Category Archives: Children

Mar22

This Week’s Highlight Reel

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Aside from the nights where sleep has been a struggle and never-ending snotty noses, we’ve had a great week! It constantly amazes me how fast Jonathan is growing up. I’m loving the little personality that keeps growing.

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The weather was nice on Sunday so we walked down to the playground and let Jonathan swing for the first time. I’m pretty sure he had a blast! We’ve gone back a few times since then, but the weather has gotten fairly cold so we’re limiting time outside.

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Jonathan’s love for books at such a young age really impresses me! He is constantly picking up books, walking across them room and handing them to us so that we can read to him. If we’re not paying attention or taking to long, he’ll start throwing the book to us! Then we will sit and read…and read…and read. I think I’ve read one book close to 15 times in a row. But I love every moment of it!

He also has a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night, grab his book and flip through it instead of sleeping. Nap time also gets delayed because he likes to sit in his bed and read now! Thanks to his grandma, he has a bunch of new books to keep him occupied!

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Our little monster is also walking like crazy. In fact, I think if he could steady himself enough, he’d run!  We were sitting by the front door on Wednesday when his daddy pulled into the driveway. I stood up and said “lets go get daddy!” He walked down the hall, through the living room and made it to the kitchen before falling down. But at that point he could see “da-da”, so he was happy!

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Everything has become a drum too! Cabinets, chairs, the floor,piano bench, and the upside-down bucket, the toilet lid…

The highlight of my week came yesterday when Jonathan pushed his (formerly my) rocking chair across the room next to where I was sitting. He wanted to sit in the chair beside me! I sat him in it and turned on a cartoon for him to watch for a few minutes. He loved it and sat there trying to rock (the bottom of the chair has been worn down from use since my sister was a baby, through me and my three nieces). SO adorable!

rocking chair

 

Our little baby is growing up! I can’t believe that I’m already gathering things for his first birthday in less than a month and a half. Where has time gone?

Feb15

No Title Fitting Enough

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A few years ago we met with a reproductive endocrinologist (RE) to discuss our battle with infertility that had gone on for over two years. After multiple tests, the doctor came back with the results and told us it was unlikely that we would ever conceive a child without invasive procedures such as IVF. While we had (and still have) no problems with others pursuing IVF, we did not feel the Lord leading us down that path. We strongly felt that if His will was for us to have our own biological child(ren), he would provide other ways. We decided to try a less invasive fertility treatment, and were beyond blessed with Jonathan.

The road to pregnancy was a long, painful one. The emotional turmoil was incredible. At one point I knew close to 60 women who were pregnant at the same time. I prayed, I cried, I even threw a few temper tantrums at God. There were ladies popping out baby after baby, and some were not taking care of them. They weren’t loving and appreciating the gift they’d been given, and I was mad. I was hurt that while we waited, friends were getting pregnant with their second and third child. I had so many questions for God. I wanted answers.

God blessed me with a friend who had walked the road before me. While it didn’t take the crushing pain of infertility away, it did ease it. I didn’t feel so alone anymore.

Jonathan is now 9 months old. He’s growing up and maturing faster than I’m ready for. I love every minute of being his mom.

I love the calling of being a mom. But now Joe and I can no longer say that Jonathan is our only child. Our lives have drastically changed again.

Recently we were shocked to find out that the Lord had blessed us with another pregnancy. Shocked at the timing. Shocked at the fact that we got pregnant without the use of fertility treatments. Overwhelmed with God’s graciousness. Honestly, I took the test to rule out pregnancy. I knew I was pretty late, but attributed it to the fact Jonathan was going through a growth spurt and I was nursing more. Our world quickly entered into fast forward.

While the excitement abounded, I was actually pretty nervous. I think I have some strange form of PTSD because of the sheer stress Jonathan’s sleep issues have caused. I went months with sleeping in 30 minute increments it felt like. We’ve come a long way, but what if the second baby had similar problems? How on earth could I be a good mom to Jonathan and a new baby? Would I be adequate enough?

And then the heart-wrenching began. I started spotting. I kept trying to remind myself that this, along with strong cramping, happened the entire first trimester with Jonathan. I was trying my hardest to stay calm, but fear struck. And it struck hard. Over the course of 24 hours, the spotting turned to full force bleeding and passing clots. I knew what was happening. Having spent years working in pathology, I knew what I was seeing. Our little baby, the one we’d only had the chance to celebrate its life for a few short days, had left us. Tests and ultrasounds the following day confirmed what I already knew.

The heartache has been real. While my little baby may not have survived for very long, it won’t be forgotten. I want to tell the doctor that told me “it’s as if it never happened”, that yes, yes it happened. The Lord gave us this child. For reasons that I will never know, He allowed it to be taken from us soon thereafter. I’ve wanted to be mad at God, but deep in my heart, I know that’s not the answer. Getting mad at God gives the devil victory. I have to trust that the Lord has a plan in all of this.

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But we can’t allow our little one to go unrecognized. Albeit short, there was a life within me. A life that has passed straight to heaven. Instead of one baby, we now have two. One living here on earth, one celebrating in heaven.

To give our little one’s life the recognition and respect it deserves, we have chosen a name. Some people may never understand our desire to do so. In Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, she quotes another author on the significance of naming.

“Now, in the Bible a name … reveals the very essence of a thing, or rather its essence as God’s gift … To name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value God gave it, to know it as coming from God and to know its place and function within the cosmos created by God. To name a thing, in other words, is to bless God for it and in it.”

It was too early to determine if our baby would have been a boy or girl, but we felt strongly about picking out a girls name. So, our little girl, who is dancing in the streets of heaven is named Giana, which means “God is gracious” in Hebrew. She was important to us. Her short life has impacted our lives greatly.

Jan2

New Year, New Goals, New Me

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2012 has come and gone. The number one thing on my goals list was accomplished-to have my baby boy and to love him like crazy. Everything else was just icing on the cake! I didn’t accomplish everything on my goals list, but I’m 100% ok with that! Motherhood is different than I was anticipating…at least the sleep deprivation part! I’m loving every single second of being a mom and cannot thank God enough for the blessing He has given us. Such an honor and privilege!

2013 is here now, and with it a great opportunity to seize each moment that the Lord has given us. I want this year to be significant. As a family, I hope that God will use us to  bring glory to Him, and give us opportunities to reach out to others and help those in need!

Without further adieu, here are my goals for this year:

2013 Goals

Personal:

1. Lose weight (I do have a specific amount I’m targeting)

2. Read 1-2 books per month

3. Have a more regular quiet time

4. Drink less soda and more water

5. Stay off the computer more during the daytime, be wiser about time management

Marriage:

1. Resume reading the Bible together during the week

2. Have date nights, even if they have to be at home

3. Spend more time together

Parenting:

1. Cloth diaper on a more regular basis

2. Read to Jonathan more

3. Play more music for Jonathan

4. Successfully wean

5. Attempt to begin potty training by the end of the year

Home:

1. Make bed daily

2. Make one new dinner recipe per month

3. Keep kitchen table & island clear

4. Maintain regular cleaning & organization schedule

Financial:

1. Pay off smaller of two medical school loans

2. Create a monthly budget

3. Be better steward of our finances (for example, stack coupons with sales for smarter grocery shopping)

4. Shop less and reduce expenses where possible

5. Find/pray about ways to help those in need

There are other things I have in mind too, but we’ll just start here and adjust as needed!

Dec1

7 Months, Wow!

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Nov

 

 

Little man, I can’t believe you’re seven months already! Time is flying by and I know the next month will be even faster. You are such a joy to both your daddy and me! Here is a recap from this past month…

-You are trying so hard to crawl

-You are able to sit on your own as long as we put you down.

-Almost able to go from lying down to sitting up…almost!

-You’re still having trouble sleeping, but hopefully we’ll remedy that soon.

-Da-Da is your new favorite word

-Teeth! Your two bottom teeth are starting to poke through

-Your grandma came up for Thanksgiving and spent time with you and mommy while daddy had to work.

Nov1

Happy Half Birthday, Squirt!

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I doubt I would have ever even thought to call you Squirt, but when we were in the hospital, the rounding doctor (she was one of my favorites) called you that, and its sort of stuck!

Its amazing how quickly six months really has passed. Some days really have been long, but the (half) years sure are short. Your daddy and I are madly in love with you! You bring us such indescribable joy and many laughs.

In this past month you have accomplished so much!

-Sitting up- you can sit in a tripod position for about a minute unassisted, and sit up on your own for almost 15 seconds!

-Sitting up in both your high chair and in the grocery cart

- My favorite is that you have started saying “ma-ma”. And its not just “ma-ma-ma-ma”, you know who you are calling and what you’re saying! When you woke up this morning we heard you scream “MA-MA”!  I.LOVE.IT! We’re also working on “da-da”, “ba-ba” and trying to teach you to wave bye.

-You’re rolling all around. Nothing stops you from getting to the toy across the floor. You’ve not quite figured out how to scoot or crawl, but you’re getting there! I give it another two or three weeks!

-We dedicated you to the Lord! You, my son, are a gift from God. We fully believe that without God’s intervention, we would not have you in our lives today. We made a promise to God, to you, to our families, and to our church body that we will do our very best to raise you in a Godly home, teach you about the Lord, and one day, if its the Lords will, help lead you to surrender your life to Christ!

-First Halloween! Your cousin Katie gave you a Mickey Mouse costume! You sure were one cute mouse! We didn’t take you trick or treating since you’re still a little too young. You did get to go to a Fall Festival at church and dressed up to go to daddy’s office

-You laugh so much now! Your daddy can make you laugh best, but I’m not too far behind! Daddy makes all kinds of funny sounds, a lot of which you try to imitate. You can try to blow bubbles with your lips, but usually just spit everywhere. Daddy’s Donald Duck sounds make you laugh the hardest.

-You got your very first serious cold, and it has not been fun for you! Lots of snot, runny nose (which, like all babies, makes you mad to have cleaned), and congestion. Its also made you sleep a lot worse. We’ve been experiencing newborn sleep patterns a lot these past few weeks. Mommy does not like waking up 3 times during the night, but if it is what you need for right now, we’ll work through it!

Baby boy, I can’t wait to see what this next month brings! I’m so excited that God has blessed me with you & your daddy each and every day! I pray for you daily, for you now and for your future. I pray that daddy and I are Godly examples in your life and that we show you His greatness, so that one day, you too will love Christ as much as we do!

Love you lots!

 

 

 

Oct26

Finally On the Upswing

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Jonathan will be six months old in less than a month (holy cow). However, the past few weeks have been quite reminiscent of his newborn days (hence the hiatus from posting). Most nights we were up multiple times for feedings and the naps…well, they hardly existed.

The past few days though, things have been on the upswing. Nights have been back to one feeding and naps are working themselves out for the first time. Praise. The. Lord!

Now that I have a little more time, maybe, just maybe I’ll get to post more :) For now, I will leave you with pictures of my cutie!

 

Oct5

Sleep, oh how I love thee

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It’s a beautiful thing when my child sleeps. It took us months of sleep deprivation, hallucinations, exhaustion, etc to get to a point where Joe and I finally feel like we’re human again. But don’t get me wrong, we’re still having our issues.

Thankfully the night-time thing seems to be down. I’m looking forward to the day Jonathan drops his last feeding. Getting up at 4 am to feed and pump, and then for the day at 6 is starting to wear me out. A few mornings ago I grabbed the monitor to check on him at 6. I decided that since he was just talking to himself, I’d leave him be. I fell back asleep and woke when I dropped the monitor on the floor. Yesterday morning I could barely keep my eyes open.

Our goal for the past few weeks has been to get Jonathan to take his naps in his crib. Some wonder what the big deal is. Well, my kid can wake at the sound of someone breathing, so napping in his crib is beneficial in so many ways! I can shower!!! Dishes can be washed, floors can be swept, bathrooms can be cleaned, my disastrous sewing room can be reorganized. And maybe, one day, I can even take a nap too!

This past week, though, we’ve finally started to make progress toward a nap time routine. Each time naps have rolled around, Jonathan has, willingly, went to bed in his crib. Most naps have lasted no longer than an hour (with the exception of the first one, which was three hours). But I know routines take time. I’m just thankful I have a few moments to grab a shower, do a few dishes or laundry, tidy up or make a phone call.

Oct1

Love my 5 month old!

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Jonathan,

You never fail to bring Joy to your daddy and I! I can’t begin to tell you how much we love you and how thankful we are the Lord has entrusted you to us. This past month has been filled with huge milestones for you and for us. You’re growing up so fast. I can’t believe we are celebrating five months already! I know in the blink of an eye you’ll be turning a year old, and then grown up before we realize time has gone. I pray that we show you the love of Christ and that you grow to worship the Lord each moment of your life!

Here are highlights from this past month:

~Your first road trip! We drove to NJ early this month. I don’t think you really enjoyed being away from your bed. You definitely did not sleep well but that could have been because of another first…

~Your first ear infection. We realized this after you fussed a lot on the journey up to NJ and most of the first day. Tylenol wasn’t really cutting the pain for you. Thankfully we were able to get you some antibiotics to help you feel better.

~You went to the beach for the first time. And you hated it. It was probably because you weren’t feeling well. We didn’t try to let you get in the ocean though. The water was very choppy from a hurricane that was off the coast.

~You got in the pool for the first time. Daddy took you in and mommy snapped pictures and took video. We’re not sure if you liked it or not because you gave us no reaction.

~You met lots of your family! You met your aunt Theresa, cousins Katie, Danielle, and Jeremy. You got to meet your great-aunt Loretta, extended cousins Jessie, Chris, and JT. You saw your grandma and great-aunt Pat again too. You covered your aunt Pat in lots of spit up, a signature move for you!

~When we came home, we gave you solid food for the first time. Rice cereal, and you ate it like a champ! So far you’ve had rice cereal, oatmeal, squash, and green beans. Squash has been your favorite!

~You finally rolled over! And now you’re unstoppable! You’ve not only mastered rolling from your back to your tummy, but you’re also getting a hang on rolling from your tummy to your back. The only problem is that you’re rolling into the side of your crib at night and waking yourself up or rolling and playing, getting your arm or leg stuck in between the crib slats. You definitely aren’t liking that and scream until we come rescue you.

~You’re finally sleeping through the night, or at least most of it! Praise the Lord! You’re falling asleep around 7:00 and either waking up at 4 to eat and then going back to sleep until almost 7, or staying asleep until 6. You couldn’t find a happier mama!

~You have found your toes and you LOVE to suck on them!

~You love to take your burp cloth and cover up your head to play peek-a-boo! You crack yourself up every time you do this!

~You & your daddy love to crack up together! I’ve captured great video of the two of you and it melts my heart watching the two of you together

~Today, for your 5 month birthday, you finally decided to take a great nap…in your crib! Not only was it a nap, it was a super nap! 3 hours long! You’re still trying to figure out naps, but we’ll get there.

~You’re having a good time in the nursery at church. In fact, you let me sit through an entire worship service. Thank you!

~We opened you up your first bank account. We hope to get you started on the right financial foot and teach you how to properly save and spend, differentiating between needs and wants.

And at home, when it’s just the three of us, we can often describe you with these two phrases:

Baby boy, your mama and daddy love you and can’t wait to be there with you through all of the big milestones that lie ahead of us! Praise God for the blessings we have been given through you!