Liam has never been a great sleeper. He’s never been one to sleep through the night. It’s been a struggle trying to remedy the problem… but nothing seemed to work. He never slept well in his crib… so when we brought Nadia home, instead of buying another crib for her, we put Nadia in Liam’s crib and opted to transition Liam into a toddler bed instead… even though he had just turned one. The toddler bed worked better than the crib… but his sleep pattern still wasn’t great. About a month ago, we decided our 17 month old boy might do better if he had more room to move, so we just got him an adult sized bed. I bought the cutest monkey and banana sheets/comforter set on target.com and the first night it worked like magic! When Cheyenne and I woke up the next morning, we were stunned that neither of us had gotten up with him in the night. It’s been about a month now, and Liam has never slept better! If we had known that a big bed with monkey and banana sheets was the solution, we would have gotten it a long time ago!
Nadia cracks me up. For some reason, she’s loves blowing bubbles. She blows rain showers of spit constantly… and as disgusting as it is, I can’t do anything but laugh.
In an effort to lose weight, take advantage of the perfect weather, and expose my kids to the sunshine… I’m trying to get into a daily routine of walking. I’ve gained 40-50 pounds since the loss of my parents and I’ve decided the excuse of grieving has gone on long enough. I’m sick of looking in the mirror and wondering who that person is… so the effort to lose weight has officially begun. I’ve lost 10 pounds in the past 2 weeks by changing just about everything about my eating habits. Besides walking and pushing two kiddos… I’ve completely cut out cokes and caffeine. For those of you who know me, that’s saying a lot!!! I’ve also quit the daily fast food run which somehow became a bad habit of mine. And I’m looking at the nutritional labels on everything I eat. I’ve never done that before… so it’s quite an eye opener. I debated about whether or not to post this… but decided posting it would only push me to work harder and not give up since your eyes will be watching to see if the pounds continue to fall off. Somehow I don’t think losing the weight will be as easy… or fun… as it was to gain.
Liam and Nadia were dedicated at church this past Sunday (5.18.08). They were supposed to be dedicated on Mother’s Day the week before, but we were still recouperating from being sick. It was a beautiful day and the kids looked so cute. You can’t tell in this picture, but their initials were monogrammed on the front of their outfits. Nadia kicked off one of her shoes during the dedication and Liam cried up until the point we got on stage… but we sweated our way through it… and it was a success! Then, in the hastiness of trying to pack two kiddos and two bags outside after it was over and then trying to meet up with family… we left Liam and Nadia’s Certificates of Dedication under the chairs in the sanctuary. So we have no documentation that they were dedicated… but at least that doesn’t matter to God! He knows these babies are His… and we know it too!
I don’t know what it is about watching a baby eat… but it is so amusing. The video of Liam was taken on 5.09.08 when he was starting to feel better after his “episode”. He hadn’t been eating much… so I gave him chocolate pudding because what boy turns down chocolate pudding?!!!! Liam loves it… and was so meticulous about eating it. Not a drop hit the tray or his bib. He doesn’t waste chocolate pudding! I couldn’t help but laugh.
The video of Nadia was taken on the day she turned 5 months old (5.03.08). Nadia… like Liam… is a great eater. She doesn’t reject any type of food… green beans, sweet peas, prunes… she eats them all. Here she is eating sweet potatoes. Note, I’m the feeder AND the videographer… so my depth perception wasn’t that great. Normally, we’re not quite that messy.
There is a scripture in Proverbs 31 verse 28 that says, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” On this Mother’s Day, I rise up and call my mom blessed. My mom, Shaleen Cathryn Johnson, was amazing. I am honored that I was chosen by God to be her daughter. My mom met her Creator on November 4, 2005, and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. She was everything to me: my encourager, my prayer warrior, my best friend, my teacher, my role model… my hero. The part that I grieve the most about the loss of my mom is that my children will never know their maw-maw. Sure, they’ll know her by our stories and pictures, but they’ll never experience her unconditional love firsthand. I’m a believer, though, that babies are a gift from heaven, so maybe my parents were holding our gifts and loving on them before they were sent to us from God. I like to think so! If I can be half the mother my mom was to me… then I will be the second best mother in the world. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. See you on the other side.
Seize the day, seize whatever you can
‘Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand
Seize the day, pray for grace from God’s hand
Then nothing will stand in your way
Seize the day
These lyrics from the song “Seize the Day” by Carolyn Arends have become all too familiar in my life. I’ve heard them come up in my spirit time and time again. My most recent reminder was two days ago, the worst day of my life. You’d think my parents being killed by a drunk driver would top the list, but the grief I have felt for 2 1/2 years from their deaths was surpassed in about 3 minutes on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008. At about 5:00 that afternoon, my son had a febrile seizure. My husband and I didn’t know that at the time. We’d never heard of a febrile seizure, so we weren’t prepared. In a split second, we went from sitting on the couch watching “Shrek”, to screaming at the top of our lungs, “Call 911!… Call 911!”
Our 17 month old sweet boy was convulsing, foaming at the mouth, and his eyes were shifting left to right, left to right. He looked as if he was going to die right there in my husbands arms. We were panicked, frantic, and desperate. I can’t explain the anguish and despair of that moment. I was screaming at the 911 operator to “Hurry!”… and after a minute of helpless frenzy, I tossed the phone to my husband so he could better communicate to her. At that point, I placed my hands on Liam and began shouting the name of Jesus over him. I was screaming and sobbing prayers. When the paramedics arrived and began working on him in our living room, I never took my hands off of him. I keep shouting the name of Jesus. My mom taught me when I was young that the name “Jesus” means “saves or God saves”… which is why I couldn’t stop shouting His name.
Before I knew it, Liam was rushed in the ambulance and whisked away to the hospital. My husband and I stood in our front yard, and I was crying in his arms… just as I did 2 1/2 years ago. And just like when we had to rush to Vanderbilt praying my dad would be alive when we got there, we rushed to the Medical Center praying my beautiful child would be alive… and have full brain function.
Liam didn’t wake up from that episode for a few hours, so my husband and I just stood over him, touching his hands, kissing his forehead. He was hooked up to several different machines and had an IV in his arm. It was a sight that was all too familiar for me… but this time it was my baby. What everyone says is true. The emotion is much different when it’s your baby. In a strange twist, I was wearing my “Team Charlie” shirt that day. Charlie is the little boy of our friends, Chad and Kim Porter. He met Jesus face to face on June 28, 2007 after battling leukemia. He was just 3 years old. I think of him all the time and still proudly wear the shirt with his silhouette on it. As my tears fell on that shirt, I was again reminded to pray for Chad and Kim and the suffocating grief they live with everyday. (We love you Chad, Kim and Kaylond)
A couple of hours later, Liam slowly began to wake up and gradually we were seeing signs that he was going to be okay. By 11pm we were released from the hospital with our sleeping child… whom we had to wake up every three hours to give medicine. He woke up the next morning at 8am acting just like the Liam we love… a much, much crankier version, but still, he was our Liam. Praise God! We had already learned his seizure was caused by a rapid fever spike… but it wasn’t until his doctor’s appointment the next day that we found out his fever was caused by Hand Foot Mouth disease. (Not to be confused with Foot and Mouth disease that cows get) HFMD is a common illness among children and infants and is all over Bowling Green right now. According to our doctor, Liam could have picked it up anywhere. Anyway, I know this entry has gotten way too wordy, so I won’t go in to much detail about the rest… except to say keep praying for Liam. He’s still recovering.
I thought I’d post the song “Seize the Day” for your listening pleasure, in case you’ve never heard it. I had the privilege of seeing Carolyn Arends perform it live back in 1995 with my mom… which adds another depth to what this song means to me.
Since I’m on a posting marathon, I also thought I’d include the song “Praise You In This Storm”. It, too, explains the expression of my heart.
I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it’s still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
“I’m with you”
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
Chorus:
And I’ll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I’ve cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can’t find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away
Chorus
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
Liam is fearless. He never stops… and constantly tests the limits. In a matter of seconds he’s standing on the table… all you have to do is blink. His new trick is to stand on the toilet and “free fall” to the sink, where he then turns on the faucet to wash his hands. Needless to say, the bathroom door stays shut. Liam also tests the limits at the park. He’s not afraid of slides… no matter how high or twisted. He also has no fear as to which direction he travels down. Check out this video. Liam never saw another child do this… he just naturally decided he’d like to go down the slide on his belly, head first. Go figure.
I can’t get over how much Nadia’s hair has lightened up. The pix on the left was taken February 27th, 2008. The pix on the right was taken yesterday (May 4th, 2008). So basically, in two months time, her hair has sure changed. I wonder what it will do this summer after swimming and being outside more? I thought Nadia was going to take after her birth father, but maybe not. He’s from Nicaragua and has dark hair… her birth mother is from the States and has blonde hair. I’m so thankful we have pictures of both of her birth parents… she will treasure these one day. It will be interesting to watch Nadia grow and change into the beautiful person God created her to be.
The Kentucky Derby was this past weekend and even though the race is ”all the hype”… I’ve never been. Yes, I’m a born and raised Kentuckian… but I’ve never made it to Derby. And let’s just say after what’s taken place the past two years (Derby winner Barbaro being euthanized after complications from his breakdown at the Preakness last year… and Eight Belles being euthanized moments after the race ended this year after suffering two broken front ankles)… I’m glad I wasn’t there. I love animals and I can’t stand to see one suffer. All that said, I was looking at some past pictures and came across this one from back in February. Nadia sure looks cute in her “I love Horses” outfit. Too bad she’s already outgrown it. (Thanks Amy and Brooke! It was cute while it lasted!)
