My life as a Mommy

The last time I blogged it was weeks before I gave birth to Ava.  Having to wait 5 months to find the time to blog should speak volumes!  My life has changed drastically! Even after 5 months of giving birth to our sweet baby girl, I still catch myself in awe and amazement!  There are many days I can't believe that God really did give us a baby!  I mean, she is OURS...she is a little bit of me and a little bit of Joe all wrapped up in one bundle.  I clearly remember the ride from our house to the hospital on the day Ava was born.  All that was going through my mind was..."our life will never be the same."  I was anxious to go in for my csection and was ready to deliver Ava.  It all happened so fast, just like Dr. Wilson described.  I mean, within 15 minutes of my epidural, they were cutting and within 5 minutes, Ava was born....that fast!  Before I knew it, Joe brought me Ava...we snapped a couple of pictures and she was taken to the nursery and they were preparing me for recovery.  It was all so surreal, there is no other word to describe it!  It wasn't until I was in recovery when they brought me Ava and I got to hold her that it finally sunk in that she was OURS and we would get to take her home!  I was her MOMMY!  At that instant my heart melted and I knew my life would never be the same....I was right!



 

Ava's first feeding at home



For about 2 weeks, Joe and I slept in the 49er room.  He on the couch and myself on the recliner and Ava in her rock and play.  We both shared the duties of changing diapers and feeding. We longed for sleep but were on survival mode, funny how your body just learns to adjust to it all.  I was in for a ride the day Joe went back to work.  I took over most of the night feedings and Joe helped out when he got home from work.  Then life really became hectic when our sweet Ava became colic.  Talk about feeling helpless!  The true test came when she was still colic and I went back to work at 5 1/2 weeks.  We made it through though!    The saying, "this too shall pass.." is all I could think about and it did!  We finally found our magic potion...Alimentum and our sweet baby girl was finally able to digest her formula and we in turn had a happy baby.  It was a long month trying to figure it all out.  Needless to say, when I went back to work after Spring Break, we were able to get into a routine!

Ava, playing on the patio

We are now in the midst of summer and I indulge in being a full time mommy to Ava.  Ava has quite the personality and has from day one!  She is active, alert, observant and doesn't miss a beat. She is a very determined little girl.  Trust me we can tell she will be quite the character at 5 1/2 months.  She loves to be outside playing in the excersaucer, going for walks in the stroller and has found a new love through swimming this summer. She has already been to the beach, been to birthday parties, got her ears pierced, attended VBS and has spent lots of time talking and singing.  Yes, singing!  At 4 months she was singing, it was so cute...she sounded like the little mermaid!  Its always a new adventure with Ava.  We have had a very busy summer.    Life as a mommy is wonderful and I'm so blessed God decided that I could be Ava's mommy!  My cup runneth over!







 








Almost ready to sit up by herself!

God's timing is so PERFECT!

 It seems just like yesterday that we were posting that we were expecting our baby girl and now we can expect to hold our baby girl next week!  We have started to prepare her room, wash her clothes and blankets, set up her crib, clean, clean, clean and pray, pray, pray.


I must say I will miss feeling her close to me everyday and knowing that she is safeand protected by me.  I will miss feeling her kicks and squirms in the middle of the night but will now be awakened by the cries of a sweet baby girl and actually be able to share her with everyone who has rubbed my tummy and waited for a kick or a hiccup!

36 weeks





Today, as I relax and rest on my 3 day weekend, I give thanks because God's timing is so PERFECT!  As I reflect on it all how can  I not have trusted or believed in his perfect timing.  Yes, I know, I'm 40....but God has taken care of all the details.  I learned that we were pregnant one week into summer and my first trimester, I spent resting and napping....only God knew what I needed to do to protect our baby during the most critical time.  He took care of me during my second trimester by giving us a rather calm fall and wonderful staff at school who took care of me and looked out for me every single day.  And during the third trimester he continued to bless me with a thanksgiving break and a two week break for Christmas.  It was during Christmas that I began to really feel PREGNANT!  I began to feel the weight of the baby and all the many aches and pains that come with the third trimester.  Christmas became a time for Joe and I to spend time putting to together all the baby things!  Yes, His timing is PERFECT!  God even gave us a holiday and a late start and even better a 4 day week this week.



Joe putting the crib together, so that we could get it blessed!



All we need is a baby girl in here!




 



I am overcome with emotion and I remain speechless in God's PERFECT timing and blessings.  I'm so glad we trusted in His plan because it is so much better than what I would planned!  Now, we are just 9 days from her arrival!  And yes, we have finally given her a name!  Her name will be Ava Grace.  Ava meaning breath of life and Grace meaning God's blessing and favor.  There is no doubt that we have found favor in His sight and He has given us new life through our sweet baby girl.  We can't wait for her to take her first breath of life outside the womb.  I hope that Ava will also find favor in God's eyes and that God will fill her with Grace.  It has been my daily prayer that Ava love the Lord and long to follow Him.  Not a day goes by that our sweet baby girl is not clothed in prayer.

Before you were born,

we dreamed of you, we imagined you

we prayed for you.

Now that you are here,

we hope for you, we love you,

we thank God for you.

Continue to pray for us as the day comes closer!  Pray for Dr. Wilson, the Anesthesiologist, the nurses and most of all for Ava and I and a healthy CSection and recovery.







Am I really Highly Favored?

My beloved sent this to me and it brought such insight!  I hope you take the time to read the article by Max Lucado below and hope that you are blessed with it as I was.

It is without a doubt that I can say I think of Mary, the mother of Jesus, often during this time. I think about how much she loves her son. I think about how she felt those same squirms, back pains, kicking, and exhaustion at the end of the day. She completely understands the anxiousness of the unknown but she too knew her callling as a mother.

32 weeks

What a blessing to know that God chose me to be a mother to this sweet baby girl I've been carrying for 33 weeks and that I was handpicked too!

Merry Christmas! I hope that during this season that God draws you closer to his son and that you too find favor in His sight!


Motherhood is a Special Task


QUESTION:

More than anything in the world I want to be a good mom to my kids. How can I be the mom God wants me to be?

ANSWER FROM MAX:

The virgin birth is more, much more, than a Christmas story. It is a picture of how close Christ will come to you, a mom, as you also bring a child into the world.

Imagine yourself in that story found in Luke 1.

God comes to you and says, “I have a special task for you. A child. A special child that I want to entrust to you. Are you willing to raise this one?”

You stammer, take a breath. “This sounds scary.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there with you. This child is special to me. He will be a great child.”

You shake your head. “Such an awesome responsibility. I don’t know if I can do it.”

“Nothing is impossible with me.”

You smile. “I am your servant. I’ll do it.”

Do we think only one child received God’s special attention? Sure, only one was his Son, and an angel sent out those special birth announcements, accompanied by an angelic choir singing “Happy Birthday.” Of course God pulled out all the stops for Jesus’ birth.

But children aren’t randomly born to parents. God orchestrates the right children to be born to the right parents.

Being the mom God wants you to be starts with the understanding of how important your job is in God’s eyes. He entrusts you with one of his own children. He chose you out of all the moms in the world for this one child.

Remember, you, too, are highly favored by God himself to receive such a special gift

Max Lucado

I'm pretty sure Frisco has a clue!

It is without a doubt that Frisco, the red nose dog, knows a baby is coming.  I am amazed at how dogs can sense things but it has become more evident since mid summer.  I have never seen a dog follow an owner around the house the way Frisco does.  Yes, I know Frisco and I have butt heads but for the most part but he does hold a little place in my heart, when he's not barking up a storm, swimming in the pond, drinking out of toliets, chewing on clean laundry or peeing on my plants!

 

Frisco sits or lays by Joe until he moves, the second he hears movement, he moves!  If Joe is running on the treadmill, he waits by the treadmill.  If Joe is in the restroom, cutting his hair, showering or shaving....he waits outside the door.  If Joe gets up to get a midnight snack, Frisco gets up to follow him to the kitchen.  And often, he sits and lays in his lap as if he were a puppy.  Yes, Frisco now thinks he is a lap dog.  He walks around giving licks to anyone and everyone who will allow it, especially Joe!

If you were to ask me, I'd say he senses things are about to change.  Get ready Frisco because our little girl is about to think we got her a pony!

Continuing the Legacy

Today we said our goodbyes to one of my favorite people in the world, my grandmother (Ama).  We celebrated the life of a faithful servant.  On September 17th, we had just gathered to celebrate her 91st birthday, little did we know that the next day she would be admitted into ICU.  And although we had her for a long time, it was never long enough.  I have always known that I came from an incredible lineage of outstanding God loving women and she was the head of it all.

For those of you who may have had the privilege of knowing Ama, you know what a faithful servant she was.  She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother.  She taught us how to put God first, how to take everything to Him in prayer, how to be a loving wife and how to be a giving mother.  Her joy was going to church.  Her happiest moments were when she was surrounded by both her family and her church family.  There is no doubt she has taught us many lessons and had enough love to make everyone feel as though we were all her favorite.


Tio Pepe serenading Ama



Her last days walking and talking will be remembered by all.  She had numerous conversations with family members including myself as though she knew it was almost time for her to go to heaven.  Her readiness to go to heaven was felt by many.  Hours before being admitted to ICU, she walked into Sunday service at her church, as though it was the last time she was going to walk through those church doors.   She was loved and cherished by many.  Days before she entered the gates of heaven, she recited scripture and sang hymns in her hospital bed.  I can't even imagine how happy she is now rejoicing with my grandfather in heaven and singing with the angels!  I can just envision the smile on her face.

I am blessed to have been her granddaughter and even more blessed to carry on her legacy.

Not the first and certaintly not the last Miracle in our lives

Joe and I had been praying for a baby for quite some time.  For us, it had been almost a two year battle to get pregnant or should I say be able to conceive due to all of my health issues.  I was reminded of Hannah in the bible many times.  I completely understood her longings to be a mother and bear a baby and like Hannah, I continued to serve God and pray without ceasing!  I'm not sure if I was as patient as Hannah but definitely shared the same frustrations and believed that our day would come, I just wasn't sure when. Joe had continued to tell me, "Prepare for Rain."  And I did for the most part but I must admit that there were many days that I flooded my own pillow with tears waiting on God's timing.

 In May, I had a turning point.  May marked a year since I had received radiation and had an appointment for my annual cancer scan.  I had scheduled it all out (of course God had another plan), I had scheduled my injections to prepare my body for my scan.  I went to my appointment day 1 only to hear on day 2 that my other injections for the rest of week were backordered and they weren't sure when I was able to go in for my scan.  I was highly frustrated by this point because I had an appointment June 2nd and I wanted to tell my OB/GYN about my clear results and that we needed a little help getting pregnant.  See....I had a plan, but God had another plan!  I just knew my OB/GYN did not and would not work with me until my check up.  So in the middle of my thyroid doctor telling me he couldn't find injections anywhere in a 6hr radius and me throwing a fit on the phone I broke down and cried because My plan was not working.

My June 2nd appointment arrived and I thought, how ironic would that be if I was really pregnant and I was asking for some help.  I ran to CVS to buy a pregnancy test minutes before my appointment and the test showed positive!  I was in complete SHOCK, as you can imagine....I quit taking pregnancy tests months ago and believed that it was going to happen in God's timing.  I didn't initially tell Joe, trust me I was in shock.  I literally drove myself to my appointment in tears only to tell my doctor and nurse that I might be pregnant.  The nurses stood there and just cried with me, I had to tell them I've been praying for a baby for a long time!  I immediately took blood test to confirm and prayed that God's will be done.  I couldn't wait to get home and tell Joe!

So today we give thanks to a God who is allowing me to hold a miracle within!  We saw our baby for the first time at 7weeks and saw the heart pumping!  At 12weeks, we saw our baby kicking its tiny feet...it brought us such joy that my heart danced!   And just recentely, I have had the joy of feeling the baby moving around in the womb...one of the best feelings!  God has been so good to us! 

Even though I threw my fits, God has just revealed and unfolded his plan right before me.  He knew I would need this summer to rest and take it easy....and I did that all so well!  I took many naps!  We know this is not the first miracle and we certaintly believe that this is not the last Miracle in our lives!  Pray with us as we begin a new journey!

Here we are today, going on 4 months!  I know, I know, time has flown!  So, if your wondering if I'm showing.....I'm not, at least not yet.  I can definitely tell that I'm pregnant because my lower stomach is hard and trust me its not from doing crunches :)

                                                                      8 weeks

                                                                            12 weeks

Our Summer is Ending : (

It has been a long time coming and its a little over a year since I last blogged!  If you go back to previous blogs, you can tell....God has done alot in our lives! It's too bad I didn't blog more when I was healing from cancer because it humbles me and reminds me where God has brought me from!  A year has passed and another summer is almost gone! And I have come to the realization that school is about to begin!

We are in the last two weeks of our summer vacation and I am enjoying every minute of it by relaxing!  I know, I know, you might be telling yourself...."you had all summer to do that!"  It was an exteremely busy summer.  We started our summer by going to junction and enjoyed our time cooling off at the river. 

Then we headed to the beach with my family for almost a week, came back home, finished up some shows for the buisness, then began making plans for VBS. 

After VBS, we headed back to the beach and came home to give our kitchen a facelift.  And we just got back from the frio this past week where we spent our time relaxing at the river at a beautiful house in the middle of the Hill Country with my husbands side of the family! 

So needless to say.....yes, I am tired of being on the road and am looking to being lazy on the couch the remainder of my vacation ( so I say).  In between all the traveling and directing VBS.....I had lots of time with my grandmother, which I treasured!  We had our little talks, shared some secrets and drank coffee almost every morning she was here....I LOVED it! And of course, I always made time for a mid afternoon nap! 

Now its time to savor every minute left.  Today was the first day, I had slept in....I slept until 8:45, that's late for someone who is wide awake at 7:00.  Its time to drink my decaf, watch the Today show, and watch movies until I'm bored and possibly try a recipe I've been wanting to try!  Nice in theory, but I will try my best!

I have two more things left on my to do list for the summer and I hope they get done but if they don't..... life goes on, I feel like we have done so much already! God has been so good to us already. HE blessed us with lots of family time! Our summer has been a wonderful time of renewal!  Now, lets getting ready for some football watching and fall weather!!!