The Wade Family

A "Very Hungry Caterpillar" Birthday

2011-09-12T11:35:00.001-07:00

Jackson's second birthday party was so much fun planning and attending that I am sad it's over!

As a former first grade teacher (and forever child at heart) I LOVE children's literature. Jackson has had so much fun feeding his caterpillar as we read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle that the inspiration for our party theme was found. I was very excited about a literary theme and incorporating healthy foods.

Here are our invitations. Jackson helped me glue on the eyes and we hand delivered them.
Here are some of the decorations from the party. This is our friendship caterpillar. It is a picture of Jackson and each child who attended the party.

Birthday Banner (This was SO easy to make, I'll never buy another banner.)

Guest Tables

For those of you familiar with the story, I'm sure you guessed the little signs say "On ___day he ate ____, but he was still hungry."

(For the record, we hadn't finished slicing the apples when this picture was taken. We did end up with a full tray.)
Here are our party favors. I ordered these cookies from a local bakery, they did a fantastic job! (After making favor cookies for J's first birthday I swore I'd never make them again. Let's just say they took all day and weren't nearly this cute!)

The sign says: "The party is over. Can you believe I am TWO!? Thank you for coming, it was great to see you! Today was so special because you were here with me. Can't wait to see you next year, when I'll be turning three!"

Carrying a three foot long caterpillar cake in the middle of a tropical storm isn't easy, but he survived.

Here's a family shot. Please note my caterpillar, I get a little excited. ;)

I think Jackson had enough sugar to last him until next year.

On to Halloween planning!

He's TWO!

2011-09-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Daniel and I were looking forward to filling Jackson's room with balloons as he slept last night so he would wake to a birthday surprise. Unfortunately he woke as we were filling his room in the middle of the night. He said, "Mommy! Bawoons are edeywhere!" Thankfully, he went back to sleep easily and helped us fill his room with the rest in the morning.
Daddy went in to work a little late this morning so we could eat a special birthday breakfast and Jackson could open his gifts from us.

See that birthday plate? I love it. My sister bought it right after I found out I was having a boy (which feels like a few weeks ago) and this was the first time he's used it. I'm looking forward to many more "I'm super special today!" occasions in the future!
I asked Jackson what he'd like to do this afternoon. I told him to pick anything he'd like to do with Mommy. I really expected the park since we've been the last two days due to the beautiful weather. He enthusiastically squealed, "Let's go bowling!" What? This kid cracks me up. I guess I'll learn to be more specific next time. Thankfully, he was happy to play outside instead.

I'll be posting party pictures soon. We had a fabulous time!

Almost two!

2011-09-07T18:01:00.001-07:00

I just rocked my one-year-old for the last time. Tomorrow my baby turns TWO. Happy birthday to the provider of more giggles, kisses, and adventures than I ever imagined.

Sweet Singing

2011-08-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

I have been singing Jackson the same goodnight song for as long as I can remember. It melted my heart when he started singing back to me last week.

My Calling

2011-08-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a teacher. I remember bribing the neighborhood kids to play school with me when I was in elementary school. I walked downtown the the teacher supply store with my allowances and turned the spare room off the garage into a pretty impressive little classroom. I was made to teach. I love it. It was my calling.

No part of me planned to stay home with Jackson. I loved my job. Why would I quit? I couldn't answer that question until after I held him. Then I knew. I couldn't sleep imagining going back to work. My heart was breaking. I didn't want to miss a second- not.one.second. After many tears, prayers, and number crunching sessions- I resigned. Part of me feared I would regret it. What in the world would I do all day? What if I was miserable?

I followed my heart anyway. I am SO glad I did. I wouldn't trade one second of this time with this boy for anything. I thank God that His plan was so much greater than mine. As many sweet friends saw their babies off to kindergarten today, wiping their tears as they pulled out of the car line I realized in the blink of an eye that will be my baby and those will be my tears. Thank goodness we have four more years!

So today we had a "Not Back to School" celebration-Jackson and Mommy style. First on the agenda: J shaped pancakes.

After reading books, singing songs and staying in our pajamas for entirely too long I couldn't help myself and we did some crafts.
How can I miss teaching when I get to do it everyday with the most adorable student I've ever had?
I was wrong about my calling. This is it...

Jackson's First Haircut

2011-07-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

For nearly a year and a half I wondered if Jackson would need a haircut before he started kindergarten. Alas, my once completely bald baby needed his first haircut. I held onto the curls for as long as I could. I finally realized that I had three options: a haircut, a ponytail or some cut-off shorts and boots. The haircut won.

Before

Jackson did a fabulous job!

I love this curl! I have twirled it around my finger each day for months.

It has a new home in his baby book now.

After

My handsome, big boy.

Summer Time

2011-07-09T18:11:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. Instead of trying to catch you up on everything, I'll share some of the highlights.

Most importantly, we finished our journey through the bible in May and it was an amazing experience. It will change your life, I promise. I'm thirsty for more and plan to begin another journey shortly. If you're still reading, don't give up. You CAN do this and you will be so glad you did!

I just glanced through my pictures from the last month and a half (if you know me, you know that took a while) and chose some of my favorites.

Father's Day

Jackson transitioned to his "big boy bed" last week. I wanted to cry. It's funny because I talked to a friend a few weeks ago and told her we'd probably keep him in his crib until he was three. I was shocked when after a nap he looked at me and said " climb out" and did. *Gasp* That was his last nap in his crib.

I was dreading night time. Not only was this transition yet another reminder that my baby is fading away but he also was running a fever and fighting a cold this day. I imagined lots of tears and putting him back to bed at least 47 times.

It was amazing, I still can't believe it. I bought him an Ernie doll as a surprise for being a big boy and told him his job was to stay in the bed with Ernie because he could not get out of bed. It worked. I heard him talking the next morning and went in to find him sitting straight up jabbering away. When he saw me he said, "Get out, please?" when I said yes he hopped out. I was in awe. Surely nap time would be a disaster. Nope. Just as easy. Hallelujah!
Jackson is very excited about becoming a big boy. This picture cracks me up. We're not training yet but he does ask to tee-tee in the potty occasionally (and does!). I plan on doing the "Three Day Potty Training Method" next month. Wish me luck! (I'm sure you'll read more about this experience later.)

After two years of growing I had enough hair to donate this month!

We had a great time at the beach house last week.

Dear Jackson,

2011-05-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

I want to protect you from all harm, but since I can’t I’ll teach you to get back up and try again.

I want to keep you from heartache, but since I can’t I’ll teach you that while you cannot control the actions of others you can control how you react and no one’s words or actions determine who you are.

I want to be brave and strong so you will have the example that you deserve, but when I’m not I’ll show you that when I'm weak HE is strong, and when I’m afraid He is my comforter.

I want to do my part to mold you into a loving, hardworking, strong, Godly man, but when you fall short (and we all do, my precious son) I want you to know I am so proud of you and wouldn’t trade you for the world.

When you are older and despite our pleadings you make decisions that we prayed you wouldn’t, know that we’ll love you forever and there is NOTHING, EVER that could change that.

I wish that we’d always agree and get along, but since we won’t I’ll remind you (and myself) that my job is to protect and guide you, not to be liked.

I wish I could tell you that times would always be easy, that people would always be kind and that life would be fair, but since I can’t I’ll assure you that God is good. Cling to Him and all else will fall into place.

While I feel my love for you could move mountains, it’s all-consuming and intoxicating- it’s nothing compared to the LOVE of Jesus.

I (selfishly) wish I could tell you that I’d always be able to carry you, that we’d always play in the rain and feed the ducks, that while still in our pajamas we’d laugh until we had tears over your storybooks, or sing songs at the top of our lungs at the park.

I wish I could tell you that my kisses would always have healing powers and bubbles would always be magical, but since I can’t I want you to know this: you are one of God’s greatest gifts in my life, sweet Jackson. Never, ever forget how much you are loved.

Seeing this when I walk in a room lights up my life.

I love you to the moon, and BACK!

Playing in the Rain

2011-05-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

The rain woke Jackson from his nap today. He wanted to go outside so badly but I told him we had to wait until there was no thunder or lightning and it wasn't raining so hard.

So, he waited.

Finally he screamed, "Mommy, little bit!" (As in, it's only raining a little bit.)

So, out we went.

Which made one very happy, wet little boy.

Look at my rock!

I think moments like these I'll remember forever. :)

A Day at the Farm

2011-05-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

Today Jackson, Aunt Leah and I went to the farm. We had so much fun. I had trouble choosing which pictures to post, so here's a ton. :)

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2011-05-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell you how fast and easy it is to make your own laundry detergent! This is my second time to make the following recipe and my last batch lasted our family FIFTEEN months. In my experience it cleans just as well as the store bought variety. I highly recommend it. Not only does it make me feel like June Cleaver, it also washes my clothes for pennies a load!

Here's the recipe I use (Thanks, Duggar Family!), along with a pictorial play-by-play:

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

I found all of the ingredients, minus the lavender, on the aisle with the laundry detergent at Wal-Mart for less than I would spend on a container of detergent. (The washing soda and borax will make multiple batches of this recipe.)

Easter Highlights

2011-04-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Jackson was so proud of the Easter bunnies we made.

He was a man on a mission on the egg hunts! (Well, the first two anyway. The third was more like a stampede and he preferred being held.) He filled up his basket so fast I kept taking eggs out and throwing them so that the other babies could get some too.

Jackson doesn't eat candy or sweets and is used to eggs being stuffed with coins, bubbles, stickers, balls, etc. We were at an Egg Hunt and I asked him what was in his egg, when he opened an egg and found wrapped candy he looked at me disappointed and said "trash". Later I asked him again to open another egg to see what was inside, he opened it to find a melted piece of chocolate. He looked at me completely disgusted and said "Ugh, poop!"

This was his expression when he spotted the Easter bunny.

SO excited to have found two golden eggs!

Easter morning Jackson was thrilled to discover that each of his eggs had four quarters. He loves putting money in his piggy bank. Ask him what he's saving for and he'll tell you: "cottage" (college). :)

"Hop- hop"

2011-04-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Jackson LOVED meeting the Easter bunny. He's been talking about him since. He can't wait to sit in the "hop-hop's" lap again!

Sweetest Boy in the World

2011-04-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a few of my favorite pictures from the past few weeks with you.

For any of you who may have read Jackson's eighteen month entry, you may remember that I turned his car seat around (front-facing). A week after doing this the new AAP guidelines were released and I turned him back around. He doesn't mind a bit.

Jackson loves playing in Daddy's closet. He entertains himself in there while I get ready. This day, I think he brought all the toys from his toy chest with him.

Day 72 S.O.A.P.

2011-03-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

I realized it has been a while since I’ve shared a S.O.A.P.

God is moving, sweet friends. (He always is- even when we can’t feel Him.) Last time I read through the bible, I did it alone. Having the support, encouragement and wisdom of a group has made this journey through the bible even more powerful. I can’t get enough. I don’t want to.

I have a verse for you today that I believe is powerful and relevant, wherever you are at this moment.

S- Isaiah 43:1-2 “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by my name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”

Later in verse four God says:

“ …you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.”

O- God is speaking to the Israelites in these verses, and they were special to him. God redeemed them and called them by name to be those who belong to him.

We are important to God too, we are redeemed, and we belong to him.

A- The God of the universe says that we are precious to him, honored and that he loves us-wow. If that doesn’t overwhelm you, you might want to check your pulse.

Life sometimes bombards us with circumstances that shake us (relationships, financial issues, traumatic events, fears, strongholds, etc.) God tells us that when (not “if”, because we all will) we go through rivers of difficulty, we will not drown. When we walk through the fire, we will not be burned up. What an awesome promise. Life can be painful, but our merciful Savior gives us a promise that we will not be consumed. If you are in the midst of a trial, hold on to Jesus. You are precious to him, He loves you.

P- Thank you, sweet Jesus for the assurance that I am loved and regardless of how overwhelmed circumstances may make me feel, they do not have the power to consume me (unless I give it to them). May I remember your promise in Romans 8:28, “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” You have a purpose in the pain that we experience or you never would allow it. Give me strength to persevere.

The thought of bowing before you one day is almost more than I can bear. Oh, how I long for that day. Until then, may I please you- in joyous times and times of trial.

Easter Wreath

2011-03-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

I love projects and I love this time of the year. Spring just makes me feel chipper and Easter overwhelms me with gratitude.

Jackson and I had a great time making this Easter wreath. Jackson enjoyed handing me the eggs as I glued them on and it was a great project to work on color recognition! It's super easy to make, all you need is a straw wreath (leave the plastic on), a glue gun, and lots of mini Easter eggs.

Here's the finished product. Happy Easter!

This has nothing to do with the Easter wreath, but I couldn't help myself. Today we were working on the color orange and Jackson was so excited about his orange lunch. What a cutie!

A Personalized You

2011-03-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

Aren’t these shirts adorable!?!

My sweet friend Kristin is a stay at home mom to two beautiful girls. She has been making things for her girls for a while and just recently decided to begin taking orders. I am SO excited to share this with you because not only does she do a fabulous job, but her prices are amazing!

All you moms know how ridiculously priced personalized items can become. Here’s an example of what you might pay for exactly what Kristin made for Jackson. In local boutiques prices are well in the $40 range. I went and bought Jackson’s shirts at Hobby Lobby when they were 50% off. They are usually $3, so I paid $1.50/ shirt. (Even if shirts are not on sale you can print out a 40% coupon at any time here.)

Kristin charges $8 for an appliqué AND name. So, you can get an adorable personalized item for your child for UNDER ten dollars! Kristin just created a facebook page for her new business “A Personalized You”. Here you can view her many creations (which include much more than just clothing- check out Jackson’s precious bucket)!

I have already gotten Jackson some plain jon-jons for the summer and can’t wait to get them to her. Easter is right around the corner, if you’re interested in getting your little one(s) something special for a great price- she’s your girl!

18 Months Old

2011-03-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

The following is an insert I wrote for Jackson’s baby book. It’s more or less a letter for him. I didn’t intend for it to be a blog post but I thought that you grandparents, great-grandparents, and aunts who are checking the blog for Jackson updates would enjoy it.

At the end of each age and stage a wave of sadness washes over me because I know pictures and precious memories are all that remain of my tiny boy. I’m now beginning to realize that each stage seems to be my favorite.

I cannot believe that you are one and a half! Wow, two seems just around the corner. I can close my eyes and picture myself rocking in your nursery singing and reading to my big belly and here you are thirty pounds and thirty-four inches (90^th percentile for both) of pure joy. Know how much you are loved, my son. Your Daddy and I marvel at the miracle of you. Although I realize I cannot skim the surface of the love God has for us, having you has given me an inkling of the love He has for us and for Jesus and what a magnificent, unimaginable sacrifice He made for you and me. Above all other prayers, I pray that you will come to know and love our precious Savior.

I am SO thankful for the opportunity to stay at home with you each day. I never thought I was the stay-at-home type and worried that I would be bored- ha! There’s never a dull moment between play dates, going to the park, feeding the ducks at the bay, strolls, church, The Little Gym, the library story time, and our schedule at home. Each morning begins with you screaming “Mommy” from your crib the moment you wake (which is usually much earlier than I’d like) but you’re definitely the sweetest alarm clock I’ve ever had. We have a blast and some of our most precious moments include us still in our pajamas reading book after book and rolling around giggling on your bedroom floor.

You amaze me! You are so verbal and I feel like you say new words each day. I used to try to keep up with your new words, but there’s no hope anymore. You are beginning to say two and three word sentences like: “get it, please”; “big ball”, “blue ball”, etc. A few days ago after I got you your stool you said “Awww, nice”. J One day last week you made your first attempt at “I love you” and it melted my heart. This morning you started jumping over your Boppy and looked up at me, smiled and said “Over boppy.” I asked you if you could go under the Boppy and you picked it up and stood right under it and said “Under boppy”. You are such a smart boy.

Most of your words are recognizable, however some need translation: “mee-ma”= that one too, “vee-veet”= open it, “di-dew”= dinosaur, “ee-ya-me”= Elmo, “doo-dah”= vacuum (your vacumm sings “I’m going to clean the floor today, do-dah, do-dah…”), “happy”= apple and sometimes strawberry and “fur- fur”= sticker.

Some of your favorite things include: “E-I-Ds” (ABCs) on the computer, using your shovel and bucket to “dee-dump” (dig and dump) the rocks and sand, “drive” the car, use the key to unlock and lock the door, milk, swinging, stickers, bubbles, play-dough, crayons, painting, playing with Daddy in the closet, and playing with almost anything that you can open and close. Your least favorites are keeping food on your plate, diaper changes and brushing your teeth (which I would compare to wrestling an alligator).

You are so sweet with your friends. You very rarely take a toy from another child and usually just move on to another activity if someone takes something from you.

You know all of your letters and most of the letter sounds, if I say “one” you’ll say “two, three!”, we’re working on our colors and you often recognize pink, purple, orange, green , blue and red- but if you’re not sure- everything is purple. We just turned your car seat around and now you love to tell me “red- sop!” and “geen- go!” Yesterday you dumped out your alphabet puzzle and put it all back together on your own while naming all the letters. I tried to contain myself but the proud mommy/ teacher in me couldn’t help but squeal. You are so smart and completely amaze us every day.

You are such a joy, my precious child. I will be forever grateful that God gave us you.

Playdough Soup

2011-03-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

It’s been so long since my last blog that I don’t even know where to start. Here’s a quick update: reading through the Bible is going wonderfully and we are almost to the half-way point (yippee!) AND Jackson is now one and a half *sigh*, more on both of those later.

On Tuesday, I asked Jackson what he would like to do today to celebrate turning one and a half. I was expecting him to want to go to the park or feed the ducks at the bay. His wish was to eat noodles off a fish plate. Not exactly what I expected, but Mommy made it happen.

We took a trip Clanton, AL to visit dear friends and went to the Montgomery Zoo where we froze our bottoms off and fed giraffes! Here are some pictures of our adventure.

This is a first for me. I am not a take-a-picture-of –my-food kind of girl. When I see others post pictures of their dinner I think it’s odd- or I used to. I think more than anything I’m jealous that my dinners are not photo-shoot worthy. Well, (drum roll please) I was so proud of this dinner I took a picture. (Here’s the recipe- it was super yummy.)

I was so thrilled at how cooperative Jackson was while I prepared dinner. He sat beside me in his high-chair playing with playdough. He was making snakes and balls and having a blast. He was trying to tell me something about milk and playdough when I turned around to see this.

It turns out he was saying “Playdough drinks milk.”- Eeewww. What you can't see in this playdough container is that it is now playdough soup. Oh well, it’s a small price to pay for preparing a meal without having a toddler wrapped around your ankles.

Daniel showed up with a surprise for his little boy tonight. Although they’re a bit too big, Jackson loves them and can’t wait to wear his “cool shoes”.

I have much more to say but I can’t bring myself to since I have dishes that need to be washed, a Bible that needs to be read, exercise that needs to be done (but probably won’t) and a handsome husband in the other room.

I’ll leave you with this video I shot today of Jackson doing one of his favorite things: “driving” Mommy’s car.

Can you believe it!?!

2011-02-21T11:32:00.001-08:00

WooHoo! How does it feel to be 1/3 of the way through your Bible?

Go ahead, stop and do a little happy dance. Giggle out loud and thank your Father who inspired you, pulled you close, whispered in your ear and invited you to join us.

You’re on a roll and you WILL do this!

(And even if you aren’t on track… you are still 1/3 of the way through the challenge. If you are still reading, determined not to give up, THAT is a huge accomplishment too-and a reason for thanks and celebration.)

Keep it up, y’all! His Word will not return void (but you already knew that).

For those of you who attend our weekly meetings, in honor of our accomplishment, we’ll be having coffee tomorrow. Childcare isn’t available until 1:30, so just bring your little one(s) with you and we’ll enjoy caffeine and conversation. Hope to see you around 1:15.

Reading through the Bible- Day 29 S.O.A.P.

2011-02-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

S(cripture)- 1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

O(bservation)- We are all prone to judging others by outward appearance, appearance doesn't reveal what people are really like or what their value is.

A(pplication)- I SO needed this verse today. This morning I was talking to another mom who appeared to have it all, and have it all together. She was beautiful, thin, well dressed, had adorable children, was wealthy, had a nice car, etc. I am so embarrassed to admit that I had a little pity party in my head. I wished I was more like her. It just seemed so effortless for her. As I sat admiring her perfect manicure I found myself hiding my peeling fingernail polish. In my head she had it all. Have I mentioned I DON'T EVEN KNOW THIS PERSON!? Her "all" made my "all I need" look a lot less shiny. I know in my heart that God has provided and I am blessed beyond measure. (I feel so ungrateful for even having these thoughts, but I have a feeling that I’m not the only girl who measures herself against others.) The devil loves to tell me that I'm not "enough". I am so thankful that my beautiful, merciful Savior reminds me that I am enough- I am HIS and HE looks at my heart.

P(rayer)- Lord, Forgive me when I’m selfish and covet. Give me a thankful heart. May I grow in wisdom, knowledge and grace so that I begin to see things (and people) as you see them. May I focus more on the development of my heart. Thank you that I am “enough”, not because of anything I have done- but because of your son.

Today’s SOAP reminded me of this blog post. I know you won’t regret reading it.

Bath Letters

2011-02-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

Getting Frustrated?

2011-02-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.momstoolbox.com/blog/2010/01/07/bible-in-90-days-getting-frustrated-yet/

Mishkan Gallery Visit

2011-02-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

A portion of our group took a trip to the Miskan Gallery today. It was amazing to view a replica of the tabernacle and all of the items that we have been reading about. I only wish that we had come before reading Exodus. It all was so beautiful and gave us such a better understanding. Many of you who were unable to join us asked that I take pictures, so here they are. (Believe me, they do not do the gallery justice!)

I was pretty excited to get a picture with Jackson in front of The Ark of the Covenant.

As you can see, he was too. :)

Day Fifteen SOAP

2011-01-26T19:17:00.000-08:00

Scripture(s)-

Numbers 11:5-6 "We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!"

Numbers 21:5 "...we hate this horrible manna!"

Observation- The Israelites seem to forget so quickly all that God has done for them- setting them free, making them a nation, performing miracle after miracle. Are they seriously whining about not having melons? They are forgetting what God has done and is doing all because they are so wrapped up in what He isn't doing for them.

Application- It is so easy for me to judge the Israelites. What their problem? Where's their faith!? Have they already forgotten what happened to the last group that questioned God? They have seen God's presence and heard his voice, he rains down food from heaven for them for goodness sake! If I step down from my high-horse and am honest with myself, I know I can relate to their lack of faith, ingratitude and WHINING. There are so many moments when I let unfulfilled desires (often petty ones) cause me to forget all the gifts God has given me.

Prayer-Merciful Savior, Forgive me when I'm selfish and ungrateful. May I never forget that you are the same God that delivered the Israelites. Thank you providing me with what I need, when I need it. I pray to develop a thankful heart that is not circumstantial.

Day Nine

2011-01-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

My sweet husband made my day yesterday with this bible marking kit. I hope my bible looks like a rainbow at the end of these eighteen weeks! I find myself looking forward to this special time throughout the day. There’s something so calming and rejuvenating about this little spot for me.

I wish each of you could attend our weekly meetings! It is such a neat time where we discuss what God has revealed to us in our reading or questions that we may have. It is so amazing how so many people can read the same verses but God will draw a different one to each person’s attention. Reading through the bible with the support of a group is SO much better than doing it alone, I am having a blast!

God is opening doors right and left through this study. Our small group started with three people and so far we have had eighteen join us as of yesterday’s meeting. (I love that those in our group range in age from 20s to 70s!) This doesn’t include the countless people who are reading along with us but are unable to make it to our meetings (well over a dozen people that I’m aware of). Two ladies in our group are going to begin leading groups at different times and locations to open the door for those who are eager to study God’s word and long for the accountability and encouragement that a small group offers. (PRAISE GOD!) Chances are, one of these groups may interest you. Don’t hesitate to contact me for more information.

I love what Amy had to say here, on her Day 8 SOAP. I completely agree with her about the content being challenging. For those of you in our small group, you may remember me mentioning “hitting the wall like in a marathon”…well, here we go! These next few weeks were some of the most difficult for me. On days that I find less-than-inspirational, I remind myself that every word is God-breathed and there for me to read. We can do this! At the end of our journey, we will be changed and SO glad we stuck it out.

For you visual learners who wish the bible had illustrations, like me, here’s an image of the tabernacle that helped give me some perspective.

Picture Update

2011-01-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

I have a few moments while Jackson is napping and wanted to share some pictures from the last few weeks. I'll post again soon because I can't wait to tell you about some awesome things God is doing in our bible study!

Jackson loved touring the fire station!

I'm a lucky girl...what can I say?

I love this picture.

I whipped out my camera and Jackson turned and said "CHEESE!".

What a ham.

(Check out the hair!)

He thought he was hilarious walking around in my shoes.

The shirt isn't half bad either. ;)

Bath time fun

Here is a late Christmas picture. It cracks me up. We had a wonderful Christmas and Jackson loved everything "See-ta" brought him. This year was so much fun, I can't even imagine the excitement next year has in store.

Day Four

2011-01-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

How's it going? Today's day four so we only have one day left of reading this week (unless you've already used a "grace day", which is fine). After this week we will be 1/18^th of the way through the bible, yippee! You have been in my thoughts and prayers and I hope that you are doing well and reaching out to your accountability partner for encouragement. Isn’t it amazing how many stories we have covered so far?! I know some of it is hard to understand (and stomach) like Lot saying “please take my virgin daughters but leave my guests alone” and later his daughters getting him drunk so that they could…well, you know (it’s even hard to type). At times like these I am glad that my bible has a commentary at the bottom that offers further explanation.

I love using the suggestion from momstoolbox.com! Journaling using the acrostic SOAP has really helped me to apply my readings. Here was my “Aha moment!” from yesterday’s reading:

S- Genesis 39:21 “But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.”

O- Even in life’s most difficult moments God is there shining a light into our present darkness. Despite life’s circumstances, God can bring good.

A- Joseph didn’t lay in the corner of his cell in the fetal position crying because he was wrongly accused, had went through tragedy after tragedy, or felt abandoned by God. He made the best of his terrible circumstances and God used and blessed him again and again. What a lesson! I must remember- even in the worst moments- that the Lord is with me, showing me his faithful love.

P- El-Shaddai, Thank you for your faithful love. I am SO undeserving. Thank you for walking beside me even in times that I behave as if I don’t know you. May I work each day to learn to love as you love.

For those of you who I’ll see Tuesday, I can’t wait! I feel as though we are part of something beyond our comprehension. Keep notes of anything that you’d like to discuss with the group.

Please persevere through the difficult readings, you will be so glad you did!

Day One

2011-01-11T18:45:00.001-08:00

Today is day one of our journey through the bible in eighteen weeks. I just finished today's reading and am so excited to begin this journey through God's word! He has so many things to reveal to us and I am honored to be reading with you.

Amy at http://www.momstoolbox.com offers some great suggestions for making our reading easier to apply to our daily lives. I love her SOAP idea!

Here's her explanation, and here's my SOAP for Day 1:

S: Scripture- Genesis 16 1-2

¹Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; ² so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

O: Observation- Even when we think God has forgotten His promises and doesn't recognize our heart's desires, he calls us to trust and wait. (It's amazing to me that Abraham waited twenty-five years for the fulfillment of the promise. I can only imagine how this story would sound if I was the one expected to believe and wait in expectation for twenty-five years!)

A: Application-Trust in God's promises and stop taking matters into my own hands because He isn't working on my timeline. In my impatience, I often take matters into my own hands (like Abram and Sarai did with Hagar). This often creates chaos and I fear may even delay God's miracle.

P: Prayer- Father, forgive my lack of patience and belief. Strengthen me as I wait on you. I know that the plans you have for me far exceed my own. Thank you for loving me in spite of my lack of patience.

Jesus in Every Book of the Bible

2011-01-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

I still have chills from this video. Are you ready? I am! We begin tomorrow.

Are you up for the challenge?

2011-01-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited to begin reading through the bible again! You may remember my blogs about my experience with the “Bible in 90 Days” program. If you don’t, you can read about it here and here. For the past few months I have had the privilege to be a part of a wonderful bible study for stay at home moms (SAHMs for future reference). We recently completed a study on the proverbs 31 woman that was beyond inspirational.

Next Tuesday our group will begin reading through the bible. I have tweaked the"Bible in 90 Days” schedule into a "Bible in 18 Weeks-or 122 days” schedule which you will find below (click to zoom). Instead of seven days of reading each week, there will be five days. This allows two “grace days” a week for catch-up, rest or further study. I know that this challenge may seem very intimidating, but I assure you it IS doable. This is not a speed-read through the Bible, it's akin to reading the Bible like a novel. The reading IS a challenge, though it is a manageable challenge. I assure you, the payoff more than compensates.

I have been inviting everyone I talk with to join me on this journey. Today I got a haircut and my precious beautician and her colleague said that they are excited to begin reading as soon as I drop off their schedules. :o) What an awesome experience to have so many people walking through the bible together! The insight and encouragement that we will gather from one another will make the experience even better. I want all of you to experience this spiritual journey!

We have a facebook group for anyone who would like to join us where we will post questions, comments and offer one another encouragement (let me know if you'd like to be added). I will be updating my blog throughout the experience for those of you who are not on facebook. If you would like to read along with us (regardless of age, occupation or gender) let me know, we’d love to have you! God has so many things he wants to reveal to each of us, let’s not keep Him waiting!

Let the countdown begin!

2010-12-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

Four more days until Christmas! This truly is the most wonderful time of the year!! I am so excited. I cannot wait for Jackson to discover the pile of goodies Santa will leave for him!

We have been having a wonderful time this Christmas season. Here are pictures from some of our activities so far.

I love these sweet eyes! I think he's saying, "Hey, Mom...it's cold".

Jackson loves music and the minute he hears it the dancing begins. He's got some pretty adorable dance moves too (see above). Santa's band (below) played jazz music and Jackson danced for about fifteen minutes until our train arrived. I WISH I had my video camera, it was priceless.

We took the picture below first. This is what I call Jackson's "I'll sit here, but I WON'T like it" face. Since we could NOT get a smile out of him, I joined.

Here we are on a train ride to the North Pole.

Jackson loves trains but the whistle was too loud for him, hence his look of enthusiasm.

Making Christmas ornaments.

I'm sure we'll have many more Christmas pictures to come. I hope that you and yours have a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year ahead. Don't forget the real reason for the season (Luke 2; John 3:16). Now that's a reason to celebrate!

Finger Painting!

2010-12-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

If you would have asked me a few years ago what things brought me joy, I doubt that finger painting would have made the list. Even though by the end of this project we were both covered in paint along with the floor and the wall (oops), I wouldn't trade moments like these for the world.

I know one day Jackson will grow up. He'll be too big to hold (although I can imagine I'll still try- I'm sure he'll love that), and too busy with friends to "play" with Mom....but not today. Today he's all mine-my precious baby covered in paint.

There's no where else I'd rather be than cleaning this boy's footprints off the floor.

Shutterfly Update

2010-12-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

Did my last post sound like a commercial? Well, it was! Shutterfly gave me 50 free Christmas cards just for blogging about them. I received my cards yesterday and I am thrilled with them. Thanks, Shutterfly, once again you did an awesome job!

It’s Christmas Card Time!

2010-12-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

This is my absolute favorite time of the year! I am completely giddy. I confess to being one of "those" people who begin itching to put up their Christmas tree as soon as Halloween passes. Christmas music has been playing at our house for weeks and the first thing Jackson does in the morning is sign “lights”, that’s my cue to plug in the lights on the tree. Oh, how I love Christmas!

One thing I love about this season is Christmas cards. Each day when I check the mail I shuffle through looking for Christmas cards and after I open them they go straight to the refrigerator. By Christmas day our refrigerator is covered with the sweet faces of family and friends. Choosing a Christmas photo card is easy thanks to Shutterfly! Their selection is phenomenal. Below you will see some of my favorites, click here to find your own!

Gosh, I could keep going! The only "problem" you could have with Shutterfly is choosing your favorite from their extensive selection of quality cards. I have used Shutterfly numerous times in the past for invitations and birth announcements and each and every time they have exceeded my expectations. Cards are printed on premium card stock and really make a style statement.

If you are looking for a creative, thoughtful Christmas gift that your loved ones are sure to treasure I highly recommend Shutterfly’s calendars , photo gifts and photo books! Oh, I almost forgot- Shutterfly is offering free shipping on orders $50+, just use promo code SHIP50.

God's Grace

2010-11-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

I am in awe of His goodness, his love, his patience. I am so undeserving and SO thankful. In reading Paul’s writings in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.), I realized the importance of sharing my weaknesses instead of feeling the pressure to put on a smile and appear to have it all together.

I feel that doing this would not only be a disservice to myself but also to others who might could be encouraged by my journey. One thing that saddens me about Christians is that we so often put on our “church face” instead of honestly sharing our triumphs and heartaches. (“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:4.)

For nearly ten years I struggled with an eating disorder that nearly took my life. Some days I prayed that it would because I was so sick and tired of being so sick and tired. I was angry, hopeless and terrified. Counseling, inpatient treatment facilities, doctors, and nutritionists were unable to help me. I had reached a point of despair that I do my best to forget. I decided to try once more before completely giving up hope of ever being “normal”. This was it; if this didn’t work I was through fighting.

I prayed each day for strength, for healing, for a miracle. Although I had prayed thousands of times for healing, I had given up on the belief that I would be healed. God heard my prayers anyway. He believed in me when I didn’t believe in Him. I entered an outpatient treatment program and began a long, excruciatingly difficult journey to wellness. I remember the first day I wasn’t consumed with eating disordered thoughts, the first day my body didn’t hurt, the first day I felt there was a light at the end of my tunnel.

That I am still alive is a miracle. That I escaped my eating disorder with only minor physical consequences is a miracle. That I have my precious baby is a miracle.

More than anything I wanted to me a mother. I feared it wouldn’t be possible; surely I had done too much damage. I would deserve that. When I envisioned having a child I saw a little boy- an adorable, blue eyed, blond-haired, chunky, joyous little boy. Some days I still look at him and weep.

My sister called me yesterday and asked if I knew what the name Jackson meant. With a smirk I told her that I did. It’s English and means “son of Jack”. (Daniel and I just loved the name.) “No,” she said. “Do you know what it means in Hebrew?” I had no idea. “God’s Grace”, she informed me. A wave of emotion came over me. To me Jackson is a constant reminder of God’s grace.

It’s funny to me that I began this post with the intent to tell of my discovery of Jackson’s name and instead I shared my personal saga. It makes me a little uncomfortable as I look at the “publish post” button, I wonder what you’ll think as you read it. I’m opening myself up to judgment and potential gossip. I realize that’s between you and God. What a tragedy it would be to not share the victory God has allowed me to experience. You may not be able to relate to my struggles, but we all have our own crosses to carry. Yours may be addiction, depression, a troubled relationship, anxiety, financial hardship…you name it. I am here to tell you today that regardless of your “cross”, God is able. His grace is sufficient.

I won’t let a day go by without thanking him for delivering me. I am only now beginning to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is.

Thank you Jesus for your grace and for my precious reminder!

Comments

2010-11-14T18:59:00.001-08:00

A friend asked me why my comment feature was turned off. What a good question! Well, now it's turned on. :o) I look forward to reading your comments and getting your input as I know this will make the blog much more interactive.

Car Seat Safety

2010-11-13T14:13:00.001-08:00

Several people have asked why Jackson's car seat is still rear-facing. This video explains why better than I ever could.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCGA8

It's fall, y'all!

2010-11-13T07:56:00.000-08:00

It irritates me that my pictures uploaded out of order and Blogger won't let me move them around. Oh, well.

We are having a ball and enjoying this beautiful weather. Jackson is fourteen months old and so much fun. I am loving this age! He is running all over the place. His vocabulary seems to grow each day and he says about 25 words. He still uses sign language to express his needs and he amazes us daily. He's such a little sponge. After singing our ABC's the other day he picked up the "P" on his alphabet puzzle and said "p-p-p-p" and picked up the "J" and said "J....Jack". I was so proud! I love watching him learn and discover new things!

I have a wonderful play group of other stay at home moms. We do weekly play dates. This week we went to the petting zoo. We had so much fun! Here is Jackson with some of his friends.
While cleaning Jackson's room I put all his books in his crib so I could vacuum. He insisted on staying with them the entire time. I left to vacuum other rooms and kept returning to see if he wanted to get out. His response- "No, no, no, no....books!".
Jackson is a great little helper between playing with his kitchen set, vacuuming with his vacuum and helping me sweep- I am trying to train him right. ;o) I have two words for his future wife: "you're welcome".

Nonny (my mother-in-law) is SUCH a blessing to me. She is always willing to come and play if I need to run some errands (or like this week prepare for a dinner party of twelve).

Jackson adores her and I think she's pretty special too!

Jackson LOVES to slide!

Smelling the flowers.

Jackson's first horse ride. He was a pro!

Thought I'd share...

2010-11-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

I don't often reference other blogs, but I thought this post was a good one and I thought I'd share.

http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-dont-want-my-children-to-be-happy.html

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T19:48:00.001-07:00

Couponing

2010-10-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

I laughed at myself upon the realization that I had become one of "those" people who take pictures of their groceries. :) Those of you who are coupon experts may not be impressed with my savings, but for a beginner...I'm proud. Since this was my first big coupon adventure, I had to share my savings!

Spent: $38.03

Saved: $96.14

Cutie Pie!

2010-10-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

90 days have passed...

2010-10-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

My journey through the bible in ninety days is complete, and what an awesome experience it has been. All my life reading the bible has seemed like such an overwhelming task. It has been hanging out and gathering dust on my “To Do” list for years.

I am shocked at how doable it was. I finished in eighty-nine days and my average reading time was around thirty minutes a day. Forty six hours of reading later- I am completely changed, encouraged, convicted, challenged, and humbled. This has been a life changing experience that I would highly encourage you to undertake. Whether you have read the bible, haven’t read the bible, are a Christian or are not a Christian…if you stick to it, I believe you will be changed.

The Old Testament can be difficult at times and I won’t even pretend that I understood it all. On days that you are reading about genealogy or the dimensions of the temple it is difficult-but stick with it. Before reading the bible in its entirety, I thought it was many different stories. Now I see that it is one story, and it all fits together. I cannot wait to learn more!

I have only begun to scratch at the surface of God’s word. There is so much I don’t understand and I long to grow in wisdom and understanding. There are a few things I do know. I know that my God is real. I know that he loves me. I know that he loves you. “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:16-20 I think that if I had to choose one thing I have learned it would be the overwhelming love of God. No matter where you are, no matter what you’ve done…he longs to have a relationship with you. (“Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Romans 10:13)

At the beginning of this experience I feared standing before God having never taken the time to read his word. I imagined disappointment and condemnation. Now, I picture my heavenly father smiling- arms extended. He’s had this for me (for you) all along. The bible contains the answers to every question we could have and instructions as to how we should live our lives.

It is so easy to get bogged down with our day to day lives that we forget what’s important…why we’re here. I have been reminded. I want to make a difference, to show others His love. I am SO undeserving of his grace, but so thankful to receive it!

Now that I have scratched the surface of God’s word, I am ready to dive in! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. If you’re interested in taking the “Bible in 90 Days” challenge, visit www.biblein90days.org.

We have a walker!

2010-09-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

Jackson has been taking steps for several weeks but today he took off and hasn't slowed down since! He looks adorable and is so proud of himself. :)

Helping mommy vacuum.

I think sticking his tongue out helps him concentrate. ;)

SO excited!

Photo Shoot and First Birthday Party

2010-09-05T06:31:00.001-07:00

Jackson will be one on Wednesday and we had his party at our house yesterday. We sure missed all of you out of town family and friends! It was a wonderful day.

Update

2010-08-15T18:47:00.001-07:00

It's been too long, now I don't even know where to begin. I know I said I would update you every ten days on my reading through the bible in ninety days and it's been way more than ten days. (Sorry!) We have been so busy! I am still going strong. I am in Psalm and loving this journey. God is revealing new things to me each day and I am almost half way through!

Below are two cakes I made recently. I just finished my second cake class and love trying the new things I have learned.

My little guy is growing like a weed! He was 11 months old on August 8th. He is pure joy. He is pulling up on everything and "cruising" holding onto furniture. He will walk holding onto one of our hands and can stand alone for a little while before he realizes he's standing alone and plops down.

This past month he has said: "dad", "dog", "bird", "uh-oh", "ball", "fower" (flower), "BewBew" (Bella- my sister's dog), "out", "eat", "eye", "book" and "boom" (when he falls). Some of these words he's only said once. It blows my mind when he points to something and says it's name. Did you notice something missing from this list? Well, I did! He is apparently saving "Mama" for a special occasion. I can't wait to hear that word!!!

Visiting Aunt Leah

2010-07-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

My sister, Leah, is in Fort Walton for the summer. Jackson and I had a wonderful day visiting her!

Aunt Leah was very excited about taking Jackson to feed the fish. (He LOVES fish...and birds....and dogs....okay, he LOVES all animals.) Although Leah is holding fish food, Jackson looks like he's thinking about digging in.FishLeah loves pictures as much as I do. I have taken almost 3,000 pictures of Jackson since he was born. Although we didn't take that many during our visit, I had a hard time choosing which ones to post. So I posted all of my favorites. :)Worn out after a day of fun.

Bible in 90 Days Update

2010-07-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

I will be checking in every ten days to update you on my journey through the bible in ninety days. It has been so much easier than I anticipated! I just finished day ten's reading and am halfway through Numbers. It takes about thirty-five minutes each evening and I have a great little routine that includes putting Jackson to bed, making coffee, and sitting at the kitchen table to read. I continue to be excited about this experience and pray that God will reveal Himself to me through the reading of his word.

I have to remind myself on nights like tonight when I am reading about descendants, rules and customs that each word of the bible is inspired by God and worth reading. I cannot wait to be able to say I have read the bible cover to cover!!! I am 1/9 of the way there. I'll be back for another update in ten days.

I encourage you to do something that you've wanted to do for a while but have put off. Whether it's reading the bible, an organizational project, exercising, or pursuing a new hobby- there's no better time than now. If you're anything like me you have quite a list of things you'd like to do and an even longer list of reasons it's not convenient to do them now. Take the plunge...you'll be glad you did!

I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures from this week. (I just couldn't help myself.)

Jackson and Mommy ready for church.

Now that Jackson is crawling, pulling up and cruising on furniture I never know how I will find him when I check on him in his crib. This has become one of his favorite positions.

Maybe I'm just overly sentimental (okay, I am definitely overly sentimental) but have you ever had a moment where you were just completely overwhelmed with love and gratitude? When I walked in Jackson's room and saw these little feet poking out through his crib that is exactly how I felt. So in love....with these little feet....with this precious child, and SO grateful that God heard my prayers for him. Sometimes I get consumed with life's details and a moment like this snaps me back into reality and reminds me to treasure each moment with these little feet.

10 months old!

2010-07-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

Jackson's crawling!!!! A few weeks ago he ditched his pitiful slither I previously described and opted for a much easier, faster approach....real crawling! He is completely adorable and getting faster by the day. Jackson is ten months old! He is so much fun. He loves to play with his toys, read his books, dance to music, play in water, go outside, swing, talk, and be with his Momma and Daddy. Only two more months of our first year together. I cannot believe it!
Many of our summer days are spent like this, splashing away in the backyard. Jackson loves his pool although he looks less than thrilled in this photo.

Did I mention this kid LOVES books? He would pick a book over a toy any day. This is what his room looks like after he picks out a book to read.

Sleeping angel.

He loves shoes. Well, technically he loves taking them off. This is why he is barefoot most of the time.

Ready for a walk.

This is the life!

Cake Decorating

2010-07-04T07:22:00.001-07:00

I love all the cake decorating shows and became inspired to take some classes so that I can make cute birthday cakes. I just finished my first decorating class and will be beginning my next class this week. I am having a lot of fun! Here's what I've done so far....

Bible in 90 Days

2010-07-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Although I have been a Christian since I was six years old, I have never read the bible in its entirety. For twenty-two years I have had a relationship with my precious Savior but have not read the bible: His word, the instruction manual for this life.
I know it’s long…but not quite twenty-two years long. I have been convicted for years about this. If you combined them all how many hours have I spent watching T.V., on the computer, or doing countless other meaningless things? Surely I would shutter at the magnitude of time I have wasted. I bet I could have read the bible hundreds of times by now. My priorities are completely out of whack. My stomach lurches at the thought of standing before God before having read His word.
No more excuses.
I don’t believe it was an accident that I stumbled upon this blog at www.MomsToolbox.com and learned about the “Bible in 90 Days” challenge. I am feeling excited and overwhelmed about tackling this challenge. My time during Jackson’s naps, which unfortunately lately are short and unpredictable, and after he goes to bed is full of a myriad of tasks that I race to accomplish. How will I get everything done and successfully complete reading the bible in ninety days? Seriously, that wasn’t rhetorical.
I am blogging about this for two reasons:
1. I am hoping that maybe you want to join me on this journey. If you would go to www.MomsToolbox.com for details and let me know so that we can encourage each other.
2. I need the accountability and knowing I will have to post an update regarding my progress will hopefully help motivate me on the “I am exhausted, I have too much to do, I just need a day off” days.
I am feeling inspired and motivated! Pray it lasts. :) I know that the rewards that I will receive will greatly outweigh any sacrifices I have to make for the next ninety days. I’ll keep you posted.

First Father's Day/ Sarah's Wedding

2010-06-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

Today was Daniel's first Father's Day. Jackson had a lot of fun making a present for his Daddy. Here's the finished product...

Us at Sarah's rehearsal dinner.

"Okay, now what?"
My family

Nine months old!

2010-06-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

Look at my big boy standing up! (He is upset because he wants to play with the camera.)

Much Better! He loves his new giraffe.Daddy gave Jackson a "hat" and he thought it was hilarious.
Sweet boy!

This one cracks me up...

Jackson is nine months old. He is such a big boy! He loves books, swinging, being outside and snuggling. His favorite toys include all things that are not meant to be toys (i.e. cell phones, computers, cameras, remote controllers, etc.) and his favorite food is yogurt. He sings and dances with music and has begun to army crawl all over the place. His "crawl" is hilarious, hopefully soon he will learn how to crawl with his belly off the floor because it would be SO much easier than his current "kick like I'm swimming with my left leg, push with my right leg, pull with my right arm, ignore my left arm" method. (He looks part pirate, part snake, part injured crab.)

He never meets a stranger and loves to wave at everyone. He is such a joy and I cannot believe that we are getting so close to his first birthday!

Pearly Whites

2010-05-24T08:11:00.001-07:00

Can you see my new teeth?

Jackson's First Swim

2010-05-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time at the pool with my Dad and sisters!

More from Jackson's Dedication...

2010-05-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

8 Months Old!

2010-05-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

Jackson's eight months old!

Jackson's dedication at church was on Mother's Day. We were thrilled to have our families there!

"And Hannah said, For this child I prayed and the Lord has answered me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given to the Lord." 1Samuel 1:27-28

He LOVES his new swing!

Words cannot begin to express how thankful I am to celebrate Mother's Day with my little boy this year! I hope that Jackson grows up knowing that before he was conceived he was wanted and before he was born he was loved. Each day that love grows. I am so proud to be his Mommy. Before having Jackson I never understood what others meant when they said "after having a child, your heart forever wanders about outside of your body"...now I do.

We're back!

2010-04-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

Yay! The blog is working again!

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite pictures from the past month. Can you see my teeth? My lower central incisors are coming in!
Mommy and I went on our first road trip to visit the Hill family. While there, we went to the Montgomery Zoo. I had SO much fun and was thrilled to see a real giraffe.

Here is Mommy's best friend (and college roommate), Shelley, and her new baby Cadie.

This is Shelley's oldest daughter, Carlie. I love her!

This is me on April 8th, I am seven months old!

Easter

Look what I can do!

I went on my first boat ride this month. Here's me helping P drive.

The shirt says it all.

He is risen!

2010-04-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

There is something wrong with the photo uploader. I have tried numerous times to post new pictures with no luck. If you click on the follwing link you should be able to view photos of Jackson's first Easter.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=162033&1=395968e237

All is well at the Wade house. Jackson is growing each day and loves to sit, play with his blocks, eat (I know that's a surprise!),"read", and "sing". Yesterday we went to an Easter egg hunt. Jackson enjoyed meeting the Easter bunny, a petting zoo, puppet shows, and train rides. He learned how to pick up eggs and watching him was pretty funny. I zoom around with him as he grabs them and puts them in his basket. He is pretty impressed with himself.

Happy Easter, what a glorious day. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart...you ask me how I know He lives....He lives within my heart!
Thank you God for the ultimate sacrifice...the ultimate love!

6 months

2010-03-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

Half way to a year...wow! Jackson is full of personality these days and loves to sit, be read to (and "turn" the pages himself), eat in his highchair (So far he's had carrots, apples, and butternut squash. Apples are his favorite!) , roll all around, play peek-a-boo, put everything in his mouth, laugh, and play. He is such a little ray of sunshine!

Fun at the Park

2010-02-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the park and Jackson had a blast, as you can see. ;) He really enjoyed "riding" this dinosaur. This was his first time in a swing...he loved it! I adore this picture of my tiny boy with only his bald little head poking out of the top of the swing.

What a great day!

Baby Food Making

2010-02-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

I have been so excited about making Jackson's baby food. (Yeah, I know...I guess I'm easily excited.) I had planned to wait until he was six months old but with only one week to go I couldn't stand it anymore. He has been doing so good with his rice cereal, I thought he was ready for some "real food".
I decided that his first food would be carrots. I wanted to start with a vegetable and thought that Jackson would enjoy their naturally sweet taste.
Not only is it exciting to know what ingredients are in his food, but homemade baby food is also a huge money saver! For 79 cents I made him about ten servings of carrot baby food!
Let the adventure begin...

Jackson, who is teething, enjoyed chewing on a cold carrot. This was his way of participating.After peeling, chopping and steaming the carrots it was time to puree!

(I LOVE my new Kitchen Aid hand blender...it's perfect!)Here's the finished product.

After pureeing the carrots I poured them into an ice tray and froze them.

(For the record, I realize that the picture of the carrot isn't necessary...

give me a break, I taught first grade.)Now for the test.

Jackson, what do you think?

"What do you mean I'm eating this again tomorrow!?"

Oh, well. Maybe carrots will grow on him. Let's hope so! We are going to do carrots for a few more days and then we're on to apples. I think he'll like them better. I felt so domesticated today. Not only did I make baby food, but I also made laundry detergent! That's about as Martha Stewart as it gets for me.

Trip to the Bay

2010-02-20T14:37:00.001-08:00

Jackson's First Snow

2010-02-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

What a treat today was! It is SO rare for us to get snow I was beyond thrilled. None of it stuck but it was fun while it lasted. Jackson and I (okay, mostly I did...) had a great time playing in the snow!

5 months old!

2010-02-08T12:11:00.001-08:00

Is it just me or did he JUST turn four months old!?! Is there a pause button I can push somewhere? I guess not...*sigh*...here are some pictures of my adorable five month old. I take this shot each month with his bunny to show how much he's grown. It's amazing to see how much he changes in a month!

Here's Jackson ready to watch the Super Bowl with Daddy. Notice the socks. ;)

Sweet Giggles

2010-02-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

Jackson loves his Aunt Leah and Aunt Sarah (my sweet sisters) and when they come to visit he is covered in kisses. Daniel's 28th birthday! Thirty is just around the corner...for both of us...wow! Jackson was memorized by the smoke from the candles.

Jackson had his first rice cereal this month. He is doing great and would prefer to feed himself.

This was his very first bite of rice cereal.

I saved the best for last. Jackson is such a ball of sunshine! He brings us such joy and I am so grateful (and completely smitten). There is nothing I love more than to hear his sweet laughter. Lately he is amused by the silliest things but as soon as I grab the video camera, he stops. Luckily, I captured some of his giggles to share with you.

Cutie-Patootie

2010-01-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

Love the shirt... I love those big blue eyes!
Tickle my foot again, Mom.

I see you!

Sweet Boys

2010-01-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Jackson and Daddy ready for church. Could they be any cuter!?

One Year Ago...

2010-01-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

5:15a.m.

January 15, 2009

January 15, 2010

Fun Day

2010-01-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

Jackson's four month checkup was yesterday. We were thrilled to hear that he is officially well and we are now allowed to join the rest of the world. Ten days of being cooped up was beginning to make me crazy. In celebration of Jackson's recovery and the hopeful return of my sanity we went to a "Mommy and Me" class for babies at The Little Gym. We had a blast!

4 months old/ RSV update

2010-01-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your prayers! Jackson is beginning to feel better (praise God)! We are continuing with the breathing treatments and hopefully he will be fully recovered soon. Below are some new pictures of our sweet boy.

Jackson is four months old!I was changing his diaper this morning when he reached down and grabbed his feet for the first time! I screamed for Daniel to grab the camera...I'm so glad I caught this. He loves the jumperoo. More than "jump" he walks in circles and spins himself around.
Jackson and Aunt Leah

He is so strong and is already beginning to try and pull himself up so he can sit.

I know he'll be sitting before we know it.Ready for a nap.
Playing with Mommy, Aunt Leah, Sassy and Aunt Sarah
Although you can't tell from my expression, I love my new highchair that Nonny and Poppy gave me for Christmas!
Meeting Great-Grandma and Grandpa Ziglar.

He couldn't take his eyes off Grandpa.

RSV Update

2010-01-06T08:11:00.001-08:00

After Jackson's breathing worsened and he began wheezing, we took him back to the doctor on Tuesday morning. Due to his congestion, nursing is difficult which has caused him to lose five ounces. Luckily he has a reserve (when you have a seventeen pound baby this isn't too concerning). We are working hard to keep him hydrated. In addition to RSV our poor little guy has double ear infections.
Since he is having a hard time breathing the doctor gave us a breathing machine to use at home. We give him breathing treatments every four hours. As you can see from the photo below, he is a little trooper! Our pediatrician said that if we would be more comfortable hospitalizing him than she would admit him but the treatment that he would receive there would be the same thing that we are doing at home and since he would be exposed to many more germs at the hospital we all decided that it would be in his best interest to be at home. We are praying (and hope you are too) that our precious baby feels better soon.
If he gets any worse I will be taking her up on her offer to admit him.

P.S. Daniel is at home sick too. Please pray for BOTH of my boys!

Poor Baby!

2010-01-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

Our precious baby has RSV. Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages.
We thought that Jackson was getting a cold but were alarmed when he seemed to have more difficulty breathing and his cough worsened. We took him to the doctor today to be sure because I was aware that RSV was going around. We were shocked to find out Jackson was infected because we are so cautious, it just proves that we can’t protect him from everything. Thankfully, so far he seems to have a mild case. Please pray that our little guy feels better soon! It’s so pitiful to hear him coughing and snorting.

Goodbye December...and 2009!

2009-12-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the month of December. I cannot believe that today is the last day of 2009. What a joy this year has been!

We have story time each day and it amazes me how into it he gets. He smiles at the pictures and pays such close attention to each page, it's adorable. Jackson loves his leapfrog "Spin a Letter" toy from Sassy and P. He spins it on his own all the time and is so proud of himself. The other night while cooking dinner I put him in his Bumbo seat and put his toy on the tray. I noticed that the music stopped (it only plays if it's spinning) so I looked over to check on him and found this. This picture cracks me up! Obviously the toy was a little too close to his face. He was trying so hard to focus on it. :0)

Jackson LOVES bath time! He is very amused by his rubber ducky and splashes water everywhere.

He loves his Daddy.

I took this picture during "tummy time" which is not Jackson's favorite time of the day. He is learning that if he rolls over tummy time ends. I just love his big blue eyes and chubby little cheeks.

I love him more each day, it's unbelievable to me. He has so much personality. I look at him and my heart melts! I can't wait for all of the adventures that 2010 has in store!

Jackson's 1st Christmas!

2009-12-26T06:27:00.001-08:00

Daddy reading Jackson the Christmas story. (Luke 2:1-20)

Jackson on Christmas morning with his presents from Daddy, Mommy and Santa.

Christmas morning at Sassy and P's.It was a little too much excitement for our little guy.

Jackson opening presents at Nonny and Poppy's.

3 Months Old/ Change of Plans

2009-12-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

Jackson is three months old today! Look at how much he's grown. He weighs 16 pounds and is in the 91st percentile.

We are ready for Christmas!

Mommy and Jackson going to meet Santa

Jackson and Santa

My angel is three months old! Jackson is growing so fast, I'm scared to blink. He is so animated these days and loves to "talk" and "sing". His favorite song to perform is "Away in a Manger"...we can do quite a duet. I am trying to capture this on video...no such luck so far.

In other news, after much prayer and consideration I resigned yesterday so that I could stay home with Jackson full time. Although I LOVE my job, my role as a mother is more important at this time. I will return to teaching in a few years but for now I am thrilled to say that I will be spending each day with my little boy. I am so thankful for this opportunity, a husband that is so supportive and a little boy who has turned my world upside-down in the most wonderful way ...God is so good!

November Highlights

2009-11-30T06:55:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe it's almost December, time is going by so quickly. Here are some pictures from November.

Jackson loves to play on his play mat.

Jackson went to church for the first time this month! Here's a picture of Jackson and Daniel before we left for church. Since it's flu season we heeded our pediatrician's advice to avoid large crowds for the first two months. (As you can see from the photo, he was thrilled to finally get to go to church.) He was very well behaved, we were quite impressed.

Jackson's first Thanksgiving. Daniel and I have so much to be thankful for this year!(Thanksgiving was a busy day for us and I think it wore Jackson out.)

Okay this is definitely not from this month, but it's the "before" picture for the photo below.

This is the "after" picture for our belly shot. This is my cousin Ariel and Jackson's cousin Lydia.

This was Jackson's introduction to his bumbo seat. He doesn't quite have the head control to sit in it unassisted, but he's getting close. What a big boy!

Jackson "helped" me decorate our Christmas tree. He loved watching the lights and looking at the ornaments. Here's a picture of him "dancing" to the Christmas music.

2 months old!

2009-11-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that my sweet baby boy is two months old! He has grown and changed so much. He is so much fun and as you can see from the pictures below he has the sweetest smile in the world (I may be a bit biased).

Oh, HUGE news....(drum roll please)...Jackson's cord fell off last night. Yes, that's right at almost nine weeks old we can officially have our first REAL bath. (We were beginning to think Jackson was trying to set a record.) You would think we've won the lottery, we can't wait. (Jackson and I are waiting on Daddy to get home as we speak so we can begin the festivities.)

Jackson had his two month check up today and he has grown so much! Last month he was 9 pounds 4 ounces and 22 inches long. This month he is 12 pounds 4 ounces and 23.25 inches long. He has been sleeping anywhere from seven to twelve hours a night...what a blessing!

My sweet Jackson,

I look at you and melt every time and now that you have began "talking" and smiling I could stay in my pajamas and play with you all day (and sometimes I do). You are such a blessing to us. You are like a little ball of sunshine and I couldn't imagine my life without you. God is so good and I am so grateful that he has chosen me to be your mommy...you are my greatest adventure.

All my love.

Look how much he's grown!

Jackson~ 1 month old

Jackson~ 2 months old

Have you ever seen a smile so precious!?!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T19:58:00.001-07:00

My mom working hard on Jackson's turtle costume.

The finished product...our little turtle!

That is the sweetest turtle I've ever seen. :)

My Little Pumpkin

2009-10-27T13:25:00.001-07:00

My little pumpkin is seven weeks old today! Can you believe it? I am having so much fun getting to know him and his little personality shows more and more each day. He is such a joy and I am truly thankful.

Photo Shoot

2009-10-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

Six Weeks Old

2009-10-21T08:48:00.001-07:00

Yes, Jackson STILL has his cord at six weeks old! I think we are going for a record. When it falls of and he can have a real bath we will be thrilled! (I just hope that is before kindergarten!)

Aunt Sarah came to visit and was helping Jackson sit on the couch.

I love this picture because it captures the moment that Jackson was able to focus on his zebra for the first time. His reaction was priceless!

What a big boy!

We had a six week photo shoot with All Heart Photography. I cannot wait to see the rest of the pictures! Here's a teaser.

Our Family

2009-10-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

1 Month Old!

2009-10-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, he STILL has his cord...

we CAN'T wait for it to fall off so we can he can have his first "real" bath!

I love those big blue eyes! :)

He is beginning to focus on his toys, it is so much fun to watch him see things for the first time.

Grissom the babysitter

I cannot believe our precious boy is one month old today! He is growing and changing each day. He is so strong and is able to hold his head up more and more each day. A few days ago he rolled over twice! His grunts, squeaks, smiles and laughs are the sweetest things I have ever seen or heard.

So far some things we have learned about him are...

He loves to: eat (all the time!), take baths, be held, go on walks, be outside, and be read and sang to.

He does not like to: lay on his back, get dressed, have his diaper changed, be left alone, or sleep anywhere but in his Mommy's arms (we are working on this one).

He has been extra fussy for the past week. I have cut dairy from my diet and the doctor has started him on medicine for reflux. Please pray that he feels better soon (and cross your fingers that it's not colic).

3 Weeks Old

2009-09-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

We love bath time! The robe may be a little too big...

My little dinosaur :)

This impromptu photo shoot abruptly ended after this picture.
This is apparently Jackson’s “I am pooping on the chair” face.

New shoes from Nonny.

Cool dude!

What a big boy!

Precious Boy

2009-09-27T21:14:00.001-07:00

Jackson's Hospital Picture

Priceless!

I LOVE this picture...look at those feet!

Birth

2009-09-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to sit down and journal about Jackson’s arrival for the past two weeks. Now as he sleeps beside me maybe I can get it all down. I want to record everything while the details are still fresh on my mind not only to read it to my sweet baby boy someday but also because I believe it serves as a testament of God’s faithfulness. As I mentioned in previous posts we were going to be induced once I got to “term” which is 37 weeks gestation due to my excess amniotic fluid and the risk of cord prolapse. On Monday, September 7th I was admitted at 9:30 p.m. and was given a medication to help my cervix progress. Daniel and I watched Golden Girls re-runs on TV., slept and anticipated the arrival of our baby boy. Tuesday morning they broke my water at 9:30 a.m. and started my Pitocin about an hour later. I was having contractions about a minute and a half apart and was four centimeters dilated. My nurse asked if I was ready for my epidural and I told her I thought that I would wait (the contractions were intense, but bearable and I was very nervous about the epidural). She said that if I wanted an epidural there was no reason to wait and as the next contraction hit I agreed. Daniel had to leave the room as the epidural was administered and I can’t believe I spent nine months worrying about that epidural…it was a breeze. Maybe I had a great anesthesiologist, maybe the pain of the contractions served as a distraction but I remember it hurting less than my I.V.
About ten minutes after the epidural, the pain was gone and I was feeling much better.

The nurse came in to check me and I was still at four centimeters. The nurse was having trouble monitoring Jackson’s heartbeat on my external belly monitor and came to adjust it several times. She gave me oxygen and when that didn’t seem to affect his heart rate they placed an internal monitor on his scalp. The nurse returned a few minutes later and said that his heart rate was not improving, as she was talking another nurse who was monitoring our printout in the hallway came in asking if she “needed help” and a few minutes later my doctor arrived and said she was monitoring his heart rate from her office was concerned. My doctor’s office is right across the street from the hospital, but it was at this moment that I knew it was serious. I began to cry and pray. My entire pregnancy we have prayed each night for this sweet child but especially for his heart. Daniel has a family history of heart issues and his infant brother and one of his mother’s siblings died shortly after birth of an unknown heart condition. Our doctors were aware of this and the ultrasound technician did very thorough examinations of Jackson’s heart and everything looked great, but hearing that they were concerned about his heart rate was a scenario that I had feared for the past nine months.

I was still only at four centimeters and Jackson had dropped and was pressing on my cervix which was causing my cervix to swell. My doctor said she could feel his little cone head forming and because of the swelling there would be no way to deliver him vaginally. All I could say was “get him out”. My doctor ordered an emergency cesarean section and the anesthesiologist came in and vamped up my epidural and I went completely numb from the chest down. The nurses grabbed my monitors and began rolling me down the hall to the O.R. I know they thought I was losing it as I cried and prayed aloud (with my oxygen mask on this must have sound like I was attempting to speak in tongues). Although this was a scary moment, never in my life have I felt the presence of God more and I knew that Jackson was going to be okay and I wasn’t afraid. As I was wheeled into the O.R. and the surgery began I was crying so hard the doctor asked if I was okay. All I could say is “I am about to be a mommy!” That moment was surreal.

They started the surgery very quickly and didn’t even take time to do the “pain or pressure” test. I began to get very sleepy and I heard them say my blood pressure was dropping. They gave me a shot of something and I was back and ready to meet our baby. Daniel came in and held my hand as we waited. He kept trying to peek around the curtain to see the “action” but after seeing his facial expression of disgust I told him not to look and to look at me. We talked about all of the things we were going to do with our little boy. (It wasn’t until much later that Daniel told me that he was scared because they had called an extra anesthesiologist and an extra surgeon to assist. He said that he began to realize that things were serious as each extra person entered the room. I never would have known because he did a great job of keeping on his “game face” and keeping me calm.)

The next thing I knew I heard a cry and my heart melted. At 4:02 p.m. Jackson arrived weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces, he was 20 ½ inches long. (A big boy for being 20 days early!) He was okay, praise God! The cord was wrapped around his neck and once they removed it he was fine. They held him up for us to see and he was perfect. I can’t even type without tears because the beauty of that moment will be forever etched in my mind. God is so good and we are so thankful that He was in control the entire time.

As I hold my little miracle- sleep deprived, covered in spit up, still wearing pajamas after lunch and proud of myself just because I found time to brush my teeth this morning… I couldn’t be more happy or in love.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous- and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. E very moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, Oh God!” Psalm 140: 13-17

Maternity Leave/ Letter to Jackson

2009-09-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

Although I had planned to work until my due date (or until Jackson arrived) my maternity leave began this week. Because of the outbreak of the H1N1 virus at my school my doctor advised that I begin my maternity leave early. At first I was a little disappointed because I really have a great group this year and have had a wonderful first three weeks of school but after learning about the risks I am thankful to be at home resting and preparing for Jackson’s arrival. God is so good, each day I pray for his continued blessings on our family and sweet baby boy. It amazes me how throughout my life His plans far exceed my own and the love he bestows upon me even when I am so undeserving. My doctor informed me yesterday that if I wasn’t already on leave she would be putting me on leave because of the newest developments (see yesterday’s entry). It blows my mind that next week we will be holding our son.

Sweet Jackson,
Yesterday your Daddy and I learned that you will be arriving sometime next week. Although you will be three weeks early you are already a BIG boy! I couldn’t sleep last night because I can’t get you off my mind. I pray for you so often sometimes I think God must be saying “Okay Rachel, I heard that one already…” but I know he isn’t.
I know I will miss feeling your move around in my belly; your hiccups have been quite entertaining and always make me smile. Carrying you these last nine months has been a joy and now that we are a week from you being here it is so unreal. Your nursery is immaculate, your clothes are washed, birthing and breastfeeding classes attended, books read…I guess we are as ready as we can be. Being your Mom is a job that I take very seriously and the impact of that responsibility is beginning to hit me. I hope that every day you know how much you are loved and one day when you read these letters that you know how special you are to our family. Your Daddy and I wanted you so badly, prayed for you and our Savior heard our prayers and blessed us with you. I know the moment we see you and hold you will be unforgettable. Life is unpredictable, but I know one thing the love I feel for you now as real and overwhelming as it is… will only grow.
I can’t wait to hold you,
Mommy

Update

2009-09-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

I am in complete shock. Jackson will be here NEXT week! The ultrasound today showed that he currently weighs 8 pounds 3 ounces (at 36 weeks 1 day). It also showed that I have a lot of fluid. I have been having a lot of pressure and contractions and was thrilled to find that I am almost 2 centimeters dilated and beginning to efface. Because of the risk of cord prolapse if my water breaks on its own my doctor wants to get me to term (37 weeks) and then deliver. I will be going to the hospital Monday morning, (September 7th…Labor Day…) to have a non-stress test and to check my cervical progress. Depending on the results I may be admitted for induction that day. (She said to have our bags packed just in case.) If she doesn’t feel that it’s necessary to keep us that day we will schedule an induction for later in the week but either way we will be meeting our little boy next week. I am SO excited to meet our sweet baby. I asked her about my concerns about him being early and his lung development, she said that he should be fine but the risks of cord prolapse outweigh these concerns. Please keep us in your prayers, I’ll keep you posted!

35 Weeks 4 Days

2009-08-28T15:14:00.001-07:00

35 Weeks/ School Update

2009-08-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can’t believe I am 35 weeks pregnant! (I will post new belly pictures soon.) Only five weeks to go (although I have a hunch we are looking at closer to three than five). It is SO exciting to think about meeting our sweet Jackson in such a short time. I find myself daydreaming about holding him for the first time all the time…I can’t wait! We have an ultrasound scheduled for September 1st to check his size to see if we will need to discuss induction or c-section. I can’t wait to see him again and find out how big he is! I am confident that we will be discussing induction and although, as I have previously shared, we have concerns about this I have been encouraged by many to listen to my doctor who has our best interests in mind. I will post an update after our appointment.
School is going really well, thank you for all of your prayers. God is SO good! I have a really sweet class and have an aide in my room full time which allows me to go to the bathroom when I need to (which is about every 27 minutes these days) and gives me the peace of mind that if something happens (like my water breaking) I will have another adult in the room. I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable and most days making it through the school day is a feat that I am very proud of. At the end of the day I can barely muster up the energy to grab my purse, waddle at turtle speed to my car, drive home and make it to the couch without falling asleep before I get there. (I only thought I was exhausted in my first trimester!) Even with the Braxton Hicks contractions (yes, they’ve begun…I had ten last night…ouch!), heartburn, hip pain, leg cramps, back pain, and let’s not forget feeling like what can best be described as “a barn with legs” I love being pregnant and know I will miss feeling Jackson kick and hiccup.
Please continue to keep me and Jackson in your prayers because we are concerned about the H1N1 virus (swine flu) and there have already been two unconfirmed cases at my school. They aren’t confirmed because most doctors don’t take the time to test for it if you have the symptoms and just treat it instead. Apparently the virus is especially dangerous to pregnant women and my doctor has said that if we have an outbreak at my school I will have to go out on maternity leave early. I really hope to work as long as I can and pray to stay well!

32 weeks

2009-08-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

My 27th birthday. (The "2" candle fell off the cake right as we took the picture...just to clarify...I am not seven.) Look at the beautiful cake Daniel ordered me! I had a great birthday and am so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends.
My obsession...coke icees. There is a picture just like this of my mom when she was pregnant with me, so I am sure Jackson will love coke icees too. :)

32 weeks pregnant...8 weeks to go...

I cannot believe that I am 32 weeks pregnant! It is so exciting to think that Jackson will be here in eight weeks (or less)! For the record: I do realize that "or more" is an option, but for my own sanity and comfort I choose to ignore that possibility.

I go back to school this Wednesday and students return on Monday, August 10th. Please pray for me and my students on the first day of school. My prayer is that God brings me the students that need me and that I am able to impact their lives in a positive way. Our system's current financial situation will present many challenges this year including reduced funding and increased class size. Although my pregnancy has been wonderful, as I near the home stretch I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable with aches, pains and heartburn. I pray that I am able to work until Jackson arrives (or until Friday, September 26th which will be my last day before I begin my maternity leave...which ever comes first). The beginning of the school year is always very busy, very exciting and VERY exhausting and I've never done it while eight months pregnant with as many as thirty first graders.

Sweet Jesus,

Thank you for allowing me to do a job that I love. Fill me with love, patience, and kindness as I begin this new school year. Give me energy and a positive attitude that will be contagious to my students. I know that there will me children in my class who come from very difficult situations, I pray that when they enter my classroom each day they know that they are safe and that they are loved. Help me to see these children through your eyes and not be overwhelmed by the numbers or work load...remind me of what's important. Be with me and fill me with your spirit, I will praise you for it. I am overwhelmed by your love and mercy.

Third Anniversary

2009-07-31T20:05:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2009

July 29, 2008

July 29, 2007

July 29, 2006

I cannot believe that we have been married for three years! I thank God for such a wonderful husband, I am truly blessed. We look forward to this next year together as we welcome our baby boy and begin a new chapter in our lives together.

2nd Baby Shower

2009-07-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Me and Linda at the shower.

My mom and the beautiful blanket she is making for Jackson.

My sisters

The wonderful hostesses (My Aunt Beverly, Aunt CeCe and Meme)

The beautiful cake that my friend Elizabeth made.

College friends and our "baby bumps".

Ariel- 39 weeks

Rachel-31 weeks

Elizabeth- 9 weeks

Shelley- 7 weeks

On Saturday I had my second baby shower. It was wonderful! I continue to be overwhelmed by the love, support and generosity we have received from our families and friends. Jackson's drawers and closet are filling up! :)

I cannot believe that our weekly countdown until his arrival is now in the single digits (9 weeks left) ...WOW! I know we will meet our little boy very soon. At my doctor's appointment today I was measuring three weeks ahead. I asked my doctor if this meant that the chances of him coming early were higher and she said not really. She said that she would schedule me for another ultrasound in a few weeks to recheck his size so we could discuss the possibility of induction or c-section. Daniel and I have discussed this and although our minds are not completely made up and we would never ignore medical advice from our doctor whom we completely trust, we do not think we want to do anything prior to our due date of September 28th. I have heard/read so many different things about babies measuring "big" and being induced early and having developmental issues due to their premature arrival (and not being as "big" as the ultrasound estimates). That is not a chance we want to take. I really hope for a vaginal delivery, but more than that I want Jackson to arrive in what ever way is safest for him. Daniel and I are hoping that Jackson makes his appearance before we have to make any of these decisions. Please continue to pray for our precious baby as he grows stronger each day and his arrival approaches.

Maternity Pictures

2009-07-08T18:23:00.001-07:00

Dr.'s Appointment Update

2009-07-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

My doctor's appointment was yesterday and they did an ultrasound to check my placenta, a glucose screening for gestational diabetes, and gave me my RH shot. It was a very busy appointment. We are thankful that my placenta (that was low-lying at our previous ultrasounds) has fixed itself and we can plan for a vaginal delivery. My diabetes screening and shot were fine too. I was nervous about that shot, but it wasn't bad at all.
It was wonderful to see our little guy again, this is our last scheduled ultrasound so the next time we will see him will be when he arrives... that is so exciting! The ultrasound technician said that his weight as of yesterday (at 28 weeks 1 day gestation) was 3 pounds 6 ounces...what a big boy!

Baby Shower

2009-07-05T19:53:00.001-07:00

Today we had our first baby shower. Linda (my mother-in-law) and Holley (my sister-in-law) did a wonderful job! As you can see from the pictures above it was beautiful. Daniel and I are overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and family and can't wait for our little boy to arrive to enjoy all of his gifts.

Big Boy!

2009-06-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last week at my doctor’s appointment we got some interesting news. Jackson is currently measuring in the 97th percentile. My doctor followed this information with “We’ll check you at 38 weeks and if you are ready we’ll think about induction,” 97th percentile…wow! I was expecting a big boy but not a linebacker. These estimates are based on ultrasound measurements and my uterus measurements. Technically, it is not an exact science and he could have just had a growth spurt that will even out in the next few weeks. It is a bit scary to think (forgive the mental picture) that I will be pushing out a head bigger than 97 percent of all heads.

At my next appointment I will be taking my glucose test (to check for gestational diabetes), having my RH shot, and having another ultrasound to check my placenta. (In my last ultrasound my placenta was low so we are hoping that it has fixed itself.) It should be a busy appointment…I will keep you posted. Say a prayer that all is well. (I can’t wait to see my little man again during the ultrasound!)

We also had our first childbirth class this week. It was very informative. I know that Daniel is going to be a great coach. As each couple introduced themselves the instructor asked each husband what he wanted to learn from the class. Daniel’s response cracked me up: “I just need to know how to calm her down.” He knows me too well.

Daniel and I went to a movie the other night and while the movie left much to be desired, Jackson was more than entertaining. I don’t know if it was the loud noises in the theater or the fact that I drank some of Daniel’s Dr. Pepper but I am convinced that our little boy was doing somersaults. It was so neat to see my belly jerk all over the place. I know I was a distraction to Daniel and those around me as I grabbed his hand to put in on my belly and giggled out loud (at parts that weren’t funny in the movie) but it was just amazing.

Sweet Jackson,
If you arrive on time your Daddy and I will be holding you in 92 days. (If you are healthy and ready to come a little earlier than that it’s okay with us.) Having you grow inside me has been one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced. It has given me a whole new perspective. You are my little miracle and I thank God everyday for you. I don’t know if you can hear me reading but your Daddy and I bought you a book this week called “God Gave Us You”. Here is one of my favorite parts:
“We went to the doctor and heard your heartbeat”, she said. “I cried happy tears then.” “Why?” Little Cub asked. “Because God had given us you,” Mama said. “Every night, I prayed for you my special child. I prayed that your bones would be straight and your heart would be strong. But most of all, I prayed that someday you would love God.”
This is my prayer for you my sweet little boy. You have not even arrived and you are already changing my life. I want to be a better person for you. I want to be kinder, more patient and more loving. I want to be the example that you deserve. I can’t wait to hold you.

Always know how much I love you (and that God gave us you),
Mommy

Jackson's Nursery

2009-06-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Although it's still a work in progress, we are thrilled that Jackson's nursery is starting to come together. (A special thanks to Daniel's parents "Nonny" and "Poppy" for all of their help!)

This is the outfit that Daniel wore home from the hospital, it is so special to have it hanging in Jackson's room.
25 weeks 5 days pregnant

I can't wait until these picture frames are filled!

This is the rocking chair that my mom rocked me in as a baby, I am looking forward to rocking Jackson.