tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252014502024-03-23T14:14:32.918-04:00MotherhoodAdventures in Child-RearingJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-87026548865854384312014-12-15T15:00:00.000-05:002014-12-22T15:20:38.111-05:002014 Family Highlights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">1. We moved to Niceville, Florida in August! It really is a nice, small town!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">2. After 10 years of active duty service, Chris separated from the Air Force in September.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">3. He is now a defense contractor for Eglin AFB using his engineering ninja tricks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">4. He is still in the Air Force as a Reservist, working as a historian.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">5. We are still homeschooling with Classical Conversations and loving it!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">6.
Eliana (10), Evangeline (8), and Anastasia (6) have enjoyed a year of
piano lessons, ballet classes, and lots of swimming in our new pool!
Eliana also got to go to a week-long youth camp this summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">7.
Hosea (4) is still nonverbal but now has a communication device with
which he is making excellent progress! He used it to say "I love you"
for the first time in August, which he followed with a kiss!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">8. Avelina (2) has the cheesiest grins and gives some of the best cuddles! She brightens each and every day.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">9.
Hosea and Avelina were accepted into a research study in Pennsylvania
earlier this year to sequence their entire genomes. We still await the
results but are excited and so grateful for this shot at an answer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">10.We live 15 minutes from the beaches of Destin! Come visit us sometime!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b><i>Merry Christmas!</i></b></u></span> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-58026936774082160782013-12-25T22:28:00.001-05:002013-12-25T22:31:09.329-05:002013 Family Highlights<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1.) We spent over 5 months in Tampa,
FL, due to Chris’s state-side deployment to USCENTCOM headquarters to work as a
historian.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #404040;">2.) Jennifer has stopped teaching childbirth classes and
attending births. She's putting all of that energy into
investigating diseases and finding research studies across the country
that will hopefully lead to a diagnosis for Hosea and Avelina, who seem to share
the same unknown syndrome.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3.) As the oldest child, Eliana
(9) is a big helper. She is learning to cook and to bake, and we are
all enjoying the fruits of her labors.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #404040;">4.) Evangeline (7) is a passionate girl with a song in her
heart. She has just started taking piano lessons.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5.) Don't let her shy, sweet
exterior fool you. Anastasia (5) has a touch of crazy in her, and we have
pictures to prove it.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #404040;">6.) Guess who is walking? Hosea (3) really took off with his
feet in October. He is walking farther and faster with each passing week!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">7.) Avelina (14 months) is
rolling over and finally seems to be on a good eating streak. We are
incredibly relieved to have narrowly avoided a feeding tube. Her laughter is
just the most adorable thing ever.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #404040;">8.) We are still homeschooling (with Classical
Conversations). It is challenging, especially with so many appointments to
juggle, but it is also an incredible blessing for all of us.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">9.) This is most likely our final
Christmas in Ohio. Chris is expecting a change of station next fall. To where
will we move? I don't know! I suppose it would ruin the surprise if they told
us much in advance! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #404040;">10.) We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!</span></span></span></div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-72875854110375760592012-12-22T16:27:00.002-05:002012-12-22T16:27:45.998-05:00Christmas Letter 2012<!--[if !mso]>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">December 2012</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">Dear family
& friends,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">As I look about me this fine
evening, I cannot help but feel tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not that I’ve physically exerted myself; on the contrary, I’ve been
sitting most of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be the
general lack of sleep that comes with a newborn, but that’s certainly not the
whole story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lights shining from the
Christmas tree and the stockings hanging from the mantle give quite a cozy
feeling to the place, but the picture doesn’t stop there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">Scattered across the floor is a strange
assortment of mismatched toys relocated with love by Hosea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dining room table is piled with bins and
what appears to be complete randomness by my well-meaning husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shrieks and squeals are regularly escaping
from the girls’ room down the hall, where I imagine all sorts of creativity and
imaginative play are forming a scene that only the producers themselves can
fully appreciate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And here, in my arms,
lies the newest member of our family, born October 10, engaged in an activity
somewhere between eating and sleeping.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTODV-AKnaqqOBeR0mX5e1YawmoS9M3AU5ZKIgx99QADAnKHHSDTo-f7mo0o3GqgjIZ018jHPUwqm5DBLV-dm4Il7EexoUKUARLkv5nOJx4wEWzLb_6AKCsEYpAn6_dwXDQG2/s1600/IMG_3618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTODV-AKnaqqOBeR0mX5e1YawmoS9M3AU5ZKIgx99QADAnKHHSDTo-f7mo0o3GqgjIZ018jHPUwqm5DBLV-dm4Il7EexoUKUARLkv5nOJx4wEWzLb_6AKCsEYpAn6_dwXDQG2/s320/IMG_3618.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>For
better or for worse, being a breastfeeding mother forces me to sit down and
take a break frequently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My house may
suffer for it, but I love this special time with my babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Avelina is my fifth child, and I still marvel
over the tiny fingers and toes and consider myself one of the most blessed
people in the entire world whenever I kiss one of these soft, little
cheeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her only hobbies at this time
are nursing, sleeping and fussing at me if ever I dare to lay her down, but how
precious is this fragile creature to me!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrd0tYXQ7G6DgaIx7VEH5mhMaeW7O06AQ2AwYDKIQ7j2r2AzjopJgD8jogsUneJ-fSMs_gHqwstVmoxcjUtfaqeABGJbR4tdClP9eltsFZmI0KH9tIKzb4xBH97_SiJ3lzrLV4/s1600/IMG_2783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrd0tYXQ7G6DgaIx7VEH5mhMaeW7O06AQ2AwYDKIQ7j2r2AzjopJgD8jogsUneJ-fSMs_gHqwstVmoxcjUtfaqeABGJbR4tdClP9eltsFZmI0KH9tIKzb4xBH97_SiJ3lzrLV4/s320/IMG_2783.JPG" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">Many people have asked about Hosea’s adjustment to having a little sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, I can’t say he seems to have
noticed all that much!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he does pay
her attention it requires careful oversight by an adult, as he’s a rather
heavy-handed guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re thrilled to
report that he is finally showing signs of some basic receptive language, but
he still has yet to understand “gentle.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Physically, 2-year-old Hosea has made some great strides this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has been learning to use a walker in
therapy, and he is now able to attempt a few independent steps so long as he
has his ankle braces on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a day-to-day
basis, his primary mode of mobility is knee-walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the tests from last year were, in
essence, negative, so we still don’t have a more specific diagnosis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suggested “Hosea Syndrome” to the
geneticist, who said it may very well take the discovery and recognition of
some new, rare disorder to finally be able to give a medical explanation for
Hosea’s challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Methinks I should
try my odds in Vegas!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will continue
to follow-up with the specialists, but we’ve decided to take a small break from
all of that until spring.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UhQRLwv8fFxv_cJINVf_CbsK-98HbxnsERX6xpXFgTOsNn6XSVLSTD6IhnjdKSYn-M698IomGF4AP-YdpWQqEK-pYr7IJqS9FkWx_tA63Rud1Vx9yJy5tV9V19VjqDBmNnFV/s1600/IMG_3388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UhQRLwv8fFxv_cJINVf_CbsK-98HbxnsERX6xpXFgTOsNn6XSVLSTD6IhnjdKSYn-M698IomGF4AP-YdpWQqEK-pYr7IJqS9FkWx_tA63Rud1Vx9yJy5tV9V19VjqDBmNnFV/s200/IMG_3388.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">With
two little ones not walking, I am extra grateful for the help of our oldest
three children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are each eager to
hold Avelina, and they play well with Hosea and often feed him for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even 4-year-old Anastasia has proven herself
a big helper and often likes to bring me breakfast in bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her gentle temperament and sweet smiles are a
blessed start to my busy days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now,
Anastasia is learning her letters and often enjoys listening to a story or
following along during Eliana’s history lesson, but I plan to start a phonics
curriculum with her in January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is
very excited about it and asks me nearly every day if she can do school, too!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOTiIC9WL2O02FD_1tmQEPjKayqKF51BYcptobkGzwKY8moI3F8uGYX5-kqktFsV2jYJ2QS1nM6neSr2LCdE0bfAokuxWK2pIER6I9JvTFLzpH8z9Q3exw_D2g3iROQZnonuP/s1600/IMG_3482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOTiIC9WL2O02FD_1tmQEPjKayqKF51BYcptobkGzwKY8moI3F8uGYX5-kqktFsV2jYJ2QS1nM6neSr2LCdE0bfAokuxWK2pIER6I9JvTFLzpH8z9Q3exw_D2g3iROQZnonuP/s200/IMG_3482.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Six-year-old Evangeline is in first
grade this year and brings an admirable positivity to our school room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her cheerful attitude and responsiveness to
praise make her a joy to teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
wonderment and happiness in everyday things is such a beautiful, classic
picture of childhood, and her creativity often impresses me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She recently lost her first tooth and
successfully stopped sucking her thumb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are very proud of her for giving up such a hard-to-break habit!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9CCkt50fxywfpMYJ7y8WVfitQaDmEgOI6q0GalRYwW4m0hb790me-qLGhp0KZKvg6aHcEvP3Kt4_2VxgjSJdeCope8PpK54hZh_jyGscqItmvMpZy7Zc3xpB2ByWY6zYTLbz/s1600/IMG_0478+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9CCkt50fxywfpMYJ7y8WVfitQaDmEgOI6q0GalRYwW4m0hb790me-qLGhp0KZKvg6aHcEvP3Kt4_2VxgjSJdeCope8PpK54hZh_jyGscqItmvMpZy7Zc3xpB2ByWY6zYTLbz/s320/IMG_0478+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Eliana is eight years old now and in
the third grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her favorite subject is
history, in which she is currently studying Rome, Greece, and the New
Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier this year, Eliana
enjoyed playing soccer in our neighborhood league. (Evangeline also played, but
it clearly did not hold her interest this year.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our home is often blessed with Eliana’s ever
improving piano skills, and our little musician especially delights in being
our accompanist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a joy to watch
her grow into a young lady more and more every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>As our children are getting older,
so are we!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chris and I both hit a new
decade this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turning 30 didn’t feel
nearly as strange as the reminder that I had not already passed this
milestone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for major events, Chris
and I managed to stay on the continent all year and lay low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He continues to teach computational fluid
dynamics (Just smile and nod—I do!) at the Air Force Institute of Technology,
and I was still attending births and teaching childbirth classes through May,
at which point I took an early maternity leave to focus on my own baby and
upcoming birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did manage to have
some unexpected excitement in April, when we discovered some major water damage
in our home due to a small, previously undetected leak, and over the summer,
when the Air Force sent Chris to Montgomery, Alabama, for some training for 2
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We quickly jumped back into
school once that was behind us, and I’m in shock that a semester has already
gone by!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>It’s
been another busy year of love and growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The sights and sounds around me tonight do represent a good deal of work
to be done, but far more importantly and dearly, they represent a beautiful
life that I am blessed to call my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thank you for being a part of that life, and let us together give thanks
to God, from whom all blessings flow!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> </span>Merry
Christmas,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: Aparajita;">Jennifer,
for the Martins</span></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-16275255290085906002012-03-05T13:15:00.006-05:002012-03-05T14:38:51.483-05:00Looking Back<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4exp4mNHkThgFRtRlpgtW3syD8RDjiuCln33-qCdkuvK3kJ74Vuvd5CaXyNx-LA0LDmEPP4BHsO9FsjqxT4XMjSk0_17AxJFX-L_SbounlPlaflysTvkALrpDQJHuxmkfyKF/s1600/pen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4exp4mNHkThgFRtRlpgtW3syD8RDjiuCln33-qCdkuvK3kJ74Vuvd5CaXyNx-LA0LDmEPP4BHsO9FsjqxT4XMjSk0_17AxJFX-L_SbounlPlaflysTvkALrpDQJHuxmkfyKF/s320/pen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716498160791653170" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">March 4, 2011<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">My life changed forever today. This morning, my sweet son was a perfectly healthy baby, albeit a bit delayed and unnaturally easy and mild-mannered. Then I took him to his developmental pediatric</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">evaluation...</span></blockquote><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This is the opening line to my journal a year ago yesterday. That's right, we just passed the first anniversary of discovering Hosea's global developmental delay. Of course, nothing changed about him that day. He was still the same same precious 8-month-old boy he had been that morning. And yet...he wasn't. We didn't know until that day that we were dealing with a severe disability.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Walking back to the van was so surreal. I pass people and think that it feels strange to realize that they are probably having a fairly normal day.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">It's also strange that they pass me and don't realize that I've just been dealt one of the hardest blows of my life. You just never know who you're passing or what they're going through.<br /><br />I got in the van and started toward the exit. I then realized that the Westminster Shorter Catechism CD playing was on the question, "What are the decrees of God?" I listened with fresh ears to the answer, "The decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass." That's right. And when God set the creation into motion, he foreordained that very song to be playing at that very moment. Because He loves me like that.</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">I actually made it all the way home and into my husband's arms before I began to cry. And once the floodgates were open, there was no holding the waters back.<br /><blockquote><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I wept. I screamed. I cried like...well, like I've never cried before. Eliana wanted desperately to comfort me...poor thing. But it felt so liberating to let out everything I'd bottled up for the previous two hours.</span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I eventually regained some sense of composure, and Chris, Eliana and I had a talk about everything.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Eliana calmly asked, "Why would God do this?" (This realization came to her after she said she would pray for God to make Hosea better. "And God promises to give us what we ask for if it's what He wants, too," she said. So, I believe she was struggling with wondering, Why would God</span> not <span style="font-style: italic;">want to make Hosea better?)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We told her about Job--how he was richly blessed and how God allowed Job to be tested and how his life was a testimony. How I managed to share this with Eliana at that moment can only be explained by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. I remembered my internal mantra in the doctor's office upon hearing the news--"God counts me worthy. God counts me worthy." Lord, please make me worthy.</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Today<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>, a full year later, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>Hosea is 20 months old and we still don't have a more specific diagnosis. Perhaps someday we will. Perhaps not.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span> </span>What is clear, however, is that Hosea is a very special child.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>He can now crawl and babble. He can pretty much pull to stand on his own, but he won't unless someone is ready to catch him if he falls.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>He wears glasses and soon he'll be wearing ankle braces. But, more importantly, Hosea is a darling little boy with a charming personality and a contagious laugh. He is loved and wanted and so very dear to us just the way he is.<br /><br />To say that my life changed a year ago seems like an understatement. The adjustment we had to go through was so major, so long, and just so...<span style="font-style: italic;">painful</span>. I felt like I was walking around as if in a dream for several weeks. And yet, here I am today. My life is so different now, but it's my life--my new "normal"--and it's a good one. The adjusting continues, and, I assume, it always will. I guess that's why it's more than simply "life-changing". Hosea's needs will continue to change my life as he continues to grow and develop and new challenges arise. The trajectory, if you will, is not so predictable. I suppose it never is. It's just that, now I don't assume.<br /><blockquote><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I know I will probably wake up tomorrow morning and for just a moment--during the delay between consciousness and reality--I won't remember this. For just one moment, it won't </span>consume<span style="font-style: italic;"> my thoughts, my very being.<br /><br />But then chapter 1 of my new life will begin...</span></div></blockquote></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div></div></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span></div></div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-49232335585221163182011-12-21T09:05:00.002-05:002011-12-21T09:11:44.819-05:00Christmas Letter 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" 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mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults ext="edit" spidmax="1027"> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout ext="edit"> <o:idmap ext="edit" data="1"> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" >Dear family and friends,</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>God has been just as good as ever.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>His mercies are new every morning.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He is a faithful and loving Father.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But our Great Physician has prescribed some rather bitter-tasting medicine for our family this year.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>No doubt it has, is, and will be to our benefit and His, but that does not lessen the difficulty of swallowing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Some of you know of our recent struggles.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Some of you do not.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So, here is our annual family Christmas letter, recapping the last year with highlights of the ups and the downs.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>We started 2011 off with a lovely trip to Florida to accompany Chris to a conference for aeronautical/aerospace engineers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Upon returning home, we promptly came down with every nasty bug making its way around Ohio.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We were pummeled by waves of illness, on the verge of recovery only to drop like flies once more with something new.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The storm eventually subsided in late March.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>In February, I took Hosea to our family physician to address some concerns I was having.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It had been wonderful to have such a content, easy-going newborn.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I even felt blessed to have a “slow” infant with whom I could cuddle more and trust to stay in one place.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But by the time he was 7 months old and not even rolling over, I was concerned that something was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The doctor agreed and gave us a referral to see a developmental pediatrician, though she didn’t give me the impression at the time that anything more than a few months of physical therapy was likely to be called for in order to get him “caught up.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The pediatrician, however, saw a different story, and thus the true roller coaster began.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The first suspected diagnosis was Mowat-Wilson Syndrome, a rare, fluke, genetic disorder characterized by moderate to severe mental retardation, limited to non-existent verbal communication, and seizures, just to hit a few highlights.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We waited 6 weeks for the test to come back, during which time I had an early miscarriage, just to be told the results were inconclusive.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This was followed, a week later, by a geneticist sharing his opinion that Hosea did not have Mowat-Wilson, though his reasoning wasn’t clearly explained to us.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We were happy to hear it all the same, and it raised our optimism for a time.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Following up with the pediatrician in early June, it was clear she still felt strongly about her suspicion of Mowat-Wilson.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She felt it was too coincidental that we found an abnormality on the very gene sequence (out of thousands upon thousands) that we had targeted, even though it wasn’t the type of abnormality normally associated with MWS.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>All things being equal, I’d be more inclined to believe a geneticist over a pediatrician when interpreting genetic test results, but I didn’t have any way of countering, and her argument seemed to make sense.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Maybe she was right.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>At any rate, no one was offering any other possibilities.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I wanted to know what long-term issues she thought we might be dealing with, regardless of any potential diagnosis.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She agreed to give me a guess at his next visit.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The rest of the summer sped by.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Chris, Hosea and I flew to Hawaii for yet another aero conference while the girls stayed with grandparents in Tennessee.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was ready to get back to our girls by the end of it, but, oh, how I wish I could have brought the ocean, flora and perfect weather back with me!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We celebrated birthdays, and Chris worked hard to finish up his dissertation, which he defended (and passed!) in August.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>As school started up again, I tried to keep my spirits up and brace myself for the busy schedule ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Hosea had started physical therapy in May, added speech/feeding therapy in July, was scheduled to start occupational therapy in October, and we were always filling in the gaps seeing one doctor or another or having a new test of some sort.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Homeschooling became on-the-go schooling, and many a book was read and many a worksheet completed in waiting rooms and doctor’s offices.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Throughout this time, Hosea was making progress and even began crawling on his belly, but the gap between his skill level and his age was widening.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In late September, he got glasses (and looks oh-so-very cute in them!).</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>At the 15-month check in October, Hosea’s pediatrician volunteered to send us to Cincinnati for a second opinion with a geneticist.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She also ordered a brain MRI and genetic testing for Angelman and Chrisitianson syndromes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And, as promised, she reluctantly told me that she guessed Hosea would test positive for mental retardation once he became old enough to test (at age 5).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She wouldn’t, however, speculate as to where in that spectrum he might fall. </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>A few weeks later, an MRI showed a normally structured brain, and while we waited (and are still waiting, I might add) for the results from the tests for Angelman and Christianson syndromes we met our new geneticist.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He, too, shared his concern that Hosea was at risk for testing positive for mental retardation when the time came and that Hosea may have some dependency issues even as an adult.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>However, the geneticist was doubtful that either the Angelman or Christianson test would come back positive.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He also reviewed our test results for Mowat-Wilson and explained to us, to our satisfaction, why the test was, in fact, negative and that we could rule it out.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Hosea had more blood drawn, this time to test for Fragile X syndrome, and we waited.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Two weeks later we got a “negative” result on the Fragile X test and the decision was made to do one more blood draw for a panel which tests for 92 different syndromes similar to Fragile X.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Unfortunately, I don’t yet have those results to share with you because it takes 4 months to get them back!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If the entire panel comes back negative then we are likely going to have to wait for testing to advance and/or for Hosea to develop clearer signs and symptoms as he gets older.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>Of course, while the search for a diagnosis and all of the tests, therapies and other appointments have indeed been the picture of much of our year, they do not make a complete picture.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The girls are each a year older (now 7, 5 and 3) and a grade higher (Eliana is in 2<sup>nd</sup> grade, Evangeline is in Kindergarten, and Anastasia enjoys coloring with us at the table).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Other events of interest include the addition of “Ph.D” to the end of Chris’s name (Congratulations, love!), Chris beginning a new assignment as an assistant professor at the school from which he just graduated (though the ceremony is not until March), and our family joining a new church.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s been a year of blood, sweat, tears, and lots of prayer.</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif";font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>When we gave our son the name “Hosea,” we did so because we wanted his name to be a constant reminder to him of God’s faithfulness to His people (among whom we count Hosea) and of the need for him to be faithful to God and to his family, no matter the cost.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(If you don’t know why “Hosea” sends this message then we strongly encourage you to read the story of his namesake, found in the Bible in the book of Hosea.)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>While this message is just as important as ever to our son, we have found it dearly comforting to realize that God placed that name on our hearts to send that very same message to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">us</i> in the midst of this trial.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We pray that you all may also be blessed by this reminder as we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, our faithful God’s perfect, holy gift to wayward sinners.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He promised, and He delivered!</span></p><br /> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:7"> </span>His love endures forever,</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-tab-count:7"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";font-family:";" >Jennifer, for the Martins</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Lucida Handwriting";mso-bidi-Iskoola Pota"font-family:";" ><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Lucida Handwriting";mso-bidi-Iskoola Pota"font-family:";" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:31.5pt;text-indent:-31.5pt"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" >P.S. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Hosea does currently have the general diagnoses of “global developmental delay” (meaning he is developmentally delayed in all categories) and “hypotonia” (meaning he has low muscle tone).</span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:31.5pt;text-indent:-31.5pt"><span style="Iskoola Pota","sans-serif"font-family:";" >P.P.S.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I know many of you have probably never even heard of the syndromes I’ve mentioned in this letter.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I hadn’t heard of them either before this year.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>However, I thought it best not to fill up the Christmas letter with explanations of potential syndromes and their respective symptoms.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ll leave it to those of you interested in knowing more to look it up on your own or to simply ask us.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We’d love to hear from you! :)</span><span style="font-family:"Lucida Handwriting";mso-bidi-Iskoola Pota"font-family:";" ><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-82276833257180756872011-12-19T09:00:00.000-05:002011-12-21T09:35:27.987-05:00Our Blessings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlntVGQoInDNC2HZjbBHYakclr-2JSLP3LYN15A-Smxn_bLkFGOme6pommJX_roXtcm7dtzclEwabIpu0OvH7lNatLJVDyrdp7iKFP7uiyiJ6UMSXiJ9651R5ckZmKGACT_5C5/s1600/Evangeline.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlntVGQoInDNC2HZjbBHYakclr-2JSLP3LYN15A-Smxn_bLkFGOme6pommJX_roXtcm7dtzclEwabIpu0OvH7lNatLJVDyrdp7iKFP7uiyiJ6UMSXiJ9651R5ckZmKGACT_5C5/s400/Evangeline.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688586007753166546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOMW2D4YHfrnqNOln3RtlI9Bfkj5-8N4WEe60Ynfn4Bj0O-8IeAOH33v8sf_CJeTmLXQ-eYewctaCv_oq3pS1nngVpfzxIwQj1U4zI352KxwNlDvpcEAkaab0chlk2fV7gxLY/s1600/Eliana.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOMW2D4YHfrnqNOln3RtlI9Bfkj5-8N4WEe60Ynfn4Bj0O-8IeAOH33v8sf_CJeTmLXQ-eYewctaCv_oq3pS1nngVpfzxIwQj1U4zI352KxwNlDvpcEAkaab0chlk2fV7gxLY/s400/Eliana.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688585996899199682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69kv0KDGZgaQYRV5h6B2DgLl8IQ1Y0BSCPxhJpNfc75VG404Rpbfn_JCvOIfMw8d_yB3bb07LI80yi9voBa_fvW70QnfI0Q-zN4MOK7FDj__6FpwOmv3MA3_ImGOSHSLKE_ub/s1600/Anastasia.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69kv0KDGZgaQYRV5h6B2DgLl8IQ1Y0BSCPxhJpNfc75VG404Rpbfn_JCvOIfMw8d_yB3bb07LI80yi9voBa_fvW70QnfI0Q-zN4MOK7FDj__6FpwOmv3MA3_ImGOSHSLKE_ub/s400/Anastasia.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688585992129938354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCID-hTjWTxhuhtPDjJhDIjZFhms0c_iyvYx9t0cLoWv5YEiHHI1uKrDS1TcuVgiEVjhzYgh5JlXJo551oHfAq0mJpv0AwtNppHG7eCyT3hNqfklMrYXRd90N8httFPQjsD-7e/s1600/Hosea.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCID-hTjWTxhuhtPDjJhDIjZFhms0c_iyvYx9t0cLoWv5YEiHHI1uKrDS1TcuVgiEVjhzYgh5JlXJo551oHfAq0mJpv0AwtNppHG7eCyT3hNqfklMrYXRd90N8httFPQjsD-7e/s400/Hosea.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688586019270003474" border="0" /></a>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-53322243344666750162011-11-28T18:34:00.003-05:002011-11-28T18:43:42.416-05:00Welcome to Holland<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdeNI9ZVTDhYRRSCjsGxRx5gGWMM9tbX_HmDyjmTEzBPf7RQ_UhAqMLkduhz9JX103r3BFPDnSJF0xRtk8O8zs8TXAtrjbEkS39Qmdgnzeo_FOQKf7ha5ZTUJcQPW9deLxTMd/s1600/holland-tulips.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdeNI9ZVTDhYRRSCjsGxRx5gGWMM9tbX_HmDyjmTEzBPf7RQ_UhAqMLkduhz9JX103r3BFPDnSJF0xRtk8O8zs8TXAtrjbEkS39Qmdgnzeo_FOQKf7ha5ZTUJcQPW9deLxTMd/s320/holland-tulips.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680196191624996386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved</span><b> </b><p>I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......</p> <p>When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.</p> <p>After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."</p> <p>"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."</p> <p>But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.</p> <p>The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.</p> <p>So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.</p> <p>It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.</p> <p>But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." </p> <p>And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.</p> <p>But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.</p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-67098956213484768572011-03-17T12:43:00.004-04:002011-03-17T12:48:11.771-04:00As Long As You Are Glorified<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SZHfv2ivUrM" width="480" frameborder="0" height="390"></iframe><br /><br /><span id="lblDescription"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Lyrics</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Yet not welcome any pain</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Shall I thank You for days of sunshine</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Yet grumble in days of rain</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Shall I love You in times of plenty</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Then leave You in days of drought</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Shall I trust when I reap a harvest</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> But when winter winds blow, then doubt</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Oh let Your will be done in me</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> In Your love I will abide</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Oh I long for nothing else as long</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> As You are glorified</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Are You good only when I prosper</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> And true only when I’m filled</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Are You King only when I’m carefree</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> And God only when I’m well</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> You are good when I’m poor and needy</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> You are true when I’m parched and dry</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> You still reign in the deepest valley</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> You’re still God in the darkest night</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)</span></span></span>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-64041535408807367972011-02-12T16:07:00.003-05:002011-02-12T16:14:03.398-05:00If You Give a Mom a Muffin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vK3_LIvVnGNkEj7COdZo3zgpjEdAkxZaTnmkRn3lQ9GQJ1TkaqDXDhzAW1XhIBsGy_zjnEJjhYbLjZ7HdJGDZAtgYe8Ex7MY8z1JouaLb8hVpZHb4iHygVUCUbZUayZgWsLv/s1600/coffee+muffin.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vK3_LIvVnGNkEj7COdZo3zgpjEdAkxZaTnmkRn3lQ9GQJ1TkaqDXDhzAW1XhIBsGy_zjnEJjhYbLjZ7HdJGDZAtgYe8Ex7MY8z1JouaLb8hVpZHb4iHygVUCUbZUayZgWsLv/s400/coffee+muffin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572914059628829314" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="font-family: georgia;"> <span style=";font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"> If you give a mom a muffin,<br />She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.<br />She'll pour herself some.<br />Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.<br />She'll wipe it up.<br />Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.<br />She'll remember she has to do laundry.<br />When she puts the laundry in the washer,<br />She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.<br />Bumping into the freezer will remind her<br />she has to plan for supper.<br />She will get out a pound of hamburger.<br />She'll look for her cookbook<br />("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").<br />The cookbook is setting under a pile of mail.<br />She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.<br />She will look for her checkbook.<br />The check book is in her purse<br />that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.<br />She'll smell something funny.<br />She'll change the two-year-old's diaper.<br />While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.<br />Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.<br />She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.<br />Thinking of coffee will remind her<br />that she was going to have a cup.<br />And chances are... If she has a cup of coffee,<br />Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it. </span></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia;"> <span style=";font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">~Kathy Fictorie</span></span> </p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-4995970430946707072011-01-21T13:35:00.003-05:002011-01-26T09:56:07.623-05:00Eliana's 1st Piano RecitalEliana started taking piano lessons in November and had her first recital on December 20, 2010. Sorry it's taken me so long to post, but here it is! (The woman playing with her is her instructor.)<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxYlPnuAEaUnmjyjRyMSlDrC-xMcNThPUEAfYhNrS1bGIsCCWU_G9gNSkkEytZPsW3oqVOYV8FWMN0' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-42221213751356137562010-12-23T17:00:00.000-05:002010-12-24T17:20:49.080-05:00Stylish and Medicinal: A Winning Combination!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi246ojid6aDMvCMPbJHX_tOpPz8w0FIXZjIph6bFefVIAP-_HGxyUz_B3SURP3LZdOgPXDD6lKvWxdzDLD0NyI5Baw2-EPNqAKlpDa1KOeSb59Nh5AboYq4aZS07V7PBsvcxar/s1600/PC073791.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi246ojid6aDMvCMPbJHX_tOpPz8w0FIXZjIph6bFefVIAP-_HGxyUz_B3SURP3LZdOgPXDD6lKvWxdzDLD0NyI5Baw2-EPNqAKlpDa1KOeSb59Nh5AboYq4aZS07V7PBsvcxar/s400/PC073791.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554372494325172146" border="0" /></a>So, check out this nasty batch of eczema! Poor baby! Hosea had this on his chest for 2 months straight. I finally looked at some hazelwood necklaces from <a href="http://hyenacart.com/inspiredbyfinn/">Inspired by Finn</a>. According to the website:<br /><p class="MsoBodyText2" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoBodyText2" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hazelwood is an ancient remedy first used by aboriginal people -- It has the medicinal property of neutralizing the body's acidity.</span></p> <p style="font-family: serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p> <p style="font-family: serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">It relieves or prevents ailments such as ulcers, acid reflux, heartburn, skin problems (psoriasis, eczema, acne), arthritis, constipation, migraines, sensitive & bleeding gums, helps reduce dental cavities and more. These necklaces are a great remedy for heartburn and nausea during pregnancy!</span></span></p></blockquote><p style="font-family: serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></p>I figured, at best, it might help him. At worst, it's fashionable. So we gave it a try. I'll let the before and after shots speak for themselves. The "after" picture was taken a little less than 24 hours after he began wearing the necklace.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">BEFORE:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KHraHyYe8rrzxkU1iR_0NhKHiT7CKtXigt4gmPp386KgpTZNeNQ4VciP9aLvULMaoy0urNe4w2ACpVHX1_SXarfo63zggSs6OVfjJS4evebtQyD4muZvw3pOk1kGWEgWl4l-/s1600/PC073793.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KHraHyYe8rrzxkU1iR_0NhKHiT7CKtXigt4gmPp386KgpTZNeNQ4VciP9aLvULMaoy0urNe4w2ACpVHX1_SXarfo63zggSs6OVfjJS4evebtQyD4muZvw3pOk1kGWEgWl4l-/s400/PC073793.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554372457614536578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />AFTER:<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAOc-jKnpIFyBTMnWIp8k7MdApDhjpSQT0weRrWWvSLAUdkuxXlhWVLIYICe2ED7uACNE2sFXTw-GKsLxIdh0veU4ppwkBiDQi7RK3FC28U2ajyBjIEp4wINdwgWHGQjNaod-/s1600/PC173804.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAOc-jKnpIFyBTMnWIp8k7MdApDhjpSQT0weRrWWvSLAUdkuxXlhWVLIYICe2ED7uACNE2sFXTw-GKsLxIdh0veU4ppwkBiDQi7RK3FC28U2ajyBjIEp4wINdwgWHGQjNaod-/s400/PC173804.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554372504497802802" border="0" /></a>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-5743466118024738602010-12-03T09:13:00.005-05:002010-12-03T09:32:21.466-05:00Ever!: The New Exclamatory<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj081KpdpPk66bOFujUGY_mmtjC3BWYTDVl1tVgr-6ofpG08wNhBB_YThCSLxXYY0lE-h7ug1TJqfex8zlEvR8MhU1xy_IOEue5FPr_-8DxcAMW4fDaEW6fhvaQDKZPwLNeqCWo/s1600/PA032901.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546463055350688354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj081KpdpPk66bOFujUGY_mmtjC3BWYTDVl1tVgr-6ofpG08wNhBB_YThCSLxXYY0lE-h7ug1TJqfex8zlEvR8MhU1xy_IOEue5FPr_-8DxcAMW4fDaEW6fhvaQDKZPwLNeqCWo/s200/PA032901.JPG" /></a> Do you ever find yourself saying something to your children like, "Don't ever (fill in the blank) again," with the emphasis on "ever"? Yeah, so do I. Sometimes I even add an extra "ever" on the end to convey the true finality for this particular wrongdoing. So then, perhaps it goes something like this, "Don't <em>ever</em> do that again. Ever."<br /><div></div><br /><div>In another startling realization that my children do actually listen, I have had this little word repeated back to me (and the rest of the family) a lot recently. However, the exact meaning has gotten a bit lost in translation. You see, little Anastasia, in her ever increasing state of drama, has really caught onto this word as a catch-all exclamatory to be used when needing to add emphasis of any kind to any statement, which, when you're two, is every other sentence. For instance, the first words spoken to me this morning were, "They took my box EVER!" Other examples include, "I need milk EVER!" "They made me sad EVER!" and, "Abijawbahnakiwudana EVER!"</div><br /><div>I know I'm not helping matters, but sometimes when she comes to tell or ask me something I can't help but ask, "Ever?" just to hear her so sincerely answer, "Yes." I even admit to having fun trying out this new exclamatory in some of my own statements. The nonsensicalness of it really does add great emotional emphasis.</div><br /><div>So, next time you're at a loss for just the right thing to say to drive home a point with real passion, give "ever" a try. Anastasia says it works great EVER!</div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-8520502087099094552010-09-08T15:03:00.007-04:002010-09-08T16:00:29.721-04:00Letter to Hosea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6sRejZvaE6wPzSEqIrAxt6Rfy43Q9YVzWSnHHQu-SqN9Vg_LUV8ZK7eU0Wg1JFrybcj6B_E0yVj-R_9Xhll8E2I24bztT6oViwyiO0kR5YSknTtWsVLLt_LXXnj41hacOpV8/s1600/IMG_1804.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6sRejZvaE6wPzSEqIrAxt6Rfy43Q9YVzWSnHHQu-SqN9Vg_LUV8ZK7eU0Wg1JFrybcj6B_E0yVj-R_9Xhll8E2I24bztT6oViwyiO0kR5YSknTtWsVLLt_LXXnj41hacOpV8/s320/IMG_1804.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514632557999411234" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >My precious baby boy,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >As I again find myself captivated by your tiny body in my arms I am struck once more by God's goodness to me. I am a mother--a mother!--and you, a priceless treasure, are my son. I cannot look upon you without feeling blessed to be in this moment, and, at the same time, I almost feel as if I can see the future. I am living tomorrow's memory.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I pray that someday these tiny lips of yours will sing God's praises.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >But today they are puckered so sweetly in sleep.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I pray that your cheeks will one day know the roughness of stubble, as you grow and mature in body and in spirit.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >But today their softness begs to be caressed.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I pray that your mind will be stretched by amazing truths concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and His creation.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >But your sucking right now reveals that, for now, your mind is mostly concerned with dreaming of your next meal!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I pray that your eyes will one day behold a God-fearing woman joyously walking down the aisle to be your bride.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >But today, you only have eyes for me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I pray that your strong arms will one day hold my grandchildren.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >But today your arms are rolling with baby fat.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I pray that your hands will build up, restore, strengthen and encourage all with which they work.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >But today your tiny fingers are wrapped around my thumb.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I pray that your grown legs will support you well as you labor in this life.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >But today your legs only kick in the cutest bicycle-pedaling sort of way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I pray that your feet will know the toughness that comes with good use, as you follow where God leads.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >But today I find these little feet and toes to be the most kissable things ever!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I pray that you will one day be a strong, God-honoring leader for your family, that our Lord would be pleased to use you to pass on the light of the Gospel to the next generation.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >But today...today you are my baby.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >And today is a blessing.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >With everlasting love,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Your blessed mother</span>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-73235474777366316232010-08-30T17:34:00.004-04:002010-08-30T18:03:51.443-04:00A New Blog is Born!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEfLkDpJ6CcU_JDvef1EKeDA4iwlqULrLR19dQfLyZGo-ALkcNNeWYwLQ9PCgw7N6SN63HIyBKkMZoFGHAVbbbekh_2D8EVX6APuAkyfdtydPxxpNr2b5DqBuZNFLW0qTHPMw/s1600/P7232634.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEfLkDpJ6CcU_JDvef1EKeDA4iwlqULrLR19dQfLyZGo-ALkcNNeWYwLQ9PCgw7N6SN63HIyBKkMZoFGHAVbbbekh_2D8EVX6APuAkyfdtydPxxpNr2b5DqBuZNFLW0qTHPMw/s320/P7232634.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511326843968238418" border="0" /></a><br />I am excited to announce the creation of my new blog, <a href="http://randomthoughtsbyevangeline.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Random Thoughts by Evangeline & Co.</span></a>, which I intend to be an archive of entertaining questions and statements by and conversations with my children.<br /><br />This blog will still highlight my adventures in motherhood and life in general, so keep checking back. My one-handed, baby-holding typing these days often limits my patience for typing out more thoughtful posts, but I promise to keep it up as life allows.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-37201241699945149492010-07-07T19:59:00.008-04:002010-07-07T21:30:33.987-04:00Presenting...Hosea Christopher!We have a SON! Our newest addition was born Sunday, July 4, at 4:28 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs. and measured 21" long. We praise God for His goodness and faithfulness to us! It was another smooth, gentle birth, and we are all doing well.<br /><br />We have named our firstborn son Hosea Christopher. The name Hosea means "salvation" and is borne by one of the minor prophets of the Old Testament. Hosea declared the Lord's unfailing love for His people, and he called Israel to repent and turn away from the wickedness in which they had entangled themselves. Hosea's own family life reflected God's faithfulness to His unfaithful people.<br /><br />"Christopher" means "bearer of Christ" and is, of course, also husband's name. We pray that our Hosea's life will be a testimony to the good news that "God is salvation" as He bears the name of Christ and remembers God's covenant faithfulness to His people.<br /><br />And now, without further ado, I will share with you some photos from our first days with Hosea:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhFV6KXaWz4NQ1r1ykgzEb0BRi7seRK0p49qzGzpNAXeJlOoIXIfXiDPIWOpLy_h1jR2PC3fpI7ACZHviGC95G8RTiy30x10mxxobuEo6kLL1eYy4i5lIzqEWnCOtVXzj6u0S/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhFV6KXaWz4NQ1r1ykgzEb0BRi7seRK0p49qzGzpNAXeJlOoIXIfXiDPIWOpLy_h1jR2PC3fpI7ACZHviGC95G8RTiy30x10mxxobuEo6kLL1eYy4i5lIzqEWnCOtVXzj6u0S/s320/IMG_1572.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491338544650577506" border="0" /></a>just a few minutes after birth<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZw2PU5nXQ1DyMN-MNvExrokuh_CiAeSqZf3Mn0fibAKrXevMc1qfC14W7YIZEhgsLGbmy1hDsaUpY9f6enRcXxKOS9TSJE6N-fwgVn5IKgEhI0suL77m_Rm2cBlkpqTF7r_F/s1600/P7042407.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZw2PU5nXQ1DyMN-MNvExrokuh_CiAeSqZf3Mn0fibAKrXevMc1qfC14W7YIZEhgsLGbmy1hDsaUpY9f6enRcXxKOS9TSJE6N-fwgVn5IKgEhI0suL77m_Rm2cBlkpqTF7r_F/s320/P7042407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491338534140481170" border="0" /></a>Eliana & Evangeline were eager to hold baby brother.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy29ARcY8grm_xiAVG_dyncDILgh0QpvuKPAIItLiMgrt-Mi9cZZ5GGJvJDJc-Em4gEo78Bm5HQghEyy_AY3T60nYMZMRd0iuLIwyDpd8nJTHnTR9QM6KJ3BC0bTaXGJFSzq0h/s1600/P7042411.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy29ARcY8grm_xiAVG_dyncDILgh0QpvuKPAIItLiMgrt-Mi9cZZ5GGJvJDJc-Em4gEo78Bm5HQghEyy_AY3T60nYMZMRd0iuLIwyDpd8nJTHnTR9QM6KJ3BC0bTaXGJFSzq0h/s320/P7042411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491337248962031026" border="0" /></a>Weighing in at 8 lbs. even!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-J8Pt73rALb_cEfLJogLLuJLNHQPZdmJ5RFLyj314AVK6uX0c1V7K46ClPGXGZDBOd58w6jv1NXIXOHw5kemsfoaU0ON2VtXHai7lfX82sFwZrFtGxDsqpSDU0oPZTYWZCQHg/s1600/P7042416.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-J8Pt73rALb_cEfLJogLLuJLNHQPZdmJ5RFLyj314AVK6uX0c1V7K46ClPGXGZDBOd58w6jv1NXIXOHw5kemsfoaU0ON2VtXHai7lfX82sFwZrFtGxDsqpSDU0oPZTYWZCQHg/s320/P7042416.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491337240259673602" border="0" /></a>Eliana holding her brother for the first time<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeISrWHQ6SRxy3LbvzuRMzDn0dfh_78K9NrbsmgzulQ-BKkq8YA2nlZZq0WLDOrcPri0qvM8lJDQD4cyUcG2vmvLl9jg_asVlIN6IQmhPL5_uOuktkFaDRrU9TpmVCxhR6Q5c/s1600/P7042418.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeISrWHQ6SRxy3LbvzuRMzDn0dfh_78K9NrbsmgzulQ-BKkq8YA2nlZZq0WLDOrcPri0qvM8lJDQD4cyUcG2vmvLl9jg_asVlIN6IQmhPL5_uOuktkFaDRrU9TpmVCxhR6Q5c/s320/P7042418.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491337238420613970" border="0" /></a>Evangeline holding her brother for the first time.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro6BQVWzbqulEbHHd2VZiOcc1VclSh7Wk9TgTj-V3TBbkce5UJrFDp18r-B5A-F6UHBAvJPPMFPQwKYzimuOpe48g2uCee1rDFO8LmxYF-Fn6ijLVS4QPjpkPa_hx6duPChjW/s1600/P7042429.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro6BQVWzbqulEbHHd2VZiOcc1VclSh7Wk9TgTj-V3TBbkce5UJrFDp18r-B5A-F6UHBAvJPPMFPQwKYzimuOpe48g2uCee1rDFO8LmxYF-Fn6ijLVS4QPjpkPa_hx6duPChjW/s320/P7042429.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491337231520898962" border="0" /></a>one of Hosea's first close-ups<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXnzL6n9rw3K1JIakAMJ20pTxMANJabgOHAUghCsK3tDoyH4EbXwJl80-iyicj0xMzZbKOYjv39XTR4N1xJggUoE_1S_1kwSS1M5gHmV6twPnZ4_CsyDifAO1IDrBbEECJK41/s1600/P7052444.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXnzL6n9rw3K1JIakAMJ20pTxMANJabgOHAUghCsK3tDoyH4EbXwJl80-iyicj0xMzZbKOYjv39XTR4N1xJggUoE_1S_1kwSS1M5gHmV6twPnZ4_CsyDifAO1IDrBbEECJK41/s320/P7052444.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491337225787746146" border="0" /></a>Anastasia holding her brother for the first time.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rcLS-6g4TQqHZCaFUIJvD4BegHHIey-BCBU4pZHulnyb_EDpnwkOHjHmprDLUi5eiGbuttW9psjAQxrxZJfPP8DjabrsOz2K9PamvOQ3eMNKgZuS8PMklSvwkpGVFZ3LRdrG/s1600/P7052454.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rcLS-6g4TQqHZCaFUIJvD4BegHHIey-BCBU4pZHulnyb_EDpnwkOHjHmprDLUi5eiGbuttW9psjAQxrxZJfPP8DjabrsOz2K9PamvOQ3eMNKgZuS8PMklSvwkpGVFZ3LRdrG/s320/P7052454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491335599106786866" border="0" /></a>exploring the outdoors<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfc-Rv_sdyDuktxeJzj0njnSDuT89zOy-tWFYO8hwBpFZ93KfiCJ_HBnrBVDzoD1OivWgw_M7QEpL7q0u7OPUac0rPcPfCuX87ZYxVEDwznNI8GyskhzF9oUlE0CPCq7egRy6/s1600/P7052451.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfc-Rv_sdyDuktxeJzj0njnSDuT89zOy-tWFYO8hwBpFZ93KfiCJ_HBnrBVDzoD1OivWgw_M7QEpL7q0u7OPUac0rPcPfCuX87ZYxVEDwznNI8GyskhzF9oUlE0CPCq7egRy6/s320/P7052451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491335606112240226" border="0" /></a>Mommy & her SON!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimb7dhmD-RzXXTL-Gu_hYHOr3c0pCCHKF9laYK_oB6-D8begLPkhSsQ1SAezPEl0wmir6xE6h3Splwov-3aXIokoodY17sWDK8wBBq73fCNFrNd7b_HfCFf5TrtChgfHgCSxl6/s1600/P7052478.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimb7dhmD-RzXXTL-Gu_hYHOr3c0pCCHKF9laYK_oB6-D8begLPkhSsQ1SAezPEl0wmir6xE6h3Splwov-3aXIokoodY17sWDK8wBBq73fCNFrNd7b_HfCFf5TrtChgfHgCSxl6/s320/P7052478.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491335589720642034" border="0" /></a>Hosea taking a bath with eyes open!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pdK6wsX_ggFxsQpBdRyH_8HqjZ4MfV3vryOPe2nyFLeQQHLqiO34VsMLZKXWeNtj_AhT5Tj2Fvfj9CREZSpQAVK1KpR7YjFcZz76sw1aSC6qxgcnkomrYgpVZa1-3AwiStdU/s1600/P7072501.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pdK6wsX_ggFxsQpBdRyH_8HqjZ4MfV3vryOPe2nyFLeQQHLqiO34VsMLZKXWeNtj_AhT5Tj2Fvfj9CREZSpQAVK1KpR7YjFcZz76sw1aSC6qxgcnkomrYgpVZa1-3AwiStdU/s320/P7072501.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491335582910183522" border="0" /></a>napping<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3_jD7d7iOCqy4mdUW9Jzf_LMjTu8_NzBSpVTJ_quZhCXsyTF0x-KByqb6vhFAdWI59TbNaG9U15Q9ETLIrzsVXJvxk0Xhgw-0QbxkkMaF_Wbdh8Zh_pNN2KR3ZDAyrgLIcbi/s1600/P7072519.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3_jD7d7iOCqy4mdUW9Jzf_LMjTu8_NzBSpVTJ_quZhCXsyTF0x-KByqb6vhFAdWI59TbNaG9U15Q9ETLIrzsVXJvxk0Xhgw-0QbxkkMaF_Wbdh8Zh_pNN2KR3ZDAyrgLIcbi/s320/P7072519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491335573295871682" border="0" /></a>the proud father<br /><br /></div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-51179224870576266622010-06-29T14:43:00.001-04:002010-06-29T14:48:08.540-04:00Sisters<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZjYyl3WmO8DSFAKa_P_8Sd_vzYIxqBExrpH1FaqHETpep4eRg4ZaFX52bKqb87wZD1m4zTOoXDM9DSfyhUyOIKWK1QzAzf8cWEx1D618uhW5iK0xgrGEs1zQZa21trP1bLqS/s1600/IMG_1515.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZjYyl3WmO8DSFAKa_P_8Sd_vzYIxqBExrpH1FaqHETpep4eRg4ZaFX52bKqb87wZD1m4zTOoXDM9DSfyhUyOIKWK1QzAzf8cWEx1D618uhW5iK0xgrGEs1zQZa21trP1bLqS/s320/IMG_1515.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488269205196952786" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTi5HHdLapKUGKsJERYXwntsXtxZfJCPoIyQypehjAeUqJTsfnDK4yQfJpPuNEbvLU-Rct-MlTefJBAjRKPIWWVotNOQ4RBFNBI21Jd6F7ljt9NpZ7vXbzvZc9QoHGmqA6fzLq/s1600/IMG_1490.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTi5HHdLapKUGKsJERYXwntsXtxZfJCPoIyQypehjAeUqJTsfnDK4yQfJpPuNEbvLU-Rct-MlTefJBAjRKPIWWVotNOQ4RBFNBI21Jd6F7ljt9NpZ7vXbzvZc9QoHGmqA6fzLq/s320/IMG_1490.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488269198082861026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JYCVzZ1PyUgFyWvctOMUkrSgOJdhGkY8Gx7KqJr6k-VDgK1PT0xTQJfqt9AEO1pIbh475Sk18cCpHkUD9vAdWwxIXxRHZsXP3p5NwN5P5IztFgPbMk3XdolBrZErJprVVplM/s1600/IMG_1500.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JYCVzZ1PyUgFyWvctOMUkrSgOJdhGkY8Gx7KqJr6k-VDgK1PT0xTQJfqt9AEO1pIbh475Sk18cCpHkUD9vAdWwxIXxRHZsXP3p5NwN5P5IztFgPbMk3XdolBrZErJprVVplM/s320/IMG_1500.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488269189258203618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-Lg-yzUn8soJMvAEl4qG5nxjMEKAg6fzOTlg-CD9xMsq0y1nwnJovHg3XGJBR7eO4OaJiAuHytToTMGip2l5kFLnFnDMRXoyfLr1DJ1LPUuG5Z-DvIJL_9a_i913_AZTRq0v/s1600/IMG_1474.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-Lg-yzUn8soJMvAEl4qG5nxjMEKAg6fzOTlg-CD9xMsq0y1nwnJovHg3XGJBR7eO4OaJiAuHytToTMGip2l5kFLnFnDMRXoyfLr1DJ1LPUuG5Z-DvIJL_9a_i913_AZTRq0v/s320/IMG_1474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488269178717862914" border="0" /></a>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-47029245754674230862010-06-11T07:00:00.001-04:002010-06-11T07:00:04.362-04:00Now Entering the Baby Zone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEwls8jN9GN-hlFNHStUNMjsKMj67xEPl8ACR7z-Vys2hkAkS0lrsVJWGRMaXJn0Hv1mhyphenhyphenWLFs1tHg1R9EUsZiK5FmlrtbPYn5dSF-t4mxKdf9sqluIts0YWSGksG1kESn0DQ/s1600/P5302250.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEwls8jN9GN-hlFNHStUNMjsKMj67xEPl8ACR7z-Vys2hkAkS0lrsVJWGRMaXJn0Hv1mhyphenhyphenWLFs1tHg1R9EUsZiK5FmlrtbPYn5dSF-t4mxKdf9sqluIts0YWSGksG1kESn0DQ/s320/P5302250.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481349053081818290" border="0" /></a><br />It's hard to believe in some ways, but baby #4 is considered "term" today (i.e. 37 weeks, or 3 weeks before my arbitrary "due date"), which means we are cleared for take-off whenever he/she decides to make his/her appearance over the next, oh, 5 or so weeks.<br /><br />You know what that means! It's time to submit your guesses. When do you think baby will be born? Do you have a hunch about the gender? Think you know how much the baby will weigh? If you already have your answer ready, go ahead and leave it in the comments.<br /><br />For those of you analytical thinkers (who like to make guesses based upon what is often inconsistent and irrelevant data) here are some answers to the most common questions I get from those trying to make an "educated" guess:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you feel any differently this time compared to your previous 3 pregnancies?</span> Umm...yes and no. And for that matter, I would pretty much say the same thing when comparing those 3 pregnancies to each other. Some similarities. Some differences. I've had varying degrees of nausea in the first trimester with each pregnancy, though I will say that I've had occasional stages of tummy sensitivities and heartburn throughout my pregnancy only this time. And so what if I have felt a little more tired and hormonal this time--I have 3 kids! I think that gets more and more true with each passing pregnancy. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Are you carrying any differently this time compared to your previous 3 pregnancies?</span> Yes and no. Sorry, I know I'm not being very helpful. I am "all baby" again, but I am carrying lower this time than ever before. Then again, that could have something to do with that business about this being my 4th baby and my abdominal muscle being split down the middle...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.) </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">When (gestationally speaking) were your other babies born?</span> Our firstborn came 15 days before her Estimated Due Date (EDD). The second and third were both born 2 days before their respective EDDs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.) </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">How much did your other babies weigh?</span> 7 pounds. No, that's not an average. They have each been exactly 7 lbs. or 7 lbs. 1 oz., which is really just a difference of who peed on me more before having their measurements taken. And keep in mind, that's even with a significant difference in gestation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you have a "feeling" as to what the baby's gender is?</span> No, and I'm really <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> kept up at night wondering about it, as some seem to think. I truly enjoy the open possibilities of the unknown and the anticipation of our big surprise. We'll be finding out pretty soon now!<br /><br />As an added bonus, for those of you "visual" guessers, the pictures in this post were taken about 2 weeks ago. Okay, it's time to comment if you'd like to guess!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFkCqldB6diU9YvHTYfovTcRZEvdMRXAWJIUjlnsH42__CqaoNJl8u2IyYGbbi0rFFLD22bqBiVJ6R0TCRM1pGNXC7K9pOS9CN0z2JXxFVO2PVZQ6ulEAyM_veKrjg8xW9nWZ/s1600/P5302253.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFkCqldB6diU9YvHTYfovTcRZEvdMRXAWJIUjlnsH42__CqaoNJl8u2IyYGbbi0rFFLD22bqBiVJ6R0TCRM1pGNXC7K9pOS9CN0z2JXxFVO2PVZQ6ulEAyM_veKrjg8xW9nWZ/s320/P5302253.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481349045850811042" border="0" /></a>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-49925488757747518982010-05-13T13:34:00.004-04:002010-05-13T13:56:05.462-04:00Protecting Midwifery Care in TN<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tennesseebirthcoalition.org/files/linksimgp8700-1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 518px;" src="http://tennesseebirthcoalition.org/files/linksimgp8700-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>My friend <a href="http://birthunbound.blogspot.com/">Toni</a> has made me aware of a new grassroots organization in Tennessee working to fight back against some recently drafted regulations that could limit Tennessee families' access to evidenced-based maternity care (i.e. midwifery care). Check out the <a href="http://tennesseebirthcoalition.org/">Tennessee Birth Coalition's website</a> to read more about the goals of this organization and to find out how you can get involved.<br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-size:14px;" ></span>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-54456966800598528022010-04-21T15:54:00.004-04:002010-04-21T17:21:45.475-04:00Anastasia Ushers in the Terrific Twos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLgOPsjjS29LKduXcwL7IvJpWJz6d3BkXcHccI2V8SG4wuJgN3JjMIuUvI4F8QtDQhIyggTvU4xdutF4LvKOQNeqIof3tnuo54UH363jze4Wn7jVhz3XbfzB4FVL8AbIObGxY/s1600/IMG_1296.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLgOPsjjS29LKduXcwL7IvJpWJz6d3BkXcHccI2V8SG4wuJgN3JjMIuUvI4F8QtDQhIyggTvU4xdutF4LvKOQNeqIof3tnuo54UH363jze4Wn7jVhz3XbfzB4FVL8AbIObGxY/s320/IMG_1296.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462688477345242402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_94tOyzgaMTh1Czg49cu-yLQMnOx9RkDtKvlhBAFI64J9U4wDEKmzAuaaqJM3u4X_8XM63xLTwjzwu1rsMCv6OWaR1-5vGQMLw8fKCJze1uXjx3dqcrbOfKq0C5YwMiBCFwxQ/s1600/IMG_1273.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_94tOyzgaMTh1Czg49cu-yLQMnOx9RkDtKvlhBAFI64J9U4wDEKmzAuaaqJM3u4X_8XM63xLTwjzwu1rsMCv6OWaR1-5vGQMLw8fKCJze1uXjx3dqcrbOfKq0C5YwMiBCFwxQ/s320/IMG_1273.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462695487411755330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1Xm-IILJN7Zwc08H9POhgLDiaxTelQNeo7v71-g8-ZF71fE9aaxFk_bQ1uGnTWnp5z3OjH3PNigXMvqzIazWJAVKo-VPMoSVLeeU5_qbRLSJqTZE9K-e14xtwRYUQ9sKQmAc/s1600/IMG_1313.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1Xm-IILJN7Zwc08H9POhgLDiaxTelQNeo7v71-g8-ZF71fE9aaxFk_bQ1uGnTWnp5z3OjH3PNigXMvqzIazWJAVKo-VPMoSVLeeU5_qbRLSJqTZE9K-e14xtwRYUQ9sKQmAc/s320/IMG_1313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462688364152573170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgp6ITEIiPH6cQv9_z3GaiMjxj6QWYpvMtQbE4W8V7HbySd9tknRnL-dZkPlLYlc848qcP79Os-5cdg8u_WneBKPqAZd1eqsXbsX9NkI2JbRhaegbp7gRAgKcr618otggcmFYe/s1600/IMG_1348.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgp6ITEIiPH6cQv9_z3GaiMjxj6QWYpvMtQbE4W8V7HbySd9tknRnL-dZkPlLYlc848qcP79Os-5cdg8u_WneBKPqAZd1eqsXbsX9NkI2JbRhaegbp7gRAgKcr618otggcmFYe/s320/IMG_1348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462688433416864882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2gd7EGTj1fGMRsZN45BJlAnlOtfMjdaybu4VySIKO9NreT1_bgjRnXlFXmKTulKb4zc_yXtgH_4JQMrkDxXIBDBUcBIlRsmdnoNyHmks4zq7arc7JV46kUQvs4N_TwpBGcwx/s1600/IMG_1328.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2gd7EGTj1fGMRsZN45BJlAnlOtfMjdaybu4VySIKO9NreT1_bgjRnXlFXmKTulKb4zc_yXtgH_4JQMrkDxXIBDBUcBIlRsmdnoNyHmks4zq7arc7JV46kUQvs4N_TwpBGcwx/s320/IMG_1328.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462686105707110418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT1th8OvY85420xal8-mGYVd2j4-TD85lZIYQ_JP12d6jZsOrShNMVltNW71s7rddEimo4Lk8KRbSaFbqX4YlzjXvnlaH5CL2BvIQ7SChdmk3Bmmq8Ve9nXvahHRxL7UWq1Nf/s1600/IMG_1280.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT1th8OvY85420xal8-mGYVd2j4-TD85lZIYQ_JP12d6jZsOrShNMVltNW71s7rddEimo4Lk8KRbSaFbqX4YlzjXvnlaH5CL2BvIQ7SChdmk3Bmmq8Ve9nXvahHRxL7UWq1Nf/s320/IMG_1280.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462686070803502130" border="0" /></a>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-71612708849263226792010-04-15T15:24:00.004-04:002010-12-03T17:34:07.500-05:00Birth Unbound<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPRa7xyGPgJ6owIFbGHImnHFFiVk_ayByDa_JWEWYeYQGmd4mTkkxRGpcynxdgSjeUbOqSdbV2w2udIxiz077xOPMbUfv2UFIt8OGQlESU1p4IKLcdMlsnGlWQLw8OWRzM0yM/s1600/Toni.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 220px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 146px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460447930218978274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPRa7xyGPgJ6owIFbGHImnHFFiVk_ayByDa_JWEWYeYQGmd4mTkkxRGpcynxdgSjeUbOqSdbV2w2udIxiz077xOPMbUfv2UFIt8OGQlESU1p4IKLcdMlsnGlWQLw8OWRzM0yM/s400/Toni.jpg" /></a><br />Here's a shout out to Toni Payne, a dear friend and fellow childbirth educator and doula. Toni lives in the Chattanooga, TN/North Georgia area and recently started a new blog about childbirth called <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Birth Unbound</span>. Check it out at: <a href="http://birthunbound.blogspot.com/">http://birthunbound.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />I'm still working on updating my own blog. Thanks to those of you who have let me know you're still out there and have encouraged me to keep it up! I have managed to back-post about my business, so feel free to scroll down and take a look. More is coming, so hang in there with me!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-72853525632109412582010-04-12T16:46:00.003-04:002010-04-12T17:33:48.608-04:00Been waiting for an update?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXX52uNM0zVtsGeNmr7qvPZKqnDzTGeGrVeRBIuu8BXfzSjIQFLiBX1ueleguKyyiVSme_sKQgluz1XP5OvAbROC8LI71IknlsNM9ouELk47IlrT0Lkk__ut6v1n00ocIugLG/s1600/IMG_1189.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXX52uNM0zVtsGeNmr7qvPZKqnDzTGeGrVeRBIuu8BXfzSjIQFLiBX1ueleguKyyiVSme_sKQgluz1XP5OvAbROC8LI71IknlsNM9ouELk47IlrT0Lkk__ut6v1n00ocIugLG/s320/IMG_1189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459356210068318722" border="0" /></a><br />Hello, dear readers! Should any of you be out there still holding out hope for my blog I want to let you know that I am still here and I apologize for the lack of posts in, well...a really long time.<br /><br />This has been such an incredibly busy season of life for us--busier than I think it's ever been before! I've had a lot to post about, but somehow I kept getting behind on <span style="font-style: italic;">actually posting it</span>. So, here you go. Spring is here, I have lots of pics and updates I want to share with you, and the blog is back on my radar. I'm going to try to catch up and back-post a little over the next few weeks, so keep your eyes open for new updates. In the meantime, you can enjoy the above picture taken of our Evangeline while waiting for this year's Easter egg hunt to begin. More pics to come soon!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-66070917044933066962010-01-31T15:00:00.002-05:002010-04-15T15:42:49.953-04:00Oasis Birth Services, LLC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_MY9dLev7wdTX0ZZ-cpjsox1hDN2ECKT3MkFOitNTO0vec2SEeTiKmTy6pidiOMEhEIgtGxrUZNf2wnASbiLM2SDXuWTAIo8x2pPXkzHwoqqF6RFtE0PffpWBx344C8AhMSr/s1600/look-into-my-eye-water-lily.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_MY9dLev7wdTX0ZZ-cpjsox1hDN2ECKT3MkFOitNTO0vec2SEeTiKmTy6pidiOMEhEIgtGxrUZNf2wnASbiLM2SDXuWTAIo8x2pPXkzHwoqqF6RFtE0PffpWBx344C8AhMSr/s320/look-into-my-eye-water-lily.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460444640066115234" border="0" /></a><br />As of January 1, 2010, my business, Oasis Birth Services, LLC, is registered in the state of Ohio! I am really enjoying the work I do as a birth doula and a childbirth educator, and business is really picking up! If you haven't seen it yet, check out my website at: <a href="http://www.oasisbirth.com/">http://www.oasisbirth.com</a>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-76218516128073940172009-12-19T21:53:00.002-05:002009-12-19T22:01:02.455-05:00Good Things Come in Small Packages<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://assets.babycenter.com/ims/2007/10oct/20071004/12-lime.jpg?width=424&height=302&pad=true"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 424px; height: 302px;" src="http://assets.babycenter.com/ims/2007/10oct/20071004/12-lime.jpg?width=424&height=302&pad=true" alt="" border="0" /></a>Yesterday marked 12 weeks completed in a new pregnancy. Our new baby is now about the size of a lime and quickly working on outgrowing even that magnificent achievement.<br /><br />We thank God for this new life He has created and hope that you will rejoice and pray with us as we anticipate with great eagerness the arrival of the newest member of our family (probably around the end of June).Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-13079581060774594772009-11-17T14:54:00.003-05:002009-11-17T15:04:19.237-05:00"Taking the Birthing World by Calm"Want to learn more about calm, gentle birthing with HypnoBirthing (the childbirth education method I teach and personally use)? This video gives a good overview:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v536xaNBMh4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v536xaNBMh4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25201450.post-51980001251811779922009-10-15T12:02:00.003-04:002009-10-15T12:08:25.056-04:00The Sweetest Kiss<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtW_EEs7HPouuWFGmVxZFfXNQVPKYO72nRgDepkaemsmKYhnFVBfeoWpkYAtQLRLOgWnLtRSnzhJPXaL7JOqQAe94ap1j9LaEzY2Vu6Lvdttr9z_F0r2HyabObFKKm358sjG0/s1600-h/P9120139.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtW_EEs7HPouuWFGmVxZFfXNQVPKYO72nRgDepkaemsmKYhnFVBfeoWpkYAtQLRLOgWnLtRSnzhJPXaL7JOqQAe94ap1j9LaEzY2Vu6Lvdttr9z_F0r2HyabObFKKm358sjG0/s320/P9120139.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392857863347651618" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eliana:</span> Mom, if I hold my lips out in the air, what am I kissing?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me:</span> Umm...the air?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eliana:</span> But, Mom! How can I kiss God? I want to hug Him and kiss Him!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02772006009751406575noreply@blogger.com1