The Upside of Sick Babies

I definitely do not enjoy having anybody in my family sick, especially my babies. Unfortunately, for nearly the past five weeks, someone has been sick, and most of the time it's been Ella's ear infections.

Yesterday was yet another trip to our pediatrician to find out both Nolan and Ella have bronchiolitis, which requires breathing treatments for both of them every two to three hours. And Ella's ears are still not clear!

I snapped this picture of Nolan yesterday taking his "dinosaur medicine." I still don't have a picture of Ella because she screams bloody murder while taking her treatment, so she's been a bit more difficult.



It's so easy to focus on the negative things in life. As I've been getting more sleep than I know what to do with exhausted beyond belief, I stopped for a minute and realized that I was getting sucked into the negativity and allowing myself to wallow in a pity party. I decided to pick myself up and reverse my thinking.

If my babies have to be sick, these are the things I cherish about this time:

I feel and am told I'm needed more during sickness than during any other time.
"Mama, 'hole' you, 'hole' you." This is what Nolan begs of me during most of our waking hours when he's not feeling up to par.
As Nolan and Ella take their breathing treatments, it forces me to sit on the couch and relax with them.
I enjoy quietly cuddling and caressing Nolan's and Ella's hair.
While Nolan takes his treatment, I whisper, "I love you, Nolan." He then returns with, "Lush you, Mama."
Allowing my babies to fall asleep in my arms. What a special time!
The feeling of giving all of myself to my babies that I love so much.
Remembering that as much as I may feel sorry for myself, there are those that have much more difficult situations to deal with, and with time, this will pass.
I'm evermore grateful that I'm able to stay home to nurture and care for my babies.

As tired as Craig and I may get, we realize that the day will come soon enough that Nolan and Ella will be grown and need a different kind of loving care. I will make the best of it, thank God for my blessings, and cherish the sweet moments of my days.

Fall

I absolutely love the fall! I love the smell of cooler weather in the air, leaves changing, pumpkin carving, beginning to prep for the holidays, etc. I'm sure some of my love for this season could have to do with the fact that my birthday is in the fall and so is the State Fair of Texas, which is special to me and Craig. (He proposed to me on the ferris wheel back in '02.)

I almost let the season fly past me without taking pictures of the kids playing in the leaves. Since it was so nice yesterday, I raked a few big piles and let them enjoy the beauty of the fallen leaves.


My raked piles didn't last too long, but they had such a great time!

"Mom, I'm not so sure I'd like to have leaves for lunch today if that's all right with you."

Nolan and Ella are interacting more and more these days. They truly enjoy each other's company!

"Mom, no more pictures, please. Don't you think you've taken enough for today?"


Growing up in Illinois, I fondly remember raking leaves into huge piles, jumping in them, throwing them, and enjoying the outside playtime! I also remember the smell of burning leaves, which, to me, just makes the season complete.

Giving Thanks

On this Thanksgiving Day, I've spent some time in reflection of the many things I'm grateful for.

* For God's only son, Jesus, who died for my sins so that I may be saved by His grace.
* My loving husband who loves his family more than words can express. He longs to make me happy, he lives for his children, and he provides for us all so that I can stay at home.
* Our miracle babies, Nolan and Ella, both of which were a high-risk pregnancy.
* My extended family, parents, siblings, grandparents, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins for their love and support at different stages in my life.
* Friends, those who live near and far, those that give me support when it's needed most, honesty when I need to hear the truth, and love when I need to lean on you.
* Life's lessons. It's only when we truly live life for God's purposes, the good and the bad, that we can be taught lessons of sacrifice, humility, and generosity.

My list is nowhere complete. As I continue to thank God for everything in my life, everything from the shoes on my feet, the finances in my bank account (or lack thereof sometimes), the roof over my head, and the people that I love, I can find a reason to thank Him for it all.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I'm grateful that I can share a piece of my heart with you.

Ella is One!

Happy Birthday to our sweet Ella Robyn!



A year ago today at 8:45 in the morning, our family welcomed you, a sweet, healthy five pound, 13 ounce little girl. Since we didn't know your gender, I was so pleasantly surprised when your Daddy announced that you were a girl!

You are such a joyous addition to our family! Your calm demeanor and flexible personality is so refreshing. You have a smile that lights up the room! This year has been so exciting and has flown by faster than we ever thought it would.

A list of fun facts at one year old:

* you have four teeth, two upper and two lower
* we think you said your first "real" word a few weeks ago, which interestingly was the same as Nolan's first word, duck
* you are such a great eater! (hence the orange nose...evidence of eating your orange veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash)
* you are a noisy eater! You're full of grunts and squeaks when you eat
* you are drinking from a sippy cup and will soon drop the morning and nighttime bottle
* you sleep about 12 hours at night with two naps during the day totalling about three to four hours or so
* although you light up when Daddy gets home and can't wait for him to hold you, you seem to prefer cuddling with Mommy during bedtime prayers
* you are quite cautious when it comes to strangers or people that you don't know all that well
* you throw the most adorable tantrums (which won't be so adorable soon, I know). You simply throw your head down to the floor and then look up at us with the most pitiful expression.
* you're full of new facial expressions. The newest one is when you scrunch your nose up while you're smiling
* you adore Nolan!

We love you so much, Ella!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy

A year in review

Here are some pictures of Ella's first year.

Almost

Ella's almost one!
Tomorrow, November 12th, Ella is officially a one-year-old sweet little girl. I'll be posting about her birthday, but I wanted to mention how I feel like chapters in my life are constantly closing and new ones begin. I officially don't have a newborn anymore, which is quite bittersweet for me.

Tonight, after bedtime prayers, I cuddled her just a bit longer reminiscing how quickly this year has passed. I'll soon post all about her birthday and a few flashback photos, but I couldn't resist sneaking into her room once she was fast asleep to snap a picture of her peacefully sleeping.

Veterans Day

As today is Veterans Day, I want to take the time to thank those who have served our county in the past and those that still do. Your service is all too often unappreciated and unrecognized. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for following your call to serve. We owe our freedom to you.

I have many family members that have served or are now serving in our military: my brother, both grandfathers, two cousins, and former sister-in-law. I appreciate you!