Changes and Checkups

Now that we are on the mend, we seem to have taken off again. We bought paint for Noah's (new) room. We are slowly transitioning him to the guest bedroom. There is no hurry, but for some reason, once we found his bedding, the rest just fell into place. Our color choices are BOLD. When all is said and done, I will try to post some pictures. Dave is currently painting it now. Let's just say, 3 walls will be green and one wall will be a dark blue. :-)

Noah went to the Dr. today for his 15 month check up. It was good timing as well since he has been nursing this cough for awhile. He weighed in at 21lbs 9.5oz..keeping him at the 10th percentile. (He's still a little guy) He is 31" long (50th percentile) and his head maintains its 75th percentile at 48"....For all those who are interested. His chest is clear, so the cough, she thinks, is mostly due to drainage and not a bacterial infection. That's reassuring.

I know...I'm full of interesting tidbits today. :-) Well, since this blog is boring me...I should probably get back to cleaning while the wee one is sleeping.

Update

Thank you for your prayers, they were felt. Everyone seemed to sleep OK last night. Dave said he at least had a better night than the one before, although did wake up a few times. I cried out to God around 11:30pm begging for a break from the pain so that I could at least fall asleep...The next thing I know, it's 7am and Noah is starting to rouse. That was another miracle. Lately, he's been waking at around 5ish in a coughing fit and then needs to be recomforted to fall back asleep...and is restless until he finally wakes up at 7. This morning, I didn't hear him at all until 7.

In other great news, I was able to talk with my other doctor who is allowing me to take penicillin for my toothache. It's not the one my dentist wants me to take, but it should offer me SOME relief...and frankly, anything along those lines will be welcomed at this point.

So, thank you for your prayers. The plans today are to take things VERY easy and relax on the homefront. Dave and Noah have already watched Handy Manny and I managed to lay down for a little bit as well. Dave is currently resting on the couch (which is an improvement from not being able to leave bed yesterday) and is at least able to SEE Noah, which I know that he enjoys. He misses his kiddo.

I'm reading Power Healing right now, which talks about divine healing. Last night, I truly felt it...the break that I needed to rest...Lately, I have been asking God to break me so that I could truly feel Him again. Last night, I truly was at my breaking point...and when I cried out to God, He answered by taking the pain away for a time. In doing so, He also restored my faith that He truly does care and desires healing...something I had honestly been struggling with for a little while. It's so reassuring to know that He doesn't long for us to suffer or to stumble alone. He is always there. His healing was not just physical, it was spiritual too. He truly is a great God. Amen.

Prayers Needed

Dave has the stomach flu...he has been completely laid up for the last 24 hours...It's the beginning of a few days of not working, but I know that there are much better things that he would rather be doing than laying in bed. He is miserable and in a lot of pain.

I have had a horrible toothache the last 4-5 days. It encompasses the entire right side of my mouth both top and bottom and is excruciating. I have been popping tylenol like its candy and applying anbesol to the max dose recommended...and still have yielded minimal relief. I went to the dentist today. I have an infection in my back tooth and ultimately need a root canal. Unfortunately, due to a variety of circumstances...antibiotics have to be put on hold as does the root canal. Leaving me hurting and miserable and unable to really eat.

To top the night off, Noah went to bed and promptly threw up everything he had eaten all day. As I was stripping off his sheets, I just began to cry...it just became overwhelming. Summer called and prayed for our family, which has really helped my equilibrium. I just ran to Meijer to get Dave some meds and ran into our pastor (what are the odds at 9:30pm?). Again, that was encouraging.

Please be praying for speedy healing and a reduction of pain all around...as well as protection for Noah so that he doesn't get what Dave has. Thanks guys. Here's praying for a good nights rest for everyone.

Clothing Exchange

Well, last night we pulled off our own clothing exchange/fondue party. It ended up being a lot of fun...and I think that everyone went home with some "new" clothes. The idea was for everyone to bring their old clothes/shoes/accessories and we would trade out while eating fondue and drinking sparkling grape juice. I had NO idea how it would actually turn out since I have never done anything like this before, but I think it actually went pretty well. We had some newer faces that got into the fun. My crowning moment was coming home with an Olympic duck duck goose t-shirt. :-) If I think of it, I'll post a pic later. I was exhausted by the nights end (which was only 9pm), but I have a great group of friends who all brought things, and all stayed to help with the mess so that I wasn't overwhelmed at the end. I love doing community with these women. They really know how to help and pitch in and spread the load...isn't that what community is all about? Anyway, hopefully everyone else had as much fun as I did. :-) Thanks ladies for everything!

Fun Day

Today has been a really great day. It started with Dave getting up with Noah and giving me an extra 30 minutes to sleep...and getting pancakes when I woke up! We then hit some garage sales. We ended up in our friends, Abby and Rocky's neighborhood. So we called them up and made them come and play with us. It was impromptu fun! Afterwards, we came home and rested...Noah took a nap....so did Dave. Later on that evening, Dan and Darlene came over and helped us with paint colors for Noah's new bedroom. It was nice to see them again as well. Good times.

Our Calvin

Have you ever read Calvin and Hobbes? We have a Calvin and Havilah is our Rosalyn...the babysitter that has to have advances to ever come back again.

Calvin is a troublemaker and drives his parents crazy, thus the dire need for a night out. Today, Noah has climbed up on the kitchen table and splattered milk EVERYWHERE, then fell in it. It took Dave and I quite a bit of time to clean it up. He has played in the toilet...before the flushing. He somehow managed to pull his dresser over on himself again. He bit mommy on the arm and got in big trouble. He poured water on the foyer, then promptly fell in it...among various minor indiscretions like climbing on coffee tables, grabbing cell phones/remotes, and hitting the dog. Aaaaaaarrrrggghh! It was literally one thing after another without breaks. Dave and I love our kid, but we have to get out...

Enter Rosalyn (Havilah). She has kindly offered her night to watch our child. I pray to God that he doesn't tie her up or lock her out or any of the other things that the real Calvin likes to do to his babysitters. We like Havilah and would like to keep her as a friend and a babysitter...so lets hope he's good and that Dave and I have a nice night out. Havilah is great with kids...she can hold her own...we hope!

Attitude Check...Praise the Lord!

Yesterday, I met with Tiffany S. We try to meet weekly and discuss life. We are reading "Power Healing" right now and it fostered some good discussions yesterday. For instance, I really like how John Wimber talks about his own follies on his Christian journey. He is very honest about the mistakes he made along the way and the need for God to infiltrate his life and lead him in the right paths. It made me think about where I am REALLY at in my walk. The past few months I have felt very much in a spiritual crisis of sorts...trying to determine where I really am in my walk and where my passions really lie. One of the things Tiffany and I talked about yesterday was how our attitude reflects our walk with Jesus...and how our spiritual walk and physical lives are so entwined. Weeks that I am walking soundly with Jesus...no matter what happens (money issues, messy people, things to "worry" about) I handle them so much better. They don't seem insurmountable, my heart responds in a godly manner and the crises are not so much crises...because I am really trusting in God. Then take a week where my walk is not so great...I get angry and bitter at people for taking advantage of me, EVERYTHING is a big deal and deserves crisis status, nothing goes right, everything goes wrong. My attitude clearly does not reflect someone who is walking faithfully with the Lord. Unfortunately, I find myself exhibiting more of the latter. So, in our talks yesterday, when this became apparent, I realized that I needed to do something about that. Really, what I needed to do was surrender myself to God one more time and allow Him to rearrange my heart and priorities. We had an amazing time of prayer where I really felt the presence of Jesus clearly. One of the visions during that prayer time was of a horse with blinders...fixing their eyes on Jesus and not being able to focus on the peripheral things that weren't important. Jesus was the driver and he lead the horse to still waters. God is in control and wants good things for us, if we only surrender to Him. I felt a lot of peace and hope afterwards. It will take some discipline to redefine how I think and respond to issues, but I am confident that with Jesus driving, it is possible. Now, as my friends, I ask you to hold me accountable, and if I begin to complain and talk about how everything is going wrong, remind me to surrender to God..and seek more of Him. In closing, I am remembering a high school youth group cheer..."Attitude check? PRAISE THE LORD!"

Lord, thank you for showing me how to get back to You. Thank you for revealing areas that need to be addressed, and for not leaving me in the pit. As we continue reading this book, I pray that You would reveal more of yourself...I am hungry Lord...please fill me!

P.S. As an aside...do you find it interesting that this is also the lesson I will be teaching to the kiddos this upcoming Sunday? Perhaps God really wants me to take it to the bank this week...

Parenting

Parenting is a mix of good moments and harder ones. Yesterday, Noah was an angel. He played well. Listened well. Was silly and carefree. He didn't get into things he wasn't supposed to. Today, well...a slightly different story. So far (and it's 11am) He has splashed in not one, but both toilets, emptied the dog food all over the kitchen floor, climbed up on the coffee table twice, tried turning off the computer, and pulled out the inner bag of the diaper genie. How he did this last one, I'm not entirely sure. As I am trying to painstakingly stuff the bag back in (it's expensive and I didn't want to waste it), he splooshed his hands again in the toilet. You must be wondering if I am bad mother for not watching him better. As it happened, I was cleaning up one thing, he would run on to another before I could intervene. The imp. However, now he is (blessedly) taking a nap and it gives me a few minutes to run damage control before round 2 starts up. Perhaps this afternoon we will have to find more positive outlets for his energy...maybe the pool or the park. But, even when he's being a pain in the butt, my love for him never waivers....although my frustration level does. :-)

Rainy Monday

I LOVE that it is raining today. We have needed it so badly...and its a nice change from the stifling humidity and blazing sun we have been facing (in the dead of winter, remind me that I said that!). Noah and I have had a low key morning. He threw up in his crib and got to take another bath this morning, which he loves. Then, when Dave got home, we all took afternoon naps. Noah had to be convinced that this was in fact, a great idea. After awhile he gave up and succommed to sleep...hallelujah! That meant I could nap too! Dave is still sleeping (he worked overnight last night...so he is allowed).

My new phone came in today. I finally broke down and got a Motorola Razor when we have had to replace my last phone TWICE in less than a year because it has broken. (This is #3) Dave, who has the same phone as I once did, is having problems, but (for the moment) can at least still use it. My screen went completly white and so I couldn't see anyone calling nor could I call out. But, alas. I now have a lime green razor. It seems to be a more lasting phone based on the people around me who own one...so here's hoping it at least lasts the year until we can renew again!
Anyway, its been a nice relaxing day, and the rain can be soothing at times. Now, I'm off to go entertain my snotty kid. :-)

Cheese Alert

Yep...I'm a nerd. I heart cheesy movies. I can't wait for the Christmas season when ABC family has a cheesy chick flick on every night. I love upbeat happy movies. I love musicals...especially fun ones. Which leads me to tell you how I spent the last few days...on my couch watching (yes) High School Musical (1 and 2)...and I got totally sucked in! I just think it was a cute movie and fun. I like that the main characters could have so much chemistry without even kissing until the very end of the second movie. I enjoyed the morals that its OK to buck the status quo and be different. Yes, I really liked the movie. Dave has been teasing me about bringing out the inner tween in me...and maybe he's right...but at the end of the day, I'm a happier person because I didn't watch something scary, someone dying, or a hot steamy sex scene, or even excessive language. I just watched a happy movie about two different kids wanting to sing. If you ever want to bring out the inner tween in yourself, feel free to call me and we can watch it again together. :-)

Awesome skit

My friend Monique sent me the link to this skit. I finally took the 5 minutes to watch it, and just sat and cried. It's very moving. Perhaps precisely what I needed...to be reminded that God is there and that no matter how far down we think we are, He will always come through. I encourage you to check it out.

I Grieve

I grieve the last of morning naps. It seems my son is growing up and has decided that morning naps are a thing of the past. As a mom, who completely utilizes that hour of quiet...I grieve. My baby is growing up.

Wild Hogs!

Tonight a group of us got together and watched "Wild Hogs". It was a lot of fun. We invited a bunch of people (and they invited more), but it turned out to be a smaller crowd, which was quite alright. It was actually people that we hadn't seen in awhile and so it was really nice to hang out. Since we have been nicknamed the "bean's" by Bill we made BBQ pork and beans for dinner. :-) Jonell, Bill, William and Emily, and Adam and Becky came over to enjoy the movie. We even called midwest rentals to rent a "biker" costume, but they didn't have any. We also looked for temp tatoos...but couldn't find any beyond paradise and sesame street ones...not quite the look we were aiming for. Nevertheless, we still had a great time. Thanks everyone!

Great Prayer

Tonight we had a lifegroup leaders meeting. Dave and I will soon be leading a lifegroup. Tonight we got an opportunity to meet with other leaders and halp finalize thoughts and plans for our group. We also got to pray for one another. I got rockstar prayer. I love that. I have been feeling dry and lacking passion for awhile. I have really been desiring more of this in my life. As people were praying, Patrick had the song, "More love, More Power" on his heart for me...It was a perfect fit. I have been needing to connect during worship and after tonight's prayer, I have a feeling that listening to that song will have a completely different feel for me now then it did before. I just love feeling the Holy Spirit and the peace that comes over you when people pray...It was just what I needed.
Thanks to Ann for watching Noah so that we were able to really receive tonight. Afterwards we had our first experience at the Silver Dipper...an icecream shop. We went with the Taylors and Tony and had a great time. I love great community.

Leo

Last night I had a dream that Dave and I were friends with Leonardo DiCaprio and his wife and kids. We would go over there and let Noah play with his two little girls (Is he even married? Does he even have kids???) In my dream it was perfectly normal...then I woke up. :-)

Sunday (someday I will get more creative with titles)

Yesterday morning started off rather rough. Noah woke up early (6am) and while running around the living room seemed to have twisted his ankle and fell. When he tried getting back on his feet, his right leg kept giving out from under him and he would start to cry. Although I didn't think he had necessarily broken it since he was putting some pressure on it, it was clear that he was in a lot of pain...So off to urgent care we went. We were the only one's there (7am on a Sunday morning). They got us through really fast, ran a few x-rays, and although the Dr. admitted that he was indeed limping, she couldn't pin-point the location. She said that he could do minor activities and to give him ibuprofen and to check back with our doctor. He was doing a lot better by the time we hit church (although it was still clear he had a limp...poor baby). I wanted to coddle him, but he was insistent upon working through the pain. (It's hard keeping a 1-year old immobile anyway).
I worked in Sunday School yesterday...I love the older kids. One little girl told me she went swimming in Florida and drowned...even though she was there to tell me the story. Another one (who's mom is pregnant) said, "My mom is having a baby. It's human...and a girl." I love these kids. They bring such amusement to my day. :-)

Dave's parents came to watch Noah while Dave and I attended Next Step (the membership class for our church). Apparently, after all the excitement of the morning, he slept for 3 hours (pretty much the whole time they were watching him).

My friend Ann and I talked on Sunday and have decided to try and start meeting together. I am really looking forward to deeping my friendship with her as well as soaking in her wisdom on life, Jesus, and parenthood.

Noah was still walking with a limp at the end of the day, but he was starting to run again so I don't think he was in TOO much pain. Thanks to Mom and Dad Y. for driving here and taking of Noah for Dave and I...we really appreciate it!

Saturday

I was so happy to wake up to "less" humid/hot weather. Although it warmed a lot, at least it was not as unbearable as the last few days. Noah and I even played outdoors for a little bit today. He is going through this frustrating stage of tantrums and fits that is driving Dave and I crazy. He's been in time-out a few times and will for the most part (thankfully)respond when Dave or I say, "Noah. That's enough"...It's just that we feel that we say it every 15 minutes. I have come to live for nap/bed times just to have a little reprieve. I realize that he is probably a little bored since its been too hot to really play outside for any long period of time. We took him to the community center pool yesterday in hopes of draining some energy from him. It worked for a little bit.

Today, Dave and I examined the park and tried cleaning off some of the vandelism off the play equipment. We got the swear words off, but there is white spray paint everywhere and they broke the picnic table. I mean, come on...can you find nothing better to do than destroy community property? Seriously.

We met up for dinner with friends from Champaign, Jordan and Nikki Arseneau and their brand new son Cam...He's super cute with a head full of hair. We ate at Chilis...and we have come to the realization that restaurants and Noah (at this age) are just not a good combination. Anything that takes longer than 15 minutes just won't cut it these days...unless we go without him. Dave and I spent most of the time corralling. I ended up with food all over me and a fork jabbed in my ear (on accident...and long story...but not altogether pleasant). Dave had to entertain/reprimand Noah every 5 seconds. It was hard to have adult conversation.

However, here we are...at the end of the day, and I still wouldn't give him up. I realize that this "training" that we are all going through is a prelude...and that now is the time to teach Noah the right way to handle things such as frustration, and yes, even boredom. It's hard to believe that we have to start this so early, but I guess there is no time like the present. And hopefully, as the battle of wills continues, Dave and I will emerge as victors and present a son that is respectful and responsible to the world. (imagining Noah and Dave wrestling on the floor and it kind of makes me chuckle).

Lord, thank you for the responsibility that you have given us...to raise this child into a man that loves and knows you, and that respects himself and others. Help us along the way Lord. Give us strength through the journey. Thank you for the joy you have brought to us through our son and help us to continue to lead him in straight paths.

My imp

I have an imp...a cute imp. Nevertheless, an imp. He likes to pull pots and pans out of the drawers and carry them around. He really enjoys when the bathroom door is left open and he can take the plunger for a walk. He uses his dog as a stepping stool to climb on to the couch. Although he's very good about sharing his food (sometimes he even chews it a little first, then offers it to you). When he gets into trouble, he puckers up his lips and leans in for a kiss. (When do they learn to charm their way out of situations????) He likes to grab the kitty litter scoop when in reach and carry it around. But, he also has some really cute moments...Like when he and mommy cuddle to watch Little Einsteins. When he waves and says (new thing) "buh-bye" as we walk out the door. When he and daddy wrestle on the floor together. When he gives his puppy hugs and "pats" him. When he's sleeping. :-)

Yes, we have an imp, but we love our imp and all the excitement and joy he brings into our lives.

A whine and then deep thoughts

Gee, coming back from vacation is not as much fun as I thought it would be. I apparently don't sleep as well here as I did on vacation. I slept like a baby while there (I haven't slept well at home in months) Part of it was the late night phone call, the other was dealing with the ramifications of that. I just stay up thinking about other people's problems...I MUST learn to separate and "let go". The phone has been ringing off the hook today. We've already fielded 3 homeowner's calls and a house visit. I then went over and scrubbed vulgar graffiti off the children's play equipment at the park. Our schedule has filled up already for the rest of this week. How on earth did THAT happen? Most of it is fun stuff, but after awhile I start to feel the obligation set in (not yet of course, but it did happen before vacation).

I had a really nice chat and prayer time with my friend Melinda. We talked about finding balance (that elusive goal) and loving other's well. I realized that apart from God I can do none of these things. And although I am a Christian and have been following God intellectually (reading theology and scripture) I seem to be lacking the very essence of what first drew me to Him. I wanted the intimacy and the relationship back in my walk. Even though I thought I was doing what God "wanted", I realized that I wasn't always asking and I wasn't fully seeking Him. On vacation, I remember one night I just prayed, "Lord, I miss you". It was then that it hit me where I was truly at. I have been walking around sometimes angry or bitter, trying to "help" people and I realized...I was not dwelling in the spirit. It was a hard realization.

Melinda and I spent a long time today processing this and praying. I feel loads better, but I realize that I need to repattern my thoughts and my life. It would be very easy to be bogged down by the reality of life...but I HAVE to trust in God to carry me through. And if I stop long enough to (really) cast my burdens on Him, then maybe, just maybe I can finally get a good night's rest at home.

On a lighter note, Dave came home from work today with flowers and a little spending money in a sweet card for me. Awwwww! He's a great husband! He apparently got paid vacation from Thorntown...we had no idea! It was a nice surprise (for both of us)

Highlights from Vacation

We'll we're back. We had a very nice time up in Northern Wisconsin...Here are some of the highlights of the trip:

• 
  IT was HOT! We were hoping that it would be cooler since we were in the forest in NORTHERN WI, but alas...it was still in the 90's most of the week.


• Noah went jet skiing with daddy...He liked it OK...


• He LOVED swimming with Dave in the lake though. They had oodles of fun out there.
  
• We took some very nice Pontoon rides.


• We took in stock car races...which was fun minus the cigarette smoke blown in my face and the excess dirt that got kicked up from the cars. There were a few good crashes that made it memorable. (Why do crashes make it memorable?)


• Thursday, Dave and his aunt Camilla rode 30 miles on bikes! They travelled all the way into the next town and back. It was pretty impressive.


• Friday- Dave and I went for a 5 mile bike ride...I was winded enough from that, so no 30 mile trek for me.


• Friday night (this is the best part) Dave and I drove into Rhinelander (about a 30 min drive) and saw "No Reservations". We both thought that it was a pretty good movie. Then, Dave took me to the place where we got engaged almost 5 years to the day (it would be tomorrow actually). It's a little pier down by a park in Rhinelander. We hadn't been back since, and it was so memorable. The sun was setting and we stood out there and reminisced about the last 5 years together. It was perhaps the best and most romantic date I have ever been on. Then, we left listening to "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge...the song we listened to leaving there after we got engaged...It was again...so romantic!


• Saturday we left and drove to Rochelle where we stayed with Dave's brother Mike, and family. Noah and Tyler (his cousin) had a blast playing together. It was really neat to see their antics! The boys both cried when we separated them to go our separate ways. This picture was taken when Dave was tossing them onto the couch and they would giggle and laugh. Goofballs.

We're home now and I have the bulk of laundry taken care of. I am enjoying easing back into life here. We've already had 2 of our friends offer to make us dinner this week! How great is that! We really do have an incredible life and people in it. We are indeed blessed. Thanks to the fam for a great vacation!