Weekend Update

Saturday we headed to Indy to do Christmas with my family. It went really well. Noah got some new duds and some great building blocks that are made of foam and not wood so when he wings them at the dog, they don't hurt. Dave got the Bourne movies and a new pan for cooking. I got a new toaster, some sheets, and some really nice jewelery.

Noah was another monster though. He only got an hour nap, so he alternated between being manic and the life of the party to throwing serious tantrums. It drove me crazy...especially since I wasn't entirely sure how to defuse it amongst company and at someone else's house. He was amusing though because he was more interested in playing with his cousin Mallory's baby doll than open presents. He kept giving it a bottle and pushing it around in a stroller. He had a hard time relinquishing it when it was time to leave. Just give my boy a doll and a stroller and he is happy. I think it brings out his nurturing side. :-)

We ended up having to leave fairly early to let senor crabby pants sleep in the car. Along the way, we got a call from our friends Dan and Darlene, and they wanted to hang out on Sunday night, but Dave is working then...so we told them to come over here and hang out later on that night. So, The Griffens, Kauffman, Mindy and Terry all came over and we played games until late last night. It was a lot of fun. Again, another great chance for us to connect with people we haven't connected with in awhile.

Today, I am helping out in kid's church. The lead teacher Mindy just came down with "the bug"...the evil stomach flu bug that is plaguing everyone within a 5 foot radius of an infected person. So, I am not sure what the morning will bring. I printed off some stuff in case I end up leading it vs. helping. I'm willing to be flexible, so whatever works.

Later, after Noah's nap I am planning on maybe doing some shopping and make a few exchanges. We'll see how he does this morning. He has been an absolute angel while we have been in the mall the last few times we have gone...let's hope the streak continues.

Have a great Sunday!

Happy Friday

Apparently, Noah did not get that memo. Since he has woken up he has thrown himself on the floor in various tantrums and for the life of me, I have no idea what is setting him off. He now has his frog and blanket (his comfort things) and milk and has climbed up next to me. Let's hope as he continues throughout the day that his mood changes for the better. I am not sure if he has had too much Christmas or if his schedule has been changed one too many times, but it seems as if these tantrums are fairly frequent right now...which I am not a fan of. Suggestions for the treatment of these outbursts?

Yesterday was sort of a melancholy day for the most part...until the evening. After making (yes) 2 dinners because Dave didn't like what I had already started, and Noah didn't even end up eating what I (then) ended up making for just he and I, I was a little frustrated. However, Noah and Dave started getting silly. Finally, when I went to put Noah in the bath, he ran out of the bathroom naked and for some reason, it was really funny seeing a little nakey bum running around. So, Dave and I were laughing, which caused Noah to start laughing and then peeing all over my carpet. Oops. :-) So, out came the steam cleaner...and while I was at it, I just decided to do all the carpets...something that has been on my to-do list for the last week. Dave was actually really helpful carrying the water and refilling it for me. Then, as my Christmas present (seriously...what I asked for), he gave Chester a bath so I finally feel as though we are living in semi-cleanliness. As we were sitting on the couch last night watching Coach Carter (I LOVE any kind of inspirational sports movie...Rudy, Remember the Titans, Hoosiers, Glory Road, and yes...Coach Carter) I realized my day got totally better after I cleaned the carpets. There is something to be said for a thorough cleaning that just makes you feel better.

This of course got me to thinking...what is in my heart that needs a spiritual cleaning? I definitely feel dusty and maybe a little dirty. If the feeling of physical cleanliness is so great, spiritual cleanliness has to feel SO much better.

Lord, help me to clean out the spiritual closets in my life...help me to dust off the areas that need to be used more and wipe clean the stains that sin has left in my life. Cleanse me Lord.

On the mend

I am happy to report that we are all over the worst of it. I was so thankful that Dave's parents took Noah yesterday as I fell asleep through most of the afternoon and hit the worst of it last night. However, by this morning, Dave and I were both feeling better. I spent much of the morning disinfecting the house and taking breaks in between to rest. Around the late morning we ran to the store just to get out and pick up a few groceries. It was good to get out, but it taxed us pretty quickly.

Dave's mom ended up driving Noah all the way back over here (bless her heart) so that we didn't have to make the drive. Dave and I felt continuously better as the day progressed. Noah had had so much fun at grandma and grandpa's that he was not so keen on being back home and getting back into the grind. His nap was also short, so I am hoping that an early night and putting him back into a routine will help tomorrow go more smoothly. Dave's mom stayed for a little while and we were able to take her out to dinner as a small token of our gratitude (truthfully it knows no bounds...We are not sure what we would have down without grandma and grandpa yesterday).

Now, Dave just left for work feeling pretty good and grandma just left as well. Noah and I are back to life as usual here. I have to admit it was a nice break to be able to rest whenever I wanted and a chance to clean the house without extra "help"...but I missed my little buddy. However, I have now learned that he does a great job at grandma's and this is good information to have for future reference. :-)

Merry Pukey Christmas

The family that pukes together...does what? Has lots of messes to clean up. Please pray for us right now as the bug that Noah has had the last few days has been passed on for sure to Dave (and I am not sure about myself yet). Last night as we were coming home from Dave's parents, Dave got really sick. He spent most of the night throwing up, which landed him in the ER last night. He was in the ER from about 11 until 3am where they gave him an IV and some medicine to help (hopefully) subside the nausea. He came home around 3ish this morning and has been fitfully sleeping ever since.

Noah although not throwing up had diarrhea twice this morning already and has been cranky.

I have thrown up twice this morning and am not feeling all too hot myself. Thankfully we did not make any plans for today so we are all just lying around wherever we land and trying to heal.

Just please be praying for swift healing...especially for Dave who has to go into work tonight because they are short-staffed as it is. He won't be able to get anyone to cover him. Pray that he heals quickly throughout the day and that his bug is only 24 hours.

I just laid Noah down, so since this is the only time that I can for sure rest, I am going to utilize it. Hope everyone else has a wonderful Merry Christmas and for Pete's sake...stay healthy!

Update (as of 2:25pm):

Dave got someone to cover him at work...it just wasn't going to happen. He has barely moved all day. I napped with Noah and am still having a hard time keeping food down and feel very nauseas and have no energy. Dave finally called his parents to take Noah just so that he doesn't get sick again and because neither one of us really have the energy to adequately meet his needs. Dave's dad just came and got him. This is the first time I have left him alone overnight. I know that he is in great hands with Dave's parents. They know the drill and are super great with him. That, unfortunately didn't stop the tears from flowing as they pulled out of the driveway. Noah was perfectly fine going "buh-bye". Mommy...not so much. I am having a wave of feeling better so I have started to disinfect...starting with laundry. I want to try and disinfect and clean as best I can before bringing Noah back here. No need to keep passing this around. I also might take the kid-free time to take another nap and lay around myself...(pause while I run to the bathroom and toss my cookies.) Nix cleaning...I am going to try and find a good piece of couch to get comfortable in and pray there is something worth watching on the tube.

The verdict

Perhaps it is fitting on Christmas Eve when the birth of God's son occurred to announce that we are also having another boy. The ultrasound was tricky again as the baby is breach right now...However, our doctor finally got a relatively clear shot where she is pretty positive that it is a boy. It will be more clear once the baby turns (if he does).

Dave and I are both really excited, but I must admit my emotions are sort of in a jumble. In my mind, I have been mentally picturing a girl now for the last 6 months and have even had dreams that it was a girl, so I need a few moments to adjust to the fact that my house will be running on testosterone for the next 18-20 years. If this was a girl, I was set to tell Dave, OK...we can be done. He's been shooting for only 2 and I for awhile wanted more. Now, I am not sure anymore. Don't get me wrong...give me a year with 2 boys and I may just say...NO MORE! :-) I'm just not quite ready to say that with assurence yet.

We may find that we will settle in happily with 2 boys and that is the family that God has ordained for us. Or, He may have other plans.

As we were driving home from Dave's parents house this evening, I found myself in the stillness listening to Christmas carols...and got to thinking about Jesus' birth. I'm pretty sure Mary had not envisioned having a child out of wedlock, or giving birth in a stable without an epidural and with less than sanitary conditions, but that is how God wrote her story...and it is now the greatest story ever told.

We are having two boys and I'm looking forward to the story that will unfold from there. (I'm sure it will be a tale to tell!)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Update

Well, I thought we were over the worst of it. Noah threw up once on Saturday morning, but other than being cuddly and not having much energy, he had no other symptoms of being sick the rest of the day on Saturday. On Sunday, when church rolled around and he hadn't thrown up in 24 hours, we decided to take him. He had a great breakfast, was real chipper this morning. We made it all the way through church (where I admit that he did find 2 powdered donuts to eat). As we were driving home he threw up 4 times. Honestly, I am hoping that we just gave him too much on his first day really back to eating and his stomach just couldn't handle it. I am REALLY hoping that he wasn't contagious still and passed it on to the other kids...I really thought that he was over it and I would feel bad if the other kids got it because of him. After a bath though, he was feeling great...running around, refusing to nap. It has taken me almost 3 hours to get him to take a nap. Finally, around 4pm he fell asleep. So, I don't know what his deal is. Dave and I are just planning on being more careful on what we are giving him to eat so as not to upset his delicate constitution.

The plan for the next few days is:

Monday: We have an MD appt in the morning. There is hope that she will do a quick ultrasound to see if we are having a boy/girl. Then we are headed up to Dave's parents house to do Christmas.

Tuesday: We are staying at home all day (doing Christmas ourselves in the morning) then Dave has to work on Tuesday night.

We'll keep you posted on any new news if we get any. In the meantime, Have a very merry Christmas!

Sick Day

This morning, when Noah woke up he reeked of puke. I went in and checked his bed and he apparently had puked sometime through the night and fallen back asleep in it. Poor kid. Noah throws up fairly often due to an overactive gag reflex. All it takes is a bad bought of coughing and he can puke so I didn't think too much of it this morning. However, it took me awhile to get the sheets off and him through the bath because my stomach tends to still be a little sensitive first thing in the morning. I went and worked out at the gym and Dave (who by this time had come home from work) said he would stay with him just in case he was actually sick. When I got back from thr gym, Dave was asleep on the floor and Noah was just playing around him. It was kind of cute and comical.

Dave ended up going to lay down in bed. Meanwhile, I am trying to find his thermometer because he was very cuddly and felt slightly warm. As I am digging around in the closet Noah comes to me, pulls his binky out of his mouth and hands it to me, then promptly throws up all over me, himself, the floor, and the wall. I didn't need a thermometer then to realize that he was indeed sick and it wasn't just a fluke accident. Dave slept through the whole ordeal...even me steam cleaning the carpet right outside his door. Got Noah cleaned up for the second time and we spent some more time cuddling in the chair. I have just now put him to bed and hope to finally take a shower. I am still smelling puke and I really don't want to think too deeply on that.
I called the doctor's office and they say its going around and to just take it easy the next few days. At least it is happening now and not right around Christmas. Truthfully, I don't love when Noah is sick (for his sake), and could live without the puke (for my sake), but since he is not so much of a cuddler on a regular basis...I am soaking up the cuddles today...and I'll just keep praying that he gets better soon.
Off to re-tuck my kid in because I hear him over the monitor and then to jump in the shower.

Discussion...

Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island....discuss.

Thankful Thursday

Random and in no random order:

I am thankful for:

1) my family...especially my men who always make me smile.

2)for busyness, but I am also thankful that we don't have much going on today.

3) silly smiles, hugs, and playtime with Noah.

4) that I was able to finish so much today

5) stopping to remember the real reason for the season.

6)being a mom to Noah...I'm having one of those mornings where just looking at him almost reduces me to tears in awe of my love for him.

What are you thankful for?

Well, I finished my Christmas cards this morning with Dave's help. He was an expert folder and helped me put labels on them. I am so glad that that project is finished. If I have your address, you should be receiving yours in the near future. We picked up our friend Ben, who is having his car being worked on. He came with us to Noah's check-up and is now camping out on the couch. It's nice that he feels comfortable and that we can keep doing other things too (like me blogging or cleaning). Anyway, it should be a fairly low-key afternoon. My friend Becky W. might come over later with her son, River to play. Other than that, I am just working on cleaning the house (which didn't happen yesterday because we ran errands all afternoon). I enjoy friends coming over and feeling at home here.

Anyway, have an awesome Wednesday.

Busy Tuesday

Well, I have been fabulously productive for it only being 11am. I have had a quiet time, washed the dog, showered myself, changed a poopy diaper, put away some laundry, made cookies, made lunch for Noah, and chatted with my dad. I still have to finish stuff for lifegroup tonight, pick up Christmas cards, drop off overdue books/DVD's at the library, get groceries, and pick up the house before the day is over...but I atleast have a good start on the day. I am slowly marking things off of my list. If Noah takes an early nap, I will try and get the rest of my running around done this afternoon. We'll see what the squirt does.

Weekend Update

Well, we were crazy and traveled to Bloomington, IL on Sunday right after the snow storm. We had promised my mom that we would do Christmas with her and she was counting on us....so off we went braving the snow. Thankfully, Dave is a very capable driver and does really well even in the snow. The roads weren't too terrible once we hit the Interstate. Anyway, Christmas with my mom went fine. No drama and we met her new boyfriend, Dick. He seems like a really nice man. Noah came away with quite a few new toys.

We also made quick visits with Dave's friend from vet school, Jamie and her husband Tim. They are expecting their first baby in July and just had their first ultrasound. We also made a quick visit to my friend from highschool, Brooke. It was really nice to see her as well.

I just finished ordering Christmas cards...I am a little behind in getting them done. I have been waiting on Dave's job stuff to finalize the Christmas letter. I was astounded by the # of cards that I ordered...I know THAT many people?! Those are only just the people that I had addresses for (or am able to hand out). Yikes! It will be a busy day on Wednesday when I will most likely get around to assembling them.

I feel like the month of December has passed me by like a freight train. Christmas Eve is a week from today. What?! I just blinked and here we are. I am behind in everything...Christmas cards, christmas cookies...The only thing that I am on top of is Christmas presents (so far). I am only hoping to get them out BEFORE Christmas. What have I been doing with my time...twiddling my thumbs?! Unfortunately, no...I am not really great at that anyway. Life has been busier than usual, I guess. We've traveled more this month trying to see relatives we haven't had an opportunity to see recently and Dave's job stuff has kept our minds preoccupied the last few weeks, and just life in general seems to have been on a higher speed than usual. Not that any of this is bad...its just well..busy.

I feel like I am whining...and perhaps I am. I didn't get much sleep last night and was up early. I am not a person that does well on little sleep (ask my husband). I should probably sign off now...in fear that when I read this blog in the morning I will cringe.

Have a good night...and remind me in January when I am bored out of my gourd (whatever that means) that I complained about being too busy in December. :-)

Dave Job Update

I forgot that I intended to write an update on Dave's job situation. Well, about a month ago, Dave was approached by another clinic offering him a job at what would be a "regular" practice and not emergency. He would work 4 (long) days a week and have one day off during the week and work every other Saturday until 1. Well, at that point Dave was seeking a change of some point. He has been working both Thorntown and the Emergency Clinic to make ends meet. This clinic offered to match the pay that he is making at both jobs to work 40 hours instead of 55-60/week. Needless to say it was very enticing. However, Dave also wanted to be sure that he didn't leave the emergency clinic in a lurch.

When Dave finally broke the news to the share holders at the Animal Emergency Clinic (AEC) that he was most likely going to take this job, they quickly matched the other clinic's offer and added just a little bit to keep him to stay. Enter in my pleas for prayer. Now, he had two really great offers sitting in front of him and had to choose which job he wanted. Again, a good dilemma, but a dilemma non-the-less. After further talking with the Emergency Clinic (AEC) and realizing that his leaving would almost inevitably force the AEC to close its doors (they have already lost 2 other doctor's this year and Dave is practically running the clinic at this point) and since they were able to give him enough of a raise to eventually quit Thorntown, he has opted to stay with them for the time being.

Reason's why:
1) He only has to work 3 shifts a week...with not having to go into Thorntown, he will be home much more, getting the rest he needs in between shifts and time with us, especially as the new baby enters into the picture
2) Apparently, other clinics have shown interest in him, but have passed him up for the time being so as not to put the AEC in a lurch. In another 2 years or so when Dave is ready to go into regular practice, he will send out a notice to the other clinics that he is interested in and have a potentially better choice of where he wants to work long-term.
3) If he quits, and the the AEC closes, he will then have to take on on-call hours at whatever clinic he would work at. This screws him and all the other veterinarians in town. Although it was an awful burden on him to be the "fall" guy since the other two doctors left first, he felt that at this time leaving would not be in anyone's best interest.
4) We know that eventually Dave wants to be in a "regular" practice. The timing though was not until the kids were ready to enter school. Right now, he gets to be home a lot more with Noah and is very much a part of his life due to his hours at the AEC. When the new baby comes, I will need the most help during the day with 2 kiddos. Although I am sure I would have managed fine on my own, it's nice knowing that Dave will be around to help out. And, for days like yesterday, when we spur-of-the-moment decided to go to Faith Baptist and work out and swim at 10am in the morning it's nice having him around.

I realize that Dave's job at the AEC, although it has some funky hours and he does miss out on some night-time activities, is really a god-send. There are not many families that get their husband/dad home the majority of the day throughout the week. For that, we are very thankful.

And for what it's worth...I'm really proud of Dave. He has shown himself to be a man of integrity in the work force causing other clinics to notice him for his capabilities and his work ethic. He has the respect of a lot of other clinicians in town (based on the responses we have heard through this whole process). Most of the technicians that he works with also work with other clinics and have (as far as we know) all speak highly of Dave...thus leading to the one offer and the interest from some of these other clinics. Yes, I'm bragging...I know, but I am proud of who Dave is and all that he accomplished only being out of school for a little less than 2 years.

At the end of the day, God heard our prayers seeking for a solution to Dave's hectic work hours and his being constantly run-down. They are close to hiring two more doctors at the AEC, which will give him a much needed rest (going back to the 4th week being on call, but having no scheduled shifts) and with his raise at AEC meeting our needs, he is planning on leaving Thorntown at around the time the baby is born. He will give them 3 months to get transitioned, but his plan is to be completely done by the time that the new baby enters the picture. He has really enjoyed his time there, but in essence, he was working himself out of a job there anyway...making enough business so that they could hire someone full-time. So, we have seen the hand of God working through this whole situation. Dave and I have grown closer as we have talked at length about the different possibilities and what was best, and praying together. Looking back, I see God moving through it all. Thanks God for always providing for our needs and knowing when we've had "enough". Your grace is truly sufficient.

Saturday Snow

Well, the snow has started. I opted to not drive to Indy today for a birthday party for Jen's (my stepsister) daughter Mallory's birthday. Dave was concerned about me driving by myself with Noah in this weather so I decided not to go. However, looking out the roads aren't even bad yet. Oh well.

We have spent the day baking cookies. I need to start cleaning and packing for our trip tomorrow. We are headed to Bloomington, IL to visit my mom and do Christmas with her and my grandma (and meet her new man...my mom's...not my grandma's). Meanwhile, the Hallmark Channel is running Loves Enduring __________ (all 5 or so of them) marathon. Dave and I are both sucked in and have it on in the background.

Noah just came out from his nap, threw a fit on the floor, and promptly fell back asleep. He is just laying on the floor in the living room completely conked out. It's rather amusing. :-) So, now off to continue with the rest of the day.

Date night

Ben, Zach, and Jesse all came over tonight to watch Noah while Dave and I went out. We actually decided to hang out with Abby and Rocky tonight...and had oodles of fun. First off, Noah was apparently really well behaved for the guys. These guys are all guys I trust implicitly and I had no qualms about leaving Noah with them. Noah didn't even care that we had left because he was so busy being entertained by them. It's also heartening for Dave and I to see other men invest their time and in Noah...it will make him a better, well-rounded man in the future.

We met Abby and Rocky at TGIFridays. We hadn't been there in a long while. Anyway, we had a blast. We took up 2 hours just chatting and catching up. It's freakish how similar we are as couples. Dave and Rocky are both eerily similar in some respects. And they have always said that Abby and I are very much alike...perhaps its why we get along so well with them. Seriously, its been months since we've hung out, but we just picked up where we left off and had a grand old time. I haven't laughed that hard in long while.

When we got home, we hung out with the guys for a little while (who were playing nintendo). Now, the guys have left and Dave (who got sucked in) is still sitting on the floor playing nintendo. The theme to Super Mario 3 keeps playing over and over again. At some point, I will have to pry his fingers loose and convince him that he needs to go to bed.

It has been another good day...2 in a row. Thanks Jesus for giving us two really wonderful days in order to rest and restore ourselves.

A good day

Yesterday, both Dave and I declared we had good days. It started with me being able to sleep in, while Dave got up with Noah. I woke up to him in the kitchen making both Chili and cookies. (It was a really cute picture). He then played with Noah while I went to have my root canal finished (the only low-point in the day...but I got caught up on my People magazine while I was there).

Afterwards, we went to Lillian's 3rd birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. It was a lot of fun. Dave had a blast (as did Noah) playing with all the games. We got Lillie a vet kit...and fortunately she really liked it. Dave thought to promote her love of animals. Someday she'll be working in the clinics with him. :-) By the time we got home, Noah was ready for nap. I used the time to continue working on our christmas cards (by work I mean I am still writing the letter because Dave's section keeps changing, and trying to find a picture for the front of the card...we're not even to the sending out part yet). Dave tore apart the van and changed the rear brakes. I ran to Auto Zone for him (which apparently won me some pretty nice wife points). It didn't take him long to do and there were no other hiccups in the process (it usually ends up being a really long project because something else goes inevitably wrong...but not yesterday). He felt really good about finishing that project since it had been on the books for awhile. He then came in and helped me finish cleaning the house. He was having some guys over to the house, while I went with some ladies to see the movie Enchanted.

He also got the final phone call about all the job stuff that solidified his decision...so he is at peace now and so am I with where we are at. As soon as I get permission from Dave, I will probably post another blog about it, explaining. But, in the meantime, thanks for your prayers...We really felt them in the last few days as the decision making process was at its peak.

Guys/girls night was a lot of fun. It ended up being just friends from lifegroup that joined in the fun. Dave had William, Gabe, and Frank over to do guy things (eat chili and drink beer) while I hung out with Jonell, Jess, and Sheena (Frank's fiance) at the movie. Yes, Enchanted is cheesy, but pretty amusing as it makes a lot of fun of typical Disney movies. They're right in saying its a good family movie. It has some of my fav characters in there as well: Susan Sarandon plays the wicked witch, Idena Menzel plays the "other" woman, and of course there is McDreamy. :-)

When I got home, Dave and I spent a good hour just talking through his decision and about the day in general. This job dilemma has really allowed us to talk a lot more lately, which has been nice. So, last night we just chatted for awhile and both declared that we had had really nice days.

Today...he is at Thorntown this morning. Noah and I are going to finish up the last of the Christmas shopping and pick up Dave's drycleaning. Then, Ben Champoux and Zach Miller (friends from church who are both really good with Noah) are coming over to watch Noah while Dave and I head out on a date. I'm really looking forward to it. It should be another good day.

Wordless Wednesday- "Big Helper"

Prayerful Decisions

Without being able to go into much detail, I would ask for your prayers for our family...especially Dave. He is facing some job dilemma's right now (good ones), but it is hard to decide what the right decision is for our family. Please pray that God gives him a peace about whatever decision he reaches and that it would indeed be the best decision at this time. Thanks in advance for your prayers. We know that God is faithful and He will lead us where we need to go.

Monday

Today has been nice. It started with a phone call from my neighbor to let me borrow some maternity clothes. It's so fun "shopping" in other people's closets. Well, after I was done, she offered to watch Noah while I finished my reading for my meeting with Leah. It was so nice to read in peace. After I picked him up, had lunch, and laid him down for his nap...Leah came over and we talked about the book we are reading, Power Healing. It's actually a really good book. I have learned a lot from it and its pretty insightful and has met me where I am at right now.

I also made chocolate dipped pretzels for our RVC party tonight. That was fun. I made sure to do it while Noah was napping. I'm sure he would have "helped", but I just decided to get it done by myself.

The afternoon has been pretty low-key. I have made my dinner list for this week. I find that if I don't plan out dinners for the week, we resort to mac and cheese and frozen pizza. Now I just need to hit Meijer. We are just biding our time now until the party at 6pm.

This blog is not really exciting...sorry about that. It hasn't been an overly exciting day here.

Sunday cont.

Well, Dan and Darlene called and wanted to hang out...which totally made my day brighter. I haven't hung out with them in such a long while. Kauffman and Mikey came over as well and we made tacos and chilled. The guys did a great job of keeping my wild child entertained. They even taught him the basics of Nintendo...although Noah was more interested in trying to control both remotes at the same time. It was nice to have company to break up the day. I love having people over at the house. I don't always have "party plans" on hand...but if people want to hang out and chill...they are always welcome.

In other news, I went back to Target today and got the camera. Dave is currently playing with it right now. We finally just put the imp to bed. He should be good and worn out from playing. Maybe, just maybe he'll sleep in just a little bit tomorrow. :-) Now I need to go unwind myself. I need to get caught up on my reading (Power Healing) before I meet with Leah tomorrow. Have a great night!

Sunday

It's mid-afternoon and I am antsy. Noah is napping...I should be catching up on reading, but I am wanting to run to Meijer to get some shopping done so I can bake for tomorrow. Oh good...Noah just woke up.

Saturday

Well, Noah didn't sleep in. All morning I was in a funk...just not feeling good and my patience was nil. Finally, when Noah went down for his nap, I decided to lay down myself. Two and a half hours later I wake up to Noah UNDER my bed playing. What the heck?! Dave was home, so I was not being a bad mom...I just couldn't believe that I slept that long. Fortunately, it really helped my mood. I am still struggling a little with walking...I have a hitch in my hip that keeps catching (if that makes any sense at all). Bottom line...it hurts when I walk...bad. Not much I can do about it until the chiropractor on Monday. Oh well.

Anyway, on another note...our camera (3.2 megapixels and well loved) has started dying. So, this season we have been on the hunt for a new camera. Even better, through some bonuses at work, the cost of one for us is virtually nothing. We talked with the geek squad at Best Buy and decided on the Sony Cybershot. Well, we have tried ordering it online at 2 different places for a lot less than in stores. They keep calling us back after confirming our orders to say they are out of stock for 6-8 weeks. So, after all that, we decided to just go ahead and buy it at Target (with a $50 giftcard and getting 10% off our purchase for starting a Target card). It's a frickin awesome camera. I love it. However, it has one little hiccup when we try to get it on the sports mode. Dave is now taking it back to Target to see if they can either fix it or exchange it. (pause). He just called me...they took the camera back since that function wasn't working. However...they have NO MORE IN STOCK. What's the deal?! We have a raincheck to go get one for the same price and he told me that they get trucks in every day. I guess I'll just have to keep checking. Grrrrrrr.

On a more upbeat note (the camera WAS supposed to be upbeat until the phone call just came in) we had a very nice day at home today. Dave didn't have to work last night or today, so he was well-rested and we just hung out. Noah was pretty high-strung. We watched Amazing Grace. I thought it was good from what I caught of it. Trying to watch a movie like that with a toddler running around and jumping on you and poking your eye saying "eye" makes focusing a little difficult. I think I got the gist though.

Now I am catching the end of a Lifetime Christmas movie that I started but didn't get to finish a few days ago. I can hear Dave pulling in so I had better sign off.

If you have read the previous posts...let me fill you in:

Dave got called into an emergency C-section right as he was ready to walk out the door. I forgot my own underwear (but managed to bring Dave 3 extra shirts, 2 pairs of underwear and socks for him...just in case.)

Dave did the C-section in 25 minutes, only putting us about an hour behind. It worked out since I decided to pack the car by myself, pick up the pics we needed at Walmart and get gas after he called with the news to save time later. The snow didn't really hit until we were about 30 minutes out so it worked out just fine.

As for underwear, Dave graciously offered to go to Walmart for me to pick me up a pair when I found out that I had packed everything but.

Our visit was lovely. Kaitlyn is beautiful and very low-key. She is SO tiny. I had forgotten what it was like to have a newborn around! We got to see Mike just for a little bit on Thursday evening. He had to get up and leave by 4:30am to get to work the next morning! We did Christmas that night...Noah got a really cool play cordless drill. He spent most of the night drilling in his mouth and ear. The next day, Tyler monopolized the drill for most of the day he liked it so much (Thankfully, he is ALSO getting one for Christmas). Dave and Mike both got new tools, and Laura and I both got Clinique make-up from one another. It was a very nice (early) Christmas.

Of course, Noah and Tyler both slept in super late yesterday since I got up early because I thought they had already roused. Now that we are back home and had a late night, Noah was up...as usual...Someday he'll get the concept that Saturdays are meant to sleep in...For now, we have on some cartoons and he is terrorizing his toys, while I am slowly waking up.

Gotta get started on the large laundry pile that I have from whenever we come back from traveling. But other than that, our plans are minimal for the day. Have an awesome Saturday!

Noah tried getting up at 5:45am this morning. Nice try kid, but no dice. Well, around 6:20 he got up and started playing in his room. I finally decided to just let him play in there since he was happy for a little while, buying me a few extra minutes to lay under the warm blankets and listen to his antics. I imagine it will be an early nap time today. I am trying to get his stuff all packed so that I can finish all mine while he is sleeping. I would also like to try and leave my house in a semblance of order...although I am realistic enough to know that it won't be spotless.

There are apparently some snow storms coming later this evening, so we want to get on the road as soon as Dave gets home from Thorntown. Unfortunately, they usually let him go fairly early on the days we have nothing else going on. But on days like today, they will inevitably keep him late(r).

Oh look...I just peeked outside and the sun is starting to rise. That's pretty.

Packing is an all day event when you have a family. It took me awhile to pack when I was single...but now packing for a husband, a kid, and yes, now even the dog...It takes some skill and frankly some time. Because if something is inevitably forgotten...its usually on my head...or worse its something that I, myself, really wanted to bring but forgot in the midst of worrying about everyone else's stuff. Ah well.

I think I'm going to jump in the shower and attempt a quiet time since Noah is himself actually being quiet. It's been a few days since I had a quiet time and I don't really want to fall back into old habits since the breakthrough...so for those of you who see me regularly...hold me accountable!

Traveling Thursday

I am knee deep in laundry, picking up the house, wrapping presents, and trying to organize enough to pack for tomorrow's travels. We are finally getting the chance to see Dave's brother Mike and his family...and the newest addition, Kaitlyn. She was born mid-November, but we haven't gotten an opportunity to see them yet. We are remedying that tomorrow however...and driving over to Rochelle, IL for a visit. Hopefully the roads will be kind to us. Off to go put away laundry and hit the sack.

Wordless Wednesday

The lion and the lamb...

Noah's BFF

Noah has a new BFF. Kelsey came to visit this morning and Noah was all about her. He usually takes a little while to warm up to people. However, with Kelsey he kept bringing her book after book and crawling into her lap. He brought her his shoes and wanted her to put them on him. He was just very much into her. Kelsey went with us to Chik-Fil-A to meet Summer and the girls. When we got ready to leave, he didn't hesitate in leaning over and hugging and kissing her goodbye. Unfortunately for us, Kelsey is leaving for Colorado on Sunday for a 3 month stay. I realize that she is excited about this new venture, but we are really going to miss her. She has brought a lot of love and great dynamics to our lifegroup. Have an awesome time in CO Kelsey! We will miss you...especially Noah.

Melodic Monday

I figured since this is the song I keep referencing in my blogs...perhaps it should have a place in Melodic Monday. If you have i-tunes...you should totally download it. :-)

Came To The Rescue
by Hillsong United album:

Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek Your face
Lord all I am is Yours

My whole life
I place in Your hands
God of mercy
Humbled I bow down
In Your presence at Your throne

I called You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
I wanna be where You are

In my life
Be lifted high
In our world
Be lifted high
In our love
Be lifted high

Noah's Dedication

Noah was dedicated this morning. Simply, Dave and I vowed to raise him to know and love Jesus. Both sets of parents were there. It was really great to be surrounded by family this morning. This morning, during worship we sang the song, "I called...you answered." I find it amusing that that song was the catalyst for my spiritual re-evaluation almost 2 months ago. Now, singing it today...I really feel as though God did indeed answer.

After the dedication, we came home. My dad had made pulled pork and we hung out here at the house. Later, after my parents left, Dede and I went shopping for awhile while the boys watched football and slept.

I have been so thankful to Dave for his support especially the last few days. He has really been on top of the "daddy" card. Meaning, besides the usual playing and discipling he has been doing a lot more of the routine things without me having to ask. It has been really nice...especially as it is getting harder for me to change positions fast anymore. We haven't had much time together recently between my trip to Champaign and his work and then the dedication today, but what we have had has been nice. I am so thankful for my guys and all the fun and joy they bring me. :-)

Now, Dave is off to work overnight, Noah is in bed, and I am pooped. I just finished straightening the house and am about ready to take a bath and finish my reading for my meeting with Leah tomorrow. Have a good night!

Breakthrough

Last night's prayer session with Melinda went really well. I feel as though I have finally had a breakthrough. I still feel like I need to be proactive and keep seeking more of God...but last night I felt a real glimpse of my need for him. I asked for prayer for my submission. Last night, I was able to really confess my attitudes and even my doubts and just sit before God. In my tears, I realized how much I really needed God and how I was not capable of being "God" by myself. Yes, I realize these are basic principles...but this is where I was at. So, thanks to everyone who has prayed for me faithfully during this time. I have really felt your prayers.

Friday Prayer

Today started with me actually getting up before Noah. I ate breakfast and showered...all by myself without anyone opening the bathroom door and visiting me while showering leaving the bathroom cold, or even opening the shower curtain to just say hi. It was like being at a spa. So this is what it feels like to shower by oneself.

Dave came home from his overnight shift...we chatted for a few minutes. After Noah woke up, he started carrying around the book that Dave had made for him...so of course Dave had to read it to him before heading to bed.

Now, I am just finishing getting ready for the day and will maybe start picking up (what I do every hour of every day it feels like). I am going through a faze where I hate clutter. Eventually, the futility of this faze will hit and I will sit in clutter and kids toys once again. But, for the immediate future I am determined to stay on top of it.

Heather Martin will be coming over for lunch around 11ish. Then I head for Champaign this afternoon to meet with my friend Melinda for some intense prayer time concerning my spiritual well-being the last month or so. It's time for this to reach some sort of head. So, if you're thinking of me this afternoon (and why wouldn't you be? :-) ) Say a prayer that God really meets Melinda and I in a powerful way tonight. Pray that I am willing to "go the distance" to fully submitting myself to God again...for I feel that is part of the key. I'm tired of swimming in the muck and need some fresh faith in my life.

Thanks my blogging friends. I appreciate it!

My day (in bullets)

• Chatted with Sara P. this morning while she was on her way to work.
• Received phone call from Becky C.: Yes, I can watch Caed for her today while she teaches.
• Had playdate at my house for 2 hours with my neighbor.
• Becky dropped off Caed (who slept the entire time minus about 15 minutes at the end).
• My neighbor left, Noah went down, (picked up, swept/mopped the kitchen floor) Caed woke up around 12:15.
• Jonelly was having car problems-but I couldn't get to her because I didn't have an extra carseat for Caed.
• Jonelly's car gets fixed...she offers to come over for a bit.
• Meanwhile, I am feeding Caed-Jonelly comes over. Chester goes crazy and barks and scares the snot out of poor Caed who cried inconsolably until his mom came home 10 minutes later.
• Noah wakes up early from his nap from all the hubbub.
• I got the offer to have lunch with Becky and Jonelly, but I was a little pooped afterwards, so I declined (they were really understanding).
• Attempts #2 and #3 fail to get Noah back to sleep. I gave up.
• Did 3 loads of laundry, folded, and put away clothes.
• Ironed ~10 of Dave's dress shirts.
• Cooked a well-balanced meal (chicken, noodles, and peas)
• Ran to Meijer to get more eggs to make cupcakes for tonight.
• Cupcakes are currently in the oven.
• Noah is bathed and closing in on bedtime (I hope!)

As an aside...I am normally not this domestic. For instance, I haven't ironed in...well a really long time...and making meals for my picky men is not always fun, so I sometimes get lazy. Today, was just a busy day...so I decided to keep staying busy before I completely crash this evening and give in to my guilty pleasure of watching a little Grey's Anatomy and settling in for some "mommy quiet time".

However, I will currently settle for Wheel of Fortune and a chocolate cupcake to start the evening out. :-)

All in all, it was a good day.

Wild Child

For the last hour, Noah has literally been running around our house at full speed. He did about 10 or so laps around the chairs in our living room, chased the dog for awhile, splashed about half of his bath water out of his bath, sprayed lotion everywhere, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

I finally went back to Kohls today and tried to use my Kohl's bucks. I had to take some stuff back too...well I took the stuff back first. In doing so, I negated over half of my bucks back...It was incredibly sad. So, the NB shoes that I ended up buying were $20 instead of free (still a good deal though).

On the bright side, Dave and Noah ran to Meijer for me (yea!) and cleaned up after dinner. That was a nice treat.

I went to the doctor again today. Everything is looking good. The baby has been really squirmy and kicking a lot lately. Today was no different. My doctor told me that at our next appt. she will do a quick ultrasound to check the status of gender. YEA! Our appointment is scheduled on Dec. 24 at 10:00am. So, we'll see if we get the gift of finding out. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, in case it doesn't actually happen...or junior is stubborn again. However, its nice to know that she is so willing to do it (and not sock on extra charges). Dave and I want to do something nice for her for Christmas...any ideas? The other good news that she told me is that I can take the sleep-aid, Unisom. Now, I really don't want to over-use this...but taking 2 hours to fall asleep and having restless leg syndrome (according to the MD) as well as waking up every 45 min-hour all through the night...I'm tired, and long for a good nights sleep. Especially knowing that once the kiddo comes, sleep will be non-existent anyway.

Dave put some outside lights on today. He hung icicle lights along the line of the roof. It looks fabulous! We also finally got the stockings hung and the last of the inside decorations taken care of. I LOVE IT! It's so homey looking. I love this time of the year. :-)

So, now I need to take the wind out of Noah's sails and start readying (sp?) him for bed. I'm hoping that eventually, he will sleep really well tonight. Here's hoping.

Wordless Wednesday

Imp Infestation

We have an imp problem. We have this imp that keeps showing up in random places. He is a troublesome imp too. No matter what we do to exterminate...it keeps coming back....

In the dryer...
In the laundry room trying to escape out the cat door....

In our cupboards....

On top of the changing table...

Yep...we have an imp problem. But, for some reason, we keep this imp around. He's one of those pests that we can live with. :-)

Happy Holidays

This is my favorite time of the year. The christmas tree is up glowing in the living room. I love just sitting in my chair and watching it. Noah is doing an OK job of not messing with the ornaments...although he's given into temptation a few times and gotten into trouble. This time of year is even more important to remember why we celebrate it.

Thank you Jesus for being born of this earth, leading the life you did, and dying on a cross for our sins. You are the true reason for the season.

Glorious Sleep!!!

Last night I banked a consecutive 7 hours of solid good sleep. No bathroom breaks, no laying in bed for 2 hours trying to fall asleep, even no leg pains. I woke up at 4:45 to use the bathroom and felt like it was morning. It was WONDERFUL! I haven't slept that well in months.

Perhaps it was because the night before I woke up at 3:30am to hit the after Thanksgiving sales. Every year, I vow that I will not get up early to do it...and every year I get sucked in by the good deals (Dave and I are very frugal...and bargain hunters to a fault). I arrived at Kohls and almost stood in the middle of the aisles crying and shaking like a scared child. It was a mad house! Last year, Summer and Bill went with me and it made for a much more positive experience. This year...not so much. I almost just walked out. Yes, I realize that it's consumerism at its worst. However, there were a few glimmers of the Christmas spirit that still eeked out occasionally. For instance, as I am waiting in line, the women behind me were very helpful in helping me push my stuff forward (one was pregnant too). They even held my place while I ran to get some last minute things. We started up some good conversation and by the end of the line, I felt that I had made friends. The couple in front of me also started helping me shove my stuff towards the end of the line. Small acts, I know...but it was nice to know that there was a "team" effort in it...and that perhaps the Christmas spirit hadn't been completely forgotten in the midst of bargain hunting.

Dave and I managed however to get a good jump start on Christmas shopping and were able to mark a lot of people off our list. By last night though...I was so bone weary I had no problem's falling asleep. This morning, Noah and I are having a lazy Saturday morning. We have no real plans for today, so we may just stay put for awhile. Dave will be coming home from work shortly and will most likely be camped out in bed for most of the day. I imagine he's pooped.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's been a nice day here. Dave has the turkey in the oven, my apple crisp just went in. Soon, we will be headed to the Pool's to celebrate the thanksgiving meal with other friends from RVC.

We have scouted out the day after Thanksgiving ads. I am still trying to decide if I am going to make an appearance tomorrow. There are only a few places that I would consider hitting. We'll see what the day brings.

In light of the day, I thought I would reflect on what I am thankful for...so here is my list:

1) My family...especially my men and the little one still to come. They make me laugh and bring me joy.
2) For sleeping in this morning (give thanks for little perks!)
3) For our church family and all that God is doing through it.
4) For the lessons I am learning and the knowledge that God does not desire us to "stay" where we are at.
5) Good friends who bring joy and guidance into our lives.
6) For all these and more.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Dr. Dave to the rescue!

To get ourselves out of the house this afternoon, we decided to head to Columbian Park. Dave met us there from running his errands. As we parked and were getting out, a small dog ran out into the road and all we heard was the thud as a car rolled over it and the dog started yelping in pain. I yelled to Dave and he went over as the owner was running out of the house. The driver of the vehicle never stopped. After explaining to the owner that he was indeed a veterinarian and not a crazy person trying to get involed, Dave ended up doing a roadside exam. He had his stethoscope in his car and listened to the dogs heart/lungs. Although the dog seemed stable, he wasn't putting pressure on his back end. Dave was concerned there was some damage there. He recommended that the guy take it in to have x-rays and a more thorough examination. It was the strangest experience! Seriously, if anyone was to be around when it happened, it was sort of amusing that it was an emergency vet. So, after the guy agreed to take the dog in, we headed over to the park to play.

We had a blast. Noah really really needed to get out. It was also really nice to see Dave too. He worked 36 of the last 48 hours and slept this morning. So, I think he enjoyed being outside and playing as well. We had a great time. Now, we are just enjoying a quiet evening at home.

I'm the dork that posts Melodic Monday on a Tuesday. I have no concept of days this week. It's been a strange start to the week. With Noah being sick, we haven't gotten out much. His temp was down (but still present) yesterday. He whined basically the whole day and slept a lot still. Poor buddy. It made for a long day...for both of us.
Thankfully, Summer and Halie came over in the evening to help break up the day and give me some adult company.

Both Dave and I are experiencing some depressing days. Dave is tired and can't catch up with sleep...He's being overworked at the clinic and is trying to juggle too many things. Along with technicians leaving and having none of them wanting to cover their holiday shifts...he is feeling the stress. Mine is just being home with a sick kid, trying to work out my spiritual issues, and finding my joy again. It's been an interesting few days. Tomorrow, we are hoping to go see a movie together and have some "date" time. I am really really looking forward to it.

Ann called last night and we had a good chat. She listened and prayed for me, which was much needed. Melinda and I are also going to try and meet next week to talk and pray. It's time. I'm ready for something to give.

I ended up cancelling lifegroup tonight. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, people getting sick, work schedules, etc. It just seemed like everyone had a lot on their plates. For those who were planning on coming, they can now have a night off to relax. Noah is still not feeling 100% so it would have been hard to take him to childcare as well.

Dave is off meeting with Tony now, but I am hoping when he comes back that I can maybe sneak off and get my haircut...by myself. It would be wonderful. We'll see if it happens though. He hasn't had much sleep and seems to be pretty tired right now. He may come back home and crash for the rest of the afternoon.

This is kind of a rambly blog...sorry about that.

Melodic Monday

Jonelly is a rockstar in her creativity...I too am stealing her Melodic Mondays.

U2's "I still haven't found what I am looking for" is my pick for the week. 1) It's an AWESOME song. 2) It speaks to me right now.

I have climbed highest mountain
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you

I have run I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing in her fingertips
It burned like fire
This burning desire

I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for...

Down for the Count

The wedding yesterday was lovely. It had some Irish themes to it complete with a bag piper and Irish dancers at the reception. Dave and I still made it an early night...I just feel old sometimes. We were home by 10pm. Oh well.

Noah woke up this morning running a 101 degree fever. It was enough that he just laid on me right off the bat and not knowing the source, I decided not to bring him to church today. His nose is really running and he has a bad cough as well. I am doubting its a teething fever. My parents stayed with me for part of the morning, but as soon as they left...Noah fell asleep. That was at 10:45am. It is now 1:40pm, and although he has woken up twice, he can't seem to get out of bed. The first time he woke up, he cried so I went to get him and he had fallen asleep again in an awkward position. So, I rearranged him and he slept for another 30 min. He just woke up a few minutes ago, but when I went to carry him from the bed, he demanded to be put down down and went screaming back to his bed. So, I just laid him back down again and he is passed out again. The poor dude. He is clearly not feeling well. Any good parenting advice for the day? I am letting him sleep as long as he needs it. I figure his little body is a better indicator of what he needs then his "I'm not sure what's wrong with him" mom.
It was an interesting morning. I truly can't remember the last time I missed services at RVC...I think it might have been February when we attended a wedding out of town. But, here I was taking a nap with my son at 11am this morning, right as the second service was about to begin. I admit, it was kind of weird...but given Noah's state...I think I made the best decision. I'm sure Summer appreciates me not bringing my sick kid to the breeding grounds. :-)

So, if you need me, I'll be camped out in my pajama's cuddling a sick little imp and watching movies on the tube.

Friday/Saturday

Yesterday, Dave spent the whole day at home. We all hung out (I was even able to take a nap at my leisure!). It wasn't a highly eventful day, but it was nice to just be together as a family. We did some planning for holiday stuff that we just haven't had a chance to sit down and discuss prior to this...so that was good. We watched a few movies throughout the day. Dave made a cheesecake and chex mix and we got to have some silly time with Noah. All in all, it was a very nice day.

I am still having problems sleeping at night though. It takes me over 2 hours to actually fall asleep. My left leg keeps feeling a little numb, but it causes a lot of discomfort, therefore restlessness. It's driving Dave crazy as he is not getting a good night's sleep either. Frankly, I'm not too excited about it myself. I'll have to call soon to find out if my MD will let me take anything to take the edge off so that I (and Dave) can sleep. At best, last night I had a 4 hour stint of sleep...beyond that I woke up every hour or two for some reason (bathroom, Noah, uncomfortable). Hopefully there can be some resolution that allows Dave and I to both get rest for the next 4 months.

Today, my parents are coming to watch Noah while Dave and I attend a wedding in Indy. I am going to have to wade through the closet and find some appropriate maternity clothes for the occasion. The wedding is for one of Dave's technicians.

Chilly day thoughts

I just woke up from a nap...and on this crazy chilly day...it was awesome. I have been feeling a little under the weather the last few days. Hard to tell if it's pregnancy or something else though. Anyway, Noah too has been napping for awhile...I wonder if he isn't feeling a little off himself. We rented a few movies that I would love to curl up and watch this afternoon whenever Dave gets home. But, the crazy guy is seriously considering playing frisbee golf in this weather (it's around 39 degrees here).



This kind of weather makes me want to put up the Christmas tree, string some lights, and drink hot chocolate. I am so ready for the Christmas season this year! For years, I worked retail...and hated the Christmas holidays. But in the last few years, my heart has softened and I love so much about it. Perhaps too, I am maturing in realizing the reason for the season. I want to find some cool family traditions to start with Noah to help him understand the true meaning of Christmas. Ideas for the table anyone?



So, now I am just waking up and waiting for Dave to call and let me know his plans. I still might make some hot chocolate and stare at the place where my tree will soon sit (day after thanksgiving baby!)



I am 20 weeks along pregnancy wise...for those that don't see me often, I will try to get a belly shot posted soon. The baby moves often every day. I am getting excited...especially after hearing about Kaitlyn Marie. I am also smart enough to sleep as often as I can right now...because adding the second one will surely be an adjustment for awhile.



OK, clearly my tiredness is directing my rambled musings. Off to go check the mail and get on with my day.

Wordless Wednesday

Yesterday was definitely an interesting day. I met with Tony at Starbucks in the afternoon. The difference between guy/girl meeting and girl/girl meetings: We discussed EVERYTHING that was on my mind, then some stuff about the church, then some other stuff that was also really good...and still were done in an hour. I can't make that happen when I talk with other women. :-) We always end up digressing, coming back, yelling at children, reconvening, cleaning up a spill, back to conversation, etc. Perhaps it wasn't the talking to a guy as much as it was I was child-free for an hour and the distractions were minimal. Anyway, I left feeling like I had a little bit more sense of direction and that I am on the right track.

I came home to find out that our friends, Ryan and Becky's basement flooded...with a lot of fairly expensive band equipment down there as well as leaving a BIG mess. I ran over a few fans and to survey the damage. That kind of thing just stinks all the way around. But, they are both handling it much better than I think I would, so kudos to them.

I ran and got some pizza, since at this point, I didn't really have time to make dinner (oh darn) before Dave had to leave for the BIG annual homeowner's association meeting, which he is/was the president of...and I had to leave for lifegroup. Dave, for the last year, has been the president of our neighborhood homeowner's association. It's pretty much a no glory position...dealing with a lot of complaints...most of which he could do nothing about...etc. Well, he presented last night at the annual meeting and facilitated it.

Meanwhile, I ran lifegroup...it was such a strange night there last night. We were all a little off and goofy. It's nice though that our group is comfortable enough to laugh together. Our group ended the earliest it has ever, so I (like the good leader that I am) shot out of there as fast as I could to catch the end of Dave's meeting.

When I got there, he beamed me a great smile that made the whole trip worth it and I got to watch proudly as he fielded questions and kept the meeting going forward...not an easy task when you have a lot of hot-headed people in a room who all want their issues addressed, but don't want to handle it themselves. (Pretty impressive run-on sentence too) I was really proud of him. He still put himself on the board for next year...but he has vowed that he won't be the president. We'll see what happens. There are at least 8 board members as opposed to last years four.

So, it was a crazy night, but it all turned out OK. Dave worked last night after all this hoop-la, so is now snoozing away the morning catching up on some zzzzz's. Noah is dressed...I am still in my pajamas. At least one of us is ready to start the day.

Kaitlyn Marie

That is the name of our newest niece! Dave's brother and sister-in-law...Mike and Laura, just had their second baby today! She was born 8lbs 8oz (2 weeks early!) and 20in long. Everyone was doing well when I got the call and she had a healthy wail going on in the background. Tyler is now an older brother. :-) It's nice, because now I can get the skinny from Laura on what having a second one is like. Congratulations Mike and Laura! We are so happy for you!

Cool storm

Last night, I was awakened by the storm churning outside. I am convinced that at one point we had a little bit of hail. However, at 3:45am...I wasn't really in the mood to check it out to verify. I have had huge problem's sleeping lately...mostly not finding a comfortable position. However, last night...even though the storm woke me up, I found it rather soothing. And it actually lulled me back to sleep. Sweet.

Mall playland

This morning, Noah and I went with Dave on the search for a new pair of brown shoes. Noah did a great job at the mall, so when we hit the Sears side, we decided I would sit with him at the play area while Dave shopped the last few stores. The 20-30 minutes I was there were memorable. First, I had some lady get in my face and ask me if I wanted an Avon book. I politely said "no thanks" which she seemed completely taken aback that I would have the audacity to say no to such an offer when I was confronted in the middle of a play area and she was blocking the view of my kid. Seriously lady.
Then, another mom comes in with a little girl around Noah's age. Mind you there are some older children playing now (4-6 years). Clearly, the little girl was not very interested in the play area. However, the mom sat her down in the center of the floor where she was promptly bumped into by the running pack of children that were racing around. Of course, the girl started crying and the mom swoops into rescue her while yelling at the children. She then gets this look of complete anger, and stalks out of the area. It wasn't the seeking resitution that bothered me...it was how she stalked out of the play area like she couldn't believe that such ruffians would be allowed to play there. Listen lady, if you are willing to subject your child to the bowels of the play area, you might have to deal with the likes of bigger children with no manners. Not to say that you shouldn't protect your child and seek restitution if necessary...but come on...you know what you walked into.
Finally, this was my favorite one. After this incident, one of the older boys does end up getting in trouble for running the girl down. His mom makes him sit down in a corner where he proceeds to throw the biggest whiniest fit I have seen in awhile. I, personally, laughed...thankful that it wasn't my own kid at that moment. There was another mom sitting looking at the whole scenario with this completely open look of disgust and disdain...for the full duration of this experience...which lasted a few minutes. This woman's face was priceless...as if she had never seen a tantrum before and couldn't believe that this mom was allowing such a thing to happen in public. I am sitting across the way, covering my mouth, trying not to laugh...at her! Sure, the boy was a little old to have a tantrum...but as a parent, I have learned that children have a mind of their own and sometimes they don't always do what we have trained them to do. The disgusted woman didn't even try to school her features...she just sat there with her perfect little child clinging to her side and just watched with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. If only I had a hidden camera in Noah's juice cup to catch the moment. It made me think of all the expressions I have most assuredly received without noticing when Noah acts out in public. If this lady's expression was any indication, I'm glad for my indifference. Parenting is hard lady.

It's been a fairly uneventful last two days.

Yesterday, Dave and I went out to dinner with Noah...then ran a whole bunch of shopping errands. We managed to pick up a Christmas present or two off the list. I like getting an early start. I can't wait for Christmas this year! I'm super excited to set up the tree...not super excited to see what the imp will do to it and subsequent presents underneath. We had a lot of fun as a family though. It was nice having Dave home for a few days in a stretch without any major plans. He was able to relax and just be...which was really nice for him (and us).

Today, I met with Tiffany S. for lunch at the OG. Noah was actually really good. I think since we have transitioned him to a booster at the table, he has started behaving better when we eat out at restaurants. Afterwards, I was so beat that I came home and slept 2 hours when Noah was napping. I woke up still feeling pretty rocky and just "out-of-it". Dave has been fighting something. I don't know what's going on, but I have just been feeling "run-down" yesterday and today. The nap helped, and I will probably make it to bed fairly early tonight.

I made cookies this evening, while Noah (in a rare moment where the pots and pans weren't "locked-up") found and played with them for a good 2 hours. I decided to just let him since he was playing so nicely. He cooked all sorts of things including a few animals, his monitor, and the nose sucker. He was a busy boy.

Dave's at work tonight and I'll be putting Noah to bed here in about 15 min. Then after a quick pick-up (and putting all the pots and pans away)...I am going to revel in some relaxation and try and get some rest to ward off whatever this yuckiness I feel is.

Sleepers and the Sleepless

Yesterday was a good day. I met with Leah in the morning and Abby in the afternoon. Both were really great conversations and times to bond. Noah didn't make it very well at Abby's. When we left at 5, he fell asleep in the car...and well...pretty much slept through until this morning. I tried waking him up last night around 6:30, but he was just not having it. I finally gave up and put him in his jammies and tucked him back in. I was worried that he would wake up super early to start the day. 6am is fairly early for our family, but, since I had had such a poor night of sleep myself, I decided to just get up with him.
My night consisted of being exhausted by 8 and falling asleep by 9pm. Apparently daylight savings is effecting us all in various ways. Noah coughed in the middle of the night and woke me up from a very intense dream with Booth and Brennan (from Bones) trying to solve a murder mystery having to do with a boating accident. It was very vivid. That was about 1. After that, I didn't fall back asleep until 3:45. My dreams then consisted of a Russian or Jewish (it got blurred in my sleep) concentration camp that was apparently in my house. I remember the kids pouring out of a bus and coming in. My heart was breaking. However, the woman in charge was a Christian and purposefully brought the kids there because she knew that I would be kind and teach them about Jesus and that they wouldn't have to endure any "rough" treatment. It was as almost as if they were hiding in my house from whatever the "enemy" was out there. It was incredibly BIZARRE. It was fitful sleep at best last night. When Noah woke up, I was just laying in bed awake anyway...so here we go. He woke up with a smelly surprise to kick off the day. The poor kid is now downing food like its going out of style since he missed dinner last night due to his sleep-fest.
In other news, I am getting a root canal this afternoon. I have mixed feelings about this. I have had one before, and its not the "funnest" experience I have ever had. But, my tooth is hurting and I know that it's necessary to alleviate the pain...I'm sure there is a spiritual analogy in there somewhere...I just can't wrap my fog-induced brain around it this early...Feel free to extrapolate one if you can.

Have an awesome Tuesday!

Fall Conference

Fall Conference was great. There was a lot of good teaching, some GREAT times of ministry, and some really good fellowship. I got to talk to people that I know, but never get a chance to connect with much anymore and got to meet and get to know some new people. God really showed up a lot there...and many people received some really great prayer.

Today (Sunday), a friend of mine, Becky W., who was also at the conference called and said, "This is random, but yesterday I really felt that God was telling me to prayer for you this week...so I just wanted to let you know that I will be doing that." It was such an interesting way for God to answer my prayer. If you have read the earlier blogs, you probably know about my Peter moments and also my wrestling with God. I still feel the wrestling, but in a way I almost feel like its a good thing. I feel that at the end of this, that God will reveal himself to me and the questions I have will be answered or at the very least I will have peace about the not knowing. I'm just not there yet. So anyway, I explained this to Becky and was so encouraged to know that God has asked her to intercess for me. Perhaps the end of this wrestling will come soon.

There are lines to a song that say... "There is hope...so hold on...there is hope. God has sent me here to tell you...there is hope."

I am holding on to this hope.

Update

Noah was doing better today, although still required 2 naps as opposed to his normal one per day. By this evening though, his temperature was starting to rise again. I gave him some more medicine and put him to bed early as he was a little beside himself.

I watched Caed during the day...both he and Noah slept the entire time. Noah in his bed, and Caed on me. It was fairly easy babysitting.

Kelsey came over a little later and brought Olive Garden soup for lunch. We had a really good chat and a good time of prayer. It's interesting how God uses events in our lives to relate us with other people. That's what it was like with Kelsey today...in a good way. It brought out some really cool biblical discussions...especially about Peter...my main man these days.

Afterwards, Dave got home from playing frisbee golf with Dan. He played with Noah for awhile and we watched, "Reign over me". Good movie...but deep.

That's essentially my day. No big news. Tomorrow we head to the Fall Conference through church. I am really excited and anticipating God to work in cool ways there. It's going to be awesome!

It's a Pat!

Well, we are happy to announce that, at this point, we have a healthy baby with (from what we can see) all its fingers and toes. It was moving around a lot and made it difficult to get some readings. However, the little stinker would not spread its legs. It had its butt towards us...so we have no idea what we are having. I guess its going to be a surprise unless we end up needing another ultrasound somewhere down the line. That's OK. We have enough gender neutral clothes to get us started...and the nursery is already yellow. If its a boy, we will be set and if its a girl...well garage sale season will have started by then...so we can pick up stuff then if we need it. On the cool side, as you can see by the above photo...they were able to get a 3D/4D pic...it's pretty neat. :-) We also got a video of the ultrasound on DVD...If I ever get smart enough, maybe I will try and post it later.

In other news...my toddler is running a pretty high fever. Ryan and Becky noticed it first when he was there while we were at our appointment. The only indication I had was that he was sleeping a lot today. We all thought it might be teething, but I am concerned that it might be something more. He is generally not bothered by new teeth and I often look in there surprised that he has one more. Now, he is very very cuddly and not into doing anything but laying around. Poor squirt. I gave him some medicine and hope that it will kick in soon. Hopefully it's not the flu since neither one of us have received our flu shots yet. He is now sleeping on the couch after falling asleep on Dave, while we are awaiting trick-or-treaters and eating popcorn. Hopefully, he'll feel better in the morning...

Sono today

Keep checking...Hopefully I'll have some news after our appointment at 2:15! Be praying that the baby cooperates and we can find out girl/boy! :-)

A good day

Today started with me actually getting my quiet time done in the morning...not first thing, but close. Last night was a hard night for me spiritually as I feel I am struggling with a lot of questions and am not sure how to keep moving forward in my faith. It seems that in the last 2 weeks God has brought all this to the forefront forcing me to to address and deal with it. I feel like there is progress, just no definite "Ah ha!" moments.

Summer and the kids came over in the morning. It was nice for all of us. I realize we hadn't had a play date with anyone in awhile and it was a good chance to use Summer as a sounding board for some of my deeper thoughts. Noah really enjoyed playing with the girls and having kiddos around his age to interact with. I'm pretty sure he has a crush on Isabell. :-)

After they left, I put Noah down for his nap, and finished my book. Although this book was fictional, it addressed a lot of the issues that I am currently facing. So, afterwards I was emotional and crying...a good time to spend time with the Lord...so that's what I did. I just confessed to God all the areas that I thought were holding me back...and just sat there soaking in the quiet. I then picked up Power Healing...a book I am getting ready to read with a friend. I started reading it and was blown away by the impact it was having on me. It is written by the pastor who started the Vineyard Church. His writing was so powerful because in his stories he had the same questions and feelings that I have been having. I want to see people healed of stuff. He prayed for 10 months unsuccessfully for people...finally when he gave up and became broken about it...God was able to use him. I kind of feel as though that's where I am at. I am in the process of learning to submit to God. My pride gets in the way of allowing God to do whatever he wants to do. The more I read, the more I feel I am gaining some understanding of my situation and the character of God. As much as I wish this were a quick fix...I have a feeling its going to be more of a journey in rediscovering God and learning more about his character and his love for people. Perhaps along the way, my questions will be answered and I can experience God in a really incredible way.

Moving along....When Dave and Noah woke up from their naps, we all headed to the park and played for awhile. It was such a beautiful day. We all had a blast just being outdoors and getting some fresh air.

Now, I am gearing up for our lifegroup party tonight. I am super excited to party with our friends. It should be a lot of fun.

Baptism Sunday

I love baptisms. Baptism's are symbolic of dying to your old self and becoming a new creation with Christ. They are basically your public announcement to the world that you are a Christian. I love them because they are always such joyous affairs. Today we had baptisms at church. Three of our lifegroup members took the plunge and it was awesome. What a time to celebrate!

Sleepless in Naperville

Truly, our bed was ridiculously comfortable for a hotel bed. There were more pillows on our bed alone than I think we have in our whole house...and fluffier too. No, the problem for me is I have become such a light sleeper. At 11, kids started yelling and running down the hallway. Everytime our neighbor used his faucet or flushed the toilet, it was well...for lack of a better term...loud.
Then there is the mama in me. Noah sleeping in the same room is hard! He is congested and snored and had a couple of coughing fits in the middle of the night. Poor squirt...but I was up every time. I knew when he started stirring, which was about 30 minutes before he actually got up...and I just laid in bed waiting.
We put cartoons on this morning to buy us a little extra snooze time (since he woke up at 6am). I laid in bed a little longer, but could still hear everything. Dave, fortunately was able to sleep an extra 2 hours, which I'm sure he needed after the week he has had.
Now, we're just sitting, relaxing in the hotel room...until the shower festivities start.

We're Heeeerrrree!

I am currently sitting in my hotel room in Naperville blogging this entry. Dave, my wonderful husband, paid...yes paid...the fee to get wireless internet to our room. That's the problem when you stay in a nicer hotel I guess. Speaking of nice hotels, we are staying in the Hyatt...in a suite. It's a beautiful hotel. We pricelined this hotel for a VERY low number never expecting to get it...but lo and behold, here I sit. We paid less for this hotel room than we have for motels lets just say. So...here's to the king of priceline...my husband. Don't know how he did it, but it's a great get-away.

We just finished at IKEA. We managed to come home with only a few more things than what we had planned...which for an IKEA trip, is pretty impressive. Unfortunately, they didn't have the bookshelf I wanted in the beech (maple) color...Instead, Noah got birch. Someone told Dave that mixed woods are in now. I'm not sure if that's true or not, or if he was just using it to appease me. The problem is they said that they carried it, but were out of stock and didn't expect any in for 4-6 weeks. We need a solution to Noah's room sooner than that...and we get to IKEA like once or twice a year...not often. So, birch it is. I'm sure it will look fine.

Soon, we are going to check out the pool and allow Noah to expel some energy after sitting in the car and sitting in a seat at IKEA. He has really enjoyed exploring the room and the new scenery...me too kiddo...me too. :-)

IKEA/ Shower

So, we're off to IKEA, then to Dave's cousin's shower. Dave managed to get home a little after 9 last night and banked 11 hours of good sleep last night. I even managed to sleep in a little as Noah did not wake up until 8:30!

We're packing up and heading out. Hopefully we'll get everything we need to finish off Noah's big boy room. :-)

Can't a guy catch a break?!

Poor Dave. He worked overnight last night (6pm-8am). Only got 2 hours of sleep. From there, he went straight into Thorntown and worked until around 2pm. He came home, visited with us...then we had errands to run before we left for Naperville tomorrow. He had to run to the clinic and the church office. I had to pick up some last minute things, so we rode with him. We got home around 5 and ate dinner. He then laid down on the couch for his first bit of rest for the day. Around 6:15, the phone rings and its the animal emergency clinic. They need him to come in and do an emergency C-section. Why they called him and not one of the shareholders is beyond me, but Dave groggily said that he would go in. So, that's where is at right now...doing a C-section on 2 hours of sleep. I will be SO happy when they can actually hire the correct amount of doctors so that Dave is not always being called to "fill in" (They went from 4 down to 2). It's not fair to him and I can see its also starting to wear him out. He can't take vacation though, because they have no one to cover his shifts...it's ironicly sad.
Hopefully, he'll get home at a reasonable hour and can get some much needed rest. There are fresh sheets on the bed for him to fall into...and maybe I won't even hit him if he snores. :-)

Miracles

So, on Sunday, during my life-analysis of where I was truly at, I made a bold request of God. I asked Him to show me that He still does miracles. I'm a little blown away by His response. In many ways, I am sure that I was just not looking...but here are some of the things that I have heard people tell me since Monday:

• My dad had a stroke many years ago. Because my grandma is having a series of things with her brain go wrong (and is getting testing) it reminded me of my dad's experience. I called him and we got to talking about the day that he had his stroke. What I didn't realize then was the gravity of his situation. According to the doctors, where it was and how it occurred should have killed him immediately. However, he has no significant lasting effects at all. No paralysis, no vision loss, no death. In talking with him yesterday, I was struck by the miracle that it was and that my dad is still here with me today. He was able to walk me down the aisle and has been able to see his grandchildren. Thanks God for saving my dad.
• Friends in our lifegroup relayed a story about going on vacation and before leaving, receiving an unexpected $900 check from his boss! It get's better. When they got back, he found out that his boss had paid him for a full 40 hours despite the fact that he had been on vacation for all but one day of that week. God is SO cool.
• I have a baby that is kicking me in the stomach. :-) The miracle of new life is one that should never be overlooked.
• Smaller ones are the life lessons that people are learning. I was talking to my friend Halie, and we had a great discussion about all that God is teaching us right now in our lives and how, often, in our weaknesses...God can do the most good. I also had a similar God-filled conversation with my friend Melinda. Being able to have those conversations are testimony to God's goodness.
• My sister's purse was stolen the other day...and it was found completely recovered...nothing missing (she had already cancelled her credit cards, which was wise, but still...).

I'm sure I can keep adding on....but this is what God has revealed of Himself this week. Looking back at the song we sang on Sunday, "I called....you answered"...I have a different response to that now. God DID answer and He is faithful even to assure our niggling doubts.

Lord, you didn't have to prove yourself to me...but you did. Thank you for reminding me of who you are and how much you really DO in our lives. Forgive my unbelief. Help me to always keep my eyes open to see how you are moving.

Peter

I just finished reading about Peter who wanted to walk on water with Jesus. He saw his master doing it. He believed and wanted more so he asked to come out on the water. As he was out there, a strong wind came and scared Peter, and he began to sink. Jesus admonished him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Everything within Peter should have known Jesus would have come through. He should have been able to trust Jesus. After all, he had been an eyewitness to all the miracles that Jesus had been performing. Why did he doubt?

I feel like Peter right now. I have seen Jesus do incredible things, both in my life and in the lives of others. I trusted him enough to step out on the water...only now I feel myself sinking for not having enough faith. My only encouragement is that this is only one of Peter's indiscretions, and yet God used him in incredible ways throughout the bible. Perhaps, even this story is to provide hope for those whose faith is flagging. Reach out your hand to trust in Jesus again.

I'm not sure why I feel this way right now, only that I do...and I don't like it. I want to have the faith that can move mountains, that can believe anything is possible. In church on Sunday, we sang a song that went, "I called, you answered...you rescued me." I remember thinking, what about the times he didn't? Lately, I have felt that I have prayed with trepidation about the big things in life. "God, please don't let this _________ happen to my friend." but in my heart, I am so afraid that its just going to happen anyway...and lately...it has. So, is my lack of faith getting in the way, or am I just not really seeing what God is doing? I understand in my head, that God's will is perfect and that there is a reason for everything...even the bad. I just can't seem to make my heart catch up to that reasoning.

So here I am...I still love Jesus. I still know that God can do anything...I just don't always know if He will. I am still a follower, but a broken and confused one. Perhaps I think too much about it. The children at church trust Jesus completely for their every need, their every boo-boo. They have child-like faith. When in my walk, did I lose the innocence of a child and become a jaded adult?

Lord, Help me find the faith of my youth. I still love you God, despite my confusion. Restore my faith in You Jesus. Help me to remember why I fell in love with You in the first place. You are worth the struggle to come to terms with this. Thank you for using Peter and his walk to teach me. Thank you for giving me hope that despite where I am at now, You still have a plan for my life.