Jack and Simeon

Trying on Mommy's sunglasses





New toys from a garage sale...





Fighting over WHOSE house this is...













Jack "playing" video games with Ben

Eric and boys after stomping through puddles in the street in the pouring rain

Hearts of Thanksgiving

Many of you have already heard or have been updated on our recent hospital stay…but I figured this would be a good way to communicate to everyone what happened.

This past Wednesday morning I woke up to some fairly heavy bleeding, blood clotting, and cramping/contractions. After visiting my friendly OB's office and determining I was NOT in preterm labor (at 28 weeks!), they sent me to the labor and delivery unit at the hospital for tests and observation. They thought that my placenta may have grown over the cervix, which can cause bleeding, but then determined this was not the case. Then they thought that my placenta had ripped or pulled away from the uterine wall, but the blood work came back "inconclusive." So after 24+ hours hooked up to machines and monitors, they don't know exactly why I bled and said, "Sometimes it just happens." That didn’t make me feel real great, but they said that if there is a small tear somewhere, my body will repair itself and I should be fine.

The good news is that the baby is doing great and had a strong heartbeat throughout the last two days. She's kicking up a storm--a STRONG but welcome reminder that she's alive and well. I'm doing fine as well--no more bleeding since yesterday afternoon. I’m glad to be home and amazed at how much I missed my toddler after only 24 hours of being away from him! Eric was able to take the night off on Wednesday and come hang out with me in the Mother-Baby unit at the hospital. Only half-kidding, we said, “Whoo-hoo! Date night!” While not exactly filled with candlelight, we split a Chipotle burrito bowl and watched “Angels in the Outfield” on the Disney channel. I was just grateful for some much-needed rest, without the accompanying guilt of lying down when someone needed me. Jack was well-cared for by Simeon and his mommy all day, which we were also very grateful for. Thank you to all of you who prayed over us!

One amazing thing in all of this is something that happened early Wednesday morning. I have been feeling really convicted lately to get up early in the morning and spend my quiet time before the Lord. This is something I have never been good at, and always felt a little guilty that it wasn’t worth it to me to get up and spend time with Him. I make time in my day for Bible study, but it’s rare that I have an actual quiet moment to feel like I can really close my eyes and come before Him. I know that of course I can pray ANY time and that I should, but there is something so precious about those early morning hours, when no one else has spoken to you yet, and no worries of the day have been brought across your path…that time in the morning when even the birds have yet to wake and your heart is quiet and still.

After my Bible Study on Tuesday night, I was so moved and touched at the depth of God’s unfailing love for me that I finally decided that He was worth the lack of sleep…I would set the alarm and drag myself from bed the next morning. While it took all the will and determination I had, I made it after only one snooze button...and can I share with you that I had an amazing hour bringing all these little worries and anxieties before Him, surrendering them to Him, and asking Him to come and fill me and to be my portion for this day ahead? Feeling so wonderful and strengthened, I soon after discovered my body was bleeding.

After an initial moment of shock, panic, and fear of the unknown, I suddenly just laughed out loud… because I felt so at peace! That may sound strange, but I couldn’t believe that the one morning I had finally allowed myself to be drawn into His presence early in the morning was the day that this trial would come upon us. I felt humbled and in awe of His continued display of faithfulness to me. I struggled not to imagine every worst-possible scenario that could come of the bleeding…but in all honesty, nothing I could think of caused me to feel despair or anxiety; I had already given this day over to the Lord, and through His strength in me I could bear whatever the day brought.

I began to remind myself of the truths I believed about Him: I believe the Lord is sovereign and that He holds us in His hand; I believe He is good and that He, Himself, is Love; I have been studying and learning about declaring His goodness and unfailing love and sovereignty in any and every situation or trial; how could I suddenly turn my back on Him now? As I thought about this I was reminded of a good friend who is going through a rather intense trial right now but has nonetheless been faithful to seek God in the midst of her trying circumstances and declare Him steadfast and good. Her words came to mind and I remembered that just because my life circumstances had changed, He had not changed; His goodness had not slightened; His sovereignty and unfailing love for me had not been retracted. These truths rang through my head all the way to the doctor’s office, all the way to the hospital, and the whole morning and afternoon in the labor and delivery bed.

Of course I am so thankful and grateful that I am okay, and that the baby is well; but more than anything we are so very thankful for the supernatural peace that we felt around us all day and night, and for an unchanging God. Thank you for your prayers and phone calls. Rejoice with us that our baby is safe, but more importantly that no matter what life changes we face, God is the same today as yesterday, the same today as He will be tomorrow!

"Praise the LORD, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. For he loves us with unfailing love; the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!" Psalm 117

Boyish Charm

I’ve found myself, increasingly in recent weeks, turning back the clock, as it were. I am boy, hear me giggle.

I adore being a dad. I cherish those moments of uncomplicated joy that come from watching my son play, or dance, or babble. And of course, seeing in his face the happiness I bring him with a toss in the air, or a pass through the leaves, or rumble in the grass serves only to strengthen my silly resolve.

I’ve always been rather willing to sacrifice absolute gentility for a chuckle. I do not seek to be vulgar, but I certainly have no qualm with unabashed physical comedy when appropriate. I am regularly goofy, without excuse or regret. You can imagine, I’m sure, the satisfaction I receive from living with a toddler who has yet to develop the least bit of propriety.

Some time in the last few days it struck me just how much my maturity has regressed since Jack sprouted a fondness for the outdoors. As I was poking at a pair of mating cicadas with a long branch I had picked from the ground several minutes earlier, I realized that Jack wasn’t really around to observe this strange creature; I was actually playing with a bug for my own amusement! Well, I think it goes without saying that the shrill of a cicada is the best experience this world has to offer, but I haven’t done that sort of thing since grade school.

I take new delight these days in childlike exploration -- digging holes in the ground, pouring water from a bucket, the feel of sand, puddles and sticks, swings and poles. I have once again a sincere interest in the untaught physics of the natural world.

I work with a man who is father to seven children. I have witnessed this man display this same sort of unpretentious curiosity with nature before in the past, but I passed it off as a quirk of his personality. But now I think I understand a little more what it’s about, and I think it a good thing. His is a joy of life; I dare even describe it as a posture of thankfulness, for one cannot take joy in without first offering thanks for such simple pleasures. Maybe this is just another one of the many gifts God gives unsuspecting parents through children.

As we approach the arrival of our baby girl, the thought has crossed my mind that I may acquire, in similar fashion, some components of femininity. Perhaps the beauty of a flower will more readily capture my eye, or the softness of a ponytail my touch. Whatever the girlish change, I fear it not. The good things God has yet to work in me are welcome, even if it means playing with bugs.

Entering month seven...the first pictures

How sad is it that these are the first official "belly shots" of this pregnancy? This was supposed to be a side shot of my belly at seven months, but apparently I didn't make that clear to my photographer. :)



We keep trying to talk to Jack about Mommy's tummy, and using words like "baby" and "gentle"...but I don't think he has any clue! He just likes to be "gentle" on Mommy's tummy because of the reaction he gets!









Another day...when I seemed to be ALL belly.

Catching up with Jack

So I know that no one is necessarily suffering from seeing a LACK of pictures of our son...however, these are some pictures I've been saving from the past few months that capture Jack doing interesting, mischievous things or that show some of the things he's learning. After this I promise I won't bog down the blog with any more pictures for at least, well, ten minutes. :)

He found my make up bag somehow and took it to the living room, where he quietly emptied the contents and proceeded to examine each one...and then put them back into the bag. I think that he thinks all of Mommy's stuff is for brushing hair...I handed him an eyelash curler the other day and he tried to brush his hair with it...he also brushes his hair with my blush brush, his toothbrush, the scrubbing brush (for dishes!), and any real hair brushes he finds.





Jack, Ben, and Simeon--notice Jack's shirt...



Ahem...no, we did not buy our son a Barbie carrying case...this is his friend Allie's--and he LOVES to pull it around, so she said he could keep it for awhile. It looks a little odd sitting next to his trucks and buckets and other primary colored toys...but I guess we'll have to get used to a little Barbie, with a sister on the way...



"Helping" Mommy





Jack and Simeon playing in their diapers with Jack's new chair...

...but there's not room for two!

Both of them looking at their Mommies for support...

Jack's Mommy was too busy taking pictures to offer any guidance so he took matters into his own hands...poor Sim!

Jack's tiny lip prints on our front window from "kissing" Eric as he arrived home from work.

This it typical of meal times these days...refusal to eat the same food he ate yesterday, and lots of tears. This is usually followed by him standing up in his high chair, which I would have tried to get a picture of but I'm too scared he'll fall out while I'm snapping away...

This is the floor after one meal. It's especially discouraging to me when Jack throws uneaten food on the floor because 1) it costs money 2) sometimes it's food I shared off my plate that I would have gladly eaten (mmm...steamed broccoli!!) and 3) I HATE bending down or getting down on my hands and knees to clean up the floor in my six-months-pregnant state...so sometimes the food sits there until Eric is home...which inevitably means one or both of us experiencing the nastiness of stepping on old, crusty, mushy dried food...YUCK!!!

We finally packed the swing away into the garage...even when I had folded it up and put it in the office, he found it and still somehow managed to get into the seat!! I hope our next baby loves this swing as much as Jack--we have pictures of him when he was very little in almost the exact same pose, reaching for the fish.

One day I heard him babbling away in his room and this is how I found him. He knows how to make his Teacher-Mommy's heart swell!!

This is a newer thing...I remember the day I said, "Let's put on your shoes!" and he actually ran to his pile of shoes and picked them up--it's so amazing to realize he understands what I'm saying. So now he actually tries to put the shoes on by himself! Also, he LOVES to be outside (which has been unbearable in the past two weeks, with temperatures hovering in the high 90's into the low 100's!)...so he will pick up OUR shoes and bring them over to us and try to put them on our feet--that's his way of saying, "Let's go outside!" It's so funny... The other night we had our friends, the Pattersons, over for dinner and when Jack couldn't get Eric or me to put on our shoes he picked up Aaron's flip-flops and tried to get Aaron to go outside!



His buddies...

A pow-wow...what are they conspiring?



His favorite..."Raffe" (pronounced "Raff-ie")







Ahhh...I used to say "no-no" to Jack when he tried to touch the mouse or keyboard...only to discover that Eric lets him play with them! So I finally gave up...look at the little pro!

A little CNN...





Multi-tasking

He wiggles his fingers all over the keys as if he's furiously typing away...and often he hits buttons and opens programs and Eric and I say, "Wait--how did you do that??"

Okay. I know--sad picture. Sad, but funny. We don't normally even have beer in our fridge, but Eric and Aaron (Patterson) decided that Mexcian beer would go well with Andrea's enchilada's last week (SOOO yummy!), so we had some Corona bottles in the recycling bin...which Jack frequently gets into... Eric and I laughed so hard when we realized what he had pulled one out, and of course had to capture it on film...




I think these last two are from the day he got his little chair...which has become a favorite place to chill...