What does one do with a nephew?

This weekend was a rather busy one for me.  My wonderful, and only sister, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy at 9:15pm Friday.  This is the play by play of what happened.

On Thursday, my sister had her last doctors appointment in which they decided to induce labor....FINALLY!  Although she was only 5 days past her due date, since she was induced with her first child, they decided to go ahead and induce this one.  So...Friday morning...I prepared myself to work from home so I could take care of my niece.

My sister called the hospital at 7:30am, but they told her to call back at 10.  Well, right before 10..my sister called me asking for signs of labor.  I told her just to call the hospital at 10, but not to tell them anything because they would probably make her stay home.  So..low and behold, they actually took her at 10.  I rushed from work (grabbing my computer without the cord), stopped and got my daughter and raced to my sisters to get my niece.  (All of this was done within 30 minutes and it should have taken me at least 45.  Speed much? Me? Never! (insert sarcasm))

I spent the day with the two kids who were so good and allowed me to work the rest of the day at home so I didn't have to loose a day of work.  (Thank God for this perk)  Dinner came and went and still...no baby.  Finally at 9pm I got the phone call....she's pushing.

Now...I live about 20 minutes from the hospital.  Given the situtation, I just prayed I'd get there on time.  Well...God was on my side because I didn't hit one single red light the entire way.  I raced (again speeding after my husband just told me to be careful) to the hospital and made it there in about 12-15 minutes.  I wasn't there for 5 minutes before my brother-in-law came out to take us in to see my sister.  I made it!  Phew!

My nephew weighed 7lbs 11oz and wasd 21in. long.  He looks just like his daddy....although we think he has my sisters lips.

I thought that it would be hard for me to see him.  My husband and I have been trying for another baby since my sister started trying...only she got pregnant and we have yet to conceive.  So..I thought that I would be sad that I was not in the hospital with her as we would have been due 2 days apart if we had gotten pregnant together.  But I wasn't....I didn't shed one tear.  I was so happy to hold my nephew and I was so proud of my sister.

He is so sweet...and so perfect....and I forgot how tiny they are!  Oh my goodness...so tiny.

And the best part is his name...Michael Robert.  Michael is after our brother who passed away at 3 days old and Robert is for my dad.

I love him to pieces...and here he is...just a few minutes old.

A sick toddler or a sick husband....what is worse?

For the past two weeks, my toddler (like many others I'm sure) has had a drippy nose.  Be it the 2 year molars that are still fighting their way through her poor sore gums or a cold....my little, cute-faced kid constantly has dry, crusted snot on her face.  :(  And yes....she picks at it (ooops...did I just write that.)  The worst part is when I pull her hand away from her nose, she then thinks its a game and shoves that little finger of hers even  FURTHER up her nose, giggling the whole time.  Oh....and watch out because if you are not paying attention....that cute little kid will hold her finger to you and say "boo-boo" and after you kiss it....she sticks it right back in her nose.  Yep...she just tricked you into eating her buggers.  GROSS!!!!  (yet I do laugh hysterically when she does it to her grandparents)

Having a sick toddler is tough.  It's very hard to judge how they are feeling and when they don't have a full range of speech yet...it's hard for them to tell you what's wrong.  I have to say...Isabella has been a trooper through this and has rarely complained, which I am very grateful for.  I've had to get up almost every night with her just because she wants to snuggle.  I'm at work everyday...but that's fine.  This is a stage and I'm going to enjoy the snuggling while it lasts.

Well....along with having a sick toddler, I have a sick husband.  My hubby spontaneously took me out to Bone Fish Grill on Tuesday night.  It was awesome.  We had a marvelous time just the two of us.  Well...that night the cold hit him.  The poor guy was asleep for maybe 30 minutes and then he just couldn't sleep.  He finally went downstairs at 2am and started watching movies.  At 4am, our daughter needed a little snuggling..so he came upstairs and took her from me since he was already up.  Poor guy ended up pulling an all nighter and still managed to go to work and work a full 10 hour day.

That following night...he slept fine.  Although the poor guy is so stuffed up..that he snored ALL. NIGHT. LONG!!!  You know what that means...yep..no sleep for me.  Ugh....then last night...again...he couldn't sleep.  I got up at 3am to answer Isabella's screams and again..he was gone and the downstairs light was on.

So...I don't know what's worse.  Feeling bad for my child or feeling bad for my husband.  My husband never complains and just carry's on like normal.  Poor guy.

Here's to hoping that the colds are gone before Christmas....and that I don't get it.

Christmas cards or Holiday cards....

Well....I'm a little behind on my Christmas cards this year.  No...I did not have a holiday photo shoot...but I did take an adorable picture of Isabella at Thanksgiving...so score!!!  Since I heard about the free christmas cards on Shutterfly, (which can be found here)...I figured that it would be a great time to get moving on them.

Last year was the first time that I used photo cards for my christmas cards.  It was so nice for everyone to see our growing family.  This year...just Isabella will be on the card, but for those people who don't get to see her everyday....it will be a wonderful surprise for them to see how much she has changed.  This is a tradition that was started and I don't think I want it to end.  I just can't decided....do I pick a "Merry Christmas" card or a "Happy Holidays" card.  My favorite cards are the ones that are simple.  The reason behind that being that since I get so many wonderful cards every year...I like to keep them on my fridge so that I can see all my friends beautiful faces throughout the entire year. 

So far...I have these three picked out.

One

Two

and Three

So....now I just have to make the decision.  Either way....I'm sure they will be perfect!

A morning of drama....all thanks to the iphone facebook app

My morning routine goes like this.......the alarm goes off, I grab my phone and check the weather and then check my emails (which are usually junk) and then check facebook. It’s my “get your rear up” routine. Then…since I am now fully awake…I read my bible and then get in the shower.

Well…this morning..I started said routine and when I got to Facebook…I read a note that a friend had posted about how she is in the hospital in need of a kidney transplant or she will die in 10-14 days. You can imagine the shock that I felt as I sat there, reading it several times over…looking for where she stated this was about someone else. I couldn’t find it and called Phil, crying hysterically.

When I got to mom’s….she knew nothing about it…but said to text message one of our pastors. So I did saying “Just read (insert name) facebook. Does she really need a kidney transplant?” No answer.

When I got to work…I tried calling her sister to get some answers….but alas...she didn't answer her phone. At this point…I’m pretty frustrated and VERY upset…still trying to hold back the tears (which was not working well.)
Finally, I got on the actual computer to re-read the post again…thinking I HAD to miss something. Sure enough…the computer showed that she posted someone else’s note in hopes that she would be able to help another mother. My friend is NOT dying and is OK.

So…I had to text the pastor again…who wrote back (who I'm sure thinks I'm insane) "Glad you figured it out before I called her." I also called said friend and left her a message telling her what happened in case she gets similar reactions from other people. Apparently…the app on the phone doesn’t read the same way as the internet and BOY OH BOY did it cause an uproar with me!

So…I now HATE facebook (although will still be the sucker who continues to use it to see other people’s pictures) and am in desperate need of a nap because I’m getting everyone’s cold now and I’m just drained from crying.

The sad part is…there is a woman out there who is dying….who has two small children and a husband…and I just pray God gives her someone who can help her.  If I had her blood type...I would.


The end.

Just a sip.....but it's a start.

Four years ago...I entered into the area of youth ministry.  Children have always been a passion of mine and when I met my husband, we just knew that's where God was leading us.  My husband has an amazing gift with kids.  He just knows how to reach them on their level.  I on the other hand do not....but I have the organizational skills that he lacks, so between the two of us, we make a pretty decent team (although far from perfect.)

We started working with a team of two other couples, with Phil and I as the lead for the Junior High age.  I look back on those days and smile because God really used all of our gifts and talents in such an awesome way.  It was such a joy to work with the two other couples.  When we didn't know what to do with a situation, we always knew we could lean on each other.  There was a sense of security in numbers, and it was nice.

But...for various reasons, over the course of three years, the other couples resigned.  They did what was best for their families and I hold a high amount of respect for the decison that they made because I know it was hard to make.  Unfortunatley, when the last couple left about a year and half ago, it left Phil and I to not only lead the Junior High, but to take on the entire group.

We did so willingly because of the love we have for youth, never stopping to examine the effect it would have on our daughter, our marriage or our spiritual growth.  Honestly, since there was no one else, we really didn't feel like we had a choice.  We just went with it and thought we would figure it out along the way.

Over the past few weeks, I will openly say that I have not been happy.  I have been in a constant state of sadness and it took me until recently to figure out why.  I'm dry....I'm thirsty....and I'm not being filled.  I physcially have not sat in a church service for about a year and a half because I am always down teaching the kids.  I have poured out everything I have to give without having a source to replenish me.  My husband has done the same.

This week, a special speaker was at church, and I didn't want to miss her. So...since my husband and I were once again on for teaching, we cancelled the class and had the kids stay in the service.  And let me just say that I'm so glad we did.  The message was for us. I don't think we ever took our eyes off the speaker.  She didn't once loose us.  We soaked up all she had to give and afterwards, my husband took me by the hand and had her pray for us and she confirmed a lot of what we were feeling.

So this week, I've started new.  I have a drop of water in my well...and I'm not feeling so dry.  I rise early to spend time with God before my day starts.  I may not understand what I am reading all the time, but slowly through the day, God shows me different things.  Just in two days, I've become less bitter, less dependent on what others think of me and more dependent on God and his opinion of me.  I've learned that we can't change people...no matter how hard we try and we shouldn't just sit there and expect them to change because that will bring nothing but disappointment.  But God is the same, yesterday, today and forever! I've also learned that God created us to make each other happy, but we can't make each other happy if we are not making God happy.

Today...I sit here knowing I am loved by God.  He is holding me in the shadow of his wing, guiding me and protecting me.  His hand has been on my little family over the past few years even in the times when I thought He was gone.

Today...I won't just sit and wait.....but like Martha...I will run to meet with Him.  For I know the plans He has for me...plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future. 

In Him...I find my rest.

Isabella's Birth Story....better late then never right?

My daughter, Isabella, turned 21 months this week.  Wow...I really don't think I had a full appreciation for time until I had my daughter.  It doesn't just go by fast....it FLIES!!!  Anyways....as I sit her with my terrible two year old, I'd like to take some time to reflect on her birth.  Mainly...because I know that eventually I will forget some details and don't really want to.

So...without further adue...her story.

Five months into our marriage, my husband and I decided it was time to start our family.  Most couples get a dog at this point...but we decided to go for the baby.  My husband and I both enjoy children and in fact, it's the one passion that we both share.  So..for us..it made sense.

It didn't take long to conceive our daughter...I think it was about 3 months.  During that time, my husband would pray over us and one night I distinctly remember him praying "Lord...please let us have a baby.  And can it be a girl?"  That month we conceived...and were completely overjoyed. 

My pregnancy was really easy.  I had the usual aches and pains, but overall, the morning sickness wasn't too bad (or I just got used to it) and my doctors were very happy.  We found out at 20 weeks that we were indeed having a girl.  I couldn't be happier and remember thanking God for honoring our prayers.

My due date came and went and by that point, like most other pregnant women, I was miserable.  I could no longer fit behind the steering wheel of my car, therefore I was stuck in my house.  I was no longer able to go to work to pass the time.  I wasn't able to get out by myself...so my wonderful dad would pick me up and take me out places so I could just walk and not be alone.

On February 6, 2009 I was at my sisters and was having some pretty good contractions.  So..my brother-in-law made me go to the hospital just to see how things were going.  Now...to give you a little background, I had a brother that was born on February 6, 1982, however due to some health issues, he didn't make it and passed away on February 8, 1982. So..on my drive to the hospital, with my sister and husband...I just didn't know if I could have the baby on his birthday.  It was just too hard.  Turns out...I was sent home.  Phew!!!  I was however, in the beginning stages of labor.

The next day...my mom and I walked...and walked...and walked some more.  We shopped at Kohls and as I leaned over the counter with contractions, the cashier said "are you ok" and I said "yes..I'm ready for this baby to come out!"  She smiled and said good luck.

That night, I remember having contractions and I would sleep in between them, but then at 4am on February 8, 2009 I had a contraction that I just couldn't sleep through and when I sat up to wake my husband up, my water broke.  I literally hit my husband and said "GET UP! I"M IN LABOR" as I grabbed a towel (conveniently next to my bed) in order to avoid getting the carpet wet.  This was it!! She was coming!!!

We started on our way to the hospital and on the way I realized the date.  It was February 8, 2009...the 27th anniversary of my brother's death.  I remember crying talking with God in the car saying "Lord...I can't do this...not on this day.  It's just too hard" as I had contraction after contraction about 1 minute apart.  But ever so faithfully, clear as day I heard "I'm turning this day into a happy day.  It will no longer be a day of sadness."  And that was all I needed to hear.

Five hours later I got my epidural.  I can honestly say I don't remember what the contractions felt like, but I know they hurt.  I remember leaning on my husbands shoulder trying to breath through them.  In addition, I was just too tired from being up so early.  So, about 1 minute after getting my epidural...I was asleep and slept for hours off and on.  At 10:00 pm, I felt pressure and it turns out I was ready to push.  This was it!  After 18 hours...I was ready to bring this little baby into the world.  I think it was about 10 good pushes and at 10:25pm Isabella Grace Moses was born.  7lbs 20 1/4 inches long.  She looked JUST like her mommy.  My little girl was here and she was perfect.

Then.....the day we brought her home.

To this day...I still look at my daugher and cry.  It amazes me that God trusts me to raise this wonderful child.  She is my life, my everything.  And yes...we have our challenges (like crawling out of cribs) but challenge is good, because its the challenges that make us grow.  It's the challenges that make us trust and lean on God.

Now....such a big girl.

So thank you Lord for the daughter that you have given me.  May I become the mother that you intended to give to this child.  Help me guide her in your ways.  May she never turn from you, even for one minute.

3 Years and Counting....

Three years ago today was one of the happiest days of my life because not only was I getting married, but I was marrying my best friend. 

Recently, I've been trying to find the definition of a friend.  As the dictonary defines, a friend is 1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.  2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.  3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.  4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement.  According to this definition, I could say that I have a lot of "friends."  For me a friend is there for you no matter what.  They tell you things that you don't necessarily want to hear, but know that it will benefit you.  A friend makes sure you are doing okay.  A friend lifts you up at all times.  A friend thinks of you before thinking of themself.  A friend can be trusted, and doesn't do anything to break that trust.  A friend cares...and shows it.

So, after three years I can honestly say that not only do I wake up to an amazing man every morning....but I wake up to the one person in my life that will love me for me.  That will stick things out through good times and bad.  The one person that will never just give up on me and let our relationship fade.  I wake up to the one person that  I know I can always count on.

Phil, words  will never be able to describe the way I feel about you.  I cherish every moment we have together.  You are my perfect match.  Thank you for protecting me, providing for me and praying for me.  But most importantly, thank you for loving me.  You had my heart from the moment we laid eyes on each other, and you will have my heart forever.  I love you!