We have Power & Teeth!!!!

We got in late Monday night from Dallas! I had a great time with my best friend and her kiddos. I watched all 3 kiddos by myself on Wednesday!  It worked out really well because both boys would nap at the same time. Baby bear had a great time watching Football (Go Cowboys!) and  taking a bath in the tub like a big boy. He was really excited to see Papa Bear Sunday night! Here are a few pictures of what we did! 

 



 

I think baby bear has a girlfriend! 

 









 

Anyway, it is strange being back and feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done. I know it is going to take TIME!!! Though I do feel blessed knowing that our friends, family, and neighbors are safe. It is great having wonderful neighbors!  

It has been an interesting experience going to the grocery store. Basically store number 3 for me to find milk and eggs. This is not the time to be picky about your meats or dairy choices. You know you get use certain routines of life. I know every aisle of where all my groceries are in the store where I usually shop at. This time I was a fish out of water. Which is fine but it is adjusting to the "new norm" of life for now! 

 

The biggest news is baby bear has a tooth now!   It is hard to believe how fast they grow up! I feel as if it was just yesterday I was coming home from the hospital and then other times it seems so long ago. I wish I could bottle up certain moments that I have with him. I am so blessed to stay home with my son.

 



 

Thank you to all who have been such a wonderful support during this time of Hurricane Ike and after. Please continue to pray for those who still do not have power and have lost their homes! Also, pray for our community to be restored!

Let the Blessings Rain Down

Hurricane cometh and I goeth. Okay, I know that Go-eth is not a word but moving along!



First, Thanks for all your prayers concerning Hurricane Ike and our family. We did stay through and a few days after without power. Hubby decided to stay behind while I took Jonathan to Dallas. I would have suffered stayed longer until we did get power however circumstances caused us to change our minds! Jonathan was developing a heat rash. Yuck! Poor baby was still smiling about everything but we knew that if we didn't change his surroundings it would get worse for him. He did sleep through the first couple of nights and then after that he became restless.

 

Let me back up the choo choo train. Our house encountered some damage to the roof, screens, and the fence. Basically, we will need a new fence. No trees in our yard were uprooted but a couple of bushes that hubby hates did not make it. He was real sad having to move that debris. Ha ha!!! Our neighborhood is another story. Many trees uprooted, most homes lost their fences, roof damage, and other varies things are gone. The people in our community are safe and well. That is what's most important!

 

Some blessings have come forth from Mr. Ike! All my neighbors were out helping one another, sharing generators, comforting one another, and in general just being there for each other during a difficult time. Let me just say being without power can become depressing. Our neighborhood still does not have power and they say it could be another week. A few houses on the other side do but for the most part it is dark. It is hard picking up the pieces especially when you are disconnected from your church home. Most cell phones were not working in our area or they would be on analog roam so the battery would die out sooner. Plus, lack of "regular" food instead of boxed snacks can wear on you after some time. So, I say all this to remind myself that is good to reach out and know your neighbors beyond the everyday stuff. How do people make it through these times without a strong connection to a church family? If you can not get out or have no means where do you turn for help, understanding, and a lot of compassion? I assume it would be their neighbors. I am glad that I do know most people around me but honestly I can not say I know them well. When I looked around my neighborhood or just my little area people were reaching out to one another that maybe might not  have before due to busy schedules or circumstances. Ike made everyone even the workaholic slow down.

Ike forced myself to get out and ask for help from people I have never met. That is a humbling experience. Most of you who do know me know that I am out going and you would think it would be easy for someone like myself to ask for help. However, it is not! Something that might surprise a few of you is I am shy or reserved in some situations. I hang back, observe, and analyze. I know you probably have spit out your coffee or your jaw has dropped open. It is never easy or comfortable to ask for help. Why is this? Maybe "outside influences" have made us think that asking for help is a weak aspect. It is funny or ironic that Christ said "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. This is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9. Though that is a small part of the big picture in this chapter. You can see that Christ always has a way of letting you see that it is the polar opposite or the less popular aspect that he sees as a positive. "He even states that the first shall be last and the last shall be first (Rev 1:17)." Christ is all about shaking things up and making you grow. I am sure you will never see an advertisement for "weakness the new strength."  Okay, this why I am not in marketing so don't laugh at my slogan =0)!!!

 

My thoughts may seem jumbled to you or unclear but all I ask is for you to love me right where I am in this growing period. It was not easy leaving my hubby behind or my community. It was not easy letting my best friend come to get me, her "refugee" (that is for you Misty). When I feel that I could have stayed behind and support my neighbors, friends, and community. It is not easy for my son to be without his daddy. I would be a fool to expect things to be easy! I think you know what I mean when I use the word "easy."  Staying behind has its own positives and negatives just as leaving does. So, ask you where is Christ power working in your weakness?

 

Continue to pray for me as I will for you all! Many blessings and love to you and yours.....

Holding Down the Fort....

I thought that this was interesting. It is a sheet for kids to color about Hurricanes. Anyway, I am not sure I would use it in my curriculum. 

 

Just be in prayer today for Hurricane Ike coming and all of us staying behind! We will be shutting down the computer sometime later this evening but hubby will continue to work from home until the very last minute. If you need to reach us call our cell phones or my mom. She will be our outside contact during the storm. If you don't know her number email me and I will send it to you. Love you guys!

 

Also continue to pray for the DeCarlo's  since they are downtown at the hospital and Randy had to leave due to the hospital's hurricane plan. Danielle will stay behind to be with Justin. Click on their name to go to their link for an update!

It is a Mad, Mad, Mad World and Mr. Ike has brought it on

 

 

So, today I was looking forward to having lunch with a friend at my favorite Pizza Place, playing catch up on house work, and varies other things that needed to be done. First, traffic was horrible at 11:00 a.m. and the whole time I am scratching my head. Duh! Hurricane Ike has brought this overall hurry up attitude around town. Then my friend calls me to tell me she can not find the pizza place. She goes to get fuel while I pull up to see a sign on the front door that says "for lease." UGH! I grabbed my coupon and searched for the number. I called one of the other locations and it is a definite that they closed down 2 of their 3 locations. Now, I know what your thinking go to the third location. Well, it is directly across from a high school that conveniently gets out for lunch at the time we were meeting. So that was a BIG NO! We took our hungry selves to Chili's but inwardly we were sad. At least our little ones got to see each other. My phone rings, it is hubby. This is not a good sign. He never calls me during the day from work. He informs me that they have been released early due to the Hurricane and wants to know what provision I have gathered for the storm. I go over my list with him and he decides that a little more wouldn't hurt. Okay, call me when you get to the store. In the meantime my friend receives a phone call from her daughter's school informing her that something is wrong and for her to come pick her up. So, it was emergency(and still kinda is!) Anyway, our food arrives at the table. I frantically tell the waitress our issue and she says just go! We gave her a little something for her trouble. We felt bad but when it comes to your children you do what you have to. So, with empty bellies my friend heads to the school and I to the store. I really should have gone home at this point. I get to the nearest store to find that even on the very a last row(you know the one you hate to park at) had cars waiting in line just to park. My stomach makes a noise. I am sure I could blame it on hunger but it was that sick feeling you get. I am thinking uh maybe we should try another store. Hubby tells me it is gonna be like this wherever we go. Okay! He heads in while I get little man in his stroller. I meet him in the back of the store where the water should be. Now, I am a smart cookie and bought water a few weeks ago. However, hubby wanted to be sure we had plenty! I can not blame him. Mr. HEB(manager) informs us the trucks are on their way but are stuck in traffic. No big surprise! We wait for a minute or two. The HEB helper comes running  out to inform us she has found a box in the back. Great! Hubby gets the water while I wait out of harms way. HA! Anyway, I forgot to mention that we did put a couple packages of water in our cart but it was the more expensive kind. Hubby heads back to the cart so I take the cheap  less expensive water to hold while he makes the switch a roo. While we are doing this a lady comes up to our cart to say "oh no is all the water is gone?"  I point her in  the right direction to the water. She tries to go around us and instead hits our cart repeatedly. My hand gets caught between the case of water I am holding and a pole. I was stuck! Hubby keeps telling her that she is banging our cart in such a way that my hand is jammed. She won't move! I am hurting! Hubby had to force her cart in another direction. Someone gets me ice for my hand and I just stand there wondering what just happened. Crazy! My belly is still empty, my hand hurts, and my baby begins to make sounds that he is hungry. I take little man to a sitting area so I can feed him. Hubby takes over while I go to check out our few items. 

 

I have never been so happy to leave a store or be home. It was  a mad house. People were fighting over peanut butter and making mad dashes to the cereal aisle. MR. IKE has made the crazies come out and somehow I get caught in the middle. There is more to my story or should I say day but I will end it here. I hope y'all are ready!

A Big Boy and a teary eyed momma

First and foremost we are so grateful that Justin DeCarlo is doing so well. Many of you who don't know them personally but you have put them on your prayer list. Your prayers have been answered. I should have posted yesterday! Sorry, for those of you just now getting the news. Go here for more updates!!!

 

Now, big big big news....my baby went to bible class on Sunday! I could not have asked for a better first day in Sunday School. His teacher, JSUE  did a great job making me feel special. I did stay with him to watch how he did in class. Okay, JSUE is my friend so I knew ahead of time that she was teaching the class but I did take him anyway! Y'all should be so proud of me. Carter(JSUE'S son) and my baby sat next to each other for a brief moment. Carter enjoyed loving on Jonathan  =0). Here are a few pics....







 

Thanks JSUE I could not have done it without you!!!! 

 

The other big news is I went to Ladies Bible Class today and took Jonathan to the Nursery Class. I cried for a little bit but my friends Courtney and Jana said I did good! I have to give credit to Sandra B. she really encouraged me to go to Ladies Bible Class. She is one of our ELDER-ETTES(wife of elder)! She knows what she is talking about and you know what, I enjoyed going. I have always loved Ladies Bible Class and I need it more than ever! So, thank you to my friends for encouraging me, loving me, and just reassuring me that is going to be okay! Plus, I think my son loves the ladies in the nursery. Take a look....=0)

 







 

Yeah, I think he is gonna be just fine! It is the momma that has to let go a little -0)!

 

Proverbs 17:17   "A friend loves at all times....'

Merci, Danke, Toda, Grazie tanto, Gracias, OR THANKS

A BIG THANK YOU to all who commented, called, encouraged, and gave support to me about Jonathan's teething/bed time dilemma. I believe he is already feeling much better. His behavior today seems to be 90% back to his norm. Anyway, I will let y'all know how it goes over the next week or two with him. I am trying a few different things to see if that will make a difference. I will reveal those ideas later when enough time has passed. 

 

I do know this...I am a very blessed woman to have friends like y'all supporting me, listening to me, and giving me lots of hope. I am grateful to each and everyone one of y'all that are in my life. Today know that you have been prayed for...=0).

 

Love ya....   

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 "Two are better than one, because they have a good [more satisfying] reward for their labor; For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" 

Works For Me: BACKWARDS Edition

 

Well, it is WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY BACKWARDS. This is where you post a dilemma for others to answer or help you with. Boy do I need this one!!!

 

TEETHING/BEDTIME is my issue. I have given him teething tablets, baby oral jel, ice cold paci's, my finger(clean of course), and other varies things to soothe him. My problem is he has been crying constantly(not all day just a varies nap times). Especially at bed time. It has taken us over 1 1/2 hours  to get him to clam down enough to lay him in his bed. Sometimes even longer. A week ago I heard a rattle sound in the back of his throat. I was thinking maybe this is the issue. So, I  called the nurse and she gave me several things to do. Apparently babies can build up saliva in the back of their throats if they don't swallow enough. She told me to give him saline drops in his nose to help with the  built up saliva, vaporizer in his room at night, and other varies things that I don't like and neither does my baby. I took him to the doctor just to make sure he wasn't getting sick and he check out in perfect health. We rock him, walk him, cradle him, talk to him, read to him, wait till he is asleep to lay him down...you name it, we do it! He will wake up from a short(15 mins. tops) time of sleeping, start to cry b/c he is hurting, and he becomes restless.Just as we speak he is waking up from a 10 minute nap...(sigh). I feel bad for him. I know he is hurting! So, my bloggy friends ...any thoughts???? Ideas for what to do with a teething baby who won't go down for bed time???? He is so tired and he needs his rest. 

 

For more WFMW (backwards) go to ROCKS IN MY DRYER

 

Please don't state the obvious of "let him cry it out." I am not trying to be picky. If that is what worked for you...GREAT. Exactly how did you do it? Did you wait 5, 10, 15 minutes before going in there and how loud did you let it get before you scooped him/her up? or did you do this when he/she wasn't teething? I really hope that this makes sense!!!! 

5 MONTHS....

It is hard to believe that our sweet baby boy is 5 months old today! It has been a crazy world wind of events. From just being a twinkle in our eye to a sweet reality of having you in our arms. We are so proud of you baby bear. You have grown up so much these past few weeks. It is amazing what you can do now compared to a couple of months ago. You now can roll over, pick up toys, put your paci back in your mouth by holding it the right way, reach for varies items on your exersaucer, giggle, and make all kinds of sounds with your mouth. The list goes on!!! You have been a true joy and blessing in our life. We thank God every day for you! Here are a few pics...

 

                  



 



 

we love you.....