The State of the Household: Part 2

So the Lord is making it very hard and uncomfortable for us here. Kevin will probably be getting a paycut this week. His work started cutting pay and hours on Monday. We are praying that Kevin would be spared the pay cut as he isn't making much as it is. If he does get a pay cut, we definitely have to find somewhere else to live. It's really sad when affordable housing is too expensive. I know the Lord will provide all that we need, but it seems so hopeless sometimes and with a baby on the way makes it even more stressfull. Our options are pretty slim right now, so we really don't know what we will do if we have to move. Please pray for wisdom for us as we seek the Lord's will in this.

18 Months

I cannot believe that my little girl is 18 months old! My, my how time flies. She doesn't even look like a baby anymore. Once her hair grows in some more, she will actually look like a little girl and not a boy, woohoo! That is what I'm looking forward to, being able to braid her hair and put cute little accessories in her hair. The Lord is teaching me patience on that one. Anyway, Lauren had her doctor's appointment this morning. She is now a whopping 21 lbs. and is 31 1/2 inches long. I really thought she was going to weigh more than that. In December she weighed 20 lbs. and she has chunked out since then, but oh well, she is just going to be petite. Lauren has still been having some bleeding, but just enough to know it's there and it's only happening once every two weeks, so the doctor suggested giving Lauren benefiber everyday. So we will see how that works. I will do whatever as long as she doesn't have to have the barium enema. I also talked to the doctor about her thumb sucking, since it's starting to give her an overbite. He suggested putting stuff on her tumbs for nail biting. I'm not to sure about that, so if anyone has any suggestions, please send them my way. Here are some pictures of our little princess. Enjoy!

I'm still in awe that Lauren went from this...

To this in 18 months. God is so amazing!

Having a jam session with Daddy

26 Weeks

I had my doctor's appointment today and everything looks good. My blood pressure was the lowest it's been this pregnancy. The baby's heartbeat was in the 140's, and I've gained 15 pounds so far. I have to go in for my glucose test, which I'm so not looking forward to, but it must be done. My next appointment will be my last four week appointment, then I will start going in every two weeks. This baby is a mover and it loves to do sommersaults when I'm trying to get to sleep, just like it's big brother Curtis would do in the womb. Curtis' is now fascinated with my belly button. He loves to look at my belly and see how big it's getting, but he is scared that my belly button is going to pop out. It never popped out with the last two pregnancies, so I doubt it will this time, but no matter what I say, Curtis still believes that it's going to pop. My nausea is pretty much gone, I did feel a little queasy yesterday morning, but other than that I've been feeling pretty good. Today while I was in the waiting room, the baby decided to do some gymnastics and I got to watch my belly move for the first time. I can't wait for Curtis to see it and see his reaction.

It's Potty Time!

For the last month, Lauren has been getting interested in the potty, and for the last week, she has been sitting on Curtis' potty chair. She will go into the bathroom, lift the lid, and sit her little bottom down. She loves to do this and gets very excited while saying, "potty". This morning I thought that I would let her sit on the potty without her diaper just to get used to the feeling. Well, while she was sitting there, she got really excited. She stood up and looked into the potty, so I looked too and she had actually gone potty! So we did our little celebratory dance, put her diaper back on, and she went on her way. I'm hoping that maybe she will motivate Curtis since he has backslidden. He was doing so good, he would just go by himself when he had to go. A couple weeks ago, he started to go in his pants, so we have had to start all over again. We are trying something new this time: potty pennies. Whenever he goes poop, he gets two pennies and when he goes pee, he gets one penny. If he goes in his pants, then he gets a penny taken away. We put his pennies in a jar and when they reach a certain point, he will get to go to Chuck E. Cheese. We have been doing this for almost two weeks and it has helped. Hopefully Lauren will be much easier to potty train.Big girl on the potty
I finally got her hair in two ponytails. Woohoo!

Please pray for strength and comfort for Jon & Ali today as they bury their precious babies.

To God Be The Glory!

The last few days have been so difficult, with a lot of questions and tears, even some screaming. It still seems like a really bad dream, that I will wake up and Ali will still be pregnant. It doesn't help that I am pregnant, so hormones and sensitivities are very high. Even though I do not understand God's will in this path that He has Jon & Ali walking through, I do know that He is in control and should be glorified, so that it what I am going to do. I have heard from both my sister-in-law Annette, and Ali's other sister-in-law Chris that Owen and Cooper were beautiful and perfect even though they were so tiny. Annette was telling me how in awe she was that they had eyebrows and fingernails. This got me thinking about Psalms 139, and I would like to share verses 13-16 with you.

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

Praise God that He is in control of everything, even when we don't understand His ways. Thank you Lord for creating us in your image no matter how small we are when we come to You. I have been praising God these last few days every time my sweet baby moves and thanking Him for everyday that I get to experience with this little one. To God be the glory!

Grieving

Today we recieved the sad news that my sister-in-law's brother and his wife, Jon & Ali lost their twins after 21 weeks of gestation. I am so heartbroken and questioning God's will. I know that I shouldn't, but it just doesn't seem fair that they are being asked to stay in this valley of grief. Owen Timothy was born at about 5:30 this morning weighing in at 14.8 oz. followed by his twin brother Cooper James at around 6 a.m. weighing in at 14.1 oz. They were both 10 3/4 in. long and only lived for 19 minutes. Here is what Ali wrote in her blog today:

Hi friends...it is with a very heavy heavy heart that I write to you today to tell you that our twin boys, Owen Timothy and Cooper James, were born today at only 21 weeks. I am not going to go into detail now but will later...I just wanted you all to know that we are very sad and missing them already. They both lived for exactly 19 beautiful minutes. And we enjoyed every minute with them. They are now in Heaven with Jesus and their big sister Emmalee. Friends...I can not tell you how much my heart is hurting right now...but I have to cling to the promise that God gives to us...He will not give us more than we can bear. Jon and I have been asked to walk down this dark road yet again...and we will...this time I think it will be harder...but God is good...we know that...we cling to that...I am going to go now. I will post more later along with pictures of our beautiful boys...two boys...can you believe it! I thought for sure there was a girl in there! Oh how we love them so much and are missing them so. Please pray. And pass this blog on...we believe God is giving us a story to share and we want everyone in on it! Much love with a heavy heart...Ali

Please pray for them as they continue down this painful road and please visit their blog at www.feldmancrew.blogspot.com to pass along condolences.

Anchors Aweigh

I just found out this morning that my brother, Luis, will be leaving for boot camp on Monday. I am very proud of him, as I served 8 years in the Navy and am glad I did. The funny thing is, when I got off the phone with my grandmother, I started crying, and crying hard. I'm not sure where that came from, maybe it's pregnancy hormones or the fact that I won't get to see him graduate because I will be close to my due date and won't be able to fly. My brother just turned 24 and this is the best decision that he has ever made. I was thinking back to when I was 24 and I was getting married and getting ready to get out of the Navy, and he is just starting his Navy experience. I can't wait to see him in his uniform and see how his life changes.