Hi friends out there!
Want a newsletter that gives you great info of fun things in the Clear Lake area for you and your kiddos? Check this one out: http://leaguecity.macaronikid.com
She even has an incredible giveaway for the Disney-loving kiddo/family! See here to sign up and get yourself in to win: http://leaguecity.macaronikid.com/article/381129/disney-on-ice-treasure-trove
Have a great week, everybody!!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
My heart hurts
Yesterday, an old friend passed away. I shouldn't have to say those things at age 31. Moses was one of a kind in a lot of ways and I'm just beyond grateful that we reconnected in the years after high school.
I remember the days of good old Student Council with Moses, especially the summer before my junior year (his senior) and the summer school breakfast/snack serving. I looked up to him more than he knew at that time... but I am super thankful I got to tell him that a few years ago.
The last time I saw him, about a year ago, my daughter was small enough to look like a tiny baby doll when he held her. That wasn't necessarily hard to do as he was such a big guy anyway! The workout obsessed, tattoo-covered man was (as many have also said) a huge teddy bear. He had a heart of gold, a love for his daughter than was bigger than life itself and intelligence that he laced with lots of sarcasm and wit.
Life tossed him around a bit more than some knew but he always found a way to land on his feet. Even when he struggled with sadness, he managed a smile and put smiles on the faces of those by his side. When we reconnected, he was in another tough spot of transition in life. It was great to be able to remind him that others cared for him and were willing to help him when he would let them.
I found it crazy how we picked up as such good friends again and were able to chat about relationships, children and religion so openly. One of my fondest memories is the night we sat down together at Golden Corral over his plate of fried chicken and bounced around the Buddhism/Christianity conversation. I gained new respect for him through hearing his beliefs and he opened himself up to hear about the Christian faith. It was such a blessing to hear him say that was the first time he had such a conversation without it being weighed down with judgment... God really carried us through that experience and it will forever be etched as part of me.
The tears and sobs of last night and today have been so raw and real. My memories are replaying over & over. I loved the nights of dinner, playing pool, dancing or just hanging out with a friend without a worry in the world because no one would mess with me in the shadow of this man. I loved keeping up with this big guy when it came to Bud Lights that one night (9 in like 2 hours - no, not one of my finest moments but one with a lot of laughs)... one of the funniest memories between us.
You always go back and say "I wish I had..." when you lose someone unexpectedly. I have those "wish I had" things more recently. But I'm so glad my "wish I had" was fulfilled beyond our first level of friendship so many years ago. I will miss him so very much. I will miss his sweet comments on my baby girl's and my family's pictures on Facebook. I will miss his posts about giving people a "high five in the face" for their ridiculousness. I will miss seeing him with or in pictures with his daughter as she grows. I pray that he is at peace and that his daughter can see through others what a great man she calls her Daddy.
Hug those around you. Spend time with them. Appreciate their strengths & weaknesses. Love unconditionally. Give even when you don't have enough. Share yourself with others.
My heart hurts but I know Moses would want to see a smile on my face and would want me to throw out plenty of sarcasm... so watch out world!
I will always hold you dear in my heart, my friend. You are so loved and incredibly missed.
I remember the days of good old Student Council with Moses, especially the summer before my junior year (his senior) and the summer school breakfast/snack serving. I looked up to him more than he knew at that time... but I am super thankful I got to tell him that a few years ago.
The last time I saw him, about a year ago, my daughter was small enough to look like a tiny baby doll when he held her. That wasn't necessarily hard to do as he was such a big guy anyway! The workout obsessed, tattoo-covered man was (as many have also said) a huge teddy bear. He had a heart of gold, a love for his daughter than was bigger than life itself and intelligence that he laced with lots of sarcasm and wit.
Life tossed him around a bit more than some knew but he always found a way to land on his feet. Even when he struggled with sadness, he managed a smile and put smiles on the faces of those by his side. When we reconnected, he was in another tough spot of transition in life. It was great to be able to remind him that others cared for him and were willing to help him when he would let them.
I found it crazy how we picked up as such good friends again and were able to chat about relationships, children and religion so openly. One of my fondest memories is the night we sat down together at Golden Corral over his plate of fried chicken and bounced around the Buddhism/Christianity conversation. I gained new respect for him through hearing his beliefs and he opened himself up to hear about the Christian faith. It was such a blessing to hear him say that was the first time he had such a conversation without it being weighed down with judgment... God really carried us through that experience and it will forever be etched as part of me.
The tears and sobs of last night and today have been so raw and real. My memories are replaying over & over. I loved the nights of dinner, playing pool, dancing or just hanging out with a friend without a worry in the world because no one would mess with me in the shadow of this man. I loved keeping up with this big guy when it came to Bud Lights that one night (9 in like 2 hours - no, not one of my finest moments but one with a lot of laughs)... one of the funniest memories between us.
You always go back and say "I wish I had..." when you lose someone unexpectedly. I have those "wish I had" things more recently. But I'm so glad my "wish I had" was fulfilled beyond our first level of friendship so many years ago. I will miss him so very much. I will miss his sweet comments on my baby girl's and my family's pictures on Facebook. I will miss his posts about giving people a "high five in the face" for their ridiculousness. I will miss seeing him with or in pictures with his daughter as she grows. I pray that he is at peace and that his daughter can see through others what a great man she calls her Daddy.
Hug those around you. Spend time with them. Appreciate their strengths & weaknesses. Love unconditionally. Give even when you don't have enough. Share yourself with others.
My heart hurts but I know Moses would want to see a smile on my face and would want me to throw out plenty of sarcasm... so watch out world!
I will always hold you dear in my heart, my friend. You are so loved and incredibly missed.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Pure gratitude
Hello. I'm alive. I'm grateful. I'm a horrible blogger. :)
It's been a while since I've written. I often have inspiration to write but it doesn't seem to coincide with the time to do so. If I could connect my brain to the blog, it would be a done deal... and a scary outpouring, I am sure.
On this Thanksgiving eve, I spent a couple of hours prepping appetizers and desserts for tomorrow's feasting. With no TV or radio on, I did a lot of God-talking and brain-wandering. I enjoy hyphenated made-up words; can you tell?
Thankfulness doesn't seem to cover my emotions at the moment. Pure gratitude and awe might be more appropriate. I spent those hours tonight with no distractions other than messy hands and delicious tasting. It gave me time to reflect on the past year and beyond.
You may or may not know my/our story. My husband lost his job at the end of January this year. To be honest, I would love to coat it up for you and say it was part of the economy crisis/downsizing but I will instead be blunt and say it was for something much deeper. His position was taken from him when it never should have been and while we have seen justification for this over time, there are still deep wounds from the experience.
However, during what should have been complete chaos to us, God gave us such peace.
You see, we've been in this spot 3 times since February of 2008. Each time, there was more drama than your mama. :) All of the various experiences managed to teach us something greater than we could have imagined.
(Humanly, let me express at this point that all of this has totally sucked in its own ways as well but we really have ended up grateful for the journey along the bumpy way.)
One of the greatest gifts in our lives is our sweet daughter. Jillien brings us a joy and light that teaches us so very much about who God is in this world and the world to come. I am blessed to have been able to stay home with her since she was born 2 years ago (yes, she just turned 2! yikes!). We know that this is where God wants me and Stephen has been nothing but supportive in keeping me in the place we feel is right.
**On a side note, have I mentioned how amazing this man in my life is? I am so stinkin' thankful that he is my best friend and love of my life each and every crazy day that we have in our lil family.
We're not sure how we've made it through certain months financially, sometimes even physically & emotionally. Yet, when it passes, we look back and see how we were carried through it. We are both blessed with loving (mixed with a lil goofy & crazy) families and friends who have listened, encouraged and supported us through these times. God has created community for us to be cared for in the earthly way we need, even when God is big enough on His own. God's timing and handprints are on so many situations - it really is incredible.
We are still seeing the struggles in our finances due to the lack of integrity of others along his work routes - mixed with, of course, our own decisions throughout our young 20's (we're both oldies in our 30's now lol)... we continue to struggle with our emotions of bitterness and frustration from various circumstances... we will always have lots of 'what ifs' that will live unanswered... we long for God's assurance that we are making right decisions in choosing a church home, in work/school/home/finances for our family...
The reality for us this past year has been this: God never lets go. We are messy in so many ways yet he loves us beyond our comprehension and never leaves us in the midst of life's complicated chaos. For that, I'm a woman filled with pure gratitude and awe. It doesn't make sense in my human brain but OH how I'm thankful for it's truth in God's way.
Tonight when Jillien and I were in the car, I asked her what song she wanted to sing. After 2-3 'happy and you know it' rounds, she asked for "Dada song?" He often plays guitar and sings with her and she just adores it. One of her favorites is "How He loves us." My heart was full tonight when I heard a 2 year old voice of innocence singing"Oh How He loves us so, Oh how He loves us" from my backseat.
OH HOW HE LOVES US. In between and throughout all of life's mix of wonderful or crappy details, God loves us. When I'm eating turkey or playing with the kids or visiting with my extended family tomorrow, I hope I can be pushed to carry on the sense of pure gratitude and awe that I was gifted tonight.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. <3
It's been a while since I've written. I often have inspiration to write but it doesn't seem to coincide with the time to do so. If I could connect my brain to the blog, it would be a done deal... and a scary outpouring, I am sure.
On this Thanksgiving eve, I spent a couple of hours prepping appetizers and desserts for tomorrow's feasting. With no TV or radio on, I did a lot of God-talking and brain-wandering. I enjoy hyphenated made-up words; can you tell?
Thankfulness doesn't seem to cover my emotions at the moment. Pure gratitude and awe might be more appropriate. I spent those hours tonight with no distractions other than messy hands and delicious tasting. It gave me time to reflect on the past year and beyond.
You may or may not know my/our story. My husband lost his job at the end of January this year. To be honest, I would love to coat it up for you and say it was part of the economy crisis/downsizing but I will instead be blunt and say it was for something much deeper. His position was taken from him when it never should have been and while we have seen justification for this over time, there are still deep wounds from the experience.
However, during what should have been complete chaos to us, God gave us such peace.
You see, we've been in this spot 3 times since February of 2008. Each time, there was more drama than your mama. :) All of the various experiences managed to teach us something greater than we could have imagined.
(Humanly, let me express at this point that all of this has totally sucked in its own ways as well but we really have ended up grateful for the journey along the bumpy way.)
One of the greatest gifts in our lives is our sweet daughter. Jillien brings us a joy and light that teaches us so very much about who God is in this world and the world to come. I am blessed to have been able to stay home with her since she was born 2 years ago (yes, she just turned 2! yikes!). We know that this is where God wants me and Stephen has been nothing but supportive in keeping me in the place we feel is right.
**On a side note, have I mentioned how amazing this man in my life is? I am so stinkin' thankful that he is my best friend and love of my life each and every crazy day that we have in our lil family.
We're not sure how we've made it through certain months financially, sometimes even physically & emotionally. Yet, when it passes, we look back and see how we were carried through it. We are both blessed with loving (mixed with a lil goofy & crazy) families and friends who have listened, encouraged and supported us through these times. God has created community for us to be cared for in the earthly way we need, even when God is big enough on His own. God's timing and handprints are on so many situations - it really is incredible.
We are still seeing the struggles in our finances due to the lack of integrity of others along his work routes - mixed with, of course, our own decisions throughout our young 20's (we're both oldies in our 30's now lol)... we continue to struggle with our emotions of bitterness and frustration from various circumstances... we will always have lots of 'what ifs' that will live unanswered... we long for God's assurance that we are making right decisions in choosing a church home, in work/school/home/finances for our family...
The reality for us this past year has been this: God never lets go. We are messy in so many ways yet he loves us beyond our comprehension and never leaves us in the midst of life's complicated chaos. For that, I'm a woman filled with pure gratitude and awe. It doesn't make sense in my human brain but OH how I'm thankful for it's truth in God's way.
Tonight when Jillien and I were in the car, I asked her what song she wanted to sing. After 2-3 'happy and you know it' rounds, she asked for "Dada song?" He often plays guitar and sings with her and she just adores it. One of her favorites is "How He loves us." My heart was full tonight when I heard a 2 year old voice of innocence singing"Oh How He loves us so, Oh how He loves us" from my backseat.
OH HOW HE LOVES US. In between and throughout all of life's mix of wonderful or crappy details, God loves us. When I'm eating turkey or playing with the kids or visiting with my extended family tomorrow, I hope I can be pushed to carry on the sense of pure gratitude and awe that I was gifted tonight.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. <3
Saturday, March 26, 2011
A lucky penny?
Today I got to have a little "me" time with a massage due to a membership that Stephen bought for me as a 30th birthday gift in September. I thoroughly needed some down time and definitely enjoyed it... the lines on my face from almost falling asleep on the table were proof of my appreciation. I also ran a few errands while Jilly napped and played with Daddy.
While I was out, I came across a penny on the ground. As usual, I checked to see if it was face up and I had a scene from Grease pop into mind: "See a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck." WOW, I've seen that movie too many times. :)
I thought, "HMPHHH, we sure could use some good luck, I ought to grab it." But something stopped me. Yes, this all sounds like it happened really slowly and you are thinking, what is her deal about this penny, SHEESH?!!
Well, something just struck me while I grinned about this encounter with a heads-up penny and left it there for someone else to find. God's in our corner. No preaching, no soapboxes, no exaggerations... there is NO way Stephen and I should be making the day-to-day living that we are doing right now. The stay-at-home-mom-retired-youth-minister and the unfortunately-laid-off-still-job-searching-man are unbelievably surviving with keeping on top of bills (including a mortgage that is the amount of 2.5 weeks of unemployment checks). The math really doesn't add up.
Yes, we are in a much *healthier* financial place than a few years ago. Many debts paid off. Savings built up. Side business earnings doing well. I thank God for the things that led us to the sentences prior to this one. We really became a team and tackled spending, debt, wants & needs, worked hard and depended more on the One we should have been hanging onto all along.
No, things are not perfect. Texas Children's Hospital may hate us for a handful of Jillien's eye surgery bills that are just going to have to wait a little while longer. I spend a lot of time planning coupons and meals... and it doesn't always work it out the way we'd hoped. We still struggle with daily wants vs. needs. It's not perfect because we're not perfect.
Our families have our backs but other than FABULOUSLY AND GRACIOUSLY taking us out for meals or bringing us food to break up the monotony, we haven't had to ask for much other than support, encouragement and prayers.
The math just doesn't add up. Granted, the Hailey household isn't *known* for our super-duper mathematical skills anyway. :) But that penny today reminded me that God is bigger than. Yep, I meant the sentence to end there. God is bigger than. God's in our corner and the story about the loaves & fishes is our story too. Thanks be to God. "Eh-meh." Amen in Jillien's words. :)
P.S. Here is an adorable picture just for your enjoyment. HA! She loooves to color now and it's so cute to watch!
While I was out, I came across a penny on the ground. As usual, I checked to see if it was face up and I had a scene from Grease pop into mind: "See a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck." WOW, I've seen that movie too many times. :)
I thought, "HMPHHH, we sure could use some good luck, I ought to grab it." But something stopped me. Yes, this all sounds like it happened really slowly and you are thinking, what is her deal about this penny, SHEESH?!!
Well, something just struck me while I grinned about this encounter with a heads-up penny and left it there for someone else to find. God's in our corner. No preaching, no soapboxes, no exaggerations... there is NO way Stephen and I should be making the day-to-day living that we are doing right now. The stay-at-home-mom-retired-youth-minister and the unfortunately-laid-off-still-job-searching-man are unbelievably surviving with keeping on top of bills (including a mortgage that is the amount of 2.5 weeks of unemployment checks). The math really doesn't add up.
Yes, we are in a much *healthier* financial place than a few years ago. Many debts paid off. Savings built up. Side business earnings doing well. I thank God for the things that led us to the sentences prior to this one. We really became a team and tackled spending, debt, wants & needs, worked hard and depended more on the One we should have been hanging onto all along.
No, things are not perfect. Texas Children's Hospital may hate us for a handful of Jillien's eye surgery bills that are just going to have to wait a little while longer. I spend a lot of time planning coupons and meals... and it doesn't always work it out the way we'd hoped. We still struggle with daily wants vs. needs. It's not perfect because we're not perfect.
Our families have our backs but other than FABULOUSLY AND GRACIOUSLY taking us out for meals or bringing us food to break up the monotony, we haven't had to ask for much other than support, encouragement and prayers.
The math just doesn't add up. Granted, the Hailey household isn't *known* for our super-duper mathematical skills anyway. :) But that penny today reminded me that God is bigger than. Yep, I meant the sentence to end there. God is bigger than. God's in our corner and the story about the loaves & fishes is our story too. Thanks be to God. "Eh-meh." Amen in Jillien's words. :)
P.S. Here is an adorable picture just for your enjoyment. HA! She loooves to color now and it's so cute to watch!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Life as we know it... for now
So I haven't blogged in months. Once that little girl of ours started walking, it has been non-stop but in a wonderful, fun, exciting way! She's talking up a storm, discovering everything around her, running around all over the place and filling our days with lots of joy & laughter.
Life took an interesting turn two weeks ago when I got a call from the love of my life telling me that his company had laid him off. We've been down that road before but not on one salary. Today was the start of no more paychecks from them, no longer being covered by insurance and a LOT of hope for the future.
I don't know how to say much without giving details that I shouldn't give about a place that I have little... ok, NO... trust in. 80% of the people he worked with are genuine, hard-working and ethical. Is that me finding the positive? I would rather say that than tell you about my feelings, knowledge and emotions toward the other 20% involved.
We know that God will hold us through this... we just aren't sure what that means right now. We always have landed on our feet and in a better place in so many ways. I'm sure that will be the case once again but don't know what lessons, struggles and adventures are ahead for us. I just know that I'm grateful we have a faith that lets us doubt, lean and praise along the way.
I posted on Facebook tonight: "" it is not an insult on those with money but hurled instead at those who choose to not walk with integrity when acquiring such riches.
I'm thankful this day after Valentine's Day that we spent a whole $1.08 on a balloon at the Dollar Tree for my daughter to enjoy ("boon! boon!" one of her faves!) and that my hunny used the rest of a gift card to surprise me with a Sonic ice cream treat. I would be thankful if there was nothing. I would be thankful if there was more. I am thankful because God has blessed us with a wonderful family, including the love of my life and my baby sweetheart (her name even means sweetheart!!). No extravagance here, just the simplicity of the daily love that I am so grateful for and often take for granted!!
Life took an interesting turn two weeks ago when I got a call from the love of my life telling me that his company had laid him off. We've been down that road before but not on one salary. Today was the start of no more paychecks from them, no longer being covered by insurance and a LOT of hope for the future.I don't know how to say much without giving details that I shouldn't give about a place that I have little... ok, NO... trust in. 80% of the people he worked with are genuine, hard-working and ethical. Is that me finding the positive? I would rather say that than tell you about my feelings, knowledge and emotions toward the other 20% involved.
We know that God will hold us through this... we just aren't sure what that means right now. We always have landed on our feet and in a better place in so many ways. I'm sure that will be the case once again but don't know what lessons, struggles and adventures are ahead for us. I just know that I'm grateful we have a faith that lets us doubt, lean and praise along the way.
I posted on Facebook tonight: "" it is not an insult on those with money but hurled instead at those who choose to not walk with integrity when acquiring such riches.
I'm thankful this day after Valentine's Day that we spent a whole $1.08 on a balloon at the Dollar Tree for my daughter to enjoy ("boon! boon!" one of her faves!) and that my hunny used the rest of a gift card to surprise me with a Sonic ice cream treat. I would be thankful if there was nothing. I would be thankful if there was more. I am thankful because God has blessed us with a wonderful family, including the love of my life and my baby sweetheart (her name even means sweetheart!!). No extravagance here, just the simplicity of the daily love that I am so grateful for and often take for granted!!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tear Duct Surgery
Last Tuesday, 11/2, we took Jillien to Texas Children's for surgery on her right eye's blocked tear duct.
The back story is that she had both tear ducts clogged for the first 3-4 months of life and then all of the sudden the left one randomly cleared on its own. The right one, however, refused to join that destiny and we continuously cleaned gunk (or "sleepy" as I call it) from around her eye. We massaged it, did a round of eye drops and waited. Nothing happened.
Finally, we got the recommendation to see a specialist and she wanted us to try the in-office procedure before having to head into a surgery. We came back 2 days after our initial appointment with this ophthalmologist to do the procedure. THAT was pure torture. They swaddled Jillien's arms and held her down while trying to poke a small probe into the tear duct. She was a screaming mess and I don't think I've ever felt so helpless. I clenched Stephen's hand so tight and cried a river. The worst part was that the procedure wasn't successful. The doctor discovered that her opening to the tear duct was so small that there was no way for her to get the probe in with Jillien awake and moving.
We scheduled the surgery. As the month passed by, waiting for the surgery, her eye seemed to improve to where there was less gunk but there were still water welling up in her eyes. The day of the surgery we had them do a test to see if the actual drainage had improved and it hadn't so we went ahead with the plan. They took her back from us and she initially cried as the sweet nurse carried her back but then she realized all of these blue hat people were surrounded her and became enthralled.
They put her under anesthesia and did the procedure in 15-20 minutes. All-in-all we were only separated from her for about 30 minutes. The doctor came and told us all went well and that her passageway down the duct was very narrow. We now know that while there may have been an obstruction earlier, that side also just seems to be smaller and more narrow than usual. This surgery involved placing and leaving a tube through the duct in hopes of stretching it out.
We were taken into the recovery area so we would be there when she woke up. She was a tired girl after missing her morning nap and waking up early to nurse so she wasn't in a hurry! She eventually heard my voice and stirred. That was probably the worst part for me... she was groggy and floppy and loopy and every other word that would indicate she was just 'out of it.' I didn't like seeing her like that and once we calmed her some, I nursed her as she had to drink something before we could be released.
She was tired but less 'all over the place' and managed to keep her milk down so we were discharged about 5 hours after our initial arrival. The trip home she slept and thankfully still kept all fluids down, even though Mommy was right beside her with the towel and vomit bag they provided, just in case!
That day she just slept and snuggled. Slept and snuggled. Ate a handful of cheerios, drank some water, then slept and snuggled. She did eat a pretty decent dinner, although at one point I thought we were going to see it all come up again. It didn't (YAY!) and she devoured the last half of her fruit without missing a beat.
Fast forward to today (a week after surgery) and we are doing eye drops (that cost us more than the surgery did, by the way!). Other than having to put eye drops in, you would never know anything had happened. We go back in a month or two to have the tube removed. We have still seen tears well up in that eye so we are curious to see what progress is made once the tube is removed. The doctor prepared us to understand that her right eye may just always have a bit of an issue but at least we know nothing will be blocked or have to be addressed in the future. It may just be a minor nuisance.
I am including some pictures in this 'way-too-much-information' post of Jillien playing in the waiting area and of her snuggled with Mommy and her monkey later in the day. Thanks for your prayers for our sweet girl and her worried parents that day!
The back story is that she had both tear ducts clogged for the first 3-4 months of life and then all of the sudden the left one randomly cleared on its own. The right one, however, refused to join that destiny and we continuously cleaned gunk (or "sleepy" as I call it) from around her eye. We massaged it, did a round of eye drops and waited. Nothing happened.
Finally, we got the recommendation to see a specialist and she wanted us to try the in-office procedure before having to head into a surgery. We came back 2 days after our initial appointment with this ophthalmologist to do the procedure. THAT was pure torture. They swaddled Jillien's arms and held her down while trying to poke a small probe into the tear duct. She was a screaming mess and I don't think I've ever felt so helpless. I clenched Stephen's hand so tight and cried a river. The worst part was that the procedure wasn't successful. The doctor discovered that her opening to the tear duct was so small that there was no way for her to get the probe in with Jillien awake and moving.
We scheduled the surgery. As the month passed by, waiting for the surgery, her eye seemed to improve to where there was less gunk but there were still water welling up in her eyes. The day of the surgery we had them do a test to see if the actual drainage had improved and it hadn't so we went ahead with the plan. They took her back from us and she initially cried as the sweet nurse carried her back but then she realized all of these blue hat people were surrounded her and became enthralled.
They put her under anesthesia and did the procedure in 15-20 minutes. All-in-all we were only separated from her for about 30 minutes. The doctor came and told us all went well and that her passageway down the duct was very narrow. We now know that while there may have been an obstruction earlier, that side also just seems to be smaller and more narrow than usual. This surgery involved placing and leaving a tube through the duct in hopes of stretching it out.
We were taken into the recovery area so we would be there when she woke up. She was a tired girl after missing her morning nap and waking up early to nurse so she wasn't in a hurry! She eventually heard my voice and stirred. That was probably the worst part for me... she was groggy and floppy and loopy and every other word that would indicate she was just 'out of it.' I didn't like seeing her like that and once we calmed her some, I nursed her as she had to drink something before we could be released.
She was tired but less 'all over the place' and managed to keep her milk down so we were discharged about 5 hours after our initial arrival. The trip home she slept and thankfully still kept all fluids down, even though Mommy was right beside her with the towel and vomit bag they provided, just in case!
That day she just slept and snuggled. Slept and snuggled. Ate a handful of cheerios, drank some water, then slept and snuggled. She did eat a pretty decent dinner, although at one point I thought we were going to see it all come up again. It didn't (YAY!) and she devoured the last half of her fruit without missing a beat.
Fast forward to today (a week after surgery) and we are doing eye drops (that cost us more than the surgery did, by the way!). Other than having to put eye drops in, you would never know anything had happened. We go back in a month or two to have the tube removed. We have still seen tears well up in that eye so we are curious to see what progress is made once the tube is removed. The doctor prepared us to understand that her right eye may just always have a bit of an issue but at least we know nothing will be blocked or have to be addressed in the future. It may just be a minor nuisance.
I am including some pictures in this 'way-too-much-information' post of Jillien playing in the waiting area and of her snuggled with Mommy and her monkey later in the day. Thanks for your prayers for our sweet girl and her worried parents that day!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Halloween 2010
Jillien was a guitar for Halloween! :) The costume was purchased by my mom off of our baby registry @ Babies'R'Us last Fall. We knew we had to have it! I just took to it and "blinged" it up and added a few bows, matched with some dolled up socks and shoes to be sure everyone knew there was a lil girl in there!
It was a lot of fun to decorate the wagon too, complete with instrumental music playing out of an amp and Daddy's "STEP-UP GUITARS" logo plate on the back.
We had a great time on Saturday (10/30) visting FUMC Missouri City (our former church home and where I was youth director for 7+ years). Their Trunk or Treat was festive and it was especially great to see friendly faces and all of the adorable lil ones dressed up. We even got to enjoy dinner with 3 other couples we haven't seen much in the past year. It was great times for all!
On Halloween Sunday (10/31) we went to the church we have currently been visiting and attended their Trunk or Treat. It was a sunny, warm afternoon but it was a lot of fun to decorate the trunk, roll Jilly around and see the grandparents and friends!
We loved that she didn't ever seem to mind the costume. She was a great sport about the whole deal... both times. She loved watching the candy get dropped into her bucket. She also enjoyed pulling out the candy and crinkling its wrapper.
We did let her take about 10 licks of a lollipop (her very first) with extreme assistance and supervision. It was adorable to watch her go from completely hesitant to eagerly consuming the sucker.
We left when she finally did hit that wall of "I'm over this" and came home to visit a few neighbors and hand out candy (which we ran out of) to kiddos who passed through. It was a great weekend, exhausting yet full of fantastic memories and PICTURES! :)
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Pumpkin Patches
(WAY too long since my last post... may do some catch-up posts soon but for now we'll stay current lol!)
Jillien LOVES pumpkins. LOVES LOVES LOVES. We went to FUMC Pasadena's Fall Festival on Oct. 16 and she rode a pony, went to the petting zoo and played in the pumpkin patch.
Her grandma bought her one of the tiny pumpkins and she loves it... it lost its stem and we have only had to rescue it twice from our dog Andy's mouth. :)
I was really proud of her for riding the pony since a lot of other kiddos got there and wouldn't! She is not always 'fearless' and I was happy to see her as a lil cowgirl!
The next Sunday, we went to Asbury UMC's patch to pick out pumpkins for our front porch. She again loved hugging, drumming, patting and just plain being around the pumpkins! Silly girl!
We picked out our lil family of pumpkins and even made the big pumpkin into Cookie Monster!
Our last pumpkin patch stop was at La Porte's Methodist Church. We visited a friend and then she checked out a pumpkin chariot, a haystack and picked out another mini pumpkin for her collection.
SEE, she reallllly loves pumpkins! Thanks to all of the local churches for letting us enjoy the Pumpkin Patches! :)
Jillien LOVES pumpkins. LOVES LOVES LOVES. We went to FUMC Pasadena's Fall Festival on Oct. 16 and she rode a pony, went to the petting zoo and played in the pumpkin patch.
Her grandma bought her one of the tiny pumpkins and she loves it... it lost its stem and we have only had to rescue it twice from our dog Andy's mouth. :)
I was really proud of her for riding the pony since a lot of other kiddos got there and wouldn't! She is not always 'fearless' and I was happy to see her as a lil cowgirl!
The next Sunday, we went to Asbury UMC's patch to pick out pumpkins for our front porch. She again loved hugging, drumming, patting and just plain being around the pumpkins! Silly girl!
We picked out our lil family of pumpkins and even made the big pumpkin into Cookie Monster!
Our last pumpkin patch stop was at La Porte's Methodist Church. We visited a friend and then she checked out a pumpkin chariot, a haystack and picked out another mini pumpkin for her collection.
SEE, she reallllly loves pumpkins! Thanks to all of the local churches for letting us enjoy the Pumpkin Patches! :)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Children in worship... our search continues
My heart hurts when I am browsing church websites (yes, some people actually DO use your websites, churches, so step it UP) and I come across something like this:
"Parents opting to bring Children into the main worship:
If you bring children into the Adult worship we ask that you respect the people seated around you by IMMEDIATELY taking your child to the lobby or to Promiseland. NOTE: Parents with children may be asked by our ushers to take their children out of the auditorium during the service should they become a distraction. Please let your kids experience Promiseland!"
We want our child to worship with us. If you blatantly tell me the above type of statement, I am heartbroken. No, I'm not going to stay in a worship space with my child flailing and screaming... but she might make noise by babbling back at the pastor's message or by dropping her sippy cup or by clapping her own sweet little hands.
We want a church that wants to let us worship with our child... where it isn't odd or uncomfortable for us to do so. When did the church become a place where families worshipped in compartmentalized ways throughout a building? Yes, Sunday School or some equivalent is a great way to learn and grow on your own age level BUT isn't that COMPLEMENTARY to worshipping as a whole family unit?
I also don't understand why SO many churches are still using the Sunday School hour (or whatever hour you call this) as the same time to offer the more contemporary (only using this word because it most easily denotes non-traditional) worship service. I, AGAIN, want to choose to worship with my child and my husband in the type of worship that we feel led in AND still have the opportunity for both my child and for us as a couple to attend "classes" or "groups" at a separate time with others.
If you actually read this (lol, and for that I say thanks for bearing with me and my small ranting), pray for us as we look for where God wants us to be as a family when it comes to the church setting. It is completely JOYFUL that I get to stay at home with our sweet daughter, Jillien. But it has definitely been a hard transition to walk away from the church we grew to love and serve when I left my job as youth director there and now try to find where we are meant to land next.
"Parents opting to bring Children into the main worship:
If you bring children into the Adult worship we ask that you respect the people seated around you by IMMEDIATELY taking your child to the lobby or to Promiseland. NOTE: Parents with children may be asked by our ushers to take their children out of the auditorium during the service should they become a distraction. Please let your kids experience Promiseland!"
We want our child to worship with us. If you blatantly tell me the above type of statement, I am heartbroken. No, I'm not going to stay in a worship space with my child flailing and screaming... but she might make noise by babbling back at the pastor's message or by dropping her sippy cup or by clapping her own sweet little hands.
We want a church that wants to let us worship with our child... where it isn't odd or uncomfortable for us to do so. When did the church become a place where families worshipped in compartmentalized ways throughout a building? Yes, Sunday School or some equivalent is a great way to learn and grow on your own age level BUT isn't that COMPLEMENTARY to worshipping as a whole family unit?
I also don't understand why SO many churches are still using the Sunday School hour (or whatever hour you call this) as the same time to offer the more contemporary (only using this word because it most easily denotes non-traditional) worship service. I, AGAIN, want to choose to worship with my child and my husband in the type of worship that we feel led in AND still have the opportunity for both my child and for us as a couple to attend "classes" or "groups" at a separate time with others.
If you actually read this (lol, and for that I say thanks for bearing with me and my small ranting), pray for us as we look for where God wants us to be as a family when it comes to the church setting. It is completely JOYFUL that I get to stay at home with our sweet daughter, Jillien. But it has definitely been a hard transition to walk away from the church we grew to love and serve when I left my job as youth director there and now try to find where we are meant to land next.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Lake Travis
Last weekend, we had a total blast @ Lake Travis! 
Thanks to friends who let us stay at their condo and for the Whitebreads who joined us for the good times! Here are some great moments:
Breakfast & a lil peekaboo on the balcony...
Yes, bananas were on the menu.
Swimming, aka floating, around with Daddy, followed by some rest in the balcony rocker.
inner on Saturday was @ a really cool place called Oasis that overlooks the lake. (I am a goofball and forgot to get pics here)!
Sunday was filled with more swimming...
We also enjoyed the short trek down to the lake...
Thanks to friends who let us stay at their condo and for the Whitebreads who joined us for the good times! Here are some great moments:Breakfast & a lil peekaboo on the balcony...
Yes, bananas were on the menu.
Swimming, aka floating, around with Daddy, followed by some rest in the balcony rocker.
inner on Saturday was @ a really cool place called Oasis that overlooks the lake. (I am a goofball and forgot to get pics here)!Sunday was filled with more swimming...
We also enjoyed the short trek down to the lake...
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
July 4th fun & friends!
Our July 4th was busy but fantastic!
That morning Stephen led worship in place of a friend who went on a lil family vacay. I always enjoy watching him use his gifts for that reason.
Our friends Eneri & Chris, along with their 4 year old Elijah & 10 month old Alice, are in town from Pennsylvania. Kristen & Eneri, as well as another friend Aimee, went to high school together. We were excited to get to spend some of the day with all of them.
At the Children's Museum, we met Eneri & family, plus Aimee and daughter Abigail, for some play time in the Tots area! They all had a blast. Jillien really enjoyed crawling through a tunnel, climbing over things, observing all the little ones and making friends with herself in the mirror (including giving this new friend kisses!!) :)
In the evening, we all got together again and had dinner, watched the girls play together in the play room, saw some fireworks and whirled around a few sparklers.
Wooooo. It was a great day! We were all tired but it was completely worth it!
That morning Stephen led worship in place of a friend who went on a lil family vacay. I always enjoy watching him use his gifts for that reason.
Our friends Eneri & Chris, along with their 4 year old Elijah & 10 month old Alice, are in town from Pennsylvania. Kristen & Eneri, as well as another friend Aimee, went to high school together. We were excited to get to spend some of the day with all of them.
At the Children's Museum, we met Eneri & family, plus Aimee and daughter Abigail, for some play time in the Tots area! They all had a blast. Jillien really enjoyed crawling through a tunnel, climbing over things, observing all the little ones and making friends with herself in the mirror (including giving this new friend kisses!!) :)
In the evening, we all got together again and had dinner, watched the girls play together in the play room, saw some fireworks and whirled around a few sparklers.
Wooooo. It was a great day! We were all tired but it was completely worth it!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Crawling, 2 teeth & fun times!
Jillien is crawling! She has been rocking, scooting, flopping and such for a while. Yesterday she crawled once and I happened to get it on video (will post later). This morning she crawled right to Daddy when he held out his hands. :)
Here are some pics of her practicing, be it in her crib or out!
She also loves participating in peekaboo now... which is helpful. We definitely feel a little less ridiculous now that she reacts and even tries to play it on her own! I'm sure we don't look less ridiculous but that's half the fun of it. :)
We celebrated Stephen's first Father's Day and that was pretty special! He sure is in love with this little girl and for that I am very thankful! It's fun to watch them interact and have their little moments together.
We are cheering on Germany in our household! The World Cup has been fun to watch and to see Stephen get excited about a sport that he loves so much. 13 years of playing can do that to you. :) I know he'll be coaching Jilly if she decides she wants to play... until then, they'll just have to practice rolling her pink soccer ball around. (Onesie & bow made by Mommy. hehe)
Her 2 bottom teeth have broken through the gums and are sticking halfway out now! It seems like it just happened so quickly! No pictures of that yet... she's not terribly cooperative in letting us capture her pearly whites on camera.
We're enjoying weekends so very much. It's odd to get to say that after so many years of not really ever getting full weekends together without some commitment. We headed to Galveston for dinner & dessert with friends last Saturday. To wrap this up, here's a couple of our pretty girl hanging out with soon-to-be-here-in-the-Fall-little-friend-in-the-belly Sami (our friend Heidi is the baby carrier lol). :)
Here are some pics of her practicing, be it in her crib or out!
She also loves participating in peekaboo now... which is helpful. We definitely feel a little less ridiculous now that she reacts and even tries to play it on her own! I'm sure we don't look less ridiculous but that's half the fun of it. :)
We celebrated Stephen's first Father's Day and that was pretty special! He sure is in love with this little girl and for that I am very thankful! It's fun to watch them interact and have their little moments together.
We are cheering on Germany in our household! The World Cup has been fun to watch and to see Stephen get excited about a sport that he loves so much. 13 years of playing can do that to you. :) I know he'll be coaching Jilly if she decides she wants to play... until then, they'll just have to practice rolling her pink soccer ball around. (Onesie & bow made by Mommy. hehe)
Her 2 bottom teeth have broken through the gums and are sticking halfway out now! It seems like it just happened so quickly! No pictures of that yet... she's not terribly cooperative in letting us capture her pearly whites on camera.We're enjoying weekends so very much. It's odd to get to say that after so many years of not really ever getting full weekends together without some commitment. We headed to Galveston for dinner & dessert with friends last Saturday. To wrap this up, here's a couple of our pretty girl hanging out with soon-to-be-here-in-the-Fall-little-friend-in-the-belly Sami (our friend Heidi is the baby carrier lol). :)
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