Christmas cards, and a doctor visit.

**Before you read my blog, please take the time to turn up the volume, and listen to Kelly Clarkson sing O Holy Night, it's so beautiful and I promise it's worth your time**

I have not blogged now in almost a month. Mostly because I haven't felt great, and because I have been going to bed early. I am 12 weeks now, and it's so hard to believe how quickly the time has gone by! I am beginning to feel better these days, although I still have moments when I feel...well, pregnant!

So I've decided to pick two things and tell you about them. The first is my adventure with Will at Venetian gardens in hopes to capture that perfect pose for our family Christmas cards....that didn't happen. He was tired, ill, and didn't care if Santa needed this picture for Christmas (I absolutely did not tell him that was why we were taking pictures!). Instead I got this...



Yes, he is really crying with tears!

Anyway, I have to be honest. I was so mad at him!! It was 11am, and his nap wasn't till 1pm! Why was he ill!? Why was he tired!? I didn't punish him for not cooperating...but I sure wanted to! I had procrastinated until the last minute to even take pictures, so I was putting pressure on myself...but really I was pressuring him. He fell asleep in the car on the way home. He was just tired. That's all. So simple. Now that I type this...I am remembering that Amy puts him down around 11:30. On the weekends we choose 1pm because it works for us. So he reacted honest. It was me who needed to be punished. I felt bad afterwards, when my blood pressure had gone down (we all have those days...right?.

Here are a few pictures from that day...notice he won't look at the camera for Santa...I mean me.





Another reason you can tell I was feeling pressure was because you should NEVER take pictures at 11am! Anyone with picture sense knows that rule. The best times are early morning and late afternoon...unless it's overcast. It wasn't overcast that day.

A few days later, I took this picture just before I left for work. He was outside on his bike. And this is the picture I used for our Christmas cards.



No...it doesn't look like a "Christmas" picture...but it worked, and it was precious!

The second thing I wanted to tell you was in regards to my OB check-up. I went yesterday and all looked good. I met Dr. Helms for the first time, and I felt a little rushed. He was very nice, but we have to remember it's Christmas week. Most people are in a different mindset. But he said the baby looked great and was pleased with the visit. Oh, and by the way...I have not gained any weight...I actually lost 1 pound! I was pleased with the visit also!!

Well, I hope you all have a very blessed Christmas holiday with your families. This will be a fun Christmas for us now that Will is almost 3. I can't wait to hear all about your day and I hope to share our story soon.

God Bless, & Merry Christmas!!!!!

West Virginia

What can I say...other than God is amazing. Just looking out the plane window...being above the clouds...the beauty of it all. Then the mountains, the snow, the trees, a wonderful friendship...I felt so blessed, I really did.

My gracious friend Sherry, drove 2 hours to Roanoke, Va. to pick me up from the airport with her 2 sick babies on board. And she wasn't feeling great herself. She did this because she is a wonderful friend. Thank you Sherry!

We didn't get to do the things she had originally planned for us...her household was battling an upper respiratory infection. I did what I could to help, but I was feeling yuck myself...pregnancy was/is kicking my butt!

But you know, I wasn't disappointed with the trip. I got to know a side of my friend that I didn't know existed. I knew her when we were in college, and the days of working at Service Merchandise in Ocala. This time, I got to know Sherry. Mother to 2wonderful boys, Logan & Nathan (only 13 months apart), Wife to Mike, a man who devotes his life to training police dogs for people all over the country. He is amazing in his work, I got to watch him train! So awesome! I learned that Sherry has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)...at least that's what I call what she has. Her house is way too clean and organized, she must have OCD, right?! I also got to know a woman who is passionate about God, her view of life, her career (Massage Therapist) and her family. She has been through alot of "stuff". But she walks with her head high...she is a good friend. You would love her if you knew her.

West Virginia is so beautiful. If I knew how to do a slide show of pics I would...so I will post a few for you to enjoy. Notice the ground is pretty dead, brown and not much life. When I left on Tuesday, there was at least 8 inches of snow on the ground...it was amazing to be there and see such a difference, literally overnight.

You should go to W.V. someday. It's a state we don't hear much about, but worth the visit. I can't wait to go back. Joey is looking forward to hunting there. Did I mention that her husbands family owns over 3000 acres of land? Joey will be in deer heaven!

Stop by Mike's site if you get a chance. http://www.loganhauskennels.com/

P.S. Don't you just love that John Denver :)

Untitled

I have no reason to blog, but just thought I would. I am six weeks today and I am wondering when the baby on the left will start looking like a baby. I cant remember the week a baby is fully formed. But I am thinking the heart will begin to beat this week. I at least know that much. I need to get the book Your Pregnancy Week by Week. I did have it, but let my sister-in-law borrow it. Unfortunately she lives 4.5 hours away, so I will probably get another one soon. I like the week by week book better than the month by month.

I have been feeling very tired and very nauseous for the past 2 weeks. I can't remember if I was this way with Will.

I have my first doctor appointment on Wednesday Nov. 19. I could have gotten in sooner but I needed a 2pm appt. and that was the first available. I didn't want to use a half day at work, that's why I am waiting for the late appt. instead. I can just use comp time for that day.

Next Saturday, I am flying out to Roanoke, Va. A dear friend of mine lives there(she actually lives in Williamsburg, WV) and I have been wanting to visit. I am very excited about being up there in the fall season. It will be so beautiful. I can't wait to blog about my trip. I will return Tuesday afternoon, so I will be gone 3 nights and 4 days. But I will technically only be away from Will and Joey on Sunday and Monday. I know Joey will do a great job while I'm gone. I decided not to take Will, and I am starting to feel really bad. First, I don't think he is considered a "lap baby" therefore I would have had to buy a 2nd ticket. Secondly, he doesn't have clothes for that type of weather. Thirdly, this is the last "me" trip I will probably get until the new baby comes. Am I a bad mother for leaving him? Both my mom and Brenda have said, "I can't believe you're leaving Will."

Well, I have work tomorrow but not Tuesday. So I am really looking forward to Tuesday!

I hope you all have a great week!

Five Weeks

Yes, that's right! Joey and I are expecting! I contemplated whether or not I should wait until I was 12 weeks to make the announcement, but I'm too excited to wait. Plus, my family and friends can pray for us, and that's important.

My due date is July 5th 2009. The date seems so far away, but it's actually only 35 weeks away. It will be here before I know it!

I do want to tell you something precious. And if you have read my blog regarding my first loss, then you will really appreciate this. I hope it touches you the way it touched me...Well, Joey and I were explaining to Will that mommy had a baby in her tummy. We related it to Aunt Sharis (since she was pregnant with Jayde while she kept Will last school year). We said, "Remember when Aunt Sharis had baby Jayde in her tummy, and now baby Jayde is here and Trace has a little sister." Will seemed to grasp all this and understand. So I then said, "Will, do you want a baby brother, or a baby sister?" His reply was this, "I already got a baby brother." I thought about what Denise said on my comments regarding the yellow blanket. She said, "Maybe Will has some sort of connection to his "brother" that he doesn't even know."

Maybe he does. Isn't the thought of that just amazing?!

Please keep our new baby in your prayers.

I'm so happy to share this wonderful news with you :)

Happy Halloween!

My little man was a cowboy this year. I originally wanted him to be a convict, but when I went to order the costume they were sold out. It worked out for the best, because he looked so darn handsome as a cowboy. I passed out candy to the kids while Joey walked with him. Let's just say he was home within 20 minutes of walking. He kept telling Joey, "I wanna go to my house daddy". Will loves to be home, he gets it honest :) I hope you enjoy these pictures!

Family

Last weekend, I went to Graceville to visit my family. My sister, Shannon, and her family went up also. My dad was happy to have his five children, their spouses, and the grandchildren all together at the same time. My daddy is a family man, and I love that about him.

My step mom, Teresa, planned the entire weekend, and she did a great job! On Saturday, we went to the parade (Will's first parade)then went to the Fall Festival. Will had such a good time on all the big inflatables! It was so great watching him run around and make his own decisions. He is getting so big.

Saturday afternoon, we all carpooled to Panama City Beach to have family pictures. We all wore jeans and white, button down, collared shirts. The photographer took over 100 pictures and I hope to share them with you soon.

It was a really nice weekend,especially getting to see my brothers son. He and his wife tried for many years, and finally the Lord blessed them with Riley Thomas Horton on May 4, 2008. Riley was born on his mothers birthday...what a wonderful birthday gift he was to both of them.

Here are some pictures of the weekend, I hope you enjoy :)


Riley Horton, 6 months old

Jeff & Riley

Will and cousin Anna Grace tailgating at the parade


Cousins: Sierra, Will, Riley & Anna Grace

His Yellow Blanket

For those of you that don't know, tomorrow (Wednesday October 15) is the National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day. So I decided to use this blog to tell of my story...please bare with me as I tend to type the way I talk. So if it's grammatically incorrect, I apologize in advance...this will probably be long.

In September 2004, Joey and I became pregnant with our very first baby. Joey was in Georgia hunting with his family and I had purchased a few pregnancy tests earlier that day. It was late evening and I was about to take a hot bath. I did what I had to do for the test, then set it on the side of the tub. I got into the bath and my cell started ringing...it was Joey calling. As he talked, I looked at the test and recognized the positive sign indicating that I was indeed pregnant. I interrupted him and said "Are you ready to be a daddy". He said, "Are you serious" (with excitement) and we were so happy! We were ready to be parents.

I soon set up an appointment to meet Dr. Moffit for the first time, and to make sure they would take me on as a new patient. The appointment went well. Our baby looked like a peanut but had a strong heartbeat. We were told our baby was due July 1st 2005. When I left they gave me an ultra-sound picture, a care package consisting of neat goodies, and a single red rose. They told me they'd see me back at my 12 week appt. Again, we were so happy.

I have to stop to tell you this. Joey's family ALWAYS has thier (immediate family) Christmas "get-together" around the 3rd week in December. But for some reason, work schedules caused us to push it to the first week in December. We were in Georgia for the occasion. Joey's nanny gave a gift to us for our baby. It was a yellow blanket. I remember thinking, "Ok, I will probably never use this one but...ok". it wasn't one that I would have picked out, and it was more like a comforter than a blanket. And yellow was certainly not the color I wanted the baby's room to be! The baby also got a Georigia Bulldog pacifier and some other UGA stuff. Anyway, back to the story....

On December 14th 2005, I left work and headed to the doc appt. for my 12 week check-up. I told Joey not to worry about coming. He worked in Ocala and I didn't want him to drive that far for a 15 minute check-up.

As they always do, the nurse checked my BP, iron, urine, etc. before I went into my room. I sat there and waited, wondering what my baby would look like at this point in the pregnany. Dr. Wood came in and asked how I was doing/feeling and all that good stuff. She then asked me to lay back, and she began using the machine on my stomach. She moved it all over my stomach, and said nothing. She then decided to use the "wand" to check me. She said that sometimes the baby can still be low and better detected that way. So then they checked me again. She found the baby and she measured him. He was not moving, and didn't have a heartbeat. She asked me to get dressed and said she'd be right back in. When she came in, she said that I had lost the baby. He measured to be around 8 weeks (10 weeks in baby terms). And remember, I was at my 12 week appointment. I had carried him 2 weeks after I lost him, and my body didn't give me any indication.

I didn't cry at first. I didn't know what to say. Dr. Wood had me drive over to Lake Medical Imaging "just to make sure". I did. And they were sure too. I still had not cried.

I then had to drive over to the Day Surgery building to set up my D&C that would be performed the next morning. I broke a little when I had to sit in front of a nice woman to answer questions. Remember...I was alone. I still had not called anyone. Not even Joey. I knew I had these things to do and I knew I needed to be strong and not broken.

When it was all said and done...I called Joey. His first question was, "Well, how did it go" and I broke...I broke hard. Between tears I said, "I'm not pregnant anymore". I then told him everything and asked him to call my mom and sister, and his parents. I was still in shock. The rest of the day was a blur. I remember Joey came home from work, and we just went to bed and went to sleep. it was easier to deal with that way.

On December 15th 2004, Joey and I headed to LRMC for my surgery. We had to be there at 6:30am. As we walked in I thought how ironic it was that I would walk in with a baby inside of me, and walk out in a few hours and that baby would be gone. And it wasn't my choice.

Finally, around 8am, the nurse took me to the room where I would have the D&C. When I awoke from the surgery, I immediately asked the nurse, "what was the baby's sex?" She replied to me, "Honey, it was just tissue". Tissue? She said it gentle but it hit hard. It was more than tissue, my baby had a heartbeat, I saw it! I have a black and white picture of him!

One week after the surgery, I received a phone call from Dr. Wood. She said they had sent a tissue sample to the lab and she believes I had a "molar pregnancy". She then said I would have to wait 6 months before I could try to get pregnant again. She also said that I would need to go once a week to Quest Diagnostics to get my blood drawn. She wanted to make sure my levels were going down and not up. I guess a molar pregnany can trick your body into believing you are still pregnant. So for 6 weeks, I did this. And my heart hurt everytime. There was always a different tech. drawing my blood. Each time, they thought they were drawing blood to determine where I was in my pregnancy. And each time I had to explain myself. So my healing process was like a roller coaster.

Molar pregnancy defined: http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/pregnancyloss/a/aa072599.htm

If I did indeed have a molar pregnancy, it was a "partial mole". You will need to read over the link above to understand.

So that's really it. That's my story. Joey and I lost the first little person that God gave us. Why did God take him? I will never know. But I do know this. Our baby was a boy. I know this in my heart because God revealed it to me in a dream. He did so because I prayed, and asked him to please show me. I had to know what my baby would have been! Thank you God, for answering that prayer.

Around Christmas time, I wanted to get an ornament to hang on our tree to represent the life we lost. But I never got around to it. When I got back to work, just after Christmas, there was a gift on my desk. I opened the box and found a crystal ornament, and it had blue in the center. It was perfect! That ornament means so much more than the giver will ever know. And she gave me this ornament months before my dream. But even then...I knew my baby would have been a boy. Having the Lord's confirmation was such a blessing.

Last thing before I close. Why is my blog titled His Yellow Blanket? Well, to this day, that yellow balnket is Will's favorite blanket. Will chose it, I didn't force it on him, remember...I didn't even like it. He absolutely loves that blanket. It wasn't bought for him, but he has claimed it. He sleeps with it every night, and loves to rub the tag.

Time has healed my wound. Will has healed that wound. But I will always remember that I have a baby boy in Heaven. And one day I will hold him in my arms, and maybe, just maybe, Will might let me use his yellow blanket...

2 Things 2 Share

Today, Joey's parents took Will, along with Scott and his 3 girls to the Sanford Zoo. So here are some pictures from thier day...doesn't everything look different through the eyes of a child?











I wanted to also give you an update. Remember my request for prayer? Well the Lord has given us favor! Everything is just as we needed it to be! Thank you so much for your prayers!

What a difference a day can make

Tuesday was a difficult day for me. My patience was tested (unlike it has ever been tested since I've started teaching) and I actually didn't enjoy my job. I questioned everything that day. I thought..."Is this really the right class for me...do I have what it takes? Am I cut out for this?" I woke up on Wednesday and said to myself..."If I go to work today, I won't be a good teacher. If I take a "mental day off" then I will be good for another few months." Joey had already taken Will to Amy's house by the time I had decided I would take the day off. So at 9am, I crawled back into bed and slept until almost 11am. It felt great! And I felt so much better. I really needed a break. I needed a few extra hours of uninterrupted rest. What a difference rest can make! What a difference a day can make.

Today was a good day. I was back into action and happy to be the teacher of my particular class. Was my patience tested today? Absolutely! But with a clear mindset, it's amazing how we can handle difficult situations. Saying that reminds me of yesterday's Oprah. If you watched it, you know exactly what I mean.

Actually, overall, this has been a great week. It's Homecoming week! We have had dress up days all week...remember those? This year they were: Star look alike day/ Tacky Dress or Gender Bender/ Hawaiian Day/Favorite Team Day/ WHS Pride Day. The kids at WHS have done a great job all week participating. You should have seen all the guys dressed in heels and gowns. It was a blast to see. That's why I love being at the high school, especially during Homecoming week. Man how I miss those days! Although it seems like I was there yesterday, it's been over 13 years. How did the years go by so fast?

I hope you enjoy the music playing. This was my "class song". The class of 95. (Boyz II Men, Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday)

If I only knew then, what I know now. What a difference a day can make...

What do you think?

***UPDATE*** Lori & Sabrina are right! The 2nd boy belongs to Brian & Amy Williams....Now do you see Brian when you look at him! And not Nick!

***UPDATE***you are right, the first boy belongs to Allen & Sharis Kirkland. Now for the second boy...his mom and dad graduated from WHS. His mom was the class of 96. She thinks it's so funny that you all picked Nick!!! Any more guesses?





I have two pictures posted.

Both have Will in the picture, but each time with a different boy.

The two fathers of these boys graduated with Joey.

Can you guess who these handsome boys belong to, just by looking at their picture?

A few more thoughts.....

1. Will pooped in the bath tub the other night.

2. Will went potty on the kitchen floor this morning before church.

3. Will is potty training.

4. What's the best advice you can give me on potty training?

Scattered Thoughts

1. I am VERY bad about following through with prayers. It's a weakness I'm willing to admit...that's the first step in recovery, right? If people say, "keep me in your prayers"..I say "OK". Then I never pray for them. But I have made it a point (on my way to school in the mornings) to pray for the ones I have committed to. And for the ones I feel I should pray for. So if I told you I would pray for you....I really did! Just not right when I said I would.

2. I was in Angelotti's the other night and a young couple with 4 little ones walked in. They were an attractive young couple and I swear they looked familiar. I could tell they were very frustrated with the kids (and the kids weren't really being bad). The couple seemed very disconnected with each other too. I felt like I needed to make conversation with them, to see where they lived, maybe they needed a friend....I really felt strong about it. As we stood up and got ready to leave, Joey's mom asked if the 2 girls were twins. The mother pointed to her son and one of the girls and said they were the twins. I found out that the oldest two were 3 years old, the next girl was 2, and they had a 9 week old. Frustrated? Disconnected? Absolutely! Finding out the ages was the extent of the conversation. They had just received their food....the timing was bad. I WILL pray for them. I'd love to run into them again. Maybe I failed that test...

3. Yesterday morning, I was coming from another teachers classroom when I noticed one of my students walking with her mother. I was a bit of a distance away but I still threw my hand up and waved. When I got closer, the mother kind of laughed and said, "I thought you were a student". Nice!

4. We had 3 fights on campus today....and all were girls!

5. I went to the Wildwood/South Sumter game tonight. It felt like a class reunion! There were so many people there from Wildwood! The new coach has changed the school spirit around in that place!

6. Will's new favorite show is "Little Bear" on Noggin.

7. I got a new shirt today...this is what it says:

ANOTHER
small town*Religion clinging*Gun toting
AMERICAN WOMAN
who's voting for
Sarah Palin

2.5 Today!

My little man hit the half way point today between ages 2 and 3. Which means he will be 3 before you know it! I just can't believe how fast they seem to grow at this age. They are a handful that's for sure, but I can't complain. Will really is a good boy. I hope you enjoy these pics. I had to add the diaper one at the end!!

Ashamed...

I have to tell you this...I really love to read blogs. I have always enjoyed movies that were "based on a true story" so I think that's why I love blogs. Every once in awhile, I stumble upon a blog that really touches me.

Tonight, I found a beautiful story. And there is a video that goes with the story.

I feel so ashamed because in my mind I am thinking that what I'm going through is bad, then I see and hear all these other stories and think...my problem seems so small now.

I sometimes think we forget just how good we have it. Then a curveball comes our way and we swear it's the biggest battle of our lives. And in the moment, we probably do think that "nothing could possibly get any worse".

Yes, I do have a battle right now to overcome. And I pray that God will turn this battle around for his glory....I'm believing he will. But trust me when I say this battle of mine is NOTHING. It's NOTHING compared to the stories I read on other posts.

I thank God for everything I've been through. I feel so very blessed.

There are so many that would trade their storm for ours. I'm sure they would laugh at what we consider a battle. They have a right to say, "God, can it get any worse". Then later they realize why God allowed them to suffer through such a hard trial. Even in their hardest times...they still give God the glory...how amazing and admirable.

I hope this story touches you in the way it has touched me.

(you will need to pause my music so that you can hear the music that plays with the video)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2751713454484774875&pr=goog-sl

Family's Blog: http://www.marygracesummons.blogspot.com/

The Storm

Someone sent me a forward recently (chain email). To be honest, I really don't like forwards and typically delete them without a second glance. But it was a "religious" forward and I thought...ok God, I need a word, maybe this email is a sign...so I didn't delete it. It was a beautiful email. As I read it, I didn't see how it would apply to me and Joey (per our previous request for prayer). Then I got to the very bottom. This is what I read:

Don't tell God how big your storm is. Tell your storm how big your God is.

I'm sure many of you have heard it said that way before. But when you are in the midst of your own personal storm, you read it differently.

Please keep me and Joey in your prayers. We are going through our own personal storm.

Nesting

So much for going to the beach this Labor Day weekend! Joey and I were going to head to our favorite beach, Treasure Island, until we decided that it wasn't worth taking the chance. If it would have been just Joey and I going...then we would have still gone despite the forecast. But we have a 3rd party to consider and how do you explain to a 2 year old that we can't get into the pool until the weather gets better. And we can't build sand castles because the rain will turn them into mush...and you might get sick! Yes there will be days when we play in the rain and break all the rules. But when there is something bigger than us like Gustav, we will play it safe :)

So today...I am nesting! And NO I am not pregnant. Trust me, I know!

Joey and I have decided to pretend that Spring is here, and we are cleaning, tossing, breaking down, and doing all that we can to make things seem in order. In order for what? A new baby maybe? NO. This is not "that blog" where I reveal "the news". Trust me! But I do enjoy messing with the mind :)

I am in the mood to repaint every room in our house!

We are thinking of placing our home on the market...we think we want to build.

I really, really, really (did I say really?) want to be on the beach right now. I just love the beach!

Ok, since I'm not at the beach....I need to finish nesting before Joey starts screaming about me being on the computer and not helping him.

Tonight, I will get in the tanning bed. Maybe that will make me feel better ;)

Unspoken Request

Dear Friends & Family,

Joey and I have a prayer request that we'd rather not discuss with you at this time. But from the bottom of our hearts, we ask that you please take a few minutes to pray for us. The Lord knows our Unspoken Request, and I know he will hear all of our prayers.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Uncle Donald's Farm

On Saturday, while I was at school in Lakeland, Joey took Will to a birthday party that was held at Uncle Donald's Farm. I really wanted to go, especially since it would be Will's first trip there. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it to be a father/son trip.

As mother's, we typically get to see things before daddy's do. I stayed home with Will until he was 18 months, so I was able to share many special moments and witness many "firsts". It's more fun to be there than to hear about the story second hand. But I'm not selfish about it; In fact I feel sorry for daddy's. So it's great when they get to tell us about an experience.

When I got home, Joey told me all about their day, which started with them having breakfast together. Once they got to the farm, he took Will around to all the different animals. Will even got to feed them! How fun is that! Later, they went on a hay ride and Will fed hay to the "moo-cows". Will LOVES moo-cows (especially the one that walks around at Chick-fil-A).

After hearing all about their day, I started really missing my little man. It was about 4pm and time for Will to wake from his afternoon nap. The first thing Will said when I woke him was "I want my birf-day cake". Joey just laughed, he knew Will would ask for the cake...because he had promised it to him...after his nap.

Joey, I know you will get to experience many more "firsts" with Will. And I can't wait to hear all about them!

Sandspurs

I'm sure we have "moments" with our children when we just watch them in action and say to ourselves..."God, you must really love me to have blessed me with such a precious gift". I thank God daily for Will, and I always talk to the Lord as if he were beside me. I say, "Lord, I know Will belongs to you, and that you have trusted me to raise him and be his parent...and I am so greatful. Please let me watch him grow up...I love him too much to not always have him (wiping away tears right now!) So every moment is so precious, even when the moment includes sandspurs...something so simple!

Today, when I got home from school, Will and I went outside to play. He knows that we have a few areas in our yard that has sandspurs. As many of you know, sometimes the sandspurs haven't grown to the point where they hurt when you step on them. They are real soft at first. So we talked about the difference between the ones that hurt, and the ones that don't hurt. He thought he was "so big" to hold the soft ones and mash them in his hand. He said, "mommy, those sandspurs not gonna get me". I think we plucked every sandspur from our yard...of course we then had to bring them inside. Before he went to bed, I asked if I could please throw them away. He said, "No mommy, leave them right here".

So I did :)

39/39

I took Will to a new Pediatrician today for a well baby checkup, and to discuss some concerns I had (nothing major). I have to tell you about how big he is! Of course, Joey loves knowing that Will is the big kid on the block! The nurse weighed and measured him. He is 39 inches tall, and weighs 39 pounds. He is in the 99/100th percentile in height and weight. Basically, that means that if he were in the room with 100 2 1/2 year old boys....he would surely be the biggest! Joey measured him the day he turned 2, and he was 37 1/2 inches tall. So in less than 6 months he has grown 1.5 inches. To put this into a greater perspective I will add this crazy fact: In August of Last year, Will wore 18 month clothing. One year later he is in 4T, and wears a size 10 shoe. Yes, we are raising a line-backer!

On a sad note: A few hours after we got home, my big man got really sick and his fever was 103. I hate to see him that way, but I love getting to hold him, and rock him.

Please say a prayer for him.

First day for students!

I was so scared about my first day! You see, last year I had 7 students, this year I have 12! My class is larger than normal because the county combined the middle and high school special needs class into one. The result? My students range from 7th to 12th graders. This year will be much more challenging than last year, but as long as I keep myself focused, I should be fine (I typed that, then did the hail mary).

It's so difficult to have such a vast range of personalities and skills. My days will never be boring, and I will be tested daily. But I love what I do! I finally feel like I am contributing to society. I feel like I am doing my part, if that makes sense :) I will post a picture of my classroom, and a group picture of my kids soon.

(Thanks to Tropical Storm Fay, school has been canceled for tomorrow, and possibly Wednesday. So I'm excited knowing I will have all day with Will!)

Women Of Faith Conference

Over the weekend, I attended the Women Of Faith Conference for the first time. I was with my two best friends (Cyndi & Pam) so that made it even better! Since I had never been, I had no idea what to expect. I was most excited about getting to hear Natalie Grant (my fav christian artist) live. I expected it to be good, but it was much more than that. The speakers there were: Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg, Sheila Walsh, & Allison Allen. The singers there were: Sandi Patty, Nicole C. Mullen, and Natalie Grant. If you are familiar with any of the names I listed, then you know it was a powerful service!

I walked away from the conference feeling bad about how I have handled different life situations. Although I cannot go back and correct the mistakes, I can say I learned from them and will make better choices in the future.

When I listened to each speaker, and singer, I could see their love for the Lord in their eyes. I have such a strong desire for people to see me the way I saw them. I live like I should (I really do!) but I know that I'm not completely "sold out". But the important thing is that I'm trying and I am now more conscious about each choice I make.

I am really excited about my Blog! It took me forever to come up with a Blog name. I got the idea from a scripture, so I will end this post with that scripture.

Psalms 32:7-8
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.