From Surviving to Thriving

So, for the past couple of months I've been doing a study, with my mentor, on parenting. We've been reading a book by Charles Swindoll "Parenting: From Surviving to Thriving." The book has helped me in many ways look at parenting in a different light, and look at the way I was parented in a different light. It also helped me write and article for the women's magazine, at church, about my own testimony. However, I didn't really get the meaning of the book until I finished it up last night.

In one of the last chapters of the book, Charles focuses on Psalm 127, and the importance of its message about parenthood. It states:

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

My favorite part of that passage is verse 3... What a reward I have received. The days have been rough with Adam, recently. Maybe he's sensing that his new brother will be here soon, or maybe he's just trying to grow into his own person. Who knows?! But how blessed I am to have a son, and to have another healthy one on the way. I can't help but wonder what the pain is like to lose a child or to not be able to conceive. Why was I blessed with a healthy child and another pregnancy? And why do others have to struggle to build their families?

Life Perspective

Dare I say that I feel a person's theology builds their home? Yes, I dare to say. I've witnessed, even in my own life, what it's like to build a family without any faith and without the help of God.
My marriage was a mess, before we decided to dedicate our lives to the Lord. I thought about leaving my husband and I thought about every selfish venture I could. I don't even feel that I took the Lord seriously, completely, until after Adam was born. I was a believer, and I studied the Bible, but I was still testing the waters outside of a Godly life. Since I've let go of the past and have moved forward in a Godly manner, the Lord has blessed our home and our lives in more ways than I can count. I am truly thankful.

*This is very preachy for me, but I will not apologize! I feel that God put this in my heart to share, and I pray that you will take this blog seriously and lovingly*

Doctor Appointment and the HOT HOT Weather

There are two pictures today, because I liked them both and could not choose. :) The first is Adam, just being cute and showing off. He is in mid "cheese" mode. The second picture I took this evening. This is what daddy and Adam do while I make dinner- daddy relaxes, after work, and Adam partakes. They are so much alike, it's scary sometimes.


Doctors Appointment:

Yesterday went well. Heartbeat 150ish, still measuring small, and didn't gain an ounce. SIGH! She told me to stop worrying, though, because it was probably making the situation worse. He is measuring in the 54 percentile, so he's not under average. Anyway- I am to keep drinking ensure, eating as much as I can, and I am to slow down a little. I've been working on the slowing down concept. Kind of a hard thing for me to do; I've never been good at sitting. I have to be doing something at all times. Two weeks until he next appointment. yay.

HOT HOT Weather:

When did May turn into August? Enough said. If anyone has the answer to this question, I will be very thankful for your insight! haha. Needless to say, my electric bill is going to be a little high this month.

Long weekend and a pregnant lady at a rock concert

What a wonderful weekend we had here! It was jam packed full of fun and playing.

Saturday we spent the day with family, for a Birthday party. We had a wonderful time and it was SO fun to see everyone. :)

Sunday, Andy and I took my little sibs to see "Pirates." Ok movie. I think it was a little slow in the middle, but the end made up for it. I was very proud of myself for making it through the whole movie, and only having to use the restroom once! woo hoo! haha. And, Matthew didn't seem to mind the noise at all.

Yesterday Andy and I went to a rock concert. Yes, that's right...a concert. I am sure everyone thinks I am insane, but I am glad we went. Andy won concert tickets to one of my all time favorite punk rock bands, MXPX (Christian rock, for those of you who are currently confused). SOOOO, since he won the tickets I felt obligated to go. We found ourselves nice little seats, off to the side and it wasn't too bad. We didn't make it through the whole show, because Matthew wasn't cooperating, but we made it about 2.5 hours. It was fun...good fun.... Even pregnant, I know how to have a good time. haha.

And Adam... Well, he enjoyed having daddy home for three days and having his aunts here for two of them. He also enjoyed seeing Nonnie and Pa two days in a row. We are prepping them for babysitting help, when Matthew arrives. :)

Today is doctor apt. day! woo ha! Hopefully I gained some weight. We shall see.

Oh Dear....

Time seems to be ticking away. I'm not so sure I am ready for two kids, anymore!! I am very excited to have my body back to myself, again, but I am not 100% sure I am ready to have a newborn again!!!!!

33 weeks. That means I have a month until I am "full-term." That means I COULD have another child in a month... I have to admit I am hoping Matthew is comfortable enough in there to stay the whole time. :) Please, Lord?! haha.

"Sometimes Superheroes Don't Feel Super"

Enough said in the title.... You have to love quotes from LarryBoy! But this is how I am feeling today. Moms are superheroes in their own way. Protect the kids, take care of the husband, do the chores, grocery shop, clean the house, laundry, reminder of all things, organizer, etc. etc. etc. The list could go on for miles.

But there are days when moms just don't want to be the superhero!

I've been feeling this way the past week or two, actually. I feel like it's harder and harder for me to motivate myself to do anything! Usually I am ready to take on the day, whatever it might bring. I can't even motivate myself to get Matthew's room together. I think it's just because I am more and more tired, the more prego I am. I'm ready for a vacation from my own body. ah... to be my own person once again, I cannot wait!

Ok, I am done ranting! haha.

The cat got the best of Adam yesterday. :( Poor Adam. He was telling her "hi," as usual, and trying to kiss her nose when she just hauled off and scratched his face! He has a small scratch on his forehead and a nasty red one on his cheek. Mommy is not too happy with the kitty. If he were being mean to her, I would understand her anger a little more, but she really had no reason to hurt him. Stupid cat!

Matthew Update

Matthew is OKAY!!!

Thank the Lord, Matthew is ok! :) We are so glad and I feel much less stressed now. We had a very detailed ultrasound yesterday, and they found that he is just perfectly growing along. They estimate that he is about 4 lbs. 3 oz. and he is measuring at about 15 inches (I believe that's what she said). She even flipped on the 4D ultrasound, for a minute, and we got to see him in "real time." It was SO cool to see his actual face, and I think he looks like Adam. He has Adam's nose, BUT he has much larger lips (like Andy). I also had her check to make sure he was still a "Matthew," and he MOST certainly a boy. Makes Daddy proud...haha. Anyway- thanks for the prayers (again!), I know that they were all heard!

They still have no idea why I am not gaining enough weight. I guess all that means is Matthew is feeding off of my fat (which isn't a "good" thing), but at least he is growing properly. So, I still have to drink those yummy drinks and stay strong for 7.5 more weeks. The due date didn't change, either.

A New Day

So, I got a call yesterday and my ultrasound has been moved to today! I am soooo glad. I don't think I could handle another day of waiting. I've been praying all morning that God will give us a clear representation of Matthew and that he will equip us in anyway needed to properly care for Matthew (even if that means bed rest and eating ice cream everyday....haha!).

The weather is BEAUTIFUL today! Adam and I are going to go out and enjoy the weather, before my doctors appointment. I think a little park action is needed.

The sandbox was a HUGE hit! He only tried to eat the sand a little. And then he chewed it and I about died. haha. Luckily he only did it once and listened when we told him he couldn't eat it.

Today's picture is of Adam licking his fingers, after eating ice cream at Bravo's yesterday. He ate a ton of food and still had room to eat an entire bowl of vanilla gelato. Yum-O!

Grandparent's Day Photo (2nd post for the day...so look at the other one, too!) :)

This is my Favorite picture, from Grandparent's Day. I have a certain weakness for the two boys, in this picture, and seeing them together just melts my heart. I also realized whose nose Adam has (yes, it's been in question whether it was my nose or Andy's nose), and I think it's most certainly Bop's nose!

My kids have the best grandparents! I've always respected my parents and my in-laws. I've always known that they were loving people, but seeing them with Adam has given me a new respect for them. They are TRULY amazing people, who have a love for their grandchildren (and their children) that is astounding. I've never seen them in this light before, and it makes me appreciate them even more. SO, thanks to all of my parents for being the brightest light in my kids' lives! I know that they will keep your love in their hearts forever.

Feet....

So, I don't normally like feet... but I took some pretty cool pictures, while playing in the sandbox today.... of Adam and I's feet. The first one is obviously Adam's tiny little toes and the next one is of Mommy and Adam's foot. I love the second picture. Normally I am not fond of my feet, but next to Adam's little foot, I am ok with it. enjoy :)

A Day of too Much Talking

Adam decided to wake up, this morning, a completely different child. I don't understand where these developmental bursts come from or why they occur, but they are a bit overwhelming! Here's how the developmental day occurred:

#1- Daddy gets Adam out of bed, and down the hallway I hear "bapple, nana, miiiiiiiiiiiilk" and then he gets to our doorway and screams "Me HUNGY!" (So, the listing of food isn't a "new" thing but he's never said he was hungry before)

#2- After church we were standing around talking and Adam decided it was time to go. So, as Andy is walking he looks at me and says "Mom, Walk!" What? What in the world? And where did he learn to tell a person to "walk" ? ugh..

#3- We stopped on the way home from church to buy Adam's sand for his sand box. I decided I didn't want to cook lunch, so we were going to stop by Wendy's. So, here's how my conversation went with Adam:

Me: "Adam are you hungry? What would you like for lunch?"

Adam: "ummmm...hungy...yes...ummm...fries....ummmmmm.....Chicken....ummmmm....hungy"

Me: "Ok, you want chicken and fries?"

Adam: "Pease"

Sigh.

#4- Adam can tell you what happy and sad are, and even give you a demonstration of each emotion. Today, he began telling us about "mad" and that mad is "grr." Even with a little evil grin on his face he is cute.

There were some other moments today, but those were the ones that I remember the most. Crazy crazy!

Matthew Update:

I feel bigger! haha Maybe that's just in my head, but I really do feel like I've grown some. I drink the nasty drinks everyday and I've been trying to eat fattier foods. I never thought this would be tough, but honestly it is. The ultrasound is on Wednesday at 2:15, so I just pray he's grown more by then! :)

Until Tomorrow- Enjoy these pictures from our grandparent's picnic... I have a REALLY good one to share, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow :).

Bath Fun and Grandparent's Picnic

Today I was thinking about what life would be like if we didn't have Adam (or Matthew coming), and I realized that it would be a life I don't want. Growing up and being an adult means enjoying life in different ways, than once before. The things that were once important to me, are no longer important. And, I truly believe that God made me to be a wife and mother. I can't imagine not being a wife to Andy and I can't imagine not being a mommy.

Today bath time was full of taking pictures. Adam was being really cute, so I decided to take full advantage. The first picture was just Adam smiling and being happy. The second picture was my son telling me that he has a "pee-nee." What in the world did we teach him? haha.

Today is the "Grandparent Picnic!" I've spent all week preparing dishes and cleaning house. We decided it would be fun the treat the grandparents to something special, since they help us out so much. We even made little centerpieces and special dishes for each grandparent. Yes, I know... too much time on my hands. Not really, just the need to thank the ones I love! :)

Happy Weekending!

Adam: Clone of His Father

Daddy bought Adam his very own Home Depot tool bench. Let me tell you, this is the coolest thing since Blue's Clues. There's a drill and a table saw that make noise and "work." It's just too cool to be just like daddy.

Actually, I am glad Adam has taken on the interests of his daddy. I think this takes a load off of me, a little. That way I don't have to know about tools, golf, soccer, or wrestling; daddy gets to teach it to him! I'll stick with teaching him to be a sensitive male (and someday an awesome husband) by allowing him to play with dolls, pretend kitchen food, and toy vacuums.


On a side note: Is it REALLY a big deal that he likes dolls, kitchen things, and is sensitive? I don't think so.

Matthew is a trouble maker

So, I get over my issues last week and now there are new ones (of course...sigh). Looks like my little man is REALLY little. Today, I am 31 weeks but Matthew is measuring at 28 weeks. I also didn't gain weight, AGAIN. I promise I really am trying, too. I ate a ton this weekend and I've been trying to eat more each day. I just don't get it. So, I have an ultrasound this week to make sure he's okay. Everything else is checking out. Blood pressure is good, urine samples are fine, heartbeat is 150, and he moves ALL of the time... he's just tiny! They are going to check for kidney development and amniotic fluid, which both could be the cause. Mommy is also having to drink 16 ounces of Ensure a day (ew!), to help with the weight gain.

I'll keep you all posted on what's going on, when I know something.

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Adam was a little ham today! My best friend (well...one of them) Amy is home for the week and we had breakfast, went shopping, and had a splendid day! "Mamy" is now one of Adam's favorite people (officially!). Aunt Amy DID buy him his favorite toy, when he was born-Stinky Bear- so it's only natural that she is a favorite of his.

The weather has been amazing! It's so nice to see flowers. I had some fun editing this one.



Happy Week, All!

"Happy Mom"

Daddy taught Adam how to say "Happy Mom" to me today...and every other person he saw! He also thought it was great to kiss mommy and love her a lot today- which I think was just a coincidence, but I will take what I can get.

On the flip side, my child has decided that hitting is the cool thing to do. Apparently all of the toddlers in the hood are doing it?! He thinks it's hilarious to hit himself, and then say "ouch, ohhh, awwww" and it's REALLY cool to smack mommy in the head. Well... mommy doesn't think it's so cool. So when I tell him no (firmly!) he laughs at me. So... then daddy says no, and he stops. How is this fair? Hopefully this stage passes quickly, because mama doesn't like it!

How does this sweet face turn so evil, so fast?! lol

HAPPY MOM DAY!

Daddy's Little Helper

Daddy is re-doing half of the house, before baby Matthew comes. This week's projects include: re-framing the garage and putting in a door from the dining room to the backyard. So, Adam has decided that he, too, is a handy man and has helped daddy out quite a bit! Even that little fake hammer does the job! haha.

Today is stay home day. Which means I don't have to take a shower, I get to do laundry and clean all day, and I can rest when Adam naps! yay! I like these days.

80 degrees....

Ah... Summer days are here again. We didn't make it 5 minutes outside, last night, before Adam's face looked like a tomato! Lucky Adam, however, daddy loves to eat popsicles- and so does Adam. So, after coloring big pictures on the sidewalk (with the sidewalk "calk") and riding bikes for all of 3 minutes, Adam got to eat his popsicle.

Today was daddy's birthday. We went to have lunch with him (and the world's largest ice cream sundae I have ever seen!). We then went to the store and picked up a few Mother's Day gifts. Thankfully, Adam still wanted to nap when we got home! Mommy needed to sit and relax a little. Heat and pregnancy do not mix, I have decided!

Adam's nose isn't bleeding anymore, either! yay! I am glad I didn't overreact and take him to the doctor...because I almost did. haha.

Tomorrow is a "do nothing" day AND I cannot WAIT! woo hoo! I don't think I am even going to take a shower. haha.

Allergies

So, the doctor thinks Adam has allergies. Which wouldn't surprise Andy and I, because Andy has had them for as long as he can remember. However, Adam woke up today with a severe bloody nose! eek! How do I tell a toddler to hold still, keep his head back, and not move!? Well... I learned today, that it isn't possible to do that! ha. So, instead I held him down, cleaned him up, and just kept wiping as much as I could until it stopped. Then his eyes got really swollen, again, and he just looks miserable. I think I'm going to call the doctor and take him in- maybe it's sinusitis? I have no idea.

On a happy note! Tomorrow is Andy's birthday and I can't wait to celebrate! I'm trying to think of something creative to do to him. haha. He loves donuts, so I think I am going to attempt to make homemade ones. I found some good recipes on allrecipes.com, that I might try out. I am also planning a trip to his work, for lunch. :)

Also- I just found out that I had ANOTHER 4.0 semester! woo hoo! I can even get all A's while pregnant. haha. Which means, I have had three 4.0 semesters in a row! I'm quite pleased with myself.

Happy Tuesday, all!

My little sickling :(

First Road Trip

(Picture of Adam, in the commons, looking at the Victory Bell)

Today was Adam's first "big" road trip! We took a trip to Kent State University (about two hours from our home). We took Aunt Ashley there to do research, for a project, about the May 4th massacre. I was surprised at how WELL Adam did, during the trip. He was only cranky a little bit, but overall was VERY good. We did however have to break out the car DVD player, but thankfully not for the trip's duration. We also ate amazing pancakes, at Ihop... yum-o!

We learned a lot about Ohio History, today, and we were able to enjoy the beautiful weather!!

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

My Little Man

I was pretty proud of this editing... Can you tell I am a pretty proud mommy? :)

HAPPY HALF BIRTHDAY, BUBBA! :) Mommy Loves you!!!

I'm not really sure what he was pointing at, in this photo. This was before Daddy cut the lawn... So maybe Adam was looking for his feet, lost in the jungle? haha. Who knows. I just love pictures like this! :) I love catching them in the moment, and in their natural environment. He certainly is beautiful!

Tomorrow, he turns 18 months! I can hardly believe it. I cannot believe that I have an eighteen month old. How time flies!

Adam told me he loved me, today, without me saying it to him first. I was putting him in his car seat, after stopping at the store, and I gave him a kiss on his head (like I normally do, before shutting the door). He smiled, turned his head to the side, and said "lauf you." SIGH. Be still my heart. :)

The trials and tribulations of parenthood are always justified by something. Today, every temper tantrum and the many long nights were erased by two little words "lauf you."