Our So-Called Life

Message

2011-07-14T22:30:00.002-04:00

Our family is blessed to sponsor two Compassion children: both from Ghana, but who each share the same birthday as our two eldest children. Elisha and Madelyn think having "birthday twins" is pretty great. We regularly receive letters from the kids, usually a few times a year corresponding (though a couple of months after due to translating and travel time) certain holidays (Easter, Christmas, and maybe summer vacation).

Today we received a letter from Gloria, our five year old. The letter is a form letter with her answers and thoughts written in by an adult teacher or social worker. Her "Message for my sponsor" made my heart jump and my throat tighten:

"Gloria prays to God that anything you have lost due to some circumstances should come back in abundance. She says, you will never lack anything in life because you are blessed."

Wow. Thanks, Gloria...and God!

Joy

2011-05-22T15:46:00.003-04:00

Lest I give the impression that my days are hopeless and filled with tears, let me provide a glimpse of some of the joy in my life these days:

Josiah hugged me this morning and told me that he loved me all the way to the sky. Yesterday, he gave me three kisses and counted them as he went. He is is a big boy but is soft and still has squishy cheeks that I love to smootch.

Madelyn tries to wear skirts and dresses every day and is especially thrilled if they "twirl." She loves all things girly and coloring and crafts. I see more and more of my personality in her these days: she loves to plan and organize and tell people what to do (in a nice way, of course). She wakes up happy each morning, and often her first words of the day are, "Good morning, Mommy!"

Elisha and I are reading the Chronicles of Narnia. One of my favorite time each day is snuggling up with him on the couch to read the next chapter. He is so full of ideas and spends hours building things with his Legos. He is getting long and strong but will still let me hug and kiss him. And he still responds "I love you too" when I drop him off at school each morning.

In the early hours of the morning, each of the kids made their way in to my bedroom and crawled into bed with me. So by this morning, I had the two little ones next to me and Elisha stretched out at my feet. It was not the most restful way to sleep but it may be the sweetest.

I often consider how very blessed we are with a wonderful house, a reliable (and paid for) vehicle, plenty of food, more clothes than we need, a supportive family and friends. I am grateful for the dear friend who cares for my kids and for the teachers who invest in their young lives while I work.

I live in hope, surrounded by peace and full of joy. Thank You, Lord.

Blessings

2011-05-21T22:30:00.002-04:00

Heard this song driving home tonight. It brought tears to my eyes, considering the reality of this truth in my own life. It's something to ponder...

Below are the lyrics, or you can listen to the song here.

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

Credits :
songwriters: story, laura mixon
© new spring publishing;new spring publishing

Order

2011-05-16T20:49:00.002-04:00

I love order: the feeling that one gets when things have a place and when everything is in it's place. Ahhhh...it makes me feel good just thinking about it.

Last week I hosted a jewelry party for a friend which provided a very real and immediate incentive to get my house in order. And I don't just mean cleaning the bathrooms and making the beds. Think consolidating piles of opened (and unopened) mail, school papers, and receipts from the past month or two; sorting, folding and putting away the laundry that often covers my love seat; and paring down the 3 foot high tower of blankets that had overtaken its basket.

However, now that I can see my desk again (not to mention the coffee table and the kitchen counters), I want to maintain it. It is a struggle: clearing out the kitchen sink every night, putting all toys back on shelves and clothes back on hangers. But, it's been 4 days now (woo hoo!) and things still look great.

I am considering having someone over for dinner every week as an extra incentive in case my self-discipline wanes. Let me know if you're interested. ;)

Loneliness

2011-05-14T12:13:00.004-04:00

One of the most difficult transitions for me as a single parent has been adapting to being alone. It's interesting that even with 3 kids around I can still feel lonely.

I blame it partly on my personality; I am an extreme extrovert. Being with people makes me feel secure. But it's not practical or possible to have people around all of the time. My friends have their own families and responsibilities.

I complained to a mentor about my loneliness, but instead of offering symapthy, she told me to invite people over...to make new friends. It was good advice, though not what I expected (or wanted) to hear. I have tried it. Inviting "strangers" and aquaintances over. It's intimidating. And vulnerable. And a bit risky. But it's worth it: I have new friends now that I did not have 6 months ago, which is an amazing blessing.

I have also been challenged to practice solitude, to discipline myself to not have to be with people. Rarely, this happens by my choice; more often I call and text and try to find someone to hang out with and it turns out everyone is busy. So, by default, I spend time alone. I wish I could say that I alwyas make the most of this time: reading scripture, praying, journaling. Sometimes, I try to clean or organize or get something accomplished. Sometimes I seek out "community" on Facebook. And sometimes I just watch movies or go to bed.

Regardless of how I feel, I know that I am truly never alone. I wrote the following poem in college to submit to our campus journal. It describes the paradox I often feel and the truth I know.

Alone.

Not really,

Just by myself.

You are here

So there are two:

Together,

Alone.

Escape

2011-05-14T08:37:00.002-04:00

Josiah's transition to a pacifier-free life has not come easily. His former bedtime of 7 or 7:30 has morphed into a 7:30 put-him-into-bed-time but a 9:30 finally-give-up-and-go-to-sleep-time. So, I often put him in bed with me, grateful for an excuse to go to bed early myself. We snuggle together, his cold feet sandwiched between my warm legs, and drift off together for an extra-long, worry-free night.

I burrow under the covers, pulling the blankets over my head, but forming a tiny tunnel into the outside world...right by my nose so I can still breathe easily. I love being here: warm, soft, safe. It's my escape of choice these days. No more crying. Just sleep. Disconnected from the thoughts and regrets and "what ifs."

I wonder how long the relief will last. How long until my responsibilities and longing for reality overtake the refuge of sleep. Until that time, I continue, knowing that I cannot to escape from the love of One who knows the pain and offers not just sleep but rest.

Reality

2011-05-13T23:06:00.002-04:00

I'm realizing that living in reality can be painful: pain, loss, disappointment, grief. It's a lot to take at times. And then I read about someone who is experiencing (seemingly) more loss than me, and I gain a new perspective. Or maybe it's more of a kindredness, knowing that others are navigating similar emotions.

The great writer C.S. Lewis proposed a relationship between our ability to feel pain and joy. From my experience, I believe he is right. I have loved deeply, and, perhaps because of that, have felt deep loss. But even through the pain God has still brought moments of joy. A different joy, perhaps, than the innocent joy "before loss." One that has known the sustaining grace and faithfulness of God.

For this I am so very thankful.

Better Late Than Never

2010-12-22T22:59:00.002-05:00

I believe this year I am less like this poem than ever before.

But it is still good to contemplate.

“The Month Before Christmas”
by Jaena Womack

‘Twas the month before Christmas and all through the town,
Every person was busy – no joy to be found.

With their calendars full and great plans made with care,
They knew that the holidays soon would be there.

I’m all ready to go, with my red Santa’s cap
Though I’d rather hole up for a long winter’s nap!

The family is coming for turkey and pie;
There is work to be done; there are groceries to buy:

Cranberries, plum pudding, mincemeat and hams,
Flour, sugar, eggnog, marshmallows, and yams,

Cashews and pretzels and chocolate for dipping,
And full-caffeine hazelnut coffee for sipping,

I can’t forget ice cream -- six quarts, Neopolitan --
Good grief! I may need a sleigh just to haul it in!

Yes, it’s happened again: preparations gone wild,
And I’m half-Martha Stewart half-Julia Child.

Yet there’s still more to do! Let me show you my list –
I have shopping and wrapping and my kids insist

That we spend one whole day finding just the right tree,
Then we finally select one at least nine foot three

Which we drag to our house through the ice and the sleet…
(Never mind that our ceiling is only eight feet.)

Now it’s off to the mall for a fourteen-hour sale
With holiday coupons received in the mail.

With such bargains around…well, it isn’t too hard
To max out my VISA and Discover card.

So I head for our home with my presents in tow
And if this year is much like the past years, I know

As I pull in the driveway and walk through the door,
I’ll be greeted by sounds of my husband’s loud snore.

My children have fallen asleep on their beds
With clothes still on bodies and hats still on heads.

I grab the remote and turn off the TV,
Collapse on the couch, almost too tired to see…

I’ve run myself ragged with plans so sublime
Now I ask, “What’s the point? Is it all worth my time?”

In the silence I treasure a brief interlude;
My thoughts become clear, and I humbly conclude

That it’s not in the presents wrapped under the tree,
It’s not in the friends or the family you see,

Of course it’s not Rudolph or old Santa Claus,
Or donating money to some worthy cause.

No, it all traces back to the night long ago…
To the mother and child and the story we know

But we often forget as we bustle around,
The true meaning of Christmas can only be found

In the birth of a baby – the long-promised king
Who caused shepherds to wonder and angels to sing.

That’s why we celebrate, though some don’t know,
Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, and so…

What I whisper aloud as I turn out the light
Is not, “Merry Christmas, to all a good night.”

Rather “Glory to God in the highest” and then
“Peace on the earth and good will to all men.”

Crib for Sale

2010-09-06T20:25:00.003-04:00

Here are random parts of the crib from random pictures

because my random brain did not think to take a photo

before taking the crib down. Use your imagination. :D

Pics for Keetha

2010-08-20T20:28:00.003-04:00

Elisha and his Solar System Puzzle

Some of Elisha's Lego creations

Celebrating Josiah's second birthday - April 2010

Elisha earned some money and I mentioned tithing to him. He was not on board at first and stated that he did not intend to give God any of his money. He soon reconsidered and agreed to give ten percent, so we put it in this envelope which he appropriately labeled "God."

Two-Year Old Talk

2010-08-20T20:12:00.002-04:00

Overheard Wednesday in the van on the way home from the sitter's

K: Ma-ee (Maddie)

Josiah: Gacie (Gracie) my sister...Lisha (Elisha) my buther

K: mommy

Josiah: that my mommy. your mommy at home.

K: no. my mama wen (went) hiking. (Which was true...her mom did go hiking.)

So there you have it.

Pics from our Spring Break Trip to the Children's Museum

2010-08-11T22:55:00.000-04:00

A Few Things...

2010-08-11T22:45:00.002-04:00

First of all, to the two of you who commented on my blog: I am really sorry, but I accidentally deleted your comments when trying to delete the annoying spam comments. Please know that I appreciate your comments and your friendship and would never intentionally erase your kind words.

Second, I have tried a couple of new things this year to help make school and work easier for me and my family:

1 - I select 5 outfits for the kids each weekend and lay them out on their dresser/desk. Each night they (or I) pick an outfit for the next day and have it ready to go so all they have to do is put it on. This may seem silly, but it seems to relieve stress for us, and I do not even have to think about what 3 kids will wear for a whole week. I should try to do the same for me, huh?

2 - I am forcing myself to do one load of laundry a day. It may be a small load, but I am finding that getting in the habit of doing a load a day has kept me up on our laundry. Pretty cool so far.

3 - My new goal is to cook two meals a week. Monday night and Thursday night. Tuesday can be leftovers from Monday or breakfast for dinner, Wednesday we will usually eat at church, and Friday can be leftovers or something easy (sandwiches maybe). This seems less overwhelming to me than thinking of cooking 4-5 times a week. We'll see how it goes.

4 - I refuse to even attempt to dry and straighten my hair until cool weather sets in. The humidity (and rain!) make it impossible to produce good results; and,, let's face it, who am I trying to impress? A room full of 7 year olds? I think not!

That's all for now. Good night.

Finally!

2010-07-25T21:02:00.003-04:00

I have been locked out of my blog for a bit; I couldn't remember the password. :) I just got it on the first try tonight. Whew!

I am exhausted from a day at Family Camp with the kiddos, so I will try to load some more photos soon. For now, it's off to finish the juice popsicles and then off to bed! Good night!

Published

2009-05-13T20:59:00.004-04:00

I'd like to thank Boo Mama for inviting bloggers to write an article for the Praise Baby Blog; Julie Lamb, who first introduced us to Praise Baby; my amazing brother Joel for sharing his editing expertise, and God for blessing us with three wonderful babies so we could have an excuse to purchase the Praise Baby DVD's.

Go here to read my article. For extra fun Google "praise baby blog" and a quote from my piece is shown with the site. Oh, and a final sidenote: the article was published on my birthday, April 14 - pretty cool, huh?

A Three-Year-Old's Reasoning

2009-05-04T21:07:00.002-04:00

After making Madelyn peanut butter on graham crackers, I found her licking her fingers.

Me: Did you stick your fingers in the peanut butter?

Maddie: Yes, you leaved it open for me.

Prayertime

2009-04-21T20:06:00.002-04:00

Elish at bedtime tonight: "...and dear God, I really, really, really, really want to go to heaven. And will my mansion have Legos? Because I really like them. In Jesus name, amen."

Did Someone Mention Christmas Photos?

2008-12-07T20:06:00.002-05:00

My parents and brother with our family

Which do you like best?
Just for fun - no cards this year.

Updating

2008-12-07T17:57:00.004-05:00

I'm still here...just taking a break for a bit (OK, several weeks). Our family has gone through a ton of transition these past few months, but it looks like things are calming down and we are settling into a bit of routine. So, here are a few photos from the summer and fall that never got posted, as well as a quick update on each member of the Womack household.

Jim is doing really well. He went to the doctor in October and was released for a year. He is still taking a couple of meds but has not had any other episodes, for which we are grateful. Jim resigned from IWU in September and is now working at the Gas City Starbucks. He is also considering returning to school to get his master's degree. He stays home with the kids when he is not working and was back to running fairly regularly before all of the snow and ice dropped in.

I am working at Frances Slocum Elementary School as an Academic Specialist weekdays from 9:15-3:15. Although I feel a little sad about leaving our kids, I am enjoying the position (especially since they let me reorganize the book room!) I have been training to walk in the Indianapolis mini-marathon and have spent my "free time" creating some cool homemade Christmas presents (maybe I will post pics of them later).

Elisha (almost 6) started Kindergarten in September and has been enjoying new friends and learning to read. He loves attending ClubSplash, our midweek children's program at CWC, where he participates in the cooking and encouragement classes. He also like to work with Legos and is still drawing up a storm, going through what seems like reams of paper every year.

Madelyn (almost 3) is a sweetie who keeps us entertained with her antics (as seen below). She loves her brothers and spends time playing with dolls, play dough and books. Recently, after Elisha spent a day with his grandparents, she remarked on the way to go get him, "I hope I get to see Elisha" and then said at dinner, "I missed you, Elisha." I'm hoping she remembers these feelings of love the next time he teases her.

Josiah (7 months) is our calm, easy-going third child. We are so thankful for his disposition. He is a hefty 21 pounds and is already wearing 12 month clohtes and size 4 diaper (the same size as Madelyn, actually.) He is practicing sitting up and can get around really well with his army crawl.

For the Record (A Short Novel)

2008-09-13T15:53:00.009-04:00

While most people have heard some of the story, and some people have heard most of the story, very few have heard it all. So, for the sake of accurate information being passed about as well as helping us to remember all that happened these past few days, here goes...

It all started Sunday evening around 10 or 10:30. No, wait, actually it began that morning. I was kind enough to pass some sort of stomach virus on to Jim, and he was having really bad stomach pain. We figured it was related to the virus, but I looked up his symptoms on Web MD just to be safe.

One of the paragraphs mentioned that people sometimes dismiss pain on their left side as gas pain when it can, in fact, be heart-related. At that point, the pain was low enough that we didn't really think much about it, but I was thankful later that we had read that information.

Fast forward to Sunday evening: Jim and I had just watched a movie together, and he had been having some tightness in his chest on the left side (but had not told me). I fell asleep on the couch with Josiah, and Jim went to bed. When I woke up and came to bed around midnight, he seemed uncomfortable and was kind of groaning a little, but I just assumed his stomach was hurting again (he still did not say anything to me).

After a trip to the restroom, which further confirmed my suspicions, he tried to sleep. When he was still in pain at about 1 am, he (finally) said that he was having pain and numbness on the left side of his chest, down his left arm, and even radiating up into his jaw. We debated about what to do: call a local friend of ours who is a PA, head straight to the ER, or check out symptoms on Web MD. We decided to check online just to see what we were dealing with. His description of the pain and the location of it seemed to suggest that it was heart-related, so we got ready to go to the ER just to be safe.

After convincing Jim that there was no way I was going to let him drive himself to the hospital, we asked my grandmother to stay with our two oldest children who were asleep, loaded up Josiah, and headed out.

They checked Jim in quickly, and got his vitals, an EKG, and blood work. They also hooked him up to an IV and (at various points) gave him nitroglycerin, pain meds, and heparin, I believe. The doctor met with him and thought that it was not likely to be a heart attack based on his age, health, and family history. However, when his blood work came back and showed elevated levels of cardiac troponin (a marker of heart muscle damage which often indicates a heart attack), the doctor said that we needed to take this seriously and made arrangements to transfer Jim via ambulance to Ball Memorial in Muncie.

I was not able to accompany Jim on the ambulance ride to Ball, so he will have to fill in that portion of the story. I dropped off Josiah at home, took a quick shower, and had a good friend drive me down to Ball. We arrived about 6 am.

Over the course of the morning, Jim was seen by several doctors and medical students, including a cardiologist, Dr. Ali. He decided the best thing was to do a heart cath to see if Jim had any blockage in his heart. If not, he would do a CAT scan to rule out a pulmonary embolism, another potential cause of Jim's pain and abnormal blood test.

Jim actually felt decent for awhile that morning, posting on his Facebook account and resting. Mid-morning they did an echo cardiogram, and he began experiencing some chest pain again. They prepped him for the heart cath and sent him down for a chest x-ray. On the way back up really began feeling pretty bad, rating his pain as even worse than it was in the ER. They gave him nitro again, but he was still in pain. A nurse came in to do another EKG, and after reading the results and observing a drop in Jim's heart rate (it was down to 32), the doctor decided to the the heart cath right away. He had been scheduled for noon, but they had changed it to 2 pm. The doctor actually ended up ordering general anesthisia because he didn't want to wait for the other drugs (valium and Benedryl, I believe) to take effect as planned.

This was probably the scariest point of the ordeal. Seeing Jim in pain again and watching the calm, yet concerned reaction of the medical staff made me worried. By the time they were taking him down for the procedure, I was scared. Fortunately, we only had to wait around 45 minutes before the doctor paged us and let us know that he had found no blockages or damage to Jim's heart.

The took him right down for a CAT scan to rule out the pulmonary embolism, and that came back clear as well. His enzymes were still elevated (and rising, if I understand correctly) which continued to point to some type of heart issue. So, by a sort of process of elimination, they diagnosed it as pericarditis.

Because his heart rate had dropped so low, Jim stayed overnight in the Coronary Care unit. He had no more chest pain and was released Tuesday afternoon around 2:30 pm. He was prescribed some medication for his heart and is also taking Tylonel to manage headache pain that is a side effect from one of his meds.

Since then, Jim has spent a lot of time resting. He feels pretty good most of the time except for headaches and some nausea. He had some restrictions from the heart cath (no lifting over 10 pounds for several days) but, as far as we know, does not have any from the pericarditis.

We have scheduled follow up appointments with our family doctor as well as with the cardiologist at Ball. They do not expect it to happen again, but they do not really know why it happened in the first place. That is a little disconcerting to both of us but, like so many things in our lives, is out of our control. We trust God's sovereignty. That's all we can do.

Thank you for praying for our family. It was such an encouragement to read your comments and posts on Facebook. We also appreciate those of you who brought us delicious, wonderful, amazing meals. Our children will be missing them as they are thrust back into reality this week. :)

We will keep everyone posted as (or maybe I should say *if*) we know more.

Coming Home

2008-09-09T12:27:00.002-04:00

They are planning to discharge Jim sometime this afternoon. He is on a two-week prescription of meds for the condition and they will continue to monitor him.

I asked what caused it and if it could happen again, and they don't know. It seems that most 30 year-old lean runners do not typically have pericarditis. :) So, hopefully, this was a one time anomaly instead of a chronic problem.

Thanks again for praying for Jim and our family. We will update when we get him home and settled if we know more.

Fixed Link

2008-09-08T22:09:00.001-04:00

Thanks for all of your prayers. I know they are sustaining us.

I fixed the link to Jim's diagnosis for your reading pleasure.

Update on Jim

2008-09-08T16:33:00.003-04:00

I'm hoping most of you who can keep up on Jim updates this way. The hospital will not let me get on Facebook.

Jim was admitted to the ER early this morning with chest pain and weakness/numbness in his left arm. After some bloodwork showed elevated levels of enzymes that are heart-related, they transferred him to Ball Memorial and have been running tests and trying to determine what is wrong.

Jim's heart cath came back good - no blockage.
The CAT scan showed no pulmonary *whatever*.
They have changed his diagnosis (from a heart attack) to pericarditis.

Jim will be staying the night so they can see if the meds for this are effective and so they can ensure that he is not having more chest pain or drops in heart rate (his rate was down to 32 at one point and they rushed him out for the heart cath - pretty tense).

Thanks for praying. I will try to let you know more as we do.

"It has a TV!"

2008-08-28T23:09:00.004-04:00

After much time spent searching the internet, visiting car lots, and praying for wisdom, the Womack family became the proud owners of a van. Despite its many practical features - more space, stow and go seats, better gas mileage, to name a few - the title of this post shows the only thing our children care about (and what Madelyn tells everyone).

This is a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country Limited with every feature imaginable (and some I actually had not imagined). I would share more about its amenities, but I feel guilty about a few of them (seat warmers!), so I am not yet ready for full disclosure.

We are very excited and also a little nervous to have invested so much in a means of transportation. I do not have buyer's remorse, but I do feel slightly sick to my stomach when I think that of all of the money we saved is gone. Well, I guess it has actually just transitioned into a new asset, right? And that is what we saved for...so I should be happy. I guess I have saving issues (or maybe just issues in general).

The above photo is not specifically of *our car* but it is the same color and make and model from what I could tell.

Thanks for all of the recommendations. If we were richer, we would have probably leaned towards the Honda or Toyota (I have a 1987 Camry that has over 170,000 miles on it); but with our budgeted amount, the ones we would have considered were out of our price range.

On a related note: we are selling our pop up camper (1994 Coleman Key West) for $3000 if anyone is interested. :)

Recommendations?

2008-08-21T13:30:00.002-04:00

We sold our Explorer! It's bittersweet because I love that vehicle, but I have to admit that with 3 kids in car seats, I am looking forward to more room (and the ability to seat the kids so they cannot touch each other.)

So, I'm looking for recommendations for vans. We have saved some money and will be looking around this weekend with the hopes of finding something...soon.

Any words or wisdom? What to buy or what NOT to buy?

Siblings

2008-07-27T15:17:00.005-04:00

I have friends who display photos of their 3 or 4 children, smiling and hugging. My little ones, however, have yet to perfect that particular look.

I believe these tears were the result of Elisha wanting to hold Josiah and Madelyn wanting to hold Josiah and Josiah not wanting to be held by either of them.

Can you see the family resemblance between Madelyn and Josiah in that first photo?

Elisha

2008-07-27T15:13:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, we were cleaning up after rest time and Elisha presented me with these:

He said that he had dropped them and then tried to fix them to get the one side to match the other. I don't think he quite got it right.

Fortunately, the kind woman at the glasses store was able to bend them back and they now look completely normal. Amazing.

Madelyn

2008-07-27T14:48:00.002-04:00

Maddie loves shoes; we often find her trying on the shoes of other family members. Yesterday we discovered that the issue is much deeper. It applies to socks as well.

Josiah

2008-07-27T14:27:00.002-04:00

These are just a few of the photos that have been rescued from our digital camera. Since the date function is off and needs to be reset, I'm not really sure when they were taken...I'm guessing this is Josiah at 2 months or so.

This is Josiah at almost 3 months with Corban Resiwig who is 9 months (I think). Josiah tends to be at the top of the growth curve and Corban is closer to the bottom. We parents got a kick out of how close they were in size. It was also nice to hang out with Marty and Jaclyn for a bit.

Photos of My Kids Before They Graduate

2008-07-16T21:52:00.007-04:00

If it were not for Shannon, I would have no post tonight. Not to mention no photos of my kids before they turn 18 and move out of the house.

All of our recent photos have taken up permanent residence in our digital camera and may not be seen by human eye until I get up enough initiative to take some time (10 whole minutes maybe) and download them.

I'll try to get to it...really.

But until then, you have these lovely photos for your viewing pleasure that actually look like my children. I'm not sure if it's the camera or the photographer or a little bit of both, but Shannon really captured *the look* of the Womack kiddos. Especially Elisha.

So, thanks, Shannon, and enjoy!

English Lesson

2008-07-02T12:04:00.006-04:00

Elisha: How do you spell "wand"?

Me: As in "magic wand"?

Elisha: Yes.

Me: (slowly as he writes) W - A - N - D

Elisha: (after only writing W-A) No, not "wand" (using short a sound) "wond" (using short o sound)

Me: I know, it's spelled with an "a" and it makes the short "o" sound.

Welcome to the English language, buddy.

SUV Anyone?

2008-06-18T14:02:00.005-04:00

Just thought I'd give the blogosphere an opportunity to take advantage of our great deal. We are trying to sell our Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer so we can get a van.

Since Josiah's birth, we discovered that you can, in fact, fit three car seats in the back seat of it (as well as in our Toyota Camry, for that matter), but we feel like we could use some extra room for strollers, bags, and other "kid stuff."

The Kelley Blue Book price is over $5500, and we are only asking $3500 (we realize cars that get better gas mileage are whats *really* selling).

We are praying it sells soon so we can start really looking for our next vehicle. Anyone interested in details?

Fully Loaded:
* Driver Air Bag
* Anti-Lock Brakes
* Air Conditioning
* Cruise Control
* CD Player
* Passenger Air Bag

* Rear Window Defroster
* AM/FM Stereo Cassette
* Leather Seats
* Power Door Locks
* Power Mirrors
* Power Windows
* Power Steering
* Power Seats
* Tinted Glass
* Tilt Wheel

Mileage: 116,000

Random Shots

2008-06-01T16:14:00.002-04:00

Josiah is growing and getting more alert.

I looked over to see Madelyn in a box..."reading."
She knows these songs/stories by heart and sits
and reads them to herself. Pretty sweet.

Wednesday

2008-06-01T16:02:00.003-04:00

Wednesday's activities provided several photo opportunities.

A trip to the eye doctor offered new eye wear.
(Actually, only Jim, Elisha and I went, but Elisha was
kind enough to share his glasses with Madelyn.)

I realized that Elisha had a Book It coupon for a free pan pizza
from Pizza Hut that expired that day. So, the three kids
and I had our first dining out experience without Jim.
Josiah rested in his carrier the entire time.

Maddie and Elisha colored calmly.

Josiah gave up and snuck a nap.

Got Milk?

2008-06-01T15:54:00.002-04:00

As a matter of fact, I do.
Ninety-nine bags to be exact.
One consolation in not being able to nurse Josiah
is knowing that someone will benefit from over 4 weeks of pumping.
I am making arrangements (completing paperwork and blood work)
to donate to the Indiana Mother's Milk Bank.
Pretty cool, if you ask me.

Parenting

2008-05-26T16:00:00.004-04:00

Before I had young children, I used to wonder how kids cut their hair, colored on walls, or generally got into things. I mean, what were their parents doing while they went around unsupervised?

Now that I'm older and wiser (and hopefully more humble), I get it. Last week Elisha colored on Madelyn with markers (notice her face, shirt and hands). My children have also been known to unroll the toilet paper (classic) and pull tissues out of the box (also classic), cut small holes in shirts, color on our bedroom carpet, play in the toilet, and team up with a cousin to use markers to decorate the walls, floor, couch, table and carpet of my cousin's band new camper.

Did I mention I am more humble now? And less judgmental too.

Buddies

2008-05-26T15:54:00.003-04:00

Elisha and Elijah were born 10 days apart and have been good friends since they were young. Now that the Bonds live in New York we see them a little less often, but the boys just pick up where they left off. Come to think of it, the moms and dads do too!

Helping

2008-05-26T15:43:00.002-04:00

Elisha set the table when the Wuertleys (or more accurately, the Wuertleys minus Jason) came for dinner a couple of weeks ago. He told me that he did the silverware "like a restaurant." Oh, and the Bible story book (you press a button and it plays a song) in the center of the table was so that we could have music during dinner.

For Char: Daddy and Josiah

2008-05-18T22:26:00.004-04:00

Just a couple of photos of the guys...so cute!

Perspective

2008-05-17T12:47:00.000-04:00

Thanks for all of your comments and positives regarding bottle feeding. It's interesting because despite all of the conveniences and reasons to embrace it, I find myself grieving what I cannot have with Josiah. I think it feels like even more of a loss because I know what I'm missing (with Elisha I knew nothing different) and what I'm "in for" with bottles, formula, and spit up smell.

I am learning that, no matter what the issue, loss is loss. It is healthy - even necessary - for a person to grieve: whether it be an unrealized expectation (nursing your newborn), a failed relationship, or some other loss.

I have also realized that in many situations, given time, my perspective can change. Events that at first might seem negative can eventually be seen as a blessing.

We have found this to be true with job transitions. Hurt, fear and anger give way to peace, hope and joy as God reveals a new place of ministry or work.

Perspective.

I think of of my recent labor experience. Intense pain that threatens to overwhelm but instead produces new life: sweet, warm, and precious.

Perspective.

God reminds me that that my 2 children have this and not this like this dear family recently discovered.

Perspective.

I hold my tiny newborn in my arms and breathe a prayer of thanks as this young woman mourns the baby she barely knew.

Perspective.

Jenni, gifted writer and mother of 12(!) shared her reformed perspective about newborns in this amazing post that - surprise! - made me cry (those silly hormones) and I thank God for the privilege of holding a baby again and knowing the miracle of life.

And once again, my perspective changes and I realize that being a mom (bottles and all) is a great place to be.

He's a Soy Boy

2008-05-09T16:41:00.005-04:00

I could tell by the tone of the nurse's voice that she did not have good news. Josiah does have "Dg" and will need to continue on soy formula. It's a relief to know but pretty disappointing, maybe more so since I was hopeful (or in denial) that he was only a carrier.

At least we know, and I will be able to slowly stop pumping, which will be nice. I'm creating a list of the positives of bottle feeding; feel free to leave a comment with your own "pro" (no "cons," please or I'll cry...more).

Bottle feeding is nice because...
*Jim can share feeding responsibility (especially at nighttime!)
*We can leave Josiah and go out for a long date without worrying about time.
*No one stares at you when you feed your baby (although it didn't bother me to nurse discreetly in public).

I'm sure there are more; I'll update later.

Expecting

2008-05-09T12:04:00.004-04:00

My friend, Shannon, captured these moments about 48 hours before Josiah was born. Glad we didn't wait any longer for the photo shoot! Yep, she is pretty amazing.

These area about our only photos of me expecting - with any of our children - because I always feel like a whale and do not like getting my picture taken while feeling whale-like, you know?

Waiting

2008-05-07T12:23:00.002-04:00

The blood draw went well; it actually took less time than pricking his foot and squeezing drops of blood out to fill in all of the circles on the newborn screen card.

The nurse from Riley called, and it sounds like I was right about the possibility of Josiah being a carrier and not necessarily having Duarte galactosemia. She said this test will tell how much of the enzyme his body is producing. If it is over a ten (not sure if that is a percent or based on some other set scale), he will be able to nurse.

She also said that we should know by the end of the week or possibly Monday. With Elisha we had to wait 2 weeks because they only did the test about once a week; but now they run the test almost daily, so we will get results much sooner. Hooray!

One way or the other, at least we will know soon...not that I struggle with patience or anything.

The Call

2008-05-06T16:56:00.003-04:00

The nurse just called to say that we will need to take Josiah up to the hospital tomorrow for a blood draw. This will be sent to a Children's Hospital in California to determine the levels of enzyme Josiah's body has (I think).

She also contacted a metabolic nurse from Riley who will be calling us tomorrow to answer any questions we have (and I do have a few). I have been doing some research online and discovered that there are several possible scenarios for a person that is diagnosed with galactosemia. Some individual's have enough of the GALT enzyme in their body that they do not have diet restrictions. At this point, we are hoping and praying that this is the case with Josiah. It might also explain why he did not have severe jaundice.

This is just a theory so far, but we should know more tomorrow after we talk to the nurse. We'll keep you "posted" (get it - posted on the blog...posted). :D

Just for the Record

2008-05-02T13:51:00.002-04:00

This post is for my brother who asked me if a person's stomach just shrinks back down after the baby comes out. "Ummmm...no." Not that I'm complaining about my stomach. I mean, losing 8 POUNDS OF BABY has definitely been to my advantage this time around.

I did, however, wanted to post documentation that I do, indeed, still look 4-5 months pregnant. No worries, though. Nursing seems to help the pounds melt right off (and for me by nursing I mean pumping 7-8 times a day - same thing, right?)

1 week postpartum
18 weeks

22 weeks

What Really Matters

2008-05-02T13:43:00.001-04:00

First "bath" at home

Chillin' in the boucy seat

Sleepin' in the car seat

Hangin' out with mom on the floor

Family and Friends

2008-05-02T13:36:00.001-04:00

Great-Grandma Millie

Great-Grandpa Bowman, his namesake: Glenn Harold Bowman

Miss Ronda getting her "baby fix"

Big brother and big sister

Coming Home

2008-05-02T13:23:00.003-04:00

Josiah shares his feelings regarding his travel arrangements

A "Welcome Home" kiss

Josiah was thoughtful enough to buy each of his siblings a gift:
baby doll diapers and bibs for Madelyn and Lightning McQueen for Elisha

Thankfulness

2008-04-30T18:19:00.004-04:00

We got a call today that Josiah's newborn screen results came back and that he tested positive for galactosemia, a rare genetic disorder that Elisha had as an infant. Actually, I guess he still has it, but his body has outgrown or adapted in some way, so he is now able to drink milk.

This meant that we had to take Josiah up to the hospital so that they could do another newborn screen (read: prick his heel and squeeze the blood out of it onto a card while he screamed for 10 minutes). It should take about a week to get these test results; and during that time, he has to take soy formula and I need to pump to keep my milk supply up in case it turns out the test was wrong.

This news produced a variety of emotions: sadness of wanting to breastfeed and possibly not being able to, especially since this is our last "planned" child; disappointment from thinking things were *fine* since he didn't have severe jaundice (Elisha was rehospitaized for two days due to his high bilirubin levels); frustration from having to wash bottles, boil nipples, and pick up formula; worry that because he can't breastfeed, he will not have a good immune system or optimum brain development or whatever (I realize these are irrational thoughts...well, not the immune system issue - I think that's a researched fact).

So now we are trying to settle in and get reorganized and refocused: physically, mentally and even spiritually. I'm trying to gain perspective and see things from a more eternal viewpoint where it will not matter one bit how Josiah was nourished for the first year of his life.

I was thinking earlier today about things for which I am thankful, and I wanted to post a list. (Keep in mind that I am a practical person.) I am thankful...

*that Elisha only threw up once and it has been almost 24 hours
*that Madelyn did not have a fever this morning; it must have "broke" in the night
*that Jim was home this morning to help monitor and entertain the older two so I could care for Josiah and keep him germ-free
*that Jim was able to take a couple of hours off to go to the hospital with me
*that I have amazing friends like Tasha who was willing to take my kids at a moments' notice (even though she knew they had been ill in the last 24 hours - I'm not sure I would have agreed to that)
*that at least they have a newborn screen to catch potential problems like galactosemia
*that we have a wonderful pediatrician who is double checking this AND whose office gave us free cans of soy formula (that stuff is expensive!)
*that I have a sensitive husband who will let me cry over things like this without making me feel stupid or overly emotional

There are many more things I could add, but I'll stop for now. What are you thankful for?

This is Not Ideal

2008-04-30T08:07:00.003-04:00

Elisha threw up last night...in bed...a lot.

Madelyn started running a fever of over 100.

We have an 8 day old baby.

Jim was going back to work all day today.

We may be adjusting our plans for the day.

We're Still Alive

2008-04-28T16:58:00.002-04:00

Still alive, but not necessarily awake...

I have photos to post and things to share, but there is a limit to what a person can do with just one hand (the other, of course, is busy holding Josiah). And, when I have 2 hands available, I'm caring for the other family members or trying to catch some sleep.

So, I'll update...someday. No promises, but maybe tomorrow; Jim is taking a half day off work. Yippee!

Pictures...Finally!

2008-04-24T12:19:00.006-04:00

Photo Link of Josiah

2008-04-23T13:19:00.001-04:00

Here is a photo of Josiah from the hospital website.

Why I Am a Fan of Epidurals

2008-04-23T08:16:00.003-04:00

Here's the story...

In keeping with Womack baby tradition, Josiah decided to enter the world on his own timetable. After seeing the doctor yesterday, we knew he would come in the next 24 hours but did not anticipate just how soon his birth might be.

We left the doctor's office and decided to run a few errands, thinking the walking and gravity would at least help the process along. After stops at Riverview (to update my mom), Wal-Mart (to purchase a few last minute items, including a watch to time contractions since neither Jim or I have a working watch), and College Church, we headed home.

Jim ate lunch and we kept timing. Contractions were between 6-10 minutes apart, depending on my position: up walking around or sitting or laying. They were, however, getting more intense and could last up to a minute or more. When a couple of contractions got to be 4-5 minutes apart and I was having to really breathe through them, I started to get a bit worried, so Jim called the doctor's office for advice. They said I was in labor and to head to the hospital.

Looking back, it's a bit scary to think what might have happened if we had waited any longer. By the time we got to the hospital (around 3:30), the contractions we about 5 minutes apart, but I could still walk and talk. We checked in and were told that they had just sent 4 girls up to labor and delivery and that another was headed to the hospital by ambulance. I think we took the last room.

They gave me a gown and said that they were assessing patients in the order they arrived, which made sense. So over the next half hour my contractions went from 5 minutes to 3 and a half minutes apart. I started getting worried about not getting the epidural. And while I'm not one for cutting in line or breaking rules in general, I sent Jim out to let the nurse know that things were progressing and that I have a history of fast labors (thus my two *natural* deliveries despite two requests for an epidural).

The nurse was on her way in and got my IV started, drew blood, and checked me: 5 centimeters. By this time (around 4 p.m.) our doula had arrived and things really started moving. They sent the blood work out to get approved for an epidural, I signed the paperwork for an epidural, and they even had the chair ready and called the anesthesiologist. However, my body was on a roll. The contractions got stronger and closer together, I went from 5-9.5 centimeters in a little over an hour, and I was ready to push by about 5:20 or so. Bottom line: no epidural. (ahhhhhh!!!)

I pouted briefly between contractions and considered my options, which at this point were very few. They prepped me to push and I remember telling everyone I couldn't do it and asking if they could just pull the baby out. They were not very accommodating and said the only way for him to come out was for me to push.

Three pushes (and an episiodomy) later, Josiah arrived. Our doctor saw how big he was, estimated that he was around 7.5 pounds and said something like, "We weren't expecting this." We were all surprised that he was a little over 8 pounds (no wonder it hurt!)

In the end, it was all worth it. He's a sweet little guy who (so far) sleeps and wakes up to eat (unless you undress him to give him a bath or take his photograph.) Pictures yet to come - we brought the wrong cord to the hospital and can't download them off of our camera. : )

It's a Boy!

2008-04-22T22:40:00.002-04:00

Pictures will come tomorrow (sorry!)

Josiah Glenn Womack
8 pounds, 1 ounce (huge!)
21 inches (long!)
5:32 p.m. (fast!)

Other details to follow...

Here We Go!

2008-04-22T14:59:00.001-04:00

We're headed to the hospital. Contractions are closer together, longer, and pretty intense. Let's get that epidural!

Sometime Soon

2008-04-22T13:08:00.000-04:00

I had a doctor's appointment at 11, and my contractions were around 10 minutes apart. He checked and I am about 4 centimeters dilated and 70% effaced - hooray! Now we are just waiting for the contractions to be 5 minutes apart so we can head up to the hospital. If nothing happens tonight, he said to meet him at the hospital by 7 tomorrow morning, and he will break my water. So it looks like Baby Womack is on the way. More to come...

Wondering...

2008-04-22T05:49:00.000-04:00

Not to get anyone's (including my) hopes up, but I have been up since 3. At first I was hungry, but then I started having some contractions which could mean something or nothing from what I hear/read. (I've never gone into labor on my own, so I feel like a first-timer.) Since then I finished packing my hospital bag, took a shower, did some laundry, and tried to rest (not happening).

While they are not regular, some of the contractions have been intense enough that I had to breathe through them, but now they have tapered off a but and are mostly back to more Braxton-Hicks type. So, I'm not sure what to think; but I have a doctor's appointment in 5 hours, so we will see what he says (OUCH! There is another now! Yikes! I'm definitely asking for that epidural *STAT* when I get to the hospital.)

I'll keep you posted!

All Is Well

2008-04-21T10:10:00.002-04:00

I called the doctor's office, and the nurse said the ultrasound showed things look fine: good amniotic fluid, good growth, and one more thing that was good; but I forget what it is. My due date is the same, so hopefully we will have a baby arriving in the next 2 weeks!

In that case, I guess I should go wash those burp cloths and baby clothes...

Note to Self

2008-04-19T16:24:00.002-04:00

When my 2 year-old has the following symptoms:

* fever
* waking up crying/screaming in middle of the night
* drooling and pointing to mouth saying it hurts
* clingy, wanting to be held

Don't assume it's the stomach flu (my biggest fear as a mom) and lay down sheets and make her sleep on the floor (on the sheets) and restrict her diet to Cheerios, Kix, and diluted apple juice. Keep an open mind and check for two year molars...teething!

Disclaimer: Madelyn also said her stomach hurt and was seeming to gag when she was drooling, so I think our assumption was somewhat understandable. But when Jim brushed her teeth last night and found the point of a tooth erupting I did feel a little silly and bad for our missing the signs.

Due to a *sick* child all day Friday, I forgot to call the doctor back to check on the ultrasound results. I'm sure things are fine or they would have called and told me something. However, I will probably still call and check in Monday since I wouldn't want to wait an extra day until my actual appointment on Tuesday.

Jaena Update

2008-04-15T21:37:00.005-04:00

I celebrated my birthday yesterday with a friend and her 3 girls. Poor Elisha was totally outnumbered by women since the guys were working late. Everyone enjoyed pizza, cake and ice cream; and I especially was thankful to get to talk and hang out with a good friend and fill some of my extrovert needs.

This is today at a little over 37 weeks (and 37 years old - wow!)
I went to the doctor today and he said I'm measuring small,
which has happened with all of my pregnancies, but usually
earlier than this, if I remember correctly. I'm scheduled for an
ultrasound Thursday just to check things out. I'm not worried,
I think I just have small babies. Oh, and I asked him about me
having a 8-9 pound baby...he seemed to think that isn't going to happen. :)

Jim Update

2008-04-15T21:31:00.004-04:00

April 2 marked a milestone birthday for Jim: the big 3-0. We celebrated early (the Sunday before) with a surprise party with friends and then afterwards (the Saturday after) with dinner at my parents. So, it pretty much turned into a birth-week with food, fun, cards, presents, and special memories scattered throughout. I should mention that the wet spot on Jim's jeans on the third photo is compliments of Madelyn leaking through her diaper while sitting on his lap. He was kind of grossed out and wanted to change, but we were at my parents, so what can you do?

Elisha Update

2008-04-15T21:22:00.003-04:00

Elisha is into All Things Superhero, soccer and socializing. He started Upwards Soccer a couple of weeks ago and looks forward to both practices and games. He is finishing up swim lessons at IWU but informed me that he already knows how to swim (even though he refuses to put his head in the water, which would seem to be a prerequisite for swimming). Elisha also is a fantastic big brother (usually) playing well with Madelyn and looking forward to the new baby whom, he has recently decided, he hopes will be a boy so that they can do things together.

Madelyn Update

2008-04-15T21:16:00.004-04:00

Madelyn is growing up. She's not getting much bigger, mind you; she's just seeming older. The things she says ("Mommy, are you a baby...a big girl...or a mommy?") and does (challenging authority as well as her big brother) are constant reminders that she is not our baby anymore. I have a feeling that she may test that fact in the next few months.

What a Journey

2008-04-11T21:53:00.003-04:00

This blog is the story of Audrey Caroline, baby daughter of Todd and Angie Smith of the group Selah. It is an amazing testimony to God's peace and presence, but you may need a box of tissues, especially if you are pregnant. :)

What Do You Think?

2008-04-01T19:47:00.001-04:00

Is it "babysitting" when the dad is watching the baby?

My *strong* opinion: NO! It's being a dad.

This Just In

2008-03-31T20:48:00.002-04:00

My conversation with Madelyn who has been in bed for over an hour now and is still not asleep:

Me: Madelyn, why aren't you asleep?

Madelyn: I done sleeping.

Me: You're done sleeping?

Madelyn: Yes. I done sleeping and I wake up. See? (as she holds both hands out as if to say, "Don't you see, mom? It's perfectly clear to me.")

In her defense, she did need her diaper changed. And I'm also wondering if I confused her tonight by putting her to bed in a onesie and sweats instead of her normal pajamas (which are currently in the washer, waiting to go in the dryer). Maybe she really thought it was naptime instead of nighttime. Who knows?

Dressing Up

2008-03-23T20:57:00.006-04:00

I am amazed at how difficult it is to get a simple photo of Madelyn looking at the camera, let alone smiling! Shannon got a great photo at church one night and did not take near as many as I did today. So, I'm blaming it on a combination of our camera and my lack of photography skills. And I'm calling Shannon now when I need a photo of out children.

Some trivia about Madelyn's outfit:

Her dress was given to her when she was born (you know how it's nice for people to give something the baby can wear a little later down the road when you have so many newborn outfits?) It's 18 months and was too big last year when she was in 12 months, so it became her Easter dress this year (she's 26 months old). It fits great, but I can't decide if it looks too short. What do you think?

Madelyn picked out her shoes today. We had 2 pair of white patent leather shoes (hand-me-downs) and she brought me these and said, "I wanna wear dis one." (Or something like that.) She is true girl with specific likes already...I'm a bit worried what this may mean for our future and her shopping/clothing preferences.

Still Growing (in case you thought something had changed)

2008-03-23T20:54:00.006-04:00

This is today (Easter), and I am a little over 34 weeks.
I had Madelyn at this point...incredible!

Baking

2008-03-23T20:21:00.004-04:00

Elisha helped me make some monster cookies a couple of weeks ago. I use a recipe I received from a teacher I met while I was student teaching (don't even ask how many years ago that was!) It makes what I would consider to be a fairly large batch: over 80 large cookies with only 8 cookies fitting on a cookie sheet.

I ended up "Googling" the recipe because I had a couple of questions and discovered that the recipe I have is a half batch! That's right, the full recipe calls for - get this - 12 eggs, 18 cups of flour and oatmeal, 3 pounds of peanut butter and four sticks of butter. I don't think I even own a bowl large enough to mix that in. Wow!

The ingredients

Mixing the dough - it wouldn't fit in the mixer

Our finished product
Actually Elisha was long gone by this point;
I think he stayed around until the mixing was partly done
and then made it back in time for the eating.

One of my favorite baking tools: a silicone mat.
This makes cookies come off the sheet perfectly
(even if you let them cool too long) and also means
I never have to wash the baking sheets.

Kofi in Africa

2008-03-19T12:19:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Jim and I talked and decided to go ahead and pursue sponsoring a child from Compassion. I had already been on their website a few times and discovered that you could search for a child that met certain criteria (age, birth date, gender, etc...) I had done an advanced search and found a young boy who had the same birth date as Elisha, so that was who I intended for us to sponsor.

When I went back on the night we finally made our decision, I entered his birth day and age and could not find "Kofi," the boy I had originally selected. I was so disappointed and told Jim, "Someone took our child!" At that point, I knew that I was already "hooked" and that we were sponsoring a a child even if we could not find "ours."

We finally found "Kofi" in the listings; it looked like the computer had his birth date correct but had his age listed as 4 instead of 5. We entered our information and received our sponsorship packet last weekend. Elisha already knows his child's name and is excited about the prospect of having a pen pal that he can write to.

I'm thrilled about the opportunities this will provide our family on several levels: becoming more aware of global needs, following and celebrating the development of this sweet boy as we watch Elisha grow each day, teaching our kids about God's children around the world and helping them understand His love for all. It's going to be a great thing!

A Peek Inside

2008-03-06T15:04:00.005-05:00

Before you check out the photos below, I need to share a bit of my limited understanding of 3D/4D ultrasound. First, I'm told the the best photos are acquired when the baby's face (or hand or foot) are completely surrounded by amniotic fluid. The amount of fluid is out of anyone's control, and how a baby chooses to move and place itself is as well.

Second, while ultrasound technology is amazing, the machine (or sounds waves or whatever - see, my knowledge is limited) is not able to differentiate between various body parts when they are touching each other. So, a hand on the baby's face is kind of merged together and can look like a deformation or a hand growing out of the face. Make sense?

The perfect promotional photos we see in a baby magazines are one in I-don't-know-how-many, and are fairly hard to come by. So, with all that said, I present 3D/4D Baby Womack photos (with descriptions) for your viewing enjoyment.

Here are the baby's hands; you can see the thumb and fingers pretty well.

This is a bit harder to see, but it's a foot.
You can make out the tiny toes on the upper right.

This shows a side of the baby's face:
forehead, one eye, cheek, part of mouth.
A hand was up by the head, so that blocks the rest of the face.

Here is a profile; the hands/arms are still up by the face.
I think it looks like the baby is praying - how spiritual!

Another profile shot - not quite as clear as the last - with mouth closed.

And Bigger...

2008-03-04T17:58:00.003-05:00

This is 31 weeks.
Have I mentioned that I am measuring bigger
with this baby than either Elisha or Madelyn?
While I'm all about having a healthy baby, I have to admit
that I'm a bit nervous about delivering a 9 pound baby
considering my others were 6.4 and 4.3, respectively.

Compassion

2008-02-29T08:48:00.007-05:00

I have been reading updates from this blog that chronicles a mom's recent
trip to Africa to visit her sponsored child. Her stories and photos have
brought me to tears, as has this music video by Sara Groves.

Ultimately, it has caused our family to consider sponsoring a child.
We checked out the website and discovered a little boy who has
the same birth date (day and age!) as Elisha. We feel this is a great
opportunity to teach our kids about sacrifice, sharing, and compassion.

A reader on Shannon's blog left this comment, and it really resonates
with where I am right now: seeing needs and struggling to discern
what my specific role is in meeting those needs.

"Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention
to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances,
are brought into closer connection with you."
- St. Augustine of Hippo

How do you respond to the overwhelming needs you see?
Do you have words of wisdom
concerning balance and discernment?

Special Delivery

2008-02-15T08:20:00.004-05:00

Elisha and Madelyn received money for their birthday
from Great-Grandpa and Grandma Bowman. They decided
to combine their resources and order some play food from online.
It arrived this week, and they were thrilled!
This food is really cool - it has Velcro that sticks it together
and you can use a knife to "cut" it and serve. Very fun!

Growing More

2008-02-11T23:13:00.001-05:00

My latest picture today at 28 1/2 weeks.
It's hard to believe I have several more weeks to grow...
I think you will only understand what I'm saying
if you are or have been pregnant before.
You seriously start wondering how big you can get.
The whole baby growing inside of you feeling is a bit surreal.

Semantics

2008-02-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

Conversation in our kitchen Friday night:

Elisha: Mom, what is a show off?
Me: Someone who wants everyone to pay attention to them.
Elisha: Well then, Mrs Cerny (his preschool teacher) is a show off.
Me: Why?
Elisha: Because she always wants us to pay attention to her.

There's just something about the English language that requires more than a simple definition, you know? :o)

Odds and Ends

2008-01-28T16:49:00.000-05:00

Elisha bought Madelyn a View Master for her birthday.
One day I walked into the living room to see this:

Last week, Madelyn brought me this pretzel and said "E"!
(She was holding onto the round loop, so it really did look like an "e.")
Amazingly, she can recognize all of her letters,
thanks to the Leapfrog Letter Factory video.
Seriously, we cannot take credit for this type of knowledge. :)

Fun with Elisha's hair...pre-haircut

Elisha before bedtime playing with his Leappad

Growing

2008-01-20T20:23:00.001-05:00

22 weeks

25 weeks

One more thing...

2008-01-18T17:05:00.001-05:00

My mom had her "reconnecting" surgery Wednesday and will be in the hospital until next week. The doctor said things went well, so we are looking forward to her resting, recovering, and resuming her normal activities sometime down the road. We would appreciate your prayers as she completes this final leg of her journey. Thanks!

Fantastic Five

2008-01-18T16:28:00.000-05:00

Elisha decided to have a snowman part to celebrate turning 5.
A few friends joined us to create sock snowmen, make minis pizzas,
play games, and enjoy cupcakes. It was a fun day!

Making mini pizzas
(really simple to pull off with store-bought frozen bread dough)

Pin the Nose on the Snowman

Friends having fun at present time

"Happy Birthday to You!"

"Let's eat 'em!"

Startling

2008-01-18T15:29:00.000-05:00

We were going a bit stir crazy last night, so I decided about 6:00 to load the kids up and head to Tree of Life so they could spend some birthday money to buy a DVD of their choice. After getting their socks and shoes on, it was my turn.

I grabbed my shoes from our laundry room (a nice warm area that also houses our furnace, water heater and such) and started to put them on. The right one went on fine, but the left one seemed to have something in the toe that was making it uncomfortable ("maybe a piece of lint or a small rock" I thought.) I turned it over, knocked it on the floor and tried again. This time there was something under the ball of my foot. I tried to shake it out but didn't see anything fall out, so I stuck my hand in the toe and tried to scrape it out. I was relieved when something dark appeared in the shoe's opening - finally!

My relief was short lived as the object started to move and crawl onto the heel of my shoe. It was a huge (in my opinion) spider! I jumped up and semi-freaked out for a moment, but quickly regained my composure since the kids were around. Jim was at work and I would have to deal with this. My plan: take it outside and kill it (I didn't want its guts on the carpet). I put on my boots, picked up my shoe (it crawled back inside), took it out to the front porch, shook it out, and stepped on it.

Below is a photo of the remains that Jim took for me this morning. You can't tell how big it was because it's all curled up and there is nothing to show it's size, but I'd say it was bigger than a quarter with its legs out. I considered trying to take photos when it happened, but I was afraid it would crawl away and I would have to stay up all night wondering where it was (shiver).

Thus ends the my spider story, although I still get the heebie geebies just thinking about it: I touched a spider! Eeeehhhhh!

Turning Two

2008-01-13T12:23:00.001-05:00

It's been the week of birthdays at the Womack house.
Madelyn turned 2 on Monday,and Elisha turned 5 Thursday.
We are now officially presented, partied and cupcaked out!

More Christmasing

2008-01-13T12:12:00.001-05:00

Christmas Sunday

Christmas Eve at Great-Grandpa and Grandma Bowman's

After-Christmas, opening presents from Uncle Dan and Aunt Patti

Funny, Funnier, Funniest

2008-01-08T16:01:00.001-05:00

I'll leave it to you to decide which adjective fits which photos.

What happens when you leave clean laundry too accessible.

What happens when you share your hat with a tired 4 year old

What happens when you leave the Kleenex
box within reach of your 1 year old

Christmasing at IWU

2008-01-08T15:56:00.000-05:00

IWU has a wonderful Christmas "party" where they have great snacks, fun presents for the children, and (yes) generous bonuses for employees. Here are the kids all dressed up and enjoying their gifts.

Experimenting

2008-01-08T15:50:00.001-05:00

I read about this idea in a magazine (I think it was Family Fun) while I was in the doctor's office a few weeks ago. I came home and tried it out that very day. Just fill an ice cube tray with water and put drops of food coloring in each area. Let your child use a plastic dropper to mix colors and experiment. Elisha did this for about an hour, if I remember right. Once the colors get too mixed up, you can just dump it out, rinse the tray and start over. I love fun, inexpensive projects like this!

And the Winner is...

2007-12-14T19:20:00.000-05:00

Based on the vote in the comments, there was a tie among A, E and G (A actually won if I count the second part of my brother's comment where he admits it's the best photo). I decided I am too chicken to send out A this year, so I had to break the tie and I chose G.

I decided to go with Madelyn smiling and Elisha's "I'm a model" pose in G rather than Madelyn looking out of it and Elisha looking ornery (which he is) and like I am tickling him or grabbing his neck (which I very well might have been) in E. Jim looks slightly more "with it" in E, but he doesn't look great in any of the photos due to his headache, and I think I look more relaxed in G.

So, there you have it - all of the logic behind my choice (actually Jim helped choose too) and way more than you ever cared to know about the process of selecting the Womack family Christmas photo.

For those of you who picked the winning photo, I have homemade candy bark for you at my house if you can stop by to get it. Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Photos 2007

2007-12-09T18:26:00.001-05:00

Yep, it's that time of year again...time to vote for your favorite
Womack family photo only to have us choose a completely
different one that the majority of you did not choose.
(See December 2006)

This year we have several options, thanks to a mobile Madelyn;
a very silly, sometimes uncooperative Elisha;
and a not-feeling-so-well Jim (headache).

We do want to know what you think, so please cast your vote
and tell us why you selected a particular photo.
We need to order this week sometime, so vote NOW!

I have to admit that this top one is one of my favorites:

real life with our kids.

Cute photos of the kiddos:

Posing

2007-12-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

Our plan was to get a few simple photos of Madelyn in her
cute red dress, but she - obviously - had plans of her own.

Showing

2007-12-03T20:52:00.001-05:00

I didn't take regular photos with Elisha or Madelyn, so I decided that since this is probably our last baby, I wanted to document the pregnancy a bit better. Here I am at 18 weeks. I feel really small, but I keep telling myself that I am usually 6-8 weeks from delivering by this time in December, so it just feels different.

An interesting side note: when we ask Elisha what the baby is going to be, he has often replied that it is a boy and a girl. A few weeks ago he said, "God told me that it was going to be a boy and a girl." Based on my size and symptoms, I would say this is highly unlikely (despite the fact that I am over 35 and a twin myself); but I have to admit that I will feel a bit more settled after our ultrasound in a couple of weeks. We don't want to know if it's a boy OR a girl, just that it's not both!

Listening

2007-12-03T20:38:00.001-05:00

We should get some cash from Apple for these pics.

Sleeping

2007-12-03T20:08:00.001-05:00

This is what the kids looked like while we traveled
both to and from Michigan the day before Thanksgiving.

Jim went in to check the kids before we went to bed one night and couldn't find Madelyn. (She and Elisha are sharing a room since we set up a toddler bed for her a few weeks ago.) She wasn't on the floor or buried under nearby blankets; she had crawled up into bed with Elisha and had fallen asleep next to him. So sweet.

Fall Photos

2007-11-01T14:23:00.000-04:00

Some recent memories around the Womack household include...

a trip to Hainlen's Orchard

a quick photo shoot after church one Sunday

Elisha lined up his cereal like this one morning
and told me the ones on the side were "backups."

Madelyn in a box

Costumes for 2007

Divine Intervention

2007-10-28T15:21:00.000-04:00

That's what mom is calling it. Her renewed hope and energy, her ability to talk and eat without becoming winded, her amazing improvement within 24 hours. It has been almost as instant as her drop before: last Friday afternoon she was moved from critical care to fifth floor, Saturday she woke up feeling horrible; this Friday evening she was transferred from fifth floor to rehab in second floor, Saturday she woke up "better." Pretty cool!

The swelling in her arms is really down; they almost look normal. She still has fluid in her legs, but increased practice walking and therapy should help with that over time. There has been no specific date mentioned concerning going home, but we are all encouraged by the recent progress and are thanking God for his Divine Intervention in mom's life.

Over the Hump

2007-10-25T19:44:00.000-04:00

It looks like mom has made it "over the hump" so to speak. She has been able to eat (and feed herself) and is slowly working on physical skills that she will need to come home: getting out of bed, standing, walking, etc... The days she spent in bed really took a toll on her stamina; just getting out of bed and walking 100 feet can take 30 minutes and leave her exhausted. But she is making progress, and for that we are so thankful. There is even talk of her moving to the rehabilitation center (located on second floor at MGH) tomorrow to stay for several days and have specific occupational therapy.

We (mom and I) watched a video today about care for her stoma. The woman on it had had a stoma for over ten years. It made me thankful that this is a temporary situation for mom and that, according to the nurse at the hospital, about the time she becomes an expert at changing the bag and all, she will have the surgery to reconnect everything. We hope that by the beginning of 2008, mom will returning to her "normal" life...or maybe her "new normal."

I'll try to post news over the weekend; especially if she gets to move. Thanks for uplifting us in prayer. It makes a difference!

The Scoop

2007-10-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

First, an update on mom: she has really struggled these last few days. Not feeling well has caused her to want to stay in bed, which has caused the edema (water retention and swelling) in her body to worsen, which has caused her to not feel well and want to stay in bed. The doctors and nurses have told us (and her) that she needs to get up and walk, sit, and move. She has gained 39 pounds since she was admitted 11 days ago - that's a lot of fluid!

The good news is that her pain is better and the nausea is mostly gone, so it seems more likely that she will feel like a bit of activity. They increased her diet from clear liquids to all liquids, so hopefully the increase in food will add to her energy. (She has been getting 1500-1600 calories through her IV feedings, but one nurse said that her body hasn't known what to "do" with it).

We're praying she can get over this hump and that her recovery will begin to progress over the next few days. Thanks again for your continued prayers.

Second, baby details: we are due May 6 (according to the handy dandy chart at the doctor's office), which means I am almost 13 weeks along. Our other babies both arrived early - Elisha at 38 weeks and Madelyn at 34 - so we would not be surprise if we had an April baby instead of the predicted May.

I have been incredibly tired; Jim usually finds me asleep with Elisha when he comes home from work at 9:15. Nausea is not too bad...worse these last few days for some reason. Clothes still fit, but are getting tighter by the day. I heard the heartbeat last week and was once again amazed at the miracle of life - inside me! All good signs. We are very excited!

Commercial Break: My M&M's

2007-10-21T14:52:00.000-04:00

We needed a happy post, so I thought I'd show these
nifty, personalized M&M's we got in the mail recently.

Tune in later for more details.

Changes

2007-10-20T20:31:00.000-04:00

Mom was moved out of critical care yesterday afternoon. The doctor said this is one step closer to her going home, which I think it was a bit troubling for her to hear because she stills feels so poorly and almost cannot imagine being well enough to go home.

Today was probably her hardest day since surgery, both physically and emotionally. She had some physical "milestones" (IV meds removed and on pain pills, catheter removed), but these changes also brought some discomfort and "yucky" feelings. It is hard to see someone you care about in pain even though you know it is part of the healing process: physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I'm headed up early tomorrow morning after having most of today "off" since my brother was here for the weekend. I'm praying she gets a good night of restful sleep and can have a more encouraging day tomorrow. Thanks for praying.

More News

2007-10-18T17:11:00.000-04:00

The doctors are concerned that since mom was not able to breathe deeply due to the pain of the infection and all, she has the potential to develop pneumonia. (There is some "gunky stuff" in her lungs.) So, today they started breathing treatments and will be trying to get her up and around more so she could take more and deeper breaths. They will also be putting in a central line so she can get rid of her 2 IV's and other needle pokes. All this to say, she is doing well, but it seems healing from this kind of surgery/illness can be complicated. Our sincere thanks to all who are praying for us.