We had a wonderful Christmas with our little angel. It was so much more fun this year. Josh was able to open presents and to play with his new things. He understands about opening presents, although he seems to prefer playing with wrapping paper and boxes. And Mommy loves that Josh is young enough that he doesn't care if I buy him clothes!
Josh got so many nice new things. He honestly does not need anything! He is one spoiled little boy. But I feel thankful that we have so many people that love and care about us! Christmas isn't about the presents, it's about family, love, and giving to others, but most importantly, it is about Jesus! I can't wait until Josh is old enough to hear and understand the Christmas story and the true meaning of Christmas!
Josh had a busy Christmas! He went several places over a few days, and he got overwhelmed with his gifts. He saw so many people, and loved it. Josh just loves people. He saw Santa for the first time. Last Christmas he just came home from the hospital and wasn't supposed to go anywhere because of the flu. Josh fell in love with Santa. He rested his head on Santa's beard, and then he tried to give Santa his passie. It was so cute! I will have to add some pictures to Facebook soon!
Mommy and Daddy had a wonderful Christmas as well. But we really just enjoyed Josh. It was so much fun to watch him get so excited. And even more fun to watch him playing with his new toys ( I will add those pictures to Facebook as well). There is nothing like Christmas until you have Christmas with your child. It truly is priceless. I am so blessed and so thankful for all we have.
And we finished off our Christmas Day with snow. Josh isn't old enough to understand it, but it made Mommy and Daddy excited. Sunday we took Josh outside in it and got some pictures. He was really indifferent. He didn't like that the snow itself was cold. When we had him outside the wind was blowing and he didn't really care for that either. So he wasn't outside very long, but we enjoyed having him out there with us.
This definitely was a wonderful holiday season. As always I am sad to see it go. It feels like an eternity before it returns. But I am looking forward to the new year and all it has to bring. Thank you so much to everyone who made our holiday so special!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
An Important Milestone
This past Friday, on December 10, 2010, this family shared a very important milestone: it had been exactly one year since our little monkey came home from the hospital!! It was a very beautiful day and a beautiful thing to celebrate. The day was even complete with a few tears from me.
It is still hard to think about those days sometimes. I find myself still asking "WHY?" Honestly, I still don't think it is fair. There is a slight tinge of bitterness remaining. But then I think about all the blessings that came out of it. First of all, my little monkey did not have a December birthday (and if you know me, you know that was a fear of mine). Secondly, I got to meet my little boy 6 1/2 weeks early! I spent time taking care of him, holding him, feeding him, and changing his diaper well before I was supposed to. Thirdly, him coming early was time I did not spend pregnant and miserable! And lastly, Josh has a story. He was a miracle from the beginning. We see his story, the fact that he was a preemie, as a badge of honor. It is something we overcame and something we are proud of him for. Josh will be able to minister to people, and because of what I went through, I will be able to help more women in my congregations.
I still remember the day we brought him home. We had roomed in the night before at the hospital to get the hang of spending a night with him. We had access to a nurse if we needed one. And that was helpful, especially since Josh was on that apnea monitor. We had a great night, but there was not a lot of sleep! The next morning around 7:30, the morning nurse came to get him and said she would call him after the doctor came in and made a decision. It seemed like we waited forever!! She finally called (close to 9) and said we could come to the nursery. The doctor had released Josh!! I have never been so happy in my whole life. We went to the nursery to fill out paperwork and help get Josh ready to leave. We got out of the hospital around 10 AM. I cried when we left the hospital! I called my mom and told her we were on the way home with Josh, still crying. We got Josh home, showed him around the house, and got him settled. Then Matt had to go to work because he only took half a day off work. I cried when Matt left, not knowing if I could care for him by myself, but we had a great afternoon! It was the start of something beautiful!
It definitely was hard leaving him in the hospital, but it was heaven when he came home. I know he was in the best place for him. It would have killed me if he had come home and we had to take him back. Part of the reason Josh was in the hospital so long was because of his own stubborness. The rest of it was the doctors taking so long to figure out everything that was wrong with him, and misdiagnosing him several times. That did make me a little upset with the doctors and I was getting impatient. The original hope and timeline was for him to be home in time for Thanksgiving, and it could have happened. Josh was big enough, but it wasn't in God's plan. I guess God was trying to teach me patience. And Josh being in the hospital gave me time to rest because once he came home, I wasn't getting much rest!
I spent part of this beautiful anniversary healing. My healing process has seemed slow, but it has progressed. I have come far in a year. And it seems like in the last 2 1/2 months I have made the most progress. I think my healing is pretty close to complete, although I do have days where I take steps backward. On this anniversary, I took photos of Josh and went to Shutterfly to make a photo book. I told Josh's story in pictures, with no words, over the first year of his life. You can see how he grew and changed! It reminded me of how much I have to be thankful for. And Josh is not that little boy anymore. He is big, strong, and healthy. Seeing his progress step by step over the first year definitely made it easier. And my focus needs to be on my little boy right now, not who he was at 3 pounds 7 ounces!
It is still hard to think about those days sometimes. I find myself still asking "WHY?" Honestly, I still don't think it is fair. There is a slight tinge of bitterness remaining. But then I think about all the blessings that came out of it. First of all, my little monkey did not have a December birthday (and if you know me, you know that was a fear of mine). Secondly, I got to meet my little boy 6 1/2 weeks early! I spent time taking care of him, holding him, feeding him, and changing his diaper well before I was supposed to. Thirdly, him coming early was time I did not spend pregnant and miserable! And lastly, Josh has a story. He was a miracle from the beginning. We see his story, the fact that he was a preemie, as a badge of honor. It is something we overcame and something we are proud of him for. Josh will be able to minister to people, and because of what I went through, I will be able to help more women in my congregations.
I still remember the day we brought him home. We had roomed in the night before at the hospital to get the hang of spending a night with him. We had access to a nurse if we needed one. And that was helpful, especially since Josh was on that apnea monitor. We had a great night, but there was not a lot of sleep! The next morning around 7:30, the morning nurse came to get him and said she would call him after the doctor came in and made a decision. It seemed like we waited forever!! She finally called (close to 9) and said we could come to the nursery. The doctor had released Josh!! I have never been so happy in my whole life. We went to the nursery to fill out paperwork and help get Josh ready to leave. We got out of the hospital around 10 AM. I cried when we left the hospital! I called my mom and told her we were on the way home with Josh, still crying. We got Josh home, showed him around the house, and got him settled. Then Matt had to go to work because he only took half a day off work. I cried when Matt left, not knowing if I could care for him by myself, but we had a great afternoon! It was the start of something beautiful!
It definitely was hard leaving him in the hospital, but it was heaven when he came home. I know he was in the best place for him. It would have killed me if he had come home and we had to take him back. Part of the reason Josh was in the hospital so long was because of his own stubborness. The rest of it was the doctors taking so long to figure out everything that was wrong with him, and misdiagnosing him several times. That did make me a little upset with the doctors and I was getting impatient. The original hope and timeline was for him to be home in time for Thanksgiving, and it could have happened. Josh was big enough, but it wasn't in God's plan. I guess God was trying to teach me patience. And Josh being in the hospital gave me time to rest because once he came home, I wasn't getting much rest!
I spent part of this beautiful anniversary healing. My healing process has seemed slow, but it has progressed. I have come far in a year. And it seems like in the last 2 1/2 months I have made the most progress. I think my healing is pretty close to complete, although I do have days where I take steps backward. On this anniversary, I took photos of Josh and went to Shutterfly to make a photo book. I told Josh's story in pictures, with no words, over the first year of his life. You can see how he grew and changed! It reminded me of how much I have to be thankful for. And Josh is not that little boy anymore. He is big, strong, and healthy. Seeing his progress step by step over the first year definitely made it easier. And my focus needs to be on my little boy right now, not who he was at 3 pounds 7 ounces!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Being Thankful
Being thankful is something that shouldn't end just because Thanksgiving is over. We should be thankful each and everyday for what we are given. I would have written this last week, but I was without a computer for a week because my laptop crashed. That leads to the first thing I am thankful for (these aren't in order)...
1. Technology - I love having a computer, internet, cell phone, an mp3, and so many other things. It is so easy nowadays to keep in contact with those we love and care about. Plus it is so easy to get news and information quickly.
2. God - Without God we wouldn't have all these wonderful things we are blessed with; countless things we don't deserve. I love my relationship with God. I appreciate so much that God allowed his Son to die on my behalf when I didn't deserve. It is wonderful that God treats us with mercy, grace, and that he chooses to forgive us. And I love that God hears our prayers. God is my Savior, and without Him, I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today.
3. Family - Who has seen you at your worst and still loves you? Who supports you in all your endeavors? Who is there to back you up and help out in any situation? Family, of course! All my family means so much to me. Without them I wouldn't be where I am today. I have a wonderful husband, supportive parents, and an amazing sister who is one of my best friends!
4. My son - I know he could be put in the category of family, but our relationship is special. A mother cannot love anyone the way she loves her children. We carry them and give birth to them. We have a bond with them and a love so deep and strong before they even get here. A mother nourishes and helps her baby grow for 9 months, and then after our child is here we continue to help them grow. But I am even more thankful for Josh after what we have been through. Josh could easily not be here right now, but God had bigger plans for Josh. Josh's premature birth taught Mommy and Daddy alot about God's sovereignty and his care for his children. Josh is my world. I have never loved anyone the way I love my son!
5. Other supportive people - Friends, extended family, co-workers, and church family are all wonderful people to have around. It is great to have people that love and care about you; people who are supportive and understanding, or people who can lend a helping hand, an ear, or a shoulder to cry on. Close friends are a blessing!
6. My job - It is an honor to be chosen to serve God in ministry. I still do not know why he chose me, but I am thankful. I plan to spend my next 40 years or so serving God to the best of my ability. It is great to be there for people, to listen, to be compassionate and generous, to point people to God, to pray for them, and to be their pastor. What better career could there be then serving God? It is a chore, stressful, frustrating, and difficult at times, but so fulfilling. I pray God will be with me and continue to help me get better at my vocation.
7. All the extras - Food, money, a home, and all the other things we need to get by. We are blessed to have what we need and some of what we want. Even in those times when things were rough (like when Josh was in the hospital) God provided what we needed. During the recession Matt never lost his job even though his company let people go. We are so blessed! I know God will provide for all our needs if we are just faithful. And even if we don't have all of what we want, we will still have what we need, and each other!
We all need to remember to count our blessings and be thankful each and every day.
1. Technology - I love having a computer, internet, cell phone, an mp3, and so many other things. It is so easy nowadays to keep in contact with those we love and care about. Plus it is so easy to get news and information quickly.
2. God - Without God we wouldn't have all these wonderful things we are blessed with; countless things we don't deserve. I love my relationship with God. I appreciate so much that God allowed his Son to die on my behalf when I didn't deserve. It is wonderful that God treats us with mercy, grace, and that he chooses to forgive us. And I love that God hears our prayers. God is my Savior, and without Him, I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today.
3. Family - Who has seen you at your worst and still loves you? Who supports you in all your endeavors? Who is there to back you up and help out in any situation? Family, of course! All my family means so much to me. Without them I wouldn't be where I am today. I have a wonderful husband, supportive parents, and an amazing sister who is one of my best friends!
4. My son - I know he could be put in the category of family, but our relationship is special. A mother cannot love anyone the way she loves her children. We carry them and give birth to them. We have a bond with them and a love so deep and strong before they even get here. A mother nourishes and helps her baby grow for 9 months, and then after our child is here we continue to help them grow. But I am even more thankful for Josh after what we have been through. Josh could easily not be here right now, but God had bigger plans for Josh. Josh's premature birth taught Mommy and Daddy alot about God's sovereignty and his care for his children. Josh is my world. I have never loved anyone the way I love my son!
5. Other supportive people - Friends, extended family, co-workers, and church family are all wonderful people to have around. It is great to have people that love and care about you; people who are supportive and understanding, or people who can lend a helping hand, an ear, or a shoulder to cry on. Close friends are a blessing!
6. My job - It is an honor to be chosen to serve God in ministry. I still do not know why he chose me, but I am thankful. I plan to spend my next 40 years or so serving God to the best of my ability. It is great to be there for people, to listen, to be compassionate and generous, to point people to God, to pray for them, and to be their pastor. What better career could there be then serving God? It is a chore, stressful, frustrating, and difficult at times, but so fulfilling. I pray God will be with me and continue to help me get better at my vocation.
7. All the extras - Food, money, a home, and all the other things we need to get by. We are blessed to have what we need and some of what we want. Even in those times when things were rough (like when Josh was in the hospital) God provided what we needed. During the recession Matt never lost his job even though his company let people go. We are so blessed! I know God will provide for all our needs if we are just faithful. And even if we don't have all of what we want, we will still have what we need, and each other!
We all need to remember to count our blessings and be thankful each and every day.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Josh isn't a baby anymore
It truly is heartbreaking the day you realize your first child (and probably any child) is no longer a baby! Matt and I are at that point with Josh. He isn't a baby anymore, and it's sad. My little man is trying to walk. He crawls and scoots all over the place. He has 8 teeth and is getting another. Josh talks like crazy, He has about 11 - 12 words and phrases, or attempted words and phrases he says. Josh claps when he does something new. He explores new things. And his diet is now consisting of some real milk and more and more real people food with each new day. Definitely not a baby anymore. He is becoming a little toddler now. To watch him learn, say, and do new things makes me so proud, but it is also bittersweet. Does he have to grow up so fast? And this little monkey loves to assert his independence. He is stubborn and determined, and he throws some good temper tantrums. Now if only we could get him potty-trained, we really would have a little adult on our hands! I am only joking, I know it takes longer to potty train a boy. So we probably have 8 - 10 months or a year before we start that.
I imagine with different moms there are different feelings about when your child grows up. And different moms probably handle it in different ways. I am sure there will be times where I can't wait for Josh to reach the next stage of his growth and development. But I don't want to rush him growing up. And right now I am not liking going into the stage of toddlerhood. I wish I could just keep him as my little baby right now. I long for the days where I can rock him, snuggle him, feed him a bottle, and play with his hair. He is already getting to the point where he doesn't like to be held like a baby anymore! These days are leaving us much faster than I would like them to!
So how am I handling it? I have baby fever on the brain. Matt and I are not talking about trying right now, but that day is fast approaching. In some ways I am kind of surprised I am visiting this thought right now, but in other ways I am not. I did not have baby fever when I got pregnant with Josh. In fact, I was on birth control. I spent a large portion of my pregnancy scared. And I cried when I told my mom. It wasn't a good cry. I did not cry because I was so happy; like a woman who had been trying forever. My cry was more in sync with a teenage girl who has to tell her mom something like that. I felt so unprepared. It wasn't planned. I had only been married three months! I was still in school! I didn't have a full time job! So many worries. But God took care of it all. Now that I have Josh, I can't imagine life without a child. And I don't know how I got through without him!
I can see why I want another child. I also think a pregnancy will be much different trying to have a child, and actually already having a child. It seems like it will be much more enjoyable. But I know there are some thoughts on why I am surprised I am entertaining the idea of another child now. I have always been sort of a snob about having my kids spaced "just right." I never in my life thought I would be thinking about having a second child right after my first child turned one. I recognize that some of the idea could just be because Josh turned one. But overall, I think Matt and I are ready. And Josh would be a great big brother!
But some things have to happen first. One, we will definitely not be getting pregant (unless God has other plans, again) until after the first of the year. Two, in case anyone is unfamiliar, Methodists move their pastors around. I want to make sure I am not moving before I consider getting pregnant next year. I think it would be rude to go to a new church, work and get to know the people for four months, and then take my 2 month maternity leave. I should have an idea if I am moving around March or April. Three, I don't want a baby before Christmas, or even in the month of December at all. I was terrified and disappointed when I learned that Josh's due date was December 15. Too close to Christmas. So with all of that said, April or May would be the earliest we would probably start trying. April would put us due in January. Josh would be 2 years and 2 months. Sounds perfect to me! I don't want Josh to be under 2.
If we allot some extra time considering my first pregnancy, and realize that a baby could come early, we may not want to try before May. I am not anticipating or wanting another baby to come early. But that is another reason for waiting awhile. I want to lose some weight before I try again. I had preeclampsia with Josh, and if anyone knows anything about it, your chances increase with weight, and several other factors. My weight was my only risk factor. It also increases with age, race, and certain health conditions. I have a few friends and known some other women who were overweight and had multiple healthy pregnancies. I wasn't that lucky. I also know some women in good shape who had preeclampsia. It used to be if you had preeclampsia that you were advised not to have more children. Doctors didn't know if it would happen again. The majority of preeclampsia births occur in a first or last birth. I can see why! If a woman goes through it the first time, she may not want to risk it again. And if she already has a child or two, and it happens the second or third time, she is probably done anyway. And if it not, the experience is enough to keep her from risking it again when she already has 2 or 3 kids. Plus, the risk increases with age. But the OB told me that only 12-15% of women who had preeclampsia with a first birth experienced it in a later birth. Those are good odds. So basically, I am giving myself 5-6 months to lose some weight. Please keep us, and this future pregnancy and child in your prayers. Pray that God works it out according to his will. And that the baby will be healthy. We thank you in advance.
I imagine with different moms there are different feelings about when your child grows up. And different moms probably handle it in different ways. I am sure there will be times where I can't wait for Josh to reach the next stage of his growth and development. But I don't want to rush him growing up. And right now I am not liking going into the stage of toddlerhood. I wish I could just keep him as my little baby right now. I long for the days where I can rock him, snuggle him, feed him a bottle, and play with his hair. He is already getting to the point where he doesn't like to be held like a baby anymore! These days are leaving us much faster than I would like them to!
So how am I handling it? I have baby fever on the brain. Matt and I are not talking about trying right now, but that day is fast approaching. In some ways I am kind of surprised I am visiting this thought right now, but in other ways I am not. I did not have baby fever when I got pregnant with Josh. In fact, I was on birth control. I spent a large portion of my pregnancy scared. And I cried when I told my mom. It wasn't a good cry. I did not cry because I was so happy; like a woman who had been trying forever. My cry was more in sync with a teenage girl who has to tell her mom something like that. I felt so unprepared. It wasn't planned. I had only been married three months! I was still in school! I didn't have a full time job! So many worries. But God took care of it all. Now that I have Josh, I can't imagine life without a child. And I don't know how I got through without him!
I can see why I want another child. I also think a pregnancy will be much different trying to have a child, and actually already having a child. It seems like it will be much more enjoyable. But I know there are some thoughts on why I am surprised I am entertaining the idea of another child now. I have always been sort of a snob about having my kids spaced "just right." I never in my life thought I would be thinking about having a second child right after my first child turned one. I recognize that some of the idea could just be because Josh turned one. But overall, I think Matt and I are ready. And Josh would be a great big brother!
But some things have to happen first. One, we will definitely not be getting pregant (unless God has other plans, again) until after the first of the year. Two, in case anyone is unfamiliar, Methodists move their pastors around. I want to make sure I am not moving before I consider getting pregnant next year. I think it would be rude to go to a new church, work and get to know the people for four months, and then take my 2 month maternity leave. I should have an idea if I am moving around March or April. Three, I don't want a baby before Christmas, or even in the month of December at all. I was terrified and disappointed when I learned that Josh's due date was December 15. Too close to Christmas. So with all of that said, April or May would be the earliest we would probably start trying. April would put us due in January. Josh would be 2 years and 2 months. Sounds perfect to me! I don't want Josh to be under 2.
If we allot some extra time considering my first pregnancy, and realize that a baby could come early, we may not want to try before May. I am not anticipating or wanting another baby to come early. But that is another reason for waiting awhile. I want to lose some weight before I try again. I had preeclampsia with Josh, and if anyone knows anything about it, your chances increase with weight, and several other factors. My weight was my only risk factor. It also increases with age, race, and certain health conditions. I have a few friends and known some other women who were overweight and had multiple healthy pregnancies. I wasn't that lucky. I also know some women in good shape who had preeclampsia. It used to be if you had preeclampsia that you were advised not to have more children. Doctors didn't know if it would happen again. The majority of preeclampsia births occur in a first or last birth. I can see why! If a woman goes through it the first time, she may not want to risk it again. And if she already has a child or two, and it happens the second or third time, she is probably done anyway. And if it not, the experience is enough to keep her from risking it again when she already has 2 or 3 kids. Plus, the risk increases with age. But the OB told me that only 12-15% of women who had preeclampsia with a first birth experienced it in a later birth. Those are good odds. So basically, I am giving myself 5-6 months to lose some weight. Please keep us, and this future pregnancy and child in your prayers. Pray that God works it out according to his will. And that the baby will be healthy. We thank you in advance.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
After the birthday post
So I failed. After being good, and writing twice last week, it has been more than a week since I last wrote. But, in my defense, we have had a wonderful week celebrating the birth of an amazing child! I promise to be better this week!
Josh's birthday was here and was absolutely great! It was everything I expected it to be and so much more. When I woke up this past Monday and thought about his birth, I found myself crying. He is such a special boy and I cannot imagine life without him. In some ways I can't believe it has been a year, but in other ways it feels like we waited forever for his first birthday to get here.
Monday was a great day. We didn't do much of anything special, since we were waiting to have his party yesterday (Saturday). It was hard planning his party since the two days before his actual birthday encompassed Halloween celebrations. I did make some cookies for his birthday, and we shared them with him. I didn't want him to have cake before his first birthday party. Monday we spent the day being thankful for our little gift from God. It was great just to spend time with him and tell him how much we love him and how special he is. He got to see both sets of grandparents on his actual birthday.
Tuesday was his doctor's appointment. He is off all medication except for allergy medicine, which he appears to take after his mom and just need it seasonally. No signs of asthma, which we have been watching for. We are off formula! And we will be weaning him off the bottle soon. Then it's time to wean him off the pacifier. Josh's soft spot is closed. He has 8 teeth. He weighs 23 lbs and 4 oz and is 30 inches long, so not a lot of growth since last time. He had to get 5 shots and a finger stick. He was not a happy camper. The doctor gave us the go ahead to start giving Josh a good bit more people food. We are so pleased with his progress! God has taken care of our little boy! It's a miracle that there are absolutely NO SIGNS of our baby being a preemie anymore! Looking at him you can't tell he was a preemie. And he is not behind in anything. The doctor is not worried that Josh isn't walking yet, either. Most boys don't walk before a year, plus Josh is technically only 10 1/2 months old. And also, Josh's cousin did not walk until he was 14 months old.
Yesterday was Josh's first birthday party! He had a great time. We celebrated with just close family. He got a lot of nice gifts. This little boy is so spoiled! He hs so many toys and books. He loves them all! And he has a lot of nice new clothes! I love that he is at the age where we can give him clothes and he doesn't care! We had some great food, and the decorations were cute. I appreciate everyone who helped us with the party, and made his day so special. Josh had a Sesame Street cake, and a separate little cake for him to destroy. He was so precious when he was playing with his cake. Josh is funny about getting messy. He really seems to hate it. He didn't know what to do with his cake it first. Then he touched it a little, but he was unsure. Then he got into it a little more. And finally started to try the icing and the cake. He really didn't get that messy. And he hated the icing on his hand! I forgot to mention that he looked at us like we were crazy when we sang Happy Birthday!
His first birthday week was a lot of fun. And it was much needed for Mommy and Daddy. We especially needed his birthday party. It was time for us to celebrate after everything we have been through. We will be celebrating on December 10, too. That will be one year since Josh came home. It is sad to think my little munchkin is one year old, but I am happy for all the things that are to come!
Josh's birthday was here and was absolutely great! It was everything I expected it to be and so much more. When I woke up this past Monday and thought about his birth, I found myself crying. He is such a special boy and I cannot imagine life without him. In some ways I can't believe it has been a year, but in other ways it feels like we waited forever for his first birthday to get here.
Monday was a great day. We didn't do much of anything special, since we were waiting to have his party yesterday (Saturday). It was hard planning his party since the two days before his actual birthday encompassed Halloween celebrations. I did make some cookies for his birthday, and we shared them with him. I didn't want him to have cake before his first birthday party. Monday we spent the day being thankful for our little gift from God. It was great just to spend time with him and tell him how much we love him and how special he is. He got to see both sets of grandparents on his actual birthday.
Tuesday was his doctor's appointment. He is off all medication except for allergy medicine, which he appears to take after his mom and just need it seasonally. No signs of asthma, which we have been watching for. We are off formula! And we will be weaning him off the bottle soon. Then it's time to wean him off the pacifier. Josh's soft spot is closed. He has 8 teeth. He weighs 23 lbs and 4 oz and is 30 inches long, so not a lot of growth since last time. He had to get 5 shots and a finger stick. He was not a happy camper. The doctor gave us the go ahead to start giving Josh a good bit more people food. We are so pleased with his progress! God has taken care of our little boy! It's a miracle that there are absolutely NO SIGNS of our baby being a preemie anymore! Looking at him you can't tell he was a preemie. And he is not behind in anything. The doctor is not worried that Josh isn't walking yet, either. Most boys don't walk before a year, plus Josh is technically only 10 1/2 months old. And also, Josh's cousin did not walk until he was 14 months old.
Yesterday was Josh's first birthday party! He had a great time. We celebrated with just close family. He got a lot of nice gifts. This little boy is so spoiled! He hs so many toys and books. He loves them all! And he has a lot of nice new clothes! I love that he is at the age where we can give him clothes and he doesn't care! We had some great food, and the decorations were cute. I appreciate everyone who helped us with the party, and made his day so special. Josh had a Sesame Street cake, and a separate little cake for him to destroy. He was so precious when he was playing with his cake. Josh is funny about getting messy. He really seems to hate it. He didn't know what to do with his cake it first. Then he touched it a little, but he was unsure. Then he got into it a little more. And finally started to try the icing and the cake. He really didn't get that messy. And he hated the icing on his hand! I forgot to mention that he looked at us like we were crazy when we sang Happy Birthday!
His first birthday week was a lot of fun. And it was much needed for Mommy and Daddy. We especially needed his birthday party. It was time for us to celebrate after everything we have been through. We will be celebrating on December 10, too. That will be one year since Josh came home. It is sad to think my little munchkin is one year old, but I am happy for all the things that are to come!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
2 days
So here I am trying to make good on my vow to blog more. Twice in one week - YES! That equals success for this very busy wife, mother, and pastor!
2 days until my little monkey's birthday! I can't believe it! In some ways this year has flown by! In other ways, it has been kind of slow. Especially those first 38 days while he was in the NICU. Those days just seemed to drag on.
Tonight we have Trunk or Treat at church. I am excited. Josh has his little costume. He is going to be a dragon. His costume is just adorable. I will take pictures and at least post them on Facebook, if not here. I would have to learn how to post pictures on here. But I know I will take tons of pictures.
I can't help but sit here and think how bad I felt on October 30 and 31 last year. I never imagined that I would be delivering my baby on November 1, 6 1/2 weeks early. But God took care of him. And I didn't have to spend 39 or 40 weeks pregnant. It was dragging on anyway.
I just finished sorting through Josh's clothes and his birthday gifts. I cleaned out his closets and his drawers to get rid of the small stuff, and make room for the new. We also decided what we were going to give Josh for his birthday. I bought so much stuff that his birthday and Christmas is finished! That is an accomplishment!
His birthday party will be next Saturday. We decided not to compete with Halloween, especially when we found out the church would be celebrating today. That would have been too much celebration for one day. I have all his birthday party supplies and decorations taken care of. All we have left to worry about is the food. How wonderful! It has been so fun planning his party. It sure is ging to be an exciting week around here!
2 days until my little monkey's birthday! I can't believe it! In some ways this year has flown by! In other ways, it has been kind of slow. Especially those first 38 days while he was in the NICU. Those days just seemed to drag on.
Tonight we have Trunk or Treat at church. I am excited. Josh has his little costume. He is going to be a dragon. His costume is just adorable. I will take pictures and at least post them on Facebook, if not here. I would have to learn how to post pictures on here. But I know I will take tons of pictures.
I can't help but sit here and think how bad I felt on October 30 and 31 last year. I never imagined that I would be delivering my baby on November 1, 6 1/2 weeks early. But God took care of him. And I didn't have to spend 39 or 40 weeks pregnant. It was dragging on anyway.
I just finished sorting through Josh's clothes and his birthday gifts. I cleaned out his closets and his drawers to get rid of the small stuff, and make room for the new. We also decided what we were going to give Josh for his birthday. I bought so much stuff that his birthday and Christmas is finished! That is an accomplishment!
His birthday party will be next Saturday. We decided not to compete with Halloween, especially when we found out the church would be celebrating today. That would have been too much celebration for one day. I have all his birthday party supplies and decorations taken care of. All we have left to worry about is the food. How wonderful! It has been so fun planning his party. It sure is ging to be an exciting week around here!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Long Overdue Update
I hate that it has been forever since I last updated. My goal is to now update at least weekly. And this blog is no longer going to be just about Josh, it will be about our family, and my career in ministry. Josh is almost a year old (one more week!) and I have enjoyed keeping you all updated on Josh, and will continue to do so. I just think that as he gets older there will be less updates after he starts doing all the basic things. This blog started to keep people updated while I was pregnant, and then it turned into a coping mechanism while he was in the NICU. And after that, it became a release as just started to become more like a normal baby. I became overjoyed and wanted to share as he started doing things other babies were, and at about the same time.
We are not sure about Josh's weight (he goes to the doctor a week from Tuesday - the day after his first birthday). But Josh has sure gotten tall. I know he is more than 30 inches tall, and he might be closer to three feet. He is pulling up, and he wants to walk, but he just can't get off those tippy-toes!
Josh's accomplishments in his first year of life:
-He scoots, rolls over, sits up from a laying down position, and crawls backward.
-He eats people food and some baby food (he has shown interest in feeding himself with utensils, but Mommy knows that will be messy!). He does feed himself finger food.
-He drinks from sippy cups (doesn't understand straws yet - he bites them, but that is the next order of business).
-He has a vocabulary of 11 words or phrases.
-He has six teeth.
-He can wave.
-And he claps like crazy.
Alot of what he has done, he has done on time or even early. We have so much to be proud of and thankful for. He has gone all kind of places. He loves to go see his grandparents. He loves to visit his Aunt Amanda. Josh seems to like going to church. He loves stories. He has quite the personality, which includes a little temper, stubborness and some frustration. He is proud of himself when he does new things. He is fascinated with children and babies. He loves to play, and he has his favorite toys. And he has brought Mommy and Daddy such joy! I can't believe my little boy will be one year old in a week!
We are not sure about Josh's weight (he goes to the doctor a week from Tuesday - the day after his first birthday). But Josh has sure gotten tall. I know he is more than 30 inches tall, and he might be closer to three feet. He is pulling up, and he wants to walk, but he just can't get off those tippy-toes!
Josh's accomplishments in his first year of life:
-He scoots, rolls over, sits up from a laying down position, and crawls backward.
-He eats people food and some baby food (he has shown interest in feeding himself with utensils, but Mommy knows that will be messy!). He does feed himself finger food.
-He drinks from sippy cups (doesn't understand straws yet - he bites them, but that is the next order of business).
-He has a vocabulary of 11 words or phrases.
-He has six teeth.
-He can wave.
-And he claps like crazy.
Alot of what he has done, he has done on time or even early. We have so much to be proud of and thankful for. He has gone all kind of places. He loves to go see his grandparents. He loves to visit his Aunt Amanda. Josh seems to like going to church. He loves stories. He has quite the personality, which includes a little temper, stubborness and some frustration. He is proud of himself when he does new things. He is fascinated with children and babies. He loves to play, and he has his favorite toys. And he has brought Mommy and Daddy such joy! I can't believe my little boy will be one year old in a week!
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