Regeneration

Christmas 2011

2012-01-08T20:21:00.000-06:00

What an AMAZING Christmas we had! We decided this year that instead of us buying 3 plane tickets and flying all the way to Charlotte, or the Nuzum clan buying 5 plane tickets and flying to TX that we would all drive and meet at a central location. Thanks to Gerald's sister, Merry, we were able to get hooked up at an AMAZING hunting lodge just outside Tuscaloosa, AL. It's called Zidon Avisha and owned by an the sweetest couple you could meet. We were truly blessed by them.
So our journey began on Thursday, Dec. 22nd around 8:30 a.m. We were COMPLETELY loaded down.

We didn't even care that we had such a LONG drive ahead of us, we were SO EXCITED to FINALLY be with family again after a long 7 months. The first day we drove from Lubbock to Shreveport, LA (with a stop to stretch our legs in Mesquite) where we stayed at a hotel for the night. This was our first hotel stay with Jake and he did GREAT. We all slept surprisingly well. We got up, had a yummy breakfast and got back on the road around 9:00. Jake was such a trooper in the car. He is NOT a fan of sleeping in the car so he never got much more than a 45 min. nap each day. It never phased him though, we brought along plenty to keep him busy, plus the DVD player, of course.
So, we all arrived at Zidon Avisha within 20 min of each other.... pretty good considering we were all coming from 3 different directions. It was SO GREAT to be together again. It was a little chilly when we arrived, but not too bad. We were all in awe of this beautiful house we were staying in. (Mom and Dad stayed in their RV right outside, not that there wasn't PLENTY of room for them inside).

The first 3 days it was cold and rainy outside so most of the fun was had inside, where there was PLENTY to do. There was a pool table, ping-pong table, two huge TVs, a sun room where the kids could run and play, we brought our Wii along, and of course, just good 'ol cousin fun.

Once the weather cleared up, though, out we went and pretty much stayed for most of the day. We did a lot of fishing, walking, exploring, rock collecting, and "tractor" (golf cart) riding. We all loved being outside, it was BEAUTIFUL, and there was PLENTY of room to run.

Dad went fishing for a little more than fish... a basketball, and the end of a fishing pole to be exact.

Christmas morning was a blast with all the cousins together. We listened to Tonya read and Josh recite from memory the Christmas story. Our family has always made it a priority to remember what CHRISTmas is all about. The reading of The Christmas story has been a tradition for as long as I can remember. Then we got to open presents, Jake really got into it this year.
As you will see, there were plenty of presents to be opened.

A fun time was had by ALL! I couldn't ask for more. We are so incredibly blessed. I just wish we didn't all live so far away so that we could get together like this more than once a year!!

By the end, we were wiped out, but our hearts were full!!

Christmas decorating

2011-12-05T21:20:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Miller house. I have so enjoyed my new found love for the everyday I couldn't wait to get the house clean and ready for Christmas decorating. I spent the week after Thanksgiving getting everything in order for a fun Saturday with the family. I looked forward to it all week. I was worried at one point we would have to postpone because Jake-Man came down with a fever Thurs. afternoon. Luckily by Sat he was as fit as a fiddle.
We started out our Saturday morning by staying in our jammies and enjoying a YUMMY green chili and bacon breakfast pizza.

After that it was time to unpack the train that goes around the tree. To say Jake was excited would be an understatment!

Admiring the Engine....

After playing with the train a little it was time to start on the Christmas tree! Jake was a big help!!

A short break to admire the engine once more...

Make sure it's not crooked, Dad!

Helping Mommy with the lights.

Hanging ornaments

Jake's all landed on the same spot on the tree. He had so much fun looking at all the different ornaments. We'll be lucky if they actually end up staying ON the tree.

Finally it's all said and done. After finally getting dressed for the day, a little time to adimire the train once again.

And a day topped off with a story with Daddy...

We had such an amazing Saturday together. Ya know, our decorations aren't perfect, they aren't fancy, they aren't glamerous... but they are ours, and I LOVE them. We are so very blessed. I love our growing family of 3!!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-04T20:45:00.000-06:00

So I know we've been absent for awhile and I promise I have good reasons! There is so much to tell, there's no way I'll fit it into one post. So I think what I'm going to try and do is start with Thanksgiving and maybe between now and Christmas do some backtracking to Jake's 2nd birthday, Halloween and other activities I've managed NOT to blog about.

I'm sure most of you know by now that we found out in September that we are expecting baby #2 in May. We are extremely thrilled... now that we've gotten through the rough spot called the first trimester. To say it wasn't nice to me is very much an under statement. I went from having HORRIBLE nausea and losing 10 lbs to breaking out in hives from HEAD to TOE. I'm talking swollen ears, hands, knuckles, etc. You know the scene in "Hitched" where Will Smith eats fish and has an allergic reaction. Well, lets just say that was my ENTIRE body. It was AWFUL! It's a long story, but we're past that now and I'm LOVING the second trimester. I'm full of energy and have a RENEWED joy for what I get to do as a stay at home Mom!

This Thanksgiving we had so much to be Thankful for, but never have I been so thankful for my health and the ability to do.... do laundry, do dishes, do the dusting and cleaning, do the normally mundane tasks. The Lord really has put a new song in my heart for the place I am in in life right now. He truly puts a new song in my heart each and every morning. I ask Him DAILY to never let me forget what it was like to NOT be able to do. To have to sit by and not be able to cook/clean/take care of my son. To watch my AMAZING husband take on not only his task as husband and dad, but also the task of Mom, cook, sole child care provider, EVERYTHING. He was running SOLO. And let me tell you, not ONE TIME did he EVER complain. He would actually tell me at night, as I cried myself to sleep time and time again, how honored he was to be able to serve me in such a way. WOW... sorry ladies, he's taken and he's MINE!

So needless to say, just the fact that we were able to get in the car as a family, drive to Mesquite and spend time with family was more than I could have ever asked for. We had THE BEST time with Gerald's family. We ATE, and ATE, and ATE.... you see the trend. We laughed a lot and just enjoyed being together. Now, the drive there was not so pleasant, sitting in traffic for about an hr. and making it about 5 miles, but even in that I was able to remain joyful. GOD IS GOOD!!

So we arrived in Mesquite Wed. evening where Jake pretty much went straight to bed on his fun little pallet on the floor. Thursday we woke up, had a great breakfast with G's family, and relaxed until it was time to get ready and head over to Dawna's house for turkey and other yummy fixings. We got there around 3:30 and had a smorgasbord of food. It was all DELICIOUS! This expecting Mommy was happy! Jake got to play with cousin Grayson, who is about 6 months younger than him. They had fun running around and playing with cars. Later when the men were taking a break from football they hooked up the Kinect for Jake-Man to play with. He was a HOOT! He thought it was the coolest thing that he could see himself appear and then disappear on screen. They also had a mini-tramp out for him to play on and the phrase "Jumpin' Jake" was quickly coined. He would have jumped on that thing all night if we had let him. Jake pretty much had everyone in stitches by the end. He would jump, jump, jump, then jump off and yell, "YAY JAKE!". Such a cutie! He had a good time with all his Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. (Minus Aunt Merry who didn't make it down this year, she was missed!) We finally managed to get J-Man loaded in the car and headed back to Bauchi's house for the night. He crashed hard! The next morning we got up and headed out the door around 9:30 to do a little shopping. Nothing serious, just a little browsing and to just get out and see the crowds, which really didn't end up being that bad in Mesquite. We had fun just strolling and letting J run the mall. After that we headed home for a quick nap and then off to the park with Aunt Michelle, Uncle John, and Bauchi to feed the ducks and play on the playground. The weather was perfect, and as usual, Jake had a great time. He could play on a playground 24/7 if we had the time. Once we were done at the park we went and picked up Grandpa and headed to eat at Texas Roadhouse, YUMMM! Jake was such a big boy, he did AMAZING, if I can say that. G and I were so proud at how well he sat in his highchair, and what a joyful heart he had.... I guess it's contagious. We had a great visit and plenty of leftovers.
So Saturday came and Bauchi had to leave and meet up with Aunt Merry in Vicksburg, we were sad to see her go. We packed up and headed over to Aunt Michelle's where we spent the day and evening. It was great to get to spend so much time with Gerald's family this holiday. It's usually a whirlwind trip, but this one was relaxed and just enough time to see everyone. WE ARE SO INCREDIBLY BLESSED!!

A Hodge Podge of Activity

2011-09-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

So our little man has kept us busy... can I blame him for Mommy not having the energy left at the end of the day to update the blog?? We have so much fun together everyday. I try to get us out of the house at least once a day, usually to a park to play. Jake is a little monkey, he climbs on, over, on top of ANYTHING he can find. I still have to stay close b/c he'll also try and JUMP OFF of any high apparatus he can manage to climb onto.
Last weekend we stayed pretty busy out and about. We went out to the Apple Orchard in Idalou for the Apple Butter Festival. Jake had a BLAST!

Playing in the corn field with his BFF Ellie

Cruising down the bounce house slide,

picking apples

Eating Apples

Sharing Apples

And just having fun.

... oh, and his favorite, jumping off the hay bales

Fun was had by all!!

This was also the anniversary for 9-11, so we took Jake out to the memorial they put up every year. It's overwhelming to be out there and think of all the men and women, past/present/future who have fought and even given their lives for OUR freedom. I hope we can raise Jake in a way that he appreciates the history that has brought us to where we are today.

Jake loves to go and feed ducks at the nearby parks.

There are a ton of other shenanigans I could show you and write about, but my time has run out. I hope you have enjoyed this update. It's hard to believe my next post will probably be about his SECOND BIRTHDAY!!

Summer Time...

2011-08-27T16:29:00.000-05:00

So this post will be a little sporadic, so try and stay with me. I don't really have one thing to write about, so thought I would just do a little "what we've been up to" post. Jake is still growing like a weed getting taller and taller!!

Yep, that's the 3ft. red line at his head.

(As you can see he wasn't real thrilled about standing for a picture)

He is pretty sure he is part monkey and climbs and swings from anything he can reach!!

I can't say that his height is working to our advantage, HA! He enjoys being able to see onto tables, cabinets and drawers. Unfortunately he thinks that means anything within reach is fair game. He gets to hear the word "no" quite a bit.

He is still our little helper. I can't get out the duster, broom, or vacuum without allowing him to help. We have two of everything so that Mommy can have one, and Jake can have one. He's actually pretty good when it comes to dusting and descent with a vacuum (small bissel of course). He also likes to help clean out his little pool and water table. You won't see this Mommy complaining!

He still LOVES being outside and having friends over to play. We've gone to the big pool a few times, but since I'm by myself I haven't been able to get any pictures or videos :-( He's pretty cute in his life jacket. He LOVES to jump off the side. I still haven't taken him COMPLETELY under the water, but pretty close. That's just Mommy's fear, not Jake's. He doesn't seem to have a bone of fear in his body when it comes to things like that. He's working on learning to ride his tricycle since his legs are finally long enough to reach the pedals. He still likes to just scoot himself along, but is getting better with the pedals each time we go out. He'll be taking off before we know it!

One of his favorite INDOOR places to go to is the science spectrum and of course Jumpin' Jungle. I've just got one video of him going down the big slide at Jumpin' Jungle. He thinks he's pretty big and can conquer anything the big kids can. In this video he's trying to copy how the big kids went down on their back. He laid back a little too far and had to scoot up to slide down, silly boy, he's a hoot. Sometimes I wish I could video him all day so I could share the joy and laughter that he brings to me even on the toughest days. He's starting to say more and more, "Ahh Man!" is his favorite phrase... but I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the science spectrum, he still LOVES to go see the choo-choo's and now the airplane room. He will spend a majority of his time there.

We're not potty training yet, but we're thinking about tackling that after his 2nd birthday in October, still warm enough to run around outside in his birthday suite! We're not in any big hurry, but think, hey, if we can save money on diapers, that would be AWESOME!

As for his speech he's "talking" more and more. He has a little over 100 words that I can understand and about 35 that the general public could understand. He's starting to put two words together. "Bye-Bye Daddy", "Daddy Work", "Bye-Bye Joe-Joe", "I crash", "More please", "Chocolate Milk" and a few more.

I was actually concerned about his speech and had ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) come out. It's a FREE service to ANYONE to have them come out and do an evaluation. They handle, speech, physical therapy, occupational therapy and I'm sure a lot more. So they came out last week and "evaluated" Jake. Needless to say he didn't qualify. He is 22 months old; his expressive speech (how well he communicates with others) he was performing at 26 months. His receptive speech (how well he understands others/follows directions, etc) he was performing at 34 months. MOMMY BRAGGING RIGHTS... He's a smart cookie!! He amazes me everyday at what he understands. I thought this was pretty funny; they put a little monkey inside a circle and asked him to get the monkey out of the circle... so he picked up the circle and moved it out of the way, HA! The therapists thought that was pretty funny too. He is a THINKER. You can see the wheels moving in his head. Another thing they did was get out dolls and ask him to get the Mommy, Daddy, Baby, etc., he did that with no problem. Then they asked him to give them the Daddy's little girl, he did that. Then asked him where the little girl's Daddy was, he chose correctly. They tested him on his understanding of position words like on top of, behind, under, etc. He identified all the primary colors (blue, red, orange, yellow, green, and also white and purple). They asked him to hand him the block that was bigger and smaller and he got that correct. Then had him sort the circles and squares and he did that. He put shape puzzles together and stacked 7 small blocks. I REALLY enjoyed having them out. I could go on and on bragging, but I'll stop there. Have I mentioned how he absolutely AMAZES me every day?!?

This video is pretty long and taken a month or so back. He speech would be more clear if he wasn't eating the whole time. It's just that the highchair is the only place he sits still long enough for me to get any kind of video of him talking. This is more for me to have, watch if you have a few extra minutes.

His newest thing is jumping off his bed... STRESSES THIS MOMMY OUT!!

I'm sure there is a lot I've left out, but I'll end here for now. To sum it up, Jake is such a blessing to us EVERY day! He really is a good boy. He has his moments of pushing boundaries, but all in all behaves very well. I've implemented a picture schedule to help us get through the day and mostly help him know when it's TV time and when it's not. He LOVES his DVD's. His favorites are Thomas, Dinosaur Train, Curious George, and Cars. He would watch shows all day if I would let him.

I am so blessed to be able to stay home with Jake every day. We have so much fun together and I love to see him grow and change every day. I wish I could document it all! I hope you have enjoyed the photos and videos of our ALMOST 2 year old. Oh, and by the way, we are NOT speaking the "terrible two's" over our boy. So you won't see a post titled "The Terrible Two's" Just sayin'.

The World Aquarium!

2011-07-20T16:14:00.000-05:00

So a few weekends back (July 8th-10th to be exact) we headed to Mesquite to visit Gerald's family. We hadn't been there in FOREVER, and a visit was due! Jake did GREAT on the trip there. We didn't even have to bust out the portable DVD player until after Abilene. He slept about 45 min, played with cars, trains, animals, more cars and more trains. He's really getting better and better at traveling. (I do wish he would sleep more though). So we got to Mesquite and Jake really took no time at all to warm up to his Bauchi and Grandpa. They went outside and Jake got to run in GREEN grass barefoot. He LOVED it. (We're in the middle of an AWFUL drought here in Lubbock and our grass is brown and crunchy) Bauchi and Grandpa keep a beautiful yard and flowers. Jake really enjoyed the BIG sunflowers. He also had fun running around with his four-legged cousins Leo and Mona, both dachshunds.
The next morning we woke up, got ready, packed a lunch and headed out the door to the Dallas World Aquarium. It was AMAZING!! It's WAY more than just fish. We got to see penguins, monkeys, sharks, turtles, GIANT crabs, flamingos, birds, alligators, etc. UH-MAZE-ING! Jake was a little busy body, but really enjoyed it. He especially liked the room where you actually walked under the shark tank. They would swim right over you. We stayed there for quite a while and went back at feeding time. (By then J was pretty tired and didn't care much, but we thought it was really cool). We got there around 9:20, and stayed until lunch. We didn't actually end up eating there, but it was good to have the sandwiches with us b/c Jake was able to eat his sandwich on the way home and it kept him awake. He CRASHED when we got back to the house. After he woke up we headed over to Aunt Michelle's house for dinner and a party for Bauchi. Her birthday is July 15th so we wanted to celebrate while we were there. It was SO GREAT getting to see MOST of his Aunts and Uncles. (We missed Aunt Dawna, Uncle Billy, and cousins Alyssa, Little Billy, Doug and David.) Jake really enjoyed playing with his cousin Grayson, who is 14 months old. Well... maybe I should say he was nice enough to "share" his cars and trains with Grayson (with a little convincing from Mom and Dad) I'm SICK because we walked away from there without taking even ONE picture of the two of them together!! We didn't even take pictures of the party! I guess we were just having too much fun. That night we spent the night out at Michelle's (Thanks Dust-Man for giving up your room for the night), then headed back to Bauchi and Grandpa's for lunch before heading back to L-Town. Jake got to play a little more in their backyard and ran around with Leo and Mona. We had a great trip back, minus our car croaking on the side of the road about 30 min from home. :-( Luckily we have friends that love us and came to our rescue. We thought our CRV was a goner, but we're getting a new (used) engine put in and she will hopefully be back on her wheels again soon! YAY!! Anyway, that was our weekend trip to Mesquite, we had a GREAT time there!! Enjoy the pics we DID take!

The World Aquarium from Gerald Miller on Vimeo.

World Aquarium from Gerald Miller on Vimeo.

July 4th...

2011-07-05T13:41:00.000-05:00

Well, our July 4th didn't turn out as planned. Our poor sweet boy was sick :-(

We discovered he had a fever AFTER we went to church on Sunday, Oops. He was acting perfectly fine, it wasn't until I noticed his red cheeks that I checked his temp. With a hope and a prayer we sent him to bed fever free. Unfortunately it came back with a vengeance in the night. So our hopes of taking him to his first parade were shot. It was a PERFECT morning for a parade too, cooler and overcast. Oh well, we still had fun. Gerald made a yummy breakfast of blueberry waffles and homemade syrup to start our day out right. After that we spent a good chunk of the morning watching shows (Thomas the Train and Cars are Jake's FAVORITES). Then we went outside for a little bit to let Jake "paint" the fence with water. At that time I think his fever was coming back because he didn't want to stay outside long and that's NOT like him at all!.

After a 3 1/2 hour afternoon nap (we finally had to wake him up) we were determined to keep the TV off so Mommy tried to use her creative genius (HA!!!!) Started out simple with a new Mickey Mouse coloring book and new crayons (real creative, I know). That lasted all of 5 min. He just wasn't interested in sitting and coloring, so back outside we went. He painted the fence a little more and played in his water table and sand box for a few. So I decided to bring out the big guns. I had made colored ice cubes for him to "paint" with.

I got a plain white T-shirt for him to paint and later use as a smock. So this was how it was SUPPOSE to go..

But this is what MOSTLY happened....

Guess they looked a little too much like Popsicles. Ultimately we put the "paints" away and got some real Popsicles out for him to enjoy. We'll try to paint our shirt again on another day when he can understand that they aren't to eat.

So that's it folks, that was the excitement of our July 4th. We had hot dogs for dinner and turned in early. We hope to have a make-up night with some friends that we were suppose to get together with. Oh well, it's not like we missed fireworks or anything, they were banned this year because we are SOOOO very dry. I think we've had just barely over an inch of rain ALL YEAR. They weren't even selling fireworks this year. It made for a very quiet 4th of July. I guess there is always next year!

I hope everyone had a great time celebrating the freedom we have as a country and the freedom we have in CHRIST!!

Galatians 5:1

1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

2 Corinthians 3:17:
17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

So Thankful that I am no longer in bondage to sin!! That is TRUE freedom!!

North Carolina

2011-06-26T07:20:00.017-05:00

So back in March, I got an e-mail from my brother-in-law wanting to know if we wanted to visit my sister in Charlotte for a week in June. Well DUH.... OF COURSE. Then came the catch. "Your sister will have NO IDEA you are coming. I'll be leaving for FL on Tues for a conference. That's the day you get there. On Friday you will drive Tonya to the airport and get her on a plane to join me for the weekend (she will also have NO IDEA about this until you tell her.) **Great, so I was going to be the one to tell her that she was going to leave her 4th for the first time** You and Gerald will stay home with the kids...." HUH???? We needed some time to think about this. As much as I wanted to see my sister and my nieces and nephews (We don't get to see them nearly enough) the thought of G and I taking care of FIVE kids for THREE days was somewhat overwhelming! I didn't immediately jump at the chance. After some discussion and finding that Donnie's sister would be at the house some to help out (she's living with them for the summer and volunteering/interning at their church) we decided, WE CAN DO THIS!! So off we went on May 31st. We boarded a plane from Lubbock to Dallas, and then Dallas to Charlotte. Jake's FAVORITE part about that trip was the tram we got to ride from gate to gate at the DFW airport. He is sooooo into trains these days!!

He was a champ the entire time. He really travels well!! He crashed in his stroller as soon as we got off the plane and didn't even flinch when we moved him from the stroller into the car seat. It was good for him to get in a little nap before arriving to see his cousins.

Soon we arrived at the house. I was so excited that we had actually pulled this off!! Luckily Jake woke up right about the time we turned into their neighborhood.

That was PRICELESS!!!
Obviously Tonya was SHOCKED to see us there and took the news of her Friday departure VERY well. She was so excited to have a little kid free get away with the hubs! The next day was filled with Monkey Joe's (a jump-house place) and Fro-yo that night with the kids and Aunt Coco.

Monkey Joes in NC from Gerald Miller on Vimeo.

Before heading off to Palm Springs, FL, my sister treated me to an AMAZING pedicure. We had a good time being pampered together. Wish we could do it more often.

After that we didn't get many more pics or videos. We stayed busy having fun though, with soccer games...

(On our way to the game)

(Sweet Erin)

(Waiting for the game to start. Best cousins!!)

Going to church, playing Wii, bike riding, walks, playing with computers, cars and trains...

more Wii, meals together, bedtime stories

and just a lot of laughter rough housing and pillow fights.

Oh, and of course following Jake up and down the stairs. He maneuvered them like a champ by the time we left. We survived the week as "parents" of 5. Of course it helps that my sister and Donnie have raised their children with such integrity. Joshua is their helper and has such a servants heart. He could run the house as well as any adult. Caleb is their comic relief, HA! He wants to be like his big brother and does just about 21anything Josh does. He is tender-hearted and LOVES his sisters too. It's so sweet to see him and Ella play together. He is just FUN to be around. Ella is their princess. She LOVES her big brothers, but also has her girlie side. She was a good "big sister" to our Jake-Man. She always made sure he was where he needed to be. I think she's going to be a good leader as she gets older and will grow into a beautiful woman with great faith and also a big heart. Sweet Erin is just that, sweet Erin. She's very different from her brothers and sister, but that just shows me that the Lord has AMAZING things lined up for her. She will have her own special place in their family. I believe she will grow up to be their bold one. Bold in all that she does. I can't wait to watch her blossom.
We were blessed to be around those kiddos for a week. I hope as Jake grows up they can grow closer together and all become amazing men and women of faith!

Family...

2011-06-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

So Grammie and Granddad are back on the road again. Through a waterfall of tears we said good-bye on Friday. We stood on the sidewalk as Jake waved and said "Bye-Bye Bus, Bye-Bye Bus..." It was an amazing month filled with memories that will never be forgotten. Jake absolutely loved having Grammie and Granddad around. It won't be the new cars, the new clothes, the talking puppy dog, Car hauler, ping-pong balls, choo-choos (which he even had to sleep with) that he'll remember. It will be the time spent together. Other than the few days that Grammie and Granddad were rather sick, (and the week we spent in NC - which will be my next blog post) we got to see each other everyday. They went to the mall with us, to the park, to Jumpin' Jungle, Chick-Fil-A, Toys-R-Us, Target, shoe shopping, you name it. Of course there was also a lot of precious time spent just here at the house playing in the floor with trucks, cars, choo-choos, and balls. Jumping outside, playing with bubbles, swinging, playing in the sandbox and water table, and just going for walks. It melted my heart every time.
I was reminded everyday the importance of family and making the moments count. Though we don't know their travel schedule, and we might not get to see them as often as we would like, the bonds will last a lifetime. Jake enjoyed a lot of love and fun with Grammie and Granddad. You couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He would get so excited when I would tell him we were going to see them, or they were going to meet us somewhere. He didn't care if they were going to come baring gifts or material things, he just knew they would be there and that was enough to light up his day. He would drag each of them around by their finger to help him or watch him do different things. He just wanted them there, and they were, every moment they could be. I am so blessed to have parents that love me and my family so very much. I'm so thankful that they give of their time and energy to invest so much in our lives.

Sooo... enough of the mushy stuff, I'll show you what you want to see... PICS AND VIDEOS!

Arboretum

2011-05-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

So the Lubbock Arboretum isn't just a whole lot to look at these days... with the lack of rain and all here in Lubbock a.k.a. the dust bowl. It's still a great place to go and let Jake run free though. These pictures were actually taken a few weeks back, but I never got around to posting any. Had a few spare moments and thought I would share. No crazy stories about sitting on cactus or falling in holes, just a fun day had by all. Enjoy!!

I LOVE this crooked smile!!!!!

Another "adventure" with the Peeks...

2011-05-23T22:22:00.000-05:00

So we decided to take a last minute trip to Caprock Canyon and do some camping this past weekend. We were all ready for a nice get-away. Although, Mom and Dad never really get away because well, we took their home with us. They are now officially full-time RVers. It has already been an adventure.
They will soon have their own blog up and running where you can check in on them. It should always make for an interesting read!
So our journey started out a little on the slow side. I woke up Sat morning and realized the shoes I had packed for Jake were a bit on the small side. So we got everything packed, loaded up in the car and made a last minute stop at Target. We ran into Target and found ONE pair of size 6 shoes, put them on Jake and he screamed. So we decided to go to the other Target and try again. This time I ran inside and left G and J in the car. I found (what I thought) were the same pair of shoes in blue. Fabulous, J should love them. I get back out to the car, show them to Jake, they're a hit. I show them to G and he points out to me that they are the wrong shoes. They velcro around the back of the heel (just like another pair that Jake has that doen't stay on his feet for anything). So I turn around and run back into Target to get the right shoes. (45 min wasted by this time).
We get to the RV I put the new shoes on Jake (he doesn't scream... YAY) but Grammie points out that these shoes don't touch him anywhere and are slipping up and down on his heel. Yep, she was right. WHY CAN'T EVERYONE GET TOGETHER AND MAKE SHOE SIZES UNIVERSAL?? Why do sizes have to be different with different makers?? ANNOYING! So guess what??... he ended up wearing the shoes I had already packed in the first place. *sigh* I hate wasting time!
So we finally get on the road and actually make it to our destination on the first try. Didn't get lost even once! So far, so good. So we get to the State Park and they tell us they have ONE SPOT left that could run 50 AMPS which is what Mom and Dad's Giant Hershy Bar (aka their RV) requires in order to run both the A/C units they have, one for the front and one for the back. We get backed in and start getting things ready to eat lunch and then for J to take a nap. HA!! NO ELECTRICITY!! We can't get the A/C unit to work and none of the plug ins are working. So G and Dad finally pull the surge protector off the unit and vola' we have electricity... but only enough to run ONE A/C unit. By now, we're sweating and hungry and Jake is tired. Dad calls the park ranger and has a mechanic come out. They come to our spot and guess what??... we have the ONE POLE in the ENTIRE PARK that the 50 AMP is in need of a new part. Do they have that part?? Oh no!.. but it's been ordered!!! GREAT... for the next people to come along. This is the Peek luck I tweeted about. (obviously the surge protector was working and that's why we didn't have electricity... so we decided that it would be smart to put that back on and just run on the 30 AMP). So we spent the weekend alternating who got air conditioning, G and I and Jake sleeping in the back, or Mom and Dad sleeping up front. Luckily we survived pretty well on just one unit, it never got too terribly hot.
After Jake took about an hour nap we decided to venture off on a hike. Unfortunately the really scenic trails were quite a walk from where we were. (We had decided we didn't need to pull the truck with us... a slight mistake, but no biggie). Of course we found J was happy just running around outside the RV. Anyway, we were off. Jake was quite excited b/c they were DIRT trails... HIS FAVORITE!! He would take two steps, stop to play in the dirt, throw some dirt, find some rocks, take two more steps, etc., etc. You see the pattern...

We weren't making it very far, very fast, so G stepped up and gave Jakesters a ride. HE LOVED IT! He thought it was pretty fun being up so high. The canyon was beautiful and really the weather wasn't too bad, a little warm, but not miserable. Jake enjoyed seeing the canyon from Daddy's shoulders too.

I took most of the pictures, one of which ended with me sitting on one of these...

Then turning around and stepping on one of these...

OUCH to both. I ended up with a thorn in my rump and then in my foot, NOT COOL!
Soon we headed back to the Hershey's bar for Turkey Burgers cooked on an inside grill... outside. We were under a burn ban (obviously) So Mom and I being the crafty women we are loaded everything (Mayo, cheese, pickles, bread, chips, ice in glasses etc) up in the tray to carry it outside b/c the burgers were SUPPOSE to only take 5 min to cook. HA.. not with the wind outside, it must have quadrupled the cook time. So anyway, back to the tray, as I'm heading out the door to take the tray to the picnic table I stumble and fall in a hole (PTL I didn't sprain my ankel b/c I sooooo could have) spilling ice all over the lettuce and tomatoe and tumping everything over. But all in all I made it to the table. (forget the fact we had to end up bring much of it back inside b/c the burgers were taking so long to cook) but they were worth the wait, VERY YUMMY! Oh, BTW, we found the beans in the microwave the next morning.. Oops.
So we get Jake down for the night (that was a trick all on its own, not sure WHAT was up with our boy, but he didn't get to sleep until after 8:30 which is REALLY late for him) Anyway, we leave G with J while Me, Mom and Dad head to take showers. HA! We got there and of course there was a line at the womens bathroom. I don't even know how long we sat there waiting for the showers to open, but I'm pretty sure G was about to send out a search party. All in all we slept pretty good that night... after a nice glass of wine.

The next day we got up and just took it easy around the camp site and let J play in the dirt with his trucks, cars and sidewalk chalk. He had a blast. After a mid morning snack we decided to fly the Kite that Granddad had brought. That too went off without a hitch. J really enjoyed watchig it fly. He also enjoyed flying it himself. Pretty cool!! Eventually we left the men to fly the kite while Mom, J and I sat in the shade and watched. It was a great time had by all.

We finally made it back to the RV, got everything settled and ready for the journey home. We had a nice picnic lunch and hit the road. One of the BEST things about traveling in an RV is the BED in the back. J crashed HARD!! We all made it home safe and sound and in one piece. I know I could have probably told this in a much shorter way, but as I've said before, I like to keep the blog as much for me as sharing our adventures with others. (I'm terrible at keeping a journal) Thanks for reading and I hope you had a few laughs on our behalf! We're use to it! HA!!

Time Flies!!

2011-05-07T20:30:00.000-05:00

Wow.. I have a lot of catching up to do! Our little Jake-Man is going to be NINTEEN MONTHS OLD tomorrow! I totally skipped his 18 month post. I don't know where the time goes. Of course, I don't feel like there has been a whole lot to share b/c we've spent the past month passing germs around. We've had strep, stomach bugs, sinus issues, an ear infection, you name it. Our poor boy has been sick, sick, sick and we are SICK, SICK, SICK of being SICK!! We've got him on vitamins, probiotics, D3 gummies, Black Elderberry juice, extra vitamin C, you name it! I just have to remember that with each illness his immue system is getting a little stronger. It's tough when he is sick b/c we can't get out of the house and he ends up watching WAY more TV than I want him to. A habit that I then have to turn around and break :-P
Anyway, enough with the negatives, our Jake-Man is getting so big. He of course is still as active as ever and still runs everywhere. He's starting to talk more, so that's been exciting and entertaining. They are still mostly words that only G and I understand, but hey, it's a step in the right direction. Let's see if I can make a list (this is more for me to have written down somewhere)
Momma, Dada, Ball, Juice, Apple, Applesauce (appu-saw), Banana (B-ya-ya), More (Ma), Up (Up-a), Open (o-pa), Bubbles (bu-bue), Paci (BaBa), Bye-Bye, Book (boo), Ellie (E-wa), Blue, and PooPoo. He still does signs for car, airplane, open, blue, yellow, red, orange, help, blanket, outside, water, milk (while saying Ma), hot, cold, cereal, fish, and shakes his head yes and no. He is REALLY good at his non-verbal communication. It's very rare that we can't figure out what he's saying or what he wants/needs. Just this afternoon he was able to tell me he wanted a pillow in his bed just through all his signs and signals. Pretty smart cookie! I know he still gets frustrated not having all the words he needs to communicate, but he's getting better each day. He spends a lot of the time pulling us by our finger to show us what he needs.
We finally got him a sand box thank to some AWESOME friends(Ron and Rhonda) from church! He LOVES his turtle sandbox! He also got a little jump house out back that he spends a lot of time in. It's a great way for him to get all his energy out and get in lots of exercise. Outside is still his favorite place to be and he has recently really taken an interest in the goats down the street. He gets very upset when we drive by and don't stop to visit.
When trapped inside (due to the ridiculous wind here in West Texas) or illness, he still enjoys reading books and playing with cars. Recently we started playing with play-doh. He becomes a little more interested each time we play with it. We still get out paper and crayons at times but they don't hold his interest for much longer than 3-5 min, then he's off and going again.
We've pretty much just been here in L-town for the past few months. We did go out to the Apple Orchard the weekend of his 18 month birthday; he got to go on his first hay ride! It was a beautiful day! Jake is ADDICTED to Apples and Applesauce... no seriously... we have to cut him off. It's crazy!
Other than that we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior on Easter. Jake's favorite book to read at night is the Easter Story. We all get excited and talk about how Jesus is ALIVE!! He's NOT dead!!!
We kept our friends little girl for 5 days over Easter and had a great time. Jake and Ellie did WONDERFUL together. (They made having two, WAY too easy on us). They both played together well (though Jake started this bad habit of GROWLING when she, or any other kid, gets close to what he is, was or was intending to play with). We're trying to break him of that now. I had my friends tell me, it's better than biting or hitting, which I have to agree, it's still not very loving. So we've been talking to Jake a lot about what it means to be a good friend and how we need to love our fiends and others. (I really need to make a picture for him about that.... put that on the to-do list).
Other small facts:
wearing 18-24 mo clothes (mostly 24 mo. shirts and 18 mo. shorts)
shoes size 5-6
sleeping 7:30-7:00/7:45
One Nap 1:00-3/3:30
16 teeth (I-teeth FINALLY broke through)
18 mo. check up he was 25 lbs 5 oz and 35 1/2" tall

Okay... so here are a few pictures, which is why you even look at the blog anyway... right? ;-)

A Happy Heart...

2011-03-30T21:31:00.000-05:00

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
~Proverbs 22:6
So a few weeks ago, our days were looking like this...

So after praying for an extra dose of patience, we implimented this...

This is our "Happy Heart Chart". Jake decorated it himself. Every morning after breakfast we look at this together and talk about what it means. Our version is Do ALL things with a happy heart and without throwing a fit. Throughout the day we visit this on the front of the fridge. When he does things (picks up toys, has patience, obeys the 1st time) with a happy heart, we go and talk about how he has a happy heart. Of course we visit it when he throws fits as well, and we talk about how his behavior does not produce a happy heart in him or Mommy. As the days progressed when I asked him to do something and if I saw a fit coming on, I asked "are you going to have a happy heart?" A majority of the time he answers yes and does what is asked. There are also times that I ask, he says yes, and still doesn't do what he's asked. I use those as "training" opportunities. A few days in, we implimented the happy heart stickers. For the more difficult tasks (coming in from outside, having patience when Mommy can't pick him up at the exact moment he wants or not throwing a fit when Mommy says "no" to watching a DVD) he gets a happy heart sticker to put on his chart. He REALLY likes to put the stickers on his page. He also likes to take the stickers off, so there aren't as many on there now as there could be. Of course we didn't see results over night, and it took extra prayer and patience and CONSISTENCY from Mom and Dad. We had to continually remind ourselves that we are training Jake up in the way he should go. We are imperfect, but we can point him to the one that IS perfect and what HIS word says.

This week has been A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! He has been a different kiddo. We have had SO much fun and the fits have TREMENDOUSLY decreased. Of course there are still reminders of having a happy heart, but for the most part... WOW... I am SO PROUD of him!!

Now his chart looks like this...

and Jake looks like this...

I know this is only ONE of the many challenges to come.. and this one is NOT complete. It's an ongoing lesson for Jake, Mommy and Daddy. I am so blessed that The Lord has allowed us the oportunity to train up this precious gift from God. We LOVE our Jake-Man!! He melts our heart more every day!!

Science Spectrum

2011-03-24T14:28:00.025-05:00

What a fun morning. Thanks to our local Groupon we were able to get a membership to our local science place. Today was my first time to take Jake and he had a BLAST!! They are redoing the under 5 area, but the temporary place did not disappoint! There is a lot to do there. I didn't get too many pics b/c its tough when you're the only one to keep up with the kid AND take pics. I'm sure we'll be heading back with Dad soon, so we'll get more pics then.

He enjoyed this little car... though he mostly went backwards.

This was his face at the sight of the T-Rex that moved and roared.... NOT a fan!!

He enjoyed sitting in the race car and turning the wheel. That's his pitt crew, Jesse and Avery :-)

This was something you could roll balls down... He was more concerned about getting the balls back than posing for a picture.. He stayed here quite a while.

This was one of his favorites... I'm not really sure what to call it. It has a bunch of balls in it and they go through all these twists and turns, and bounce, and hit different objects to make different sounds. He was quite intrigued.

This was his absolute favorite though!! He went over... and over.. and over.. and over again!!

I have so much fun going places with my sweet boy. He is at such a fun age and I'm loving and taking in every moment!! He is growing up sooooooo very fast!!

Another place we frequent is the mall play area... BEFORE the mall stores open. A lot of the the time we have the place all to our self. It's awesome. Just recently he's learned a new trick and is so proud of himself so I thought I would share... such a monkey!!

Arizona Trip 2011

2011-03-12T16:12:00.000-06:00

Well, we had our first "family vacation" to somewhere other than to visit family. It was actually a conference that G had to go to for work, but Jake and I got to tag along. I have to be honest.... I was dreading it. I wasn't looking forward to staying in a hotel room with a 16 month old boy. How would naps go?? How would night time go?? How would we be able to keep him on a schedule?? Would we all be miserably exhausted?? Well, it all worked out and we had a BLAST!!
We flew out of Lubbock Sat morning laying over in Albuquerque. Jake did great on both flights. When we got to Phoenix he was one sleepy boy. By the time we got to the terminal to catch the bus to get to the rental car place, Jake-Man was out. So we were in no hurry and let him take a little cat-nap before heading out.
The hotel we stayed at was AMAZING! The grounds were beautiful and we had a wonderful balcony to sit out on. There were bunnies and quail running around everywhere you went. We had humming birds off our balcony, and Jake's favorite, we were close enough to a small airport that there were always airplanes and helicopters for him to watch. We were a little sad because the two days that G had available for us to go to the zoo, it was TOO COLD... in ARIZONA! How often does that happen? Instead we went to the Phoenix Children's museum. Jake had so much fun, he could climb and run all he wanted. There was a lot for him to see and do. He was ready for a good nap after that day. His naps were taken in his crib... in the bathroom. He didn't seem to mind. We would also put him down for the night in there and when G and I were ready for bed we would roll him out into the room. He would snooze right through the transfer. He was waking up a little early for AZ time, but not too bad if we stayed on TX time. Everyday was filled with running up and down the halls, running the grounds, playing with the rocks in the courtyard, playing on the balcony, and watching airplanes and helicopters. We had some YUMMY food and gelato. We went to the mall a few times to play in their play area and that's where Jake got to ride a carousel for the first time. He didn't look thrilled, but enjoyed it b/c he asked to go again as soon as it was done.
Our last full day we went to The McCormick Train Park. There was a huge playground to play on, a train to ride, another carousal, birds to chase and ICE CREAM! Jake had a great time running around. We always have so much fun just letting him run and explore. It's impossible for him to run without smiling and laughing. It brings us such joy. All the fun we had made up for the lack of rest and sleep. WORTH EVERY MINUTE!
Now the trip home was a little rough. We were flying out of Phoenix at 9:40. So we were up and at'em that morning thanks to J-Man who was up at 5:30. We left the hotel at 7:30... PLENTY of time to drive to the rental car place, catch the bus to the airport, check bags, get through security and let Jake get in a quick nap in the stroller at the gate. HA! Didn't quite go as we had planned. We made it to the airport and to the counter to check our bags by 8:20. So far, so good. Well, little did we know we were sharing a kiosk with a family with four kids and 8 bags. The guy behind the counter had printed out 8 baggage claim tickets and kept telling the dad next to us that he was missing two bags b/c he had two claim tickets left. The Dad kept explaining, "you put four on the conveyor belt already, there are two behind you, and two right here.. that's eight!" The guy continued to argue.. sir, you are missing 2 bags... on and on. Meanwhile our kiosk keeps timing out, Jake is ready to be out of his stroller and we're all hungry. So finally the dad just says, you have checked our bags, we're done. Once he walks off the guy behind the counter realizes that he had put OUR two baggage claim tickets on two of his bags and that's why he had two left over. Thank goodness they were two bags he hadn't put on the conveyor belt yet. So FINALLY we got our bags checked and headed to security where we were placed in the family line that runs slower than the others b/c everyone in that line has kids. So we get through security and they have to test J's milk, which by that time I kept telling them, just throw it out! But the lady was insistent on letting us keep it. THEN I had forgotten to take a teething ring out of the diaper bag so they had to dig for that b/c it was filled with liquid. I HAD the diaper bag packed so nicely. So while I'm waiting for them to find the teether and check the milk Gerald has J who desperately wants out of the stroller, trying to get their shoes back on, the bags organized, then J OUT of the stroller, keep his eye on J so he can put the stroller in the gate check bag and keep up with the boarding passes. Soooo by the time we make it to the gate they are already boarding and no time for breakfast or a nap for Jake. So this flight is going from Phoenix to Austin, to Dallas, then to Lubbock. LUCKILY this flight is pretty empty so we had a row to ourselves. Jake did okay but was SOOOO tired and would NOT sleep. We tried every trick in the book to get him to sleep. So we land in Austin which was supposed to be a QUICK turn around. We don't even have to get off the plane. HA! So we land, they get a count of the through passengers and then we hear the engine turn off. "Sorry for the delay folks, but there is a ding on the door that's not suppose to be there. They are on their way to check it out. It shouldn't take long." By this time Jake is hungry for lunch and BEYOND exhausted. Fussy, squirmy, cranky OH MY! So we get up and let him run up and down the aisle, the flight attendant gave him a coloring page to color. About 25 mins. pass and they finally come back on and say, "folks, if you will, look out the windows to your left...there you will see your plane." UGH! So we gather up all our stuff and deboard. Of course this is the opportune time for Jake to poop. So once off the plane we split up, Jake and I to the bathroom and Gerald to find us some lunch. This was the WORST baby changing station ever. It was a counter with the sink at one end. Barely room for Jake to fit. What made it so bad was the ELECTRICAL OUTLET right at his head along with the motion sensored paper towel dispenser. Needless to say, Jake still had the pencil that came with his coloring page that he continued to try and put in the outlet then discovered the paper towel dispenser. All while I'm trying to keep him from sliding into the sink or rolling off the counter. Have I mentioned we are ALL exhausted?? So we get back to the plane and this one is FULL!! The poor guy that sat with us was so nice and had 4 kids of his own, so he understood how it was traveling with kids. LUCKILY, Jake DID fall asleep as soon as we took off and slept the entire flight to Dallas. YAY!! Once to Dallas, we stuck around to make sure G got another flight to Lubbock, he had missed his original flight thanks to the delay in Austin. Jake and I stayed in Dallas a few days to visit while G flew onto Lubbock to work Thurs. and Fri. He then drove back to Dallas Sat morning to meet up with us and his family for his sister's birthday. It was GREAT being with everyone, even if for just a short while. We then got in the car Sun morning and started the 6 hr journey home. Jake did great and we were ALL soooo glad to be home again. Though it was exhausting, and at times challenging, we really did have a GREAT time. This definitely gave us the bug to want to take more family trips. We made many memories that we will cherish for years to come. (By the way, Jake is now SEVENTEEN MONTHS OLD... He's running everywhere, eating everything, climbing like a monkey, playing in dirt, throwing whatever he gets in his hands (not a fun stage), starting to talk more and in constant motion. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Thanks for reading about our journey, hope you enjoy the pictures!!

GOT DIRT??

2011-02-23T15:10:00.001-06:00

So I have officially decided that BOYS are BEST!!... okay, so I'm probably a little partial, but I just have so much fun with Jake these days. One of his ABSOLUTE FAVORITE things is to play in the dirt! We don't have a sandbox...yet... so he has to settle with our "flower"bed (it's actually just a dirt bed) out front and some dirt filled pots. He has A BLAST every time we go outside. He comes in completely FILTHY and tracks dirt in on my freshly cleaned entry way floor, trails it through my freshly vacuumed living area, and continues distributing his filth through my freshly mopped kitchen.

I have come to the conclusion that I DON'T CARE!! I would so much rather have a filthy dirt-filled house and a sweaty, excited, happy boy than a spic and span clean house with a bored little boy looking longingly outside. Oh... don't get me wrong, sometimes it's hard to let it go b/c I do work hard at getting my house clean. But when I see the joy that fills my little boys heart when he is outside playing (and thus learning soooo much) a clean house doesn't seem that big of a deal. So when you visit our house, and it smells of sweat and dirt... that is also the smell of a happy, love-filled, joyful house!! I LOVE MY "JOB"!!

Our Big Helper

2011-02-19T16:32:00.000-06:00

Jake has become such a good helper around the house. I think I talked a little about that in his 16 month post. Just thought I would share some pics of him doing what he loves! He has such a servant's heart, like his Daddy.

Helping Daddy Fix the fence.

Helping Mommy Vacuum...

Helping Mommy cook dinner

Time to feed Joey!!

16 Months

2011-02-12T22:26:00.000-06:00

Wow... it's been busy around here. Let's see, around Jan 21st Jake came down with a little cold, nothing major, just a fever and a slight runny nose. He got better and Mommy came down with a stomach bug the week of the 31st. (Luckily this was the week that we received snow and G was home from work. That worked in my favor!) I finally recovered by Fri and we all went out on Sat Feb. 5th when Jake started to have a little cough. We didn't think much of it until his fever spiked to 102 Sat. night. By Sunday morning he was in pretty yucky shape. He wouldn't eat or drink ANYTHING (which if you know him is VERY rare), the cough was getting worse and his fever wasn't going down. We caved and took him to a clinic Sun afternoon (much to our disliking) but we were worried that it was either a clinic in the afternoon or the ER that night b/c he was getting worse. They tested him for the flu and RSV, both came back negative. They told us it was just a bug he was going to have to work through. He kind of went up and down the following days. He would have moments when he seemed to feel better and then he would crumble. The nights were AWFUL to say the least. Finally Tues night was our breaking point. He still had a high fever, was restless and with every breath he moaned. It was horrible!! We ALMOST took him to the ER that night, but decided if we could get him to sleep we would hold out until our appointment with our pediatrician the next morning. Thank God we did get a little sleep that night and headed to the Dr. Wed. morning. Well, at first glance she could see he was in pretty bad shape. His temp was back up to 102.3 and he was coughing, moaning and his sweet little eyes had lost their sparkle. We got another RSV test, blood work and a chest X-Ray. PRAISE GOD the blood work up and X-Ray came back fine, but the RSV test was now positive. So the next few days were in hover mode. Doing whatever we could to push the liquids to avoid dehydration from the fever, round the clock Tylenol and Motrin, breathing treatments and as much rest as he could get. By Friday, though still coughing, we saw sparks of our fun energetic boy. Today he has FINALLY been fever free for 24 hours and is mostly back to his old self. Of course the cough still sounds awful, he's still doing breathing treatments, and still not eating like he usually does, but he is FINALLY drinking again!! We are definitely out of the woods as far as pneumonia and dehydration scares go!!

So other than germs running crazy through our house (our house that now smells of Lysol) Jake is also running crazy through our house. The boy is in CONSTANT MOTION!! He doesn't walk much anymore, he runs, he jumps, he walks on his toes, he climbs, he dances, he spins, you name it, he's doing it. He still LOVES to be outside and go on walks and he still collects rocks along the way.
These weeks of him and Mommy being sick (unfortunately) has also sparked an interest in DVD's and movies. He has become a huge fan of Mickey Mouse club house... the same 4 episodes b/c they are on DVD and we don't have cable, and his baby Einstein movies. He usually gets to watch one a day in the afternoon while Mommy is getting dinner ready. When he's not sick he is still our big eater. There hasn't been much that he's turned down.
He still loves his books and now has a puzzle that he enjoys doing several times a day. He also loves to play with balls. He has learned to throw pretty well. Unfortunately that is leading to the lesson of what we throw and what we don't throw. He'll get it, he learns quick. I'm sure I'm partial, but our boy is smart ;o) He already does "chores" around the house. He loves to feed Joey in the morning and night and he puts his clothes in the dirty cloths hamper at night. He is sooo good at following directions. He even surprises me at times. When I was sick and G wasn't home I told Jake it was time to clean up his toys and by golly, he did. He put all his toys away, put the balls in the ball basket in his room, the cars in the car basket in his room, books on the shelves, and he even went and put his cloths in the dirty clothes hamper, along with his shoes... but we'll work on that. He puts away his bath toys when bath time is over, he knows that his sippy cup doesn't belong on the floor and will go put it on the table when asked where it goes. When we say it's nap time he willingly goes to his room to get his bear, blankie and paci. He still grows a little impatient when waiting for a meal to be made, but he's getting better at that. He is all about feeding himself and gets a little better everyday. He will even "fly" the food into his mouth at times, it's pretty cute though sometimes messy.
He's still not talking (which is driving Mommy crazy) but everyone says 1. he's a boy! 2. he's VERY active and really doesn't care to concentrate on talking 3. he's only 16 months, 4. He's a boy... I'm trying to be patient and not push him. He can say Dada, BaBa (that's Mama),Ball and his most recent and favorite, Uh-Oh!! Sooooo cute when he says that. I need to get it on video. Now when he's playing he has a few more words, I hear Mama and some other individual consonant sounds. He is VERY good at communicating his needs. He still does the sign language, so that is helpful as well.
He is still taking 2 naps a day, but I'm sure we'll be working on that transition down to 1 pretty soon. We tried it once and he WAS NOT ready. He starts his day each morning between 7:15/7:30, he takes a short nap from about 10-11, another nap from 1:30/2:00-3:30-4:00, then bedtime at 7:30. He's still our great sleeper, though we are having to do a little re-training after he's been sick.
Jake really is a great boy! He is so much fun and keeps me laughing throughout the day. He has a great smile and an even better laugh.
So since everyone was sick this month we don't have enough pictures for a slide show... I know... you're sad. But I put together a few collages because I couldn't let his 16 month post go without sharing his cuteness with everyone!!

Silly, Sick Boy.....

2011-01-28T20:21:00.002-06:00

So our boy has been sick the past few days. I think it's always harder on Mom and Dad than it is on Jake-Man. He's had a fever around 101, but no other symptoms. It hasn't slowed him down one bit though. Since we couldn't really go anywhere, we were both getting a little cabin fever and STIR CRAZY! So Mommy busted out the crayons and brown rice... yep, brown rice.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-25T14:55:00.001-06:00

Okay, Okay... I know I'm a little late on the posts. Since it's almost time for his 16 month post, I'm just going to focus on Christmas, since I've posted NOTHING about it thus far. We had a GREAT Christmas. Jake and I left Lubbock on the 21st and headed to DFW and then onto Charlotte, NC. Jake did AMAZING once again on the flights. He was an active booger, but behaved himself. We read books, played with toys, ate LOTS of snacks, looked out the window at all the clouds, flirted with the girls behind us (well, Jake did) and climbed all over Mommy. He was able to get in a little catnap in the stroller between flights. That was a nice break for me :o) So then we boarded our next flight to NC. This aircraft was MUCH bigger and I think we had the ONE empty seat on the entire plane next to us. I was GLAD for that. Jake still mostly wanted to crawl on me, but was convinced to sit in that empty seat now and then for a little snack. On this flight Mommy had to bust out the videos on her phone and the candy cane. He still did WONDERFUL, but was just getting ansie... so was Mommy. Traveling can be exhausting.
Jake was so excited to see his cousins. He was quite curious about baby Erin. He went strait to her when we walked in the door. He soon discovered the circle from the kitchen, to the dining room, to the living area and back to the kitchen. He walked and walked and walked. Then he discovered the stairs. He was a PRO at going up, not so much at going down. He practiced mostly going up and down the step to and from the landing. He got pretty good and only had a few good tumbles. It was fun to see J and Ella together. They are just one year apart and had fun playing together. It was crazy to look at Jake play with Ella and realized he was baby Erin's size, just one year ago. WOW... how fast they grow up. We pretty much just hung around the house and played during the days. Grammie and Granddad arrived on the 22nd and G arrived on the 23rd. It's always sooooo great when we can ALL be together. It doesn't get to happen very often. Aunt Kelly (one of Donnie's sisters) also got to be with us this year. It was really a lot of fun.
We went to Elevation church Christmas Eve for their amazing service of music, dance, video, and amazing effects with lights, sparklers and of course a challenging message by Pastor Furtick. We always enjoy getting to visit their church.
Christmas day was laid back as always. A day spent in our jammies and relaxing. The kids had a fun time opening gifts. Jake really got into unwrapping gifts this year and it was fun to watch him tear through the paper and then look for the next one. We were all so very blessed beyond what we deserve.
The day after Christmas the fun really began b/c we got about 4 inches of SNOW!! Jake wasn't sure what to think at first, but quickly learned to enjoy it. He followed his cousins around and ran up and down the driveway. A snowman was started, but never finished. I think Jake would have stayed out there all day if we would have let him.
Other than the snow we just had a lot of fun hanging out together, playing Wii, taking care of 5 kiddos, and eating WAY too much. Time really went fast, but I think as much fun as we had, everyone was ready to be back in their own bed.. even my sister and Donnie. They gave up their bed to G and I. The sleeping arrangement was fruit basket turnover for all. G, J and I headed back on the 29th with Grammie and Granddad in their RV. The trip home went well, but was LOOOOONG. (I think it just seemed so long b/c we were all so ready to get home). Once we made it back to the DFW area we had one quick day to spend with G's family before getting back in the car and heading home to Lubbock. (Unfortunately we left our camera battery in NC so we weren't able to take any pics with his family) :o( It was a good quick trip and we made it back to Lbk with no problems... soooo glad to be home. Jake was a trooper being away from home for 12 days/11 nights. He had reached his pack-n-play limit though. There was one night that he was up from 10:30-2:45a.m. and was still up at 6:40 that morning.. and that's NC time UGH! Have I mentioned that as much fun as we had... we were glad to be home!?!
So there is our Christmas in a (wal)nut shell. I'm sure I've forgotten a lot, but I know that we came back with our cups overflowing with love and blessings from family. We truly are blessed beyond measure. Enjoy the pics.

All BOY Oh BOY!!

2010-12-13T23:07:00.000-06:00

Yep, that's Jake, ALL BOY!! He has become a rock collector, a ball thrower, a soccer player, and a stunt man. I think I've already mentioned his fascination with rocks and how we can't go on a walk without coming home with one... or two. It seems the bigger he gets, the bigger his rocks get. We've been able to take a lot of walks since it's still 70 degrees here (Winter..what??)

Next, his kicking skills. This is what he will look like when he's 4 yrs old playing on his soccer team.....

Now his balancing skills. Such a little daredevil!!

Mr. Independent.... he still LOVES to eat and now prefers if we let him do it himself... Mom and Dad have to take over and speed things up at times.

How much do you love Mommy???

Finally just some great Christmas pictures....
An amazing family from church fix their backyard up like the Griswold's every year for kiddos to visit. It's inflatable decorations complete with fun Christmas music and peppermint sticks. Jake LOVED his first peppermint stick! He had SO much fun. Though it's 70 degrees during the day the nights are still cold. It didn't phase our J-Man ONE BIT! He could have stayed out there all night. Isn't he a cutie!!

Catching Up.....

2010-12-08T23:20:00.002-06:00

Sooooooo.... it's been a while, sorry!! I'm not sure where the time has gone. I can't believe I totally missed his 13 month post. I kept thinking I'll get it done tomorrow.. tomorrow.. tomorrow.. Well, the next thing I know it's time for his 14 month post. So here I am.

I want to start with just a quick update on Jake's Long Q-T diagnosis. He just had another cardiologist check up and his EKG was COMPLETELY NORMAL!! Dr said if he had just walked in the office with no previous diagnosis that LQTS would be no where on the radar. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN!! You don't "get better" from LQTS, it's a genetic disorder. Of course that's according to the "worlds" standards. We are believing with our whole hearts that our boy has been healed and we continue to wait on the day when the Lord tells us to get his genetic testing redone. PRAISE GOD!!!!!! What a way to start a blog huh??  You know that was TOTALLY worth the wait! :oD

Now in other news, where to begin??  Jake is constantly on the move! Dancing, kicking/throwing a ball around, jumping in his crib, pushing a car, (container lid, phone or whatever else he can push), or looking at a book... yes, he even does that one the move, yet will lay down in the middle of the floor at times for a short rest. He is such a funny little man. He likes to "crash" Mommy and Daddy and LAUGH so hard. He loves to play peek-a-boo, patt-a-cake, wheels on the bus, Happy and You Know It, Twinkle Twinkle, and the ABC song.
He is such a cooperative little boy. Yes, he has his moments of fits, but all in all he'll do what we ask him to do. He's really good at cleaning up his toys at night before bed, bringing us something if we ask him for it, he ALWAYS says/signs Thank You when someone gives something to him, I LOVE that he doesn't have to be prompted anymore! He has left the Christmas tree alone, but sometimes asks if I'll take an ornament off so it can take a ride in the train around the tree. When we say it's nap time he will walk into his room to get his blankie and paci. (The boy LOVES his sleep).
We're still working on having patience when he asks for something. He's pretty sure if he says "Cheerios, Please" then they should INSTANTLY appear in front of him.  He's also pretty sure if he just says "________, Please" we'll give him say his 5th banana of the day after we've said no. Still not a fan of getting his diaper changed, but has gotten better about it the last few days. We're also working on breaking a bad habit that MOMMY started. I realized the other day that any time we're in the car I've handed him a snack trap of cheerios. Well, now EVERYtime we're in the car whether going 1 min down the street or 20 min across town, he expects to have that cups of cheerios. He gets VERY mad when he doesn't get them, but even that has gotten better in the last day or so. He seems to pick up on things pretty quick. Don't get me wrong, he tests his boundries now and then like all kiddos, but not very often. I'm bragging huh???.... Well, he makes it easy to do!! It just amazes me that we have crystal down on his level along with picture frames, electronics, DVD players etc, and he knows to leave them alone. We are SO very blessed with a SWEET HEART!!
He is an observant little booger too... He's always watching. (Sometimes that can be a bad thing) He learns routine and how things work after about one take. It took him no time at all to see how to turn the Christmas train on and off, let the water out of the tub, bring Mommy her (thankfully empty) coffee mug, open/close the blinds (though he can't reach the pulls to do it himself), turn toys on and off and open and close the DVD drive on the computer (he knows now that that's not a choice though) He seems to pick up cause and effect really fast too. He's a quick learner.
Of course his FAVORITE thing is still being OUTSIDE!! As much as I enjoy winter, the fact that it hasn't shown up in Lubbock has worked in our favor. We still spend a lot of time outside each day. ROCKS... ROCKS.. AND MORE ROCKS.... the boy LOVES ROCKS!!! He WILL NOT go out without QUICKLY finding a rock to carry around. He'll carry that rock until he finds another that he likes better. On rare occassions he'll have a rock in each hand or give one to Mom or Dad to carry for him. He's so funny b/c he just lights up when he finds that perfect rock... so funny! He loves it when airplanes or the canadian geese fly over when we're outside. He watches the birds from the windows in the mornings when it's still too cold to go out... or Mom is still in her PJ's.
The Boy is ALL BOY when it comes to eating. He eats ALL DAY! He's a little bottomless pit. There are very few foods that he won't eat. He always eats a BIG breakfast, usually oatmeal and an english muffin topped off with a banana and milk. Lunch is often left overs from the night before, a bean and cheese quesadilla or just a simple PB&J. Always followed by fruit of some sort. Dinner.. well, dinner is whatever Mom makes. In between meals there are snacks of cheerios, teddy grams, goldfish, grapes, kiwi (when we have it) crackers and cheese, yogurt, muffins.... you name it.  We TRY and keep it as healthy as we can.
**other things I don't have time to write about**
He's doing better with "stranger danger" He did GREAT in the nursery this past Sunday
He LOVES his books!!
He enjoys watching other kids play and loves it when his friends come over to play
He knows more signs that I can remember at one time
He LOVES music
He's interacting more with Joey. Likes to play ball with him... as well as you can play ball with a blind dog..
Dinks mostly water, no juice... he's just not a fan
No more nursing... :o(
He has 8 teeth (4 on top, 2 on bottom and his 2 left molars) He has 3 more teeth coming in... poor guy...
Still takes 2 naps 9:30-11:00 and 2:00-3:45/4:00
Bedtime is 7:30 Wake-up around 7/7:15

Guess that's it for now. I really am going to TRY and do better and blog more than once a month. There is A TON more I want to write in detail about, but I'm thinking this entry is long enough and I'm thankful you've stuck with it. Enjoy the pics!! You should be proud, it's not NEARLY as long as it could have been being as it's covering 2 months instead of just one.

My Conviction

2010-11-03T19:03:00.000-05:00

I received the following email today that got me thinking.

Subject: When do I quit worrying about my kids??
Answer: Until I hear God say to me, "Welcome home".

WORRY
Is there an imaginary cutoff period when
offspring become accountable
for their own actions?
Is there some wonderful moment when
parents can become detached spectators in
the lives of their children and shrug,
'It's Their life,' and feel nothing?

When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor
waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my daughter's
head and I asked, 'When do you stop worrying?'
The nurse said, 'When they get out of the accident stage..'
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a
classroom and heard how one of my children talked
incessantly, disrupted the class,and was headed for a
career making license plates.
As if to read my mind, a teacher said, 'Don't worry,
they all go through this stage and then you can sit back,
relax and enjoy them.'
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting
for the phone to ring, the cars to come home,
the front door to open. A friend said,
'They're trying to find themselves. Don't worry!
In a few years, they'll be adults. They'll be off on their own
they'll be out of your hair' My Parents just smiled faintly
And said nothing.

By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being vulnerable.
I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle..
Even though they were on their own I continued to anguish over their failures, be tormented by their frustrations and absorbed in their disappointments..and there was nothing I could do about it.
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.

My friends said that when my kids got married
I could stop worrying and lead my own life.
I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my parent's
warm smiles and their occasional, 'You look pale. Are you
all right' ?'Call me the minute you get home'. 'Are you
depressed about something?'

My friends said that when I became a grandparent
that I would get to enjoy the happy little voices yelling
Grandma! Papa!
But now I find that I worry just as much about the little kids
as the big ones. How can anyone cope with all this Worry?

Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry?
Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to
blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown?
Is concern a curse or is it a virtue that elevates us
to the highest form of earthly creation?

Recently, one of my own children became quite irritable,
saying to me,'Where were you? I've been calling for 3 days,
and no one answered I was worried.'
I smiled a warm smile.
The torch has been passed.

PASS IT ON TO OTHER WONDERFUL PARENTS
(And also to your children... That's the fun part)

First of all, my intention is not at all meant to disrespect the author of this email. I understand the sentiment of it as I’m sure all parents would. I just became deeply convicted about the subject of worry and how it can affect my life and the life of my family.

Is the torch of worry really something I want to pass onto my children? Is that a habit that I want to model? In looking through the scriptures I found several verses that REALLY spoke to me. The first is one I know we’ve all heard time and time again….

Matthew 6:33-34 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

I remember reading this verse over and over again growing up. Do not worry… do not worry… do not worry… Easier said than done, I always said!! Of course I’m going to worry! I live in this world don’t I? Have you read the newspaper? Read the news? Lived my life?? Especially now; Just like the email said, I’m a Mom, I TEND TO WORRY MORE!...but the scriptures say “DO NOT WORRY”. That’s hard to do. I have a son that has Long QT Syndrome. A condition that has NO symptoms, yet could potentially take his life at any moment. So do I worry?? YES!! But what kind of life is that for me or Jake if my days are filled with worry, stress and fear? I can’t live my life in fear and worry.

2 Timothy 1:6-8 tells us: 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Okay, so God doesn’t want me to walk in fear. He wants me to walk in complete peace, love and a sound mind. HOW do I do that? The ONLY way I can do that is THROUGH HIM. I have to draw all my strength through KNOWING Christ (reading/studying scripture, going to church, surrounding myself with other believers). I can’t trust someone I don’t first know. Because I KNOW my God and I KNOW His ways are higher than mine, I can have peace in that. Does that mean it’s all peachy all the time? No! The scriptures also tell us that we will face trials of many kinds… and even then we’re supposed to be joyful!!

James 1: 2-3 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Testing of my faith. I walk that day in and day out. I have to have faith that God has a plan for Jake. (We believe it is complete healing of his heart) Through this daily “testing” my faith grows as does my relationship with the Lord. I want to persevere, not just survive or go through the motions. I want to live with joy and peace! Through Christ I can do that!

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Now THAT is that kind of peace I want to have. The peace that passes ALL UNDERSTANDING!! How do I live day to day knowing that the slightest scare or the wrong cold medicine could send my son into cardiac arrest? BY PRAYER AND PETITION & WITH THANKSGIVING. Thanksgiving that I have another day with my son. Thanksgiving that I HAVE a son. Thanksgiving that I have a savior that LOVES ME and calls me His own. Thankful that I have assurance of my salvation. Thankful that I’m raising my son in a way that he too will know the love of our Savior and will go to live with Him one day in eternity. It’s a DAILY act to take my thoughts captive and cast my cares on HIM. Only GOD can give me that kind of peace.

Here is the way it’s put in The Message Bible
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
There is the answer. Only CHRIST can displace worry at the center of your life!! ONLY CHRIST!!

1 Peter 5:6-8
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

For so many of us, including me, that “lion” is worry. Worry can devour us soooooo easily. It can consume us!! So we must always stay alert and close with our Savior, Our Shepherd. The sheep know their shepherd by His voice. I can’t follow the lead of my Shepherd if I don’t know the sound of His voice. And I can’t know His voice if I don’t spend time with Him daily, in His word and in prayer. I must humble myself daily under My Father’s Mighty Hand. I KNOW that He cares for me and that He cares for Jake. I know that He has mighty plans for my son! They are plans to prosper Him and NOT to harm him. (Jer. 29:11) Does that promise a long and prosperous life for him (or any of us) and a life of ease?? Absolutely Not, but it does promise us a life FULL of HIM!!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to pretend to understand it all. No one does. I will never understand why “bad things happen to good people”. I’ll never understand why some prayers are answered on this side of heaven while others are not. I will not pretend to understand why there are children and families that suffer even after begging and pleading with God; Families that are serving God with their lives. All I do know is that His ways are higher than mine. That he works ALL things together for the Good of those who love Him.
So…. Do I worry?? ABSOLUTELY!!! Do I want to lead a life of worry?? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! I want to teach Jake that beyond Mommy and Daddy there is a Heavenly Father that holds his precious life. A Father that knows him better than we do. A Father that cherishes him more than we ever can imagine. A Father that DOES have a plan for him and a Father he can TRUST. THAT is the torch I want to pass on. I want Jake to see that when Mommy starts to worry about something, she prays and asks God to help her take those thoughts captive and place the life/situation/person in His hands.

This is a cute email, and yes it has some “truth” in it about the difficulties of being a parent. It’s not easy. You want the best for your child. You don’t want them to hurt, or go hungry, or make bad decisions. You want to always know that they are okay. You want to know that they are tucked in safe and warm at night. BUT these thoughts cannot consume you!! When they do, the enemy is getting a foothold in your life and will TORMENT you as long as you allow it. Deceit is his FAVORITE weapon. He will allow us to take our thoughts and RUN. He doesn’t even have to do anything. We will do all his work for him when we let worry run amuck within us. “What if… What if… What if… Suddenly we are allowing those what if’s to become absolutes. We now have convinced ourselves (while the enemy sits by and applauds our efforts) that our husband is in a ditch on the side of the road when he’s not home when we expect him to be. When really he got held up unexpectedly at the office and had forgotten to turn his ringer back on after an important meeting with the boss. When we worry we create these false “realities” that the enemy uses against us. You see, satan doesn’t want us to live with a peace that passes all understanding. He wants us to live a life of torment, of worry and of fear.
Praise God that through the atoning blood of our Savior Jesus Christ that is NOT the life we have to live. I’ve read the end of the book and SATAN LOOSES. CHRIST IS VICTORIOUS. Through Christ we can have victory over our thoughts, worries and fears. THANK YOU JESUS!!
What I plan to do is, Train him (Jake) up in the way he should go and when he is older he will not depart from it…. Prov. 22:6.
THAT is the torch I intend to pass along to my children!! I hope you are encouraged and will pass THIS along to others. Let’s raise up the next generation under the nurture and admonition of THE LORD…… not worry and fear.

12 Months Part II

2010-11-01T07:22:00.005-05:00

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY........ There you have it!! That is our life!! Mr. Jake-Man is in CONSTANT motion these days and keeps us moving. Sorry it took so long to get Part II up and posted. Hope you enjoy the pics. 13 months will be here before we know it!!

A MUST SEE!!

2010-10-25T20:09:00.000-05:00

So the Nuzum clan is working on becoming famous for JESUS!! They have created a video for a contest their church is doing. This video is worth every second!! I LOVE MY NEPHEWS AND NIECES!

The winners of the contest are chosen by the video that gets the most views, so pass this along to as many people as you know!! I'll be streaming it all day :o)

TWELVE MONTHS!!! - Part 1

2010-10-18T20:08:00.001-05:00

I can't even bring myself to title the blog.... *gulp*.........ONE YEAR....
Where has the time gone? SOOOOOO much has happened the last month. It's like Jake is a whole new baby. Of course I can no longer call him my baby.... though he will ALWAYS BE MY BABY... but technically he's now my toddler. Yep, he's WALKING!! He grows more and more confident every day. He walked today more than I've ever seen him walk. I think crawling is definitely on the way out. I'm not really ready for that fact, but I guess I don't have much of a choice.
J-Man is at such a fun age. He brings me so much joy each and every day. He has learned more signs and is VERY good at communicating his wants/needs. He has signs for more, music, cereal, water, milk, eat, up, out, all done, cookie, work, outside, car, shoes, ball, bird, airplane, orange, please, and thank you. Of course my favorite thing he does is raise his hands to "Praise Jesus" when we turn on worship music. If he doesn't have a sign for something he wants, he will come up with one or just start going through the ones he knows until I figure out what he's trying to say. As far as verbal speech goes, he still just babbles. He can say Momma, and Dada, but I still don't think he attaches meaning to it when he says it, but he does know who his Mommy and Daddy are. He gets so excited when I tell him we're going to see Daddy at work, or we're going to meet Daddy for lunch. He immediately starts saying, "Dada Dada Dada...."
He is starting to follow simple directions. I can point and say, "Hand Mommy your shoe" and he can do it. We're working on putting his toys away. He's getting better at that. He'll put a toy in his toy box and then clap for himself, SO CUTE!!

So for his actual birthday we were in Charlotte, NC visiting family. We got to meet the newest addition to the family, Erin Rene Nuzum. She was born Sep. 19th, weighing in at 8 1/2 lbs. It was so much fun having all the cousins together to celebrate. Jake had so much fun. He mastered stairs in no time at all. Of course when I say he mastered the stairs, he mastered going up... he needed LOTS of help going down. We had to blockade the stairs at times b/c that's all he wanted to do, was go up and down, up and down, up and down. He did really well with Erin, and didn't seem to mind when Mommy or Daddy were holding her. Probably because he was so entertained by his other cousins, Josh-7 1/2, Caleb-4, and Ella-2. I hate that we all live so far away. The cousins have so much fun together!! While there Jake had his first hair "cut", first taste of birthday cake, first Jr. ice cream cone, and enjoyed swinging outside with Ella. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I'll be posting again soon (hopefully) with pictures of his Lubbock birthday party, and pics from the last month. Until then, enjoy the NC pics.

The Difference A Year Makes

2010-10-02T17:15:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to show how our boys has grown in a year!! I can't believe he's going to be ONE YEAR OLD next week!!
HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!!

11 Months.....REALLY?!?!

2010-09-09T09:47:00.008-05:00

I can't believe the time has come for me to start thinking about my babies ONE YEAR birthday!! My heart melts to think that my next post will include pictures from his first birthday and thoughts on my first year as a Mommy! This has been an AMAZING year of challenges and blessings beyond what I could have thought or imagined.... I guess I'll get into that more next month. As for now, I'll focus on the past month.

WOW... our little boy has GROWN UP fast!! He is more fun than ever these days. Active, monkey, full of life, happy, tender-hearted, determined, smart, loving, and adventurous are words that come to mind. I am in awe day after day that the Lord blessed us with such a priceless gift. I have to say the 4 1/2 year wait has been worth it (which I knew in the midst of the waiting that it would be..... just had a hard time convincing my heart), and I would do it all over again to have my Jake-Man!! I am blessed by him each and every day. I can see every day how The Lord looks at us as His children. How He doesn't want to see us hurt. How He loves us unconditionally. How He allows us to walk through tough times so we are stronger on the other end. The parallels have become so much more evident. I also find myself laughing at how many times The Lord has slapped my hand and said, "No touch", yet again and again I go back. I wonder how many times he has said, "Don't do that or you'll get hurt...".... and again I don't listen.. and get hurt. I am so glad that my heavenly Father loves me so much and that He has given us the gift of children to help us understand His Love for us. What a GIFT!!

So onto what my gift has been up to these days. He is WALKING! Well, when HE wants to that is. It has to be HIS idea. He took FIVE controlled steps just tonight. He gets a little braver each day. He is at his bravest in his crib, which has by the way, become his favorite place to play. He will stand and attempt to walk more in his crib than anywhere else. I guess he likes the comfort of the soft landing. He's so cute. He will hold onto the rail, then suddenly throw his hands up in the air, stand there for a bit and then either decide to take a few steps, or just throw himself forward. He squeals with delight, and laughter fills his room. I LOVE IT! He is such a monkey!! He is our climber for sure. I am soooo scared that some day soon I will hear a thud through the monitor and it will be Jake climbing out of his crib. He already tries from time to time. You can barely hold him without him trying to climb over your shoulder to reach what's behind you or above your head (mainly light/fan pulls). He's already had one mishap with the bar stool falling on him b/c he was trying to climb it. I know that is only one of MANY bumps and bruises that are to come. He doesn't hold on to much of anything without his little feet searching for higher ground. Oh and jumping... he NEVER just stands still. If he is standing and holding onto something.. he is jumping. He will actually get some height every now and then and surprise himself. LOTS OF ENERGY... that's my little man!!!

He is eating more and more... and more... and more... and more these days. Do you get that he's eating... and eating.. and eating?!?! There isn't much he turns down anymore. He pretty much eats what we do. He has two teeth on the bottom and four on top. He can tear things up with those teeth!! Mommy has broken some of the "eating rules" when it comes to infants, but so far, so good. He hasn't had any allergy problems yet. He will eat either a bagel, toast, eggs, or oatmeal and always a banana for breakfast. He eats a sandwich complete with avocado and cheese, cottage cheese, fruit (grapes are his FAVORITE), veggies of some sort, and maybe an animal cookie for dessert. Dinner is usually whatever we are eating. I must say, having him eat along with us has made me MUCH more conscious of what I cook. He is a GREAT eater. I'm soooo glad that he doesn't seem to be picky. (I know that can change any day though) For now I'm enjoying it! He still just drinks water with his meals. I figure no need to introduce the fruit juices if he's doing good at eating the fruit itself, and he is GREAT at drinking his water. He is also still nursing 4 times a day (breakfast/lunch/dinner/bedtime) I guess I'll be starting the weening process soon... doesn't look like it will be too difficult though. He'll give up the lunch and dinner feedings pretty easily.... he already does some days. The morning and bedtime will be a little more of a challenge. But I don't mind holding onto those for a little longer.

Other than eating he is learning every day. I love to see the little lights come on each day. He is using sign language more and more. He can sign milk, more, grapes, want, please, thank you, eat, water, phone, and ball. Yes, some of them look the same, but in context I know which one he is meaning. He will also shake his head after he takes a bite to say "Mmmm Mmmm" adorable!! Oh... he is FINALLY clapping too. He just started that last week, YAY! He will show how a fish goes and what an elephant says. It's sooo cute. I'll try and remember to post a video.

He is so curious about everything. He never wants to just jump right out of his car seat, high chair or stroller because he would rather sit and look at the buckles/latches and try to figure out how they work. He will turn his cars upside down and watch the wheels turn. He is in that stage of dropping things to see what they sound like when they hit the ground.... and to see if anyone will pick it back up for him. He likes to turn knobs and push buttons to see what they do. He is starting to show preference when we are reading books. If he doesn't want the one we choose, he will let us know, and will usually reach for the one he wants. If there is a new noise, he's checking it out. If there is a new person he is studying them. He's not a huge fan of "strangers" but is beginning to warm up faster when he is around them.

Jake still LOVES being outside. He enjoys going on walks either in his stroller or on his push car. He laughs and giggles in his swing, he explores the grass, trees, flowers, rocks, bugs, whatever he can get his hands on... and tries to taste many of them too. When we can or I guess I should say when we get the opportunity he enjoys being in a big swimming pool. He will kick his little legs and splash with delight. Oh how I wish I had his energy!!!

He is still a great sleeper. He goes to bed each night around 7:00 and sleeps until 6:30/45.... just like his Mommy USE to do. I've been told over and over again that I was an EARLY riser. Nothing my parents did would get me to sleep past 6:00. So needless to say I'm happy with 6:30/45. He still takes two naps during the day and wakes up playing. So much fun!!
I could honestly go on and on about our Little Man and how wonderful it is to have him in our lives. About how much joy he brings to me each and every day, about the blessing he is to be around. About the amazing young man he is going to grow up to be. About how I LOVE MY LIFE!!
Enjoy the pics of our little handsome man......

Apple Orchard

2010-09-01T17:18:00.000-05:00

Jake LOVES his apples!! Grammie and Granddad came for a visit and we decided to take a trip out to the apple orchard to eat some yummy BBQ and pick some fresh apples. YUMMMMMY!! We had a lot of fun. Jake really enjoyed the trip. I think he might have out eaten us all. He had a little off of every one's plates; brisket, pinto beans, pinto beans and more pinto beans, potato salad, fresh fruit, and cottage cheese. Pretty much as long as there is food on the table, Jake is ready to eat. We are in serious trouble when this boy is a teenager if he keeps eating the way he does!
So after lunch we headed out into the orchard for some apple pickin'. If you have never had an apple straight off the tree, you are missing out!! You will have a hard time ever going back to store bought apples. We picked a lot of apples and bought a couple of jars of their apple butter and sweet potato butter. Mmmmmmm...!!!!!
We gave Jake an apple fresh from the tree to hold. He played with it the entire time. It wasn't until we headed home that he realized that this "red ball" tasted pretty good. He WENT TO TOWN on that apple. It was amazing how he was able to eat that apple with his 5 teeth (two on the bottom and three on the top). We did keep a close eye to make sure he didn't get off any big pieces.
All in all we had a great time and ended up with some Yummy (healthy) homemade apple bread when we got home!

Learning More and More

2010-08-18T09:47:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to show you some new things that Jake-Man has learned the past two days. He has been signing "milk" for a while, but just started signing "More, Please". Then after breakfast this morning he up and started pushing his push toy across the room. He thinks it's pretty funny. These videos are from my phone so not the greatest quality. I'll have to video him with the real camera later. Enjoy!!

Terrific 10 Months!!!

2010-08-08T21:09:00.012-05:00

Ten Terrific Months.... WOW!! Jake is SO MUCH FUN to be around. He is always smiling, talking, making raspberry sounds, laughing, giving kisses and crawling EVERYWHERE! The boy could TOTALLY stand and walk IF he wanted to. I think he's going to be one of those that will walk when HE wants to. Every now and then we will catch him standing alone and once or twice he has taken a step or two towards us. Those times are HIS idea. If we want him to stand he just goes spaghetti legs on us. Silly Boy!!

We stayed home this month, so no trips or exciting journeys to talk about. Jake did have his first little cold :o( It was VERY SAD. Though I think it was harder on Mommy and Daddy than it was Jake. He had a fever of about 100.8 and a runny nose. I guess it could have been from teething... not sure. He has FOUR teeth trying to come in on the top. Each day I think SURELY they have broken through... but nope. We are still waiting.

Only having two teeth on the bottom hasn't slowed him down any in the eating department. He is eating more and more regular food. Hopefully Mom is through making the baby foods... though he does seem to eat his pureed veggies better than chopped up. We'll see. For breakfast these days he'll have either his oatmeal, a bagel, a pancake, or some toast and ALWAYS some fruit to go along with it. He is now our banana eater, he likes apple and pear sauce, cantaloupe, watermelon and peaches.
Lunch/Dinner is a ham and cheese sandwich (toasted or plain), chicken/cheese quesadilla , Mom & Dad left overs from dinner the night before (his favorite so far has been shredded BBQ chicken), ham or turkey lunch meat, some veggies and of course fruit. He is a GREAT eater!! He will pretty much eat until we take him out of the high chair. He's still drinking just water. Mommy figures he has no idea what he is missing if I don't give him juice yet. As long as he'll keep drinking water, that's what he'll get.

He still LOVES being outdoors. All the window blinds are always open and pulled back so he can see whats going on outside. He doesn't like it if anyone goes outside without him. That is one of the few times he will protest. We try and go out at least once a day. When we started going out, he would stay in the shade on the blanket with Mommy. Then he ventured off the blanket, but stayed on the grass. Of course it wasn't much longer until he was off the grass and onto the sidewalk. Then.... well, now there is no limit as to how far he will travel. He likes to cross the neighbors drive way and take off through their yard. They have big pots that use to have little trees in them that are now just filled with dirt. Yep... loves the dirt. That's my boy. G was convinced that if I would let him eat dirt just once, surely he wouldn't want to do it again.... HAHAHAHAHA.... yeah, right!!

We still have a play date once a week with our friends, Zoe, Caleb and Ellie. It's fun to see them together, especially as the little ones are getting bigger and becoming mobile. Jake enjoys being around other kids. He has started going to the nursery on Sunday's and does great!! They love that he will sit and roll a ball with them. He has such a fun little personality. It shows everyday in "the many faces of Jake". I've been told I did the same thing when I was a baby. You point a camera at Jake and he will start making the silliest faces. I love it!! It makes me laugh every time. You will see a short montage of his faces in the slide show.

It is so fun to watch him as he explores new things. You can see the gears turning in that head of his. He is very observant and aware of his surroundings. He is learning his boundaries, but is getting so good at obeying and understanding the word no.

Books are his FAVORITE!! That is pretty much the only time he sits still. He will surround himself with books and go through each one. He likes the rhythm of some as you read them. He'll bounce up and down and smile. He also has a few favorite books, Good Night Moon and I Love You Through and Through. He will kiss the faces on the different pages. Such a sweet boy! Of course he has his rough boy side too. Him and Daddy will do head bonks, and "wrestle" on the floor... which mainly consists of Jake crawling all over him. I love to watch them play together as their bond grows stronger and stronger as Daddy and Son. Of course the other "boy characteristic" that Jake has is he loves to streak through the house before bath time. He squeals and takes off. It makes me laugh every time. Then bath time... oh my how he loves his bath time. Him and Daddy are so silly together. They make funny noises, splash around and laugh A LOT!! Before bedtime they play. They fly around the room together, bounce from wall to wall, Jake gets tossed in the air and the room fills with giggles... music to a Mommy's ears!! I love the routines that have developed over these last few months. I love being a family of 3!!

We are a family that has been bless above and beyond what we could have ever asked or imagined. Sure we have the LQTS looming around... but really, it's an after thought. We know that The Lord holds us in the palm of His hand and has AMAZING plans for us. We know that He is already working in Jake and molding him to be an important part of His Kingdom here on earth. G and I pray daily that we will walk the way the Lord wants us to go and that we will be open to His guidance as we help Jake grow in his knowledge of Jesus. It is so easy to become overwhelmed at the amazing responsibility we have in raising Jake, but we know that as long as we keep OUR eyes fixed on God, He will guide us and equip us for each new day. I can't even think of where we would be without our relationship with our Heavenly Father. How great it is that we can go to Him daily for guidance, support, love, encouragement, and direction. Thank you, Jesus for all our many blessings!!

If you want to hear some great laughter, click below...

Miller Family Update.....

2010-07-30T11:25:00.000-05:00

So it's been awhile since we've posted anything about the goings on with us as a family. (I know, not NEARLY as exciting as the goings on of Jake-Man.... don't worry... I'm sure he'll be mentioned) Anyway, I thought I would bring everyone up to date with the whole Long QT situation. There's not a whole lot to tell. Jake is still going to the cardiologist every 3 months or so. This is mainly to keep his medication dose correct, they have to change it as he gains weight. He is oblivious to his "condition". As soon as this LQTS was brought to our attention we made a decision that we WILL NOT live in fear. "For God does not give us a spirit of fear..." we will live in complete confidence and freedom knowing that God IS in control and he IS healer!! We really consider all of this a blessing. LQTS is often NOT diagnosed until it's too late... yes.. too late meaning you have met your expiration date. We believe this is the Lords hand at work in our family. He is increasing our faith day by day. He is strengthening our dependence on Him. He is causing us to walk closer as a family. Who wouldn't be blessed by that??
I guess I do need to add that I too (Wendy) have been diagnosed with the LQTS. It seems I'm the nice parent that shared this gene with Jake... nice.. I know. Through two stress tests, 4 EKG's, two doctors and now medication, we are seeing over and over again the Lords protection over my life these last 32 years. After seeing my EKG's it's nothing short of a miracle that I made it through 10 years of gymnastics, Karate, week long backpacking trips, marching band, zip lines etc and NOT ONCE had an "episode". I'm glad our God is sooo much bigger than any gene or syndrome. His ways ARE higher!!
Some have been asking how other kids play into this. Yes, we do want to have another baby.... not soon, but eventually. This is something we will just add to the list of prayer requests. This gene is like any other and has a 50/50 chance of being passed on to another child. The good news is that this "condition" doesn't get worse or change from person to person. It is what it is. Of course we pray our other child(ren) won't have to deal with it at all.... please join us even now in praying about that... As far as pregnancy goes, I found out just today that it's not a problem. The concern with beta blockers and pregnancy is low birth weight babies. Well, as we all know with Jake weighing in at 9lbs 1oz, the beta blockers may just give me an "average" weight baby. When I do get pregnant, if it seems that the beta blockers are causing "issues" with the baby there is a "vest" I can wear which is basically an external defibrillator.
All in all, we are doing really well. Jake man is grown like crazy and eats like a boy for sure!! I love being a stay at home Mommy and we couldn't be more blessed by Gerald's job. I can't say enough about the office he works at. They have been more than understanding and supportive through all of this. Not once have they even given a second look at the time he's had to take off to go with me to countless cardiologist appointments etc. I can't put into words what it means as a Mom and Wife to know that my husband is SO LOVED and PRAYED FOR, at his job. The love they have shown our family is a living working example of Christ and His family!! Thank You Coldwell Banker, Lubbock!! I am soooo blessed by you!!!
So there is the update for now... Jake-Man just woke from his morning nap, so off I go!! TEN MONTH update will be coming soon!!!! CRAZY!!!!!

Nine Months!!!

2010-07-08T20:54:00.014-05:00

Well, here I sit again AMAZED at the fact that yet ANOTHER month has gone by. Our boy is NINE MONTHS OLD!! He is one busy boy, that's for sure. I'm not sure where to begin...
-He is ON THE MOVE!! Crawling all over the place, exploring new rooms, new flooring, new nooks and crannies. I thought the house was pretty well child-proof until Jake took it upon himself to prove to me otherwise.
-Jake has many toys, but would rather play with the doggie door, television and receiver, Joey's cage, kitchen chairs, drawers, doors and shoes. He keeps me busy, that's for sure.
-He is pulling up and at times you can catch him practically standing on his own. I have a feeling he will be walking sooner than later.
-He is still our SUPER eater. He opens WIDE with every bite. He really hasn't turned much down. Still not a fan of Avocado unless it's mixed with other food. He likes bananas, but they have to be mashed up. Any time I try and give him a bite, he gags and shudders... its kinda cute... the shudder, not the gag.
-He is going to bed between 6:30 and 7:00 after his bath and nightly streaking through the house. The boy loves to be naked, silly boy. He sleeps all night -YAY!!!!- and wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00 (His Mommy was an early riser when she was a baby... so I guess I have myself to thank for Jake's early schedule) I don't mind though, I LOVE my mornings with my boy.
-He takes two naps during the day and is a happy boy as always.
-Oh, and he has started giving kisses... they may be slobbery and wet, but this Mommy doesn't mind. Bring on the drool... which there is A LOT of these days.
-He has two teeth, but I'm pretty sure he's working on more. That boy is a drool machine.
-This summer we started going to Kindermusic at a place here in Lubbock called Joyful Noise Music Studio. Though it was a WORKOUT for Mom, we both had a GREAT time. Jake really enjoyed being around the other kids. Needless to say he wasn't the one to sit nicely in Mommy's lap while doing finger plays and movement.. he moved from friend to friend.

We spent time visiting friends and family in Dallas recently. Jake had several "firsts" while we were there. He started "dancing" to music. (I'll post a short video, but it's not his best moves. I can't seem to catch those on camera), he had cantaloupe, watermelon, and cheerios for the first time. He got to swim in a big pool, and got to meet Dax, his cousin. Or really his second cousin,or maybe he's Jake's 3rd cousin?? Anyway, he's my cousins little boy... whatever that is. (Dax is the other precious boy with the BLUE eyes in the slide show). Jake learned all about his "East Texas folk". He joined in on the conversation with all the men at the table. He also got to "play in the rain" out on Grammie and Grandad's balcony, it didn't phase him ONE BIT.

Jake LOVES to be outside whenever possible. His FAVORITE thing to do at Grammie and Grandad's is stand out on their balcony and watch the cars go by. We've started taking walks every morning (when it's not raining) and he watches every car that passes.
Jake has also started to follow Daddy every where. He LOVES to watch Daddy get ready in the mornings. As soon as he hears Daddy get out of the shower he is off to go visit. It's so precious. I think Daddy likes the time too. Of course, what Daddy DOESN'T like is the fact that Jake is starting to notice when he leaves. This morning was the first morning that Jake fussed when Daddy left. :o( Poor guy, he LOVES his Daddy!!

We haven't had Jake's 9 month appointment yet, so I'm not sure his height and weight. I'll let you know when we find out. I hope you have enjoyed this little update. I KNOW there are things I'm forgetting, but this will have to do for now. I'll add more as I remember. Enjoy the slide show and videos.

** A note from Jake ** In a few of the pictures, it looks like I'm wearing "leggings"... I'M NOT!! Mommy puts them on me so my knees don't get scratched up and itchy in the grass. They're called baby legs... and though, not SUPER fashionable on me, I LIKE 'EM!! They also make it so I can crawl on the cement sidewalk and not get scratched up. Okay, just wanted to pass that info along. Enjoy my cool moves!!

*Update*
So just got back from Jake's 9 month appointment. His doctor said he looks like he's about 14 months old. Yep, that's our TALL and SKINNY boy.
19 3/4 lbs - 40th percentile
29 1/2" tall - 80th percentile
He did have to get a blood draw done :o( DID NOT enjoy that. G went with us, so I was mean and made him hold Jake while they did it. I think Jake could have shattered glass with his screams. HEART BREAKING!!! Glad its done and over with now.
All in All he is our HEALTHY boy!!

The Many Faces of Jake

2010-06-24T22:38:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share with you all of Jake's faces that we get to see everyday. Hope it brings a smile to your face.

TWO teeth.... and a giggle...

2010-06-22T19:36:00.004-05:00

So just as soon as tooth #1 broke through, tooth#2 started its journey to the surface. We now have TWO teeth! He has handled the process like a pro. We've been giving him Tylenol, but I think it's more for Mom and Dad's peace of mind than for Jake-Man. His FAVORITE things to teeth on are the food feeder with apples and celery. He's such a cutie!!

These pictures were taken when Jake was laughing at Daddy. The video is a little shakey, but it's worth it to hear Jake's giggle. Enjoy...

Jake is on the cover!!

2010-06-18T20:28:00.005-05:00

So Merry Miller's (Jake's Aunt) Classical Baby CD is out and JAKE IS ON THE COVER!! How many Mom's can say that?? They'll be in Mardel Christian Stores and others soon. Go Check it out here....
http://www.babymusictogo.com/music.php

Ahhhhhh....... THAT'S OUR BOY!!!!!!!!!!

WE HAVE A TOOTH!!

2010-06-16T18:49:00.005-05:00

So at the ripe old age of 8 months, 1 week, and 1 day old, Jake finally had a tooth break through. You have to look REALLY close, but it's there! Bottom right. These were taken yesterday, so it's through more today. Couldn't get any shots today, but don't worry, I'll keep trying!!...... I know you will be waiting on pins and needles!

So since we have a tooth, we got to try some puffs... Yummy.... and then a video of how he eats. It's hilarious!!

Crawling and Talking and Eating, OH MY!

2010-06-02T21:13:00.015-05:00

So our boy is growing faster and FASTER!! He is definitely on the move. He enjoys being mobile. He can crawl, but still mostly prefers the army crawl... it gets him to where he's going faster. He is already pulling up on toys, mom and dad, furniture, pretty much anything stable. I walked in yesterday to find him standing up in his crib. Needless to say we lowered the mattress that night.

He is still sleeping through the night, though waking to grunt around every so often. He now sleeps every which way. His head will be at one end one minute and the other end the next. He's now to the point where he can fall asleep on his back, tummy, side, however he lands. He mostly likes to have his head in the corner of the crib.

He is still between two and three naps. We thought he was ready to drop the 3rd nap, but about a week in he started waking up at night again. Once we re-instated the 3rd nap he went back to sleeping through the night. I think he'll probably drop it for good in the next month or so. I REALLY enjoyed the week w/o it, though it was harder to get dinner done... especially now that he's mobile.

Jake LOVES his food. He ate EVERYTHING at first without any refusals. As we've started introducing fruit, he's decided he doesn't like Avacado. Silly boy! This sneaky Mommy can sneak it in with other veggies though and he'll eat it up. He's had, rice cereal, green beans, green peas, zucchini squash, yellow squash, avocado, carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash, apples and pears. He's become a pro at drinking out of his sippy cup. Just this week he started to tip it up by himself. It's so fun having him eat with us at our meals. He STILL has NO TEETH, so no table food yet. I keep thinking they HAVE to be coming in b/c he'll drool all over everything and EVERYTHING goes in his mouth... including my fingers. (Though from a nursing perspective, I guess I should be thankful that he still has no teeth)

We made our first trip to Dallas this past weekend. It was our first long car ride since Christmas. He did great. It was easier breaking it up on the way there than taking the trip in one fell swoop on the way back. We made a stop in Abilene Fri night and then drove the rest of the way in on Sat. Drove back to Lubbock on Monday. Jake got to see A LOT of family. He did AWESOME!! He slept much better in the pack-n-play than I expected him to. He did well with all the new faces and quickly warmed up. He wasn't sure what to think about the wood floors. I think he missed having carpet to crawl around on. He pretty much stayed stationary on the wood.... hmmm.. maybe we should install wood floors... Just kidding.

I just can't believe that our baby is 8 MONTHS OLD!! It just doesn't seem possible. He is such a FUN boy. I LOVE being a stay at home Mommy. We just bought a pool for the backyard and we enjoy using it almost daily. Jake likes spashing around in it and has even put his face in the water a few times. His favorite thing to do these days is sit out in the front yard under the shade tree (yes, we have some of those in Lubbock) and watch the cars go by. Some enjoy people watching, Jake enjoys car watching. He also likes it when we walk across the street to visit the horses.

I guess that's about all for now. Jake is growing and changing more every day. Each new stage is SO MUCH FUN... though exhausting :o)

There were a few things that Jake wanted in the blog that didn't make it..... so here, I'll just let him tell you what they were.

Did you catch all that?? Important stuff!!

Well, here's the slide show for the month... ENJOY!! He's sooooo stinkin' cute!!

Veggies, Veggies! Yummy, Yummy!

2010-05-19T09:12:00.005-05:00

So J man has started eating food. He's taken to the spoon like a champ. I'm so proud of him. He has taken to every new food with no problem. He LOVES his meals in the highchair. If you don't have that food ready when you put him in the chair, you had better be ready for a protest. He grows very impatient waiting for his veggies. He is pretty sure he's going to starve. Of course he still stares longingly at our food, but sorry kiddo... you gotta get some teeth... not to mention we have several other foods to introduce before we can start snacking off of Mommy and Daddy's plates. So far he has had green beans, peas, avocado and of course rice cereal. He likes it all, but LOVES the avocado. I look forward to each new food we introduce. I just hope I can stay on top of making it. This boy just may eat us out of house and home by age 1.

Seven Months!!

2010-05-09T20:53:00.015-05:00

I can't believe it's been seven months since sweet Jake entered our lives!! I must say it's been the best, most rewarding, blessed, challenging, entertaining, exhausting, humorous, fantastic, adventurous seven months of my life. Jake makes me laugh every day. His little personality is so laid back. He's got great facial expressions and the sweetest demeanor. He very rarely gets upset about anything. His little laugh is contagious. Oh my, I could go on and on.

Before I go into all that Jake is doing, I want to celebrate what the Lord is doing. Jake had yet ANOTHER NORMAL EKG!! We totally believe Jake is being healed from his Long QT Syndrome. One day we believe we'll receive a word from the Lord to get Jake retested. That's the only way to get him cleared from this "diagnosis". He can have all the normal EKG's, but since this is a genetic disorder, it's not something you "get over". So the doctors won't dismiss him unless we prove to them one day that he does NOT have Long QT Syndrome any longer. Oh the celebration that will take place that day!! So that said, I'll fill you in on all the other fun things that Jake is doing..

So in the last month he has...

Started sitting up on his own (he did this 2 days after his 6 month birthday).
Rolling over, back to front and front to back, with much greater ease.
Switched into a big boy car seat; no more carrier.
He still enjoys the jumperoo and jump-n-jive, he really goes to town.
He loves looking at his name banner in his room that hangs above his changing table. Any time you change his diaper you have to let him look at his name before you leave the room. We point to each letter. He's going to be the youngest kiddo to learn to spell his name.
He reaches for G and I when he wants us to hold him.... I LOVE that.
He "talks" a lot. He has many sounds in his repertoire. Hi, Bup, Up, Bu, Mmmm, Mmba, Ba... of course notice no where in his repertoire is there a Mama or Dada. We're working on it.
He is starting to realize that he has control over his body. He sits and watches his hand while he opens and closes it.
He blows raspberries on anything he can get his mouth on. Mirrors, toys, arms, faces, if he can get his mouth on it, it gets a raspberry.
He can still squeal with the best of 'em.
He thinks Joey is pretty funny. If Joey is in the room, Jake is watching him.
He likes being outside.
He will grab your face, one hand on each cheek and try to "kiss" your nose. Hahaha
He is still chewing and drooling on EVERYTHING... but still no teeth!!!
Lastly... ONE day before his 7 month birthday... he started crawling!!! Well, almost. Let's just say he can get across the room if he wants. He either gets up on all four and lunges forward, or army crawls to his destination. His stationary days are pretty much over.

I LOVE BEING JAKE'S MOMMY... AND GERALD LOVES BEING JAKE'S DADDY!!! This has been so much fun!! Each day is a new journey and a new adventure. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our boy!!

Enjoy the pictures!! The pictures of Jake in the bow tie and conductors wand were taken for the cover of his Aunt Merry's Classical Baby CD. You can find some of Merry's CD's in Mardel. We'll let you know when Classical Baby with Jake on the cover hits the shelves. How fun is that!!

A Little More Progress....

2010-05-07T23:12:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness... I think my mornings of drinking coffee while watching Jake play stationary in the floor are fleeting.

Moving forward....

2010-04-28T18:54:00.002-05:00

Jake is on the move.... well, almost. He is working so hard on crawling. I'm not sure I should push it. It's kind of nice to walk out of the room and know he'll be in generally the same spot when I get back. Anyway, here is his little progress...

Movin' on up..

2010-04-25T09:12:00.005-05:00

So our not so little baby has moved out of the carrier and into a big kid car seat. He was just getting WAY too heavy to keep carrying around in that carrier. Not to mention his little head was getting a little to close to the top. He seems to enjoy his new seat. Where did my little baby go?..... okay, so he was never THAT little, but he's growing up so fast!!

I think he looks pretty happy in his new ride!!

a GREAT pick me up!

2010-04-16T15:31:00.002-05:00

Jake LOVES his baths.... he loves getting wrapped up in his towel even more. He's so darn cute!! Enjoy!!

Guess who's 6 MONTHS OLD!

2010-04-08T16:46:00.014-05:00

As much as I try not to think about it, my precious boy is 6 months old today!! The time has gone by soooo fast, I just can't believe it. He is such a joy to be at home with every day. He is all smiles, and is laughing more and more every day. He has this unique... ummm giggle?? I don't know what you would call it, but it makes us laugh every time.

He's not as interested in his play mat these days, he would MUCH RATHER be jumping in his jump-n-jive or jumperoo. He will jump until he is plum tuckered out..

He wants to explore EVERYTHING. He is constantly reaching out to find something new. He is already quite taken with cell phones and remote controls... I don't see the fascination, but anytime one is around, he's reaching for it.

He also LOVES faces. If you pick him up, he's going for your face and teeth. He thinks teeth are pretty funny. He has also discovered his toes and LOVES to pull his socks off to get at 'em. (sorry this pic is blurry, it was taken with my phone.

He loves books, but enjoys opening and closing them more... oh, and trying to eat them too. EVERYTHING goes in the mouth these days. He still doesn't have any teeth, but I'm convinced he's got some moving to the surface. He drools quite a bit and bites down HARD on that paci.

He had his first ride in the front of a cart at Babies-R-Us. He did really well. Probably not quite ready for a LONG Wal-Mart trip or anything, but he can sit there pretty comfortable for 20 min or so.

He is still our tummy sleeper. He sleeps with his little butt up in the air and it's the cutest thing ever!! When he wakes up he usually rolls over onto his back and plays with his blankets until we get him up. He ALWAYS wakes up happy. I LOVE going to get him up for the day. When he sees us walk in the room he'll just stop what he's doing and give us a great big morning smile. It's the greatest part of the day.
His bedtime is between 7 & 7:30, and he wakes up for the day at 7. Some days he will wake up earlier and just lay in his bed and talk until we get him up at 7.

He can roll from his back to his front with the slightest of help. He'll be doing it on his own before we know it. This will be nice b/c we will no longer need to go flip him over during the night if he happens to get that little tush too far up in the air and topples over.

He enjoys his bath at night and for some reason his favorite part is when we take him out and wrap him up in his towel. He thinks that is so funny! Our night time routine is a special time for the three of us. Daddy does the bath then together we get Jakesters all lotioned up, and ready for bed. We read one Bible Story, a page out of his book of Bible Promises and then a fun story. His FAVORITE is Pajama Time. He smiles every time we read it to him. Then we pray together as a family, I feed him and he's down for the night. I LOVE that time together.

Jake is curious about everything. I love watching him discover new things every day. Its like you can see the little wheels turning in his brain. He is very observant of his surroundings. I often wonder what is going on in that mind of his. So far he hasn't really had any stranger anxiety. He is passed around at church and never seems to have a problem. He stays happy and smiles at whoever has him. He is just an overall happy baby. He is such a joy to be around.

Well, I'm sure there is a TON more that I could write about, but I'll end here with his stats and a 6 month slide show.

Weight: 18 lbs (60th percentile)
Height: 27 1/4" (80th percentile)
Head circumference: 17"
He is in 9 or 12 mo. onesies because his torso is so long. Still in 6 or 9 mo. pants/shorts depending on the waist. Poor thing, most his shorts are manpris because he just doesn't have the longest of legs. I'm having faith that they'll catch up with his torso someday :o)

Well thanks for reading and stay posted. I'm sure I'll update as I remember stuff I wanted to blog about. (You see, I've done an AWFUL job at keeping up to date in his journal. It makes me feel better to know I've at least blogged about his milestones)

Happy Easter!!!!

2010-04-05T13:39:00.009-05:00

So we had an AMAZING 1st Easter with our precious son Jake. We read to him all week about... not the Easter Bunny... but the Easter story. Christ and his RESURRECTION!! It will be so fun when Jake is old enough to really understand exactly what that means in His little life. That God loves him soooo much that He gave his own son to die on a cross. No longer do we have to go to priests to pray to God on our behalf. No longer do we have to make sacrifices to atone for our sins.. God gave the ultimate sacrifice... His ONLY son! Being a Mommy of a precious boy now, it's hard to comprehend what God felt seeing His son suffer so greatly at the hands of those He came to save. I think I would have looked out at the crowd and said.. fine.. you're not worth it and took my son down from the cross and left this world to fall apart... but HE didn't do that! THANK YOU GOD!!!

I had a dream Saturday night that Jake was lost. I have never felt such desperation as I did at that moment. I knew where he was, but I couldn't get to him. I wanted to make sure he was safe, but he was too far away! My heart ached!! During worship Sunday I was reminded of that dream and just started to think about what it must have been like for God. He knew where His Son was. He knew what His son was going to endure. I'm sure He too, wanted to run to His son and hold him... but he couldn't... don't get me wrong... he could have.. but he chose not too... FOR YOU!!! In my dream, if someone had said, we keep Jake, but you will save the world... NO WAY! Give me my boy and don't you dare touch a hair on his head!!

Do you get it?? I mean, do you REALLY get it?? I know I think I get it... and I know I still don't (and probably won't ever) completely get it. JESUS SACRIFICED HIS LIFE FOR YOU!! GOD ALLOWED HIS ONLY SON TO BE BRUTALLY BEATEN, FLOGGED, MOCKED, AND ULTIMATELY HUNG ON A CROSS FOR YOU!!!! He didn't have to do that... but He loves us SO MUCH that He did... even while we were still sinners. The best part of the story?? The reason we celebrate Easter?? It's not the pretty dresses or the yummy Easter meals... no... it's that HE LIVES!!! JESUS LIVES!!!! HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD!! Not even death could keep him down!! How exciting is that!!!! Ahhhhhh!!! I could shout it from the roof top!!

As I was saying.. I just can't wait for the day when Jake can really understand the greatness of our God. His dependence on Him and how we have hope in HIM no matter our circumstances good or bad. It is always mine and Gerald's prayer that Jake will be even crazier about God than we are. That he will have a boldness that we lack. That he will have an even closer relationship with the Lord than we do... we want him to "get it"!!! We discussed at lunch today that we look forward to the day that his faith will challenge US! Oh the glorious days ahead!! Now, don't get me wrong... I love Easter for the traditional reasons too.

Now, I do look forward to decorating and hunting Easter eggs with Jake. I look forward to finding things to put in his Easter basket, and telling him "no more candy!" (and sneaking a little when he's not looking) ;o) I do enjoy dressing him up in adorable outfits. I love that Easter means that Spring is upon us. There are many reasons I enjoy Easter, I just always want to make sure none of that overshadows the REASON we celebrate to begin with. (have I mentioned that HE LIVES??!!)

So our Easter this year consisted of a visit from Grammie and Grandad, an Easter basket filled with goodies (don't eat the grass), and a swing in the backyard for Jake to enjoy on these nice Spring days. (built with love by Daddy and Grandad). We had a fun weekend filled with playing on the floor with Jake, watching him jump endlessly in his jump-n-jive, taking lots of pictures, and just good family fun. I hope your family found itself marveling in the greatness of our God and His son Jesus. I hope you found yourself blessed beyond measure by His Grace and Mercy. Most of all, I hope you found yourself loved by the Savior!! HE IS ALIVE!!

First Flight For Cousin Fun!!

2010-03-20T09:05:00.018-05:00

So Jake will have Nuzum cousin #4 arriving in October. Unfortunately, as of now, baby #4 is making Aunt Tonya VERY SICK. So to help out we decided to take a trip to Charlotte. Can't say we ended up being much help, but we sure did have fun. It was such a blessing to see the cousins play together. Jake LOVED seeing his cousins each morning and playing with them throughout the day... and the feeling was mutual. The trip started with Jake's first plane flight...

He did AWESOME on both flights!! We had an early evening flight from Lubbock to Dallas and then an early morning flight from DFW to Charlotte. He snoozed from Dallas to Charlotte...

Everyone was so excited to see baby Jake, surprisingly even Ella. We weren't sure what she would think about having another baby around... our worries were soon put to rest...

Pretty soon, wherever Jake was, so were the cousins. Dinner time one night looked like this...

The first morning we got up and Tonya was feeling pretty good, so we packed up the kids and went to Discovery Place. The kids had a great time. Josh and Caleb got to lie on a bed of nails...

"Use the force" (along with Ella) to cause some balls to float in the air...

Build with blocks...

Play with water and much more...

Jake enjoyed a short nap in his stroller followed by a fun game of pull off the socks.

I'm so glad that Jake has such amazing counsins that he can have fun with and look up to. Not to mention learn some sweet dance moves....

The rest of the trip we just spent hanging out around the house. Jake spent time in the Johnny Jumper, the Exersaucer and chillin' with the cousins.

I so wish NC and TX weren't so far apart. It makes me sad to have such a long distance between these cousins. I can't say I was much help to Tonya, but I sure was blessed during my time there... yes.. sleep issues and all, but that's another story.

Our Big 5 Month Old...

2010-03-10T17:47:00.002-06:00

Miracle Update!!!

2010-03-07T12:19:00.006-06:00

So this was suppose to be a blog all about the fact that our precious boy is FIVE MONTHS OLD...
we'll get to that later.
After our cardiologist appointment today, I've got other fun things to report. Jake had A NORMAL EKG today!! The Doctor's words were "this EKG is very UN-concerning!" This is the first normal EKG Jake has had since birth. The Dr. is perplexed.... heheheh, I'm not!! I know that we have a BIG God that is leading us down the road to Jake's complete healing. Of course the Dr. tried to explain it away by saying, "Not much is known about this level of LQTS in infants b/c children usually aren't diagnosed until well into their teen years. So it's possible that maybe the heart rhythms level out during the toddler years and then when puberty hits it causes the LQT to become evident...." He said that if Jake continues down this road of improving EKG's he'll be one for the science journals. I just loved sitting there and seeing the perplexed look on his face knowing myself what the explanation was. Of course we are staying on the Beta blockers and continuing to follow up with the cardiologist, but all in faith that we will one day hear the voice of our Lord telling us our son is COMPLETELY healed. At that time we'll have that gene tested again for the LQTS! Oh I can't wait for that day. We are on our way!! I told the Dr. that Jake had A LOT of people praying for him. Again he tried to explain what he really couldn't explain.... I LOVE IT!! So now Jake's risk for a "cardiac event" is the same as any other infant his age, less than 1%!! Now THAT'S good news!! It has been a GREAT day... along with this news we learned that Gerald's genetic testing came back negative for LQTS. Now I'll get tested next week to see if I'm the carrier. I'm not worried... our God is SOOO GOOD!! So, sing a song of praise and Thanks to our awesome God!! I could shout it from the roof top!! Ohhh.... one more thing I forgot to mention... I usually give Jake his medicine at 11:00 every morning. When he had the EKG done, he had not had his beta blockers yet... I LOVE IT!
Okay.. with that told I can move on to all the other wonderful things my big boy is doing.
I can hardly believe that our precious boy is 5 months old. Where has the time gone? I often stand by his crib at night before I go to bed and marvel over the miracle that he is. Some nights he looks so small in that big crib, and other nights he looks HUGE! Of course EVERY night he looks precious with his hands under his hips and his little butt stuck up in the air. The last weight check he was 17.5 lbs and 28inches long. I think we'll be investing in another car seat soon. His little feet are almost hanging over the edge of his carrier... that and the weight limit is 22 lbs. I still think he is going to have red hair and blue eyes. He's such a handsome boy! He is getting so much better at being in his car seat. I can stop at red lights and not worry about him starting to cry. He still LOVES his jumperoo. I think he would be happy if I just left him in it all day. Or course now that he can jump that's all he wants to do while your holding him. It gives whoever is holding him quite the workout. He is such a HAPPY BOY!! He is smiling all the time and has sooo much to say. He's so close to saying Mama. Right now it's Wawawawawa. (I know... it's wishful thinking.. I'm the Mama, I can hear what I want to hear) He is grabbing toys and is mesmerized with faces. You have to be careful if you get too close because he'll get a hold of your cheeks and squeeze! He is consistently sleeping 8 HOURS at night. That has been a welcomed change. He's become more aware of our dog, Joey. He watches him a lot trying to figure out exactly what he is. Every new stage with Jake is more fun than the last. Though I hate that he is growing up SOOO FAST, it is a BLAST!! He is such a joy to have around. I couldn't ask for a better baby!! Being Jake's Mommy is the best journey I've been on.
Well, I guess that's about all for now.... I know there is more I was going to write about, but the miracle of his normal EKG has me somewhat preoccupied. I'm sure I'll post more as I remember. I was going to put another slide show with this post (because we just have a few pictures to share... hahaha) but I don't have it done yet and I want to get this wonderful news out for all to see. I'll leave you with one, but check back later to see more pics of a handsome 5 month old. Thanks for walking with us on our journey and PLEASE DO NOT STOP PRAYING!! Our journey continues!!

Jake and the Parrot

2010-03-06T18:40:00.002-06:00

Just thought this might bring a smile to our readers. Jake is such a JOY to have! He often makes our head hurt from smiling and laughing so hard.

Our New Entertainment

2010-02-28T21:25:00.002-06:00

So here is what Jake said when Canada beat USA in hockey...

Dedication Sunday

2010-02-23T12:24:00.005-06:00

1 Samuel 1:26-28
26 and she (Hannah) said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. 27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.

So we dedicated Jake this past weekend remembering that he is not ours but God's. He has been entrusted to us to raise him in a way that will Glorify our Lord and Savior. It is our promise to "Train (Jake) in the way he should go, so that when he is old he will not turn from it." (Prov. 22:6) It was such a blessing to have our parents in town for this priceless day. For so many years Gerald and I have watched family after family dedicate their precious children, longing for our day. It took everything in us to keep ourselves composed. This church family has been a HUGE part of our journey to becoming parents. What a special day!!

Finally a picture of the two loves of my life....

Picture Time

2010-02-12T11:14:00.008-06:00

Not just something we "Believe"

2010-02-11T12:01:00.006-06:00

I just had an urgency in my spirit today to share with our readers that the healing we speak over Jake is NOT just something TO beleive. It is WHAT we believe!! You see, we KNOW that the Lord has a BIG plan for Jake, and that plan involves God's Glory! Jake will grow up knowing the limitations that are placed on him by doctors. He will grow up knowing what the doctors say he can and can't do. He will also grow up having a deeper and closer relatioship with the Lord because he will have a dependency on Him that is different than any other "normal" child. I believe with ALL MY HEART that we WILL see Jake healed. I don't believe it will be in infancy, I don't even think it will be as a toddler. I believe that his healing will come when Jake is at an age where he can experience and understand his limitations, and thus experience and understand the gift of his healing that much more. I believe the Lord wants Jake to be a participant in this journey of his ultimate healing. It is actually my hope that Jake will be the one to approach Gerald and I one day and tell us he's been healed. At that time we will have the doctors recheck that gene. What a celebration that will take place at that time! I know that until that day comes we are going to have our fair share of ups and downs. We will have our battles raising a little boy that, for now, can't do all the things little boys do. We will also have the challenge of raising him up in a way that HE knows the promises of the Lord. That HE understands that God is GOOD. The HE understands that God is his ultimate physician. For now we will just rest in the presence of our Lord and on HIS promises to keep Jake safe, to hold him in the palm of HIS hand. I am so thankful that we have a God that will walk this journey with us. I can't imagine living this challenge without being able to take hold of the hand of our Lord and Savior and trust HIM in all things.

Malachi 4:2-3
2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.
~This will be Jake running and jumping as he was told he couldn't do!!~

Acts 3:16
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
~It will be so, as Jake grows his faith in the one who will give him complete healing for all to see~

Exodus 15:26
26. He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
~Lord, help us to do what is right in your eyes, and pay attention to Your commands. Help us to remain solid on YOUR promises and to trust in YOU.~

Again, I just want to reitterate... we are not just grasping at straws here, hoping this will come to pass. We are grabbing hold of HIS WORD and HIS PROMISES. You are right that for whatever reason, the Lord doesn't always choose to heal people on this side of heaven. We truly believe with all our heart that HE WILL heal Jake for all to see. Jake will do things in the name of the Lord that we are told now he should never do.
Also don't beleive that we are ignorant that these words and this promise will not always be easy to hold onto. The fact that Jake is here is a miracle within itself. He was a 4 1/2 year wait. In those 4 1/2 years we had moments of complete and unshakable faith. We also had moments of, Will God really come through on His promise to give us children? We are human, with real human emotions that get the best of us sometimes. We will still question why, and get tired of waiting, but ultimately I know with the support of our friends and family and with our relationship with Our Heavenly Father, we will ALWAYS come back around to HIS Promises that are GOOD and TRUE. You see, our Lord HAS to follow through on His promises... He's God!

He is STILL our MIRACLE!!

2010-02-05T08:57:00.005-06:00

So as I was getting ready this morning and thinking on the new journey we're on as a family. Many things came to mind that I feel like I need to share.
First.. the title of this post says it all. Jake is STILL our little MIRACLE, and I in no way believe he was created with Long QT Syndrom by accident. God has a purpose and ultimately it's for the greater of His glory. Now, don't get me wrong, that is not easy for me to say or swallow. In fact, it often causes anger to swell up inside of me and question WHY knowing that I will probably never get that answer. One of the hardest things so far for me has been knowing that the ONLY WAY to walk this journey with peace and not fear, joy and not anger is to crawl up into the lap of, and pour myself into the One who allowed this to happen. *sigh* That's a hard one. As much as we know about our Lord and His ways. As much as we know we have to trust Him. As much as we know He works all things for the GOOD of those who love Him. As much as we know that His mercies are new every morning. As much as we know God has a plan for Jake (and us). "A Plan to prosper and not to harm, for a hope and a future." As much as we know He is close to the broken hearted. As much as we know God keeps his promises... this journey is NOT an easy one. We will not always "feel like" praising Him in the storm. We won't always "feel like" He is good. We will need those new mercies every morning. We will need the promise of a hope and future. We will need our family and friends interceding for us and encouraging us along the way. This is a journey that has only an eternal end, and I hope we can keep an eternal perspective. It is my hope that as we walk this journey as a family, and as we share on here the things the Lord is teaching us, that it's not about us, but about Our Lord and our dependence on Him. About his goodness when life doesn't "feel good." I want it to be about who HE is in this situation and not about what He can do for us. As hard as it is, I want to trust Him where we are and hope in HIM and not in the good or bad of the situation. I pray this can be a place that even in difficulty, the name of the Lord can and will be praised. It is my prayer that even as we have to explain to Jake that he is fearfully and wonderfully made with the obstacle of a "different heart" that he will not become bitter. I pray we allow him to have as normal life as possible and not worry about what "surprise" each day could bring. I pray we can cast our cares on HIM because he cares for us and because I know that if we do cast our cares on Him, He will sustain us. I ask that you not cease praying for us along the way. I pray also that you challenge us along the way. I want to not only speak of His goodness, but to live it out. I want to be more than just words, I want to live the faith I write about. That's a challenge because, even now, as I write these words, I don't "feel" full of faith. I don't "feel hopeful. I don't "feel" like praising Him in the storm. I "feel" like yelling at Him. I "feel" like shaking my fist at Him. I "feel" like telling Him He made a mistake. That's how I "feel" right now. But I KNOW TRUTH, and I hope that truth is what penetrates these "feelings" and sustains me through the difficult days. I pray that as I write about and speak about these things that the Lord will renew a right spirit in me DAILY! I am so thankful that, though I will have days of bitterness and fear, that when I decide to lay those fears and bitterness at the foot of His cross He will be there to welcome me back into His lap with open arms. Thank you God that you do not give us what we deserve.
We ask now that as you go with us on this journey that at this point in time you will join us in praying for these specifics.
*ULTIMATE HEALING OF JAKE'S LQTS!! We know that Our God is WAY bigger than one gene that carries LQTS and we will NOT cease praying for complete healing.
*Against fear that I KNOW will attempt to creep in often.
*Negative results for both G and I as we now need to get tested to see if we are carriers of this gene and passed it onto Jake or if it's a gene that mutated on its own.
*Protection over Jake as he goes through day to day life and deals with the limitations that are put on him.
*Wisdom for G and I as we raise him. We do NOT want to become these crazy over protective parents. We hope to be in tune enough with our Lord that we will know when to have Jake walk, and when to let him let loose and run!
*Creativity in coming up with activities that Jake CAN do as he gets older.
*A good friend to walk along side Jake as he gets older. A friend that will sit with him when he needs to sit, a friend that will encourage him when he's feeling left out. (My heart hurts because I know those days are coming)
*Last (for now) a strengthening of our Faith and a deeper understanding of our Lord and His ways.
Finally I'll leave you with this:
Selfishly I want Jake to be "normal". I want him to get to live as a "normal" boy, to play as a "normal boy" to do crazy things like a "normal" boy. But I know in my head (and eventually my heart) that our Lord has MAJOR plans for our sweet boy and that in the long run this will draw Jake into a deeper relationship and dependence on Him. What more could a Mom and Dad ask for than to have a child walking hand in hand throughout life with Our Big God and serving Him however he is called to serve. Thank you Jesus for our precious son who You gave to us. Help us to raise Him depending not on us and our finite ways, but on YOU and your infinite wisdom and love! There is so much to be learned on this journey. Help us to remain in a position to receive all you have to show us along the way.

Long QT Syndrome

2010-02-04T19:47:00.002-06:00

Well, this will be the beginning of a major journey for the Miller family. As most of you know we have been praying about a condition that Jake was thought to possibly have, called Long QT Syndrome. Long QT has to do with the electrical impulses of the heart, not the heart itself. Basically the heart waits too long to relax before it contracts again. If it waits too too long it causes sudden cardiac arrest. Jake's heart itself is strong and healthy. He had some of the symptoms, (a questionable EKG - there are no outward symptoms. Jake feels nothing) but we really didn't believe he had the "syndrome". So the cardiologist sent him for genetic testing just before Thanksgiving to make sure. Well, we finally got the results and they came back positive for Long QT Syndrome. Not what we were expecting to hear, but the journey of faith, and trust has begun.
I'll try and make this as short and simple as I can. Basically there are 3 levels of LQTS; 1 is the least severe and 3 is the most severe. Jake is level 2. The good news is that that won't change. This is not something that gets worse or better as time passes. The not so good news is that level 2 is the most rare and therefore least researched level. Back to good news, the little bit of research they do have, it seems to lean closer to level 1 than 3. Jake has been on Beta blockers and from the EKG today they seem to be doing their job and keeping his heart in a better rhythm. With Level 1 LQTS the Betta blockers are about 98% effective at helping prevent sudden cardiac death, Level 3 they are not effective at all, level 2 they believe to have 90 - 95% effective rate at preventing cardiac death. What seems to effect the people in level 2 and cause the sudden cardiac arrest is a sudden unexpected rise in heart rate. This means... unfortunately that Jake won't be able to be involved in any kind of sports, no roller coasters, no jumping into a cold swimming pool, no throwing him up in the air, no trust falls, no zip line, it's even recommended that people with this stage don't use alarm clocks b/c that causes a jolt and startles a person. Since ther are so many things in life that can startle Jake that are out of our control, that is why we have the Beta Blockers to hopefully protect him in those situations. G and I will have to get very creative in how to allow him to be a boy and not become overprotective. As I sat in the office today I felt like the Lord just continued to tell me "I've got him in the palm of My hand" We will have to just do what we can do as parents. Make sure he's taking his medication, and be smart and responsible in his activities. It will be a challenge to raise Jake in a way that he's not bitter about being so restrictive in his activities, and to make sure we're not raising him in a household of fear. The Lord does not give us a spirit of fear and that is NOT something we want to instill in him as he grows. I guess that's the long and short of it. I'm sure I'll write more as I learn more.
You are welcome to post questions, but there's no guarantee that I'll have answers. I'll do my best! Thanks for all your prayers and support and welcome to our journey. It helps to know we have so many standing in the gap for us when we fall and interceding on our behalf. We love you all!!

HE GIGGLED!!

2010-02-04T09:37:00.001-06:00

Just had to share. I hope this brings a smile to your face... it does mine!! (Ignore the crazy woman that's getting him to giggle)

Where has the time gone??

2010-01-29T12:39:00.012-06:00

Guess who's 16 weeks old!! Can you believe it!! He is getting bigger everyday and is pretty much always happy. I'm sure I'm driving him crazy because I am determined to hear that first sweet giggle. He is SO CLOSE!! We pretty much get smiles backed with a grunt. He smiles the most when.. well, when he's awake. :o) He loves to be talked to and he'll carry on quite the conversation with you. He cracks me up though, because he talks a lot to inanimate objects (i.e. a wall sconce) I don't know what it is, but when I sit in the recliner to feed and burp him this is what he talks too.

He loves spending time with his friends Ellie, Zoe and Caleb. We get together once a week for coffee.. well at least the Mommy's get coffee. Ellie is just 5 wks old, Caleb is 1 1/2, and Zoe is the senior of the group at 3 yrs. I have a recent pic of Ellie and Jake, but will need to get one of Zoe and Caleb the next time we're together.

Ellie and Jake

Jake still loves hanging with Daddy when he gets home from work.

Today we were so excited because Daddy got to stay home from work due to ice and snow! We just had to get some pictures of Jake in the snow, so we had the worlds fastest photo shoot. No time to get the right expressions, much less smiles. He was having a hard enough time opening his eyes because it was so bright. I still think we got some cute pics though.

Finally, I'll leave you with a little song from Jake. Just click below.

Well, we had another first after I posted this, so I felt the need to add a few more pictures. Since Jake LOVES to stand we decided to give the bouncy saucer thingy a try. We didn't get a ton of smiles (didn't get any on camera) but I think he's going to really enjoy it. His feet don't quite touch yet, but they are so very close. He enjoyed looking at the lights and the animals. This will definitely become a daily activity. So enjoy the pics.

THREE MONTHS!!

2010-01-09T22:06:00.011-06:00

Wow, how time flies!! I can't believe our precious boy is 3 months old. Time goes by so very fast.
This last month has been a blast. He is more awake during the day and such a happy boy. He smiles all the time and enjoys talking and cooing at Mom and Dad. We had a great Christmas and A LOT of travel. Jake was a trooper. It was so much fun being with family and getting to see Jake with his cousins up in NC. Christmas meant so much more to me this year than it ever has. To imagine that God willingly brought his only son into the world to die for our sins.... well, I can't imagine. Looking at sweet Jake I had to weep for Mary, to think of being the Mom to the savior of the world. Then to see your son eventually crucified on a cross. To be The Father and Allowing your son to be crucified for others that were/are so unworthy! I can't even explain the emotions that came over me. We are so blessed!!

So now that Christmas is over and we are back home and getting back into the swing of things, we are in the process of giving up the swaddle by swaddling with one arm out. So far Jake is doing pretty good, but gets really frustrated b/c he just can't seem to get his thumb in his mouth. We have him on a paci, but I think he prefers his hand... if only he could get it to cooperate with him. Along with moving on from the swaddle we are also in the process of moving him into his own room to sleep at night. This is not an easy move for Mommy, but we know it's what is best for Jake. The longer we wait, the more he will realize that his bed isn't next to Mom and Dad anymore. I would rather make the move now when it's harder on Mom than wait until it becomes harder on him.

Jake changes more and more every day. I love being a stay at home Mommy and getting to see every smile, hear every coo, and savor every cuddly moment. He is such a sweet boy!! The last time we weighed him he was up to 14 lbs, of course that was about 2 weeks ago, so I'm sure it's even more now. I have already had to clean out his closet and drawers of his newborn and 0-3 mo clothes.

He is on a pretty good schedule these days, but I've heard that I shouldn't get too excited b/c it will change soon. Either way, as it stands now it looks a little like this...

7:00 - 7:30: Wake up for the day
9:00 - 9:30: Down for first nap
11:00 - 11:30: Up from nap
1:00 - 1:30: Down for second nap
3:00 - 3:30: Up from nap
5:00 - 5:30: Down for short third nap
5:30 - 6:00: Up from nap
7:20ish - Start bedtime routine (Bath/Lotion & PJ's/Read/Eat/Pray)
8:00: Bedtime
He is usually just waking up once in the night to eat.

So now to see some evidence of all our little boy is doing. Enjoy the videos. Some are long, but of course I can listen to him coo and "talk" all day long. It's music to a Mother's ears.

He has found his voice...

He loves his bath...

He still LOVES talking to Mr. Octopus

He thinks he is really big and likes to stand up.

This next is just a slide show to see how cute he is... I'm not partial or anything ;o) You will see how he likes to try and get his entire fist in his mouth, you will see how blowing bubbles is a favorite past time. You will also see how cool him and Daddy are together with their faux-hawks. Finally you will see his new friend Ellie that was born just two days after Christmas. She is a tiny little beauty weighing in at only 5 lbs 14 oz. She and Jake will be good friends. ENJOY!

Oh yeah, and you will see that he has turned into our little red-head. LOVE IT!!

Merry Christmas from Charlotte

2009-12-29T10:21:00.005-06:00

Just a quick video of what I've been up to this last week while celebrating Jesus' birth. I'll fill you in on some details later. Merry Christmas!

TWO MONTHS!!!

2009-12-04T15:35:00.020-06:00

Hi, So it's Jake here. I decided I would blog for Mommy today because she stays pretty busy and can't seem to keep this blog updated. So I'm now TWO MONTHS OLD. Mommy says that's a lot and that time is going way too fast. Mommy also tells me how handsome I am every morning and how I change so much from day to day.

So here is what I've been doing this past month...

I got to see my first snow. Mommy wouldn't take me out to play in it though...

I took a Nap in my crib for the first time...

Mommy said I've gotten to big for the basinett. Now I'm sleeping in the pack-n-play. (Mommy still isn't ready for me to sleep in my room at night yet)

My clothes were getting too tight so I moved up into size 3mo. I'm pretty big!! Up to 12.2 lbs and 22 3/4" long

I made my first trip to Mesquite and Grand Prairie to visit my Bacci and Grandpa and Gammie and Grandad. The car ride was okay I guess... as long as the car was moving. We got stuck in something called traffic, and I didn't like that much. I got very upset. Mommy finally got out of the car and got into the back seat with me. That made me feel better. I finally fell asleep and slept the rest of the way.

I got to hang out with My Bauchi and Grandpa in Mesquite (That's Daddy's family)

I got to meet Aunt Connie and Aunt Michelle... and a lot more of Daddy's family.

We hung out with most of Daddy's family for Thanksgiving... some of my cousins were missing though. I hope I get to meet them soon.

I was full after my Thanksgiving meal...

Mommy & Daddy took me to go listen to Aunt Merry play her harp at Grapevine Mills Mall... I LOVE it when she plays her harp.

I really like to lie on the floor and kick my feet. Mommy says I'm riding a bicycle.

Last, I want to tell you what I'm Thankful for.. since it was Thanksgiving. I'm Thankful of course for my Mommy and Daddy. They both take really good care of me. I have a hard time taking my eyes off of Daddy when he gets home from work. I think that is my favorite part of the day. I'm thankful for the warm blankie that Mommy and Daddy swaddle me in when I sleep. It makes me sleep really good. I'm thankful for my swing and bouncy seat, but most of all, I'm thankful for my best friend, Mr. Octopus. We have good conversations... and he is always happy to see me!!

I hope you have enjoyed my post. Mommy says she will try and do better at updating this blog thingy... what kind of word is blog anyway?? Hmm.. well, I think it's time for me to go to bed. g'nite everyone!!

Jake's Favorite Music

2009-11-24T15:48:00.002-06:00

So some of you have asked about the Harp CD that Jake enjoys listening to. You can purchase one by going to the Dream Baby website. Merry has several CD's to choose from. They are all amazing.. and I'm not just saying that because she is my sister-in-law :o)

6 WEEKS +

2009-11-23T19:29:00.008-06:00

Oh my goodness, Jake is almost 7 weeks old! I can't believe how fast the time is going. I must say these have been the best 6 1/2 weeks EVER! This is the greatest job. I'm so glad I don't have to miss even a moment of this precious boys life. (Well, maybe a moment.. Mommy did go shopping with Grammie this weekend and left Jake with the men) I missed him while we were out, but I had a great time and Jake was still in one piece and happy when we got home. Good job Daddy and Grandad! Lets see, what are some of the things Jake is doing at 6 1/2 weeks old...

*He LOVES his play mat!

*He enjoys his swing... look how big he's gotten!! Where's my little baby?

*He likes tummy time

*He thinks he is really big and holds his head up high

*He took his first nap in his crib.. he's starting to outgrow the bassinet :o(

*He LOVES his Aunt Merry's Angel Baby CD (sorry the video is dark.. he was sleeping and didn't want to wake him)

*He is really starting to smile a lot and talk. Of course we never seem to have the camera around to catch those moments. We will get better at that. His favorite time of day is first thing in the morning. He is bright eyed and ready to talk. I LOVE IT... even if it is 5 or 6 a.m. Well, I guess that's the update for now. Jake's been having Daddy time while I've been updating, but I think now he needs Mommy... I hear a hungry boy. Will try to do better at updating, but my days are over in a blink. Just know that Jake is the greatest blessing ever. We know that the Lord has BIG plans for him.

Our Baby is ONE MONTH OLD!!

2009-11-10T16:00:00.002-06:00

I can hardly believe our precious son is ONE MONTH OLD! (Actually one month and 2 days) Jake is such a good baby. More often than not he lets us get in some good rest at night. He is such a happy and STRONG boy. He is already holding his head up with ease and looking around. If you stand him up he will straighten his knees and push himself up. He loves his swing and usually sleeps in it for at least one nap a day. He is starting to smile and talk more and more each day. He loves it when I put him in the stroller and we go for a walk. He is usually asleep before we reach the end of the drive way. I'm going to be sad when the really cold days get here because we won't be taking those walks quite as often.
Jake loves it when Daddy gets home from work. He just watches him and Daddy often gets a grin. G is such an AMAZING Daddy! He really helps out around the house and he is on diaper duty in the middle of the night. I feed and he changes, and at times when baby J decides he wants to be awake, G will stay up with him and let Mommy get some much needed rest. We have been SO EXTREMELY BLESSED by our friends and family this first month. Tonight is the first night we are on our own for dinner. That's right, we have had a meal brought to us every night!! I'm not sure how I have managed to lose any baby weight with all the good grub coming in :o) I think Jake already has more friends than we do.. but we don't mind. On the health front Jake is oblivious that anything is going on with his precious little body. For those who haven't heard the doctors found a "long QT" on an E.K.G. we had done as a follow up from the hospital. Basically what that means is that it takes longer than normal for Jake's heart to relax a then contract again. It's not a heart problem, his heart is strong and healthy, it's a problem with the electrical impulses that control how and when his heart beats. His numbers weren't awful, but they were high enough to cause concern with the cardiologist. He had to be put on a 24 hr. halter monitor (which I think bothered Mommy and Daddy more than it did him) and has been put on Beta blockers to help with the long Q.T. He got blood drawn this week to get some genetic testing done to determine why he has this long Q.T. and to see if it needs to be treated in a way other than the meds he is on now. It's a pretty confusing issue to have. Nothing about the tests or treatment is 100%, of course that is why we are just trusting Jake in the hands of our Lord. We have known from the beginning that Jake is going to do big things for our God, and this is just the enemy trying to thwart those plans... hahaha, he has another thing coming. Jake and this family are fighters!! Let me tell you, we have already learned so much in this one month. For one we are reminded that our faith is in our Lord, Jesus Christ and not in our circumstances. Our faith is in the ONE who can do ultimate healing, and not the doctors. Yes, we know there is a place for doctors and we will heed all they tell us, we just aren't trusting them to "heal" Jake, we are looking to our All Powerful God!! I know that as parents Gerald and I will be challenged, but if it means drawing us and Jake into a closer walk with God, then so be it! We want Jake to be so much more than we will ever be. We want him to know, understand and have a personal relationship with God before we did. We want him to understand the importance of a close relationship with God before we did. We want him to understand that it's not enough to make Christ #1 on your priority list in life, He has to BE your life! That means He is involved in every aspect of your daily living. It's my prayer that as a stay at home mom I can set an example for Jake. I want him to see the Lord in my everyday life. I want him to see that you can praise the Lord while doing house work or read the word while eating breakfast, or you can even watch sermons while folding laundry. I want him to see Christ as the highlight of my day. "Lord help me to be the best example I can for my precious son." Lastly I want Jake to understand that Mommy and Daddy are not perfect. I want him to understand that there will be times we will mess up. There will be times when we make mistakes. There will be times when we may disappoint him. But if he trust in his Heavenly Father, HE will never disappoint, he will never mess up, and he will never make mistakes, HE is perfect!!
So I guess all in all, I think this journey that we are on with his long Q.T. is only the beginning of us seeing how BIG our God is and how He is going to use Jake and his life in BIG ways!! God has entrusted us with such a precious, precious gift! Speaking of that precious gift, he is waking up from his nap, so I'm going to go get me some loving!! Will keep you updated as I can!

A Good Morning Song...

2009-11-04T11:16:00.002-06:00

So Jake told me that he wanted to sing a song for everyone this morning. We hope you enjoy!!

Week 2...ish

2009-10-28T21:10:00.002-05:00

Sorry for delay on the post. Jake met his Nuzum cousins last week it they had a blast. Jake is so cool! G got to take Sat morning and just sit in bed while Wendy got ready for the day. Jake is such a big talker. Enjoy the video below of Jake's friends and family...oh and by the way pics of Jake.

Jake's 1st Week

2009-10-14T22:12:00.010-05:00

Jake's first shout-out to all his peeps.
Can't believe Jake's been here almost a week! Wendy has been amazing to watch and learn from. His eyes have been open most of the day and he's been trying to figure us out. What a great week! Enjoy below...

2009-10-09T11:16:00.005-05:00

Jake arrived last night at 9:09. He was 9 lbs 1 oz and was 20 inches long. He had to spend the night in the nursery to monitor oxygen levels. We got him at 10:15 this morning.
Below are some initial pics.
http://picasaweb.google.com/geraldwmiller/JakePics?feat=email

Jake has arrived

2009-10-09T01:32:00.002-05:00

So it's 1:30 in the morning and we're going to try to get some sleep. Jake arrived at 9:09pm. Wendy did great! Jake weighed 9 lbs 1 oz and was 20 in long. My phone died about 15 mins prior to the delivery, so I couldn't send any updates to anyone, nice. Thank you to everyone for your love and prayers. The staff was so helpful. We'll start posting pics tomorrow. I'll also try to post Amber's summary of the day's events. Peace.

jake's comin

2009-10-08T14:47:00.000-05:00

just got to hospital. about to get epidural. sweeeeeet nectar. will post after arrival.

The final countdown...

2009-09-25T14:59:00.002-05:00

Wow.. it's been awhile since my last post. I wish I could rattle off this long list of "to do's" that I've been getting done, but really I can't say I have much to show for these last few weeks. Well,except a few more inches around my mid-section. It's crazy how tiring just being can be. Sleep eludes me, comfort... what's that? Anyone seen my toes lately? Note to self.. don't sit and recline in recliner when home alone; may remain there for the duration of the day. A full meal? Not in this tummy.. 5 bites will do me just fine... though I will need to be fed again in about 30 min.
So here I am 37 weeks and 4 days along.. SO VERY READY!! I can't believe the doctors were preparing me to deliver at 35wks and here I sit 17 days away from my due date. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to death to have made it this far. I want Jake to be as healthy as he can be and I know that means baking as long as he can. My concern is his size. Most people just laugh at me when they take one good look and hear that I'm suppose to go until Oct. 12th. Looks like Jake will be a big boy. On the medical side of things all is well. I FINALLY got away from having to be monitored every other day. That was getting quite tiresome. I did enjoy hearing his heartbeat and listening to him move around, but every other day at a doctors office is not my idea of a fun day. I'm now just on my regular weekly checks with my OB. At this point I'm 2cm dilated and about 70% effaced. Still having contractions, but nothing any stronger than I have had. Our bags are packed, the car seat is in the car and we are ready to go when the time arrives. It's crazy to think each morning that this could be my last morning w/o Jake being here. I have been told by many Mommy's to enjoy this peace and quiet while it's here because craziness is about to ensue. I do my best to take each morning as a chance to do just that. Yes, I try and get some form of housework done each day, but I also do my best to get in time to read, and just enjoy the new day the Lord has given me. I find myself daydreaming about what Jake will look like. What his personality will be like, how I can't wait to hold him in my arms. Then I spend a lot of time just watching my belly jump around. I do think that is the part of being pregnant that I will miss... the rest... not so much.
I guess it's about that time to do another belly picture update. I'll try and get G to help me out with that this weekend. Speaking of G... well I can't even go there w/o getting all emotional. Let's just say he is so ready to be a Daddy and so ready to meet his son!! I can't wait!!
Well, it's about time for lunch #2 so I had better go find some grub. Guess this was a lot of rambling, so maybe next time I'll try to write something with a little substance. :o) Either way, hope you enjoyed the update and hope to update with actual pictures of Jake soon. (I know sister.. not until Oct. 1st. I'm doing my best to hold on)

Mommy and Daddy Differences...

2009-09-09T15:02:00.002-05:00

So here we are 35 wks and 2 days pregnant. Had a doctors appointment today and I'm 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Crazy times!! I remember while we were going through our 4 1/2 year journey to get pregnant (really just waiting on God's perfect timing) I tried to stay positive by saying each day was a day closer to the day we would find out we were going to be parents. It's crazy now to think that each new day is one day closer to the day we will get to hold our precious miracle in our arms... wow.. I can't believe it's so close... yet can feel so far away. Anyway, that isn't even why I decided to post... but decided I should give an update. So.. on to Mommy and Daddy differences. I have to laugh at the different points of view that G and I have. I've asked him several times if he is at all anxious about the labor/delivery etc. His reply... "no, it will be good. I'm excited." Yet the things that I find he is concerned about crack me up. Here are a few of our differences...
Mommy concern: I hope I'm able to nurse/ I hope nursing goes well.
Daddy concern: When Jake is older and he gets up from the dinner table, but then comes back to ask for more.. do we give him more b/c he already said he was done and got up from the table...??
Mommy concern: I hope we have the car seat in good enough.
Daddy concern: I think when Jake is 10 years old we'll buy an old beat up car/truck and spend the next 6 years restoring it together so when he turns 16 he will have a car/truck that he takes pride in.
Mommy concern: Hope I can enjoy every moment b/c I know Jake will grow up so fast.
Daddy concern: So do you think we would put one of those devices in his car that shows when he's gone over 70mph, or how many hard brakes he's had??
Mommy concern: I hope his circumcision heals okay.. they look so painful.
Daddy concern: How will we teach Jake to honor and respect women when they are plastered for everyone to see on TV, magazines, and billboards?

So there are just a few of our "differences". G just makes me laugh all the time when he starts talking about things years down the road when Jake isn't even here yet. Hey, I can't fault the man for being a planner and wanting to be prepared. No matter if he's thinking of the here and now or years down the road I could not ask for a better husband through this entire journey. He has been there for me every step of the way. He's never asked why the house isn't cleaned, or the laundry isn't done. He's never complained when I'm sleeping in until 9 on Sat. and he is out mowing the lawn, cleaning out the garage or putting away the dishes in the dishwasher at 7 on Sat. He has been my rock to stand on and my shoulder to cry on. I know that he is just going to be the greatest Daddy ever!! I can't wait for that moment when I get to see him hold our precious Jake for the first time. Boy is he going to be in trouble :o) I don't think that G, or even myself, have any idea how our worlds are about to change. I can't wait!! We are already crazy in love with our son and we haven't even met him yet.. how is that even possible? Then I ask how can I love him more??... Though I know I have no idea the emotions and love that are going to overtake me the first time I lay eyes on precious Jake. What a little miracle. He will be here before we know it. I can't wait to be able to sit at this computer and post pics and tell stories of our journey as parents. Thanks for going on this journey with us.

They're baaaack....

2009-08-29T20:44:00.004-05:00

So our caterpillar friends are back for another season of eating the passion vine, making cocoons and hatching into beautiful butterflies!! If you live in Lubbock and want to come take a few dozen caterpillars home or know a teacher or someone who might want some just let me know. It's a fun project for kids to see them make their cocoon and then emerge as butterflies. We have PLENTY to spare.