Our God is Healer

On Monday, my dad had his knee replaced.  He is a healthy guy, a big guy, he's only 51, and this was a routine surgery with what should have been a routine recovery.  We visited him on Monday night, and he seemed great, he wasn't really feeling any pain yet, and he was happy to see his kids and grandkids. 

Picture stolen from my sister's facebook page, thanks Em!

About an hour after we left, things started going downhill.  To be honest, I don't really understand what happened, and my medical knowledge is basically nil.  By the grace of God, my step-mom, a nurse was still there (although she was getting ready to leave as visiting hours were over) and as she talked to my dad she basically saw him lose consciousness.  She called in another nurse, and neither of them could find my Dad's pulse in either his wrist or his neck.  My dad woke up to the nurse doing chest compressions on him, and he didn't really know what had happened either. 

He was moved to a Coronary Care unit where he could be monitored better, and the same thing happened twice more this morning.  Right now the best guess from his doctors is that he is having an adverse reaction to the anesthesia from the surgery, they do not believe it is his heart.

I saw him today, and he is in quite a bit of pain, but mostly he is uncomfortable and wants to go back to the other unit.  He seems...pretty good, I guess.  It is just really hard to see my Dad in pain, and no one really knows what is going on at this point, although the medical staff at the hospital seems great. 

We are all very scared, but we know that God is in control of the situation, and we believe not only that God CAN heal him, but that he WILL heal him. 

Our God is Healer. 

Random Tidbits

I have a whole lot of things to catch up on here, and most of them don't really deserve/need a seperate post, so here is a little mash-up of 'stuff'.

-First of all, my dad is having his knee replaced today, so I would love your prayers that his surgery goes well and he has a good recovery! We will be visiting him this evening as long as he is up to visitors!

 Of course we had to break out our construction paper and crayons to make Pap a 'Get Well' card.

-We really were not hit too hard by Hurricane Irene here in PA, but somehow my sister's electricity was knocked out, and today they heard they may not have it back for FOUR DAYS.  Crazy.  I am trying to talk them into crashing here with us for a few days.

-  I finally completed a painting for Luke's room.  It took me forever to come up with an idea, and then finally I saw a really cute wall decal on Pinterest, and did a similar version with paints and canvas. 

Ironically, for as long as it took me to come up with an idea, it only took one evening to paint.  Currently it is hanging above his crib.

- Jack has taken a liking to his one bath toy, a little green and purple turtle, and it is so darn cute I could cry.  He gives it a bath every night, after which turtle must then be wrapped up in a towel just like Jack. 

He even put the turtle to bed in Luke's crib a few nights ago, how sweet is that!!

So there you have it, a few fun, random little tidbits from life around here lately! Happy Monday!

33 Weeks

I forgot to take a picture this week...also...I'm feeling a little unmotivated.  So here are the stats for week 33:

I'm pregnant.  It's a boy. 

Also, Jack is sleeping, and I think I will go join him in that endeavor. 

I love naptime.

First Day of School

While the rest of the blogging world is in a tither over their kids going back to school, Matt is back in the classroom as of today.  We have spent the last weekend trying to pack in as much family time as possible, be it trips to the library, ice cream outings, or afternoons at the park, we have tried to make sure we did it just one more time. 

Why? Well, neither of us has actually said it, but I think we are both trying to pack in as much time as a family of three before we are thrust into the world of a family of four.  It's not so much that we are mourning the loss of this time, just trying to relish what we have left of it until we are presented with a new kind of wonderful. 

I know that today is hard for Matt, he loves working with kids in the classroom, and he is incredibly good at what he does, but I see the way he lights up when Jack looks at him and squeals 'Hi Daddy!', and I know that he misses being home.  As much as Jack is my little sweetheart, he is fully Daddy's little buddy as well. 

I am so glad we have had this time together.  These months to make memories, to cement some family traditions and to start some new ones.   

I am so grateful for this man, my husband, the father of my sons. 

Have a good day sweetheart, we miss you and we can't wait to see you!

Rhymes With Taco

On Saturday morning Matt took Jaco outside to be brushed, which we do at least once a week.  I looked out to see how my boys were all doing, and I had to snap a picture. 

If there is any one picture that truly captures the temperament of our dog, it is this one.  

The expression on his face is just so....him.  You would think we were cutting off his tail, but I am happy to report that he not only survived this ordeal, he also finagled a treat for himself at the end of it. 

Clearly he has it pretty rough.

Throwback

Let's just start by saying that my laptop is officially on it's last leg. This time it is a little more major than the charger, in fact...the screen is falling off.  Literally.  in order to use it I have to push the screen back down, push the edges together, and prop it up with a book.

But ANYWAY...the reason I tell you that is because I am now using Matt's computer in order to get up to my online antics, and in doing so I have discovered a treasure trove of photos that I completely forgot were on here! Including our honeymoon in Barcelona!

There is something about looking through all these photos that makes me feel all mushy gushy inside again...like maybe I need to go give my husband a big smooch!

And seriously?  Who let us get married when we were both 14?  We look SO young.  P.S. those are STILL my favorite boots.  They look like galoshes there...but they aren't!

And now....one of my favorite picture of Matt of all time...that I promised I wouldn't put online. But that was a long time ago...and well...it's just too funny not to share...

Snort.  I love that big ol' nerd.

Jut for fun...what is your favorite honeymoon memory?  

32 Weeks

Eight or so weeks to go at this point...six weeks if he comes when Jack did, ten if he is stubborn and stays in past my due date.  I alternate between slight panic attacks because Luke is going to be here SO soon, and slight self-pity parties because I'm going to be huge and pregnant for TWO MORE MONTHS. 

I also never know what to say when people ask how I am feeling.  Good?  I mean...I am feeling good I suppose...aside from all the not good stuff...but they don't really want to hear about that do they?  I mean, should I have told my dental hygienist that I am actually rather uncomfortable from all this darn pelvic pressure, that sometimes I think Luke might be trying to punch his way out?  No...that would have been awkward, right? 

I love that you can see Jack's fuzzy wuzzy haircut in this picture!

Luke has, thankfully, turned from breech and is now in a head down position.  I think he might have dropped a little as well, because I can suddenly breathe better.  You don't realize how much you take your lungs for granted until your baby is smushing them!  

Stats:

Weight Gain: I don't know...I am guessing close 30 lbs.  Ahem...it's all baby.
Cravings: Nothing really.
Movement: Dude is a dancer!
Gender: It's a boy!
Sleep: Not great, but I have one more week with my sweet teacher husband helping out in the morning.  We alternate sleeping in, so I will take advantage of that as much as possible this week!
Stretchmarks: Oh indeed.  More on my sides than my belly, but they are definitely here.
Labor signs: Nope, even my normal contractions have slowed down a lot, which I am incredibly grateful for!
Milestones: Nothing really, every day brings us a little closer to meeting Luke.

What's in a Name?

I have learned quickly that when you are in the car and you KNOW the thing your child wants is to NOT be in the car, the only the to do is avoid the issue.  As in...ignore it.  Typically, after a few minutes of whining, this works. 

This weekend... it didn't work.

'Momma, momma, momma, momma...' came from the backseat of the car.  

I said nothing. 

'Momma, momma, momma, momma, momma...'

Still I held my ground. 

And then he did it. 


'BEKAH!'


While he didn't get what he ultimately wanted (out of the car) he definitely did accomplish getting my attention.

Stinker.

Great Googly Moogly!

That boy looks just like his Daddy!

Sorry for the lame blogging this week, we have been soaking up the last days of summer before Matt heads back to school! Have a great weekend!

Make Your Own Toddler Crayons

This is a fun craft I remember doing with my mom when we were little, and I have been looking forward to doing with Jack for a while.  It does require an oven, so it's not totally toddler friendly, but there are quite a few opportunities for your little one to get involved. 

Like I would imagine is the case for most kids, Jack has a tendency to break his crayons when he colors, and instead of throwing away those little bits of crayon, I have been saving them in a little Tupperware container since he first tried his hand at coloring. 

First you will have to remove the paper from the crayons...this is the tedious part, but I found that if I got it started, Jack had a blast ripping the paper the rest of the off. We then started sorting our crayons into a muffin tin (don't expect to reuse this tin! You might want to get a disposable one), and for us, sorting meant just throwing them in.  Bigger kids can go crazy here and sort by color family, or theme...such as red, white, and blue for 4th of July or something.

Directions I found online said to bake them at 200 degrees for 10 minutes, but I found that our crayons needed much longer than that.  More like 25 minutes, checking them frequently.  I had a slight mishap in which I underestimated just how RUNNY melted wax would be and sloshed the crayons when I removed the tray, but really...no harm done! But that does explain why there are no pictures of the next step...I was cleaning wax out of my very hot oven. 

You are all surprised...I know, I know! Me? Make a mess? NO!

ANYWAY...Once your crayons are melted, pull your tray out of the oven.  I set ours in the refrigerator to cool for a while.  After the wax hardened, I simply turned my tray over and knocked on the bottom of each section with my knuckles, and the crayons popped right out. 

They were, and still are, a big hit!

And there you have it...a VERY easy craft you and your toddler can make out of the busted crayons I am sure you are always finding under the couch!

Sneak Peek

We have been slowly readying the third bedroom for the arrival of a certain squawking newborn, and while there are still a lot of things missing (dresser, paintings, etc.), the room is finally starting to take on a personality of it's own. 

It's calm, it's boyish, it's sunny, and (surprise, surprise) I made most of the decorations by hand...or in the case of the blue toybox I found it in the garbage and refinished it.  

I can't help but smile every time I come up the stairs and see into both Jack and Luke's rooms at once. It's still a little surreal.  

Big Family News!

My little sister is engaged!  Tony popped the question last weekend, and it's official!  There will be a wedding next summer!

I'm so excited for them as they embark on this next stage together!

And seriously?  Could her ring be any more beautiful?  Good Job Tone-tone!

Hold You Momma

If you have ever been pregnant, know someone who has been pregnant, or you know...paid any attention to pregnancy at all, you have probably heard the 'rule' that pregnant women shouldn't really carry much more than 25 pounds. 

My son weighs 29 pounds. And when we are out and about he has this sweet little habit when he is sleepy where he turns to me and puts his little hands out and asks 'hold you momma'.  He nestles his little head into my neck and I snuggle him until his little body relaxes on my shoulder and I hear his breathing get steady. 

 

Phooey on that 25 pound rule.  This is my baby, and I will 'hold you momma' as much as I can!

30 Weeks and Luke the Tomato

Remember back when I was 20 weeks along and finally starting to show a little?  I bought this really cute blue shirt for Easter and I remember thinking 'I will totally be able to wear this for the whole pregnancy!'.

Ten weeks later, ten weeks to go, and I'm not feeling very optimistic about the lifespan of that shirt.

She's lookin' a little stretched. 

30 Week Stats:

Weight Gain: Why do I always start with this?  Honest truth - No idea.  I have an appt. on the 8th. 
Cravings: Stromboli. My mom's stromboli to be precise.  Mom?  You reading this?  Luke NEEDS stromboli.
Movement: Oh yes.  Mostly at night, I still love watching my belly pitch and roll while he cavorts madly inside. 
Gender: It's a boy!
Sleep:  Haha, well it's not great, but I am very grateful that Matt has summers off from work.   He has graciously let me sleep in several times this week after I have spent the night uncomfortably awake.  That's a huge blessing.  
Labor Signs: Nope, and we'd like to keep it that way for a while!
Milestones: 30 weeks down, 10 (or so) to go!

So.  That's that.  30 weeks along and, while I am uncomfortable to be sure, I have been trying to focus on what a blessing it is to be given the gift of another healthy baby! 

We get asked pretty frequently what Jack thinks of the whole baby brother thing, and honestly? He doesn't get it yet.  He calls my belly Luke, and he knows that the third bedroom is 'Luke's room' but I'm quite sure he is too young to process that there is a baby inside of me.  In fact, on Sunday my mom let Jack pick a tomato from her plants, which he proceeded to carry around the house and refer to as 'baby Luke'.

No Sweet Jack, Mommy is NOT going to give birth to a tomato.

Drama Queen

Do you guys remember how much Matt and I stressed out about the idea of transitioning Jack out of his bed and into a big boy bed? 

Well...

Cell phone picture,

He loves it.  LOVES IT.  He will run up the stairs saying 'big boy bed' and sit in it and read books.  He crawls under it and calls it a 'tunnel', but mostly he sleeps like a champ in it!

I should have known that he would do better with this than I would.  I thought for sure Matt or I would be sleeping on the floor next to his bed, but no...Mr. Big Boy doesn't need us.

Sigh...dude is growing up so fast. 

P.S. I will get a better picture up here soon...we have since organized his toys and his room doesn't look quite so cluttered!