Still Sick!!!

Whew...it has been some more week! I hate to complain but it has been a very hard one. Ella has run a 102-103.7 fever since Tuesday around lunch! We of course took her to the doc. to make sure my diagnosis of her condition was correct. I knew once I saw the little blisters in her mouth on Wednesday that we were in for it! She has hand, foot and mouth disease. The name sounds terrible....but the virus is much worse. It is among the many childhood viruses and causes fever, blisters in the mouth and can cause blisters on the hands, feet, and buttocks! So far, ella has only had fever and and a mouth full of blisters. I was one of the fortunate adults who must not have gotten this virus as a child, because I got it my second year teaching. I missed a week of work, couldn't eat for a week and was miserable. It is even more miserable when your child has it!!!

Poor little ella's gums look like they are falling off her teeth and her mouth, lips and etc. are covered in blisters. She has only eaten a few bites since Monday evening!!! We are making her drink, but today she is not wanting to do that even. I even tried using a medicine syringe to get some liquids in her. We have tried, diluted apple juice, milk, milkshake, slush, ensure, water, yogurt drink, pedialyte applesauce, pudding, etc. We know that if she doesn't drink more tonight we are worried that she may get dehydrated and we know what that will mean! She also isn't sleeping longer than about 45 minutes and is waking up crying in pain! It has been some long nights at our house!

Please pray that this will be over soon! Thankfully, Kevin has been home with me. Not sure I'd be making it if he hadn't been! It is hard because what ella has is highly contagious for eliza. Her nose is running and she keeps putting her hands in her mouth because it hurts...GERMS! My hands are raw from washing them after caring for her because I am trying to not spread them to eliza! Ella cries and wants to be held and then eliza cries and needs to be fed or held and then mommy and daddy cry! Not really... but I think we have been close at a few moments. So far eliza hasn't taken it. I think if we can make it to Monday that we'll be pretty sure she won't! If she doesn't I will be even more convinced that breastfeeding is a wonderful immune fighting gift (that'll be her third bad illness to not take when she was highly exposed!)

SO if you hear anyone say that their child has a virus, fever, blisters in their mouth....run..don't walk as far away as you can it! It is bad! And...if anyone thinks that being a mother is not the hardest (yet greatest) job in the entire world I beg to differ!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for this year. We are back at home for a brief rest before we get to enjoy Thanksgiving #2. I have to admit that throughout our marriage, I have complained most every year that our holidays were just too busy. I know I've said that we spend the day in a mad rush...normally running late from family to family..wanting to spend time with everyone! The Lord has taught me a lesson the past few days. With ella being sick this week I hadn't left the house since Monday afternoon. I was so ready to get out! The prospect of not getting to see our families and be a part of our normal thanksgiving was heartbreaking! Although we are doing things a little different to avoid our little cousins who may not have gotten what ella has! I have learned my lesson and I will never complain about the busyness of our traditions...instead I am thankful to have two delicious meals to eat, two families who love us! So many in our world would die to live my life!

So much to be thankful for! My greatest gift this year is our newest little turkey eliza. Happy Thanksgiving!

Feeling Bummed with so much to be Thankful for

This afternoon I felt ella's head and immediately knew she was running a fever. My hand has gotten pretty well trained in the past two years. She didn't eat well at lunch (which really isn't that out of the ordinary) and she kept wanting me to hold her. Sure enough it was 102. I was so bummed I could cry. The Tuesday night before Thanksgiving is always our annual Thanksgiving dinner at church. I don't think I'd missed one until tonight for the past 20 years. It is as much a part of our Thanksgiving as getting up early and shopping the Black Friday sales.

I was bummed to miss it and bummed that my girl was sick! She was really not feeling well tonight. She had a hard time going to sleep and was moaning and crying even though the Motrin had brought her temp. down. I am worried that we might not get our normal Thanksgiving this year. I might just add that Thanksgiving is really probably my favorite holiday because it begins the Christmas season!

So while I am bummed I will continue to try to put life in perspective... that I am so so so blessed and better off than most of the world. I have salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I have a wonderful family, Godly husband who is so so good to me. I have two beautiful little girls who are more than I dreamed! I have all my needs met and most of my wants! I have health, doctors (when needed), friends and faith! I am so richly blessed!

So if you think of it pray that little ella will be feeling better, so we can celebrate Thanksgiving with our family as we normally do! Pray that I will have wisdom to know if I need to take her to the doc. tom. or wait it out over the Holiday! It is so hard to know what to do!

Look who is 2 Months Old!

(I really think I see a lot of my sister joy and newphew Landon in this pic.)

Anyone else see it?

I am trying to do a better job at tracking each month than I did with ella. I never posted her one month pic! She sure did grow last month!

Little Miss Eliza is already two months old. I cannot believe how fast time is flying with her! She is growing and changing so much and is the sweetest little thing! All 3 of us love her to pieces!

Her two month stats:

Weight: almost 10 lbs about 9lbs 13 oz. according to our home scale...she is growing fast considering she was such a peanut!!
Height:?? We go to the doc on Monday. I am thinking 22 inches!

Likes: To sleep and eat! She wants to be held in the evenings which works out well since ella goes to bed early! She likes riding in the car and sitting in her bouncy chair and car seat! She likes being swaddled at night! She has a love hate relationship with her paci and would really rather find her thumb (but no luck yet)!She loves to be talked to and smiled at!

Dislikes: When her sissy says," I got your nose!" She pinches a little too hard! She dislikes it if mommy is a little late on feeding her...I cannot blame her! She will let me know for sure when she is hungry!

Looks: We are still trying to figure out her look! At times she reminds me a lot of ella and at times she looks so different. Something about her reminds me more of my side of the family esp. her mouth and eyes. She is going to have her daddy's hair color and his hairline for sure! Her hair on top fell out completely and is sprouting back. She has the same long piece of hair in the back that ella did and the same cowlick swirl in the back (it took us forever for ella's cowlick to lie down). It is so funny how they both had this!

Personality: Right now eliza is just so sweet and easy! She has been a great baby! She is sleeping 6-9 hours each night for the past two weeks and we are so proud of her...and thankful for our sleep! I accredit that to using a swaddle blanket nice and tight, feeding on a schedule, a good sleeping baby and prayer! Watch..tonight she'll be up all night!

We are so thankful for her and the added joy she is bringing to our lives! We can't wait to find out more of who she is and what God has planned for her life.

These are a few of my favorite things!!!

I saw this on several blogs today where people are listing several of their favorite items. I thought it would be fun as I always enjoy finding new products that others recommend.



I love Neutrogena's skin smoothing under eye corrector. It goes on smoothly and gives a cool sensation under your eyes (makes me feel more awake and look awake!) The only drawback is that it doesn't last me long enough!

I have used Maybelline's Full and Soft Mascara for years. I have ventured away a few times and tried other mascara's but I always regret it! It def. adds volume and fullness to my lashes!

I am loving Dove's Winter care Soap! We always buy our soaps at Costco in bulk and last time I bought the Kirkland brand....Big mistake! It was the absolute worst soap ever. I am pretty sure my sensitive skin was allergic to it too! The bad part was that we had like 15 bars to use up! We did and I am so thankful to have a moisturizing soap now! It makes your skin so soft and smells good!

I have used this mouse for years...when I wear my hair curly! I have tried lots of different kinds of mouse in my curly years and this one is a keeper...I get it from Sally's Beauty Supply!

My new fav. scent from bath and body! I plugged in a new plug-in in this scent and Kev noticed and really liked it too. He thought it was me that smelled good! Maybe they have it in a lotion! It smells warm and cozy!

My favorite jeans are always gap jeans. I like the Long and Lean ones that work fine even though I am not Long or Lean. They just fit right and have just the right stretch to be comfy! If I wear flats I have to do one cuff! They are fine with taller shoes!

My fav. kid shoes are Puddle Jumpers. Ella has wide feet like her daddy and these shoes fit her really well! I search e-bay for weeks until I find me a good deal on them! Her aunt pam bought her two pairs for her birthday! She has more shoes than I do (well...not really!) I have a thing for polka-dots!

I got a 50.00 gift card from my insurance company for going through a healthy expectations program in my pregnancy. I had to answer these long surveys after every doc. appt. in which they wanted to know all the personal details of my pregnancy! It was very annoying but I finally got my gift card which was great! I bought yet another diaper bag. I have a weakness for a good diaper bag. I guess because I use it everyday as my purse too! I love this one. It has lots of compartments and is a great size!

These are just a few of the things that I love! What items do you use everyday and love??

Post for Auntie Jess

Dear Aunt She-Sha(Jess),
Please come home for Christmas. I can't wait to meet you! Bring uncle Ry-Ry and Titus too( I've heard so much about him!) Please hurry because I am getting big and mommy says I am losing my newborn look. I am really cute and I will smile if you talk to me. See you soon! Mommy says that Christmas is great! I can't wait to find out!

Love your littlest niece,
Eliza

Parenting the Second Time Around

Eliza is now 7 weeks old and I feel like we are getting into a routine and coming out of that newborn fog. Do I dare to say that she has slept through the night
the past three nights...from 9pm until about 4:45am. She eats and goes back to sleep until about 7:30! I am so happy! It is funny because ella first slept through the night at 6 weeks and 6 days(I checked her baby calendar that I kept) and low and behold eliza first slept through the night at 6 weeks 6 days too! I am thankful for good sleepers!

It is definitely different parenting with two! I love having two! Twice the work and twice the love! I have told kevin over and over how I don't feel like I am spending enough time with eliza. I am sure anyone who has more than one child knows this feeling. With ella I was able to sit and hold her, rock her, read to her and I spent hours upon hours doing that with her as a tiny baby! My time to do that with eliza is more limited. I feel like I often nurse her and have to put her in her bouncy seat, because ella has waiting patiently or not so patiently for mommy to finish! Yesterday, I think I had to stop nursing her two or three times to discipline ella.

I also used to bathe ella every day or every other day when she was a baby. It was just part of our daily routine. Now it is much harder to bathe eliza with my little helper (who wants to bathe sissy herself) so she is def. getting fewer baths than ella did. (Don't worry she's not stinky!)

I am holding eliza more while she sleeps. With ella I put her down for most of her naps as a baby. I didn't want her to get used to having to be held to go to sleep. Now when ella is napping I am finding myself sitting holding eliza and cherishing every minute of our quite time together! In fact, she is sleeping on my lap right now.

Eliza has probably had to cry a little more than ella did as a baby. I am sure this is normal also for having two little ones. Sometimes mommy just isn't fast enough at meeting everyone's needs.

I think it has been different for Kev too. We were so so ready to have a baby when ella was born. I think I wrote before that we literally used to fight over who would carry her into church! No joke. I remember us begging the other to get to be the one to hold her after her shots (we both wanted to be the one comfort her tears!) Now, he is normally on ella duty and I take care of eliza. He said the other day how good it was to get to hold and spend some special time with just eliza.

So all this to say that it is a little different the 2nd time around. I wonder how all this plays into their personalities due to birth order. I am sure it molds them into who they are meant to be!

What's Better???

...Than one little girl in striped and polka-dotted footed pajamas???



Answer: Two little girls in striped and polka-dotted footed pajamas!






"Sissy, you okay?"



We had such a great time at the Walk for Life this past Saturday. It was a great event that was well coordinated. There were tons of families there and people of all ages. It was a bumpy 2 mile walk on a neat trail through the woods. As the walk started they had an awesome band playing some praise music. I couldn't help but fight back the tears as I thanked God for what he has done for us. I guess my face looked not so happy and my sunglasses were hiding my eyes because one of the male event coordinators said, "Come On, Look happy!" I was happy, just having a little moment! Obviously, he had no clue who we were or what the day or walk meant to our family personally! Thanks so much to all our family and friends who felt led to donate to this ministry. Our little family raised $250 in just a few short days. We are hoping to raise more next year as well as bring along friends and family to participate with us!

Ella with her purple balloon! (I am happy to report that we now know our colors...but she still calls red Mickey's car red!)

Eliza at the Walk! She got carried in my sling for most of the walk because it was quite bumpy! She didn't mind!



I have a huge praise! I have said over and over how I have been stressed about my girls getting sick, swine flu, and etc. Well , low and behold who gets sick! Kev and I! I started with a cold last Monday and have coughed and sneezed my head off! I can't tell you the last time I had a cold like this. (Thankfully not the flu!) I prayed with every cough and sneeze that my girls would stay well! I mean they were covered quite literally in my germs! The Lord is teaching me once again that He does hear my prayers! So far they have both stayed perfectly well ! It is nothing quite short of a miracle. I know that they will get sick, but just knowing that they didn't when they were so exposed to sickness has helped me to be less worried.


Also, the doctor appointments that have caused me to worry were fine! Thank you Lord!


And ella now knows her sissy's name! Praise the Lord!

November 7th, Walk for Life!

Saturday, November 7th, 2009 will mark exactly four years since my life changed! November 7th,2005 we walked into my Ob office for our 20 week ultrasound and walked out with our lives forever changed. It was that day that now seems like a long time ago! It was the day that our first child, Samuel, was diagnosed with a fatal kidney problem at 20 weeks into our pregnancy. It was that day that my pro-life stance took on a whole new and personal meaning.

While many onlookers and doctors questioned and advised us to end our pregnancy(no baby with this condition had ever survived), we knew that our baby had the right to life...no matter how brief it might be. I will tell you that in those 13 weeks of carrying Samuel when I and everyone else knew that my baby was dying, I often felt like Hester Prynne (I did have to look up her name) from the book the Scarlett Letter....wearing a huge sign on my shirt saying...."My baby is going to die!" It was a rough time and although the Lord gave us grace and hope to get through it...there were days when I really just wanted it all to be OVER! I was tired of people feeling sorry for us and tired of being stuck on a merry-go-round that I couldn't stop! I know that may sound harsh but I was scared and hurting. Thankfully, we were surrounded my friends and family who loved us and gave us sound counsel when we were tired and discouraged! They encouraged us that God had a plan for us and a plan for our unborn child. They encouraged us that this rough season of life would pass and that "spring" would come. They encouraged us with cards, prayers, meals, and friendship!

I cannot tell you how thankful I am that I am Pro-life! That is one of the best decisions I have ever made! By choosing life for our little Samuel, I now face everyday without a hint of regret or guilt. I know that I did all that I could do to give Samuel the best environment to grow. I know that the day he was born and the day that he died was his appointted day. Although I will never understand all the whys, I do know that God has used his little life to shape our lives more than any other thing we have faced. He was my precious little boy and I will never regret meeting him and giving him life.

I do not write any of that to impose guilt onto anyone who may have chosen differently than I . I write it because I know that there are thousands of women who are faced with unwanted, terminal or difficult pregnancy and they lack the support that Kevin and I had.

This November 7th our now family of FOUR will be walking bright and early on Saturday in the Lowcountry Walk For Life. It is a fundraiser for the Crisis Pregnancy Center in our Town. This is an awesome nonprofit ministry that offers life-affirming alternatives to abortion. They offer free pregnancy testing, counseling, ultrasounds, literacy classes, parenting classes, and on-site prenatal care. They also help with adoption referrals and post-abortion support. They are changing lives in our town. They are providing the care, love and support that many women need in order to get through a difficult pregnancy. We are walking to raise money for this great ministry but also to say that life matters no matter how small!

I am so thankful for how the Lord has blessed us since November 7th, 2005. He took our sadness and pain and has turned it to joy. He has filled our home with babies and baby "stuff!" He has given us a hope and a future! All praise be to God for He does ALL things well!

ella's 2nd birthday party

Have you ever tried taking a pic of a 2 year old?

Her dress up clothes were a big hit!

She was so proud of herself for blowing out her candles!

We FINALLY celebrated ella's 2nd birthday this past weekend. We had planned to have it early in September before eliza arrived, but I went on bed rest the week before. I was sad to have to postpone it(I had just mailed out the invitations), but we really didn't have a choice. Thankfully, I had almost everything already made (I can assure you that it wouldn't have gotten done otherwise!) Ella has been to several parties in the past few months and was really anxious for her party. In fact, she asked me most days when she could wear her party dress!

I really enjoy planning her birthday parties and making the decorations. At times I as ask myself if it is really worth my work...but it totally was when I heard her reaction. She said over and over, "Mommy, So pretty!" She had tons of fun with her cousins and enjoyed the Cheetos and cake (of course she would)! She was too cute after blowing out her candles. I don't think she really expected to blow them out (she had a little help from her cousins)! I am glad that she had fun and I enjoyed celebrating her 2nd year of life!

Fall Fun at our house!

Look who is growing!

She's not sure about not wearing pink today, especially since her

sis calls her Titus!

Wishing she could find that thumb again!

So Cute!

Ladybug #1

Ladybug #2

Our Church's Trunk or Treating!

Happy Fall Yall!