Friday, June 27, 2008

What a week!

So much for the frequent updates on my blog! I had big plans for a new post about Laura's new favorite thing to do: catch fireflies. I'll probably do that soon, but I thought I'd put an update on how our little ones are doing. You probably can tell that the photo is a hospital bracelet for Lindy Grace. It has been a busy week taking care of sick children in our family life. We were so blessed to get to go to Knoxville just for the night Sunday night to be part of an anniversary celebration for our dear friends, Rosemary and Bill Pryor. They have been married 45 years, and their children had a surprise party for them with people from our Laurel church family. It was so wonderful to get to be with the precious people whom we love so much! Anyway, we woke up Monday morning to go and play with Will and Sam Taylor and I could tell that Laura was a little "off" and not quite herself. She felt a little warm to me, but I wasn't too worried about her. By the time we got over to the Taylors' house, she was very clingy and acting tired and complaining of a tummy ache. So we didn't stay too long (I'm sure Cindy is grateful!) and Cindy sent us home with an old towel in case Laura threw up in the car on the long ride home. Bless her heart, I could really tell she didn't feel at all well because she cried a lot of the way and kept complaining of a tummy ache. We even stopped once to let her throw up, but she didn't. She told me she wanted to wait until she got to Grandma's house. I have to say that was the LONGEST ride from Knoxville to Nashville I think I've ever driven. I had visions of a full blown stomach virus overtaking Laura, and you can imagine what a mess I really didn't want to deal with. Let alone a very sick little girl who I couldn't help since I was driving. Thankfully we got home safely and soundly, and she was running a temp. of 101. Tuesday I called the pediatrician to see if she should be seen and they told me yes since we have a newborn in the house so they could treat whatever Laura had. By the time we got to the doctor, her temp. was 102.5! The doctor said she just had a childhood virus and really there wasn't anything to do for it but help her be comfortable with Tylenol and ibuprofen. Meanwhile, Tuesday night I noticed that Lindy Grace was becoming more fussy and harder to settle. Oh, and all this time Kevin was traveling through Mississippi (that is really fun to type) and Illinois. We were staying with his parents, which was a marvelous help. Wednesday the girls and I came up to our house to play and to get some things done. Unfortunately Lindy was VERY fussy and I couldn't put her down, so we really didn't clean much, but at least Laura got to play. Kevin's mom noticed that she was having a hard time consoling her when she was upset. By Thursday morning, after a long night Wednesday, Lindy was still acting very fussy and I was really concerned. I brought her in to the doctor, who said to watch her and that we might have to go to Vanderbilt Children's if she didn't calm down. When we got home from the doctor Lindy started throwing up and having diarrhea (sp?), and was still very unsettled. Poor little thing, she couldn't even move without wimpering because she felt so bad. By 9:00 last night the doctor called my cell phone to check on her and told us to go ahead and bring her in so that they could just make sure it wasn't anything more than a stomach virus that was making her feel bad and fussy. Kevin came in from his travels at 7:30 last night completely exhausted, only to make a trip to the ER at 9:30. They were fabulous at the ER. They took blood and urine to run tests on, and they even checked her eyes for corneal abrasions, which apparently babies can get from their own tiny fingernails. Sure enough, Lindy has a scratch on her left cornea. Thankfully all her labs came back normal and she wasn't running a fever (very alarming in a baby that small) and she was able to keep down a little Pedialyte. She was a little dehydrated, but we didn't have to do IV fluids since she was able to drink the Pedialyte. We were dismissed with some ointment for her little eye at 3:00 am. Kevin was so tired that I sent him to the van to sleep a bit while we waited for the ER people to do their thing. So he got a little sleep anyway. We got back to his parents' house at about 3:30 am, exhausted but grateful that they didn't have to keep Lindy. She is MUCH better today, and able to keep more down, and she is more quiet and not so fussy. We went in for a follow up with the pediatrician this morning and he said that she should be a lot better by the end of the weekend. I asked them if they have a frequent flyer program there. You know, after two visits the third one is free? Or if they have stock options since we seem to be there so often.

As I sat there last night, all I could do was thank God for His care for us. I am so grateful that we have such magnificent medical care available to us, and that we are able to afford it, and that we have such good insurance. I was also grateful that, although both children had been very ill, they had illnesses that will get better. I am sure that in that same hospital there are children who are dying of cancer and other serious health conditions. I am thankful that at this point in our lives we are not facing anything like that, and that we have two basically healthy, beautiful children. I am praying now, though, that Laura will not pick up the stomach virus that Lindy has so that we don't have her sick again. She really just got better yesterday, even though she had been free of fever for a day and a half.

We are looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home since Kevin has been out of town so much lately. We're also looking forward to July 4th when my dad and stepmother will be here to share the holiday with us. We have some serious clutter control to do before they come! I've heard it said that cleaning house while children are growing is like shoveling snow while it is still snowing. And with that thought I will start my cleaning, counting our many, many blessings. And I'd also like to congratulate my grandparents, Wayne and Annile Hemingway, on their 66th wedding anniversary, which was yesterday, June 26. They are about my favorite people on the planet, save Kevin and our girls, and I am unspeakably thankful for the many ways they have influenced our lives. Happy anniversary, Mamama and Dadada. Thank you for all you do, and for the love you share with our family!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Making "Pupcakes" with Laura

Laura has been asking to make "pup"cakes for the longest time, so finally I gave in and we had a mother/daughter cooking time making pupcakes. I had intended to put these pictures up in chronological order, but it didn't work. Anyway, I let Laura basically be in charge of the whole operation as it was her idea. We had a ball. She chose white cake and pink frosting with sprinkles. I had to keep myself in check because I was wanting to tell her exactly how to do it, or to do things for her. But the only way for her to learn is to do things by herself. She and I were both very proud of the pupcakes, and they were delicious. We shared them with our next door neighbors and Grandma and Grandpa. The ironic thing is that Laura doesn't like the cake part of the pupcakes, she only likes the icing! This was a loud process because I had to let Lindy Grace sit in her papasan chair while Laura and I worked on the pupcakes. Lindy Grace didn't appreciate that at all and she let us know it. I picked her up when I was doing something I could do with one hand, but I really wanted to do this with just Laura. I am learning to treasure moments like this because the day is coming when she won't want to do things with me, and her sweet hugs and kisses will be few and far between. I wish I could put the smell of these pupcakes baking on this blog because they smelled WONDERFUL and really tasted good, too. Laura made sure to sample what we were making all along the way and she was pretty impressed with herself. So without saying much more, I'll let you look at the pictures. We love the sprinkles!
The fun part was licking the sprinkles off the plate.


Sprinkles anyone?
Here she is with her finished pupcakes.

This is actually the first picture as we got started.
Who doesn't like licking the beaters? Raw eggs? Oh well!
Laura filled these up all by herself

and I finished them when she was done.
Getting the pupcakes ready to bake.....
We mixed red food coloring with white icing to make pink.

It was really fun for me to watch her enjoy

making a different color.



Stay tuned for the next post......Laura and the lightning bugs!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Whose Child is This?



The beautiful Christmas carol says, "What child is this?", but for anyone who knows me well, you may wonder whose child this is, because Laura is playing happily with mud! I hate mud. I don't like it on my hands, I don't like it on my shoes, and I especially hate it on my feet. I mean, I don't like to walk barefoot through wet grass in case I might get mud on my feet. Yes, I know, therapy might help.....Anyway, yesterday Laura decided to make some gormet entree out of mud. She took my muffin tin, two old spoons (I also don't want my good spoons in the mud, even if they will wash) and a big pitcher. She sat down and was in heaven pouring the water in the dirt, making mud, and filling up the muffin tins. Lindy was happily asleep in the papasan chair and missed the whole event. Thanks, Cindy for that chair, it is a lifesaver! Anyway, I just couldn't let an opportunity go by to give my friends some relief that this child is a normal child and does enjoy outside activities, unlike her mother who liked being inside with a book or watching the news. I considered reading under a tree an outside activity. Actually, I still do! The only exception for me would be the pool. But that water is clear and clean and you can see all the way to the bottom. Just don't make me walk barefooted across grass to get to or from the pool. I did use a shovel once, when I was 31 and helping my friend who had broken her back plant petunias, I think....yet I digress.......

And, on a side note, I did find an old digital camera that we had when we lived in Knoxville, so it will do until I can get the good one fixed. How we got it is a long story and too much information, but I'm grateful for it nonetheless!

Here is what Lindy Grace thinks of mud and cooking.....

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Thank You, Mimi




I just wanted to take time to put up a post thanking my mom, or Mimi as she is better known in these parts, for all the time she spent with us during this time of transition adding Lindy to our family.


She took four weeks out of her busy schedule to come to Middle Tennessee and help us out. I can not adequately thank her for the meals she cooked, the laundry she did, the nights she kept Lindy with her until I needed to nurse so I could rest, the comfort she gave all four of us, her bright and happy attitude, and many other things. We all miss her so much, and not just because she is a good nanny, but for her encouragement and laughter and advice and love for all of us. She spends all of her time serving others, and she has I'd say all of her adult life. We are so grateful to be recipients of her love and service. She is a wonderful model for us, and I hope one day to be able to be like her. The best advice she ever gave me, which I still have to work on, is "Don't take yourself too seriously!" So now Kevin and I are taking care of our two children on our own like the rest of our friends who have children. I went to Walmart by myself with them both yesterday and there was only minimal crying and one temper tantrum. Laura had to remind me how to act in the store and in public.

On another note, when Mimi left last week, she took her digital camera with her, and as it was the only functional one in the house, my posts will probably not have as many photos as they have had recently. It looks like I'm going to have to send our new camera to Illinois to be fixed and it will take several weeks. I do have a wonderful 35mm film camera that works beautifully, but it isn't instant. So when there are pictures, they'll be from the old fashioned picture taking method.

And I also wanted to ask prayers for Lindy because we found out over the weekend that she is suffering from acid reflux and it causes her great pain. We got some antacid medication for her and it seems to be helping, but she still has periods every day where she is almost shreiking in her cries because her tummy hurts so much. And all we can do is hold her close and try to comfort her. The doctor said this is common, especially in babies born a bit early, and it clears up within the first year. I know this isn't cancer or anything like that, but I just hate to know she's hurting and not be able to make it go away for her. She is a sweet baby and I still can't quit looking at her. Well, except at night when I need to be sleeping. I can quit looking then because I'm just so tired. Yeah, she's a second child, isn't she? :) The reflux has been what has kept me away from the computer this week. It is hard to put up a post when the baby is writing in pain. And she's squirming and ready to get out of her papasan chairright now, so we'll go outside for some fresh air. Have a happy Wednesday!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

39 and Holding?

Well, today is my 39th birthday. It has been a marvelous day.....my mom is still here (she heads back to Houston tomorrow) and she took me shopping for a pair of jeans and a bathing suit. Laura and Lindy got to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa while we shopped. Kevin took me out to Olive Garden for dinner, along with his parents, my mom, and my cousin Ryan. We had a great time. I stuffed myself on the salad. I think I had like three helpings of it before my chicken parmesan (sp?) came out. It has been a happy, peaceful birthday. I must say that if you had told me last year on my birthday that to celebrate this year I'd be living in Nashville, with a new baby, and not working outside our home I would have laughed out loud! What a wonderful sense of humor God has.



I've been told that an attitude of gratitude goes a long way, so I'm going to list 39 things to be grateful for on my 39th birthday. These are not in any particular order:



The love of Jesus Christ, the gift of faith, ice cream from Marble Slab, our new Honda Odyssey, beautiful summer days, the renewal of springtime, living in a place where I get to see the seasons come and go, my precious husband Kevin, our big four year old Laura Annilee, our angel baby Melinda Grace, being part of the body of Christ, the hope of heaven, the grace of God, my grandparents Wayne and Annile Hemingway, that I am blessed with a family where everyone likes everyone else and we have a good time together, hydrangeas that are starting to come out, parents who love me and my little family, a God who can handle anything and more that I can imagine, God's precious grace, that I live in a country where we can worship the Lord without fear of persecution, our house, that we have food on the table and extra food in the fridge, that I have more clothes than I need, the gift of faithful friendship of so many people in so many places, the person for whom Lindy is named, Melinda Susan Smith, my mom's roast beef that melts in my mouth, God's wonderful redeeming grace, my mom, Beth Hemingway who has been here and done our laundry cooked our meals and helped tend to the girls for the past four weeks, disposable diapers, the gift of nursing my baby, chocolate pudding, did I mention God's great grace?, the slip and slide my mom got for Laura that bought hours of wonderful fun in our yard, the fact that I am living my dream of being a wife and mother, one year and counting of sobriety, that God gives us one day at a time to live, college football in the fall, the grace given freely by our precious Jesus.



I remember when I used to think people who were 39 were, bless their hearts, so old. It is amazing how our perspective can change as we grow up! I don't feel 39, whatever that is supposed to feel like, but I'm looking forward to living out this year and taking each day at a time. I pray for the grace to enjoy and appreciate my family and watching my children grow. I meant to have someone take a picture of our little party tonight at dinner, but I forgot (see as I get closer to 40 my memory is already slipping) so there isn't a picture tonight. May God give you rest tonight and a happy day tomorrow.



Tuesday, June 3, 2008

P.S. Laura's good night quote for the day

After my last post, when I was talking about Laura's love for Jesus, she said the sweetest thing. I just had to write a P.S. about it. I was lying in her bed scratching her back when she said,
"When I get to heaven, I can't wait to see Jesus!" She also said she'd rather not see King Herod, whom she knows to be a mean king from the Christmas story. I told her she probably wouldn't have to see him. What a precious little soul she has. Oh to be a child again with new eyes and a tender heart.

Happy Due Date, Lindy Grace!

Well, from the beginning of our surprise pregnancy, we waited and waited for this day to arrive. My due date was June 3rd. Every ultrasound dated the pregnancy with that date, so it became our favorite day. It is hard to believe that Lindy Grace is almost four weeks old now! And she is growing, growing, growing! I was lying on the couch with her curled up next to my chest yesterday and I thought about the fact that she could easily be in my belly now, and I thanked God that He had given her to us as a 6 pound baby and not a 7 to 8 pound baby. I'm not sure how much she weighs now, but I'm sure it is more than 7 pounds, and she's gotten a lot taller, although I don't have a tape measure to get the exact number of inches. As I say all this I think about the fact that Lindy is the size of the average full term baby now. She is such a blessing. She loves to look around and she loves to look into our eyes. She hasn't smiled yet, but I'm betting that she will soon. Her hair has grown some so that I can put a little bow on a clip in it. That is so cute. She only cries when she needs something, or when her tummy hurts, otherwise she's happy to look around when she's awake, or she sleeps for a few hours at a time. Laura had colic, so we didn't have any of those experiences with her for the first four or five months. I know she felt bad and was in pain.....it was terrible to not be able to help her. Laura adores Lindy. She loves to kiss on her and hold her, and she's tried to pick her up when we weren't looking. Yikes! She has, however, declined our offers to have her change poopy diapers. :) But she does watch us change them. It is going to be fun to watch them interact with each other as Lindy grows. I am an only child, so I didn't have that experience. It should be interesting to see how and if sibling rivalry plays itself out. Anyway, I love saying to people that we have two daughters now. I am so proud of Laura and Lindy and so thankful for my incredible husband, Kevin. God has been so good to us, I couldn't ask for anything more in my life. His blessings abound in our house. One of them is that Laura's favorite song right now is "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus". She sings it all the time and she talks about Him constantly. I pray that I can have a pure heart like hers. She is precious! It is time to feed Lindy Grace, so I'll end this post. Thanks for all the comments to these posts. I love hearing from people I love and miss so much! Have a happy Tuesday night, and happy Due Date to Melinda Grace!

Monday, June 2, 2008

Lindy's First Sunday at Church

Okay, so now that I've gotten back on the computer, I'm ready to make more regular posts to the blog! Yesterday was Lindy's first Sunday at church. She did really well through class, as you can see she slept through it on my lap. Then she nursed through the service. We made it through the first song and then left. I'd forgotten what it was like to live in the nursing room during worship service.


No the teacher wasn't too boring, Lindy was just sleeping because she's a baby. :)
We love dressing her up for pretty pictures.
A rare moment of quiet for Daddy and Lindy Grace.
I'll keep adding more as we take them.....All is well in Middle Tennessee. Happy Monday!