Much Needed Park Time

Last night was a beautiful night, weather and family time. We decided that after dinner we were going to go to the park. We have a beautiful park not far from our home. This park has everything, fun play equipment, geese to chase and a cave. The cave is closed most of the time, they open it periodically for cave tours. But for a 2 year old boy the opening of a cave is all you need. It was a much needed family time outdoors. The weather lately has been so hot that we have spent way to much time indoors. We ran all over that park. And I tried my very best to get that one perfect picture of my darling kiddos on steps. After about 10 tries and Haven being way to fascinated with the geese we decided what I had was good enough.

My efforts at getting the perfect pic

Jadon and Haven chasing the geese

Jadon and Haven at the opening of the cave

Four Years Today

Today, 4 years ago, Todd and I were in the hospital giving birth to our beautiful first born Karis Rose, who was born still at 38 weeks and 4 days. We went in for our regular check-up on August 28 and our doctor brought out the doppler to hear Karis' heart beating. There was no heartbeat, we did an ultrasound and still no heartbeat or movement. I can still remember the way I felt when the doctor looked at us and said I'm sorry. Later that night I was admitted to give birth.

Through all the pain and hurt and anger God was so good to us. He sent us people who loved on us, our family and dear friends and our doctor and nurses. Our doctor sat with Todd, crying with him and just being with him. We did not realize at the time how many people were praying for us all over the United States. God is so good.

We had chosen the name Karis Rose from the moment we found out we were having a girl. We prayed that she would be a girl/lady of grace and inner beauty. Even though our prayers were not answered the way we wanted we have still seen them answered. That was a huge blessing to us to know that God did answer our prayers. Sometimes those prayers are not wrapped in the package we have in mind.

The day we arrived home from the hospital Todd wrote this poem for our daughter.

We offered our prayers.

Night and day those prayers arose

To heaven's throne. He heard our voice,

And God planted a Rose.

We gave our hearts

To love, though the Rose we could not see.

In faith and fear

We dreamed of all that she would be.

We prayed God's grace

For grace in her to be known.

And for beauty

That would come form the depths of her soul.

But God's dreams are greater

Than any we could conceive.

His plans are always good and right;

This we must believe.

And in the midst of dryness,

God's tears fell with our own,

As He chose for Himself the beauty He made.

God picked the Rose.

Today Todd and I, because of the grace of God, can enjoy talking about our little girl. Every night in our prayers we can thank God for giving us Karis for the time we had her. Thank you Lord for Your strength and Your love and Your grace in our lives.

Sleeping Like a Baby

Oh how I wish I could sleep like a baby right now. I miss those nights of falling into a deep, comfortable sleep. The reasoning for these sleepless nights are not my two beautiful kiddos at home. No, it's one of those joys of being pregnant. I have jumped into the time where you spend most of your night trying to find that one spot where your joints don't hurt and your not sweating from being so hot! About the time I find that perfect spot in bed it's time for me to get up and start the day.

I love watching babies/toddlers/children sleep, especially mine. Before bed each night I go in and just watch Jadon and Haven for a few minutes, tuck them in and just touch them. Sometimes Haven will sort of wake up and I pick her up and rock her for a few minutes. I cherish those times.

When I walk in to check on them I never know how they will be found. Haven will be laying on her stuffed animals, Jadon could be half hanging off the bed. I like to take pictures of them sleeping and wonder what they are dreaming about. Here are pictures of them sleeping last night.

I Get to be the Mommy Dr!

Lately when Jadon hurts himself he's been asking to see the Mommy Doctor. I love being able to kiss my child's hurts away. There will be a day when I can no longer do that, but for now I quite enjoy it. I'm not really sure where the whole Mommy Dr. thing came from. I have been blessed with healthy children and the only time we see the dr. is when we go for a check-up. The last time the kids were at the dr. was almost a year ago. For him to ask to see the dr. because he was hurt is a little weird since he probably doesn't even remember his dr.

I will proudly wear around my Mommy Dr. hat and I will proudly be on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Anytime, anywhere my children need a kiss for a boo-boo I am there! What better FULL time job could I have?

Update on our little piranha, aka Haven, she hasn't bit her brother in over a week. I've been there a couple of times when she really wanted to. She wanted so bad to bite him one time that she got as close as she knew she could and then just pinched him. You could see it all over her face that nothing would have been more satisfying than to bite her brother. But, way to go girl, you did not give in to your temptation. Instead she gave him a big squeeze.

I have been feeling movements from our little bundle of joy. I love the time when I start feeling kicks and movements consistently. I do have an appointment this Friday to see my dr. I love my prenatal appointments, I love hearing the heartbeat. It is music to my ears and I never get tired of hearing those sweet sounds. I will also, hopefully, get to schedule the ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby.

Warning: Child May Bite

My sweet, beautiful, petite girl is biting. She just started this biting thing a week ago. Her victim is always Jadon too, poor Jadon. She gets mad at him and out come the fangs. On Saturday I was sitting in the floor with Jadon laying on my legs and Haven sitting beside me all of a sudden she decides she wants Jadon to move so she leans over and bites his little bottom. Jadon doesn't have the cushion of a diaper anymore, he is in big boy underwear. He started crying and I pulled her off him and then with his big blue eyes Jadon looks up at me and asks, "What did Sissy do?" My reply, well, she bit you. And the only thing he could say was, "Again?"

Thankfully, our last episode was that day. But Jadon has to be on watch because you never know when she might strike. She chased him across the floor the other day trying to bite him, until he finally jumped up on the couch where she couldn't reach him.

We have consulted with some veteran moms in our church and are hopefully going to nip this thing in the bud. For the time being Jadon gets the battle wounds, his arm, his other arm, his bottom and his toe. The phenom of being a mother, it's never boring and always unexpected and you wouldn't change it for the world; even when it wants to take a bite out of you.

Here are the marks of a sister.

Hard to believe something this adorable could have done something like that.

Little Miracle

Todd and I got to see our little one by ultrasound on July 27. I never get over what an awesome miracle it is to see such a little being moving and waving. By the time of the ultrasound our little one is only about the size of a grape, but yet we saw him/her wave the little hand, literally jump from one end of the placenta to the other end. I get teary every time I see a baby by ultrasound.

I was so excited when Todd told me he was going to get to go with me. He's only been at his job for a month and a half. But they were gracious enough to let him go and experience again the wonderous miracle of seeing our baby. I even have the first photo to share with everyone. He/she is truly a beautiful baby already!

I am starting to feel pretty good. My morning sickness has pretty much subsided and now I just battle headaches periodically. I am hoping that by the 2nd trimester that these too will pass.