A Month of Thankfulness

In these days leading up to the wonderful American holiday of Thanksgiving, I'd like to take a little bit of time to express what I am thankful for.  I'm hoping I can do a post everyday or nearly everyday because surely, I am thankful for so many things!  So here it goes...



God's Sovereignty & Graciousness

I am so very thankful for God's sovereign reign over everything.  Of course, there are times in my life when I feel I have no control and that my world is falling apart at the seams.  It brings me great comfort to know that God is holding all those seams together.  Some of the things that happen from day to day don't make any sense to me, and, on the other hand, some things seem to make sense.  Either way, the God who created the universe is in control of it all---even the "little things."  Wow.

Not only is He the all-knowing, all-powerful God, He also is so very gracious.  For example, yesterday, as I was busy prepping for our church's Reformation Night event, Owen fell off the kitchen bench and split his forehead open to the bone.  Blood was squirting, yes, squirting everywhere and I immediately knew no bandaid was going to fix this.  Panic struck as I reached for my phone and dialed Troy and called him five or six times before he picked up.  I quickly gathered extra clothes for Owen and changed my own (we were both bloody) and waited a couple minutes for Troy to arrive (while Owen screamed until a big lollipop I found in the pantry called him down).  In the meantime, Jackson and Madelyn calmly and quickly got themselves dressed (this never happens) and we all left for the doctor in no time at all.  In the end, it was a deep cut that needed several steri-strips and glue and Owen was (almost) as good as new.  When I got my thoughts together and knew my son would be fine, I began to think, very selfishly, WHY TODAY???  I am so busy today.  Why did this happen today?  And then it hit me.  If this happened just a few days from now, I couldn't have called Troy to help me get all three kids to the doctor so we could get Owen's head wound fixed up.  He would have been on a business trip across the country.  FORGIVE ME, LORD, I immediately prayed.  THANK YOU for being so gracious in your timing of this little mishap!  We are also so thankful it was just a bad cut.  No concussion.  No more injury.  Just a scary looking cut.  To quote my husband, "God is gracious.  Always."

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9

Owen @ 10 Months

I can barely believe it myself.  My youngest child, my last little baby, is only two months away from turning one.   Owen is ten months today.  He is still such a sweet little baby.  I am trying to cherish these last days that he is an infant, but he seems to want to become a toddler all too soon!  He still is crawling, although he took a couple steps on his own this month.  His main goal of crawling it to get to an object to pull himself up on.  He loves to stand next to his brother and sister while they play or watch TV, like he is one of them.  It is so cute.  Owen gets such joy out of his siblings.  I know I say that every month, but the expression of his joy keeps increasing.  When he sees his brother and sister now, he makes a deep chuckling sound.  Certainly it is a sound of satisfaction because he does the same thing when he discovers he can climb something or open a new cabinet.

Owen's attachment to me and only me has dwindled a bit, which is nice.  I can still be in the room and not be the one holding him.  Although, he still prefers me, he just doesn't make as big of a deal of it.  He is definitely a social little man.  He thrives on crowds.  He doesn't want to miss a thing, which is why it is very hard to put him to bed when we have guests over.  He is also very content.  He will play on his own in his pack-n-play for 30-45 minutes, as long as someone is in the room with him.  This really helps me get the dishes done!

Owen's favorite sounds to make are "dada" and "ba."  He says "BA!" when he is referring to an object or thing, like our cats.   His favorite things to do are crawling, standing, getting into cabinets, playing with his brother and sister, eating, and going outside.  He makes an "Oh, oh!" and jumps up and down when he hears the keys when we are going outside.  Speaking of going outside, he loves going to the park and swinging on the swings.  He giggles and laughs the whole time.  It is simply precious.  He also likes to bounce/dance when he hears music.  Owen loves to drink from his sippy cup, and everyone else's sippy cup if it is in reach.  He still loves to smile at everyone who he sees.  He loves to eat food in general, but his favorites this month are chicken nuggets, meatballs, homemade beans (Yes.  He now rejects canned beans---in fact he prefers his meatballs homemade as well!), banana spears, sweet potato spears,  and any sort of sliced fruit.  He also still loves broccoli, so much so that I have to hide the broccoli if I want him to eat anything else.  I'm not complaining about that!

Owen is still pretty small in size, but the doctor said he really just thinks he has a really, really fast metabolism.  So, fast, though, that he goes through nutrients like iron quickly.  He was anemic at his 9 month appointment and in a few days he has a iron check, so I'm hoping with all the red beans and meatballs that I've been feeding him, that has improved.  He is just now growing out of some of his 6 month and 3-6 month clothes, although some of that is still too big around the waist.  The doctor mentioned that with boys, their size now may not matter in regards to how big they will be as an older child or adult.  Who knows?  He still could grow up to be 6'2" like most of the males in his family.  He got in two teeth this month, but he seems to be working on a few more.  I will be telling people this for the next 2 years.  :)

It is a bittersweet knowing that this sweet baby only has a few months of infant-hood left.  I am soaking it in as best as I can.  I have seen with my third child how fast this time really goes!  So, without further ado, here are some photos from the last month for your enjoyment!

Owen tried a homemade chocolate chip oatmeal cookie the other day.  He liked it so much, he went cross-eyed.  

Couldn't resist taking a picture of this cute diaper-butt!

One of Owen's favorite toys. 

Big boy standing up!

Soak in the cuteness!  :)

Our First Date

Troy and I went on our first date since having three kids on my birthday last month.  Our friend and neighbor, Mendy, was nice enough to watch all three kids!  We went out at Jackson and Madelyn's nap time and saw Midnight in Paris and did a little mall shopping.  It was so nice to get out and actually be able to hold my husband's hand!  All in all, it was a great date and a great birthday.

Bath Time! (Owen's First Water Bath)

When Owen got his first bath in the infant tub last month (don't worry...he has had plenty since then!), I knew he enjoyed himself.  This wasn't because he let out coos of delight or smiled at me as I put him in the water because he didn't.  He fell asleep.  That's right!  As soon as his little body was surrounded by the warm water, he closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.  I'm pretty sure this is just a sign of the laid-back personality that he seems to have.  What a joy is has been to get to know this little one!

Our First Outing

For our first attempt to get out of the house after Owen was born we headed to the Dos Lagos shopping center.  (This was back in June!) It could be the 20 minute drive or the hills surrounding the location, or perhaps the two lakes that reflect the sunset that makes us feel like we are on vacation while at this shopping center.  We ate frozen yogurt at Pink Berry and took a very short walk to the waterfall in between the lakes.  The sun was setting and the air was cool...the perfect atmosphere for a walk!  We also took our first family photo (besides the hospital photo) as a family of five.  At the end of this trip, Jackson said, "Mommy, I'm glad you can come out with us again!"  After nearly 8 weeks of staying home on bedrest, then recovery, so am I!

Owen's Birth Story

  For those of you who are interested in how Owen made it into this world, here is the scoop!  During the first few days of April, I started feeling contractions.  I was almost 32 weeks, and suspected that this wasn't normal.  So, with that in mind, I headed to the Labor and Delivery floor at the hospital.  They hooked me up to the monitors which revealed that I was getting regular contractions (every few minutes).  After 6 hours, a shot, and a couple pills, the contractions halted enough for the doctor to send me home.  Due to the fact that I was getting contractions so early, I was put on a pill to stop the contractions every time they started and complete bedrest with "only trips to the bathroom."  I must admit that I had a moment when I sort of "freaked out" about the amount of help I would need with childcare, cleaning, and cooking.  Even though I have seen time and time again how God miraculously provides, I doubted Him for a moment (or two...).  He soon showed me how well He provides!  We were provided with nearly 6 weeks of meals, all the childcare we needed, and enough help with housework to keep my house in order for the 6 weeks I was on bedrest.  Troy and I are so very thankful for the tangible way Christ's love was shown to us through His people!

At 37 weeks pregnant, a day or two before Owen was born.

  Six weeks after being put on bedrest, I had a checkup with my doctor.  I had been uncontrollably itching for the last 5-6 weeks and complained about it for the third time.  I told him Benadryl did not work.  Scratching the itches, mainly on my legs, ankles, feet, arms, and back didn't help either.  In fact, I was itching my skin raw!  The doctor FINALLY decided to look at my file only to discover that the Liver Panel blood test I did six weeks before was "Slightly elevated."  I asked how high the numbers were and the doctor repeated that they were "slighted elevated."  I then asked what the exact numbers were.  I had the same problem with the previous pregnancy and I knew where my liver enzymes were supposed to be.  The doctor reluctantly showed me the numbers.  Perhaps this was because he made the mistake of not telling me before that they were high!  Liver Enzymes are supposed to be 30-40 at the most.  At the time of the blood test, my enzymes were up to 115!  He then decided that I had something called "Cholestasis" and brushed it off as the body just not getting rid of bile as fast due to pregnancy.  I already knew of this condition and knew that it was certainly more serious than that!  He opted for another Liver Panel blood test. 

The doctor called me a couple days later (on Friday, May 13th) and told me he needed to deliver the baby because my liver enzymes had gone up to 146.  I was not suprised.  He was going to schedule a C-section for that evening or the next day.  I decided the day before to stop taking the pill that was preventing me from going into labor.  Even with taking the pill, my contractions were becoming stronger and more regular.  So, by 1pm on Friday, May 13th, I was going into labor.  Of course, feeling contractions off and on for six weeks, I second-guessed myself and didn't think I needed go in yet.  By 4:30, we were packing up the car to head to the hospital.  By the time I got hooked up to the monitors at the hospital, I was dilated to 6 and my contractions were coming ever 2-3 minutes.  It happened VERY fast.  As I lay there in the hospital bed, the medical staff hurried to prep me for the c-section.  I very much regretted waiting that long to go into Labor and Delivery.  I was in pain, but I breathed through the contractions knowing that I would soon see my baby boy!  On Friday, May 13th at 8:30 on the dot, Owen was born.  He was unresponsive at first.  The medical staff in the operating room didn't tell Troy and I this, but we knew because we didn't hear him cry and I could hear the respiratory therapist slapping Owen's back vigorously to try and get the fluid out.  The said they got 10 (I'm assuming "CCs") of fluid out of his lungs, and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we heard his cry!  Owen was born at a healthy 7lbs and 19 inches long.  I got to hold him a few hours later after being in the recovery room.  Even the third time around, there is nothing like finally getting to hold the child God grew inside your womb!  What a precious gift!

 

 

Pigtails!

On Sunday I fixed Madelyn's hair for the first time.  It is now "long" enough to put into two pigtails.  She actually sat in my lap without moving and let me fix her hair!  Amazing!  I tried to get a better picture of her, but she was too busy playing!

Ivy Mae is here!

Beautiful Ivy Mae arrived a little early, but very healthy, on Thursday, July 22nd at 1:05pm, weighing in at 7lbs, 5oz, and 19 inches long. You can read about Ivy's arrival on Robyn's Blog. Unfortunately, we didn't get to meet her for a whole week due to the fact that the we were all in Missouri! We talked to David and Robyn, and "met" Ivy via internet chat until we could meet sweet Ivy in person. It was so hard to wait that long to meet Ivy, but it was well worth the wait. I love the fact that I am an aunt now and love the fact that both my kids have a cousin! I will also enjoy having Robyn join me in the "journey" of motherhood! Here are some cute photos of our first few times seeing the precious addition to our family...CONGRATS, David and Robyn! Welcome to Parenthood! :)

Our video conference set-up to see Ivy.

Nana's first time holding Ivy! Well worth the wait!

Madelyn checks out her cousin for the first time. See just giggled. :)

Discovering her cousin Ivy!

Uncle for the first time!

Madelyn giggles and touches her baby cousin. Soon they will be having tea parties together!

Cousins!

Ivy's first time eating at The Backstreet!

Madelyn @ 10 Months!

I can scarcely believe that my baby girl is two months shy of completing her first year of life. It seems as though it was just yesterday that I held her tiny 7.2lb body for the first time. I am striving to cherish this time with Madelyn because I see now how fast it goes. Jackson, after all, is 2 1/2 in what seemed like a blink of an eye!
Madelyn has accomplished a lot in her ninth month of life. She got her first tooth and began to crawl. Her first tooth came in a couple of weeks ago and started to crawl just this week. I knew she knew how to do it. She just had to be the one to make the decision to carry out the task of crawling. I must say that she is a lot happier now, and I can set her down to play more often, HOWEVER, she is in discovery mode and gets into everything within reach! We will need to put up all the child proofing stuff we never had to use with Jackson.

Along with crawling, Madelyn has also started to walk with assistance and pull herself up to a standing position. Its just a matter of time before she starts walking. She is determined to walk! Its been a busy month with several milestones and it leaves me scrambling to get used to these changes in Madelyn's life. Teething hasn't been a piece of cake for her. She has been a bit fussy. But, then again, WHO wouldn't be when you have teeth popping through your gums??? As a result of this fussiness, she wants me and only me most of the time. It is exhausting, but I understand. I do love the way she leans for me and cuddles her head into my neck. She has been very cuddly.Her curiosity has been sparked by the new mode of transportation she finds herself in. She has made it into the bathroom cabinets, the kitchen cabinets, and the TV cabinet. She has found her way to outlets, the fireplace, and will find anything that isn't supposed to be in her mouth. So, I am trying to be extra careful with things lying around like Jackson's smaller toys. Here's to an even more active lifestyle for both Madelyn and I!

As far as "talking" goes, her favorite sound right now is, "dada." She has the cutest little voice when she says that, too! :)

~Madelyn's Favorites~
Food: Black Bean Soup, Applesauce w/ Oatmeal & Cinnamon, Cheerios, Strawberries, Cantaloupe, Honeydew (pretty much any fruit), Graham Crackers
Toys: Any Remote, Georgie, Little People Farmer, Stacking Toy, Gymboree Rain Stick
Other Favorite: Her Mommy, Daddy, Jackson, Cassie, her Blankie (which was mine when I was little...so special!), being outside

Madelyn @ 8-9 Months!

Madelyn's personality has just blossomed this past month. She is the sweetest little girl! Not that she wasn't sweet before, but now she smiles more, cries less, and lets you know when she is happy in several different ways. A few of those ways she shows her happiness is cooing/talking. Her first sounds are basically a vitiation of "g" sounds---gaga, gagoo, etc. She also squeals with delight when she wants to show joy. One of the cutest things she does is bounce when she is happy. She will be sitting on the floor playing, and if I walk into the room, she with just start bouncing out of sheer joy. She also waves to people now. She does it in a way that she flicks her wrist and delicately twists her hand back and forth to create a waving motion, much like a queen or a beauty contest contestant. It is so adorable! She is almost crawling now. She will get on all fours and rock back-and-forth, but then she plops down on her tummy. I know she will get it soon enough and, believe me, I am in no hurry! :) Madelyn also loves to cuddle. Whenever she gets up from her nap or being in bed, she greets us with the biggest smiles, then when we pick up up, she snuggles her head into our shoulder. I LOVE that! One thing I don't love so much is that Madelyn's tear duct is still clogged. We will be taking her to her 9-month check-up next Friday, so we will find out what the doctor thinks we should do about it then. He told us several months ago that it should go away by itself and that most do, but if it doesn't by 9 months, they will surgically open it with a needle. Ouch. To my knowledge, though, it is a simple procedure. Madelyn will have to be put under, though, and I'm not that thrilled about that. We will see what our options are next week. In the meantime, I will keep on doing the massage and warm compresses with the hopes that it will open up in this next week. Please pray that it does! Here are some pictures from the past month for you to enjoy...