My baby

We're staying the night at my mom's house. She's moving in a week:( She so kindly has allowed me to select from her many pictures to make an album for my dear husband, who has been patiently waiting for his Father's Day gift from me... I saw this picture and LOVED it and had to share. My mom took it many months ago. I cannot put into words the love I feel for my children. God has blessed me immeasurably.

Dearest Abby

Guess what! My niece Abby (Grace's daughter) is now joining the ranks of the "wonderful 2s." She's the most darling little girl you'll ever see. She's doing WAY better than her older cousin Mikayla in the potty training dept. And for that I say, way to go, Abby!! Happy birthday, beautiful girl. We love you sooooooo much! If you don't know Abby, well, Abby's just Abby. If you knew her, you'd know what I mean:)

ps. we have a contract on a house very near ours. it's a 3 bedroom/2 bath brick home. we think it's quite nice. Lord willing, it will be ours soon! We'll see what the Lord has in store for us.

Lovely!

The Seguin Dodsons' photo session

What a pair they make!

And the best attitude award goes to....

Hannah! Go, Hannah:) She won a fan that lit up. Pretty cool.

Is it just me or does Sarah look a bit disappointed??

Mikayla on the 4th

She was definitely the dirtiest one there. Oh well. She had lots of fun:)

It's almost here!

What? you might ask. Our first ever 4th of July celebration at our house. We are expecting about 40 people. Crazy!, eh? I agree. You're invited to come, too. Just let me know and we'll pick up a few extra hot dogs. :) We're going to have an art show/contest and the winner receives $5. And a cookie contest and the winner will receive the same amount. I'm really looking forward to this! I'm busy trying to get my house in order, get all the last minute things planned, etc. And my husband if OFF tomorrow. That's sooooo neat! I love when he has a day off. Speaking of my husband, I'd better go bring him some water- he's mowing!

Happy 4th of July! (almost)

Mine and Mikayla's memory verse:
"Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:7
*I THINK that's right...

Isn't She Lovely?

He came, he saw, he conquered, and she's loving it!

Shots- who like 'em?

Not me. Not one bit. But, I guess that's the best (?) route for my children. I know so little about it, so I can't make much of a judgment call on it.

Speaking of my son, he's crying. Probably a bit cranky from his shots today:( He did not like them, and it made me so sad when they held his little leg down, he started giggling. Then he got the shot and it quickly stopped and turned into a huge cry.

Oh, I'd better go rescue that boy.

We got an offer on our home and now we're looking for a place to live. It's CraZy around here. I feel almost homeless. I'm interested to see what the Lord provides for our family.

Hope you all have a good day. I'm thankful for good friends, aren't you? :).

ps. yes, avocado enchiladas do NOT qualify as raw;)

Raw

I know this post seems a little ironic as it follows one about no- bake cookies. Oh well. My brothers Paul and Dan (and about half the time my sister Grace) are huge advocates of raw food.

What veggies do YOU enjoy eating raw??? Please share. I'm trying (sorta) to eat more healthy.

Here are some that we enjoy:

1. carrots
2. red/green/yellow peppers
3. tomatoes
4. avocados!!


ps. and you DON'T need ranch dip. But sometimes it's good, right? :)

No bake cookies

Remember those?? Aren't they so yummy? Well, my dear husband and I made these late tonight for tomorrow's lunch at church. I've been making these for about 20+ years now. gasp! If you've never made them and like the ingredients, give them a try!

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter

Melt first 4 ingredients together and boil for 1 minuute (while stirring).
Remove from heat and add:

1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
3 cups quick cooking oats

Stir together and quickly drop by spoonfuls on wax papered cookie sheet OR pour it into a 9x13 pan and cool, cut, and ENJOY. Great with milk or water.

I'll leave you this fine Saturday evening with a quote-

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
~Corrie Ten Boom (what a name!)

This is not sour cream...

I think I'm easily amused. My daughter makes me laugh a lot. Since last week we've been without a second vehicle which means I stay at HOME during the day and get much more accomplished. For instance- potty training. (No, Misty, she's not yet potty trained, but we're getting there) I have a little sticker chart system worked out that when she uses the "big girl potty," she can pick her sticker of choice (there are 800+ to choose from that have very encouraging messages on them) on her decorated sticker chart. So far, so good. Boy, am I getting off the subject here. sorry.

So, I had given Mikayla a bath and all the water was pretty much drained out, and as far as I knew, she was playing with her ducks. I was cleaning the bathroom when I heard her say, "this is not sour cream, this is not sour cream." When I looked into the tub, I saw that Mikayla had gotten a bar of soap (you know the kind that get really soggy and weird from being in the water) and was rubbing it all over herself. It was quite amusing to me. I told her not to do that ever again b/c that's what a mom's supposed to say, right? But, it was funny.

I blog about these things not to try to impress people with my comedic daughter, but I want to remember her little, funny sayings. That's all. Someday I want to print out my blog into a book/journal/something like that.

Have a good one!

ps. Little Joseph has been EXTREMELY fussy these past few days. Maybe I need to lay off the pepsi and broccoli. hmmm...

Baby Fever

While looking at all those pictures of adorable newborn babies, I asked my husband, "what if I get baby fever?"

"Then go look in the corner of our living room (where our 4 month old boy sleeps)."

Ha ha!! I loved that, for some odd reason;)

My 219th post!

It's about time to get something new typed in this white box. This is my 219th post, which reminds me of our anniversary 2-19. Cool, eh? Speaking of my husband, he celebrated his 35th birthday this week. He took some time off work to spend with the family. We sure enjoyed getting lots of time with him.

We spent 2 nights/3 days at Lake Brownwood State Park in a cabin. A wonderful time was had by all. Most of the days were spent walking around, throwing rocks in the water, and just being together. Might not sound like tons of fun, but it WAS. Sometimes it's just nice to do very little.

Then last night, I made my hubby a cherry pie- his dessert of choice- and some cupcakes for the kiddos to decorate. We'd planned to let the kids play in the sprinkler and it turned into crazy fun with some of the ADULTS doing the slip in slide (tarp+water+baby oil). Good times!!! :)

This evening Mikayla made her daddy laugh. She was standing in her room (well after her bedtime) and she pointed to the basket we keep her p$$nties in and she said, "Dora chonies." That's what my mom calls them, so Mikayla's picked up on that. Jody loved it;) And I put the $$'s instead of the **'s because they are SO expensive.

I have an almost 4 month old boy, and boy, is he ever special. I feel like he came at the perfect! time for our family (of course he did). He's such a neat addition. We enjoy that boy immensely.

Hope you're all doing well, my faithful readers. Sorry for the lack of posting. I get a bit discouraged when I can't post pictures, but you know, life is more than pictures, right? Sure.

Good night!

God himself

Last night as I was rocking my Joseph to sleep, I was singing to him. For some reason he likes it. Go figure. Anyway, I was singing this song over and over again. You may be familiar with it:

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ~Revelation 21:3,4

And around the third time singing it, it hit me. "God HIMSELF shall be with them." The great and mighty and holy God HIMSELF. WOW! The One who chose me and loves me and forgave me of all my sins. I guess I think of the word "himself" like this: The President himself is going to be there! But how much more- God himself. I love it!

God is so faithful throughout my (busy!) days to give such precious tokens of his grace and love. I don't always share them, obviously, but I'll try to be more faithful in sharing b/c I think they're wonderful!!!!

ps. It's almost Mother's day! I've nominated my mom for mother of the year, but they (KTAB) haven't called yet to tell me she got it. Yikes, it's probably b/c I'm online. I'd better go. Bye!

Last Pic First, of Course!

One More After This!

Dodson Family Photo!

What are YOU reading?

While getting our house ready for our (non)showing tomorrow, I was straightening up our nightstands and thought, hmmm, I wonder what others are reading...



Here's what we're reading:



When Sinners Say "I do"-Dave Harvey (I think; my mom borrowed it today)

I actually just finished this one. Excellent reading. It was a gift from Aunt Laura and Uncle Jeff. One quote I loved in it- "Til sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet." SUPER



Morning and Evening- Charles Spurgeon

If you do not have this book, get it as soon as possible. It's loaded with such good, relevant, encouraging, enlightening, applicable truths. I write in it like a diary. It's so good.



The Bible

You have one; read it! If not, I'll get you one:)



When People are big and God is small- Edward T. Welch

I've only read bits and pieces, but so far, so good. Another gift from AL and UJ



The New Strong-willed Child- Dobson

Hmmm....



AND



Parenting is not for Cowards- Dobson

Hmmm.... again. ;)



What's on your nightstand?

Any books you recommend??

Please let me know!

A good weekend

Hi, Grace. Bye, Grace. Yep, that's what it felt like this weekend. I saw Grace and fam for a few moments, then they were right back in McKinney. Hey, no fair! I AM thankful that they came for a visit, and the time spent with them was very nice;)

We got RAIN. I love to see the rain and what it does to the dry earth. It's beautiful! :)

I called 911 for the first time on Saturday. We were on our way to...guess!..Wal-Mart. yes. And across from Cousins in Early a man on a motorcycle was taking a right into Allsups and kinda caught the curb in a weird way and slowly fell over. Very strange. It seemed like it happened in slow motion. I called 911- it works!- and they assured me that help was on the way. The guy, thank the Lord, ended up being just fine. He just couldn't remember what happened. Jody helped, and I was so proud of him.

Our realtor called today and asked if we could show our house in THIRTY minutes. Um, no. Especially not on a Sunday when it's SOOO chaotic and crazy. Outfits, diapers, dishes, burp cloths EVERYwhere. We just try to get out the door on time for church. Phew!

My son is crying. Why is this happening to me??! Just kidding. The dogs on our street have decided to join him. rats.

How was YOUR weekend?? Hope it was a good one.

ps. "God is not looking for extra-ordinary men for ordinary work, but ordinary men for extra-ordinary work." (thought that was a good quote)

pps. speaking of realty, I love when you read that there's a nice house in a "quite neighborhood"

Just a lookin' for a home

like the boll weevill (sp???). Ever heard that song? It was probably before your time;)

Well, we made on offer on a home about 1/2 mile from ours. It's a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom red brick home built in 2000. It has no yard really to speak of, but it has two TOILETS. Does it get any better than that?? Yeah, 3. ha! Our house has to sell first. So, we'll see what the Lord has in store for us. We'd love to be in that house, but our hearts aren't so set on it that if it doesn't work out we'll be crushed. We're just fine either way. It would be nice to have a bedroom for our little guy. Right now he occupies about 6 square feet in the living room. Not ideal, but it works.

Mikayla's doing pretty good with her training, for those of you following the ever-so-interesting saga. She's looking forward to the day when she can wear big girl p**nties all the time just like Mommy, Aunt Grace, Emmie, etc. :) So am I! Potty training is quite a chore. Phew!

I'm so in love with my Josephs, by the way. I need to post an udpated photo. The smaller Joseph is growing like crazy!!! He's about doubled his weight since birth, and he's not quite 3 months old. unreal.

Hopefully, I'll be attending an AI party tonight at Christy's. Looking forward to that. She does know how to throw a good party;)

Off to nap world, I hope!

We finally have a mama's boy!

Kiss?

While sitting at my computer getting my 3 seconds online, I asked my daughter (who was standing on a stool behind me), "Kiss?"

She answered, "maybe later, mom."

Oh. I guess she's growing up.

:)

ps. she gave me many kisses a few seconds later!

Abby has officially stolen the spotlight

Yikes! It's been too long since I've posted and WAY too long since I've had a good nap. I plan to do both very soon.

So, we've been working on potty training with Mikayla. Not the funnest thing on earth. I have a book called Potty training in a day or less. I'll take the less. Is that an option? They tell you to get a doll that pees and pour water into it, then Mikayla can watch the doll empty her liquid into the potty. Sounds great on paper. Then you're supposed to give them cokes (!), and juices and such- beverages that they like- and stay by the pot all day long. Phew! I just don't have that kind of time. Oh well.

Anyway, Abby, Mikayla's cousin who is 4 months younger than Mikayla, is going potty like crazy in the big girl potty. She always! has to be better than my daughter. Just kidding, of course. Abby is SUCH a sweet girl and is liking the new pant''s we brought for her on our trip to McKinney.

Get this, Grace. Mikayla is now sleeping in her BIG GIRL BED. Top that! ;)

ps. NOW I'm ready for that nap!

Starting potty training

First of all, thank you all for your sweet comments on my previous post. I really enjoy taking pictures of people. Esp. Grace and family:-).

Mikayla is wearing pant**s for the first time today. I told myself that once little Joseph starts sleeping through the night that I'd start her training. Thankfully, Joseph has had 3 nights in a row that he's gone 7-8 hours between feedings. It's been SO nice to get some rest. awww. Hopefully I will have the patience required for the process. I can just see it getting really frustrating really fast. I'll keep you updated. After all, she is TWO (wow!) and I think she's ready- finally.

We're in the process of trying to sell our house. And what a process it is. We're wanting to get a larger home to house our growing family. It's a funny feeling to have a For Sale sign in our front lawn and to have people come look at it. We know that whatever happens, the Lord will provide for us.

Joseph had his 2 month appt yesterday and got his shots:( talk about breaking a mommy's heart. He did great, though. He weighs over 13 pounds now and has grown 4 inches. Yes, we have a big boy. And I love it!

Our 3rd photography class is tonight. They are so much fun, especially when taking it with my mommy:))) Speaking of her, she gave me a $30 gift card to get me started with my CVS shopping. (Lookout, Rebekah! :) I had a "fun" first go of it. I got very confused and had to cancel an order and then do it right. Phew! (Ok, now she's in a pull-up; you can imagine what just happened. Oh, the joys of motherhood! :) My husband was so impressed with my good deals. I felt like taking a picture of all my goodies sitting on my table, but alas, you know how it is with me and pictures. But, I did get lots of deodorant, lots of body wash and lots of wipes. YAY! :)

Hope you all have a most wonderful week. The Lord has made this day and what a beautiful one it is!

Ledbetter family photo shoot

My favorite of the bunch

My other favorite:)

Good times on the dirty equipment

WHEEEEEEEE!

It never hurts to throw in a candid, eh?

Is this going to work???
Am I going to have pictures on my blog??

ps. I have a TWO year old!

gettin some joseph lovin

Joshua was the first of our boy's to hold the baby. He wasn't escared. Both of our boys love their cousins so much. I am so thankful for that. Neither are too cool to enjoy a cuddly baby or a toddling niece. :o)

I interupt this blog to bring you the next child prodigy, Mikayla Dodson. Her wonderful Auntie Laura (that would be me) prepared her palette in an array of colors, drew her water, handed over the brush and Voila! The rest is history. She had a few messy artistic moments but those were quickly taken care of by her attentive Aunt.
We are sooo happy the Early's could come for a visit. Y'all are welcome anytime.

Who needs a Maytag repair man anyway?

Not me!

We were having some serious issues with our refrigerator- it was leaking and getting water, water everywhere! Instead of calling for help, my husband fixed it right up. I'm terribly proud of him:)

It's been many moons since I've posted, eh?

I'm still frustrated that I have like 6 cameras and can't post a single picture. sigh. It's like poetic justice or something. Like that Twilight Zone where the guy who LOVED to read finally got his wish and was surrounded by tons of books. Then he accidentally broke his glasses. I feel just like that;)

I got treated to lunch today. My mom's the greatest. Chicken Express has some dee- lish strips. So tender and good. Poor Grannybear is not doing well. She basically said she's ready to die. And while it's good to be ready to die, it just makes me sad to hear that.

Tomorrow's ladies' lunch out @ the Turtle. If you're reading this, you're more'n welcome to come join us. Mikayla's not invited. Instead she's going to spend some time with my dad:)

Off to the bbq. I'm bringing fruit salad. Hope you have a good eve!

Slightly frustrated

So, I've tried to post pictures and I'm not succeeding. Grrr. Sorry you couldn't see my last one. I'm not doing so well with updates due to my lack of time/sleep. But! I love my family and am truly enjoying my new son. Sigh. He likes me! :) I tell myself that- ha!

I'm taking yet another PHOTOTGRAPHY CLASS starting next Thursday!!! Wheee:) I really like those things, for some reason. My mom is going to join me, along with another gal. How fun! Jody asked me how it'd work with feeding (Joseph). I told him that I'd make it work.

Our house is almost ready to sell. Anyone interested? ;)

AND, last but certainly not least, Jody and I have a date night planned for Friday. My dad so kindly volunteered my mom to watch Joseph and Mikayla while we watch the HPU girls play in the finals at the Bwd Coliseum (sp??). Anyone want to double date?? :)

I'm off to feed my son soon. See ya later!

I'm going to try right quickly to post my new favorite picture. deep breath.
another failed attempt. oh well. good night!

My Babies

 

The big break

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything of importannce. It's called the construction being done on our house/going to bed by 9 and waking up several times in the night to feed and change "brother's" diaper/not being home during the day and just plain exhaustion break. Are those good reasons? (be nice, Grace)

Fixing to head to bed, but first...

*our daughter's turning TWO this month!!!!!!!

*they'll be finished with our house tomorrow (we're planning on selling and buying a bigger home)

*daylight savings time is this Sunday- don't forget- we lose an hour (rats!)

*we have a new central heat/air unit!

*neither my son, NOR my daughter is crying right now------------

Good night! :)

Funny things people have said to me

I'll say anything to finally have a new post. Things were starting to get a little stale around here, so I thought I'd drop a few lines onto this screen.

While leaving the hospital with little Joseph, the nurse was going over some paperwork with us. She asked me if I was breastfeeding. Yes, I said. And she said, now if you do use formula, you have to use Similac with iron. ha ha ha. Is that funny or what?? She's telling me what kind of formula I HAVE to use. Is she going to follow me to Wal-Mart to check up??

Yesterday in Wal-Mart a lady stopped me while I was looking at Sun chips. She asked me, you know what you need? What? Fiber. I then told her that I like fiber. And we talked for a while about oatmeal and berries, etc. What a hoot of a lady!

I have more things to say, but I must make sure Mikayla picks up all her crayons. It took her about a second to dump them all, and it's taken her over 30 minutes to pick them up. It reminds me of Proverbs 14:1 which reads, Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. It takes a long time to build, but a very short time to tear down.

Hope you all have a great day. Today is laundry and bath day. When you have 2 (or more!) kiddos, I think every day could be laundry day, eh?

One year ago today...

First of all, happy birthday, Mike! For those of you who don't know, Mike is my youngest brother; he's a HUGE blessing in my life and is such a godly man. I'm thankful to be his sister. And, Lord willing, I'll get to see him this weekend. I'm really looking forward to that.

One year ago today I had a D&C. What a day that was. One thing I recall most about that day is that the Lord was with me in a very special way. He gave me a tremendous peace and I felt very still. Before I was "put to sleep", my precious husband prayed with me and sang "All the way my Savior leads me." When I woke up, I was in a warm, dark, room with a nurse beside me quietly taking notes. I asked her, so I'm not pregnant anymore? She answered, no. And as I lay in that bed, my silent tears rolled off my cheeks missing the baby I never got to meet.

One year later, my God continues to love me. My husband loves me more and more. AND, I have another name to add to my mother's ring! My precious son Joseph. Oh, how I love him. When people ask me how many children I have, I'll answer two. But, in my heart I love my three children. Each is very precious to me and to my husband. If it had not been for my miscarriage, (little) Joseph would not be here today. Wow. The Lord so wonderfully works these things out.

"For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places."

~Psalm 135:5,6

The story of Joseph's birth

Wow. What an original title, eh? Let me start off by saying that if you are a male and reading this, you probably will not be too interested in what will follow. Just thought I'd throw that in. I mainly want to type this out so I'll have it recoreded but also to share with anyone interested in hearing a birthing story. I know I love to read about other's experiences, esp. when I was pregnant:) So, here goes:

My due date was Saturday, February 2nd. At my last appt we'd decided that if I didn't start labor by Tuesday, February 5th, that they'd induce. I really wanted to go into labor on my own, but honestly thought I'd end up being induced. On the night of January 28th before I went to bed, I heard Mikayla kinda crying in her bed. So, I went into her room, smoothed her hair, tried to comfort her, and I thought (for some reason) that it'd be one of the last times I'd get to do that before the new baby comes. It was a sweet time, and when I look back now, it's interesting that I would've thought that b/c I was right!

I went to bed that night feeling normal. I woke up around 1:45am with my back feeling the exact same way it did when I went into labor with Mikayla. (Believe me, that's a feeling you DON'T just forget) But, it felt like more toward the end of my labor with Mikayla. So, I wondered if it was the real thing or if it was false labor. I did NOT want a false alarm mainly b/c Jody and work and my mom and work (she was subbing for that week and was the one I was supposed to call to come watch Mikayla when it was "time"). Plus, it was quite early in the morning. So, I waited and breathed through the contractions and prayed and wondered when/if I should wake up Jody. So, around 2:15 as the contractions intensified, I decided to wake up Jody so he could help me figure out what to do. I asked him what he was doing. He told me he was sleeping:) duh. And then I told him that it might be his last day of work for a while. So, I encouraged him to pack his bags (I'd packed mine the night before).

I was in pain and moaned a bunch. Jody turned on the computer to compare false labor with the real thing. He then started timing the contractions and soon they were getting to be a minute apart and lasting for a minute. Phew! He called the nurse in L&D, and asked her about it, and she said she could hear me in the background (oops!) and said it sounded like the real thing. So, I waited until a contraction ended and called my beautiful mommy, and she got over here in a hurry (thank, ma!). My contractions were very regular and very intense, and when one would hit, I'd have to curl up or drop to the floor. So, when my mom got here, she took a pic of me (quite flattering, as you can imagine) and we headed out.

Jody put on his flashers (go, Jody!) and we made our way to the hospital. He didn't drive any faster than normal (actually I think he drove slower-seriously), so I'm not quite sure why he would put on the flashers. It's kinda funny thinking about it. :) We arrived at the hospital around 5:30am, and we walked very slowly in, pausing regualarly for contractions where Jody would just hold/hug me and get me through it. The maintenance guy was so cute asking us if we needed a wheelchair. I smiled and said no. He said, I can just get you one. no, thanks. He then walked over to the elevator and asked, 2nd floor? Yes. So, he pushed the button for us and we thanked him. I guess he's seen his share of women in labor:) (I'm noticing I'm typing lots of smileys- I was NOT smiling much that morning)

We got checked into the room and the nurse checked me and then asked another nurse to come check me. Then she asked me, you haven't had any urge to push? I told her no. She then told me that I was a 7 or 8. Then I got happy that it WAS real labor and they wouldn't be sending me home. Phew! She asked me if I wanted an epidural. YES!!!!!! I sure did. So, someone drew some blood and left. Meanwhile I'm in excruciating pain. I don't say that to be dramatic or to scare anyone who may be having a baby soon. (sorry) And I think it's great that women want to have all natural births, but I'm just not one of them. If I have a headache and want relief I can take tylenol and it helps. How much more having A BABY COME OUT OF YOU???? Of course I want relief. (sorry again)

So, the doctor comes and tells me it's too late for an epidural and I'm screaming all sorts of things. Yes, sad to say, I was screaming things such as SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!, THIS.HURTS.SO.BAD!!!!!!! DR, PLEASE PERFORM A MIRACLE AND TAKE THIS BABY OUT OF ME!!!!, and I.CAN'T.DO.THIS. I'm serious. Then I'm a 10 and I say, I HAVE TO PEE! Immediately after that I say, I HAVE TO POO!! (With Mikayla I never felt the urge to push b/c I never felt anything. I was given too much meds at the wrong time. I'd always heard of women talking about HAVING TO PUSH and never quite got it until then) I HAD TO PUSH.

With all my yelling going on my super calm doctor said, now, Sarah, instead of using your energy to scream, use that energy to push. ha ha ha! I wanted to kick him right out of that room and the nurses, too. So, I really tried to concentrate on breathing and pushing (not easy to do). I gave about 3 good pushes and my son was born. Beautiful little guy. I cried out of thankfulness for him and was so relieved that it was over. He was born @ 6:36 am, a little over an hour after we got to the hospital.

And, if the Lord chooses to give us another child, I want an epidural. I'd much rather have a quick sting in my back than what I went through. I'm not tough and I don't pretend to be. :) People say, well, you feel good now, had a good recovery and don't have headaches. I'm sorry, but for me, there's no comparison. I praise the Lord for a good and FAST labor and delivery of our son. It happened just the way God intended and He was very merciful and gracious to me. I must add that Jody wins the award for kindest/most helpful/most encouraging/precious husband on earth. And what a father he is to our children. I thank the Lord for him.

Thanks for reading this long story. Sorry if it's TMI (too much info).

My pic(k) of the day

Enjoying my children

I'm back! What a week it's been. Not a week ago, we met our son. And it feels like he's always been a part of us. I LOVE BEING A MOTHER.

Today was our first outing, and we went to church. Little Joseph behaved (we won't speak of Mikayla right now...) and was admired by our sweet church family. We even got a family picture made - thanks, DJ!- that I wish I could post. Maybe soon.

My in-laws are due to arrive here by about 11 this evening. We are REALLY looking forward to spending a week with them. What precious folks they are. My hubby is working like mad to get this house in order so I'll feel good about it (actually so his mommy won't get on to him about not taking care of it;). He's GREAT! My floor is mopped, and I didn't do it! :)

Life is pretty nice these days. Filled with dirty diapers and lots of love. Having my husband off for 2 weeks is just dreamy. Ahhh... Sleep is cherished when gotten. I'm sure Jean (my mother-in-law) will let me get some good naps in:) She's just that way. AND, sometime this week, I want to type out the story of my labor/delivery. What a story it is! I can say that the Lord was once again so faithful and good.

Ok, I've finished this post and my ice cream, so I guess I'd better get ready to feed my little guy. He's absolutey precious!!!!!!! Today I was talking to him and just looking at him and my tears kept plopping down on his face, and he didn't mind. So sweet. More later!

The Lord was with Joseph

And he's here! This is by Emmie and Misty, who are having a ball going through 200 pics, and he's not even 24 hours old! Here goes! Sarah will be posting soon, believe me! God is good.

Appointment Update

Well, today was my last appt for this baby. How exciting, eh? :) And it went well, I thought. My blood pressure is rising a bit, and I've been measuring the same for a few weeks now. The dr was a little concerned so he did a quick ultrasound to see if my fluid levels were low. Thankfully, they are not. He checked me and told me that things are progressing well and softening, etc. Yay! He's not much of a numbers guy, and that's okay with me. If I've not had the baby by the 5th of February, they'll induce that morning @ 5:30. I get excited just thinking about it! :) So, there's the news for the day. AND, we heard the baby's beautiful heartbeat- something that never gets old.

Misty's coming tomorrow with her girls and boy. I get to meet my nephew Luke! I'm thrilled for the privilege of seeing them and getting to spend time with them. She'll be staying with my parents, who live only 10 minutes away! :) I think it will help make time fly. I know, time is precious and not to be wasted. However, it does seems like time slows down when you're pregnant.

Ok, enough for tonight. Thanks for checking in! I'm very thankful for a good report for today. The Lord is good to me!

If I could post pictures...

then here's what I'd show you today:

~the baby blanket I (with my mother's help, of course!) made!!!!!! :) I'm really quite stoked about it. I'm quite sure there are better looking blankets out there with MUCH prettier stitching, but there's not one quite like this one. It's certainly made with love- I even got poked many times!- and it's a light blue camo; cute, cute, cute, if I do say so myself. And my hubby's impressed:) which makes me all the prouder! (in a good way, of course:)

~Mikayla's new shirt that her Aunt Laura got for her, which came in the mail today:) VERY cute with an owl on it and the perfect size, too! Not to mention TWO books, which she loves and loved tearing the wrapping paper off. Thanks, Aunt Laura! You know how to make a little girl's day!

~Jody's newest gift from his mother-in-law. A neti pot. Great invention, if you ask me. right, Grace?? Thanks, ma!

~My ever growing belly. It's big. Need I say more?

THANKFULLY, I'm feeling much better. Although the coughing is still there, it's somehow different and Mikayla is also doing better. Yay! :) I looked back at her in our vehicle yesterday and she was just looking out the window and SMILING. Something she's not done too much of. It was good for this mommy's heart:) Maybe it's b/c she knew we were off to Emmie's house...

ONE WEEK 'til my due date. Unbelievable! Jody told me that if I've not had the baby by the 1st, then he'll take me to see Casting Crowns that evening. He thinks I'm VERY CRAZY for wanting to go, but I say, why not?! After I (lovingly) called him a dream squelcher, he said we could go. :) What a great guy!

Last but certainly not least, Misty (my sis-in-law) and family are coming for a visit! The plan is for her to be here when the baby's born. Whoo hoo! Hopefully we'll get to spend some good/quality time together while she's here. And I get to see my nieces and meet my NEW NEPHEW LUKE! :) I'm excited.

Monday is my appt and I will let you know how it goes. I know you're all on the edge of your seats, just like we are!

ps. I think we're all going to be able to be in church tomorrow!! It's been almost a month and we've missed it so much.

Where does my help come from?

Today I started on my getting Thank You notes written (a much needed thing for me to do). I am pretty miserable, and I hope I can say that without complaining. Complaining displeases the Lord, and it brings others down with you. NOT what I want. However, being so close to having this baby and coughing, (and coughing and coughing, etc.)and having my daughter doing the same, I feel pretty overwhelmed, sad, and sometimes very helpless. Not to mention the pain of the cough (pulling on my tummy:(. ANYway, I came across these verses today, and knew it was no accident.

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber."

~Psalm 121:1-3

The whole chapter is wonderful, but I just typed out the first 3 verses. What a blessing they were to me today. I know the Lord DOES hear me when I cry out to Him. And I'm SO thankful for that. What else can I do but wait on Him, knowing full well that He knows my situation so completely and me, too. I want to use this time to draw nearer to Him, for He truly is my HELP.

10 days til my due date. It's hard for me to comprehend that. Sometimes it seems like things will never be different than they are right now. Ever feel that way?? I'm hoping Mikayla and I feel good enough to see Grannybear tomorrow. It's been so long! I've been staying away b/c I do NOT want to get her sick. AND, we may go to Emmie's house to sew up a little blanket for our little boy, depending on how we/she feel/s.

Hope you all have a good evening. Thank you for your kind words:)

Am I the only emotional one here?

For some reason I've been quite the picture of emotions lately. Perhaps it's because I'm pregnant. That's just a guess. And the fact that I'm fixing to not be anymore and the fact that my life is, once again, going to change dramatically. And the fact that I'm semi-sick and so is my daughter. Okay, I guess it all makes sense now:) Plus, I'm kinda getting cabin fever and with my mom not feeling well either, I just don't get out much. And of course that's fine b/c when I'm home, I get so much more accomplished.

Today was my 38.4 week appt! I had some high blood pressure due to OTC Tylenol I've been taking. It was 160/100. They were a little concerned, so part of the way into my appt, the dr himself took my blood pressure. It was actually quite comical. It took SO long and he squeezed my arm SO tight. I don't think he even got a reading. I think he'd better stick to giving hysterectomies and delivering babies;) (He doesn't read this, does he??! jj)

He told me that next time he'll check me (Monday!)and we'll set a date from there. Yikes! I'd rather not be induced, but I'm not extremely particular. I imagine as the time grows nearer, I'll be more and more for it.

Well, that's the bit of news from Early, where I've spent lots of one on one time with my precious girl. Whatever happened to the days of Prima Pasta and lunch specials?? sigh. I took a nice, warm bath tonight and listened to some good praise music. It was perfect. My God is so faithful to me!

ps. Mom, if you read this, be sure to NOT make that strawberry jello/pretzel/cream cheese treat and share with me. It sounds almost unsavory. hee hee! Love you!

My sick princess

Our little girl has been feeling less than ideal for about 2.5 weeks now:( Tonight (while talking to Misty!) she fell asleep on me and was SO HOT. So, I took her temp and for the next hour or so, it read between 104 and 105.2. It kinda scared me b/c Jody was at church with our vehicle and I felt pretty helpless. She was so limp and weak. Thankfully, she's doing better now. We gave her some tylenol/motrin and Lord willing, she'll soon be able to shake whatever has this grip on her. Her sickness is a big part of my lack of blogging lately.

I plan to post tomorrow sometime after my dr's appt. Less than 2 weeks now til my due date. I'm pretty stoked. As I was telling my dear husband, this is NOT how I'd envisioned our last few weeks before the baby, but here we are and we all still love each other (actually more than ever!). It's been hard, but good. I had one particularly rough day (Thursday) and my mom and husband so kindly tended to me. I am certainly loved and I know it! :)

Hope you all are doing well! More tomorrow!

Showered with love

Today was my baby shower! I had such a wonderful time and was thoroughly showered with love:) My mom and Christy even attended, which was a sweet treat. I was SO thirsty when I got there, and drank too much punch. ugh. It was so good, but now I've got the punch blues. I should've quenched the thirst with water, and THEN filled up on punch. But, no. Not me. I'm just regretting it a little.

My mom organized a scrapbook-making fest for me. All the ladies made a page where all I have to do is insert a picture of our son. How neat, eh?! And, my mom so kindly took pictures and will be posting them for me. (Thanks, MOM!)

Only 3 weeks left 'til my due date!! Kinda hard to imagine another one in this house. We are getting very excited, for sure.

Well, hope you enjoy the pics! :)

Where has all the heartburn gone?

Is that not the greatest mystery every??! I went from having heartburn quite often to wondering where in the world it jetted off to. Yipppeee!!!! Doesn't hurt my feelings one bit:) Now what can I complain about? just teasing.

My poor Miggy was NOT feeling well today so I called the dr and got her an 11am appt. She got prescribed some antibiotics (probably one of the most controversial things in mommy world, well other than vaccines and epidurals), some decongestant, and some cough medicine. While I was sitting on the table holding her, the dr touched my face and said, is that getting any better? (referring to my unsightly rash/es). So, I explained the sitution, and she prescribed some cream for me. Isn't that great?! And she did it in a very nice way. and I didn't have to make my OWN appt and pay my OWN 69.11. What a deal, eh? the best part??? It may be working already!!!!!! I'm totally stoked, although keeping in mind that "favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." AND it was very inexpensive thanks to our wonderful insurance (am I the first one EVER to put those two words together?). My mom came with us, which was a real treat. Always is when she's around;)

In other news, GRACE POSTED! I know that I share that with y'all about four times a year, and it IS news that is quite important to share, I promise. It's totally worth reading. Plus, you'll see a certain pic of a certain young lady all decked out in her workout gear. It's hilarious. Just click here.

Enough for now. I'm really hoping to get some rest tonight. My sweet daughter has kept me up quite faithfully the past 2 days, so Lord willing, I can catch up on some much needed rest!

A thought and more thoughts

You know, I pray (and others do as well) that in all that I say and do that I would glorify God. That truly is my heart's desire. I think, though, that I have the wrong idea of what glorifying God means. I've always thought the word "glorify" to mean to please or not bring shame to. I guess in a way it does mean that. But I'm seeing that it means so much more. I looked up the word and here are some definitions I found:

glorify-
1. to cause to be or treat as being more splendid, excellent, etc., than would normally be considered.
2. to honor with praise, admiration, or worship; extol.
3. to make glorious; invest with glory.
4. to praise the glory of (God), esp. as an act of worship.

Not only do I want to please the Lord, I want to uplift/worship/praise His name. I (as always) feel like I want to express thoughts, and they just don't seem to come out they way I want. That's ok, though:) I'll just keep trying.

Today was my 36 1/2 week appt. I'm now seeing my doc once a week. This is really getting exciting for us! Today Mikayla came with us and got to hear the baby's heartbeat. So special! He said that while I was lying on the table that I had a little contraction. Hey, you've gotta start somewhere, eh? :) Something new I'm experiencing is pretty intense lower back pain. OUCH. Thankfully it's not all the time. I don't think I could make it if it was (whatever that means!). And for some reason I'm not having as much heartburn. yay!

I'm having a baby shower this Saturday. I'm really looking forward to that. Grace, although I didn't have an invitation sent to you, YOU ARE INVITED! :) And anyone else that would want to come.

Well, I'll let y'all go for now. I do hope my nephew Luke is feeling somewhat better. Poor little guy has been SO sick:( Good night, dear ladies. Thank you for your sweet comments:)

Emmie's Favorite

Per Misty's request

I'M DUE IN ONE MONTH!

Doesn't that sound so neat??! I've been looking forward to this day for a while now, and it's here! I guess time DOES march on- phew! I had my (almost) 36 week appt today and all looks good. The only thing that has changed is my weight. ahem. Christy so kindly watched our Mikayla for us. She even dusted my piano! :) I do appreciate that girl. When we got home we had some taco soup, which I think turned out pretty good.

And later on this evening, we had our weekly bible study with our dear neighbors. Every week has been such a blessing. Today the topics were the fear of God and persevering. These studies are a tremendous encouragement in my life. Mikayla makes it very interesting (loud, hard to concentrate, etc.), but what I CAN concentrate on always is beneficial.

Today Jody said that it's starting to hit him that we're having a baby. It's about time! :) I'm terribly thankful for that dear man!!!

Hopefully I'll be getting to bed early this evening. Rest does not come as easily as it used to. My stomach is LARGE, back aches and frequent trips to the bano all contribute to this problem. Lord willing, it will be over soon, and I'll be holding our precious baby. Wheee! Good night, sweet friends.

Chompin' on Rolaids

That's what I'm doing tonight. And you? It was quite comical. The other night Grace called with news that she had some bad heartburn, and she sounded exactly like me! I loved it! I guess you had to have been there. sorry.

Well, Christy treated me to Chili's today; isn't that so sweet? I do like that girl. And we discussed the fact that although our love for Mikayla is growing, her good behaviour is NOT. Isn't it kinda hard to know what to do when you're in the middle of Wal-Mart shopping and your child is acting less than ideal?? Thankfully my mom has offered to watch my dear daughter tomorrow while I get some groceries purchased. I know, I just have one, but still it's nice.

About 5 weeks left until my due date. sigh. I think I'm going to try some Proactiv for this red/dry/patchy skin of mine. Hopefully I can get that ordered tomorrow. For some reason after I had my D&C in Feb, my skin has suffered tremendously. I guess it's a hormonal thing, but if I can get rid of it, I'd LOVE to.

I have just finished the book of Genesis (what a wonderful book!) and am now in Exodous. It's been such a blessing just reading it and learning more spiritual truths! The Lord is so faithful!

Good night, sweet friends. Hope you have a blessed one!

Beef jerky??

On our way home from church this evening, Jody said to me, "you know what I'd like to get for Mikayla someday, not right now of course, but when she gets older?"

What, Honey?

"Beef jerky."

I told him I didn't think anyone had EVER said that before. He said it's because she likes meat so much.

:)

Less than 6 weeks 'til my due date.
Whoo hoo!! :)
The baby's about 5 pounds by now.
Jody's off the next 2 days. yay!
Hope you all have a great week.
Good night!

What's YOUR current favorite treat?

You know how some cravings for treats come and go? Sometimes it's popcorn with pepsi, sometimes frapucchinos, sometimes chocolate(!), etc. Well, my current favorite is.... orange juice! the pulpy kind. It's soo good. I look forward to having a glass (or two) a day.

Yesterday I was feeling less than ideal and my daily ORANGE JUICE didn't even sound good. Can you imagine?! Thankfully today I'm feeling MUCH better. I don't know if I had a tiny bug (why do we call it that?) or if the new Nexium pill did the trick to me. Either way I was miserable. Mikayla cooperated quite nicely for me, which was a blessing, especially considering the energy in that girl!

So, please share. What's the treat you look forward to having? I'm curious. I know for Grace it's her dee-lish lemonade;) Any others?

Potty training postponed

I'd planned on trying to start potty training our Mikayla today, but alas, it didn't quite work out. Last night as we were driving home from church, our ASB light came on. And looking at our vehicle's manual, we realized we had a problem. So, this morning we spend some hours @ Trans TX Tire getting our brakes worked on- not very ideal for the first day of training. That's ok though. When we DO start, we're prepared. Size FOUR diapers, pull-ups, panties! (Mikayla LOVES them!), and a little potty. I'm going to need LOTS of patience!!

33 weeks and counting. Whoo hoo! Less than 50 days 'til my due date. I had an appt today and told my dr that I was desperate for some relief from this heartburn. So, he prescribed me some (hopefully!) good stuff. I do want it to work.

Happy Birthday to my father-in-law today! What a neat guy he is. I'm very thankful to have him in our lives. He's a terrific grandpa to Mikayla:)

I guess we're all updated now. I'm off to read some blogs I've missed out on these past few days. Not the most exciting post, but I guess it's better than nothing, eh? :) Good night, sweet ladies!

A cRazY dream and some strange conversation

Let's begin with my dream. I hardly ever remember any of my dreams, but this one was so crazy that I had to:

My parents: We're going to have to spank you
me: You can't spank me; I won't let you
My parents: we have to
me: I'm 28 years old; I have a husband, a daughter, I'm pregnant and have had a miscarriage. I don't get spankings anymore
My mom then lunges for me with a whisk and a spoon in her hand. I dodge her and she falls and gets stuck in the corner
My parents: well, we can still spank Grace
me: yeah, that's okay

Is that not funny??? I thought so! :)

Conversation with a lady who works where my Granny is living

lady: Is she (referring to Mikayla) your only one?
me: yes, and I have one on the way
lady: but then that's it, right?
me: well, we're going to have as many as we have (duh) (trying to smile)
lady: OH GIRL!
me: (still striving to smile)
lady: well, I had one boy and one girl and that was enough for me
me: okay
lady: but you don't do anything, right?
me: right, I get to stay home with her, which is really nice
lady: yeah, that makes it easier
me: yeah

Ok, is that just weird to anyone but me?? I have ONE child who I can actually see and she feels like I'm WAY overdoing it and going overboard having another on the way, and (gasp!) maybe having ANOTHER?? The nerve of me!

Then this guy @ Kroger asked me if she was my only one; I said yes and again said that I have one on the way. Then he said that he found out after 8 times why babies are born. Some people and their humor. They have 8 children and 27 grandchildren. He then told me that he and his wife bought a one bedroom/one bathroom house so everyone wouldn't come live with them. I found that pretty funny:)

Anyway, that's been my crazy day. How was yours?

32 weeks!

Less than 2 months before my due date!! I'm so excited:) I wouldn't say that time has gone by quickly, but I AM glad it's going by at all. I'm getting very big and still have several more weeks of growth. Phew!

I've decided not to get tickets for Casting Crowns. :( I prayed specifically about it, and I just don't feel a peace about ordering them. Who knows. Maybe on the 1st of February (if I'm feeling good), I'll call and see if they have any tickets still. If so, I might snatch em up and go with my lovebug. We'll see what the Lord has in store for us!

My parents have travelled up north for about 2 weeks. We (Mikayla and I) already miss them. We're used to seeing them on a regular basis, so this has been quite different, but good, actually. I'm getting things done! It's amazing what you can get accomplished when you actually DO stay home.

I've been trying to walk more regularly, and it's going quite well. I feel SOOO much better when I'm moving my feet.

ANY tips, suggestions for potty training a little girl?? That's what I'm hoping to start very soon with Mikayla. I need to do some reading up on the subject, that's for sure. I'd rather have one in diapers at a time. And like Christy said, AFTER the baby comes it will NOT be more convenient. true that. It worked for us, eh? :)

Life can be sad

It's so easy to follow links from blogs asking people to pray for others who are going through very hard times- illness, death, etc. It can be so sad. Sometimes it feels like I'm praying for so many people I don't even know. And this can be overwhelming, in a way. And once I start following a story, I feel like I have to keep visiting and keep being updated. Does ANYone else go through this?? Then I try to post something on my blog and no matter what, it seems insignificant, ESPECIALLY in light of the pain/s others are experiencing.

I read this part of a verse in Job over the Thanksgiving holiday that was so touching and beautiful. "He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee." Knowing this is a most wonderful thing. He who is in total control over every single aspect and second of my life- is perfect in knowledge AND is with me. I can't think of anything better, actually. oh yeah. AND, He LOVES me. Wow. And my sins are forgiven. Unbelievable, but true!

I've not known much pain in my life, but I do know some. Being pregnant and not seeing a heartbeat on an ultrasound was painful for me. I remember sitting with my dear husband in the waiting room @ the hospital (waiting to get blood drawn so they could check levels and compare a few days later), and the immense pain of knowing (almost certainly) that our tiny baby died inside of me. I sobbed and sobbed, not caring one bit of who saw me or what they thought. The Lord indeed gave great grace to us at that time in our lives. The Lord was truly perfect in knowledge and was indeed with me (us). My heart hurts for others who hurt and who have been hurt. The Lord has us go through different things at different times in our lives. And it's not always easy. We were never promised that life would be easy. But, Christians ARE promised that He'll never leave us or forsake us. And for that I'm thankful. Very thankful. I truly cannot imagine ONE day without my Lord.

It's already December!

Happy December, everyone. Can you believe it's the last month of the year already?? Tomorrow I'll be exactly 2 months from my due date. :) Today I'm 31 weeks along, and the baby is weighing approx. 3.5 pounds.

If you want to read something incredibly sad, yet precious, go here.

Today was a day of freebies for us!

~free admission to the HPU game
~free HPU mini basketball
~free popcorn @ the game
~free dinner at my parents' house

Isn't that great?! We DID pay for the movie we rented (Amazing Grace), which we'll be watching tonight since we finished the Anne of Green Gables series last night. I'm trying to get over a cold that I've officially shared with my daughter:( It's so sad to hear her coughing from her little bed. sigh.

Good night, dear family and friends. You are LOVED. :)

Guess who's coming to town?

No, it's not "Santa" I'm speaking of (although my mom DID inform me that he's coming this Saturday to Brownwood Wal-Mart by helicopter- hooray). I learned that Casting Crowns- my current favorite Christian band- will be in Abilene on February 1st @ 7pm. Whoo hooo! AND the tickets are very reasonably priced. Anyone want to go with me??

I mentioned this wonderful bit of news to my precious husband, and he seems to think (probably practically) it's not such a good idea to go one day before our son is due. RATS. What do you think?? Hey, I'll be up for it, I'm quite sure. I can't think of a better way to spend a day, actually. So, I "made" Jody say maybe. And he did.

I mean, they sing the song I want played at my funeral (And now my lifesong sings). It's beautiful! I told Jody that if I died giving birth, they could sing it LIVE at my funeral since they'd be in town. He didn't seem to think that was as cool as I thought it'd be;) Oh well.

Am I being unreasonable?? Please say no! :)

Oh, it's good to be home

How was YOUR Thanksgiving vacation/time?? Ours was a most enjoyable time, to be sure! SOO much to be thankful for. While in Louisiana the 10 week countdown officially began. So, now we're at less than 10 weeks before my due date. WOW. I. am. stoked. And I'm having the heartburn to prove it! (as if that really "proves" anything)

Being with the Dodson side of the family this year was a big change. I think it's the first Thanksgiving that I didn't spend with my parents. I was happy it worked out for all the families to (eventually- sorry, Laura!) show up. The Lord was merciful in granting us a safe trip. I ate lots of good food and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with family and watching Mikayla's cousins keep her entertained. PRECIOUS. They were all so kind and patient with her. :)

I'm off to catch up on blogs that I haven't gotten to read in about a week. Now that's a LOT of catching up to do! how fun. Good night, dear friends.

Everyone together now

Happy Thanksgiving!

We're in Denham Springs, La, and we're haing a superb time together. This is a pic of all the cousins on this side of the family. We had a fun photo shoot with good attitudes from EVRYONE! Whee! :) More pictures soon!

Maternity Fair

Yep, tomorrow is the big day. My life is loaded with activity, doesn't it seem?? :) Tomorrow evening from 6-9pm, my dear husband and I will be attending a maternity fair @ the hospital. My willing mother will be watching our ball of fire. Oh, I'm so excited. I guess the best news is that I don't have to cook; they'll provide supper for us. YES! Not that I don't enjoy cooking, (I DO!) but it is nice to get a break from it sometimes. AND, I don't have to do dishes (something else I enjoy doing- seriously- I think it's b /c I don't have a dishwasher). Did ANY of that make sense?? Sorry, ladies.

Today Mikayla and I had a nice time @ the park. We walked around a bit, (which she did not especially enjoy b/c she was in her stroller) then she played while I took pictures with my mom's 10 mega pixel camera! I thoroughly enjoyed that, and I almost lost sight of Mikayla while trying to get a good shot of a squirrel. Actually, I did lose sight, but only for a few seconds b/c she ran off. I could still hear that sweet voice though.

I'm nearing my 29 week mark!! It's hard to believe. Sometimes it seems to go by s l o w l y, but other times it seems quite reasonable. I told Jody this evening that I'm concerned that my tummy's not growing. He looked at me and kinda smirked. Hmmm... I wonder what he was thinking;)

Grace is coming soon!!!!!! I know I've said that before, but it bears/bares (???) repeating. I'm glad you want to walk with me, Grace!! :) I'm (almost)always up for it.

Take care, sweet ladies. Thanks for your comments. I do like reading them!

Swollen fingers

Today was the first time in this pregnancy that my fingers swelled. We were taking a leisurely family walk this evening (doesn't it get dark EARLY??!) when I looked down due to a tingly feeling in my hands and noticed that my fingers were larger. I guess it's all part of the fun of it all:) Baby Joseph moves a BUNCH, which I obviously love. In fact, he's moving now. ahh.

Is woot a word? Seriously, if you have any insight on this, let me know. I'm seeing it around a lot. (example: I passed my glucose test! Woot Woot!) I don't get it. Can you help me?

I see I'm not the only fan of Anne of Green Gables, and rightly so! It's good watching, and very CLEAN. I'd highly recommend it for anyone.

Mikayla is doing SO MUCH BETTER at her bedtimes. She used to cry (A LOT!) whenever we'd put her down. I feel like she's kinda maturing, and it's so nice! For both her nap and this evening's bedtime, she didn't cry. :) I used to think that was the only way she'd go down. This new way is so much nicer. There IS an end in sight!

I'm reading in the book of Job right now. I get a little nervous when I do read it. Is that CRAZY or what?? After Job lost his possessions and his children, he said he wanted one thing. And that was for the Lord to destroy him, b/c then he could have comfort. WOW. I can't imagine 1/100 of what he went through. There were lots of good lessons for Job in it all, as there are many good ones for us. More on this later. I hope you all have had a blessed day. God is good. He is.

ps. my mommy made broccoli salad today. YUM ME!

Anne of Green Gables

My Joseph and I (and Mikayla, kinda) are watching the series of Anne. It brings back such memories. I think the first time I watched them, I was was about 7 (?). I LOVED them back then and still really like them. It's funny that we get so caught up in the romance (or lack of) of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley. Fun times!

My brother Mike and family are in South Dakota, and I believe today they moved into their new home. I do feel for my sweet sister-in-law Misty leaving her family and friends and moving to a totally new (lots colder!) place. I wish so badly that I could visit them. sigh. My parents are planning a trip there the beginning of December. I'm slightly jealous:( Jody is saving his vacation for when the baby comes.

I got an invite for lunch tomorrow at my parents' house. And I've accepted. :) Should be a fun day.

On the menu for tomorrow evening?
Jerry's Burgers (special on Tuesdays 1.99)
Baked Steak fries
Whoo hoo!

Off to read Grace's new post??? I'll believe it when I see it!

over 70 percent there!

I'm so excited. I'm now 28/40 weeks along in this pregnancy. What a delightful one it's been! HEARTBURN is a huge thing now. I used to only get it at night, but now it can hit at any time- no matter what I eat. Thankfully, popping a few rolaids temporarily brings much relief. :) Also I'm trying to do better about exercising. I'm having to walk much slower (due to pain in my tummy if I go too fast). But I know that some walking, even if slow, is definitely better than none. It just makes sense to me.

How was your weekend? Ours was quite nice. Mikayla and I LOVE having Daddy here on Saturday mornings when we awaken. There's nothing quite like it. Although she does get VERY distracted and instead of drinking her milk in a few minutes, it takes a LONG time and she usually doesn't finish when Daddy's around.

I must go shopping tomorrow! We need milk, not to mention TP! Two very essential items for a household, esp. ours.

Grace is coming to see us this weekend!!!!!! Oh, we love that girl!! and her family, too, of course. :) She's truly a delight to be around. AND, she's coming on my dear mommy's birthday. I think we'll find something fun to do...

More later! Good night!

And then it happened

What? you ask. That I have to stand sideways now to do dishes b/c my tummy is so big. HA! I chuckled to myself:) I just wonder when my feet will do that swelling thing.... I remember that most vividly with Mikayla- doing dishes standing sideways and having my feet tingle from the swelling. Fun stuff here!

We attended the petting zoo today. I was not extremely impressed. Thankfully the admission was free (and rightly so). The highlights?

~Christy came with us
~the weather was gorgeous
~Mikayla liked the tiger
~the camel didn't spit on us

That about sums it up. Then we came home and had some banana bread together with chocolate milk. and talked.

I took my glucose test today. And I was mistaken about something. The drink was NOT orange, it was red. Go figure. The lady poured it into a cup and told me to drink it as fast as I could. I got a little nervous and then gulped it down. Then I waited for an hour. And read most of the book of Esther. Oh, it's so good! The power of fasting. Read it sometime. :) Then the lady after some needle maneuvering (sp??!) finally got the blood going. Phew! All in all, a good experience. It's interesting the conversations you hear from people about to get stuck:) (I have GOOD veins, my veins roll, etc.)

Good night, my faithful friends.

The sweetest thing

Tonight I felt very privileged to witness what I did. My dear husband almost always gets Mikayla ready for bed (teeth brushed, diaper changed, pajams on, etc.) I've asked him before if I can just be in the room when he puts her down and he has told me no b/c (something like) it's their special time. So, I decided to give it another try, and tonight he said YES! Oh, it was precious!! They prayed together and he sang her a song and then hummed a lullaby. I think my heart may have melted tonight. sigh. I LOVE MY HUSBAND. Pure and simple. :) He's exactly the daddy my children (!) need.

Almost 28 weeks. Unreal. Tomorrow morning I'll go do my glucose test. My dear mommy is watching my girl while I drink some orange soda and give out some blood. I get an hour of quiet. Imagine that! Then I'll pick up Grannybear and we'll head back to my mom's and sometime after that we'll all have lunch together. Sounds like a plan!

I'm off to get some breakfast/lunch ready for my husband so I don't have to wake up at 4.

ps. I'm getting HUGE. Serioulsy. I spotted the transition today. phew.

You do the math

So I was in the mood for some Italian food today and thought maybe Mikayla and I could share a small cheese pizza from Prima Pasta (one of the BEST restaurants EVER) and go eat it at a park or something. I called and they informed me it'd be $8.65. WHAT??! I thought that was a bit overpriced, so I opted to go inside with my daughter, and enjoy a meal together. We shared some delicious HOT bread with butter, a salad with house dressing, and a super yummy pasta sampler for $5.49 (+ tax/tip). What a deal, eh? We both were quite satisfied and I got to just enjoy a quiet lunch with my girl, while someone waited on us and cleaned up after us. Think I made the right decision? I sure do! We even shared a green mint afterwards just IN CASE we happened to have garlic breath.... which I'm pretty sure we didn't :)

And I discovered that my tastes have changed. I think I'm growing up a bit. I no longer like ... sixlets! Can you believe it?? I kinda can't. Then Grace told me it's b/c it has wax in it. Makes good sense to me to put wax in cheap chocolate. right? wrong. It did take eating about 14 of the little guys to realize what exactly took place with my taste buds. NOT good anymore. I actually threw the rest of them in the trash. (I used to LOVE those things! and Wendy's, too, but that's another story).

Later gaters. or is it gators? I have no idea.

I've entered the 3rd trimester!

Is this exciting or what??! 27 weeks out of 40. Wheeee! I had my appt today, and all looks good:) A good heartbeat, and I guess I'm measuring right on schedule (he never does tell me, but that's ok). I did gain 5 (gasp!) pounds. It must've been those pancakes from last night at church. Ugh, they gave me the pancake blues. The ladies who made them poured VEGETABLE OIL on the skillet EVERY time they put more batter on. NOT my kind of cooking. But, all in all, a good time was had:)

I was talking to Grace about this tonight. Don't know why I chose to spill it all out on her (sorry, Grace). The words we say, the holidays we celebrate, what we watch, etc! have MEANINGS. ("Keep thy heart with all dilligence, for out of it are the issues of life") They have origins and mean something. I'm seeing the attitude that if we don't mean it bad, it's not. Hmmm. I think it's good to know what we're saying/supporting/watching or whatever. If you're not sure about something, do a wee bit of research, and I think it will help you make a good decision. A bit scattered, but just thought I'd throw that in. I'm sure I'm not going to scare away my readers with this rant. (Grace, Mom?)

We had an EXcellent dinner with my parents and Kevin tonight. Homemade egg rolls and rice. Yummy. yes, they were fried, BUT somehow it seems different than those pancakes. THANKS, MA!

Good night. Should be getting a cold front tomorrow. :))))))))))

3 months away

Lord willing, I'll be meeting our son in 3 months (or so). Is this exciting or what??! Well, for me it is;) I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing Mikayla interact with and love on the new baby. As much as she likes our silly cat, I think she'll do quite well with little Joseph Daniel. I can just see her kissing on him! Sweet times ahead, I think!

We had a pretty yummy supper this evening, if I do say so myself.

~Baked Bacon wrapped chicken breasts
~Baked seasoned potatoes
~Corn
~Grape salad (wish you could've been here to share it with us, CC!)

And I know, I shoudn't have capitalized the "b" in Bacon, but I think it deserves it:)

My brother Mike and family are heading to South Dakota in the morning. I had a nice, LONG (always long with him) talk with him this evening. What an encouragement he is to me!!! How I love that brother of mine.

I know it's not the most exciting post, but I don't like having the same old one every time you check;), so this is what I came up with.

Happy payday tomorrow!

Sweet dreams!

I feel so much better!

This has been a wonderful day for the following reasons:

~My considerate/caring/talented/sympathetic/hard-working mother come over today and helped me with my "hot spots" or whatever you want to call them. What a JOY she is in my life. sigh. Thank, ma!

~My husband wrote me the sweetest email reminding me of his love for me!

~When I tell my daughter that I love her, she says, Thank you:)

~A dear couple from our church is moving VERY close to us this week. Even if for a short period of time, I want to make the best of it. They've even discussed possibly having a Bible study. yay!! :)

~My Lord loves me! and I'm one day closer to heaven

~My 2 pounder moves like CRAZY, and I love it! So thankful all's going well with this pregnancy, as far as we know!

~My house smells good; we turned our air machine thingy on again. LOVE that smell.

WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE??

night!

Quite a pleasant day

Mikayla and I were so kindly invited to a ladies' luncheon hosted by our pastor's wife. Well, today was the day, and if you have had any dealings with our daughter, you probably know that I was a bit nervous about the whole ordeal. While Mikayla is lots of fun, she's also quite energetic, lively, curious, at times rebellious, and a bit stubborn. So, what did I do?? I prayed. Prayed that Mikayla would have a good day and that I, as her mother, would be wise and loving in mothering her.

The Lord so kindly answered my prayer, and we had a delightful couple of hours together with several other women:))) I was so thrilled, as you can imagine. It took us almost an hour to get to this place. First we took a tour. It was GORGEOUS. So extravagantly decorated. Breathtaking. Then we ate a scrumptious lunch. Spanish rice with a veggie soup and (really good!) tortillas- with tea and a lime to boot. Mikayla really liked the meal along with me, and then we shared some YUMMY carrot cake. :)!

After a few moments to let food settle and relax outside (enjoying the beautiful view!), we went indoors for a most excellent Bible study given by our pastor's daughter. Mikayla actually quietly sat beside me (most of the time) with her notebook and colored pencils and was a sweetheart! Oh, this day was such a blessing for me!! To know that my God cares even to answer small prayers in my life is just so humbling. I was encouraged in the Word. ps. You know, the most attractive woman is a godly woman. There's NO doubt about it.

Coming home, I looked at Mikayla and told her that I was so proud of her and that she was SUCH A GOOD GIRL TODAY. She looked at me seriously, then just beamed. I LOVED IT. And I love her. So much.

I hope you, too, had a good day. Mine was unique and special, to be sure!

Guess who's having a birthday!

Yep, it's my dearest friend Christy- you know, Mikayla's best bud. She's finally catching up with me. So, if you know how old I am, you also know her age:) I'm sure she'll appreciate me saying that. Happy Birthday, CC!!!! LOVE YOU!

We had a sleepover with her this past Friday night while the guys went camping. I decided to let Mikayla stay up late since it was a special occasion, and I (we) regretted that. She was full force at almost midnight and when it was FINALLY bedtime, she didn't do so well. Let's just say she used to getting around 12 hours of sleep a night and she got about 4 or 5. NOT FUN. But, we did take a really good, long nap the next day. :) My mom drew some cute things on this balloon and it popped while Mikayla held it. She was SO CONFUSED. And I think b/c it was so late we thought it was hilarious. We had an enjoyable weekend, to be sure!

25 weeks today. I just read online that if the baby were to be born right now (nooooo!) that he'd have a pretty good chance of survival. Isn't that awesome??!! I think that's so neato. He's weighing in at around 1.5 pounds.

Is this weird or what? I'm the ONLY ONE in our church who can still be/get pregnant. Wild??? I think so. Granted we DO have a small chruch, but it still seems strange to me. I feel like everyone is calling it quits. and I'm NOT putting anyone down, I promise. just an interesting fact I was pondering today... I can hear it now... GUESS WHO'S pregnant! duh. And why is it that every time somebody speaks on the tongue that it's so convicting to me?? Hmmm... this morning's SSchool was such a blessing to me. Lord willing, I have/will learn from it. sigh.

I'd better be done for the night. Good night, my friends out there. It's supposed to get COLD tomorrow. I. am. excited. for. sure.

Love this verse

Right now my daily reading takes place in 1 Kings. What a book it is! This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible, and I'm just gonna share it with you before I get my hubby's lunch ready for tomorrow and do some more reading (The Parting):

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth?
behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee;
how much less this house that I have builded?"
~1 Kings 8:27

Isn't it so good?? I just smile when I think on it. Solomon truly was a wise man!

Good night, sleepy girls.

It's almost payday- wheeee!!!!