Mom's Favorite

This blog entry is designed especially for my sister Savannah. We all know who's the favorite! Just accept it.

Okay, seriously. Jason, my husband, posted this today and I laughed for like 12 minutes straight.

Phew....

Well, it's Wedneday and we are all finally better. I got really sick with the stomach bug Sunday night and ended up sleeping all of Monday and most of Tuesday afternoon. Ugh. Thankfully, it's over now and I think my whole family is well again. Another blessing was that we actually sold that van! Yeah, even after someone destroyed it! Ha. We didn't get as much as we wanted, but it was still a blessing.

I'm ready to have this baby. Oh and by the way, I think we are going with Reagan Elizabeth. It's starting to feel right. Even though you all voted on it being the one you liked the most...I would have still gone with Avery if I thought it was right. Ha ha. :)

Need to get back to work. I'm ready to get back into the swing of things.

I'm not wearing frosty lipstick, but...

About 4 months ago my wonderful friend Terra talked me into going to the Beth Moore conference. Our church plugged it for a couple of weekends in our video news and I have to say I wasn't sure how to take the phrase "We're going to put frosty lipstick on the face of bible studies." Imagine that, plus a really southern accent. Ha. None-the-less, I went and I am thrilled to say that I LOVED it!

After the past 2 weeks, this was something I definitely needed. It was refreshing, relaxing and inspiring. Not only did I hear the word of God, I worshipped!! There is something so wonderful to me about worshipping with a group of believers. I am amazed at how the hand of God moves upon his people when they are worshipping together. Wow. Selfishly, I loved that I attended a worship service that I did not have some kind of responsibility for. Don't get me wrong...those times are wonderful too, but it's always nice to sit back and receive. I was truly blessed.

I got to room with some very dear friends in my life. 2 of whom are seniors in high school and 1 who is one of my very best friends ever. I love their love for life and their passion for worship. Plus, I haven't laughed so hard in a LONG time. I forgot what it was like to just be a girl. Silly, I know, but honestly, it's an easy place to get. Jason stayed home and took care of Jack-Jack. (He is doing much better. It's the medicine making him throw up, but it's now under control.)

Thank you God for bringing me to my knees this week and for blessing me with a weekend to refresh. How often I forget to get on my knees....and how hard it is to humbly do so. BUT, You are good.

35 weeks

So, on Sunday I'll be 35 weeks pregnant. I forgot to post about this and it happens to be the highlight of my week.....obviously. Ha.

I went to the Dr. this week for my regular check up and am happy to announce that I only gained 2 lbs. So, that puts me at a 1 lb per week. Whoo hoo! I've gained about 20 lbs altogether. I'm also measuring a week ahead of schedule. Don't know exactly what that means, but it made me have hope that I could come early. Whoo hoo! According to my dates, I think it will be the 21st, but we've been saying the 28th. Who knows? Jackson was 8 days late!

Other than that, I am feeling great. I am so excited that we are getting so close! I am truly amazed at how different this pregnancy has been for me. Wow, I'm going to have a baby! Ha.

Well, I am off to a Beth Moore conference for the weekend. Jason is taking care of Jackson. I am free!

Enough is Enough

Jackson had a 103 fever yesterday at 2:30. Went to the doctor. He has a bad ear infection.

Jackson threw up again at 2:00 am this morning.

I'm tired. I want my son to be better.

Faith vs. Fear

Here is how the past 2 weeks have gone for Jason and I.

Monday - Wednesday: Had to pay doctor bills that weren't covered for some reason. Went into savings for that and a gym cancellation that they ended up billing us for.

Thursday - Friday: Spent 2 days at a doctors office, gave breathing treatments around the clock, lived on little sleep.

Monday: Someone hit our van that we were trying to sell and didn't leave any information. We spent our whole day off trying to deal with that. :(

Tuesday: Jackson woke up vomitting and has a stomach virus. Poor thing has now been sick with some kind of "something" since last Wednesday!

I would expect myself to be completely defeated...and this morning I was, but the Lord keeps bringing me to my knees and reminding me about faith through His word.

Mark 5 "Why are you afraid? Don't you trust me?"

"I might weep, but still my faith rests in you." All I Have (song)

Update from yesterday

So, after spending every 4 hours yesterday giving breathing treatments we are exhausted. It was totally worth it though...even at 2:30 am this morning. He's doing much better. We did find out today that Jackson has asthma. :( So, we will do a month long of breathing treatments and he is on Singular for awhile too. I was bummed to find that out, but as long as we get things under control we are good to go.

Thanks for all your prayers. It really helped and after the horrible week Jason and I had we needed it!!

Thanks again!

Ugh

Yesterday Jackson started getting a runny nose. No big deal. Then, at 3:30 this morning he woke up wheezing and coughing with a fever. I got him into the doctor ASAP. Something told me he wasn't doing good. He ended up having 2 breathing treatments in the doctors office, was put on steroids and if he isn't better by tomorrow they talked about admitting him to the hospital!

It really freaked me out. I can't stand the thought of putting him in a hospital. He freaked out enough when they put the mask on his face. A nurse had to hold him down while I held his head back. Of course, I'm sitting there crying right with him. If you didn't already know, Jackson has a concave chest. I don't know the medical term for it, but he was born with it. So anytime he has something like this it's only harder for him to breathe because his airways are already somewhat restricted. Anyway, we'll find out tomorrow how he is doing and I'll let you know.

In the meantime, please pray for him.

Is he really back?

Jason blogged. :)

He wants you to know.

And he did it twice.

B-Ball

Forgot to post these earlier! Jackson has a love for baseball just like his daddy! Too bad he's not showing signs of being left handed!

Vision

I went to a leadership conference last week with some of our church staff. It ended up being amazing and I was filled with vision. I've been 4 years now, but this one seemed to speak out to me the most.

This quote seemed to do it all for me.

"If what we are doing is not hard and scary, we might check to

make sure we are truly following God."

That could look like anything in our lives. If I am doing something that I am not having to rely fully on God for....that I am not constantly on my knees for.....most of the time I am too safe and relying only on myself. That might feel good for awhile, but honeslty the passion & vision go away and life gets boring.

I'm challenged. I am scared. I don't know what is ahead, but I'm excited to know that whatever might happen is because I was living on the edge in everything I do. Only God can make it happen then.

32 weeks

I'm 32 weeks pregnant this week. "sigh" Feels like forever to me. I don't think people start to really think about it as "oh my gosh, it's going to get here any day now" until you are at least 36 weeks along. So, I'm waiting for that day to come.

I seriously have nothing done for this baby. Well, I have the crib up and the playpen, but that's about it. I have no clothes yet really, nothing washed, no hospital bag prepared...etc. I think by this time with Jackson I had his college education already figured out. :) Oh well, it will get done. I haven't even registered yet. I really need to go do that.

I'm feeling great. I am hating the heat right now. What was I even thinking???? Other than that, life is good. I do have 2 names picked out now...just in case.

Avery Grace
Reagan Elizabeth

Hmm....We will see!

Early mornings

This morning, like every Saturday morning, I woke up way too early at the 7th hour. I can't for the life of me understand why? It's like when I was in elementary school and would fight my mom to get out of bed, but then come Saturday morning and I was up for those cartoons. You know what I'm saying, don't you?

So, anyhow, I woke up early and had some free time to myself. It's kind of nice actually to have quiet. I have felt my mind blurring in a cloud of thoughts lately. I'm naturally a pretty extroverted person and it's hard for me to turn things off when I need to. Where Jason would spend every day inside with a book (alone), I would be at a book club discussing a book that I read with 10 other people. My personality has its advantages, but I'm seeing the toll it takes on my.....well, my husband for one, but also my ability to get alone.....settle down...pray.....set goals....whatever.

In discussing this with Jason I decided I would let him help me. (Step one: Releasing my control. :) ) Of course, what do you think he suggested me doing? YES!!! Read a book! And I don't mean just any book. My Harry Potter fascination had to be put on hold for now. No, no, no....I'm reading "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families". I've officially crossed over. In trade, I made him read (I mean... suggested) "The Five Love Languages". Ha ha ha. Ha. Ha.

Ha. Ha

All kidding aside, this is the best thing that I could be doing right now. The fact that it hurts so much to put my precious fiction aside and slow down is how I know it's right. I know that God wants me to be continually seeking after Him every day. Not that I don't strive to do that, but it gets hard for me when I don't deliberately seek that time out.

Don't worry Harry Potter. I will be back. I'll just do it with God first.