Pray for this family...

I know I'm due for a post and maybe I'll do one tonight. I just had to sit down and ask everyone to please pray for this family. It's no one I know personally, but I got lead to their blog through a family from my sister's church up in Charlotte. I've been following sweet Kayleigh's story for some time now. It will take you days to catch up so I'll try to give you a quick, very brief run down. This precious baby was born three months premature. This family has been through so many ups and downs. There have been a few opportunities that they thought they were on the road home and then something else would happen. She was now at the point again of maybe going home in the next month or so and now she is showing no brain activity. It is a heartbreaking, yet amazing story of faith!! This family has been through so much yet they continue to trust and glorify our Lord!! At this point it looks like after 10 mo. in the NICU they may never get to take their baby home. It brings tears to my eyes to even think about such an ordeal. Please pray for this family!!

Devine Revelation...

So it's been a little while since my last post and I have good reason. My best friends have been the toilet, trashcan (when the toilet is too far away), and my bed. Yes the nausea of pregnancy still haunts me... or does it??? I had a Dr. appointment on Thursday and found, hopefully, a light at the end of my tunnel. After finding that I had lost another 4 lbs it was time for Dr. Devine and I to have a little chat. She believes that the nausea I'm having now isn't necessarily pregnancy related. She thinks that since I have been so nauseated and thrown up so much that I have really torn up my stomach and G.I. tract. She said she wouldn't be surprised to find a stomach ulcer if we looked. Her first suggestion was a 48hr stay at the hospital to give me a little boost, and give my stomach a rest and a chance to recover. That was also the more expensive rout, so we opted for the at home treatment. I have gone in the past two mornings for a shot of phenargan *OUCH* home to sleep for about 4 hrs. up to take some prescription strength antacid and then stay away from food until I'm really hungry. The goal is DO NOT THROW UP!! We are really trying to give my stomach a rest. So Wed. and Thurs. I had a handful of mashed potatoes and by Friday evening I WAS HUNGRY!! I was able to eat a toasted turkey sandwich, 1/2 a graham cracker and lots of poweraid. IT STAYED DOWN!! Oh the little things that get me excited. So today is the real test. I'm trying to go without the phenargan shot and just do the antacid and still stay away from food until my stomach asks for it. If I can get through the days w/o the shot I don't have to sleep half the day away, though if it doesn't work, believe me, I will do WHATEVER it takes to get over this hump. I'm not sure why but it helps to know it's probably a GI issue and not the baby/hormones anymore causing the nausea. So please be in prayer for me that we can round this corner and I can begin to really enjoy this pregnancy. I will do my best to keep you posted on our progress.

What a weekend! More details to follow when I get some time. But the short is that I was reminded that Jesus has redeemed and cleansed me completely. In Christ, I walk in freedom from condemnation, guilt, and inadequacy. On another note, Wendy has been such a trooper during these last few weeks. What admiration I have for her. God is so good to allow me to have a lifetime with such a beautiful, caring, and patient woman.

Sleep, Scripture, Scrubbing and Star Wars...

So G is off on a men's retreat this weekend so it's just me and Joey (that's our crazy dog) here. I turned in early last night b/c it was somewhat of a rough one. Food wasn't really wanting to stay down, always fun. I think it was because it was the end of the week and I had just allowed myself to get run down. I got some great sleep last night. It took me a while to fall asleep, b/c I never can sleep that well w/o G being here. Needless to say once I got to sleep I slept great. I had dream after dream about holding my baby. It kind of made me sad to be back in reality this morning when I woke up. I know I need to cherish this time of have the baby on the inside and sleeping through the night... well minus some pee breaks. I know this baby will be here before we know it and by then we will probably be asking for more time. So that's where the sleep comes in. It was great and slept late. So then I was able to get up and watch some John Piper videos we have. If you have never read or watched any of his stuff I would say look him up. He does the Desiring God website and a TON of other stuff. He is such a challenging and powerful speaker. It's hard to not walk away changed. So I had some great time with the Lord this morning. Then after a wave of nausea passed I was able to actually get up and do some cleaning. I cleaned the kitchen, dusted the living room and cleaned our bathroom. Whew... I never thought I would say I had missed cleaning. There's plenty more that could be done, but I don't want to over do it and end up meeting with the toilet again tonight. Us wives are getting together tonight to have a Chocolate party. We are all bringing something chocolate (right up my alley) and watching the movie Chocolate. It will be fun!! So I'm taking it easy now so I can enjoy my evening with the women. Well, I guess that's all the excitement I have to write about today. Oh... I forgot to mention the Star Wars part of my day. Let me tell you, if you have any questions about Star Wars The Clone Wars you need only ask my 6yr old nephew. He was a riot today. I talked to him for over 30 min. The conversation started out about his soccer game and somehow turned into The Clone Wars. I heard all about fighting using the light sabers, the good guys, the bad guys, the color of all their sabers, tricks for winning a light saber fight and much, much more!! It was fun!! He is such a fun kid, it's so sad that they have to live so far away. We will get to see them in July when they drive down to Dallas. I have been promised a light saber war... I get to be on Josh's team!! I guess I need to start brushing up on my light saber skills. He said our team will win!! I look forward to the battle.


That's the light saber on his hip. He very seldom leaves it behind. You never know when there may be a battle.

How Amazing!!

So I have re-entered the land of the living for the second day in a row! PRAISE GOD! A little queasy here and there, but I'll take it. It's NOTHING in comparison to last week. So I decided to sit down and check up on my blogs that I follow and two really hit me. My sisters and my friend Denae's. They both posted such powerful videos I challenge you to watch them and not be touched. The first is the intro to the church service at my sisters church, Elevation. Denae's video is of cardboard testimonies. Some of you may have already seen this video, but I think it is so worth seeing again. Just watching those left me speechless. They remind me of what our Lord did for us on the cross and continues to do for us everyday and how I take it for granted. As I have said before the Lord has taught me so much through our journey to having this baby and I get so frustrated at how fast I forget His lessons sometimes. So often I let my circumstances direct my day, how I feel, how I think, and even how I respond to the Lord. I forget the simple lesson of "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You. Because he trusts you" Isaiah 26:3. I admit on these tough prego days my mind is not stayed on Him, and I wonder why I feel like I'm losing my mind. I become so focused on myself and loose focus on the gift I have in this baby and in my relationship with the Lord. Anyway, I could go on but I will stop there and just say a big Thank You to everyone who speaks into my life. Thank you to those who don't hide your faith and present me with things like these videos to give me little reminders. How much better off would his world be if we all spoke with boldness and passion about or Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How much better if we put our selfish desires and wants aside and asked the Lord every morning, "What would you have me do?" Instead of "Here's my list of things I'm doing today, bless it please." Lord, help me to keep my focus always on you, no matter the day, my circumstances, my surroundings, my struggles, my emotions. I love you Lord!!

Happy Easter!

So week 13 could not have been more UN-lucky!! I was on the couch from Monday afternoon until Sat. afternoon. I'll spare you all the details and just say that NOTHING wanted to be friends with my stomach. I think from Monday morning until Thursday afternoon I was able to eat a bagel. About the time we were starting to get concerned with dehydration my body decided that fluids were okay so I started to down the Gatorade, Popsicles, and on Friday the Boost drinks. I also can't seem to live without Sonic ice either. Did you know they will let you buy it by the bag? (Thanks Lu for enlightening me) AWESOME!! So this wonderful Easter afternoon finds me feeling MUCH better. I have actually eaten breakfast AND lunch today. That's a big improvement. I've said this before but I am PRAYING that I have turned a corner and have the worst behind me now. I am so very ready to start enjoying this pregnancy.
So I have promised pictures and since today is Easter and I did actually get up, get dressed, put on make-up AND fix my hair, I decided today was the day. So enjoy!!

13 Weeks!!

Tomorrow I will finally be 13 weeks. Adios first trimester. I wish I could say Adios nausea, but not quite yet. I'm still fighting it in varying degrees everyday. Some good, some not so good. So here are a few things I'm looking forward to...
10.Food sounding good again...
9. Food smelling good again...
8. Food looking good again...
7. Cleaning the house
6. Cooking (Didn't think I would ever say that)
5. Brushing my teeth without gagging. (I hear that won't go away any time soon)
4. Feeling the baby move
3. Growing my tummy
2. Finding out the sex of the baby
1. Shopping for the baby/nursery

So there you have it. I've had a few requests for baby bump pics and those will come eventually. After a day of nausea I just don't feel like getting in front of a camera. Not that there is a whole lot to see, but I'll do my best to get a picture taken this week.

Why I'm ready for a new Elevation CD

Elevation is the church that my sister and her family go to up in NC. This is a song they wrote and I'm ready for them to put out a new CD! It's getting kind of old heading to YouTube everytime I want to hear it. I know it's just an acoustic set, but I've heard it during a worship service and I just think it's so powerful!!