Lots of Stuff

Where to start?

Jim put together a new twin bed + trundle for Abbie's toy room/new room. She will be moving to her new room & new bed on her 4th birthday later this month. We're driving to Raleigh (Apex) this afternoon to pick up a new mattress for the bed. We will be visiting with Jim's brother, Doug & his family before heading back to Jacksonville.

Jim, Abbie & I travelled to Michigan for a visit with my family at the end of April. We celebrated my parents 50th wedding anniversary with a surprise party. (Their anniversary isn't until August, but I won't be able to travel at that time, hence the early celebration.) My sisters did a wonderful job pulling it all together, while I yelled instructions from the sidelines (via email.) We enjoyed visiting with family & friends that we haven't seen in years.

I'm so glad that my cousin, Pooka (sorry, but I'll always remember you as Cheryl) & her husband Gary came to visit from California. We had a great time just catching up after the party & the following morning, before they had to go home.

Also, Kathie Clish (from my post "Remember") came all the way from California to honor my parents' anniversary.

During bedtime prayers in MI, Abbie asked God to "hep us get to gwanma & gwanpa's house safe, but wea aweady hea & I have monkeys on my bed." Her blanket had a monkey on it & she had some stuffed monkeys at the foot of the bed. I like listening to her pray. I wish I could pray more like her (except for the whole pronunciation thing.)

Great family & friends.

Abbie had fun in MI playing with aunts, uncles, cousins & their pets. She got to go to Chuck E. Cheese, Cabella's, & the playground. She made cookies with Aunt Di. We celebrated Abbie's 4th birthday in MI. Her birthday is not for 3 more weeks, but my family wanted to give her gifts then. Thank you for all the gifts!

I got to shoot Jim's Sig Sauer--so did Gary. And so did Dad, Chad, Steven & Uncle Bob. Brad, did you ever get a chance to shoot? (Poor Brad works too much!)

Jim had a slip down the steps--but kept most all of the coffee in his cup. That's important!

We also celebrated my Uncle Bob & Aunt Joy's 40th wedding anniversary before coming back to NC. Their's was also a surprise party.

The trip to MI & back was relatively easy for me. Jim does all the driving. Abbie was well behaved & content. The travelling took a long time, but we made a lot of stops along the way. (Eat, pee, stretch out, gas up.)

While looking at animals on the drive home (cows, horses, sheep) Abbie asked if she could feed the lions & tigers at the zoo. I said that the zoo keepers did that. Then she said that "it wio probawy change, but when I gwow up, I want to be a zoo keepa." She told me before that, she wants to be an animal doctor. Animals.

When we got home, the rose bushes & the daisies in our back yard were all in bloom & huge!

Jim & I had talked about purchasing a Wii game system, but wanted to wait until they were more available at stores. While shopping for Abbie's birthday gifts at Toys R Us, Jim & I saw the Wii on the shelf. So . . . impulse purchase! We got the Wii, with some extra sports games & the Wii Fit. Jim loves it. I'm sure I'll have fun on it once I'm no longer pregnant. My center of gravity is a bit off. Although, when we got home, I created my own Wii Mii & added myself to the Wii Fit game. I played all the balancing games it would allow a beginner & did the test. My Wii Fit age is 36!!! WOW! I wonder if Wii Fit knows that I'm 39 & 5 mos. pregnant?!

The barn swallows keep trying to build another nest on our front porch. It's not gonna happen this year! I do not want to be dive bombed every time I walk out the door. Jim has already knocked down the start of a nest twice this week.

I had two prenatal appointments this past week. Thursday I saw the fetal medicine specialist. We are having a girl!!! Her name is Ella Joy. I'm thrilled. I already know how girls work. (kind of goes without saying) Plus, we have all the girl clothes & toys that can be reused.

The ultrasound showed that Ella is right on schedule for growth. She's doing great!

Jim will get a boy dog. (Fred) Hopefully not for awhile. I can't handle a baby & a puppy at the same time.

Last night, Abbie gave my tummy a hug & a kiss & said "I love you" to Ella. Who knows how long that will last. Coming from experience, siblings usually don't "love" each other when they're kids. I'm sure when they are older, they will be the best of friends. (J.J. & Buffy--I told you so!) I love my sisters now, but I'm sure they considered me a pest, when we were kids. (I'm the youngest of 4 girls & took my job as the baby of the family very seriously.)

The next section is rated NC-17.

The ultrasound also show that I have placenta previa. That means that the placenta is blocking my cervix. That means that I will have to have a C-section. The doctor said that it could change (as my parts stretch out with pregnancy, the placenta could move up the wall of the uterus, off the cervix) but he did not sound very optimistic. Instead, he was very concerned about the extent of my physical activity, my blood count & how far away we lived from the hospital. If I have any spotting or bleeding, I've got to get the the hospital right away (I could bleed to death.) As of right now, the doctor wants to schedule a C-section at 36 weeks. He doesn't want me anywhere near full term. My midwife has transferred my regular care to an OB doctor at the hospital, since I won't have a normal, vaginal birth. I'll find out more during my next 2 appointments (May 22 & June 11.) I'm concerned about Ella being born too soon, but that is something I've got to leave in God's hands. If you want more info on placenta previa, check out http://www.babycenter.com/0_placenta-previa_830.bc?page=1.

It's almost time to eat lunch & leave for Raleigh & I still want to add a few pictures, so until my next post . . .

Remember

This week, many people will reflect upon the cross, what Jesus did there & what He does for them every day, in their own personal lives. It's Easter week! He is risen!

Many of us will dye eggs, hide treasure-filled baskets for the little ones, fly kites & grill out with friends & family. Some us us will go to church & remember the holiday by participating in The Lord's Supper.

It's spring! New life!

The new baby is doing well, according to the midwife at my last appointment on Friday. We won't find out if we're having a boy or a girl until the end of April.

The daisies in my yard have popped. I took a picture of Abbie smelling one, then she asked me if she could pick it. I have two vases full of clover flowers & dandy lions on my kitchen counter already.

The barn swallows are swarming my front porch again this year. Last year they built a fairly sturdy nest over my front door & dive bombed anyone who came near. (The nest has since been knocked down--thanks Mom, for the clean up job.)

I was remembering my first experiences at church as a small child. I think I was around 4 years old. The neighbor lady, Kathie Clish, took Patti & I, along with Maryellen, Jay & Corey (ages 2-9) to vacation Bible school at her church. I remember Mom getting me up really early in the morning to get ready to go. After vacation Bible school, Mom let Patti & me go with Kathie & her kids to church every Sunday. (My parents didn't go to church at that time.) I remember the children's church meeting in the basement. I remember making arts & crafts. I remember taking a walk with my Sunday School class in the small field next to the church to gather items for a craft.

I remember getting left at church after worship service one Sunday. (Kathie had a lot of kids to handle on her own.) I was taken to the pastor's house next door, & the adults made some phone calls. Kathie came & picked me up. We laugh about it now, but it was a bit scary for a 4 year old.

My Mom was in her thirties. She didn't know the Lord yet. She was searching. I remember her inviting some Jehovah Witnesses into the house each week to talk to her. I usually hid. I didn't like them talking to me. I was afraid of strangers.

Kathie invited my Mom to an Understanding God class, so my Mom went. I don't know where I was when Mom was at these classes--maybe next door at Grandma's house. I do know that my Mom came to know Jesus as her Savior during these classes. (Then, Mom took us girls to church with her every Sunday. Eventually, Dad started coming with us, too.)

At the end of the Understanding God class, all the ladies got together for a party. The children were invited too, & we had our own little Bible class that day, down in the basement of whatever house we were at.

They told us the Easter Story from the Bible. (It didn't include a bunny.) I remember the story about Jesus dying on the cross & how God raised Him on the third day. I remember drawing a picture of an angel sitting on a big stone in front of the tomb. They told us that Jesus died for me--to pay for all the bad things I'd ever done. (If you saw my "marker picture," then you know I was bad.) We were told that all we had to do, was ask Jesus to forgive us & ask Him into our hearts & we could be forgiven. When the teacher prayed, I asked Jesus into my heart. I was only 5.

When you're a kid, things are simple. Faith comes easily. The "wisdom of the world" has not had a chance to leech simple faith from your life, yet. Maybe that's why experts quote statistics of how young people come to know the Lord more readily than us older folks. Once you hit a certain age, you've been exposed to the Truth for so long, you become numb to the Message & it's easier to say "No" to God.

I've served in different churches with young people (in spite of my kid phobia,) from newborns to teenagers. It's a blessing.

I don't really think people understand how important it is to make the Bible available to our young people. Tell them stories of Jesus. Share the Good News. Show them God's love in everyday service.

So, remember this week. Remember what Jesus did for you. And, remember to say "Thank you," to those that serve you & your children by faithfully ministering to them each week. Maybe it's time to stop saying "No" to God, and say "Yes" to serving Him by ministering to a child.

Kathie Clish was a young mother with 3 kids of her own, yet she took the time to be friends with a neighbor down the street & to take the neighbor kids to church with her.

Thanks Kathie.

Thank you Jesus, for Kathie, and for others like her who take the time to share Your Love with a child.

Mark 9:37 (NLT) "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me."

14 weeks-not for the squeemish

I saw a fetal medicine specialist on March 5th. I'll be seeing him for the remainder of my pregnancy, as well as my regular midwife. His equipment is much more advanced than the military clinic. He said that the placenta/uterus was working fine (on the ultra sound), so he wasn't too concerned about the subchorionic hematoma. I've been bleeding "old" blood (brown) since I went to the ER for the hemorrhage on February 20th. The doctor said that was normal for a few weeks. He also said that, if you run a mile, your legs will tell you to take it easy, because they will hurt the next day. Not so with your uterus. It may not hurt. It will just bleed. So, I have to take it easy.

My Mom has been here for a week & a half. She's been cooking & cleaning & playing with Abbie. (I feel bad--she had back surgery 2 years ago--I should be taking care of her!) My Dad is coming at the end of March to pick her up. Then I'm on my own.

Tuesday morning, we made a weekly trip to Walmart for groceries. After lunch, I went pee & there was fresh, red blood. Unsettling. I called the nurse line at the hospital's OB clinic. They told me that as long as I wasn't filling more than one pad in 1/2 hour, I was O.K. to stay at home, sit & put up my feet & drink lots of fluids. No more red blood today--back to the brown stuff.

So, pretty much, I worry every time I pee & every time I have any kind of abdominal pain. (Being pregnant at 39, you have a lot of pain--it's pretty normal.) I hope I don't see red blood. The brown blood is still a bit unnerving. I know I'm not 'spose to worry, but it's hard not to.

As of yesterday, I'm at 14 weeks.

The second trimester.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 (NIV)