Happy Father's Day!

The pictures say it all! I have had these two finish nailers in hiding for a couple of months now. I have been so fearful that he would somehow find out--but he didn't. It was a total surprise and he LOVES them! Yippppeeee for me! And Happy Father's Day to Jeff! You're the best and you deserve your special surprise!

Nice Milky Latte

Just a word on the "milky latte" video clip. It is one of Jeff's favorites, and since he was loading videos for me, he included this one. I think that Jack may have been a week old. Aunt Gigi had called to say that she was coming over and bringing me Starbucks. I was so excited! I had been laying off the Starbucks since I was breastfeeding, but I was determined to drink this one. Obviously I was so excited that I talked to Jack about it upstairs. Unknown to me, the baby monitor was on and Jeff caught it on tape. It's a sweet reminder of his early days, breastfeeding and his sweet newborn baby cry. Sigh. Oh well, now I drink all the Starbucks I want!

Jack saying DaDa

Six Months

The last few weeks have been full ones, to be sure! Not only have there been changes in Jack, but there have been many changes in our house as well. The biggest change, of course, is the fact that Anne and Bryan are home! When they come home our little lives get a boost of energy and the house practically cannot hold us. We worked incredibly hard getting their rooms ready for them--new drywall and texturing, paint, new furniture, some decorating touches. They were finally done and the kids helped move their furniture in the day they came home! There are a few little finishing touches here and there that need to be done, but it was exciting to see them come in and rummage around in the attic for little treasures that they used to have in their rooms and had to leave behind when they moved to Florida. It has been a great challenge having two 11 year-old children around full-time, but it has also been extremely gratifying and rewarding. We are working on the Four Rules of Communication (yea verily, a fifth has been added). In case you don't know what they are, they are as follows:
1. Be Honest
2. Keep Current
3. Act, Don't React
4. Attack the Problem, Not the Person
(5. When in doubt, just shut up)

Anne and Bryan are absolutely each others' best friend. They are also each others' worst enemy. The fued over rooms, property, who said what and when, etc., are ENDLESS, but we are trying to teach them problem-solving skills that they can apply to ANY situation to end the problem without screaming, slamming doors or punching inanimate objects! So far they have done well. It was hard at first, but I can't tell you the feeling of pride in them that I have when I see them knocking heads over something, and then sitting down in the floor to discuss the problem and possible solutions to the problem. We are also learning the difference between "I'm sorry" and "please forgive me". We pray that they will continue this wonderful process of biblical communication even after they return home and we are no longer there to referee.

The changes in Jack are too numerous to count! He absolutely ADORES his brother and sister. We call them Bubba and Sissy. Bryan can be standing beside him and make a noise and Jack will just burst in to a fit of laughter. Anne has a special touch with Jack and takes extremely good care of him. She is able to rock him to sleep when I am unable to and he sit entranced when she sings to him. When Bry and Anne wrestle around in the floor he watches them and squeals as if he is just waiting to jump in there with them. He can roll over each way now and even gets up on hands and knees and scoots around. He is no longer left on the bed because he could be off the edge before I have time to turn around! He says "Da Da", "La La", and "Blah Blah" quite distinctly. No "Ma Ma" yet, but that's ok. At first we weren't sure that he was really saying "Da Da" and meaning Jeff, but now we are positive that he is asking for or talking about his Daddy. He will sit in his little walker and if Jeff is not looking at him he will say, "da da da da da da" with increasing intensity until Da Da finally looks at him!

Right now he is very sick. I had to take him to urgent care yesterday before he had a fever and there was gunk coming out of his eyes and nose. I was worried that he was getting an ear infection, but the doc said his ears were clear. They gave me some baby decongestant and some eye drops, so we're hoping that he gets better soon. He is pretty miserable right now, as you will see from the pictures I took yesterday and this morning. However, he is smiling this morning and although he is sticky, he is still very sweet. We love him so much.

He had his 6 month check up last week. The doctor has proclaimed him perfect! He is ahead of the game in many areas. He weight 17 lbs, 4 oz, and he is 27 1/2 inches long! What a big boy! I hope to have another post up today with some video footage for Father's Day.

Well, that kind of brings us up to speed. Our days are busy and the kids start VBS next week, so it's going to be crazy, but I'll try to do better with posting. Anne is a little computer bug too, so I am in competition for my desk!

Love to all!

PS. I'll have to try the pictures later since there is something wrong with Blogger and they will not upload!!!

When Girls Come To Play

This morning a bunch of mommy's friends came to visit. This is what happens when a bunch of girls get around a baby. Soon Jack-Jack was surrounded with ALL of his little stuffed animals. Is Jack really in this picture? Can you see him? There he is!

Happy Half Birthday!

Jack is 6 months old today! We celebrated by taking some pictures outside and with Grandma Poo.

Busy Days

This is going to have to be quick--it's late, I'm tired, and I've got to get up early! We have been going non-stop for a couple of weeks now. Here are some updates:

Sharon is doing great! She is getting around great with her walker and wheelchair. She still needs my help with a few things, but she's becoming quite self-sufficient. Jeff has teased her that we will have to hide her car keys in case she tries to run away. She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow to get the staples removed, so please pray for her. Pray that I can get her in the car and down to Indy and back without trauma. Aunt Laurie has graciously agreed to take Jack, so he's going to have fun, fun, fun!

My grandmother is not doing very well. Her kidneys are failing, she has fluid around her heart and lungs, and her blood pressure keeps rising. On Sunday, Jeff, Jack and I made the trip down to Henderson to see her. I kissed her little mouth that was all droopy and paralyzed and told her that I love her. It was Mother's Day. I don't think that I've ever spent Mother's Day with my grandmother. I doubt that I ever will again. Please pray for her and also for my Bampy. This is absolutely heartbreaking for him.

My sister is coming on Tuesday of next week. She decided to make the trip all the way from Temuco, Chile. She is praying that she makes it in time to see Mamaw alive. It is hard for her to be so far away. It costs close to $2,500 for her and my 2 year-old nephew, Joshua to fly to the states.

My brother Jason had his back surgery today. Everything went well and he is recovering. Pray for my mother as she cares for him. Pray that she doesn't smother him with a pillow in his sleep (hee hee), and vice versa as soon as Jason is strong enough to move around!

Pray for me because Jeff is leaving tomorrow and will be gone for four days. He is helping his cousin Nick build a bathroom in their home near Chicago. It will be the longest that we've ever been away from each other. I am afraid that Mamaw will die while he is gone and I will have to go alone to the funeral. I know, Philippians 4:8. Trust me, I'm trying to think right about it. Why borrow trouble, right? It's just there in the back of my mind, you know.

Jack is doing great. He is SO growing up. He just moves around and laughs big belly laughs and plays with toys and is just the cutest thing that I've ever seen. I love him so much.

Good night, friends! Pray for our little family!

House Guest

Jeff's mom is home from the hospital and is staying with us indefinitely. Please keep praying for her, as this has been quite an adjustment. She is a very active lady and an expert in her field of nursing. Her hospital will no doubt feel her loss, and she is already missing her busy life with patients, co-workers and new learning opportunities. She has also had to put her masters' program on hold since she will be unable to travel to Indy several times a week to attend classes. She is doing great and being a trooper, but it is hard for her. I am hoping that her friends and co-workers visit her often, and any of them that might be reading this blog (as I know that some of you do) please consider this an open invitation to visit her anytime.

On another note, please also pray for my grandmother, Boots Cummings. She had a stroke this last week and is in the hospital. She is paralyzed on her right side and unable to communicate very clearly. It appears that she will need to go to a nursing home, and since my grandfather is blind and relies on her greatly, he too will have to go the nursing home. My mother and her sisters have been making arrangements for them to be together. My grandfather is very upset and extremely emotional. My grandparents are the greatest example of two people who have been in love with each their whole lives, and it is especially sad to think that there might have to be a time when one lives without the other. As hard as it may seem for the rest of the family to lose them both at the same time, I hope that when God calls them home that He takes them both together.

For now, God has definitely increased my ministry to others and I am thrilled to be able to take on this new role of caring for such an incredibly caring and loving lady!

Happy Birthday To Me

Today is my 36th birthday. I never really liked to do "big" birthdays, but I had a friend who was excellent at making my birthday a "big deal", and I kinda got used to it. I've been thinking that a person as old as me probably shouldn't have "big" birthdays (too many over-the-hill gag gifts, the increasing fire hazard, and now, the difficulty of finding a babysitter) but my husband thinks differently. He made my birthday so special. It lasted for 2 1/2 days! It started the night before last when he took the baby from me and gave him a bath and put him to bed so that I could go and take a nap or just lay on my bed and watch TV. The next morning he made a special trip into town to buy me a bottle of my favorite coffee fru fru, and then he made me coffee. We spent the day working together around the house. At 3:30 p.m. we got all dolled up and went to town. First we went to a bird store where Jeff bought me the mother of all bird feeders and a bird book to go with it. We have a lot of birds out here on our property, and I'm getting excited about learning their names and songs. Then we took a quick trip to Home Depot since it was close by and Jeff just couldn't resist. Then we went to dinner at Mountain Jacks. YUM. It was great and romantic (Aunt Gi Gi was at home with Jack) and totally tasty. THEN.....we saw Mission Impossible III. Awesome! We loved it! I think it's the best one yet. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Definitely a fun flick. We got home and were in bed by 11:00 p.m. And that was the end of the day before my birthday! Today is actually my birthday, but we had church this morning and Jeff's mom came home from the hospital this afternoon, so we planned most of our fun for yesterday. I did get a nice lunch out with the Gray side of the family and the choir sang a very goofy rendition of Happy Birthday to me during practice. Gaylene made me a rockin' Margarita cheesecake that was yummmy yum yum. Of course, any day that I can wake up next to the most wonderful man of my dreams and go in the next room to see my smiling, lovely baby boy is a spectacularly special day! Thanks everyone, for making this birthday wonderful!

Our Fallen Hero

Last evening we received a call from a very teary Grandma Poo saying that she had fallen and hurt her knee. Uncle Jason and Aunt Ashley came to the rescue and took her down to Indy to her fabulous hospital to be evaluated. Several hours later the call came in--she had broken her leg just below her knee. Ouch! They admitted her to the hospital and she will be having surgery sometime soon. They would like to do it right away, but there are evidentally 11 surgeries scheduled ahead of her, so it could be a bit of a wait. In the meantime they have her souped up on some yummy drugs and so she is stable. We'll update more as time goes by. For now, pray for our Grandma Poo! We're happy to have the opportunity to get to take care of her instead of her taking care of us!

Hmmmm.....

My fellow blogger Beth got me interested in this quiz. Here are my results.

You Are a Jam Cookie

On the outside, you project a straight-laced, innocent vibe. But on the inside, you're complex, exotic, and full of flavor.

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

I'm just not sure what to say.

Run The Race

I judged a vocal competition at FCS yesterday and there met a lady who attends church with an old college buddy of mine, Warren Brokering. I was shocked and devastated to hear that Warren is battling colon cancer. He has evidentally had some success with surgery, but I really don't know more than that. I jotted him a note with my email address, so hopefully I will hear more soon. This is the second college friend that I have recently learned is dealing with cancer, the first being Ed Horn. While it greatly saddens me, I know the character of these two men well, and know that in this trial they will seek to please God. It is comforting to know that when such hardships and trials come at us unexpectedly, we can see through the examples of godly people around us that God's word truly is sufficient for our every need. God bless you, Ed and Warren. Keep running the race!

Running The Race
--by Laurie Dutton

I'm running the race
I'm pressing ahead
I'm striving to reach the goal which God has set
I'll focus my eyes
I'm setting my sites
Obeying the call in order to win the prize

And I'll press on
Running the Race
And I'll press on
'Til I see His face
He's run the race before me
He knows what lies ahead
He gives me grace and wisdom and strength
He's by my side
My Faithful Guide
I'm running the race
I'm running for the prize

I'm turning from my sin
And the weights that slow me down
I'm pressing toward the mark
So I can win the crown

I'm pressing ahead
Not looking behind
I'm staying on course
No matter what turns I find
There's no need to fear
For my God is near
Directing each step and making my pathway clear

And I'll press on
Running the race
And I'll press on
'Til I see His face
He's run the race before me
He knows what lies ahead
He gives me grace and wisdom and strength
He's by my side
My Faithful Guide
I'm running the race
I'm running for the prize

I'll run 'til I see Christ!
'Til I see Christ

Night Out

Last night Mommy and Daddy got to go out! Jeff's company hosts a "year end" party every year in Indianapolis, so last night Aunt Gi Gi (Gaylene) watched little Jack while we went and had some stimulating "adult" conversation (adult as opposed to infant, not indecent) and some yummy food. It was fun to be all dressed up and driving down the road towards a fun evening. Made us feel like the "old" Jeff and Betty.

Just A Spoonful Of Sugar

Today is a different day! Yippeeee! Already Jack was doing better, but my sister just called me and shared with me that her son did the same thing to her! She put a half a teaspoon of sugar in his bottle until he got to drinking it good and then started weaning him off the sugar. So I tried it and he sucked down a 6 oz bottle without blinking an eye. So I think we're on the right track. The best part is that after he takes a good bottle he likes to take a long nap! So I think I will do the same. Nitey nite!

Triumph

Well, it took more than an hour, but I managed to force down 4 oz. Don't worry, I'm not going to update you everytime he takes a bottle. Let's just assume the best and that the eating trend is going to continue.

Round Two

It's now more than 4 hours since the last "ba ba" attempt (a successful one) and we are currently head to head for round two of the match. He is hungrily chewing on his bunny but will not take the bottle. So we will wait 30 minutes and try again!

One Down, Several To Go

Hey! I know that the first blog only just published because something was up with blogger, but I am happy to report that after a two hour nap, Jack woke up HUNGRY and ate 5 oz of formula with 2 scoops of cereal in it! I've decided to spend the next few days getting him re-adjusted to just the bottle and then we'll try the spoon-fed route again later. At any rate, I'm very relieved that after 12 hours of a hunger strike, he has finally drank his bottle!

In The Battle

I think I've created a monster. Remember how I said that Jack was just loving eating cereal from a spoon and drinking from a cup? Well, yesterday it was cute, but today it is downright ugly. I have only been nursing Jack in the middle of the night, so last night when he woke up at 1:00 a.m. I nursed him and put him back in bed. That was the last time that he ate. That was 10 hours ago. He refuses to take his bottle. He has done everything from laughing and giggling with it in his mouth to throwing a crying fit and gagging on it. I was concerned that he might be unwell, or that some reasonable problem was causing him to not want his bottle. But in every other way he is FINE. He is laughing, playing, watching his aquarium toy, peeing, burping....everything normal....except eating. I can only conclude that he doesn't want to and so he is exerting an unbelievable amount of will (where the heck did he get that from?). At this point I have put him in his bed to "cry it out". My plan is to continue to offer him the bottle every half hour until he takes it. I'm not going to give him spoon-fed cereal. I think that he would eat that, but he needs to drink his bottle. There is nothing nourishing about just eating cereal from a spoon. I have also definitely concluded that last night was the last night of nursing. And it may be the last night of eating in the middle of the night. Obviously, he is able to go for LONG periods of time without eating, so it is ridiculous for me to be getting up (sometimes) twice in the middle of the night. So, please pray for me today, and pray that Jack makes a good choice, and if you have any suggestions, PLEASE give them to me! I know that there are mothers out there right now reading this blog. You know who you are and so do I. Please weigh in. If you don't want to post, then email me or call me! I'll update you all later on in the day!

Growing Up

Today we celebrated Jack's grand old age by drinking water from a cup! I noticed that as I was drinking my Frapaccino today that his gaze was following my drink all the way up to my mouth. So we tried it! (not with the Frap!) He did REALLY well! And he loved it. I was really surprised but after the first few little dribbles he actually got the hang of swallowing the water as it went in his mouth. My little baby!

Happy Five Months, Jack

It's hard to believe, but another month has passed. Where does the time go? In one month Jack has progressed to playing with toys, eating from a spoon, turning over onto his back and giggling with a vengeance. If every month is this packed, Mommy and Daddy better hold on tight!

Wha'cha doin?

Here's what I did today! What did you do?

Happy Day

Today is a much better day for Jack! Thank you to everyone who said a little prayer for my boy. We ran the vaporizer in his room last night and that seemed to really help his breathing. I went in once to turn his head so he could breathe better, but that was all. I sleep with the monitor beside my bed and can really hear him well in the night. Nothing woke me up, and usually if he is having a bad night I will be aware of it. I don't really understand why the vaporizer helps, if his breathing is hindered by the trachial malasia. It shouldn't make a difference. Jeff and I both think that there is more going on there with his breathing than just the malasia. For now, we wait until our May 8 appointment with the ped ENT and we'll ask her all of our questions! But just so you know, he's having a great day--completely different from yesterday!

As a side note, I bought him two toys today. One is an exerciser/walker and the other is a toy that dangles toys in front of him while he lays on his back. He loves both of them, but especially the walker. He has to work at sitting up in it (he has a tendency to fall forward when he gets tired) but that just adds to the fun since the little turkey has been trying to sit up on his own since he was 2 months old!

Catch Your Breath

Today started out like any other day. Jack woke up at 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. for feedings. He went back to sleep and woke up around 9:30 this morning. It's not a bad schedule, really. I am very thankful that he sleeps so well. It's true that he still gets up in the middle of the night, but when he sleeps until 9-9:30 a.m., it's easy to catch up on my sleep. At any rate, this morning was normal, until around 10:00 a.m. That's when I noticed that he was having a lot of trouble breathing. He had just had a bottle and was very active, and his breathing is worse then. I watched him struggle for an hour, rasping and gasping, alternating being on his back and then his tummy. It was really kind of scary. He hasn't been like that since he was tiny and I had hoped that by now he would be growing out of it. He was actually distracted by his own breathing and refused to play with me. It's very disconcerting to see his chest caving in as he tries to take in air. So, I called the Pediatric ENT in Indy and got him an appointment for May 8. I didn't really want to take him down there, because I know that they will run tests on him that will be uncomfortable for him, but it can't be any more uncomfortable than not being able to take a breath when you need to. He may just have some congestion that is making it worse today, but I really was kind of frightened this morning. He's still struggling this afternoon, but not as badly. I'm planning to try and catch it on video so that the doctor can see when he is really bad. It really makes you think--there is so much we take for granted--like breathing. You don't know just how precious it is until you sit and watch your little one fight just to take one breath. Please pray for little Jack that he will get better soon!

Hi!

Easter pictures!

Mommy dressed me up and took some pictures of me and my bunny. Mmmmmm.....bunny.......

A Spoonful of Fun

Jack is eating cereal from a spoon! And loving it! After the first day of not really getting the hang of things, he came back with a vengeance and is now attacking his spoon as it comes toward his mouth. I hope to capture some video of it. It's just hillarious.

Sad Mommy

I've mentioned before that I have started weaning Jack from breastfeeding. Today I am feeling quite sad about the whole thing. I had not anticipated weaning him at just 4 months. When Jack was born I was fiercely dedicated to the whole idea of nursing, and not even cracked, bleeding nipples or pain that took my breath away stopped me from feeding him. I knew that if I was going to make it work it would at times be very hard, but that it was worth it. I stuck with it and have to say that it is probably the most rewarding thing about being a mother that I have yet to experience. It's a very intimate thing between mother and baby, and for Jack and me, it's over. Today I gave him cereal with a spoon (since the doctor said it was ok) and I experienced a kind of grim satisfaction in seeing him try to "latch on" to the spoon and then spit out the cereal when he realized that it was not what he thought it was. He still has the baby reflex to force his tongue out when food is in his mouth, and I know that it means that he is still too young. I would just rather go on nursing him.

Like other things in life, sometimes we don't get what we want. Sometimes what we want is a good thing, and so it's confusing to understand why we might not be getting it. Ultimately, we have to trust that a heavenly Father knows the difference between a good thing and the best thing. For some reason I am being allowed to go through what some might consider a very minor trial of weaning my child. For me, it's much more than minor, but I have to trust that it is the best thing for me, and for Jack. So I will do that, also knowing that the same Father allowing the trial also understands the lump in my throat and the tears that come unbidden when no one is looking.

Jack in action!

Things Happening

The last few weeks have been incredibly busy. So much so that blogging has become a low priority. But, a few amazing things have been happening with Jack that just have to be recorded. After all, this is first and foremost my "baby book" of Jack's life, and he is definitely doing some record worthy things.

First of all, last Friday night I went to a Pampered Chef party with some friends. When I came home my husband informed me that Jack was in bed (and that he had cried most of the night for daddy!) and that he had been playing with his toy in his crib. I didn't really think much of it, because I had never really seen him play with this toy and I thought that it was just daddy talking up the baby boy genius. I was sitting in the living room when, to my surprise, over the monitor came this music! I just looked at it and turned to Jeff, who was smiling proudly. "He's playing with his toy again," he said. I could not believe it. Not only was he playing with it, but he had learned how to push the button to turn the music on and off! You have to realize that up until this time he had never even played with a toy. I sneaked upstairs and took a peek. There was my son, laying on his back, staring up at the aquarium toy attached to his bed, listening to Brahm's Lullaby and watching little sea horses float by making bubbly noises. By the way, kudos to Nana for buying Jack the coolest toy ever! The next day I did get video of Jack playing with his toy during nap time and as soon as my hubby has a minute to call his own, he will post it for your viewing pleasure.

Monumental thing no. 2. Jack turned over all by himself. A couple of days after the toy incident, I put him down for a nap, on his tummy, and when I went to pick him up he was turned over on his back! So far he's only done it once, but we were pretty impressed.

No. 3. Jack had his 4 month checkup on Monday. He is now 14 lbs and 4 oz, and is 24 1/2 inches long. The doctor says he is doing beautifully. She is a little concerned still about the noise that he makes in his throat and suggested that he see a pediatric ENT in Indy. So we are considering that. It seems like a waste of time now....he's doing so well and I'm not sure that they could really do anything for him at this point, but it would be nice to know if everything is still ok in there and find out when he might grow out of it.

No. 4. Mommy's milk is drying up. I cannot tell you how sad this makes me. I had hoped to be able to nurse Jack, or at least pump and feed him breast milk until he was closer to one year, but it would seem that my body is not cut out for it. The will is there, believe me, on both of our parts. Jack loves to nurse and hates a bottle, but the milk is just not there. I've tried two rounds of Reglan to boost my supply, but it keeps dwindling. I pretty much just feed him in the middle of the night now, and even then sometimes it doesn't let down. Every time I feed him I cry a little, knowing that it might be the last time. On a lighter note, daddy is excited about finally being able to feed his baby. If he could have lactated, I think he would have.

No. 5. He seems to be having some separation anxiety when I leave him with daddy and sometimes in the nursery too. This has made daddy very sad, so he is spending some extra time with him each night (Jack is still not on "Indiana time" yet) trying to get him used to him again. So far it's working and tonight the things that transpired can only be labeled as our silly little boy cutting loose and just being his happy little self. It was so cute.

Noteworthy: Jack loves to be nakey. He will cackle with delight as soon as I start pulling his clothes off.

Noteworthy 2: He has taken to peeing on me again. I think he knows he's doing it. Little turkey.

Big Boy

It's hard to believe, but our tiny newborn baby turned 4 months old yesterday (sniff, sniff). Oh, how I long for the days of endless screaming, 2 hours of sleep a night, and genuine terror over the horrible breathing sounds that he made. NOT! Way to go, Jack! You survived being a newborn and are finally a regular old baby!

Disaster Relief

Finally! I am able to get some "disaster" pictures online. It has been a long road, one that we are still continuing to travel, but it is getting better all the time. The drywall is up and being finished, we are planning to paint on Saturday, and the carpet will be delivered sometime next week! It will look better than it did before and has allowed us to do some "unexpected" spring cleaning, so it hasn't all been bad. On top of it, with our house looking so dismal, we were still able to have a visit from my mom and the kids! Here are some pictures of the night we discovered our little "problem". Thanks to everyone who helped!

The water really wasn't that high.

It's hard to believe that so little water could cause so much damage, but the drywall sucked it up more than 2 feet, so it had to be replaced. Of course the carpet had to be ripped up as well.


Matt and Scott helped haul everything upstairs.

Lee directed the cleanup!

Melisa worked tirelessly and came later to help again!

Fiances Matt and Kerri. What a bonding experience!

Our beautiful home theatre room, reduced to cement floor and stick framing.

My current dining room. Will it ever be the same?

Sweet baby Jack

Always reminding us how thankful we are that we have each other.

Snow!

The long prayed for snow has arrived! Anne and Bryan have been wanting snow since Thanksgiving, and this morning, it happened! It's great to see them out there playing and having fun. It's hard to believe that our time together has passed and tomorrow they will be going home. It will be two months before they come back, but then it will be for seven weeks! Yeah! Anne and Bryan, we love having you here!!!!

Under Construction

It has been a while since I blogged, but for a good reason. We are in a war zone right now with our house. On Sunday afternoon we came home to standing water in our basement. The basement is finished and houses most of our computer, television and exercise equipment. The sump pump failed and the water that was pooling everywhere was wastewater. Yes, folks, it was poo water. So, we called in the troops and our good friends came over and went beyond the call of friendship to bring all of our basement belongings upstairs. We disinfected each piece as it came up the stairs and it is now sitting in the dining room and foyer area. I have been taking pictures, but right now I can't get them from the camera to the computer because we can't find the card reader or the cord! The basement that Jeff worked so hard to finish is now back to cement floor and framing. It is a huge setback and expense, but it needs to be done, so Jeff has been working like a dog trying to put it all back together. It's one of those things that you just have to look at and say, "I have no idea what the reason is, but I know there is one, and that God will show us what to do". It also brings home the thought that all of that stuff is just "things" and the most important thing is that we have each other.

On a much happier note, the kids are flying in today! We have been so excited, and yet nervous about them coming home to such a wreck. But they are good kids and I fully expect them to jump into the work with their characteristic exuberance and sweet spirit. Basically, they don't care what we do as long as they are with their dad! I can't wait for them to see Jack--they are going to be amazed!

More later........

The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth

I am so happy to report that Jack finally appears to be out of his "colic" stage. It was just like everyone said, one day he woke up and he was just. . .better! He does still have some "meltdown" times during the day, but they have definite triggers that I can look at and say, "He's crying because he's tired and needs to sleep (or eat, or has poopy pants, etc.). It makes our day so much easier because now I know how to deal with him (for the most part). I believe him to be a very intelligent, sensitive little boy with a HUGE stubborn streak! I see some clashes of will in our future. But he is also extremely lovable, very snuggly and affectionate, and laughs at everything, sometimes even when he is crying! He is an absolute joy and I love him very much. I believe that he is currently working on a tooth. Now, I know that he is only almost 4 months old, but there's no other reason for the faces that he is making. I took a little video of him that I'm going to ask Jeff to put up here and you can see for yourself. For the last two days he has sucked, chewed, stuck his hand in his mouth and all around made the most hillarious little faces. He must be cutting a tooth. At least I think he's forming it. It may not be coming through, but something about his gum is definitely bothering him. He literally looks like he has chewing gum in his mouth. I've stuck my finger in there but I feel nothing. I guess time will tell.

The Cows Come Home

This past weekend we went up north to Milwaukee and the area in which I lived for 12 years. While Jeff worked on computers at the northern branch of his company, I ran around the countryside, visiting old haunts, eating Kopp's custard, and seeing the many changes that have taken place at my alma mater. Jack did GREAT traveling this time! He slept pretty much any time we got in the car, and when he was awake, he was mostly smiling and happy. There were a couple of meltdowns, but there was always a helping hand (or shoulder) nearby for him to drool on, and I think he was a big hit. Not only did we see a lot of familiar places, but we also so many familiar faces! I took Jack around Old Main and introduced him to many people that I've known for years. On Saturday, we were invited over to "Auntie Carol" Senn Ruffin's house to visit with some very close friends and to catch up on the "happenings" of our lives. There was lots to say! Jeff and I had a great time with the Ruffins and the Vegters (and wish that we could have seen the Nicholson's as well, but alas for poor planning on my part). Later that evening we went to the Machine Shed for dinner with some very special family members--and it was wonderful to see them and to introduce them to my new family. Now that Jack is becoming such a good travel bug, we hope to visit others on the list of people to see!

The Amazing Race

Here is a little video that some of us have come to love (and hate)

There are a ton of things that I am sure we could all say about this little video clip. Perhaps Gaylene would like to post some of her memories...

We hope you win Gaylene and Jaena!






Amazing Race Entry Video from grayman74

Anniversary

This past weekend my husband and I celebrated our one year anniversary. It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed, and yet, with the constantly changing events in our life that have taken place over the past year, it also feels as though we've always been together. Strange, huh? I had thought that I would do some lovey dovey stuff on here again about how much I love and appreciate my husband, but I got to thinking a little deeper this time (plus I know you all are probably still gagging from the "Valentine's Day" entries). You see, I've learned a few things about marriage. Unfortunately, I learned them the hard way, and as my son gets old enough to read what I have written there are a few things that I want him to know so that he can say that he learned them the easy way.

1. Marriage is about two people. Many girls spend their whole lives envisioning this fairy tale romance about the perfect guy coming in and sweeping her off her feet. He meets all of her needs and does everything just perfectly. He makes her so happy. That's a lovely dream, and it can become a reality, but there is one glaring flaw in the presentation. It's all about her. Her dreams. This one-sided marriage is truly perfect, but only in her mind. Because marriage is about two people. Ephesians 2:3 says, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." The success of the marriage does not hinge on whether or not my spouse is meeting my needs, but rather that I am meeting the needs of my spouse. It may look a lot the same, but there is a huge difference in focus. In my marriage the only thing that I need to be concentrating on is whether or not I am meeting Jeff's needs. (And I might point out that he should be doing the same regarding me). Boy, that's a far cry for the fairy tale romance isn't it? Yet it's biblical, and since God created marriage, He of all people should know the key to making it work.

2. In order to meet your spouse's needs, you must learn what those needs are. The idea here is that you learn your spouse. You become a student of him. You learn what gets him excited. This is not that hard to do. For instance, I know that my husband loves tools. It's not hard to see--he goes positively ape over tools. Over the course of this year I have tried to learn as much about his tools as I can, and I've tried to remember the names and the uses for the tools that he has pointed out to me. I have also learned that he likes to be touched. Jeff's primary love language is physical touch, and it doesn't really matter how I touch him, as long as I do. He particularly likes back rubs and head rubs. More subtly though, I've learned that he likes for me to read to him. We are currently reading one of my Zane Grey novels. Now, I don't really think that Jeff is enjoying the writing style of Zane Grey as much as he is listening to the sound of my voice as I read to him. Through this experience I've learned that his mother used to read to him all the time, and it was something that he equated with being loved, secure and totally in the center of his mother's attention. The things that your spouse is passionate about are there, but you need to learn what they are. I will say that I believe that this is an easier task for the wife than for the husband. By our very nature we are nurturers. We observe our children and assess what their needs are before they are even able to voice them. It makes us a little more intuitive, but it is not impossible for the husband to learn about his wife. It may take a little help, but the best thing a husband can do is sit down with his wife and say, "Honey, I want to know everything about you. I want to learn the ways that I can show love to you. Please tell me some ways that I can show you how much you mean to me." Get ready, guys, because you may be surprised at the answer. It may be as simple as telling her that you love her before you leave the house in the morning. It may mean giving of your time by helping with the dishes. It may be that she simply desires to be freed up for some time for herself--like taking the kids out of the house for a few hours so that she can either spend time in the bathtub or get caught up on some chores that have been hanging over her head for days. It may not make sense to you, but is that the point? Whatever she tells you, do it. And do it without being asked. Wives, if your husband is harder to read, then by all means sit down with him and discuss it. I truly believe that when you are busy meeting the needs of your spouse, you will have a lot less time to be worried about yourself.

3. This third one is really more for the wife. Girls--newsflash--your husband wants to have sex. Yes, I said sex on my publicly read blog. Sex to your husband is like sleeping and eating. It is a physical need that he has that is motivated by his love for you. He needs you. You would never purposely go for days and weeks without feeding him or letting him sleep, yet women all over America go for weeks, even months without having sex with their husbands. I confess that I was one of those wives. Instead of seeing what my husband needed from me, I made it all about what I wanted for myself. And if I thought that I wasn't getting what I wanted, then I withheld myself from him, telling myself that when he got up the gumption to figure out what made me happy, then I would have sex with him. It told myself that I wasn't able to have sex with him because he wasn't meeting my emotional needs. I have learned that excuse is really from the pit of hell. I don't say this lightly. I say it from the bottom of a heart that has been truly broken by the man I loved. Meeting the sexual needs of my spouse is a choice. Is it an easier choice when he has pushed all the right "buttons" for me emotionally? Sure. But it's still a choice. What is the choice? Well, you can either willingly and eagerly meet your husband's sexual needs and enjoy a tremendously fulfilling, close relationship with him, or you can leave him open to the enticement and allurement of a world that is only too happy to fill your shoes for you. In your defense I will say that most men could learn a thing or two about meeting the emotional needs of their wives before they hit the bedroom, but women just need to get over it. Or they need to start communicating to their husbands exactly what will help them "get in the mood". I am blessed to have a husband who will go out of his way to make our relationship be the best that it can be, but even on those rare occasions when I just think that I can't do it, I remember what he faces every day while he is away from me and it motivates me to make sure that when he leaves the house that morning, he is watching the clock until he can get back home to me. It is a way to protect him. I will go one step further and say, to withhold yourself physically from your spouse at any time, unless mutually agreed upon, is just plain old WRONG. To use sex to get your husband to take out the trash is wrong. To manipulate him into meeting a need in your life is wrong. And to make him go without it for long periods of time when you haven't openly discussed it and mutually agreed to it is wrong. Please, please hear me when I say that your husband will only try to get your attention for so long. One day he will stop asking. And on a day not too far distant from that one you may find yourself watching your husband coldly divide your life into "his" and "hers" and back a moving van up to your house. I am not saying that if that happens it is all your fault. He has choices to make as well. He can choose to love you and honor the committment that he has made to you no matter what your response is (Eph. 2:3 again). He can do all that he can to communicate with you and guard himself from the world. But why make his job that hard? You love him already, show him that you love him by reverencing him.

I hope one day that Jack's fiance and I will be able to sit down and have this little chat and more. It's only three points, but they are huge. I by no means profess to be perfect in any of these areas, but I think that at least knowing that these things exist and are very real in my marriage has given Jeff and I a much deeper understanding and a bond that I never dreamed was possible. My only goal in sharing this publicly is that it might somehow help someone else like me to truly have the love of my life beside me, sharing in the joy of raising our sons and daughter, and looking forward to the years ahead, not with despair, but with anticipation.

Additional Note: I do not in any way mean to minimize the pain and rejection that many women go through when their husbands do not take the time to meet their emotional needs. I know only too well that the hurt stemming from a husband who does not make his wife a priority in his life can greatly impact the desire to make the right choices. But you can still reverence your husband and pray diligently and communicate, communicate, communicate with him. Some men need the proverbial "2 x 4" over the head. Oh, don't get offended, guys. You know it's true.

Come on and post!

Go ahead!

It's easier now...

Use an alias if you wish..

We won't steal your credit card info, format your hard drive, or anything else nasty

You don't even have to be a registered user!

It's easy!

We'd like to hear from you!

by Jeff

p.s. Terry - you could reminisce about trying to get me to accept a "Free" window (forcibly with the sheriffs help) or me breaking your foot!

Family

This past weekend we took Jack down to Henderson, KY for his first visit with the great grandparents. It was a really great visit with them, and very special, since we don't know how many more visits we will have with them. The trip down to Henderson was half great--the half that Jack was asleep! This is the first time that we have tried to take him on a "long distance" ride. It takes about 4 hours to get there. Before that we had an appointment in Kokomo, so he was in the car for a long time. Half way there we decided to stop and walk around a bit, take him out of the carseat, and feed him. We realized afterward that we should have just kept on going as far as we could, because once we had him OUT of the carseat and awake, he certainly did not want to go back IN. He screamed the rest of the way there. We stayed in a nice hotel and he really did pretty well sleeping in a different place. We got smart on the way back and left when it was time for him to go to bed for the night. He slept all the way home, and then went right to bed as soon as we got home. All in all, it was a pretty successful weekend, and I think we're going to try it again next weekend, only this time going 4 hours north! Here are some of my favorite pictures of the weekend.

A Little Behind

I am happy to share with you, on the date that Jack turns 3 months old, the pictures that were taken at the studio when he was 2 months old! Hey--I've been busy.

A nother word from big sissy

hello to day reminded me about the time I was playing with dead grass. It all started when I was 6 or 7 years old, dad was at work, my mom was cleaning the kitchen and Bryan was with me. I had a bowl and filled it with only dry grass, I thought. But here I was minding my own bissness and Bryan thoght of a idea. Well the idea was to poor the dead grass on top of me. So I did. A big black and white snake fell on me! I yelled and ran to the front porch. Mom came out and said it was a garden snake. After that I never played with dead grass again!
I hope Jack wont ether! it scared me to daeth!

Anne on the big tractor July 2003 (attempting to kill snakes)

In His Own Words....

Ladies and gentlemen... We have been long waiting for my son Bryan to say something publicly on the blog - at long last he has broken his silence.

Author and renowned fortbuilder, Bryan Gray

Hi my name is Bryan Gray. I am the son of Jeff Gray and Betty Gray. My little brother is Jack Jack. I have brown hair and eyes. I have a sister too.


I'll add more later

(By Bryan 2/20/06)

"Talky Jack"

Here is a little video of Jack that was taken today. Betty insists that he is saying "wow" but I think it sounds a lot like he is saying "daddy" What do you think?

Happy Valentines Day back to you!

Hey there little guy!

Your mommy is really wonderful. Did you know that?

Mommy is right – we do love each other very very much!

I just wanted to write down for you (and for Mommy) some of the reasons that I love Betty Rie' (your mommy) so very very much!

I love Mommy because….
• She loves little Jack soooo much!
• She loves Anne & Bryan too!
• She wasn’t afraid to tell me that she liked me
• She is totally satisfied just to be with me – nothing else, she just wants me!!
• She appreciates everything that I do for her, even when it is something that she deserves she acts like it is the kindest thing that I could do for her.
• She loves me with all her heart
• She cooks REALLY GOOD FOOD for me!
• She has a beautiful voice
• She plays the piano
• She calls me tiger
• She helps me wake up in the morning
• She is my biggest cheerleader
• She is a good friend to me, as well as to her friends
• She rubs my back when we go to sleep
• She cuddles up next to me in bed and holds onto me
• She isn’t embarrassed by me being a big kid and having fun
• She agrees that Mr. Clothier cries the loudest of all my friends (when we wrestle)
• She goes out of her way to be friends with people that I am friends with
• She gets along with everyone
• She forgives me when I do something wrong (yes your dad can be insensitive at times)
• She sends nice notes to my family
• She doesn’t mind my snoring (I don’t mind hers either)
• She will watch a totally stupid movie just because I like it
• She eats lunch with me every day that she possibly can (you eat lunch with me too)
• She likes my truck
• She thinks I am attractive!
• She likes to sleep with the window open in the winter!
• She trusts me
• She is a computer geek too!
• She likes to ride four wheelers with me!
• She will follow my lead even if she doesn’t agree with me
• She takes good care of our house
• She mows the yard (when being pregnant didn’t stop her)
• She makes sure that I don’t dress like a dork
• She takes good care of me
• She makes me want to be a better man

Well little Jack…. I really do love your mommy.. I tell her a lot, but no matter how many times I say it I still need to say it more. I love you Betty Rie. You are my best friend, I can’t wait to hold you in my arms again!

Jeffie ;)

I Love Daddy

Happy Valentine's Day, Jack! Today I thought that I would tell you all the things that I love about Daddy. You should know that daddy and I are in love with each other and we always will be. For us, there is no such word as divorce, and there is no problem so big that it can't be solved with God's help. You will grow up in a home where your parents love you and love each other. In this world that is a very rare thing, but entirely possible when two people (like mommy and daddy) commit to love each other "til death parts us".

I Love Daddy because........
He loved me first
He is big and strong
He has wonderful hands that know how to make stuff
He is incredibly smart
He likes movies and computers
He likes to get dirty outside in his shop, in the yard, on the tractor, etc., etc.
He has four wheelers
He gave me my own four wheeler and taught me how to ride it
He gave me his car with the kick butt stereo in it
He likes my cooking
He likes to go out to eat
He likes to order in, too
He can pick me up and carry me around
He takes care of me when I'm sick and brings me medicine
He buys me Pecan Mudslides from Dairy Queen
He takes me to church and prays with me
He sings with me in the car when you're crying
He prays for me when I'm really sick
He laughs at me when I'm funny (and when I'm not)
He puts gas in my car
He loves to be with me
He would rather spend time with me than watch a movie or play with his computer
He lets me move the furniture any way that I like
He has a contagious laugh
He has a very big heart
He always does stuff for other people, often at the expense of his own free time
He likes to buy things for people
He is a good friend
He calls me "kitten"
He provides us with a beautiful home
He is crazy about you
He helps me take care of you
He holds me when I cry
He loves to kiss me and hold me
He touches my face and looks into my eyes
He tells me that I'm "hot"
He tells me when I look nice (which is all the time, no matter what)
He loves to lay in bed and listen to the rain through the open window

These are just a few things about daddy that I love. There are so many more, but there's not enough time to tell them. Lastly, the reason I love daddy so very much is because he gave me you!

Look, Ma! No Hands!

Lookin' good....

As the drool drops, the unsuspecting baby has no idea of the impending doom.

Ummm......"Ma!"

Just Growin'

Look at me playing with my new rattle!

It's been a while since I posted, mostly because every day with Jack is a full one! He still refuses to take naps during the daytime, and cries if I put him down, so most of the day is filled with rocking, walking, jiggling, holding, feeding, changing, and, you get the picture. Sometimes we get in the car and drive to town. I found a new little coffee shop in the town where Jeffrey works, so I like to go there and get a cup of joe and play with little Jack. He's growing every day and getting cuter and cuter (sorry, I mean, more cute). He's doing better every day with crying and eating and we're just happy going through our days together. They are very full and I don't always get to the computer when I want to, but we love our "fans" and don't want to lose you, so hang on, and I'm sure Jack will do something extraordinary that I'll just have to write about!

A long overdue note from an new-again daddy...

I just wanted to post a quick note to tell everyone how wonderful my wife is.

This is long overdue, so I am going to back up the clock to what I should have said 9 weeks and 3 days ago. (the day Jack was born)

Betty is truly amazing! I simply cannot believe how well the delivery went! I have for years heard the old Bill Cosby routine where Bill's wife tells everyone in the delivery room that his mother and father were not married (you know what that means!) and dreaded actual childbirth. I didn't know what kind of a monster she would turn into when we actually got there.. I didn't know if she would spaz out when she thought it was time to go.. (she didn't) Everything about Betty and the way that she handled herself was truly graceful. She didn't panic when her water broke, we got up showered and had a leisurely drive to the hospital. I would venture to say that she might have even allowed me to stop at Best Buy if they were open at three in the morning! She didn't swear or say mean things during the delivery (you did this to me, etc) and she really didn't complain about anything.

Betty is so willing to sacrifice anything and everything for her son and husband. She is the best mom that I have ever met! Betty consistently does what is best for Jack and for her husband regardless of the toll that it takes on her, and she does it without a second thought. She truly is sacrificial!

I am so blessed to have you sweetie pie!

I love you and I am coming home in just a few minutes!

ILYMYLILFREAK~

Jeffo out!

Oh No! Not Acid Reflux?

Yeah, my name is Jack Gray. This is my first time here, and...well....I-I have acid reflux. My mommy, she thought I had it, and my doctor (she's real pretty) was pretty sure I had it, but yesterday they took some pictures of my bow....bowls.....bloow.....my tummy and they confirmed it. So I guess they wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything in there that was pushing my yummy milk back up in my throat.....what? did they think I had a grapefruit in there? I'm only 2 months old, for crying out loud (and I could tell you a thing or two about that). So they gave me this white stuff to drink that was NOT mommy milk, but I was hungry so I drank it, and then they took all my clothes off (which felt really good) and then a nice lady with a weird blue coat took my picture. I guess that's all you have to do to find out you have acid reflux. Now I gotta take some more medicine (yippy skippy) that's going to help my food to move through my bols.....you know what I mean, more quickly so it doesn't have a chance to come back up! I think it's going to make me feel more hungry, so maybe mommy will give me some cereal with my milk. I like mommy alot. So, that's pretty much it. I'm fine and mommy seems fine and daddy, well, daddy's awesome no matter what. See ya later!

Up Since Four

Yes, I've been up since 4:00 a.m. Don't look too bad, do I? Well, I confess that I took a shower and got dressed. It was interesting, being up so early.....I took a shower leisurely and was not interrupted by.....well, anything! I don't know that I will do that on a regular basis, but it was o.k. for today. Now you're asking, what the heck were you doing up at 4:00 a.m.? Well, Jack slept from 9:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m.! If only I had gone to bed when he did! Unfortunately, I stayed up until midnight. After he ate this morning, I just laid in bed listening to him breathe and praying for him. I really hope that we are able to get some answers today at the doctor. I think that we may take him down to Indy to see one of the peds there where Grandma Poo works.

It's hard to wait. It's hard to not know all the answers. It's hard when it's your responsibility, and yet you don't know what to do. It's hard. How am I supposed to do this when I don't have all the answers? Duh, Betty. You KNOW Who has the answers. I just need to chill, and wait for the Heavenly Father to do His thing. You know, that THING that He does.....called taking care of His children, giving us everything we need, supplying wisdom and comfort, gathering the little children in His arms. Yeah, that thing.

I Love My Mommy

Hmmm.....something tells me that maybe he doesn't.....at least in THIS picture! Jack had his first official picture taken on Monday. It was quite a traumatic event, for mommy and for baby. Jack decided that he would throw a fit all morning long before we went to town. I was afraid that all of his pictures would have red eyes and cheeks in them, but he managed to calm down during the 25 minute car ride. He smiled and cooed for the photographer, and even managed some cute pics with mommy too. As soon as we get them, we'll post them.

Jack has been having trouble sleeping. Yesterday he was awake from 2:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m., with the exception of a few 15 minute naps. He will go to sleep in his bed, and then 15 minutes later he will wake up screaming. He did this all day today as well. I finally held him on my chest for an hour so he could sleep, and he did, but that is all the nap that he has had since 11:00 a.m. this morning. I put him down on the couch this afternoon, and when he started crying 15 minutes later, he had a little bit of blood on his blanket. So I called the doctor and he has an appointment for 8:45 a.m. tomorrow. So, please pray for him, and for his parents. There was no obvious injury to his mouth or ears, and no injury to me (a bleeding nipple), so we're not sure where the blood came from. It's very frustrating and has made me quite uneasy. He is playing happily with daddy right now, as you will see at the end of today's post. Jeff flies Jack in the air and talks to him in this funny little baby voice, and Jack loves it! I will post more tomorrow after the doctor appointment.

Seasons

A friend of mine once told me, in reference to a child-rearing situation, this is just my "season" of life right now. I thought at the time that I understood what she meant, was sympathetic, and gave pretty good support. Now I'm wondering. I find myself in a "season" of life. It's called colic combined with acid reflux and tracheo malasia. Jack has progressed (or regressed, depending on how you look at it) from crying a couple hours a day to crying for most of the day, unless he is sleeping. He does have small periods of time when he is awake and not crying, mostly in the morning when he first wakes up. During those times he is smiling and happy, cooing and looking into my eyes. I keep that smile in my mind for the hours ahead. I know that he is not doing any of it on purpose, and so I try to be patient and realize that his crying really isn't any fun for him either.

For now, I realize that my greatest priority is just making it through the day being cheerful and thankful for where I am at. It is still my greatest dream come true, just a little louder than I had imagined! The gym will have to wait, my son is more important than my figure. Lunches out with friends that I haven't seen in weeks will also have to wait, although I beg those friends to keep praying for me as I minister to my child. This is my season, staying at home with my colicky baby, loving him and making him and his daddy my highest priority. It's not a hard choice--I am the luckiest woman alive--it's just hard to put to death those selfish feelings of me, me, me. But I can do "all things through Christ, who strengthens me".

This is Jack, in his car seat, on top of the dryer (while is was running). He actually took about an hour's nap on the dryer yesterday!

Ready To Go!

Jack went back to the doctor today. For the last couple of days he has cried inconsolably. He has acted as if he were in pain. We knew that babies his age had gas, but this seems a bit excessive. He doesn't want to eat and he's not sleeping well either. So, mommy called the doctor today and she said "bring him in"! So we went. The doctor thinks that he may be having a problem with milk proteins, so I've been ordered off dairy products for a week. She also thinks that his acid reflux could be a problem, so she gave a us a new medicine to try. He did have blood in his stool, and that's not a good sign, so we need to do something. Poor baby. His tummy really hurts. I had no idea how emotionally draining it would be on me for my child to be sick. When he cries, I feel like crying, because I know that he's trying to tell me how rotten he feels. It's exhausting. I know all the mothers out there (and I can just about pinpoint some specific ones) are smiling to themselves and thinking "boy, she doesn't even know the half of it". I've been around children and have had children in my life for sometime now, some that I loved as if they were my own, and I've been truly distressed when they were ill, but, good grief! This is terrible.

On a happier note, I took this picture of Jack today in a more calm moment before he went to the doctor. He was just so cute. He is wearing a coat that came especially for him from Shirley and Jim. They're from Wisconsin, so they know how to dress a baby warm. It is the most adorable little coat and he looks adorable in it.

Soooooo Big!

Several significant things have happened in the last couple of days. The night before last Jack slept from 1:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. When I realized what time it was in the morning, I jerked out of bed and lurched over the crib to see if my newborn were indeed still alive. And he was! He was just waking up, and very hungry! We thought maybe it was a fluke, but last night he slept from 12:00 a.m. until 5:30 a.m. I think that this could be called "sleeping through the night"! (Choir in the background singing "Hallelujah!") We're going to try it again tonight, and if it works, we're going to try it every other night after that until he goes to college!

Jack also had his 6 week checkup today. Dr. Woodman said that he was doing beautifully. She was very impressed with his ability to smile at us and to look directly in our eyes and follow movement with his eyes. She was also impressed with his weight gain. Just to recap, Jack weighed 6 lbs, 12 oz. when he was born. Three days after he was born he had gone down to 6 lbs, 8 oz. Two weeks after he was born he weight 7 lbs, 8 oz. Today he weighed in at a whopping 10 lbs, 4 oz.!!!!!!!! Wow. No wonder my back hurts!

It turns out that I have a kidney/bladder infection. We suspected as much, but it was confirmed on Tuesday and I started meds that afternoon. So far the only affect on little Jack is that it has turned his poop green. Green.....yellow.......ah, what's the difference? It hasn't affected its quantity OR frequency!

As I look back over the last 6 weeks I am so thankful for a healthy baby boy, a wonderful daddy to share him with, and lots and lots more fun in the weeks to come!

Sad Goodbyes

Bryan and Anne have just left the house to go back to Florida. We can't believe how fast the time went. We were so excited to have so many days and now they are gone and it's time to go. It's especially hard this time because we're not sure just when they are coming back. It will probably be a couple of months at the least. Jack will have changed so much in the time that they are gone. He may even be crawling by the time that they come back. I think he is sad. He didn't sleep very good last night. Daddy's sad, Mommy's sad, Anne and Bryan are sad, and I think that little Jack is sad too. Goodbyes are no fun at all. But we can look back on the week and be thankful for all the fun that we had and look forward to the next time with anticipation!