It's a conspiracy!!!

Please watch this short video. I could change your life!

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/


Greg and I have decided to join the advent conspiracy this year. So many things have changed in our lives over the last year and it's only getting better. We are really becoming aware of what is going on around the world. Things that so many people would rather ignore. I'm so excited about this. I guess some people will think of us as freaks. I don't care! I'm not buying Christmas lights this year. I will use the ones I already have, but I won't be buying any more.
I recently saw an interview with a chinese Christian who was abused at a factory in China while making Christmas lights. It is wrong the way these people are being treated and some are very young children.
"No company has come under as harsh a spotlight as Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, which sourced about $9 billion in goods from China in 2006, everything from hammers and toys to high-definition televisions. And so while American and European consumers worry about exposing their children to Chinese-made toys coated in lead, Chinese workers, often as young as 16, face far more serious hazards. Here in the Pearl River Delta region near Hong Kong, for example, factory workers lose or break about 40,000 fingers on the job every year, according to a study published a few years ago by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. "At Wal-Mart, Christmas ornaments are cheap, and so are the lives of the young workers in China who make them," the National Labor Committee report said. "

I'm not saying stop buying gifts, I'm just saying instead of buying 6 gifts per person, buy 3. We have started with our kids. Each child gets 3 gifts. That is how many Jesus got, so that is how many they get. We also go through their toys a couple times a year and give away some to kids in Matamoros, Mexico. It is a way for the kids to sacrifice. It isn't easy for them, but it's good for them. Giving is not always easy for adults either, but it is good for us.

We always hear that if you give God will bless you. Today Greg and I had proof of that. While I was in Joplin the window on my van broke. It is rolled down a little bit and won't go back up. We have taped it up with duct tape. We know it needs to be fixed, but other things have priority since the tape is working fine right now (like giving). We decided to partner with http://www.kiva.org/ It is a micro loan organization that gives loans to entrepeneurs around the world so they can start providing for their families. We gave $150 in loans yesterday. 7 $25 loans to 7 different people. These are loans. We will get the money back when the businesses of these people become profitable. When the loans are paid back you can take your money or put it back into the progam for more people. This is what we will be doing. We also gave more cash to our church this morning beyond our tithe. It was a little bit of a stretch for us, but we felt we needed to do it even though we needed to fix the window. The spanish church threw Greg a surprise birthday party after church. They presented him with an card. Inside was $250 and a gas card!!! See how God blessed us? Now we have the money to fix the window and our giving didn't suffer.
All because we stepped out in faith. God has taken care of us everytime we have needed Him. When we worship God by trusting Him amazing things happen.


The slogan for the advent conspiracy, "Worship fully, spend less, give more, love all."

DEFINATELY!!

I think the church needs to get ready. Our nation is going through some hard times, and it's predicted that it's only going to get worse. The church needs to get ready. It's during hard times that people turn to God. The church needs to get ready. People are going to be searching for something to give their lives meaning. The church nees to get ready. We have that something . The church needs to get ready. God is going to use what was ment for bad to bring about good. The church needs to get ready. I can feel a revival coming on. The church needs to get ready. Awesome things are beginning to happen. Church, are you ready?

Soccer season

I know this is my 3rd post today. I guess I'm just playing catch up. Soccer season is finally here. After a rough start (mainly with Eli), we are finally getting the hang of it. This is Nate's 2nd year to play. I am amazed how much he had improved over last year. He has become quit the player. He plays defense. He is always back by the goal and whenever the ball gets near he kicks it out. He has saved his team many times! I'm so proud. His team is the Scorpions.

Eli has scored 2 goals already this season. The first one was kind of accidental, but the 2nd one he ment to go in. It was great! We had a little trouble motivating him at first. His new favorite phrases are "That is soooo stupid!" and "It's so boring!". I can't stand it when he says that. Anyway, he thought soccer was soooo stupid and soooo boring! I tried it all to motivate him. Finally I came up with something. It worked and he has been doing awesome since. I'm so proud of him. He is actually enjoying it too. IMAGINE! Eli's team is the Cougars!

Happy Halloween!!

Tonight we went to "Boo at the Zoo". It was a lot of fun. The boys love it. Well, maybe not Nate so much. He hates the scary costumes. Eli would go up to the tables and say "trick or treat" 3 or 4 times trying to get more candy. Here are our little men.

I think the highlight of the evening was seeing the storm trooper from Star Wars. Nate and Eli both are big Star Wars fans right now.

Turns of life.

Lots of things have been going on lately. Some are great and some not so much. First of all, my mother in law was diagnosed with breast cancer. It really was a shock for everyone. She has now had a masectomy and is recovering. We should know today what stage the cancer is at. My grandparents have had cancer. I guess maybe I was in denial when that happened. Maybe I thought if I didn't really acknowledge it it would just go away. I guess now that I am a little older I am realizing just how devestating cancer can be. I used to walk past all of the pink ribbons without thinking about it. Now I have a pink magnet ribbon on the back of my van, a pink bracelet that says "hope", 2 different pink pens, and an m&m bag full of pink m&ms. Pink now catches my eye. My mom told me this week that I would be better off to just send $20 to the organization than buy all of this stuff. But to me the pink makes a statement. It's a reminder to me too to pray. To pray not only for my mother in law but for all those who are fighting. For all those doctors working on a cure. One day it will happen!

A month ago my in laws came down for a visit. It was a great time for everyone. Here are a few pics.

Last week my parents were here. They did another color code conference. Greg was a little worried at first because it didn't seem like we had many registered. We were so pleased when about 60 showed up. I think it was a great time for everyone. Here are some pics from that week.

Back to School!!

Well we have officially been back to school for 2 weeks now. The first few days was extremely difficult. I am homeschooling both Nate and Eli. Nate is in 1st grade and Eli in kinder. The first day Nate cried a lot and was telling me that he thought school was stupid. I told him he needed to get his attitude right. He has to go to school, so he gets to decide if he wants to go to school at home or go to the "big school". I found a great website for homeschoolers. homeschoolspot.com It has been a lifesaver. After our first day I got on the forum and told them about my horrible first day and asked for advice. They reminded me that the great thing about homeschooling is that we don't have to sit in a desk for 3 hours at a time. Some one suggested writing everything we had to do down on individual index cards and writing fun activities too. Then we choose a card from the work pile and do it, then choose one from the fun pile. Continue doing that until all the work is done. I adapted that into something that works for us. I have a chalk board in our office. I drew a line down the middle and wrote work on one side and fun on the other. Our fun things include: bingo, reading a book, playing with legos, video games (20 minutes), computer time (really counts as school but shhhhh!) and a coloring page. This seems to be working really well. We usually break for lunch around 11am. Our day starts around 9am when Greg goes to work. In that two hours we work until the kids starting getting restless then we pick a fun thing (usually bingo first) then we work a little more, then we have lunch. After lunch Eli and Sam lay down and Nate finishs school. He usually doesn't need a break in the afternoon. He is able to work much faster without Eli around. Then its free time for the rest of the day. Really its working out great!! I love that I am able to teach my children.

Our day at the zoo!!!

Today the boys and I decided to go to the zoo. We were walking around enjoying the animals when a man from the zoo came up to us and told me that we needed to follow him immediately that there was a code red. I of course asked what that ment and he told me there was an animal loose. We followed him to the special events building. He got on his phone and asked someone to call him when the code red was over. A couple minutes later he walked us up to the front office. While we were up there I heard another worker tell someone that she was hearing two stories. She said she heard it was a ... (I didn't hear what she said) then the other worker she was talking to shhhhh!ed her and told her to come talk to her somewhere else. About 5 minutes later the all clear was given. They said the escaped animal was a Bongo Antelope. They are the 2nd biggest antelopes in the world. Here is a picture. I think it's a conspiracy though and it was a more dangerous animal. I talked later to another worker who told me the same story that it was the bongo and then told me someone got thier codes mixed up. Code Red is for a dangerous animal such as a lion or bear. A code yellow is for a non-dangerous animal like an antelope. I'm not sure I buy it. Anyway, what a story!! Nate also got stung by a bee for the first time. He screamed so loud. We went to the first aid station and we go the stinger out and I smashed the bee even though he was dying anyway. He is fine now. Here is a picture of my precious boys too.

Hurricane Dolly

Well it's been an interesting week. On Saturday I was watching the news and they starting talking about a tropical storm hitting the Yuchatan. I figured we didn't have anything to worry about. On Sunday I saw that the projected path was leading straight toward Brownsville. It was projected to make a Category 1 hurricane before it hit land. Monday I watched the weather channel religiously. Now they had it going a little bit south. Monday afternoon the path was Brownsville again. I decided to throw some clothes in a bag just in case. Greg was scheduled to leave Tuesday morning witht he praise band for a convention in San Antonio. Tuesday morning the tropical storm was picking up speed. Greg left around 7:30am. I called some friends who have lived here their whole lives and asked what I should do. They offered for me to come over there during the storm for a hurricane party, but said they understood if I wanted to leave. They said they thought we would be fine though. Around 9:30 I decided to go get plywood to board up the windows. I figured I was the only crazy on in Brownsville. NOT SO!! When I arrived at Home Depot there were tons of people. I had to wait in line for about 10 minutes to get the plywood. If my husband had been a little more concerned for his family this would have already been done. He thought there was no need for it. I am always thinking, "Better safe than sorry." (I still wasn't sure if I was staying or going.) While waiting in line to pay I asked a worker at home depot if he was from Brownsville. He said that he was and then I told him my situation. "My husband is out of town and I am going to be here by myself with the kids if I decide to stay. Am I ok to stay or should I leave?" He said, "If you were my wife I would make you go." DONE!! I went home and thanks to my wonderful friend Racheal and her awesome kids Asha and Isaiah we got the plywood up on the windows. Then I loaded the car and drove to San Antonio. Well, I think we did the right thing (no matter what Greg says). Tuesday afternoon Dolly became a Category 1 hurricane and Wednesday a Category 2. I would have been terrified had I been at home by myself. We came back to Brownsville on Friday. There was a lot of flooding about 30 miles north of Brownsville. We lost some shingles and the kids swingset looks like its a goner, but other than that we are fine. Here are a couple pictures of flooding and damage.

Life!

My three little ones are keeping me busy. Too busy to write on here obviously, but I thought I would take just a second as my groceries are calling my name to be put away. The kids are hungry, Sam needs to go down for a nap, but that all will have to wait while I do this. I know, I'm horrible. Although things have been busy they have been good. I am teaching the 3&4's Sunday school class, I am leading a women's Bible study on Wednesday nights, we have swimming lessons and fun summer activities that are going on around town, the Spanish service just got moved to 9:30 am on Sunday in the sanctuary, I have been helping out with Beth's kids since she had her 4th 4 days ago, scrapbooking, and all this on top of everyday normal things like laundry, playing with the kids, cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, etc. etc. etc. Wow! I'm tired just thinking about it.

Nate turned 6 2 days ago! I can't believe it! Time goes so fast. When Greg brought the cake home for his party I fully expected it to say, "Happy 4th Birthday Nathan!" When I say Happy 6th Birthday my first reaction was, "They got it wrong!" Then it dawned on me that I have a 6 year old!!!!!! It feels so crazy. I guess 6 is kind of the magic number from going to a little kid to just a kid. Some days I wish I could have my little mouse back! Then I look at him and the wonderful little (see I'm still thinking of him as little) boy he has become and how he knows about Jesus and loves him and how most of the time he loves his brothers and how he still comes up to me for hugs and he just wants to be held sometimes and realized how blessed I am. The way he is tells me that I'm not a complete failure as a parent (although there are definatly days I wonder why in the world the Lord thought he could trust me with 3). I'm doing something right because he is a really great kid (most of the time)!

Eli is doing well too. He broke is collar bone about a month ago. He was playing on the window sill which he was not supposed to be doing and fell off. I think he hit a toy box on the way down. I was on the computer and heard him cry and ran in there. At first I thought it was just another one of those falls. I told him he would be fine and went on about my business. A couple minutes later he came in crying telling me it hurt. He has been grouchy all day so I told him to go take a nap (even though it was already 2pm). A couple minutes later he came in again and told me it hurt so I decided to take a look. After I had him lift up his arms so I could take off his shirt I realized his right arm looked a little funny. I immediately called Greg and told him to bring me the car that I thought Eli had dislocated his shoulder or something. Greg was home within 10 minutes and Eli and I headed to the dr. After 3 hours at the dr. this is what the xray showed. We were referred to a specialist who put E in a brace. 2 1/2 weeks later we went back and the brace was taken off. The specialist wants to see him back in 4 weeks to make sure it is completely healed. I knew with 3 boys that a broken bone was inevitable, it was just a matter of when and which child. Thankfully it wasn't worse. Eli has also been doing swimming lessons. He as so scared of the water at first. He would hold onto my neck for dear life. After only 5 days he is loving the water and wants everyday to be swimming lesson day.

Sam is well... Sam. He is so precious, but man is he a handful. This morning I asked Nate where Sam was and he said in the bathroom. Immediately I thought of Sam playing in the toilet. When I went in instead of finding him splashing around in the disease infested waters of the toilet I find him sitting in the sink playing with everyones tooth brushes. Oh this child!! Not 5 minutes later I come in and he is on top of the dining room table. He is by far my most curious and daring child. At swimming lessons the other day he got away from me for a second and headed straight for the water. If I had been one second further behind he would have ended up in the pool. The kid has no fear!! As much of a handful as he is he brings so much joy to this family. As our yellow (color code not jaudice) he is always making sure everyone is happy. He gives kisses andhugs spur of the moment and is always doing silly things, whether it be dancing in the middle of the floor of falling down on purpose to make you laugh. What a blessing!!

Greg and I celebrated 8 years of marriage on June 3rd. We were able to leave the kids with Beth and go on a date. We went to see a movie and then went to Texas Roadhouse. It was so nice!

Well, I better go finish putting away the groceries so I can get to ironing. UGH!!!

Good bye 2007 HELLOOO 2008!

I feel like I've been stuck in a whirlwind the last 2 months. So much has gone on. Sam turned one on December 5th. I can't believe how fast that year went by. He is running everywhere. I can't turn my back on him for 5 seconds!

It's amazing to think that this time last year I had a 3 week old baby! Unreal how much they change in one year. I love seeing Sam's personality coming out though. In mom and dad's color code we think he is a yellow. He is always going around giving people hugs and making funny faces so people will smile. Yellows are "smile checkers". He is such a wonderful baby. Here is a picture of his latest funny face.

In my next to last post I mentioned the "little angels" that I was in charge of for the Christmas program. Here are some of the pictures from then. The boys did a great job! This is the first year Eli has done it. Technically he isn't old enough until he is 4, but since I was in charge we made an exception. He did so awesome. This is the first year Nate hasn't hidden behind the bigger kids. I guess because this year he was the bigger kid. Next year he moves up to the big kid program. He is so excited! Anyway, here are the pics.

Greg's family visited in mid-December. We has so much fun staying on the beach with them. The kids love having family around. This Christmas was one Greg and I will not soon forget. Greg was in charge of the Christmas Eve service at 6pm. All went well. After church we went by Wendy's for dinner. We all ate and the boys opened their traditional Christmas pj's and went to bed. Around 8:30 I started to feel pretty bad. My stomach was very upset which it had been off and on for the last week or so. My first thought..."here comes baby #4!" Around 10pm the toilet and I started to get aquainted and we reamained close the rest of the night. When I heard Greg also making a move on the toilet around 2am I first felt sorry for him and them was totally relieved because I realized that baby #4 was not going to be making an appearance yet! WHEW!!! Anyway, we thought we had food poisoning, but realized it was probably a bug when Nate started throwing up a couple days later. Thankfully everyone was well by New Years Eve. We had a really fun time New Years Eve with our friends here. Here is a picture of Greg and I on new years.

Tonight at our Women's Bible study we were talking about Namaan's wife's maid servant. How she used her actions to show Namaan's family God. The lady teaching the study used the words, "She lived a life of joy, peace and purpose." That one sentence got me thinking. I have these revelation moments and vow to change, but life usually catches up with me the next day and it goes out the window. This time is going to be different. Years from now when I am gone, when my kids think about me I want them to think about how much joy and peace our home had. I don't want them to think about the times I yelled at them because I had told them 15 times to clean their room. I want my kids to know their purpose in life. As Christians we have all been put here for a reason and that reason is to glorify God and let others know what we know. I believe God sets up divine appointments for us everyday, whether it is with our kids or a complete stranger. How many of those appointments have I missed because I've been too wrapped up in myself? Worried about how I might sound, or scared because the person only speaks Spanish and mine isn't that great, or I just don't want to! My friend Beth and I were also talking about how hard it is in the stage of life we are in with kids to sit down at church and have a meaningful conversation with someone because we are constantly worried about the kids. It's just a stage, but it makes you think how many people have slipped through. Anyway, I'm rambling, but I just wanted to share my BIG new years resolution. Please pray for me as I try to make giant leaps toward the woman of God that I so desperately desire to be. Blessings and Happy New Year!

Why I am thankful!

In the spirit of the season I thought I should write down why I am thankful.

I am so thankful to know a God who is loving, kind, forgiving, almighty, enduring, faithful, awesome, and the list could go on forever! Without Him all things are meaningless!

I am thankful for my husband. For gifts that God has given to him. For the happiness he brings to my life. For the way he challenges me to become a better person (even though it hurts sometimes). I am thankful that he also knows the Lord. I'm thankful that he has given me three beautiful sons!

I am thankful for my sons! Nathan, Elijah and Samuel. I am so thankful that you have come into my life. I feel so priviledged to be your mommy. Everyday you teach me new things. It's the little things in life that really matter. Drawing with chalk on the sidewalk, stopping to watch the ant, picking flowers, snuggling on the couch. Thank you so much for all you have taught me.

I am thankful for my parents. They have taught me so much in my life. They have been examples to me. How to be a good mother. How to pick a good husband. How to have a wonderful marriage. I'm thankful that they raised me in a Christian home and introduced me to Jesus. As crazy as it may sound, I am thankful for the People Code. For what it has taught me over the last year. For the way it has changed every relationship in my life. For the way it is making me a better person.

I'm thankful for my inlaws that they taught Greg about Jesus. I'm thankful for the way they love us. For the way they adore my kids.

I'm thankful for my sisters (inlaws included)! Not only are they my sisters, but they are my best friends!

I'm thankful for my home and all the wonderful things that God has given me!

I'm thankful for my friends everywhere! I don't know what I would do without you guys!


Looking back on my list, I have a lot to be thankful for. God has blessed me beyond measure! Take a moment to stop and thank God for what he has given to you!

Blessings to all and have a wonderful thanksgiving!!!!

Time flies!!

I just got on here and it says I haven't written since May 4th!!!! I guess time flies whether you are having fun or not! Ok, well, a little update.

Things are crazy here right now. We've had sickness in the house for the last 2 weeks. First Sam had a fever, then I got sick, then Nate and Eli, then Sam had an ear infection and Eli had strep throat. We went back to the dr. yesterday because after 6 days on antibiotics Eli still had a fever. Apparently he is immune to ammoxicilin since he was given it so much when he was a baby for ear infections. So the dr. gave him zithromax lastnight. He is still pretty miserable. His temp was 102.5 this morning at 5am. Hopefully by tonight he will feel better.

Nate is doing homeschool still. I haven't been very good about doing it everyday, but I think part of the first year is getting to know what works and what doesn't. He knows his letters and can sound out some words on his own. He wants to draw and write all the time. He is doing simple addition and knows who the first president was and who our president is now. He is also playing soccer and loving it. He has his last game of the season on Saturday. Here is a picture of him with some of his team mates. He has really improved since the beginning of the season. He actually scored a goal a few weeks ago. It was after the ref blew the wistle, but it went in, so we are counting it.

Eli is also learning with homeschool. He can write his name now and his pictures are actually looking like something. He is wanting to learn right a long with Nate and I find that encouraging. Eli can't wait until the next fall soccer season when he can play too. Whenever we go to the field he always tells us he is sooooo hungry. He loves to eat the snacks from the consession stand. Right now he thinks kisses are yucky! I keep trying to tell him that mommy kisses aren't yucky, but I have yet to convince him.

Sam is growing and learning more everyday. He is starting to take steps on his own. He hates being away from his brothers. He wants to be right in the middle of all the action. I can't believe he will be one year old in a month. CRAZY!!! He is such a happy baby. It's nice because I know that if he cries something is wrong. He doesn't just cry to cry. He weighs 18lbs. 8 oz. and is 31 inches long. I guess that means he is kind of small weight wise, but you definately can't tell. He is such a joy as are all of my kids.

Things with the church have been good. We are getting ready to go calling tomorrow (if everyone is well) and hand out cookies to the people in the church. We want them to know that just like cookies have different ingredients to make them taste good, our church has to have different people to make it function right. We want them to know that our church wouldn't be the same without them.

With the holidays coming up things are getting crazy for Greg. He has so many different things to do this time of year. We just got finished with the fall festival on Sunday. The turnout was great. I heard over 400 people came! Here are the kids in their costumes. They looked so cute and loved dressing up. Nate wanted to wear his spiderman all the time!!! Greg is already starting to focus on the Christmas eve service. I am in charge of the "little angels" this year. Its 4 and 5 year olds and Eli dressed up as angels. We will sing a couple of songs before the older kids come out to do the Christmas program.

I am kind of sad this year we won't have any family here for Thanksgiving, but I am also looking forward to getting together with our friends the Ridgeways and the Deysels. Neither of these families has family nearby. All of the Ridgeways family is either in Florida or Indiana and the Deysels family is all in South Africa. We really get along well together and it is nice that we have each other to hang out with. Greg's family is coming around the 16th of December for a week. That will be nice to see them. And my mom is coming next week!!!! YAY!!! I wish my dad could come too though, but it will be nice to see my mom.

My photography business is somewhat taking off. I have done a couple shoots for friends. Hopefully soon I will feel confident enough to venture out and take pictures for actual clients and not just friends who are nice enough to humor me.

I guess that's about it. Hopefully it won't be 5 months before I write again. Blessings!!!!

Emily

LIFE IS GOOD!!

Life is good! A little crazy, but good. Life with 3 boys is awesome. Nate and Eli have adjusted very well to Sam. They love him so much! Sam is growing like crazy. He was 15lbs. 14 oz. at his last dr. appt. I had to take him in for pinkeye. His eye was completely swollen shut. Not a pretty sight. Thankfully he has recovered. He will be five months old tomorrow. It's amazing how quickly time passes! He is rolling over now. He loves to look at himself in the mirror. His newest thing is grabbing faces and pulling you toward him. I like to think that these are kisses. Sweet kisses!

Eli is doing great too! Growing everyday. He has turned 3 since I last wrote. He's gone from a baby to a little boy. He has slimmed down and is talking so well. He is very strong willed and we often butt heads. He likes to have the sippy cup he wants, if I give him the yellow plate he will cry until I give him the green plate (or whatever color he wants at the moment) or until I put my foot down. Sometimes the battle isn't worth it. As strongwilled as he is he is also so loving. I can't even count the number of times during the day he will come up to me and give hugs and kisses. Actually he is doing it as I type. So sweet!

Nate is getting ready to turn 5 next month. When did that happen?! He has learned all the letters in the alphabet and can recognize all of the capital letters. We are still working on the lower case. We will be driving around and he will ask, "Mom, what does VOGUE spell?" I was really impressed with that one! He is also learning what sounds the letters make. He is even reading Dick and Jane. What a smart kid!!

Greg and I are doing well too. We will be married 7 years next month! We've been together for 13 years in October! That's a long time. I guess that officially means I have been with him 1/2 of my life! That's crazy!!!!

I have decided to homeschool Nathan. I'm just taking it one year at a time. I'll will homeschool kindergarten and if it turns out to be too hard for me or if he doesn't like it, he will go to public school for first grade. If things go well, we will continue. I have many reasons for doing this and the more I pray about it and think about it the more convinced I become that it is the right thing for my family. I am really excited about taking this on.

Well, anyway, I have to get out the door for MOPS. I just wanted to give a quick update. I will try to write more often.

LIfe with 3 boys!

Well, Samuel is now 2 1/2 months old. I was really nervous about adjusting to life with 3 kids. I had heard both sides of the spectrum, that going from 2 to 3 was horrible and that it wasn't that bad. Thankfully I think I am one of the lucky ones. It has been a very smooth transition for me. It helps that Sam is just a wonderful baby. He only cries if he is tired. Then it's not really a cry, just griping. I have done a lot of reading this time around and I think that has made my life a lot easier. I've learned what signs to watch for from Sam. He has hungry signs, tired signs, I want to stretch signs, cuddle me signs. I know all babies do, but I don't feel like I was as in tune to the other boys signs as I am to Sam's. Nursing has been so much easier this time around. He has yet to have any formula and I'm going to try to keep it that way. He sleeps great at night. As a matter of fact, lastnight he slept from 10pm to 7am. Didn't wake up at all during the night. Usually he will go to bed around 10pm and sleep to 4 or 5 am, eat and then go back to sleep. Today he got up at 7 am, ate and went back down. He is just starting to stir again and it's 10:45am!!! What a good boy! Sam weighed in at 13lbs. 5oz. at his 2 month check up. Big boy!

Nate and Eli are adjusting well too. They love their little brother so much. They have been very gentle with him. They love to give him hugs and kisses. Nate likes to hold him, but only for about 2 seconds at a time. They are all three such good kids. Here is the latest picture of them.

Welcome to the world Samuel Malachi!

I'm not super proud of this birth story, but it is something I want Samuel to know about when he gets older. I am proud that I did it the way I did it, just not too proud of how I handled it. I'm so glad I experienced labor without medication, but in no way will I ever do it again. Labor without medication that it. I do plan on going through labor at least one more time.

Samuel Malachi
December 5th 1:48 pm
7 lbs. 5.9 oz. 20 inches


I went in for my induction at 7am. We sat in the waiting room until around 8am waiting for our room. I was taken in and asked a million questions. My dr. came in around 8:20 to break my water but the nurse hadn't started my IV yet so they had to wait. At 9:15 while I was waiting for my dr. to come back in they started my on pitocin. By 10:00 I was having regular contractions. My dr. came in around 10:30 and asked if I wanted to get the epidural before or after my water was broken. I told her I just wanted to make sure I got it while I still had time. My sister waited to late and had to deliver without medication. She said she would go ahead and call the anestheiologist and order my epidural before breaking my water. The epidural was really painful this time. Greg almost passed out on my twice. He literally had to leave the room. He was white as a ghost. I felt bad for him, but also thought it was pretty funny. When he got done with the epidural I had a feeling it wasn't right, but things were going numb, so I decided it was probably fine. The dr. came in and broke my water around 11:30. I was 3 cm dilated. I continued to feel pain in my back and pressure in my belly, so the anestheiologist was called back in. He said the baby was probably laying on my siatic nerve and the pain would go away as soon as he was past it. A few minutes later I told the nurse I felt like I had to push so she checked me and I was 4 cm. They turned me on my side to see if they could get the epidural to take effect everywhere. The pain only got worse with that. By this time I am really breathing hard through the contractions (with an epidural). Greg said he had never seen me like that. Again they called the anestheiologist back. My dr. came in at this time too. The anestheiologist told her that the pain was just my siactic. Greg asked the dr. if I could have IV drugs since the epidural wasn't working. I guess they gave me some, but not sure what they gave me. By this point I am starting to scream that I had to push. I felt so much pressure. The contractions were so painful. My dr. kept telling the anestheiologist that the pain I was having was not my siactic! They turned the pitocin off and I am yelling through every contraction. The dr. checks me and I am 6cm. I keep telling her I have to push. She said push it will help the rest of your cervix go away. The anestheiologist and the nurses are telling me to breathe through it and the dr. is telling them to shut up and for me to push. I felt the baby drop further down and started yelling that I didn't want to feel that again. The dr. said I know, but you have too. I don't know what time it was when the dr. checked me again, but she said, we need to get things ready or she is going to have this baby on the bed. About 7 nurses started running around my room getting things set up. It was a little scary, but I was in too much pain to care. Greg kept telling me of my progress. "Ok, his head is half way out, keep going". Ok, here comes the rest of it, ok, his head is out. " I was freaking out at this point, Begging God to help me and cussing like I've never cussed before at the same time. It felt like an out of body experience. My body was doing on thing while my mind was thinking another. It's almost like it couldn't control it. Finally the dr. said "Emily, look at me. One more push and he is out" So I gave it everything I had and out came Samuel Malachi at 1:48 pm. From first contraction to delivery it was 4 1/2 hours. Pretty darn fast. The medicine they gave me didn't take away any of the pain. I felt it all! I guess whatever they gave me through the IV did have and effect on me though because as soon as he was out I felt like I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was literally falling asleep on the bed. That only lasted until they put my beautiful boy in my arms. AMAZING! Thank God for a healthy baby!!

It's almost over.

Well, I've been off bedrest for over 3 weeks now and still no baby! Who would have ever thought that I would still be pregnant at the end of November?!! I never ever entertained the thought that I wouldn't have a baby in my arms for Thanksgiving. I guess that is something to be thankful for though because now I know he will be very healthy and he will come home from the hospital with me.

This has been a pretty difficult pregnancy for me. I don't know if it's because I have two little ones at home already or for some other reason. The bedrest was difficult, but it seems to have gotten harder since coming off the bedrest. I think having the doctor tell me so many times that she didn't expect me to make it to my next appt. has something to do with it too. She kept telling me that I would deliver Samuel before I delivered either of the boys. Well, she was wrong on that one. I've never gotten this far in a pregnancy before. I'll be 38 weeks tomorrow! UNREAL!! I'm so tired of not getting a good nights sleep. I know that won't change when the baby comes, but at least the sleep I will get will be comfortable sleep. Right now it's a battle to find a comfortable position to sleep in. I'm tired of being out of breath all the time, of having to squat so I can reach what is on the floor (sometimes it's still a struggle). I don't remember having all of these difficulties with Nate and Eli. Odd since I feel like I am smaller with this baby than with the boys.

As difficult as this pregnancy has been I feel extremely blessed that Samuel is coming to join our family. He is already teaching me so many things. Like patience!! Well, the wait is almost over. I went to the dr. on Monday and asked her is she would be so kind and to encourage this kid to come out. She has scheduled me for an induction on Tuesday, December 5th. So if Samuel decides to stay in until then his birthday will be December 5th. I'm so excited!! I can't wait to hold my precious baby boy! I can't wait to see if he looks like Nate or Eli or if he looks completely different. How big will he be? Will he have hair or be bald?
I'm also a little nervous about the delivery. Ok, I'm a lot nervous! I was laying in bed the other day thinking about the pain and then thinking about getting the epidural to get rid of the pain. OUCH!!! Thanks a lot EVE!! I told Greg the other day that child birth is the worst pain that we inflict on ourselves. There is nothing natural that is more painful, yet we keep going back for more. I'm not sure if that makes us stupid, ignorant, dumb, or the most loving creatures ever. Probably all of the above. Anyway, as the time for Samuel to enter the world draws near there are a few things I would like to say to him.

Samuel, even though we have not met face to face yet I want you to know that you have already brought me more joy that you know. With each little movement I am reminded what a miracle you are and how amazing our God is!! Even with all of the difficulties this pregnancy has held I wouldn't change a thing. Because of all of the uncertainty you are even that much more of a miracle. God has answered my prayers by allowing you to grow strong and healthy while remaining inside of me. When you come out to join our family and as you grow, please remember how much your mommy and daddy and big brothers love you, but most of all remember how much your heavenly Father loves you. He brought you into this world for a reason. It may take a long time to figure out what that reason is, but you have a purpose. I love you sweet boy and I can't wait to hold you in my arms and kiss your sweet little face! God Bless you little one!

NO MORE BEDREST!

Well, it's been a week since I've been off bedrest. Everyone thought I would have this baby a couple of days after I got up and around, but so far nothing. Nothing significant anyway. I've had a couple of nights this week that I thought for sure we were having a baby, but then teh contractions just quit. I did a little bit of research on something called prodromal labor and it seems to be what I have.

Often in the past prodromal labor has been given the misnomer "false labor", yet every woman experiencing it has said in frustration "There's nothing false about what I'm feeling!" The misunderstanding has arisen because prodromal labor can feel very much like active labor, yet is not consistently progressive; it does not lead without a break to the birth of the baby. It does, though, serve an important function in the birth process. Prodromal labor does the preliminary work of preparing the uterus, baby and cervix for birth. All of this work has to be done before the baby can be born. Some women's bodies do it all without her being aware of it. However, some women's bodies draw a great deal of attention to the work being done. Too much sometimes.

"This is driving me crazy," one pregnant mother sighed. "I've been having contractions off and on now for three days. Just when I think it's time to call my midwife, they completely stop again!"

Length:

Prodromal labor contractions may begin hours or even days before active labor.
Contractions:

The contractions may feel like Braxton Hicks contractions or they may be quite a bit stronger.


They are irregular in length, frequency and intensity. The key word here is irregular. In general though, they are not longer than a minute and not more frequent than 7 to 10 minutes apart. They shouldn't be so intense that they take your breath away.


They may or may not be affected by your activity. The wisest course is to vary your activity level, alternating periods of mild activity with rest.

Physical Effects:

The cervix is moving from a posterior (back) position to an anterior (forward) position.


The cervix is softening.


The cervix is beginning its effacement or thinning. It may thin anywhere from 0% to 50% during this stage.


You may lose your mucous plug from the cervix.


Your cervix may begin to dilate, opening anywhere from 1 to 4 centimeters.
Emotional Effects:

You may be quite excited when you first feel these contractions, especially if they are stronger than any you've had until now.


As time goes on and the contractions continue without any apparent progress you may feel let down and eventually become quite tired and discouraged.


This described exactly how I've been feeling. Once the contractions were so strong I was in tears. I'm encouraging this kiddo to make is appearance by being really active. Lots of cleaning and walking. And other things I won't mention. I even made "labor brownies" today. The ingredients are the same as in regular brownies, so I'm not putting much hope in these. Although I am convinced that eating BBQ pork ribs sent me into labor with Eli. Maybe I'll try that again. I still have 4 weeks to go in the pregnancy, so I still have some time, I'm just getting impatient because I expected him to be here already. I am 35 weeks 3 days today. Nate was born at 35 weeks 3 days and Eli at 36 weeks 6 days, so I'm pretty sure we will have a baby within the next 2 weeks. He could surprise me though.

I'm just so happy to finally be able to get off the couch and clean my kitchen and do the laundry and spank the kids! Who thought I'd ever say that?!! I think the kdis are probably happy to have their mom back too. Greg did an awesome job playing Mr. Mom, but I know he was getting sick of it. He is probably the happiest of us all!!! Thanks honey!






I think tomorrow I am going to make a trip out to the shed and get out our Christmas decorations. The kids and I will put up everything but the tree and the outside lights. Greg gets the honor of putting up the lights (his least favorite job ever!). I'm kind of thinking it would be fun to wait until Sam is born to put up the tree. Unless he decides to wait until after Thanksgiving. If he isn't here by then we are putting it up without him. Sorry buddy. I'm so anxious for Christmas. I also need to see if I can find my non-maternity clothes. I looked the other day, but didn't see them. I think I missed about 3 boxes though, so hopefully they are in there. If not I guess I'll just have to go buy some new ones. Not too many though. Greg and I are planning on going on a diet after Sam comes. Val wrote out for us what she had done and we are going to follow that. Val has lost a lot of weight and she looks awesome! WAY TO GO VAL!!! Ok, I think that is it for now. See ya!

Bedrest Update

Well, I went to the dr. this morning. She is keeping me on bedrest for the next 5 1/2 weeks. She will take me off at 34 weeks (around Nov. 2nd) She expects the baby to come not long after that. Hopefully the next few weeks will fly by and before I know it I will be holding a happy and healthy baby Samuel in my arms.

Bedrest!

Well, it's happened again. Sunday I went to the hospital in Harlingen for a Sibling Education class with Nathan. He was going to learn how to change a diaper and help out with his new baby brother. I got there and found out the class hadn't been scheduled. So Nate and I headed out to get icecream. I had been having a lot of contractions that day and decided to call my dr. while I was in Harlingen so just in case she wanted to me to go to the hospital I wouldn't have to drive all the way from Brownsville again. Well, she did tell me to go in. They hooked me up to the monitors (watches for contractions and keeps baby heartbeat). I was showing what the oncall dr. called irritability, but no contractions. She called my dr. and she wanted to admit me. Miss Nikki (the children's minister at Central) came and picked Nate up and I was transfered to the postpartum unit to be monitored. I was told that I would have steroid shots to help mature Sam's lungs faster and I would be monitored every 8 hours for 30 minutes to check on the contractions. The first night I got about 3 hours sleep with the nurses coming in to take my blood pressure and temp. And the contractions were keeping me awake, but none of them were showing up when they would put the monitors on. WIERD and ANNOYING!! Finally I got a nurse who told me that they trust what moms say over the monitors, especially if it is not their first baby. In other words, I know when I'm having a contration. Been there done that! On Tuesday I finished the steroid shots and talked to the dr. around 6:00pm. She told me that I hadn't been kept because of preterm labor, but because while I was at the hospital she wanted to go ahead and give me the steroid shots because of my history with preterm labor. I was really thankful for this and was going to ask her about it at my next appt. Anyway, I have been put on complete bedrest. All I can do it take a shower and go to the bathroom!! Really fun when you have a 4 and 2 year old at home! Greg has been awesome through all of this. He is doing the dishes and laundry and taking care of the kids. My MOPS group and a few ladies from the church have been providing meals for us. I have really been blessed by the caring and concern that people have shown us. I go to the dr. tomorrow for a reevaluation. She is going to ask about my contractions and probably make sure I haven't started to dialate. If she thinks I'm ok, then she may take me off bedrest. Truthfully I doubt that will happen though because I'm going to have to tell her that I can definately tell a difference in the contractions when I am laying down and when I get up to take a shower (or fold the occasional load of laundry. SHHHHH!). Yesterday I had to go to the store with Greg to get my WIC voucher food. I am the only one who can sign for it and I needed milk. I felt horrible for the rest of the night. We were only at the store maybe 20 minutes too. Anyway, just wanted to give you all an update. I'll update again after tomorrow appt.

Lifetime of Lasts

When I found out I was pregnant with Nate, my mom began telling me to enjoy every moment because life goes by so fast. She has reminded me of this throughout the last four years. Other too have told me how fast your children grow up. "You'll blink and they will be graduating high school." Because I have heard this so much I have really tried to treasure the moments with my boys. I told a friend the other day that I didn't want to send Nate to school yet because I knew that was the beginning of the lightning years. Once school starts it seems like life is going to go by ten times faster. I know there is nothing that I can do about it, so I have decided to enjoy my sons. Squeeze them a little tighter and hold them a little longer during hugs. Let them splash a little longer in the tub, even if it is a huge mess to clean up later. When they want my attention to turn off the TV, or let the dishes sit in the sink, or let the laundry pile up a little and listen to what their sweet voices have to say. My mom in all her wisdom has taught me to cherish my children. I can never thank her enough for that lesson. Thank you momma!

That being said, I have been reading a series of books by Karen Kingsbury with Gary Smalley. It is called the Redemption Series and I definately recommend it for anyone wanting a good read. In the fourth book of this series a mother writes a poem to her only son on the night before his wedding. As I read this poem I cried. Not just a tear here and there. I was sobbing. I read the poem to Greg and he couldn't understand half of it because I was crying so hard. I think every mom has regrets when the kids are all moved out of the house, but I am determined to have a minimal amount of them. We'll see how that works out in 20 years or so. Anyway, here is the poem. Don't let it make you sad, just let it make you appreciate your children more. Blessings to all!!

Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts
First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave me to your past,
And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts.

The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips…
Last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip…
Last time when you had a binky stuck inside your mouth…
The last time that you crawled across the floor of this old house.

Last time when you ran to me still small enough to hold,
Last time when you said you’d marry me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from the past,
Would I have held you longer if I’d known they were the last?”

Your last few hours of kindergarten, last days of first grade…
Last at bat in Little League, last colored paper made.
Last time that I tucked you in for one last midday nap…
Last time when you wore your beat-up Green Bay Packers cap.

Last time that you caught a frog in that old backyard pond…
Last time when you can barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn.
Silly scattered images to represent your past.
Would I have taken pictures if I’d known they were the last?

The last dark night you slipped in bed and slept between us two,
When last I read to you of God or Horton Hears a Who!
Last time that I smelled your hair and prayed after your shower…
Last time that we held devotions in the evening hours.

The last time you were M.J. in our games of give-and-go…
Last time that you made an angel in the melting snow.
I never even said good-bye to yesterdays long passed.
Would I have marked the moments if I’d known they were the last?

Last Piano lesson, and last soccer goal you kicked…
The last few weeks of middle school, last flowers that you picked.
Last time that you needed me for rides from here to there…
Last time that you spent the night with that old tattered bear.

Last time that I helped you with a math or spelling test,
Last time when I shouted that your room was still a mess.
Time and life moved quicker, taking pieces of your past.
Would I have stretched the moments if I’d known they were the last?

The last time that you needed help with details of a dance…
Last time that you asked me for advice about romance.
Last time that you talked to me about your hopes and dreams.
Last time that you wore a jersey for your high school team.

I watched you grow and never noticed seasons as they passed.
I wish I could’ve frozen time to hold on to your lasts.
For come tomorrow morning life will never be the same.
You’ll pledge forever to your girl, and she will take your name.

And I will watch you knowing God had blessed you with this day
I never would have wanted, son, to somehow make you stay.
They say a son’s a son until he takes for him a wife.
You’re grown-up now; it’s time to go and start your brand-new life.

One last hug, one last good-bye, one quick and hurried kiss…
One last time to understand just how much you’ll be missed.
I’ll watch you leave and think how quickly childhood sped past.
Would I have held on longer if I’d know it was your last?