The Bradford Pear trees bloomed overnight--not good for the sinuses.
A torrential rainfall finally just broke through the gray sky. The sound of it is beautiful.
I'm not sure if this baby widget on the right here is such a good idea. Every time I check my blog, i'm reminded that a few more days have passed and all of the stuff that I haven't done that I need to do. No stress here though--we just go with the flow. Speaking of the new baby, this week, my favorite name is Hadley. Don't get your hopes up though, i'm 99% sure that will change. Still no movement of the baby besides his occasional roll over and the weird shapes my stomach takes when he does that. Emily has been blowing lots of raspberries on my stomach lately--maybe that's why he doesn't move much. :)
J is having late nights at work this week, so Em and I are getting some good quality time together. She shared her RSV with me so we have spent the last two days sharing a box of pink tissue and drinking tons of water--meaning we are also changing lots of diapers and making many many trips to the big girl potty for mommy.
We just got new couches and a new bedroom suite. It is so nice to have comfortable furniture that is strong and reliable, but the remodeling is far from over. We currently have five couches on our porch. Anyone for a sleepover?
It's time to cook dinner. Bacon mixed with some honey and a can of baked beans, corn flake and bisquick battered baked chicken, corn off the cob, and green beans (or bean beans for Emily).
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Updates
I suppose it's time for a baby update! Baby # 1 isn't much of a baby anymore. She's a toddler rapidly approaching two years old. How crazy is that? I was prepared for newborn and baby stage, but toddler stage? Not so much. Emily is smack dab in the middle of the part of life where she is learning what she can and cannot get away with. Boundaries. Whew is that exhausting--even just to type it.
She's also in the phase where her sweet little voice strongly resembles what you hear on a broken or scratched record. I love that she is talking. She really is smart and it often amazes me what she remembers and repeats. She repeats EVERYTHING. She has the sweetest little voice and way of saying words, but after thirty straight minutes of "meow, meow, meow" (what she says when she wants to watch her favorite Baby Einstein video with a lion on it which she mistakes for a cat even if she's already watched it three times that day), I can get a little on edge.
She still sleeps about twelve hours at night and two during the day. Can't complain one bit there! I really do love her sleeping schedule. It hasn't been easy through the past two years to establish, but it was well worth it.
My final tidbit about the Emmers is that the situation with her glasses is not going well. The first two days were wonderful--miraculous. Now, she barely leaves them on for five seconds before yanking them off. She wants nothing to do with them. I'm not sure what else to try. I know it's important--vital--for her to wear these glasses for her development, but what do I do to get her to wear them? At this point, my goal is to not make it a point of stress or contention for either one of us. I just dont see what stressing out is going to do for either one of us. I want her glasses to be a positive thing, not something she is spanked over. But, it's also equally important that she learn to wear them. Stuck in a rut here.
Baby in-utero is doing fine, I suppose. (Pardon my blank expression in the above picture--I really am thrilled about this precious baby boy.) He still doesn't have a name. Poor guy. I have just started thinking about what I want his nursery to look like. So far I'm thinking a fun Noah's Ark theme. I haven't even begun to think of a registry. I still haven't felt movement. I have time, I suppose. I'm just itching to feel the little guy. That was my favorite part of carrying Emily. My last dr. appt. was fine. The next one is in a week or so and I trust everything will be fine again.
Jonathan is almost halfway finished with the police academy, which puts us one step closer to having a normal job and truly settling in here. There is still some level of uncertainty in my mind about living arrangements and hesitation to get too attached to our church and Sunday school until we see where he will find employment after the academy. We really do love where we live--so much. But, we are also trying to keep our hearts and minds open to other options because we truly have no idea where the Lord will lead J to work after he is certified.
I am feeling very ambitious lately. I'm dying to get ahold of a sewing machine to start making pillow case dresses for my dear friend Sheryl and her ministry in the Philippines. And a few summer dresses for Emily as well. I also want to work on drapes for baby boy's room as well as our soon-to-be remodeled bedroom. Maybe even some for the living room! Also, I want to make a scrap book for Emily. I have all of her memorable items and keepsakes from birth until now in a cute little pink box. I'd love to have a book made that she can keep for the rest of ever. And just a side note: It's absolutely amazing what a little rearranging of the furniture can do for a drab-feeling-stagnant kind of day. Well, those are my thoughts for the day. Thanks for reading!
She's also in the phase where her sweet little voice strongly resembles what you hear on a broken or scratched record. I love that she is talking. She really is smart and it often amazes me what she remembers and repeats. She repeats EVERYTHING. She has the sweetest little voice and way of saying words, but after thirty straight minutes of "meow, meow, meow" (what she says when she wants to watch her favorite Baby Einstein video with a lion on it which she mistakes for a cat even if she's already watched it three times that day), I can get a little on edge.
She still sleeps about twelve hours at night and two during the day. Can't complain one bit there! I really do love her sleeping schedule. It hasn't been easy through the past two years to establish, but it was well worth it.
My final tidbit about the Emmers is that the situation with her glasses is not going well. The first two days were wonderful--miraculous. Now, she barely leaves them on for five seconds before yanking them off. She wants nothing to do with them. I'm not sure what else to try. I know it's important--vital--for her to wear these glasses for her development, but what do I do to get her to wear them? At this point, my goal is to not make it a point of stress or contention for either one of us. I just dont see what stressing out is going to do for either one of us. I want her glasses to be a positive thing, not something she is spanked over. But, it's also equally important that she learn to wear them. Stuck in a rut here.
Baby in-utero is doing fine, I suppose. (Pardon my blank expression in the above picture--I really am thrilled about this precious baby boy.) He still doesn't have a name. Poor guy. I have just started thinking about what I want his nursery to look like. So far I'm thinking a fun Noah's Ark theme. I haven't even begun to think of a registry. I still haven't felt movement. I have time, I suppose. I'm just itching to feel the little guy. That was my favorite part of carrying Emily. My last dr. appt. was fine. The next one is in a week or so and I trust everything will be fine again.
Jonathan is almost halfway finished with the police academy, which puts us one step closer to having a normal job and truly settling in here. There is still some level of uncertainty in my mind about living arrangements and hesitation to get too attached to our church and Sunday school until we see where he will find employment after the academy. We really do love where we live--so much. But, we are also trying to keep our hearts and minds open to other options because we truly have no idea where the Lord will lead J to work after he is certified.
I am feeling very ambitious lately. I'm dying to get ahold of a sewing machine to start making pillow case dresses for my dear friend Sheryl and her ministry in the Philippines. And a few summer dresses for Emily as well. I also want to work on drapes for baby boy's room as well as our soon-to-be remodeled bedroom. Maybe even some for the living room! Also, I want to make a scrap book for Emily. I have all of her memorable items and keepsakes from birth until now in a cute little pink box. I'd love to have a book made that she can keep for the rest of ever. And just a side note: It's absolutely amazing what a little rearranging of the furniture can do for a drab-feeling-stagnant kind of day. Well, those are my thoughts for the day. Thanks for reading!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
A Precious Life
Nothing is a waste. A life is never a mistake.
In May of 2008, I made the decision to stop attending Bryan College. Can't say I haven't struggled with some regret of this decision. But, the story goes on. And gets better. My time at Bryan forced me to examine my own beliefs, their authenticity, and who I really was or was pretending to be. I left it all--denied it all. No longer would I consider myself a Christian, and no longer would I place my trust or faith in a God that all of these Bryan people pretended to believe in. Needless to say, my attitude was bitter.
In the fall of 2008, I was waiting tables at Texas Roadhouse and going to school at Pellissippi State. I was living alone in Oak Ridge in a cluster of buildings that could be classified as "the projects". Well, not entirely alone. I had my dog, Molly, who was my company, friend, and a fur coat to cry on. Was this what I had chosen for myself? Leaving the comfy new dorm at Bryan surrounded by a sweet roommate that loved me dearly for the projects? I left all that for being scared to come home at midnight after closing the restaurant for fear of who would be lurking about my building?
In November, I realized I felt funny. I thought it was just a stomach flu I couldn't shake and the 5 pounds I had lost were due to my limited supply of food. Wrong. In an impulse decision, I made the trip to Walmart, purchased a pregnancy test, and took it. It only took about 5 seconds to show a "positive" result and it only took my hands another 5 seconds to find my stomach and begin loving the child within. Scared is an understatement here--as it is with most single mothers and "unplanned" pregnancies. I called my mom. Thank goodness for a mom who had walked in similar shoes, understood my fears, and loved me despite my situation.
I took 5 more tests. They were all positive. I began seeing a doctor in Oak Ridge. My best friend, Connie went with me to the first appointment. There in that dark tiny room, the ultra sound technician showed us the baby's heart beating. A white and black fluttering on the screen. And then...she turned the volume on and we heard it. I would never be the same again. A sense of reality soon flooded the doubts and feelings of unreality. Along with that comes worry, excitement, dread, and just plain uneasiness.
I ended up losing twenty pounds in the first trimester of the pregnancy and was advised by the doctors to move home. Gladly! I switched doctors--loved the new one--and waited out the rest of the pregnancy. I didn't tell the family until I was 20 weeks along and could hide it no more. Talk about scary. But guess what? They still loved me. And little did I know they would absolutely adore my child.
On June 18, 2009, Emily was born around 10:30. The doctors had put me on bed rest for the last month because I supposedly had IUGR (Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction) and the baby was super small. They induced me a week early because they thought that she could grow better on the outside. Wrong. She was 7 lbs 12 oz. Completely healthy, completely normal, and completely beautiful. An absolute miracle. That was the day it all changed for me.
Throughout the pregnancy, I had been chatting and habitually Facebooking this guy. He talked to me about my faith (or lack of), my doubts, and my past. He was an instrumental part of God's plan to bring me back around. His name is Jonathan. And he proposed 7 months later.
Emily's life changed my life. Emily's heart has changed mine. Her sweet life continues to touch people. Just a smile on her face can brighten an entire room. I'm so thankful for her life. And I am so thankful for my God, who gave me the courage to make the choice of life, even if I wasn't aware of his presence in the situation.
She continues to touch my heart, teach me so many new things, and love me unconditionally. She has the unbridled power to bring a smile to the most downtrodden face, whether it be my familiar face or that of a complete stranger. Her life is precious. The miracle of life never ceases to amaze me. And the faith that I have in the Creator of life continues to grow. The praise be Thine.
In May of 2008, I made the decision to stop attending Bryan College. Can't say I haven't struggled with some regret of this decision. But, the story goes on. And gets better. My time at Bryan forced me to examine my own beliefs, their authenticity, and who I really was or was pretending to be. I left it all--denied it all. No longer would I consider myself a Christian, and no longer would I place my trust or faith in a God that all of these Bryan people pretended to believe in. Needless to say, my attitude was bitter.
In the fall of 2008, I was waiting tables at Texas Roadhouse and going to school at Pellissippi State. I was living alone in Oak Ridge in a cluster of buildings that could be classified as "the projects". Well, not entirely alone. I had my dog, Molly, who was my company, friend, and a fur coat to cry on. Was this what I had chosen for myself? Leaving the comfy new dorm at Bryan surrounded by a sweet roommate that loved me dearly for the projects? I left all that for being scared to come home at midnight after closing the restaurant for fear of who would be lurking about my building?
In November, I realized I felt funny. I thought it was just a stomach flu I couldn't shake and the 5 pounds I had lost were due to my limited supply of food. Wrong. In an impulse decision, I made the trip to Walmart, purchased a pregnancy test, and took it. It only took about 5 seconds to show a "positive" result and it only took my hands another 5 seconds to find my stomach and begin loving the child within. Scared is an understatement here--as it is with most single mothers and "unplanned" pregnancies. I called my mom. Thank goodness for a mom who had walked in similar shoes, understood my fears, and loved me despite my situation.
I took 5 more tests. They were all positive. I began seeing a doctor in Oak Ridge. My best friend, Connie went with me to the first appointment. There in that dark tiny room, the ultra sound technician showed us the baby's heart beating. A white and black fluttering on the screen. And then...she turned the volume on and we heard it. I would never be the same again. A sense of reality soon flooded the doubts and feelings of unreality. Along with that comes worry, excitement, dread, and just plain uneasiness.
I ended up losing twenty pounds in the first trimester of the pregnancy and was advised by the doctors to move home. Gladly! I switched doctors--loved the new one--and waited out the rest of the pregnancy. I didn't tell the family until I was 20 weeks along and could hide it no more. Talk about scary. But guess what? They still loved me. And little did I know they would absolutely adore my child.
On June 18, 2009, Emily was born around 10:30. The doctors had put me on bed rest for the last month because I supposedly had IUGR (Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction) and the baby was super small. They induced me a week early because they thought that she could grow better on the outside. Wrong. She was 7 lbs 12 oz. Completely healthy, completely normal, and completely beautiful. An absolute miracle. That was the day it all changed for me.
Throughout the pregnancy, I had been chatting and habitually Facebooking this guy. He talked to me about my faith (or lack of), my doubts, and my past. He was an instrumental part of God's plan to bring me back around. His name is Jonathan. And he proposed 7 months later.
Emily's life changed my life. Emily's heart has changed mine. Her sweet life continues to touch people. Just a smile on her face can brighten an entire room. I'm so thankful for her life. And I am so thankful for my God, who gave me the courage to make the choice of life, even if I wasn't aware of his presence in the situation.
She continues to touch my heart, teach me so many new things, and love me unconditionally. She has the unbridled power to bring a smile to the most downtrodden face, whether it be my familiar face or that of a complete stranger. Her life is precious. The miracle of life never ceases to amaze me. And the faith that I have in the Creator of life continues to grow. The praise be Thine.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Giving at Christmas...Why?
I wrote this for another friend's blog, but I think it's fitting for mine as well...
It seems a common theme we hear every year at about this time—giving gifts at Christmas. It is a sweet tradition to buy gifts for our children and family members. The joy on their faces on Christmas morning makes the planning, saving, and wrapping completely worth it. This Christmas, I’ve been focusing on what I’m thankful for. My husband just finished his time in the Army and we have been experiencing the dreaded unemployment. The last couple of months, I have been half-jokingly saying that everyone can forget about getting gifts from us this year. Cards would have to do. Knowing that our income would be seriously limited, I decided to try to be thankful for what we do have rather than be bitter about what we could have. As I was reading in my daily Bible lesson today, the focus was on Psalm 136. The challenge: Add ten things to the list that I am thankful for because of God’s loving-kindness. Can you do that? I know we are challenged to things like this all the time, especially around Thanksgiving. However, I encourage you to truly spend some time with this one. Truly focus on God’s loving-kindness to you, his beloved, and meditate on this poem.
It seems a common theme we hear every year at about this time—giving gifts at Christmas. It is a sweet tradition to buy gifts for our children and family members. The joy on their faces on Christmas morning makes the planning, saving, and wrapping completely worth it. This Christmas, I’ve been focusing on what I’m thankful for. My husband just finished his time in the Army and we have been experiencing the dreaded unemployment. The last couple of months, I have been half-jokingly saying that everyone can forget about getting gifts from us this year. Cards would have to do. Knowing that our income would be seriously limited, I decided to try to be thankful for what we do have rather than be bitter about what we could have. As I was reading in my daily Bible lesson today, the focus was on Psalm 136. The challenge: Add ten things to the list that I am thankful for because of God’s loving-kindness. Can you do that? I know we are challenged to things like this all the time, especially around Thanksgiving. However, I encourage you to truly spend some time with this one. Truly focus on God’s loving-kindness to you, his beloved, and meditate on this poem.
My God, I love Thee;
Not because I hope for Heaven thereby
Not yet because who love Thee not must die eternally.
Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me upon the cross embrace;
For me didst bear the nails, and spear, and manifold disgrace.
Why, then why, O blessed Jesus Christ,
Should I not love Thee well?
Not for the hope of winning heaven or of escaping hell;
Nor with the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward: But as Thyself hast loved me, O everloving Lord!
Even so I love Thee, and will love, and in Thy praise will sing;
Solely because Thou art my God, and my Eternal King.
-Frances Xavier
My one year-old and I were in Belk today. She has a fascination with Christmas trees and “wights!” so, we stopped at the tree by the door. I noticed that it wasn’t covered in ornaments, but rather with slips of paper that said “Be a Santa to a Senior”. I have always had a special place in my heart for senior citizens, so this struck deep within me. I was reading each card. They had the person’s name, age, and wish list. Fairly soon, I came across one for a sweet lady who is 89. Instead of a wish list, she had written that she would like “prayers”. That’s all. Just prayers. What wisdom, simplicity, and love are in that one expression of gratitude to Jesus Christ. We pray to our Maker, the Giver of life because He alone is God. He loves his creation so deeply—enough that he sent His son to save us so that we can spend eternity with Him.
Here’s the problem: a huge chunk of the world’s population are needy. They need the basics like socks, shoes, coats, food, shelter, and even water. Why do we restrict our giving to our equally-well-off family members? I could post picture after picture of starving kids in Africa, Haiti, the Philippines, and even the nooks and crannies of the Appalachian Mountains—right here next to us. I don’t feel that I need to because we’ve all seen them and know of what I speak. Perhaps we get desensitized by it all. Buying gifts for our family members is a beautiful thing, but buying gifts for less privileged strangers is a worthy cause and a self-sacrificial act. My prayer is that we as a Christian body would open our hearts back up to these needs and pour our resources into them as an act of worship and thankfulness to our great King. He loves the little children, all the children of the world.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Ideas Welcome
I welcome ideas on what to do with this space (the middle picture).
(Those towels aren't part of our normal decoration. The rain and wind was very strong today and we had a minor leak. Just saying.)
(Those towels aren't part of our normal decoration. The rain and wind was very strong today and we had a minor leak. Just saying.)
Still here
Well, we are still here. Still living. Still loving. Still waiting--on several things. First and foremost, on a job. Currently (and less significantly) I'm waiting on my food and coffee to settle so I can do a work out. I have been totally enjoying these rainy days. The whole family has used them to get caught up on rest with extended naptime hours--my personal favorite.
About two weeks ago exactly, I got a phone call that grandpa was in the hospital with chest pains. We were on Signal when I got the message. We headed back to Athens and then Andrea and I went on up to Morristown. The doctors in the ER found that grandpa's cardiac enzyme tests were normal indicating that he did not have a heart attack. However, later in the afternoon (pretty much as soon as I got there) the nurses came in with his latest blood work and told us that he did indeed have a heart attack. They scheduled a heart cath for the following morning. It was so scary. We stayed with grandma that night and I slept in grandpa's spot--just like old times. The next morning, we rose early and headed to the hospital. As soon as the elevator doors slid open on the second floor of the heart and lung center, we saw grandpa flying by in his hospital bed. What perfect timing. Truly divine. Grandma got to hold his hand and tell him she loved him before his procedure. We found seats in the waiting room and tried to keep the mood semi-light with laughter as best we could. Dr. Rama appeared to show us a diagram of grandpa's heart and the results of the procedure. Good news: his heart muscle was found to be super strong and healthy. Bad news: his main artery was blocked over 90% and the other two were 40% and 50%. A stint was put in the main artery successfully. Grandpa had a rough day after that in that he had to lay still for around 9 hours. After that, his recovery was truly graceful. He was released from the hospital on Thursday--only two days after his arrival. I was amazed.
The night before grandpa would come home, J was sick. The following day, I was sick. The next day, grandma was sick. And the next day, mom had it. The following week, Andrea was down with similar symptoms. It bypassed grandpa, thank goodness but still wasn't fun for the rest of us. Gladly, it was only a 12-hour virus.
We are back home and everyone is on the mend. It is exciting for us to watch God work in our lives. Though we are both out of work, the bills are being paid and work here and there is being provided. We have also been led to a church that we are very excited about getting involved in. I am cherishing the time we have together at home and the lax schedule. The praise be to God.
It has been pressed upon my heart lately to tell "my story" of salvation. It is coming soon. After all, a personal story is more effective than a hundred sermons.
Thanks for reading, dear friends.
Amanda & Family
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