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.