Swing and Sleep

Yesterday we finally hung Collier's swing that he got from his Mela and Buzz for his birthday. I have been dying to get it hung because I know how much he is going to enjoy it! He swang yesterday afternoon and today! loving the swing already!

Yesterday was also the beginning of an unusual sleep habit. Actually Mom had mentioned that earlier in the week he had been standing up in his crib instead of sleeping. Normal routine is when he gets sleepy, turn on his music, lay him down, be sure he has both Ginger (Giraffe) and Maurice (Monkey) in his arms and he goes to sleep. This routine is the same for naps as well as bed time. Yesterday every time Mom laid him down for his naps he would roll over and stand up immediately and cry. She laid him down SEVERAL times and no luck. So, she got him up and decided to give him early lunch - fill that tummy up and try again. No such luck again. All day yesterday he had a 30 minute nap and 10 minute nap and finally took an hour nap before dinner. At 9:00 last night we were getting ready for bed and he acted really sleepy so we laid him down as usually and immediate he popped up and stood at the edge of the crib crying. Justin laid him down 2 or 3 times and he couldn't get him to stay down. So, we decided to just let him cry it out and see what he would do. 20 minutes later he was still screaming and crying. So I gave in and went in and got him, rocked him and got him settled down. He fell asleep in my arms and I laid him down and before I was out of the room he was standing up crying again. I decided to try and let him watch his favorite video (Cedarmont Kids...I highly recommend it) and after 3 songs I realized that it wasn't winding him down and that I needed to turn it off. So, I went back to his room and rocked him, again he fell asleep I put him down and he was immediately up. By now it is after 10:00 and I am tired and ready for bed. Change of strategy. Stay in the room and as soon as he rolls over lay him back down. No talking and no eye contact. I did that about 30 times before he finally stayed on his back but it was only realizing that when he opened his eyes and could see me that he didn't try and stand up. As long as I stood by the crib and he could see me he was fine. So I did and he finally went to sleep BUT he was awake at 5am STANDING UP! for another 30 minutes of my lay him back down strategy he finally closed his eyes long enough for me to sneak out. He only slept an hour longer before he was up. He did the same thing with my Mom today. This afternoon I decided that I would going to let him cry it out....and not give in. Being VERY tired (he has only had a short 30minute nap today and that is it) and it took him about 7 minutes of standing up before he sat down. The then almost fell asleep sitting up before he fell over and finally gave in! Whaoooo. Nappy Time!

I am praying hard that this is just a weird week and not an actual habit. Any suggestions? He also has his top two teeth that are about to pop through and I assume this may have something to do with it????????

20 Miles Logged

That is 20 miles and 4 hours of running time that I logged on Sunday with my TNT group! Whaahooo! You may ask, how do you feel? Please let me share:

• Happy
• Very proud of myself
• Hot
• Sweaty
• So thankful that it was cloudy 90% of the time we were running
• Thankful to have it done and prove to myself that I can do this
• I had energy and wasn't exhausted at the end
• I felt that I had the endurance to continue (which I will still have 6.2 more to go on race day)
• Love'n me some gu gels and Gatorade!
• My legs hurt - thighs, calves, hamstrings, knees are very sore
• Not sure how my legs didn't fall off
• I am thankful for 'the stick' to massage out my muscles
• Thankful that my husband rubbed my back and shoulders
• I didn't like sitting in a bath of cold water and ice AFTER the run (I was supposed to sit for 20 minutes and ONLY made it about 5 before I had to jump out...brrrrr!)
• I burned over 2000 calories and so I ate a guiltless bowl of chocolate ice cream last night
• Thankful that I didn't have to do this alone and that two other STRONG women were there to encourage, support and make the miles go by faster
• Thankful for a proven training program through Team In Training
• Thankful to God that I am healthy and able to run and survive 20 miles!

Here we are AFTER running 20 miles - these are two power women!!!

Toddeling

Being a Mother

It really is a special privilege to be called a Mom (or momma or mommy or mother). It is an honor and a joy and I am thankful to be one. Being a mom means that you love your baby or babies with more love than you ever knew that you had. It is no longer having your own schedule but revolving around their sleeping and eating times. It is picking up toys. It is getting up in the middle of the night to sooth and calm your sweet baby. It is changing lots of diapers, and even being peed on. It is a gentle spirit to care and nurture them. Being a mom means that sometimes you are all they want/need. It is having your heart melt when your sweet baby falls into your lap to be showered with love. It is watching as your tiny baby grows way too fast into such a big boy. Being a mom is a satisfying feeling. It is a blessing and I hope and pray that in every moment of my Motherhood that I am a blessing to God!

I pray that Collier will be a man who loves the Lord and who knows that our Father in heaven is with him and that He will provided for his every need. I pray that Collier will trust and depend on God always and that he will have an impact on the Kingdom of God!

I am also thankful to have such an amazing mom, myself, who did all of this for me. She has always pours out her love to Chris and me (and even our spouses) and she has made so many sacrifices for the sake of us! She is a wonderful example of living a Christ filled life. I know that she prays for me and there is peace in knowing that someone is praying on your behalf. I love you mom and thank you so much for all that you do. Thank you for being my friend and my mom. I am so very thankful to have you close by and wouldn't know what to do if we lived in difference cities. I love to watch the love between you and Collier! You are so special to us!

Birthday Celebration

We had such a fun and special day celebrating Collier's birthday with our friends and family at Compass Lake! I couldn't have asked for anything more! Hard for me to believe that he is one already. I love this man so deeply and am so thankful for who God created him to be.

Friday was his actually birthday and we loved being at the lake and playing and preparing for Saturday. Collier loved swinging and we're so glad to now have one for our house! (thanks Mela and Buzz). He also enjoyed his birthday cupcake but when it came to the real thing on Saturday he was WAY too tired and wanted nothing to do with it!

Here are a few of the pictures from Saturday.

Happy Birthday Collier

Today we celebrate Collier's first birthday. What a blessing and joyful event. I think back to a year ago today and I was nervous, scared and yet so excited to get to see and meet this sweet gift from God! My love for him grows every single day, who knew that you could love someone to this depth? Collier is a joy and a blessing to Justin and I. He makes us laugh every single day. He is changing and interacting more and more everyday.

Birth Day

He has started copying things that we do. I was standing up stretching with my arms high above my head this morning and Collier looked up at me and stretched his little hands up. He is walking and just about running all around. He walks around clapping the whole time. He loves to be outside. He is into balls and he likes to pick them up and 'throw it' or just throw it down really hard. He likes to carry things in his hands, especially rocks. He will try and put as much as his little hand will hold and walk around proudly with his treasures. As I lather him with lotion he tries to rub his hands together like I do when I'm warming up the lotion. He does not like to be laid down to change a diaper or clothes....although he does fine with Justin...maybe Justin should be changing all of his diapers!

8 weeks

This weekend we will celebrate with all of his family around and I hope that it will be a day that we all will remember (I know that he won't) but I am excited to celebrate such a special and amazing little boy's arrival!

6 months

Happy Birthday Collier! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and we love you with all of the love that you can imagine! But always knowing that God loves you even more - there is no better love than our Heavenly Father who created you just for us!

8 months

10 months

1 year

We prayed for this child and the Lord has granted what we asked of Him - Samual 1:27

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward - Psalm 127:3

Pour out your hearts like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children. - Lamentations 2:19

Instead of updating with all of the details of what's been going on I've decided to give you the cliff notes instead. In the past week I've been very busy with work - thought I had won a huge deal and then lost it (I think)...lots of work meetings....had a fundraiser at a crawfish boil still working to reach my fundraising goal for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society...Collier is basically running/walking very fast...watched lots of rain on Saturday....we had are last bible study of the year (very sad about that)...baked, cooled and froze cakes for Collier's Birthday party this weekend......gearing up for that!

Justin trying to be as tall as Corey Reemer

trying to kiss shug through the door

Weekend Event - Jail!

**Warning this is long...brace yourself***
I want to share with you something that I participated in this weekend. It is a prison ministry called Bill Glass Champions For Life. It was an unlikely and unlike any experience that I have ever been a part of. I love the Lord with all my being and I know that I need Him in a great way because I do fall short of the glory of God every day. I also know that my cup runeth over in so many area's of my life. This weekend confirmed all of that EVEN more. Leading up to this weekend I had lots of mixed emotions and fears and concerns and dreading it all along the way. On Monday night a sweet little lady named Ethel Duncan called me and was explaining the events of the weekend, as she was speaking all that I could think was I'm not going to go, I've over-extended myself and I just have to much going on to try and do something that will consume my Saturday. As this very thought was going through my mind sweet Ethel says the following "Satan is working hard against us. He is prowling around doing all that he can to stop us from doing God's work" and I stopped in my tracks and wondering if Ethel could read my mind and knowing that this is God speaking through Ethel directly to me. And Satan worked very hard: Justin was out of town this weekend, my house is a wreck STILL, I need to be running, I NEED to be with Collier, I haven't done my bible study and the list went on as to why I didn't NEED to be going into a jail to share the Word of God with these broken, sad, lost women. But, I trusted that God would just provide and arrange for everything to fall into place just as it needed and He did! I attended a training/prep event on Friday night that was sort of helpful but didn't completely set me at ease. I think that my biggest fear was what would THEY think of me! I knew that I would be safe and I knew that God would be the words, but I really was worried of how I would come across to them...I wanted to show love, compassion and understanding to the ladies to be sure that they didn't feel judged in any way but that ultimately that they would want to seek and know Jesus. I was with a friend through all of this and Friday night we were paired with a lady who has done this 24 times through the Bill Glass organization. She goes by Grandma Jane and is sixty something years old has white/gray hair cut in a short bob. She wore bluejeans, pink ball cap and a pink tie-dye looking shirt with a leather biker vest over her shirt. She carried her bible in one hand and her pink helmet in the other hand. Grandma Jane would be there with us every step of the way and would be sure we were comfortable speaking with the ladies. Believe it or not, I actually felt better after meeting her.

Saturday morning, I was up bright and early and my friend, Rachel and I arrived at the Jefferson County Jail house at 7am. Our Id's were checked and we were escorted to the basement with all of the other members to gather before being assigned to a block. Grandma Jane tracked us down and made sure we had everything we needed and we prayed before being escorted to the 5th floor of the Jail. We were then grouped in teams of 5 for each block. Door slides open and shuts will a loud thud to only confirm that we are securely locked in to this block with about 40 ladies staring at us. I suddenly realized that I CAN NOT understand. Grandma Jane took lead and had us all introduce ourselves and then we walked to each lady and meet her face to face. They all had on the same green and white stripes. We talked to many of them just getting to know a little about them allowing them to talk letting them know that we cared about what they have to say. We then had platform speakers who came in to share with them and all of the speakers for the day had been in their position from one time to another (all with horrible past and crimes and circumstances that about knocked me down) and how they have achieved and succeeded through the power of Jesus Christ. That Jesus gave them the strength to CHANGE their life. Most of these ladies have been Christians and know and believe in God - they have walked away from their relationship with Him. Some of them re-dedicated their life for Christ and what a blessing that it! some of them would say the words and you could just look in their eyes and not see any heart felt desire behind it. I pray that the seeds that were planted that they fell on soft soil and that these ladies will seek Him. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide them and help them to CHANGE so that when they walk out that they will not return to what got them in there to begin with.

We left Jefferson County Jail at 3pm and I was almost speechless. I didn't know what to think about the day. Sadness would be the first emotion because most if not all of these ladies have children (or pregnant) who are cared for my a mom or ex-husband. Children need there mom's! The level of abuse and drugs and prostitution and anger and fear and regret and loneliness was all more than I could even begin to understand. I can not even try and relate to these women. A few of them asked if I had ever been in trouble and I asked what they meant by trouble? Ha. I knew what they meant! "have you ever been locked up or incarcerated?" well no "what kind of trouble have you been in?" just your normal mischievousness as a child....aka my dad had to spank me one time and that was the last time because I cried so much and it broke his heart! I snuck out of my house one time and got caught...I told them that really it doesn't matter what I or they have done that God does forgive! My sins are no less then their sins. As long as we repent and ask God for the forgiveness of our sins he will erase them - he throws them into the deepest end of the ocean! We are forgiven through Christ Jesus!

I was so glad to get home and have the afternoon with Collier. But with every minute that passed by fear began to build inside of me. Justin was out of town and I was scared all of a sudden of being home alone. I knew it was satan and I just kept thinking in my head satan get out and get away. Collier was needing to go down for a nap and Brinkley was barking outside and would not come inside and I was afraid to walk outside. I got her in and when I walked into the house I said it out loud JESUS PROTECT ME AND THIS HOUSE! I DECLARE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST THAT SATAN, YOU GET OUT AND GET AWAY. JESUS FILL EVERY CORNER OF THIS HOUSE WITH YOUR PROTECTION AND YOUR PEACE! WITH ALL GLORY AND HONOR TO YOU JESUS. AMEN. Yall I suddenly was at peace and had a great rest of the night. I wasn't once fearful or on edge the rest of the night. Collier slept great and I slept great. Jesus has power over all!

I am thankful that I am free to worship and praise Jesus, God Almighty
I am thankful that I have a food full of food to my liking
I am thankful that I have a comfy bed and home
I am thankful that I can see my family every single day
I am thankful for privacy
I am thankful that I can exercise when and how I want to
I am thankful that I can dress in whatever I want and wear makeup every day (if I choose)
I am thankful that Jesus called my name and that I answered His call
I am thankful that I am forgiven of my sins - free from the bondage of sin
I am thankful for the love of God
I am thankful for the Holy Spirit's direction and the ability to communicate with our Heavenly Father
I am thankful to have eternal life in Christ!

My goodness I feel like I can't get caught up! My house is a disaster and I can't catch up with the mess and the piles but I'm going to work hard the next few days to accomplish just that. This work thing really seems to get in the way of cleaning! This morning I got up and folded a basket of laundry only to have filled two more baskets through out my day. I know that I'll get caught up eventually! Its funny how I can get the laundry done but never seem to get it all folded. Sometimes I think that I just need someone to come and fold my laundry and vacuum my floors once a week.

We had a wonderful Easter! We slept in and went to the late service and it was beautiful and joyful! We have so much to be thankful for in that Christ died for our sins and yet defeated the tomb for our sake. He is risen indeed and have hope and security in His sacrifice and resurrection! Praise be to Him. It is quite humbling to think of how Christ loved even me, a nasty sinner, enough to become fully human, life a perfect life (with out blemish) and die a painful death for the forgiveness of my ways. I am so thankful for His love! Overwhelming!

Saturday night, Collier said Momma for the first time! I was so excited and thrilled. I don't think that he know who momma is because he crawls straight to Brinkley saying "momma mommma ma ma ma ma mamma" I try and tell him that is Brink and that I am his Momma and no light bulb has gone off in his little head yet! Eventually he'll get it - I guess. Maybe I'll be Brink and Brink will be momma...that would be interesting!

Only One To Go...

This post is 2 days late, but Collier is officially 11 months! I CANNOT believe it! He is walking more and more everyday and just makes me laugh and smile, well except when he is screaming and I know that he is in pain with those bad ole teeth trying to break through his gums - that makes me sad. What a joy he is! He loves to be outside and anytime the door opens he makes a bee-line for the door. He has started showing his frustration by throwing his arms down straight and shaking by tensing up all of his muscles! Very headstrong and knows exactly what he wants. He also squeals in delight when he gets excited, this is one of my favorite sounds. He waves bye bye. He is climbing the stairs at mom and dads. He loves and adores Brinkley - he sits in front of her with is mouth wide open trying to give kisses and of course she reciprocates and licks him in his mouth - Yumm! He is very attached to his monkey and giraffe lovey. He has stopped nursing at night (which makes me very sad) and only nurses for a few minutes in the morning. I knew that I wanted to nurse as long as possible and am thrilled that I've been able to do it this long! I do love the sweetness and closeness when nursing him, so it makes me sad that it is ending! I love being able to provide for him! I also strongly attribute it to his wellness through winter time. He is just growing up on me and becoming a little man! I am so thankful for him. I'm thankful for the blessings that God has given to us through Collier.

Mom took him by to meet the Easter Bunny and she said that he crawled around him and felt his fuzzy fur but didn't sit in his lap. Too funny! Here he is giving kisses to his new Easter Chick Basket that his Mela gave him

I have started to think and plan his birthday. We're doing immediate family only and am looking forward to a fun day to celebrate with our family. Any suggestions I'll take for a 1 year old birthday!