As Long As You Are Glorified

Lyrics

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

If You Give a Mom a Muffin

If you give a mom a muffin,
She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her
she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook
("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").
The cookbook is setting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse
that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two-year-old's diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her
that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are... If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

~Kathy Fictorie

Eliana's 1st Piano Recital

Eliana 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.)

Stylish and Medicinal: A Winning Combination!

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 Inspired by Finn. According to the website:

Hazelwood is an ancient remedy first used by aboriginal people -- It has the medicinal property of neutralizing the body's acidity.

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!

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.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Ever!: The New Exclamatory

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 ever do that again. Ever."

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!"

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.

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!

Letter to Hosea

My precious baby boy,

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.

I pray that someday these tiny lips of yours will sing God's praises.
But today they are puckered so sweetly in sleep.

I pray that your cheeks will one day know the roughness of stubble, as you grow and mature in body and in spirit.
But today their softness begs to be caressed.

I pray that your mind will be stretched by amazing truths concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and His creation.
But your sucking right now reveals that, for now, your mind is mostly concerned with dreaming of your next meal!

I pray that your eyes will one day behold a God-fearing woman joyously walking down the aisle to be your bride.
But today, you only have eyes for me.

I pray that your strong arms will one day hold my grandchildren.
But today your arms are rolling with baby fat.

I pray that your hands will build up, restore, strengthen and encourage all with which they work.
But today your tiny fingers are wrapped around my thumb.

I pray that your grown legs will support you well as you labor in this life.
But today your legs only kick in the cutest bicycle-pedaling sort of way.

I pray that your feet will know the toughness that comes with good use, as you follow where God leads.
But today I find these little feet and toes to be the most kissable things ever!

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.
But today...today you are my baby.

And today is a blessing.

With everlasting love,
Your blessed mother

A New Blog is Born!

I am excited to announce the creation of my new blog, Random Thoughts by Evangeline & Co., which I intend to be an archive of entertaining questions and statements by and conversations with my children.

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.

Presenting...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.

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.

"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.

And now, without further ado, I will share with you some photos from our first days with Hosea:

just a few minutes after birth

Eliana & Evangeline were eager to hold baby brother.

Weighing in at 8 lbs. even!

Eliana holding her brother for the first time

Evangeline holding her brother for the first time.

one of Hosea's first close-ups

Anastasia holding her brother for the first time.

exploring the outdoors

Mommy & her SON!

Hosea taking a bath with eyes open!

napping

the proud father

Sisters

Now Entering the Baby Zone

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.

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.

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:

1.) Do you feel any differently this time compared to your previous 3 pregnancies? 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. :)

2.) Are you carrying any differently this time compared to your previous 3 pregnancies? 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...

3.) When (gestationally speaking) were your other babies born? Our firstborn came 15 days before her Estimated Due Date (EDD). The second and third were both born 2 days before their respective EDDs.

4.) How much did your other babies weigh? 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.

5.) Do you have a "feeling" as to what the baby's gender is? No, and I'm really not 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!

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!

Protecting Midwifery Care in TN

My friend Toni 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 Tennessee Birth Coalition's website to read more about the goals of this organization and to find out how you can get involved.

Anastasia Ushers in the Terrific Twos

Birth Unbound

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 Birth Unbound. Check it out at: http://birthunbound.blogspot.com/

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!

Been waiting for an update?

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.

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 actually posting it. 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!

Oasis Birth Services, LLC

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: http://www.oasisbirth.com

Good Things Come in Small Packages

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.

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).

"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:

The Sweetest Kiss

Eliana: Mom, if I hold my lips out in the air, what am I kissing?
Me: Umm...the air?
Eliana: But, Mom! How can I kiss God? I want to hug Him and kiss Him!

Childhood Imponderables: Astronomy

Astronomy fascinates me. I even used to dream of becoming an astronaut one day. My girls have started showing some interest lately in the celestial bodies, probably because we've had a few too many late nights recently.

It started last week as we were coming out of Target. When we had entered the store, there was still daylight. When we left, it was night. Eliana and Evangeline had a great time marveling together that they were in space!

Eliana and I have been having a lot of conversations lately about different time zones around the world, and I've been attempting to explain to her that it is not the sun which moves around us, but it is we that keep spinning around while we circle the sun. I can't quite seem to fully convince her that I'm not kidding, but the wheels are definitely turning.

On the way home from church tonight Eliana, who was evidently star-gazing in the back seat, asked me, "Do you know why the stars don't fall to the ground?" I just thought that was so precious.

A short while later, as I was getting Evangeline into her pajamas at home, I was asked, "Is the sun asleep? Is it tired? Is it with its mommy and daddy sun?" Precious!

And then there's Anastasia. As we got out the car tonight I tried to turn her attention upwards. This was actually more difficult than it sounds because she was busy pointing to all of the neighborhood lights. When she did finally notice the glitter-plastered night sky, however, she was happy to point out all of those wonders to me, too. Precious!

Every time I think on the greatness and majesty of the universe I cannot help but be awestruck over and over again at God's greatness and majesty! After all, if this is the creation, who can even begin to imagine the full glory of the Creator! What a precious hope we have in Jesus Christ, that one day we, God's children, will meet this Creator face to face and be welcomed as sons and daughters and heirs with Christ!

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

A Message for Daddy