Crayon Hearts, Cupboards and Tents

We have all been sick for about two weeks now. After having bronchitis, we now have ear infections and upper respiratory infections. Since it's only been a month since Jule's last month-long double ear infection, I need to email his ENT to check to see if he may need tubes after all. While I was resting this weekend, Daddy helped Noly make a tent. Notice it's complete with functioning door! She was very proud of it and was very upset when Jule got up from his nap and ruined it : )

Jule had an adventure of his own. He discovered that he could crawl into the cupboard and play. He even had a little book in there with him and was contentedly reading. He is growing so quickly that he didn't fit into the 2T overalls that I put on him this morning! He's only 19 months old!

Noly and I made crayon valentines for her classmates. It was a ton of work peeling the paper off of all of the crayons, but it was worth the work because she loves them! The only problem is she keeps thinking they are to eat. Maybe I should make sure the teachers know they are not food?

Today is February 9th, which is my ex-husband's birthday. Why is it that dates you don't care to remember are etched in your mind for what seems like forever? Oh well, it doesn't really bother me or affect me.

Like A Child

I am always looking for opportunities to teach Noly about Who God is. I often find myself wondering if she can grasp a concept that I think she may be able to grasp. A couple of months ago, she was having a lot of bad dreams and didn't want to go to sleep because she didn't want to dream. I remember my mom praying with me when I was little and afraid. I contemplated praying with her over her dreams because I didn't want her to think prayer didn't work if she had a bad dream after we prayed. I decided to try it anyway.

We began praying that she would not have any bad or sad dreams, but that they would be happy (and we usually pray that she will dream about kitties). I hadn't noticed that her fear of dreaming had gone until we were talking about school the other day. I asked her if she fell asleep during her nap at school. She said, "Yes, but they didn't pray for my dreams." I told her she could ask them to. It IS a Christian school after all. It made me realize that it does make a difference to her, and that she is learning about God in a way that her 4-year-old mind can conceive. It is so precious to me, and I want to always treasure this memory of her. She is learning to come to God when she needs Him.

One night she said she didn't like to be alone in bed. I told her God was always with her and that His angels were always watching over her. This must not have been a good idea! Her eyes became saucers, and she said, "What's an angel???" I tried but couldn't explain it in her terms, so I changed the subject : ) Sweet girl.

Finally...yay for ears!!!

I took Jule yesterday for his follow-up with the ENT. Not only were his ears infection-free, but there was no fluid in either ear! That was a real answer to prayer, and it means no more visits to the ENT unless we run into problems.

I have been enjoying a little taste of normal lately. We are all healthy most of the time and sick sometimes instead of the other way around. We are still not exactly sure what church we are going to go to. We really like our Pediatrician's church, but there is no children's program...bummer. I am getting migraines about 2x a week right now, so I have decided to stop trying preventive meds for now to give my body a break from experimental meds. I also was finally able to stop taking Ativan daily. I feel much better without medicine in my system now that our daily lives are more manageable.

Noly absolutely LOVES preschool. In fact, I think she would rather go 7 days a week than have weekends. I'm glad she loves it that much! Jule is the only child at the babysitter from 9-1, then there are 3 other kids with him from 1-3:30, but it's usually naptime then. I'm praying that Noly's increased exposure to germs is ok at this point and that Jule has no more breathing problems.

Sorry this is so unexciting. I'm actually VERY busy at work now because I've taken on the job duties of two other people...state budget cuts = job security. So, my only time to post is from home, and I don't have much free time here. I must go and try to feed Jule some chicken nuggets and cheese!

Old McDonald Had a Farm

Jule started singing, "E-I-E-I-E-I" while looking at animal books tonight! It is adorable. He stops when he gets to a cow and says, "moo." This is amazing communication coming from him because he grunts a lot and says very few words. He is getting so interactive and responsive, and he loves trying to play with Noly. I think she is enjoying him more than being annoyed by him???

I'm having about 2 migraines a week right now, which is better, so I haven't tried the new preventive yet. I'm so tired of feeling like a guinea pig with different meds and needed to take a break. It helps my anxiety so much to not be on so many meds!

We have been attending our Pediatrician's church, and we are really liking it! I believe that God is leading our family into a new season, and I'm truly hoping 2010 is a better year than 2009 : ) Noly will be starting Preschool on Monday, and she is ecstatic. They do not have room for Jule yet, but we'll send him when there is an opening. It's at a really good friend's church program, and I know the kids will be completely safe AND happy there!

Well, both kids are right at my heels, so I must end this post. I hope everyone is having a good start to their week!

The End of 2009

2009 has been quite the adventure, and I'm hoping that 2010 is a much better year for us! Noly has changed so much in this past year with her comprehension and understanding, and Jule has changed so much physically. Noly went from being a toddler to being a little girl, and Jule moved from baby to toddler. They are both my joy, and I love them dearly!

We were planning to go to IN for Christmas on Friday (12/19) after work. That whole day, it poured, so we decided to wait until Saturday morning. It is so good that we did. Jule was diagnosed with RSV and started having some minor complications Friday evening. He got through it without a hospital visit, and he was much better on Saturday morning. So, we took off and arrived at my parents' house Sunday evening.

We had a really nice time seeing family, and Noly got to play in the snow for the first time. She loved it! She would beg my dad to take her out every morning, but he would make her wait until it was "warm" enough. It never truly got warm, but it was warmer than 10 degrees : ) We kept Jule in because of the RSV, so he would watch from the window. My grandma had a mild heart attack on the 22nd, so we went to see her in the hospital on the 23rd. She came home Christmas Eve, and we went to her house for Christmas. My guess is that this Christmas was the last year she and Grandpa will be with us. Neither of them is doing well, and I am so thankful we got to spend time with them and that they got to see the kids.

We were going to come back home on Saturday (12/26), but Jule cried all through the night Christmas night and screamed Saturday morning. We took him to the ER and found out that his ear infection from 12/7 was still not clear. So, he was put on his 3rd round of different antibiotics. Sunday morning, Noly said her ears hurt, and they were draining, so I knew she also had a double ear infection. The doctor called in some drops, and off we went that evening. We made it home Tuesday afternoon after some really bad weather and bad roads in Indiana and Ohio. I'm so glad to be home and close to our own doctors, and I'm even more happy that we made it home for CHRISTMAS! Last year, we didn't get that far!

As 2009 ends and 2010 begins, I'm excited to see how the kids will change and grow and what new things God will do in our lives. Happy New Year!

I Should Stop Having Birthdays!

Last year on my birthday, at 2 am, we called 911. Jule went to the ER by ambulance due to complicated croup. He spent that whole day and the next in the hospital. He screamed and screamed as I walked the floor with him because he also had an ear infection. He was only 5 months old. Surely, this year had to be better, right?

I thought we were in the clear. It was about 6:15 pm, and I was alone with the kids playing and relaxing. Noly had eaten dinner, and Jule refused to eat. I decided to call my brother to see if they wanted our baby seat for their baby that's due in March....and IT happened. Noly was running toward me and tripped on her nightgown. Her chin met the hardwood floor, HARD. Yep, she needed stitches. So, once again, off to the ER we went on my birthday.

She was very brave and ended up getting around 5 stitches in her chin. We got home around 10:45 and were exhausted. She seemed completely unaffected this morning but did not want to eat because it made her chin feel funny. They did put in dissolvable stitches so she won't have to get them removed.

Maybe we'll just skip my birthday altogether next year?

Ruth

I read the book of Ruth today and sat here kind-of stunned. I grew up knowing the story of Ruth, but going through everything I've gone through recently made it jump out at me. Ruth married her husband and lived away from her family for 10 years, then her husband died. After her husband died, her mother-in-law told her to go back home to her family, but she chose to stay with her mother-in-law. All I can say is WOW! I'm having a hard time not taking my husband to Indiana to live, and he's still alive. I cannot imagine the dedication and conviction that Ruth had to have to stay away from her family even after losing her husband! In the end, God greatly rewarded her with a kind husband and rewarded Naomi with a grandson. Naomi had lost her husband and both of her sons, and I had this image of her just glowing as her grandson sat on her lap!

It's also a story of great redemption. In fact, the NIV refers to Boaz as the "kinsman-redeemer." That word alone brought tears to my eyes (probably because I'm withdrawing from Lexapro, but still). I thought about the great, unsurpassing love that God has for us and how He is our Redeemer. All of these days of pain and frustration that I'm going through are not without the redemption of my God. He is my Redeemer, the Restorer of my life.