Long Time No Blog

Well, we have had a sick little boy for some time now. Just as the fall season started, my little guy got the stomach bug for the 5th time this year and in the picture you can see Daddy with a cool washcloth on his forehead. Isn't that adorable? He was so pitiful. He actually got over that and then picked up a cold, the 2nd one this fall, which has lasted now 3 weeks. Thankfully, he is sleeping and has been over the last 4-5 days but he still has a deep cough in his chest. Doc says nothing to worry about so far, so I am just praying that he stay healthly for a little while. We have really missed spending time with our friends as many of them have new babies or children who would more than likely make new homes for my son's infectious cooties. Therefore, we have only recently slid back into the social arena. For those of you who prayed for us as a result of my previous post, I am very thankful. Chris and I have recently discovered that we are indeed pregnant again and hope to update you more on our new little pinto bean.

No Heartbeat

Well, we had a dr. appointment today to check up on our new bun, but to our disappointment, the ultrasound showed no heartbeat and so our bun is considered to be not alive (for some reason it is easier to negate the "living" word than to refer to our little one as .... well the other word.) Anyhow, for those of you who had been praying for our new one, we appreciate it and hope to look to brighter tomorrows. We are doing ok, though no doubt disappointed and sad. I had actually gotten pretty close to my second trimester so it is better to have happened now than later. I am trying to think of the things that I can do now, that I couldn't do before, like ride a roller coaster, travel during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and maybe even highlight my hair. And sushi. I think I should eat some sushi. Again, thank you for your prayers and certainly any continued prayers would be great.

What Would You Do?

A male friend of mine was in a situation in which he went to another male friend to ask for medical advice as his friend was in the medical field. The advice called for an examination of the male private area. My friend felt that his medical friend performed the examination in an inapropriate way and also made what seemed to be inapropriate comments along with the examination. Now my friend has made it clear that it was not well received and has severed ties with this medical professional. However, this medical professional also held a paid position in a church. And this church is now under fire as there are claims of molestation being reported (by a teenage male to at least two male children). My friend actually reported the incident to two leaders in the church and as far as we can tell, nothing happened. Having prayed about it, do you believe there are obvious actions that one should take in these circumstances? What would you do?

Where have you been?

This is where I have been in the United States. I don't know if I have been more places or not.

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

Now this one is really embarassing. I am just not very cultured. This shows all of the countries that I have visited.



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or check our Venice travel guide

Clifford and His Monkey

Yes, this must be before Clifford was loved so much that it made him grow so big. But do know this: my boy loves Clifford very much. See him as he looks to see if Clifford is coming along with him? Very funny!

Another Bun?

Well, for those of you who don't know yet, we have discovered that we have a bun in the oven. Yes, my monkey is going to be a brother. My first appointment is next week and I will get to find out how many buns there are (I think) and the starting point for my tremendous weight gain. :) This picture shows a fetus at 7 weeks which is about how far along I am, I think. The little guy already has elbows and hands with little forming fingers. I would tell you more, but personally, I think some of the information was a bit gross. I will spare you the minutia. Either way, I am praying for a healthy happy baby and a fullterm pregnancy. All additional prayers are readily accepted. Life right now is very sleepy and somewhat nauseating. :) That is supposed to be good, however, so I won't ask for the contrary, at least not until trimester 2. Anyhow, if I don't sleep too much, I will try to keep you updated.

National Champions Baby

So, I am thinking that Indianapolis would have been a good place to be last night. The first Florida team to ever win the Final Four is my very own alma mater. Yeah, one of my favorite jobs was to sweep the floors of the O'Connell Center after our basketball games. Doesn't sound like fun? Well, did you know that I also opened the door for a very drunk Rod Stewart? And one of the Oakridge Boys threw me one of his guitar pics? And I got to get up real close and look at Sting's muscles (that one was my favorite). I never met any of our basketball players at the time, but they didn't win me a national championship, did they? My football players did, though. Such happiness that I could have these both happen in my lifetime. All congratulatory remarks are accepted and appreciated. (especially from the husband) :)

Working Women?

I remember being told that I needed to go to college so that I could get a good job. A good job. What exactly is that? In my mind then, I thought, "well, I don't want to have to work at a fast-food restaurant or clean toilets," but I never realized that I would go to college and then work fulltime as a mother. As a mother and wife, I do many seemingly mundane things like cook and clean and yes, that includes toilets. So, did I miss out on my dream job? My general physician believes that my father is rolling over in his grave for all of the money he put out for me to get a degree in engineering and have me waste it by seeking a graduate level degree in theology and simply stay at home and work as a mother. I actually doubt that, but I do find it interesting that there are other moms out there like me who are lonely staying at home and searching for some way to connect more often with other women and yet there are so many working moms who just wish they could spend more time with their kids. Isn't life crazy sometimes? I know that I am a very fortunate woman in that my husband works his hiney off so that I can stay home with our son. And yes, it is a good job. The best job. And I don't believe that my schooling has been wasted. But I do believe that beyond my fulltime job as mother and wife, I need more.

So, today I decided to embark on a business venture in order that like "the woman who fears the Lord (ESV)," I could contribute to the financial side of the family (Proverbs 31:24) and yet still have the flexibility to stay at home with my monkey. I love scrapbooking and so I am now a creative memories consultant. (For all of you ladies out there who love it as well, you can host a party and get free stuff!) My pride does tend to get at me and make me think that I should be doing more as I have all of this education and yet my heart craves interaction with women who are going through life like me and need authentic relationships with which they can grow and trust and cry and laugh and share. I am praying that this new business will be an opportunity to help my husband not feel so burdened and yet also be a resource to force me to get out of the house every once in awhile and participate in life with other women. Ladies, if you love to scrapbook, then we can have some parties, and if you don't, well then maybe we can just get together and paint toenails or even just share our prayer needs. What do you say? I think that I have determined that my spirit needs it.

Is Anyone There?

Yep, my little monkey has gotten the gumption to initiate conversation with others outside of his home, however he hasn't quite discovered how to use the phone to call, or should I say the remote control? Oh, he has plenty to say, but there doesn't seem to be anybody on the line. It is very funny, which breaks up the not so funny of him teething and getting so upset that he pulls my hair and tries to bite and basically throw tantrums which last hours. We are ready for this last set of teeth to show up any day now, so we can get a good nights rest again. But at least we have moments such as these to break up the monotony and give us a few laughs. He really is a sweet boy, folks, but what a temper. Wow! In his defense, he got a stomach virus earlier this week and so it has compounded his not feeling well. He threw up all over me at least twice and so now I am starting to feel a bit yucky too. Please pray that I don't get the whole thing. Right now, I only have a sore throat. Anyhow, not much is going on because we have been trying to get this little guy well again. So, arrivederci and a Happy St. Patrick's Day. Does anybody out here actually eat corned beef and cabbage today?