Firsts

It has been about six months since I've written much of anything on this blog. I guess I knew myself fairly well when I titled this blog a few years ago.

I know, I know, you've missed me. Well, you can put your Kleenex away because I'm back. Well, back to my "not-so-daily self" that is. I decided I couldn't start blogging again unless I recapped the last six months. Don't worry, I'll be brief.

Samuel went on his first camping trip.

He also had his first day of pre-school.

Gabby ate her first apple off a tree.

And she also won her first award - best costume at our super hero themed harvest party. She was "Grape Girl with Antioxidant Power!"

Samuel had his first experience inside a fire truck.

My husband attended his first party as a Doctor!!!

Gabby wore her first ponytails.

The cousins celebrated their first Christmas all together.

I made it to Courtney's "new" place for the first time.

And... I got highlights for the first time EVER!

Smarty pants

Samuel: "Mom, can we get a fan in each of our bedrooms?"
Me: "Are you going to pay for them?"
Samuel: "No, you are."
Me: "Where will I get the money?"
Samuel: "At the dollar store."

What a smarty pants!

Oh my gosh...it's a blog post!

I will blog again. Someday. Sometime. Somewhere.
I may be married to a Doctor by the time that occurs. Woohoo!

Tim is in the middle of finishing up his thesis and his defense is in 5 weeks. He is putting in insane hours and I'm trying to hold down the fort while starting up my lia sophia jewelry business again. Not what I want to do in this already stressful season but the checkbook demands it. Not to mention that I do not have any family or free babysitting service available. Gabby is still up multiple times at night (teething & a bad habit) and I am tired. This is not the season for sleep training though. Anyway, we are a bit weary and could use your prayers as we finish this 7 year marathon.

On a side note: Samuel asked if we could put away the high chair since Gabby was sitting in the booster seat. I said jokingly, "Not if we have another baby. Samuel, would you like another baby brother or sister?" He said emphatically, "NO!!!" So I asked, "Why not?" He replied, "Cause I would freak out and then I would have to bust around like that." Whatever that means.

Now don't you worry. I, unlike Rachel, am NOT having baby fever right now!!
No way! No how!

Photo Shoot

Earlier this summer we had the wonderful opportunity of doing a photo shoot with one of our favorite people, Miss Amanda! If you have not yet checked out her photography site, you really should do so. She's awesome!!! We laughed, we cried, we had the time of our lives...

Well almost.

Anyway, here's the finished product. Samuel was not totally cooperative and Gabrielle only balled her eyes out once. Amanda picked some interesting locations... a beautiful lake, a grassy knoll behind an Arby's drive thru, a wasp infested shack...

We really did have fun and we certainly laughed a lot!

Urgent Prayer Needed!!!

:::FRIDAY UPDATE:::

Sarah and Esther are finally heading home from the hospital. It is my understanding that they did not find anything conclusive but baby is doing much better. Both are very tired and Esther's tummy is rather upset from the antibiotics administered. Thank God for a good report and thanks for praying!

:::UPDATE:::

Esther is doing much better and the doctors now feel that she probably does not have sepsis as the cultures keep coming back negative - praise God!!! They are keeping her for one more night to observe her and hopefully mom and baby will go home tomorrow. They are both very tired and need some sleep!

Hello Friends!!!

This is the first chance I've had to update my blog. Would you please be praying for Sarah's newest addition, baby Esther! She was hospitalized last night with severe vomiting and lethargy. The doctors have run a multitude of tests and are trying to conclude if Esther has sepsis. As of Sarah's last text, Esther has stopped vomiting and the tests right now are coming back normal but it does take a few days for the cultures to be conclusive.

You can also pray for the entire family as they have just relocated over the past month, had a baby and do not have any family nearby to help them with Juli or Gabrielle. I'm sure they are all very exhausted. Let's ask the Lord for healing and favor upon their household during this time. And if you have any creative ideas of how we can bless them, please call me or send an email.

Thanks so much.

Rock on!

Date Night:
Dinner at Olive Garden, mini golf, browsing the furniture store and a little guitar hero to top off the evening.

(And no, I did not wear this out to dinner.)

To conceive or not to conceive...

That is the question.

Yes, that is the question that swirls around this brain of mine on a regular basis. For the record, we were NOT planning on having another child (at least biologically) after Gabrielle for various reasons...

#1 - I was pretty close to kicking the bucket at her birth
#2 -I hemorrhaged at both my children's births
#3 - I had threatened pre-term labor starting at 24 weeks with Samuel and was on strict bed rest
#4 - I had other absolutely crazy complications after Samuel's birth that in my wisdom I will not share on my blog. (If your dying to know then give me a call/email. I'd be happy to share)
#5 - I question whether my 35 year old body can handle more sleep deprivation. Let me tell you, it's been extreme.
#6 - Sometimes I wonder if I'm really cut out for more children. I can be severely type A at times.
#7 - We have a heart for adoption
#8 - I am not a homebody and I feel called to invest my life in a global manner.

We were so sure that we were not going to have any more babies that I sold ALL my baby stuff. If Gabby was done with it, it was out of here. I am so NOT a pack rat. We were so sure that we were not going to have any more babies that I began talking to my midwife about sterilization procedures. I remember feeling that if I was surprised with a pregnancy that I would be devastated. And then that's when it happened...

Everything became sacred. Every milestone Gabrielle reached became her first and my last. I became overly sentimental about a lot of things - like nursing and labor. I LOVE nursing and I can't imagine that she could be the last baby I get to nourish. Pregnancy and labor to me are such an amazing expression of who God created me to be as a woman - the good, the bad and the ugly! And Gabrielle - every time I smell the sweetness of strawberries on her breath, I want to bottle it. Every time she giggles, I want to record it. Is there anyway to take the softness of her skin and reproduce it? No! Babies are pure love!

And then it happened...







my period was 3 days late. My period is NEVER late...






And I was excited! Soooooooo excited!







And then I got my period.

Now, I am terribly confused about my emotions. Courtney says it's hormones. Our family thinks we would be out of our minds to have another baby. The lady at the amusement park says that I'll know for SURE when I'm done and that the mayhem of family life with lots of young children is totally worth it. A minister preached about the blessings of his very large family. My midwife said that just because I had 2 hemorrhages does not necessarily mean I'll have a third. I'm getting involved in an overseas project this fall. It's all rather schizophrenic right now if I might say so.

So, I will wait.

Maybe God is leaving room in our hearts for children that our not ours by nature. Maybe a mother's heart is what I need to do what God has called me to. Maybe I am to channel this affection more deeply with my children. Maybe God will surprise me.

Maybe...