We have a winner

Two teeth are about to pop through. I found them yesterday! I am so grateful to know what has been bothering my little baby girl. The normally pleasant smiley girl who lost her mind several weeks ago. The teeth are close to the top and about to break through. So we are holding nothing back...puffs to chew on, vibrating teether, Ibuprofen, Tylenol and gum goop. It is a relief to know what has been bothering her and to see her turning back into my precious baby. SO things are going so much better!

She has also been sleeping through the night!!! From 7:30 or 8:30 until 9 am!!!! What to do with all the sleep? REJOICE!!!!

I am so excited to see my L again and to know what was wrong and to be able to help her. Thank you God for getting us through this recent rough patch. We are happy and loving life again. This mom thing is working out very well.

We are also packing up...for travel and moving.

Itinerary:
Dec. 24 -- Go to city for dinner and Mass
Dec. 25 -- In Central Jersey for Christmas
Dec. 27 - Jan. 5 -- Kansas and Missouri
Jan. 7 - Jan. 15 -- Bermuda
Jan. 17 -- Move out of house
Jan. 20 - 21 -- Travel and move to SC
Jan. 30 - Feb. 3 -- Virginia to attend M's promotion ceremony

Holy Smokes! That is lots of travel and moving. We are excited about our changes.

Yeah for our life changes!!!

Dead Set

Since becoming pregnant, I have realized that many people will do things exactly this way or that. They have researched and think they know what is the best thing to do. Parents think that they know what will and will not work and will gladly share their views with other soon-to-be or new parents. Parents will only breast feed or parents will only bottle feed. Parents know that time-out is the only form of discipline to use. Others only use spanking. Parents read a book or check on the inter net and then magically know how to parent. This is hog-wash!

I will admit I have used the Internet and books to help me along. But as L gets older, I am checking less and less on what everyone else recommends and instead doing what is best for us. There is no one like L and no one like me. And no relationship like the one we have together.

You see, I was never dead set against breast feeding, or bottle feeding. I figured when the time came, we would do what worked and was best for our family. L took to breast feeding like a fish to water. We never had any issues...always had enough milk, never got clogged and did not loose my mind from the hormones. So we breast fed because it worked for our family.

I am not dead set against time-out or spanking. I think for different kids and in different situations, each one will work just fine. I have already had to smack L's hand because she LOVES to go for cords and cables. These are her favorite things in the house to play with. I feel she has to learn not to touch the cords and this is non-negotiable. She could get zapped or worse. Time-out does not work for a child who has the attention span and memory of a goldfish (3 seconds). She touches a cord and gets an immediate and firm "NO!" with a smack sometimes. Then redirects to another toy until she spots a cord on the other side of the room. I refuse to child-proof my house because she needs to learn what is and is not ok. Kids are way too protected. The obvious killers are child-proofed --- like the stairs, cleaners and knives. Otherwise, I believe it is my job to teach what she can and cannot play with. (And yes I have told her for the millionth time and she's only 8 months old ;)

This is because she was crawling at 6 months, and yes that is young to start discipline, but she has to learn. She is on the move, so we have to work with her. From teaching experiences, parents often wait way too long to discipline and then it doesn't work. Kids are too old. I think it would be silly to suddenly start trying to discipline at 8 years old, then be surprised that she won't listen to me.

L also decided this week that she was done nursing. She just no longer was interested and would not stay on the boob. So we are done. I had hoped to nurse until 12 months, but she is done and I will not force her so that my wishes are met. This was a situation where she took the lead and I followed.

My whole point is that when parents are so stuck on what they want to happen, or what they read in a book or on the Internet that they forget to listen to the kids, then that sucks for the kid. As L's mother I will provide what she needs when she needs. I will pick up on her ques and quick checking the Dr. Sear's website for every little thing. If things don't always go the way I had pictured, oh well. Why add what I am dead set on to my list of stressers? I like the easy going life better.

I do like hearing ideas and suggestions (when I ask for them) but will not be dead set on any one way. We will be flexible and work with L and what our family needs.


So, as my facebook status was set to this week...

I am no longer a nursing mother and I did not ask your opinion.

Time to count the blessings

Blessings I have:

Matthew has been home so much more to help with the crying baby
Don't have to get up to go to work outside the home
Able to nap during the day since I work at home as a mom
Matthew has been home so much more
Have friends who know that when I say I want to throw the baby out the window say they understand
Have a dad and stepmom who have a 1 year old baby so they know how I feel
Able to use all of the baby stuff at my parents' house since they have a baby so I have to pack nothing to go to their house
Matthew is home so much more
L has been an easy baby up until this last week. So thank you God for all this easy time we've had
L still gives me a few smiles a day
Last night L slept through the night
Matthew is home so much more
Matthew is going to be promoted
We are probably going to Japan for our next tour
We get to see family at Thanksgiving and Christmas
Japan will be warmer than NJ for next winter
Thank goodness for Baby Oralgel!
Matthew has been home so much more
My computer died, does that mean I get a new computer?
Overall health is good -- no longer sick and no terminal diseasae
MIL is going to be ok. She is healing well so far.
Brother is safe in Iraq and LOVING his job
Reconnecting with not-seen-for-a-long-time family members
Matthew is home so much more
Matthew has been cleared for his ankle, healing going well


Okay, so these blessings are what I need to focus on. Even if we do have a fussy baby.

These are the great and wonderful things we have going on. I am thankful for my life!

Head against the wall

Today I actually knocked my head against the wall. You know when you see someone in the movies who is so desperate... bouncing their head against the wall. That was me. It has been a very frustrating couple of days. L continues to cry. She was up from 3 to 5 last night. She has got to be teething. So tylenol it is. A squirt of tylenol and she seems to scream less intensely. It is 3:30 pm and I am finally ready for a shower. She napped twice today for 5 minutes but has finally fallen asleep. Poor baby. She must be in pain and I feel so bad for her. She is so precious when she is asleep. That is my new favorite time with her. When she is finally asleep in my arms and she is at peace. I feel so bad, but don't know what else to do. She won't take cold or frozen chew things, so I keep offering her room temp. things to chew on and tylenol. Why would a parent not use any sort of medicine when that is the only thing that gives them some relief? After the tylenol she is able to calm enough to give me 1/2 smiles. So its got to be teething right? I see no teeth. I feel no teeth. But its got to be the teeth. Oh, this guessing game. Enough being on here. I've got to shower before the cranky baby awakens.

I really do love her and M says I do a good job with her. But these last fews days have been a struggle.

Better

Things are better. L went to sleep last night before 9 pm. She was up on Saturday night until 1 am. Today and yesterday, though, she was so much happier. She seems to be a little more back to herself. Thank goodness.

Frustrated

So the last several nights L has been screaming! Screaming bloody murder. Last night she was up from 12:30 am until 3 am. I laid her down at 3 and immediately ran to the bathroom where I got sick. This has been a "not fun being a mom" weekend. As K.B. said on her blog recently, isn't there a rule about moms getting sick!?!?!?! I proceeded to get sick every hour until 9 ish am. What an awful night. The other bad part, I didn't go to bed until 11:30 because I thought "L is sleeping more at night." I can be up a little later. Yeah right. So on one hour of sleep we started our day.

It is now 10:41 pm on Saturday night and L is still awake again. She has screamed for almost 3 hours (just like last night) and I am FRUSTRATED! She has always gone straight to sleep. Lays down and closes her eyes! What in the world happened to my going to sleep baby? I want to trade for the baby that went to sleep when placed in her crib!

Between being sick Friday night/Saturday and L screaming for 2 days, more kids is OUT of the question. Thank you God for Matthew who has been the most amazing daddy and husband while I have been sick. But enough already.

Some of the reasons I suspect for the crying:

She is getting stuck in on her knees and then getting frustrated. It is so hard to be so little and have no voice. Maybe after she figures out how to lie down from being up on her knees, the crying will stop.

Daddy is at home so much more than he used to be. There is so much going on with her fun daddy so why would she want to go to sleep?

Teething?

She is so much more aware of what is going on and doesn't want to miss a thing.

She has new skills that she would rather practice than sleep. (crawling, sitting up, kneeling, etc.)

A touch of the stomach virus I have?

Otherwise, who the heck knows. We will make it through tonight and we will one day soon have a talking girl who can tell us all about her troubles.

You know you're a mom when

I went to lunch yesterday with a friend. She made the comment "You know you're a mom when you use your finger as a spoon."

So the following are a couple of ones i thought of as well.
You know you're a mom when:

You can change a poopy diaper using only 1 to 2 wipes

You can be barfed on and not flinch

You stop changing your shirt every time the baby spits up

You forget to wash your hands after changing the diaper. I have forgotten for a minute or 2, but have been able to remember to go back and wash ;)

You forget to eat

You forget to shower

Nap time for baby means either getting cleaning done, or finally getting to sit down

Wash the binky that just fell on the floor by sucking on it before sticking it back in the baby's mouth

Have been peed on, pooped on and spit on all at the same time

What can you add to the list from your experiences?

Sunday Recap

Patti at asked some gals from church to summarize what we heard and learned at her class this morning. Since September some of the women from our congregation have been sharing their experiences as mothers in raising their children. This class has been called Treasured in our Hearts. This new mama appreciates women who are willing and able to help new mommies along. By the way, when am I no longer a new mommy and an experienced one? Maybe when Matthew is gone for 6 months and I do this mom thing on my own?

Well, Patti taught today and here are some of the blessings she shared...

Honoring the Differences in our Children
***Mothers pray for wisdom to know the differences in their children and honor those differences

*Teachers are trained to teach to the average -- average intelligence, average ability, average
People who are not average are often plagued by Satan to feel left out, as if they don't fit in because they are different. Differences are not celebrated when the differences are outside of the norm.
We as mothers have the joy of discovering the differences in our children, helping our children to recognize their differences and teaching our children to embrace the differences because those gifts are given by God.

*Start storing up the positive moments you have.

*There was a time when Patti stopped treasuring her children and life blessings. It was a black hole for her and the hole bled into her children's' lives. During trials we have to especially treasure the small moments. Not giving up in times of trial...this changes the lives of our families.

*Patti's father was such a smart man but couldn't read. His struggles and triumphs shaped who Patti and her siblings were. Watching her father's persistence in learning shaped who Patti is today because of what she saw in her father. Our life's journey shapes the future of our children's' journeys.

*When Dr. Sikes and Mrs. Sikes were married, they had not one thing in common except their love for the Lord. As the years have progressed, they now share spiritual gifts - Shepherding and teaching.

*The only thing to sustain the 4 Sikes children through their struggles was and is that they (the kids) know Jesus. They know who Jesus is and Jesus is an integral part of who they are.

----Teach your children to treasure the gifts they have because that is who Jesus has made them to be.

*As mothers/grandmothers, we are tempted to limit the differences our children have and to compare on child to another. In honoring their differences we lift up our children's' differences as strengths.

*J. Keesee Sikes is the answer to their prayers for their son J.

Hope you gain something from this post.

Gun Control

Patriot Post

Tuesday, 4 November 2008, is a date which will live in infamy. While most presidential elections are followed with calls for unity by both candidates, Barack Obama issued no such call in his speech last night, with the possible exception of his observation, "I may not have won your vote tonight, but ... I will be your president, too."
Of course, none was expected -- liberals have elected a Socialist with deep ties to cultural and ethnocentric radicalism, and his executive and legislative agenda poses a greater threat to American liberty than that of any president in the history of our great republic.
Obama has twice taken an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic" and to "bear true faith and allegiance to the same." He has never honored that oath, and, based on his policy proposals and objectives, he has no intention to honor it after again reciting that oath on 20 January 2009. Obama seeks to, in his own words, "break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution."
For that reason, this morning, the symbol of our national heritage of liberty, the American flag atop the 35-foot mast at our editorial offices, was respectfully lowered, inverted, and raised to full mast as a sign of national distress. It will remain inverted until next Tuesday, when we right it in honor of Veterans Day.
Today, at least 55,805,197 Americans are concerned for the future of our nation's great tradition of liberty. Some 63,007,791 Americans have been lulled, under the aegis of "hope and change," into a state of what is best described as "cult worship" and all its attendant deception.
One of our editors, a Marine now working in the private sector, summed up our circumstances with this situation report. It aptly captured the sentiments around our office: "It's been tough, fellow Patriots; tough to stomach the idea that more than half of my fellow citizens who vote, have booted a genuine American hero to the curb for a rudderless charlatan. What a sad indictment on our citizenry that some are so eager to overlook his myriad flaws -- his radical roots, his extreme liberalism, his utter lack of experience or achievement. Barack Obama is the antithesis of King's dream: He's a man judged by the color of his skin rather than the content of his character. If it's God's will that Barack Obama is our next president, then so be it. We Patriots will pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and wade back to the war front, intent on liberty or death."
This battle is lost, but the war is not. Let's roll.
Mark Alexander,
Publisher, Patriot Post

Election

I am so disappointed about the turn out of the elections. These are a few of the thoughts I have been processing over the last 12 hours.

Very excited that a black person has been elected into the President's office.

Wishes that Obama was not the man elected.

Glad that a person who has taking care of the earth on the top of his to do list.

Wishes that someone who has actually served in the military was elected during a time of war.

Concerned that $$$ for the families of the troops will decrease as they did when the last democrat was in office. Do you know many military families were on WIC while the last democrat was president?

Thankful that so many people voted and participated in the election process.

Glad to see so many people coming together to celebrate the history made in our election last night.

Wishes that a person who has actually made good on their promises had been elected. A person who has acted to make change rather than someone who just talks about change.

Glad that a person who has worked with and for the poor and will work to take care of the poor was elected.

Frustrated about the coming tax increases.

Hopes that Obama can surround himself with intelligent and WISE people in his cabinet.

Hopes that our nation will go to God. Will pray and turn to God. Hopes that our nation will bring God back into our every day lives while respecting the rights of all men who are created equal.

So thankful that Hilary Clinton is not in office!

I have read one of Obama's books and was not impressed. What has he really done?

Thrilled that little black girls across the country get to see other little black girls in the White House.

I also think that Obama has the chance to do some great things if he follows the will of the people...not the will of high up Democrats.

Thinks that Obama has some good ideas on funding higher education for college students.

Glad that Obama has priorities on Early Education. This is a way to make the future better for all people...provide Early Education for children who are the future.

Hopes that Obama uses many of McCain's ideas to make this country better.

Will pray for the potential unity our country can experience.

Will pray for our President Elect.

Hopes that good things will come for our country.

Wishes people realized that the economic problems we are experiencing date back to changes Clinton make in office.

I am thankful to live in a free country.

I am thankful that if Obama does not live up to what he has promised, we can vote him out!

L had fun helping to pass out candy to the Trick-or-Treaters. In our house, we love Halloween and dressing up. Hope you had fun too! Check out out website for more pics. It is linked on the side of my blog under "Our Pics". Go to Lexi 11 to see how adorable she is.

Crawler

Last night, on November 1, L became a mobile child. She is crawling all over the place. For several weeks she has been rocking on all 4's and scooting. She started crawling while we had company over. I realized that our company was very excited for her. I was smiling but I wasn't joyful, I was relieved. Before reading more, you need to realize that I am a Special Ed. teacher by training. My specialty is working with kids from birth to 5 who have disabilities, and I especially LOVE working with kids who have Autism. Now that I have my own child, I am very aware of what kids should be doing and comparing L to what she should or should not be doing. So far in L's life, I have not felt joyful each time she hits a milestone. I feel relieved. I have seen first hand the struggles and joys of parents with kids who have disabilities. Every step is a hard-fought milestone with the whole team working with the child to get him/her where we wanted them to be. So when L develops a new skill, I am so relieved that she reached it on her own, developing the way you would expect typical kids to develop. I am so grateful that she is on target for her skills, but I think I might continue to feel relieved until about 18 months when we know we are free and clear of Autism. The children who have Autism are my FAVORITE kids to work with. But every skill is worked on over and over and over. It once took me 4 and 1/2 months to teach a child to point! TO POINT! 4 1/2 months to POINT! Every skill was a battle in patience and repetition for that little one. That was the first time I was frustrated in what I was accomplishing with that little child. I was not frustrated with the child, but with my inability to get him to catch on more quickly. I am glad that L is crawling and I am so grateful that she has a spark in her eyes. She is curious and busy. She is ready for visitors and wants to go places. I am so thankful that she is doing well. I know how hard it can be to be the mom of a child with learning differences....these moms are saints. They have been chosen by God to take care of and provide for a child that no one else would be able care for-- the way that child needs to be cared for. I truly believe that God picks each mom for the child who have severe differences. I am not sure I am up for the job 24/7 as these moms are dedicated to doing. I am thankful for my little girl and need to enjoy that she is developing on track rather than just being relieved. She needs me to celebrate with her. So my goal to celebrate and just enjoy the new development! Smile and cheer and relish in the fact that she has got a new skill to add to the list.

One set for another

So I am beginning to feel that we have traded one set of struggles for another. However, I do not want to complain about how God has completely answered our prayers and completely is taking care of us! We are so thrilled with life over the last several weeks and so grateful to God! Matthew's birthday was this past week and when asked what he wanted, he said nothing. He was so happy with life, that there was nothing that could add to his joy! How great is that??!!?? Have you ever been so thrilled and so blessed that there was nothing you wanted?

We are truly excited about Matthew's promotion and the opportunities that are now before him in his career. We are more than ecstatic in the fact that he will no longer be recruiting. For me, the reality of what this means has started to set in. Matthew will be gone for a minimum of 6 months. So aside from having to struggle for money (which is a huge issue) single mom anyone? I am a bit overwhelmed by the thought of taking care of L for 6 months on my own. However, God has already started preparing me for this one. While Matthew was at home for 6 weeks with the broken foot, i had to be the sole caregiver. So I already have a taste of it and it is not awful. Just a little tiring.

God is already providing for this time without Matthew as well. We have the option to move back to Central Jersey, yes where we just moved her from in January. We would be near lots of family and our very very good friends Tom and Rebecca who have 2 boys 3 and 1/2 weeks younger than L. We could also save 500 bucks a month by going up there. If we stay in South Jersey, we have one of the most amazing church families you could ever desire! Love...they have it! Grace...they have it! Support...they have it! Servants....they are! So we would be just fine here too! We could be here and give back to our wonderful church family. God has also provided 3 homes for L and I to stay in while we visit Matthew in Quantico. Friends we've made over the seasons of our lives are living in the DC/Quantico area. They have all offered a room and they live right by where Matthew will be training. So how else could we be more blessed while having Matthew away for 6 months? Thank you God for your guidance and thank you for your blessings! Thank you for helping me adjust to the big changes we are about to experience!

THe next big thing I think about is our next duty station. We are very excited about the possibility of moving to Japan. Then I think of the moving...the flight with a baby to Japan, not having my household stuff for several months, living so far away, etc. But I think I will leave this one to God as well and get through the next 9 months first! You see, there are already blessings about moving to Japan. My brother will be stationed there as of Nov. 2 so we would be there together, we would be closer to Matthew's mom who lives in Australia, and the weather is so much warmer there than Jersey! So should I be overwhelmed by the changes or list the blessings. I think I will continue to list the blessings!

Water

Crying it out, part 2

So I never had to actually have L cry it out. You see, we cried it out one night and then she was sick. She had a cough, runny nose, stuffy nose, and couldn't sleep. She only slept for about a 1/2 hour to an hour at a time because she could not breathe. So we had a rough couple of weeks with little sleep. Between taking care of Matthew and Lexi, I was running on low. But of course we made it through as we always do. The first night that she was feeling all better, she slept on her own. She slept for 6 hours the first night and several nights after that. Then she started sleeping for up to 7 hours at at time. So she is sleeping! We are beyond 3 hours at a time and she did it on her own. We are a happy house. With Matthew's recovery going well, Lexi sleeping AND Matthew getting a huge promotion, what does this mama do with all her joy? Share with others of course. What joy do you have in your life right now?



We have new pics on our family page.

http://web.mac.com/collinsmt/Site/Lexi/Lexi.html

Go to 'Lexi 10' to see the beautiful baby.

Big News, NO MORE RECRUITING!

We are ready to share our great big news! Matthew has been selected to become a Warrant Officer in the United States Marine Corps. He will soon be considered an officer with the privileges and responsibility that come with that. This is a huge promotion for him. The most exciting part is that he will no longer be a recruiter as of Jan. 22, 2009. We will no longer have him working 6 days per week from 6:30 am until 8, 9, 10 or 11 p.m. He will be gone for about 6 months for officers' school. But we will be able to go and visit him and he might be able to visit us.

We are so excited about this amazing opportunity. This is such a wonderful gift from God. He has heard our cries over the last 9 months and pulled us out of recruiting duty. We are coming out of this with a stronger marriage and more love and respect for one another. Also, this is such a fabulous step for Matthew's career.

By God's grace, we will be a successful Marine Corps family. We will continue to love and honor God. We are so grateful for the new job and the big promotion!!!!

Awesome God

We will soon be sharing awesome ways God has blessed our lives! Just so excited how God works things out!

Praying

What are you praying today?

Funny

Hi there! My wonderful friend Whitney got me a subscription to Parenting Magazine just after Lexi was born. I really enjoy this magazine. Cute articles, good information, and presents different parenting styles. On page 148 of the October issue, there was a page on Horror movies for Moms. I thought it was very cute so wanted to share with you.

Horror movies for Moms:
Think you've seen the scariest stuff Hollywood can dish out? Think again

Smellraiser
After his wife leaves for the day, a dad realizes with cold dread that something unholy is escaping from their baby's diaper. R (brief nudity)

The Bear Glitch Project
A family of four is terrorized by eerie groans and howls that, in a riviting climax, are traced to a Winnie the Pooh toy with dying batteries. PG-13 (violent act involving Winnie the Pooh)


The Stepford Toddlers
A newcomer to a tidy suburb has a hideous yet oddly comforting thought: The reason her nieghbor's children never throw tantrums in the supermarket or stick things up thier noses is that they are robots. PG-13 (graphic footage as newcomer extracts a crayon from her kid's left nostril)

Snackula
A health-conscious mom is shocked to discover that her child, despite his wholesome appearance, has been insatiably sucking down chocolate-flavored drinks at a friend's house. R (profanity - the kid's - after Mom confiscateshis eighth bottle of Yoo-hoo)

The Phantom of the Bedroom
Each time they climb into bed at night, a mom and dad are summoned by a disembodied voice demanding water, a blankie, and eleventeen more stories. G (no nudity whatsoever, despite repeated attempts)

My moms say...

(I have 2 moms -- bio mom and step mom, both very important in my life)

About having a baby, my moms say:

1. You will be tired for the next 20 years
I say I am beginning to believe this one

2. You will worry about what is best, worry how to help and worry about what to do for your baby, for the rest of your life
I say I am beginning to believe this one too

3. You will never be so entertained as when you have a baby
I say I laugh so many times a day now! such joy!!!

4. You will not be wearing clean clothes for the next several years due to the spit up, throw up, poop, snot, and any other form of fluid one little body can produce
I say, I had an idea this was coming after working in Special Education classes the last several years.

5. You will exist with your heart walking outside of your body
I say, now my heart is no longer mine

6. You will pray like you have never prayed before
I say, my prayer life has increased dramatically

7. You will have to trust God more than you have known before, YOU cannot raise this child. God needs to use you.
I say, use me GOD!

8. Children are to be treasured, but also need to be grounded.
I say L is one of the most important little girls in my life, but she is not the most important girl in the world. All little girls need to be treasured by those close to them. But, they are not the princess to be treated as such by all others.

9. You will work harder at being a mom than anything you have done before.
I say, I need a grandma vacation. That is where grandma comes and I get a vacation!

I love my moms!

We have new pictures on our web site. Check them out.

http://web.mac.com/collinsmt/Site/Lexi/Pages/Lexi_9.html


What does your mom say?

Yorkies

Hey Yorkies, this is for you!
What are some of your favorite memories from your college experience? I will share with you a few of mine.
i went to York College in York, NE. A small, private, Liberal Arts, Christian college in the middle of a corn field.

Each fall and spring I cook a meal to kick of the new season. I have previously posted that I do not like to cook. But there is one meal I am proud to be able to create and this is the meal from my York experience which I make. I can make Japanese beef curry with rice. Many of you will probably figure who taught me to make this meal...Hirotaka Miyata. Hiro was a friend (or boyfriend) of mine during college. We dated for just under a year before we decided we wouldn't be able to make it work. But while we dated he taught me to make beef curry. Yummy! It is so delicious and our family likes to eat it. My husband spent one year in Japan as one of his tours in the Marine Corps. so he loves Japanese food too!

Another memory: meeting up with my girlfriends. I became really good friends with Pam, Annie, and Candace. We were all RAs one year. Many, many nights one of us would be siting in our room, and another of the 4 would walk into the room. A little while later, another gal would walk in and then the 4th girl would enter. We always ended up in one of our rooms just talking and laughing. Girlfriends are people to treasure! When you find gals you can be honest and open with, hold them close to your heart and even if moves find you miles apart, try to keep those girls close to you. Pam and Annie and I have been able to maintain a wonderful long-distance relationship (of course Pam and Annie are sisters so this isn't too hard for them). I am so sad to say that Candace and I have completely lost touch (if you know where she is let me know). Anyway, those nights we found one another, we would usually end up going to the gas station (can't remember the name of it) and getting large sodas. We would stay up so late...laughing, talking, talking and talking and maybe studying once in a blue moon.

More memories: Arguing. Oh man, did I argue with people. I was a little outspoken in those days (may not have changed too much) and I was always willing to "discuss" opinions with anyone who was willing. Most people were much more conservative then I was in beliefs and understanding of the Bible so this lead to many interesting conversations. While at York, I had to figure out what I really believed because I was frequently arguing with someone about something. I am grateful for the opportunity to be around others who helped me to grow in my Christian faith. Since those "discussions" I have been able to reflect and incorporate other ideas, which I once strongly disagreed with into my relationship with God. You take and grow hopefully becoming more like Christ along the way.

My experience at York was so blessed by the professors who worked there. I remember professors looking at each student as an individual and trying to cultivate the person, not just the student. I felt we were treated as whole people who had something to contribute to society.

Well, I loved my York experience and would pay again to go there (just paid off the loans last spring!). In fact, I would pay more to go there! It was so great and I love York. So, what are your special memories of your college experience? Late night runs to the truck stop? $ movies and Taco Bell in Lincoln? Clubs? I would love to hear what you found special.

Iraq

Sniffle, sniffle. My brother, Brian is off to Iraq today. He is going to protect the family and country that he loves. He is on his way to do something he greatly believes in. Whether or not you believe in the war, my other brother who spent 8 months in Iraq a while back had a different view than the media. Brandon said the locals were grateful for what America had done. They were happy to have more freedoms and excited about possibilities. Now Brian is off to defend those freedoms, which he deeply believes in. Here are a few words from his blog. *He uses a few rough words so please grant him grace as he is about to embark on a dangerous and passionate journey* I was not able to get permission from him since he is on a plane to over there. I thought what he had to say was VERY IMPORTANT so I wanted to share with you.

"Dear Friends and Family, I'm finally off to do what I've been dying to do for some time now (going to Iraq). And while the mathematical chance, coupled with my own juvenile sense of invincibility, requires that I can say with full confidence that nothing major will happen to me, I have been moved to leave behind the following thoughts. Some may be original, some rehashed, and most you have heard me rant about before, but I hope I can express them all as directly as possible. This is me at the age of 26, always learning, always changing, always growing.

On the Iraq war: Do I need to address WMD's? Are people still complaining that they didn't have any? Thank God for us they didn't. Three reasons we had every right and obligation to invade Iraq: 1) Saddam kicked out the weapons inspectors, whose mere presence was a condition for us not invading in '91. The day he kicked them out (especially after playing cat-and-mouse with them for years) we had a right to pick up where we left off. 2) They were shooting SAMs (surface-to-air-missiles) at our jets on an almost daily basis. I'm talking about the jets that were patrolling the northern and southern no-fly zones, that was also an agreed upon condition for us hitting the brakes in '91. Every single SAM fired was an act of war and if any other country in the world tried pulling that nonsense, we would mess them up! 3) Saddam was an evil dictator that brutalized his people and allowed them virtually no freedoms. The last Red Cross estimate I saw for the body count of people pulled out of mass graves was 300,000. A few years ago, I knew it'd only be a matter of time before I heard some nut actually defend that 'man', saying something like, "Yeah, but at least he kept the peace and we can't even do that!" And sure enough, I've heard that twice from a couple far-lefters in the last year. He kept his people down, that's for sure, and giving them freedom at first was like giving two angry pit bulls freedom after being caged side by side for years. But do any of you anti-war, anti-Bush people have any idea how historically huge it is for them to even have the right to vote? Our forefathers didn't necessarily fight for their own right to vote, but they fought more for all the generations after them to have that right. We are setting these people free! Thank God things are turning around over there now, and I think twenty years from now we'll mostly all agree that it was the right thing to do. The middle-east is basically the a**hole of the world, clinging on to the middle ages, but maybe one day Iraq will be the one country to realize that freedom is awesome and killing people because of their religion, or sexual preference, or doing "honor killings" to women is not cool. A few small countries aside, most of them hate us for loving freedom. This isn't even an "I'm right and you're wrong" thing because we say everyone can choose what they think is right or wrong, and then go out and choose your leaders accordingly. Even when the Palestinians elected Hamas as their governing body, we respected their right to vote and choose who they want to lead. (Stupid as they are for doing that)."


Brian is a very smart man and has some wisdom when he decides to share. I wonder what your response will be. Brian, I love you and will be praying my heart out for you and your safety!

Crying it out

As I type this, I am preparing myself for a long night. You see the DR. has said that L is officially big enough to sleep through the night. She is well over the weight requirement to do so. He said that the quickest and best way for her to learn to sleep all night is to have about 3 rough nights of her doing some crying and then she would sleep. So tonight is the first official night that I will not pick her up when she wakes in the middle of the night. Do you think I can do this? I am not so sure. It kills me (as you moms know) to hear my baby crying, the instincts kick on and I have to respond! That is how humans have survived, the baby cries and the mommy stops the crying. But it is time for her to sleep and for me to too.

You also need to understand that I have been a special education teacher since Jan. of 2002. I have been working mostly with kids birth to 5 who have disabilities. And of the children who have disabilities, children who have Autism are my favorite kids to work with. So, for the last several years I have been telling parents to let their kids "cry it out"! It works! Intellectually I know this. I have let many students cry in my classroom and eventually they move beyond crying and we actually get work done. One student we will call A.

I was working in Early Intervention --- kids birth to 3. I went into the homes of the families and worked with the whole family. This was one of my favorite jobs!!! A had a form of Autism. I have no way of explaining this next thought, but it is what has helped me to help the kids I've worked with over the last several years. After working with a child for a while and getting to know the child, in my bones, I usually know when a kid can talk but won't because crying has always works. If crying no longer works, then the kid will talk. There is no science to this except that I just know when a kid will eventually talk. This boy, A, had not ever spoken. We could hear him cry out or laugh, but he would not use words to communicate. After being in the home for some time, I said "OK mom, this is it. I know he will speak if you make him speak. You pick one item that you know he wants more than anything. No matter how long it takes, do not give it to him until he speaks." Mom chose milk. When A said milk, he could have milk. Mom told me she was going to do this on a particular day. I wished her well and gave her a few words of encouragement. Then walked out the door as I said a little prayer. The next day I came back to their house and mom and nanny answered the door. She smiled and said, "He said milk!" Mom explained that the afternoon before, they saw him reaching for milk. They held it back and just kept repeating the word. He started crying and jumping up and down...but two and 1/2 hours later...yes, 2 1/2, he sighed and said, "MILK!" So you see, I know this works. I have encouraged crying out for many (not all) children who after some tears went on to learn many words and were finally able to communicate beyond grunts and cries!

But now I have my own daughter and feel the instincts kick in that I have been telling parents to ignore when we were working on specific situations with certain children. I had no idea the instinct was SO STRONG to respond to your own child. Well, here we go and I hope I can make it tonight. I know this will work. Since Matthew is home he is going to be my voice of reason in the night. Do men really not have the same kind of response as moms to the sound of a crying baby?

Here is a question for you. How did you finally get your child to sleep through the night?


Prayer Request: Dear God, Please be with my friend Julie who along with her family, are missionaries in Bolivia. There are major safety concerns there because of what is going on in the country. Please send angels to protect her and her family! In Jesus name, Amen.
Here is her blog to be updated:http://jjmarcum22.blogspot.com/ You can read about the concerns she has. She is there with her husband, and 3 daughters, along with, I think, 2 other families. PLEASE PRAY!!!!

Organic

I have been noticing that quite a few of the blogs that I browse, women who are stay at home moms include some of the following topics:
1. making food from scratch
2. home schooling
3. growing and making own home foods/materials
4. lifting every thought up in prayer -- this is hugely important and will continue to strive for this always!
5. using cloth diapers

I am here to tell you that I:
1. make food from a box because I HATE to cook and bake
2. Wouldn't home school if you paid me...I don't have any patience to do that (I'm also a public school teacher and not sure if I even believe in home schooling)
3. look at a plant and it dies - and why would I make my own materials when I can but them at Target
4. frequently I forget to pray

Sometimes I read the blogs of people who are making pasta from scratch using whole grains while pulling their tomatoes from the garden to make the sauce. How do these women have the time and energy to accomplish these things? How do they just not run to Target to quickly buy household items and food? Am I failing as a wife and mother because I LOVE to eat the most processed food out there...Velveeta cheese block? Am I destroying the future for my daughter because I can hardly stand the smell of rice cereal poop and would rather throw the diaper out never to be seen again because if I see (or smell) that nasty diaper again, I will literally puke? Will my husband become an obese crippled man because I fed him green beans from a can rather than growing, harvesting and canning the beans myself? And foremost, how do these women find time to accomplish all of these organic, environmentally sound habits?!?!?!!? I can barely keep the house clean as it is.

Then I think to myself, it is the responsibility of each woman to decide what is best for her family. Each family has priorities and goals for their family that are God-inspired if the family is listening to God. I do have a recycling bin in which I recycle all the things I can think to put in there...plastic, glass, aluminum, etc. But if growing my own vegetables would mean that our family would starve, then I will buy the locally grown from the grocery store. If home schooling my child would mean that I might sell my child to the Gypsies (who are real by the way, they live in North Augusta, SC) then I will send my daughter to public school. If cooking from scratch means that Matthew would come home each day to a sobbing wife who already burns at least one meal per week, then we will eat meals from a box. I commend women whose gifts include gardening and baking and going all natural. However, these are not my gifts.

I am so glad that I live in a Christian community where each of our gifts can be celebrated and each person encouraged for who they are and how they best glorify God. I will let go of these guilty thoughts and be secure in the knowledge that God leads our home as well as the homes' of the friends who blog about and share what I think are amazing skills. This mommy eats Chick-Fil-A and Burger King. This mommy while nursing has about one soda per day. This mommy will love God with all her heart and celebrate the love of all the mommies who do their best for their children.

Recovery

Matthew had surgery today and he did not die (see last post). He is alive and feeling it very much. The nurse at the hospital today said that the dr. was stingy with the meds as Matthew woke up from being knocked out. He woke up with a 9 on the pain scale of 1 - 10. So it took a while to get the pain under control which meant that his pulse and blood pressure were up. But after some time in recovery, he was good to go. As far as surgery, it was a success! He has a plate and some screws. He will be on bed rest for a minimum of one month. We (Lexi and I) continue to be glad that he is at home. He however, might become bored soon.

Thank you for you prayers! One very cool story about the prayers which were offered up today. Matthew had to be at the hospital at 8:15. They started him on fluids and I got hang with him until they wheeled him up for surgery. I was nervous about the day and just kept praying. As they wheeled Matthew away I was finally at peace about the surgery and was totally calm from then on out. We got home at about 4 pm. I looked at my phone and I had a missed call and voice mail from a gal at church (B.P.) Don't want to use her name just in case she would prefer not to be listed on the web. She was leaving a message to let us know she was thinking of us and then she prayed into the phone. Her prayer was for M's surgery, that he wouldn't have too much pain and that I would have peace. Do you know that at about the time she was praying into my voice mail was about the time that I finally had peace about this surgery. Did that give you goose bumps or as they say in Hawai'i - chicken skin? So God was definitely present in that hospital today thanks to all of you who prayed and trusted. Thank you for you prayers and thank you for your calls.

Matthew is on his way to running marathons again with this short interruption in our plans.

NJ moms who read this...do you know someone I could have come over to watch Lexi so I could get some housework done? Of course I would pay the person, but I just don't know who is available during the day. I just need some focused time to catch up on housework from the last week and 1/2.

Have a wonderfully wonderful day!

Surgery

Matthew goes in for surgery on Monday. Matthew did an excellent job at making sure his foot was VERY broken. It will be an in and out procedure in only 1/2 a day. Lexi and I will be waiting at the hospital just hanging out to be there after he comes out of recovery. I have a superstition that my step-mom agrees to; if you discuss the worst case, then the worst case will not happen. Matthew thinks I am silly for thinking this way, but you do what you have to. So here is the worst case...

Matthew has a reaction to the medicine. He is unable to wake up and ends up dying. I have to call family to tell them that Matthew is dead and then plan a funeral while taking care of his daughter left behind from this terrible situation. I have to raise her making sure that she knows her daddy loved her and adored her while not holding a dead man over her whom she doesn't remember knowing. Balance between holding his memory for her and letting go since he is gone.

Ladies from Transformed moms, this is where my anxiety really comes into play and I am not so great at keeping it in check.

Alright, now that is out there, all will be fine. Matthew will be home for 4 to 8 weeks depending on recovery and what the Dr says. He is pretty out of it because of the meds. So please say a prayer for me to be patient with him. I don't understand! Anytime I have something medically going on (having a baby) Matthew is patient and does whatever I need. When he is injured, I get very impatient and just want him to act normal. So please pray that I will SERVE him and make his life better by serving him while he is down. My priority is to make him as happy and as comfortable as possible. He is in pain or very out of it (medicine head) so pray that the pain passes quickly and that he doesn't have to go to rehab when his foot is healed because of the very good meds he is on. :).

One huge blessing, his work is leaving him alone. They are making sure that he has the time to recover.


Another big life thing going on, Brian, one of my brothers is on his way to the sand box in about week and 1/2. He has volunteered and is very excited about serving his country. We are going to send him cards and boxes to keep him excited. He is going to be with he Army National Guard. He is a good man who wants to serve his country while taking care of the bad guys! He needs prayers for honor, strength and courage. He will be over there for just under one year. We love him and hope that this mission goes well for him!

Broken

I suppose a broken foot is way to get to spend time with Matthew. Since he has been on recruiting duty, Matthew has worked about 14 to 16 hour days, 6 days per week. This has been very hard on him and Lexi and I miss him! We got married because we really enjoyed being around one another, so this stinks. However, on Friday he was playing softball with all the other recruiters. he went to catch a pop fly and caught his foot on a tuft of grass. As he hyper-extended his foot, he also broke it. The Dr. called it a spiral fracture which means that he broke the bone and then the two broken pieces twisted away from one another. He has been in lots of pain! The good part is that he is at home! We actually get to see him for sometime! He is on bed rest for at least a week and will probably be longer after he sees the Ortho. Dr. on Tuesday. it stinks that his foot is broken and that he hurts, but it sure is great to see that man that I love!

Did I mention that he made the out while breaking his foot? What a man!

Officially Old

I am officially old and this is how I know...

I only have housewife things to blog about on this blog

MTV drives me crazy

Kids now have no idea what "Back to the Future" is

I have a whisker

I can only drive at night while wearing my glasses

I don't like to see peoples' bras or underwear when out in public

I must always wear a bra because my "ladies" are now babyfied (you gals know what I mean)

My big concerns are which cleaners are cleaning best

I need to have at least 8 hours of sleep and will hopefully be getting that soon...Lexi will sleep through the night

My belly will never again see the light of day due to the incredible inability of my skin to stretch

I think about things like cholesterol

I have to sleep with a pillow between my knees

I get excited about new furniture

How do you know you are old?

Blessed

I am stealing the title from my friend K. To be a happy and content person, we have to constantly count our many blessings. Remember the song, "Count your many blessings name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God has done." So the following is a list of blessings provided by God...
1. Matthew, he is such a amazing husband. Sometimes I wonder how we ended up having such a great marriage after dating and being married in only 4 1/2 months. Then I think, we both had GOD!
2. Lexi -- She is so fabulous. She is one of the most easy going babies I have ever met. She is happy and content most of the time. I think God had her in his plan for us because when she is upset and crying, I don't do that well. I get stressed and make it worse.
3. Lexi is getting on a routine -- wake up, nap 2 hours later, wake up, nap 2 hours later, wake up and then head to bed. This means I have time each day that I can now count on to get things done. Then in the evenings Matthew and I have a few moments together.
4. Matthew comes home each day
5. Matthew has a job which does not rely on the economy so we have no concern for $$$ for our food and home.
6. Lexi will get to grow up with her aunt and uncle who are so sweet and cheerful
7. Though we have lots of steps and 2nd/3rd marriages in our families, this means that Lexi has LOTS of people who love her!
8. We have a church congregation who loves us and who we adore. Pitman c of C is awesome!
9. God answers prayers!
10. My dog Mac
11. Friends -- because we live so far from most of our family, friends become hugely important
12. FAMILY!!! We have great family here in NJ who we have gotten to spend lots of time with since moving here 4 years ago. We also have family in the South, in Bermuda, in Australia, in New Mexico, California, Minnesota, WY, Kansas, Missouri, TX, and on and on. We love our family and so appreciate them.
13. Honestly, I love watching TV!
14. Our country! I love America and am so grateful to be able to live here.
15. Brian will be safe while serving in Iraq. I am so proud of the fact that he is serving something bigger than himself. He is so great to be willing to go and get the bad guys!
16. Was able to visit Brandon while in EOD school. He is serving his counrty in a way that few people do!
So many more, these are the ones I have time to post right now while the baby sleeps. Here are a few of my blessings...

My baby brother

The sexy husband I married holding the most precious baby girl

L'sGodparents

Matthew and L

Baby girl with her twin buddies

So I used to be one of those people who made fun of the people who had big parties for their kids. WHat in the world do little kids need big parties for? Well, now I need to make fun of myself and eat my past words. We had a Welcome to the World party for Lexi. At the party, we had her God Parents do a little ceremony and dedicate themselves to Lexi as lights in her life. We had cake, food, and just fun getting together. Aunt Jeanne was a huge help in planning and preparing for Lexi's big day! Grandma Chelle, Aunite Rebecca and Auntie Hannah flew in for the big day! We had lots of our New Jersey family there to join in on the fun. And thanks for Aunt Mia who planned the God Parent ceremony. We will not dobig crazy Birthday parties, but a kid needs a few big days...Welcome to the World, Graduation, Wedding...you know the big stuff! I was happy to be able to do this for our baby!
Have fun looking at the pics.

Semper Fi

Me and my Sister


My baby brother


Megan holding her niece

My wonderful husband has been able to complete 2 contracts this month!! The prayers have been so helpful and thank you for going to God for us. Though he is still working crazy hours, he was able to get 2 contracts! We are so happy that this month went so much better. So please keep the prayers coming and THANK YOU GOD!

On another note, this week has been better. One of my wonderful friends from church offered to watch my daughter (weird to say) all of Wednesday afternoon. Tuesday I was able to spend the day by the pool and Matthew's aunt and uncle's house. While Lexi was with my dear friend I was able to clean clean clean! Then my cousin is flying in tomorrow for a weekend visit. Then to top it off, I get to see my dad, step-mom, brother and sister in Albuquerque along with lots more of my Trent family. So this has been a good week and next week will be too. I will be flying with an infant, so say a little prayer ;).

Today life is good and we have to keep counting our blessings.

Pity Party

Okay, since last Wednesday things have not been nearly as wonderful as they had been. I had a friend call and ask if life was "really" as great as they sounded on the blog. Well, since Wed. life is tough. For some reason Lexi started fussing a lot and waking much more frequently. Then Matthew was at work late every night last week until about 10:30 p.m. He leaves by 6:45 a.m. and gets back so late! How do people those kind of hours for any length of time???? We (Matthew and I) are so tired. This recruiting job is a killer! Did you know that of the approximate 35 recruiters in New Jersey, there are 3 singles, 13 pending divorces, and one person having major issues and being discharged. 13 DIVORCES!!!!! We know that we have God on our side, but 13 divorces gives you an idea of how hard recruiting duty is. Matthew is working so many hours, totally exhausted, and then I don't get a break from a new baby because how can he give me a break when he is more tired than I am. My parents keep encouraging me that anyone can do anything for the short-term. Well, it will be tough to maintain a happy home for this 3 year tour!

I am by no means a single mom...I never have to worry about where I am going to have $$$ to pay the bills. We are also blessed that Matthew at least comes home every night! I am, however, raising Lexi for this short time we are on recruiting duty. Matthew gets to see her, at the most, for about an hour each day; that is a short time! I feel very alone sometimes in this parenting thing. Then I feel bad for feeling unhappy, because Matthew is that much more tired and stressed and he doesn't get to see all the smiles that I get to see. At least we don't have to worry about Matthew being shot at in Iraq.

It is hard to keep going and being here for such a needy "parasite." A family member called the baby a parasite, because for right now, she takes and takes and wears out the host. I know this will pass and most people end up forgetting what it was like with a newborn. (That's what they said about pregnancy...haven't forgotten that yet ;). Life right now is hard and that is okay. It will be better soon. God has already answered prayers about making Matthew's job better. I am just excited for this beautiful daughter of mine to be getting more sleep and becoming more independent.

After a good cry tonight, a good talk with my wonderful husband and a phone call to talk things out, I am better. Just a rough couple of days. Will never blow off a mom who says she is tired again. When Lexi is older, I will also make a mission of helping new moms!

Oh, what's with the husband being unable to figure out what goes in a diaper bag? Matthew is an intelligent, very capable man who surprised me this lack of awareness. Any of you ladies have trouble getting to church on time because the father of your wonderful babies has no idea what items and supplies need to accompany the baby? How can daddy think we can just walk out the door with only baby in arms!

I love you ladies and I have a new found respect for every mother on the planet. No wonder we have Mother's day! This mother who is no longer on the mommy honeymoon is signing off for the night. I love you ladies!
B

Smiles and Coos

Our life is so blessed. We are in such a good place thanks to God's love for us! We are enjoying our little girl. She lights up our home with her smiles and "talking" to us. I think she might be a kid who talks A LOT when she gets older. Where in the world would that trait come from??? Also, I am pleasantly surprised at this full-time mom/housewife thing. I LOVE IT! ME, a person who didn't even want kids until a couple of years ago! ME who only wanted ever to teach and couldn't even think about serving and being "submissive" to a man! Wow, how God can bless and change a person's heart. God has gifted me with a husband whom I can hardly wait each day to see and serve. When Matthew calls and needs something, I have the greatest pleasure out of doing as he asks! Will this last? I hope so. I hope this isn't just because it is new and different. I do know I get bored in a job after about 2 years, so we shall see. In the meantime, I LOVE THIS JOB. Even when it pays in smiles and coos. Especially when it pays in smiles and coos.

We have also been blessed with the gift of being able to afford one income. 2 and 1/2 years ago we decided to pay off our debt. God provided amazing ways to make that happen! With no car payment, no credit card payment, and no student loans it is amazing what you can afford. Thank you God for this blessing.

Do you feel closest to God when you are feeling blessed and provided for? That is when I most frequently turn to God. He is so good. To quote Steve Sikes, the preacher guy at our church, "God is good all the time, all the time God is good!"

Been a while

Hello to all. Has been some time since I was last on here. You see, my mom flew in to visit, then my dad came to visit and then Lexi and I went to my dad's house for 2 and 1/2 weeks. Not sure if I have mentioned this, but Lexi is an EASY baby -- Thank GOD for easy baby -- so we took the trip so Lexi could meet all kinds of family down south.

We are up to about 5 hours of sleep at a time. This is great, though I am an 8 hour person, I know there will come a time when we sleep all night! I enjoy each day holding our baby girl, feeding her and talking with her. She has begun talking back with loud coos, laughs and great big smiles. This mom thing is just absolutely wonderful. I thank God each and every day -- multiple times per day -- for such a happy baby. With the rough pregnancy that we had, I would gladly have a rough 9 months and a healthy easy baby for long term.

Here are a few pics of our life over the last several weeks.

Life with baby

We are doing so well! Lexi has adjusted superbly to life outside the uterus. She is growing, eating and pooping just as a one month old should. I think she is an expert pooper BTW. She slept las night for a 5 and 1/2 hour stretch, which this new mom was thankful for. We are all just loving this new family of ours. Lexi seems to have brought completion to this happy family. We are so grateful for the health and great recovery of mommy and baby. Here are a few pics of us out and about during the first month of this beautiful baby's life.

On our way home from the Hospital

We are at home and Lexi is 3 weeks and 1 day old. This mom is LOVING being a mom! It is so wonderful to feed my baby and then hold her on my chest. I could just hold her all day...and I almost do! She is so far a very easy baby. She only cries if she is almost starving to death and right before she falls asleep. Otherwise she just hangs out watching the world. I think she is the best baby ever!!!

Presenting...

Baby

This is my last post as a mother to a baby who is only inhaling amniotic fluid! Tomorrow I will be a mother to a baby breathing air!!! Have a wonderfully wonderful day. We appreciate all of your prayers and support! I am excited to be sharing pictures with you in the near future of our baby girl!

We have been so blessed by so many people! Thank you for letting God use you to bless our lives. We love you and pray for you as well.
Brenda and Matthew

Baby Coming

A.C.C. is scheduled to join the world on April 7, 2008 at around 7:30 am. We have had a few issues pop up this week which have led us down the C-section path. For her safety and for what's best for both of us, the Dr. and our family decided to have the c-section. We are of course thrilled to meet her soon and I am glad to know when I will not be pregnant anymore. Since I just threw up last week, I am glad to not be throwing up due to pregnancy anymore. Matthew has been promised 10 days of leave for her birth which is one of the major prayers answered from two blogs ago. We are so extremely thankful for this time he has been given!!! Especially since we were not sure he would even get one or 2 days off. Then my mom will be here to help starting the day he goes back to work. So there will be lots of help around. We are so thankful for our family, our friends and your prayers. Have a wonderfully wonderful day!!! WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answering

God is answering the prayers you have been sending up!!! More updates to come soon and thanks for the continues prayers!!

Prayers Needed

Most of you know that Matthew is now a recruiter. Most of you know that this job has been very stressful with long hours. Since Matthew began this job, I have ben praying lots for him. But today I realized we need more prayer and more specific prayers. So I am asking for your help in praying for Matthew and his job.

Specific Prayer Needs:
1. Matthew is able to schedule 3 daily appointments.
2. Matthew is able to sign his first contract by the end of March and I have been praying for two contracts for this month!
3. Each month after that Matthew is able to sign 2 contracts.
4. That God opens opportunities for Matthew to find the people who want to join.
5. Matthew recognizes the opportunities that God has opened for him.
6. The above list happens so that Matthew can have some time to rest.
7. The obstacles holding Matthew back are set aside by the power of God.

I know this list sounds simple, but these are the specific needs he has in order to be successful at his job. There have been many obstacles that Matthew has no control over and that he can do nothing about. We need these prayers answered for Matthew's sake. The higher ups have repeatedly told us that recruiting is the most difficult job in the Marine Corps. I am not sure how it compares to fighting bullets in Baghdad, but his higher ups have been in Baghdad and know. We need your prayers and support PLEASE!!!

I am wondering how much time I need to be in prayer for Matthew and his job and I am beginning to think that I need to prayer longer and louder! Please help us pray!!! Thank you!