweet time together, and the cheesecake was amazing!

This morning, I begin my daily routine and checked my e-mail. I saw this friend's name in my inbox, and immediately opened the message. This is what her e-mail said:

I was rereading the dream you had! I would like to invite you for the day before the wedding cheese cake with me and who ever else is around! I am going to have one made and I know my time will be so tight that day before the wedding but if you would like to come to the cove that day and help with all that will be going on I would love to have you around for a few hours! I know that you have two little ones and this may not be a possibility but I will have the cheesecake there and you are welcome! Also I just was thinking about the wedding and yesterday we decided to use the Cove. I took David out to see it! He wasn't crazy about it but He liked it better than the church! So He wanted me to do what I wanted! I chose the Cove! He picked the spot for the ceremony! Just to be honest the spot He picked made no sense to me but I am learning to compromise and not have to have everything my way! This I know you have learned already, I think I have in alot of area's but when it comes to planning the wedding day it is a little tough! But I think this isn't my day it is our day! I say all that to say He picked infront of the Pond next to the Lodge! I really wanted it a different spot but I didn't make a big deal about it! Then a few hours ago I started thinking about your dream and I thought I need to read that again! And when I read it I laughed, I may not do the boat thing but I think the rest of it I will try to live out! I love the PROPHETIC! It was like He picked the right spot, when I read that dream of yours! So let's eat some Blueberry Cheesecake and decorate some things to go in the pond and have a blast! And maybe if I am brave enough I will come in on a boat!!!

Is that not amazing? God is faithful and good! I love love love that he knits us all together in His Holy Spirit. There is always a bigger picture than what we see.

2 year old fun!

I originally feared the age of two years old. We've all heard the old adage "terrible twos". You know, it doesn't have to be true! I'm sure many people experience this for different reasons, but life with our two year old is a blessing and a blast. He melted down (extremely) this past Saturday night for the first time in over 7 months. Praise God! If I had to say now my guess for what he would be when he grows up, I would say engineer without a doubt. Everything he puts his little hands to is a project; he goes to great measure to insure preciseness and creativity. I love it.

Ok, well he and Whitney went to the Home Depot children's workshop for the first time this past Saturday. We heard from a friend in our church about this event every first Saturday of the month, so the anticipation was definitely there. They went to eat breakfast at a small local restaurant, then headed to HD. The project was a flower box, and Thomas did all the hammering himself. What a big boy!

The next thing I wanted to mention was a conversation we had this past Thursday. I was eating an orange, and some juice spilled on me....

me: uh oh, some orange juice spilled on me
him: like apple juice?
me: yeah, but only from an orange
him: oh
me: do you know where apple juice comes from? is it a banana?
him: no, it's the refrigerator

I laughed hysterically! He is so literal, it cracks us up constantly.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from in. Proverbs 22:6

mindless musings.

My brother has made it safely to Kuwait. He e-mailed me and said he was eating a lot, working out a lot, and sleeping the rest of the time. They should be leaving for Iraq any day now. A friend from high school, Therese, is married to a Marine who is in the same division as Matthew. She told me about this thing called motomail, and it is amazing. It is a free service to Marine families, and you essentially type a letter online and enter all of the Marine's info, and they e-mail it over there, print it out, and deliver it to them within 24 hours. Amazing.

I have officially decided that I may be walking 13.1 miles on April 26! (Mal, please don't freak on me!) I can run 1.5 mile without a problem, but after that it is crazy hard. I'm thinking my best bet may be to run a mile, walk a mile. I have no idea! I know there will be a lot of adrenaline on race day and also all the bands and cheerleaders will add to the excitement, so I may get a sudden burst of running stamina. I'm still training 4 days a week so... we will see.

Lastly, my birthday present "spa day" is in the works. However, it will be more of a "spa 2 hours" than a whole day! I think I've decided on the heavenly massage and feet of a goddess pedicure. Ohh just the thought exhilarates me. I'm looking at May 2. That is the Friday after the run, so I'm sure my feet will still be in need of a good pampering.

Well we are about to go over to some friend's house for dinner. I'm looking forward to a fun evening. BTW, SA is in the stage of full blown teething. I am beside myself as to what to do to help her. She wants to nurse constantly, bite constantly (another story for another day). I've tried the little teething tablets, and can't tell a difference. Baby oragel seems to help for a while and allow her to sleep, then it all starts over again. In my humble opinion, the first few teeth they get are always the hardest. It's so wild I am just now realizing again that we again have another baby. Does that make sense? With T-Pup being 2.5, we've been out of this baby cycle for a while. Now we're teething, starting cereal, getting ready to introduce foods... we really do have another baby. Amazing.

So long, farewell.

My brother.

My brother Matthew is leaving on Saturday for his first deployment. He is with the 1 Battalion 9 Marines Weapons Company (the 1/9) and will be serving in Ramadi, Iraq. They are flying from Camp LeJeune, NC to Maine, from Maine to Dublin, from Dublin to Kuwait, staying in Kuwait for 4-6 days, from Kuwait to Baghdad, and from Baghdad taking trucks into Ramadi (several hour drive). He will be there until September.

"Because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life, I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation." Psalm 91:14-16

We've talked several times this week, and I prayed with him last night on the phone. I cannot express this adequately, but it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I believe wholeheartedly that he has a huge call on his life, and that call has yet to be fulfilled. I pray that God uses this experience in Iraq to draw him closer to Himself.

Please pray for Matthew and his fellow soldiers. Please pray for the families of those who are serving.

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

so sleepy!

Wow I am so exhausted. I don't even know why! Sam woke up this morning around 6am, and I was excited to get up with her. I opened all of the blinds and sat in amazement as it continued to snow. We probably had a scant 2 inches, but it was so pretty. When the boys finally awoke, we got dressed and drove to "Paw Nae-Nae's" house. They live a little more in the country and this morning had acres of undisturbed snow (as opposed to our little house in suburbia). Whitney took some amazing pictures of T-Pup, so hopefully I will be able to get a few of those on my computer soon :).

Anyway, we came home and ate lunch, and I then took a nap with Sam. I feel more tired now than before I laid down. I warmed up some coffee from this morning, but just the warmness of it is making me want to crawl back in the bed. I am meeting Maria in about 50 minutes for our 2 mile run. I can't believe that I have completed all of the training for the week! I feel so proud and SURPRISINGLY not sore! I LOVE that!

Also, the day before I started WW (by the way, weighing in tomorrow morning) W took a picture of me with his iPhone. I took a picture of me yesterday with my phone, and wow. When I showed W, he was like "I told you so!" but I can't see the change. In the picture I couldn't miss it. Praise God He is helping me through this!

Going to get ready now. 2 miles, here I come :)

back to normal

In this picture, T-Puppy is shaking Sam's hand saying "nice to meet you!" :)

Thank you Jesus, we are for the most part back to normal this week. T-Pup is much better, and we are accomplishing the usual daily tasks around our house. I am also so grateful that Sam did not catch the virus.

So, Hillary had a good night last night winning Ohio and Texas. On the cover of the New York Post this morning, it said "Hill, Yeah!" which cracked me up, but not quite to the point of an audible laugh. I just don't really know which direction this election is going in, and I don't have a clear idea of who I will vote for. Off the top of my head I say John McCain, of course, but that thought is followed by an "eh" and shoulder shrug. We'll see.

Almost time for lunch, so off to prepare it.

ski-trip pics

update on T-Man

I went back and forth on whether or not I should travel to Huntsville today for Sam's well checkup. I didn't want to make T-Puppy travel while being so sick. I prayed the Lord would give me a clear answer and this morning when T-Pup was still so weak I felt like I did need to take him, just so Dr. Powell could look him over. Sam is doing great. She is in the 25-50% on her height and weight, however her head is off the charts! My OB has joked with me before that I have 7lb babies with 9lb heads. It is true. We are a family of bobble heads.

I told Dr. Powell about everything with T-Pup, and he picked him up and held him and gave him a kiss. It made me feel good when he said "This is the first time you've been sick buddy". He is such an amazing doctor and I'm so thankful for his presence in our children's lives as well as our own. He said T-Pup had every characteristic of the roto virus, which is a really aggressive virus for little ones. Obviously. My son has been sick for 3 days. He is so weak that he can only walk two or three steps then just falls down in the floor and doesn't move. It hurts my heart to see him like his, but Dr. Powell said we might have another 2 rough days ahead of us but it should start clearing up some. He said to just keep pumping him with fluids.

We were back home by noon and have had a pretty relaxed day since then. I actually took a nap with the children from 4-5pm so that was a nice blessing.

Lastly, I have decided to run in the Music City Half Marathon. It is on April 26 in Nashville. The amazing thing is that when a friend asked me to run with her, I told her I'd consider but didn't know if I had enough time to train. I prayed that God would give me wisdom and help me to make an educated decision. Last week I got on myspace, and happened to remember a friend we went to church with in Huntsville ran some. I looked at her myspace and saw she had several race pictures on there. I sent her a message just asking for advice. Turns out her fiance's father is a cross country training coach, and she said she would talk to him for me. He made me out a detailed week by week schedule for the next two months of exactly how I needed to train and when. Talk about an answered prayer!!! I now know it is feasible for my to accomplish this. I am looking forward to doing this. It's something I always thought it would be neat to do. It's just nice to have something to look forward to, for me. I so often forget in this stage of having small children and staying home that I have to take time for me, too.

Megan, won't you come up and run with me?!!

Under the weather

Well, I went to the dentist last Tuesday. I have an aversion to anyone in the field of dentistry. Turns out I needed a root canal. They wanted to schedule it for Thursday, but we were leaving Thursday for the youth ski trip and I didn't want to absolutely overload us. So, we scheduled it for Monday (today).

We had a wonderful time on the ski trip. All the meals went over so well. I can't believe I made enough food to feed 50 people. And there were leftovers! And surprisingly the "big" trip to the grocery store only cost $260. I was expecting around $500. It kind of makes me wonder how I spend $150 on us for 2 weeks when I can feed 50 people for a weekend for less than $300!

Sam slept with me, and T-man slept with W in the guys dorm. Early Sunday morning W called me and said T-Pup had thrown up and he needed a change of pajamas for him. So, I met him outside and gave him the jammies. Not 30 minutes later he called and said he was sick again and asking for me. So, he brought T-Pup over. Long story short, the poor boy was so sick. He vomited and vomited and had so many diarrhea diapers. We left Indiana, but he got worse so we stopped in Lousiville, KY and took him to an urgent care type clinic. The doctor gave him some phenergan (sp?) suppositories and we continued our travels home. He slept for most of the way, and thankfully stopped vomiting. He did have several more bad diapers, but for the most part stopped. Last night he got a fever of 103, and this morning it was 102. I called his pediatrician, and he said there was a bug going around and to try and ride it out. He also said he would have never given a 2 year old phenergan suppositories and not to give him any more. That scared me, but it did allow us to get home without him being sick anymore, so I'm thankful for that.

So, this morning I went to the dentist to have my root canal. It wasn't near as bad as I expected it to be. Apparently the procedure has gotten much better with time and technology. I've had a pretty good amount of pain since the numbness has worn off, but motrin has been sufficient. I don't want to take any of the loratab they gave me. Those things mess with your head!

Tomorrow is Sam's 4 month checkup in Huntsville. So, hopefully T-Pup will feel up to traveling. We definitely have a lot going on right now. Thankfully the two big winter trips for the youth are over and we'll have some of our free time back to ourselves.

I talked to Bobbie yesterday and she said that there was chit-chat of John McCain asking Bob Riley to be his potential running mate. Wow?! Seems like a really strange decision... but more power to him if its true. I do love the Riley's. And wouldn't Patsy make a perfect second lady? Is that what you call the VP's wife?

Anyway... pictures to come of the ski trip.

more pics.

some thoughts.

Ok, before I forget, I lost 1lb. last week. Now at a total of 5lbs!

I really should be getting a shower right now, but since my son is eating popcorn and my daughter is crying herself to sleep, I thought I would stick in a load of laundry and blog for a bit. T-Puppy is a wonderful eater and I don't think he's ever choked, but popcorn is one of those things. I would just rather not be in the shower while he is eating it alone. And for Sam, she has become the ultimate cuddle bug. I absolutely love this, and yesterday I just gave into my desires and cuddled with her and T-Puppy all day long... but I wasn't productive at all. So, today she is going through a little cuddle detox and crying herself to sleep.

I'm saddened to say that my sister miscarried yesterday. She had the DNC this morning. She is doing good I think, considering the circumstances. She was able to have Addison's first birthday party this weekend, and they said it went wonderfully.

We spent the weekend in Nashville and had an amazing time. Friday night Joseph and Shelby drove us around (they have an Expedition so 3 car seats fit perfect!). They showed me the Vanderbilt campus and all around West End, out to Green Hills, and then we jumped over to Hendersonville for some dinner. Saturday we spent time at Centennial Park (see pictures) and had a blast. We are waiting for the notification from Vandy to come any day now to see if Whitney has been accepted for the fall semester. It's so exciting!

We had the sweetest little snowfall this morning. It actually stuck for a while, then around 10 the sun came out. Maybe we'll get some more before long.

It was a year ago today that I found out I was pregnant with Sam. Wow, what a day! And what a year. My little girl is almost 4 months old! Time flies when you have children.

Ok, well she is sleeping now and T-pup is through with his popcorn. So, I'm going to take one of my speed showers and get started on lunch.

cardinal rule

W's Aunt Brenda has a cardinal rule for family gatherings...
No speaking of politics or religion.
I'm afraid I'm beginning to agree!

woo-hoo

At this week's weigh-in, I lost 3lbs since last week! That makes a total of 4lbs in two weeks. Can't see it yet, but if I keep it up (trying my best) I think I'll start to see a difference in my clothes in the next few weeks. Yay!

Today is Super-Tuesday and we went and voted first thing. I am proud to say I voted on the Deomcratic ticket for the 2nd time in my life. The first was when Jimmy Sandlin ran for Family Court Judge in Lauderdale County (a GOP hadn't been elected in some 20 years I believe, so he ran on the Dem ticket). Today I voted in the primary for Barack Obama. I say I am "proud" to have voted on the Dem ticket not because I am a democrat, but because I am willing to look past my own conservative ideals and look at the bigger picture. The GOP's will take care of themself. I just don't want Hillary.

Anyway. Here is a sweet picture of my little princess.

Sweet and Crunchy

It is so amazing how life changes when you have children! I'm trying to think of something exciting to blog about, and all I can think of is our new double stroller! We knew we wanted one, but wanted to make sure we made the right decision. Before driving to Nashville to make the purchase, I read reviews on at least twenty double strollers. I expected the cost to be anywhere between $150-200, which ended up being right. I found one online at Babies R Us that I loved, but it was available online only. So, I decided if we didn't find anything I could always resort back to the website. Turns out, they had that particular one in the store! It's great because the seats are interchangeable (both facing forward, face each other, back to back, or remove the back one and put the carrier in). Versatility my friends! Makes life a lot easier.

No WW updates yet. I'm not getting on the scales until Sunday morning!

Is anyone watching The Celebrity Apprentice? I previously had an aversion to this show, but somehow got started watching it. Surprisingly enough, I love it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that Stephen Baldwin is so open with sharing his faith. He actually goes to church at The Sanctuary with some of our good friends Roger and Nicolle Matzke in Huntington Beach, CA. Rog is the youth pastor (formerly the Worship Pastor). We haven't seen Roger and Nicolle since Aug of 2005, but always enjoy hearing them talk about their friends who just happen to be celebrities.

I'm snacking on sweet and crunchy peanuts... hence the title. Have a good weekend!

WW update.

So I weighed in Sunday morning, and to my excitement, and lost 1lb. At first I was a little bummed out because it is only a pound, but then afterwards I started thinking, and at least I didn't gain any weight. Through my brief one and a half week on WW, I have learned somethings about myself. 1) I snack a whole lot 2) I eat when I'm "stressed out". The snacking I feel like I can take charge of pretty easily, but the second is a little harder to deal with. It confirms to me that there is still more the Lord needs to work on in me (not that He was just about finished with me!).

I was talking to my friend Shelby earlier today, and she told me something that I told her almost 3 years ago. The statement in itself was "we don't use birth control, we use self control". I think that 3 years ago was probably the last time I said that, because when she said it, it literally took me back. I know that W and I have been poured into by amazing people, and I am so grateful for those things. I just feel like some of it has been forgotten (ie the above statement). We've been in a position the past 3 years that we've poured out, so naturally I just feel like we need to be refilled. Granted we have our time with the Lord here in our home, but I so miss words of knowledge and encouragement being directly said to us. I think I might go back through my journals of teachings from Greg, Gretchen , and Pastor Rusty and refresh myself.

It has absolutely poured rain today, and from the looks of outside there is more to come. It hasn't been too bad though since W has the vehicle. His car is on its last leg! We know what we want, but haven't found just the right one yet. When we do, it will make our life a little easier.

Last thing. How awesome is it to have an accountant in the family? Our taxes were filed over two weeks ago and we received our refund last week! Praise God for it, too!

I must confess I would rather be napping at the moment, however my darling daughter wanted to be awake. Early Tuesday morning W was struck with the Egyptian virus, and, well, it was pretty bad. I was determined not to get it, so I made many efforts to keep everything sanitized. Sadly enough, my efforts failed. On Wednesday morning around 1 or 2 am, it began. From that time until mid morning is an absolute blur. W stayed home to watch the children, and maybe every hour and a half or so would bring me Sam so I could nurse her. I was so weak I couldn't even pick her up! My whopping 12lb. little girl. So, I'm better. Just weak... (reason for the desired napping).

I am so saddened by the death of little Bronner Burgess. I don't know if it's the fact that we have a two year old also, but it absolutely grieves me. I am so grateful for the reaction of their family though. Rick's message at Bronner's memorial service was so amazing (you can see it at www.rickandbubba.com ). I don't understand why God allows these things to happen, but as best as I know how I trust that He is God, and He is good.

In closing, my little Sam is holding her head up so good when she is on her tummy! She is close to hip-riding! Not there yet, but I suspect it will be in the next month or so. Also, Saving Sarah Cain is an AMAZING movie! The producers did a wonderful job of capturing the heart of the author (Beverly Lewis - one my my all time faves). In the Love Comes Softly series, they changed so much from the books to the movies that it is almost altogether different, but definite definite kudos to the producers of Saving Sarah Cain.

Weight Watchers

Just wanted to share with my few readers that tomorrow is my official first day of weight watchers. I joined today and have been reading to get a general understanding of the points system. I'm so excited to see this baby weight come off! My goal is 30lbs. I will hopefully keep the blog posted of my success (so I'm hoping!)

Birthy-ness

I can't begin to express my current thoughts. I am still amazed that I had natural childbirth with Sam. It was something I wanted to do for so long. After a successful epidural with T-Puppy, it was something I said I could never do. Now, I know this is the route I will take in the future. I *wish* I could sincerely say that it is because I desire it and want the natural way, but as I've written before, my body will no longer accept pain medication... so it's my only option! Now, I'm just trying to learn all I can about it and be more prepared next time. I'm honestly thinking we will skip the hospital all together. I can't say that I am ready for a home birth, but a birthing house seems more appropriate at this time for me. I know what you must be thinking... "good grief, her daughter is only 2 months old!" and touche. That she is. It's just that it is an experience that you never forget, and because of what I experienced, I want to know all I can to better the situation in years to come.

Books on my wish list:
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - Ina May Gaskin
Spiritual midwifery - Ina May Gaskin
The Thinking Woman's Guide to Childbirth - Henci Goer
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
Husband Coached Childbirth: The Bradley Method of Childbirth

Definitely the last one. With both of my labors and deliveries, my husband has been absolutely amazing. T-Puppy's labor was a lot longer, and W was so patient and worked with me the whole way. Sam's was a lot quicker, but obviously more intense. He was so wonderful with telling me when to breathe, holding my hand, encouraging me constantly. With Sam's birth I repeatedly said "I can't do this... I can't do this" and as soon as I would say it, he would return with "Yes, you can... you are doing this... you are doing great Michelle." I am convinced he missed his calling as an OB! :)

In all of this... really, I just want and desire the Lord to show me more of Him. I don't feel like I've ever needed His love and grace as in childbirth. Who knows when the next child may come - only YHWH. Again as I've said before, I want him to birth His Spirit in and through me. From glory to glory, right? 2 Cor. 3:18