Some of you I don't know very well. Some of you I don't know at all. Some of you I know as well as I know the back of my own hand.
Regardless, I have a request to make of you.
Could you please pray? Our second born child is struggling with life in general right now. We are fairly confident that we are dealing with some serious attachment issues. Something that I never in my wildest dreams thought we'd deal with with him.
But we are. Actually I am.
With Jason? He's a normal little boy. Happy. As obedient as a five year old can be. Loving. Laughing. With me? Total opposite. Screaming. Refusing flat-out to do anything that is asked of him. And now ramping it up even more to things that I won't mention on a public blog.
Suffice it to say, the relationship between me and my son is far from good currently. Could you please pray? Pray for Will.
Pray that he starts believing me when I say I love him and am thankful that he is my son. Pray that he can understand that just because more children join a family doesn't mean that mommy's love is stretched so thin that there is not enough to go around. Pray that Satan looses his grip on our dear son and that Will allows Jesus to take over his life.
And pray for me as well? That I can lean on Jesus continually. That I can love Will rather than begin to push him away. That I can hug him and kiss him and simply love him unconditionally no matter what kind of issues I deal with from day to day.
And for Jason? As he tries to keep his wife out of the insane assylum.
And for Addie and Jack? As they watch and try to keep their normal lives in tact.
This past week has been worse than normal.
Why? All I know is that I took him with me (rather than either of the other two) when I met some friends for supper. You would think that that singled out treatment would help our relationship. You would think that a special ice cream date with mommy would help rather than hinder.
Instead, it causes a whole new batch of issues. It's proof that mommy loves him just as much as she loves the other children...and for that one evening he allowed me to get into his heart. Aparently I got too close, for starting the next morning the actions ramped up and haven't slowed down since. You see? The thing about a child who is struggling with attachment issues is that they will do everything they can to prove to themselves that mommy (most often the female caregiver as she is the most available and the most involved in his/her life) really doesn't love him/her. To prove that mommy is just bluffing when she says I love you. To prove that no matter what he/she is in complete control of his/her life.
Right now, Will seems to be full of anger. He will do anything and everything just to see if he can make mommy upset. Unfortunately, sometimes it works and that is the absolute worst thing that can happen. If I get upset, he wins. He then believes that he is in control rather than mommy being in control.
It's a fine line. Please pray that Jesus will fill us with his wisdom. That He will bless us as a family and that we will come out on the other side of this strong in our love for each other.
Thank you so very much. I know that with prayers of many and a little professional help we can press on to full relationship restoration with our sweet little boy.
Life With Littles
Monday, April 30, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Spread the Word...
Some friends of ours recently brought a new child into their family. A young man from China.
He's a handsome thing.
Anyway. This young man has a dear friend still in the orphanage that was his home for so many years. His friend ages out of the system at the age of 14 this coming November.
It is a strong desire of his heart to see his sweet little friend, Aixiao, find a forever family.
Could you help me spread the word? You can find her picture and a little information on her here.
I would love to see this young man's prayers answered....
He's a handsome thing.
Anyway. This young man has a dear friend still in the orphanage that was his home for so many years. His friend ages out of the system at the age of 14 this coming November.
It is a strong desire of his heart to see his sweet little friend, Aixiao, find a forever family.
Could you help me spread the word? You can find her picture and a little information on her here.
I would love to see this young man's prayers answered....
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Introducing.....
Miss Ashton Nicole....
and Miss Kaylie Anne.....
The two sweet little bundles that God has given to my brother and his wife, Nate and Casey.
Born yesterday at 5:21 (Kaylie) and 5:23 (Ashton).
Weighing in at 3 lb. 15 oz. (Kaylie) and 5 lb. 3 oz.(Ashton)
Both breathing on their own.
Both cute as can possibly be.
Both tinier than any baby I have ever seen.
Mommy is doing great too! Had to have a c-section, but is thankful that both girls are doing so well...even being six weeks early.
Oh. And Daddy? I think he's pretty pleased.
We're all so thankful to finally have them here and praising God that they are doing so very well!!!
and Miss Kaylie Anne.....
The two sweet little bundles that God has given to my brother and his wife, Nate and Casey.
Born yesterday at 5:21 (Kaylie) and 5:23 (Ashton).
Weighing in at 3 lb. 15 oz. (Kaylie) and 5 lb. 3 oz.(Ashton)
Both breathing on their own.
Both cute as can possibly be.
Both tinier than any baby I have ever seen.
Mommy is doing great too! Had to have a c-section, but is thankful that both girls are doing so well...even being six weeks early.
Oh. And Daddy? I think he's pretty pleased.
We're all so thankful to finally have them here and praising God that they are doing so very well!!!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Progression of Pictures
The same day that I took pics of Addie, I also snapped a boatload of the three children together.
You see, I have a 'thing' for pictures. I love to take their pictures...typically. It's so fun to change out the one hanging on our wall.
The children usually love it as well, but that day, only one of them seemed to truly enjoy it.
Addie.
I was thankful for that. As you will shortly see.
Will wasn't in an overly good mood and it shortly became apparent that the calm photo shoot I had envisioned wasn't going to happen.
For example.
After these first few that were clearly flops, I sat them down with orders to get happy. I headed to the house and printed off one of these most lovely pics with both boys crying.
About 10 minutes later when I reappeared outside, Will was smiling and laughing...and Jack was still grumpy. I showed them the crying picture to which Will declared that HE was going to smile...and Jack just frowned more deeply.
I opted to go for it.
Crazy thing was, Jack was taking his cues from his idolized big brother. If Will cried, so did Jack. If Will stopped, so did Jack. But it didn't work that way for the smiles...even after Jack glanced at Will to see what he was doing.
Addie was rolling her eyes and declaring that she was going to be so embarrassed to have that 'crybaby' picture on our wall.
She so does not get her brothers.
The remainder of our little shoot went okay, though Jack still refused to smile. He seemed to be thinking..."Why does my mom think she has to take our picture again when the last one was in October?"
Ah, well. If there wasn't some drama included in our day I'd be a little concerned. :)
You see, I have a 'thing' for pictures. I love to take their pictures...typically. It's so fun to change out the one hanging on our wall.
The children usually love it as well, but that day, only one of them seemed to truly enjoy it.
Addie.
I was thankful for that. As you will shortly see.
Will wasn't in an overly good mood and it shortly became apparent that the calm photo shoot I had envisioned wasn't going to happen.
For example.
After these first few that were clearly flops, I sat them down with orders to get happy. I headed to the house and printed off one of these most lovely pics with both boys crying.
About 10 minutes later when I reappeared outside, Will was smiling and laughing...and Jack was still grumpy. I showed them the crying picture to which Will declared that HE was going to smile...and Jack just frowned more deeply.
I opted to go for it.
Crazy thing was, Jack was taking his cues from his idolized big brother. If Will cried, so did Jack. If Will stopped, so did Jack. But it didn't work that way for the smiles...even after Jack glanced at Will to see what he was doing.
Addie was rolling her eyes and declaring that she was going to be so embarrassed to have that 'crybaby' picture on our wall.
She so does not get her brothers.
The remainder of our little shoot went okay, though Jack still refused to smile. He seemed to be thinking..."Why does my mom think she has to take our picture again when the last one was in October?"
Ah, well. If there wasn't some drama included in our day I'd be a little concerned. :)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Can You Help Me?
Yesterday we braved the extreme wind and the chilly conditions to snap some pics of Addie to mark her seventh year.
Now I'm in a quandry.
There's several that I like and she isn't helping me at all at narrowing it down to one. In fact, she likes all 23 that we snapped and wants me to get some of all of them. Not gonna happen.
Here's where your help comes in.
Could you please tell me which one is your favorite? Perhaps with a little help I can get them ordered and on their way a little quicker....
Please.
And thank you.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Now I'm in a quandry.
There's several that I like and she isn't helping me at all at narrowing it down to one. In fact, she likes all 23 that we snapped and wants me to get some of all of them. Not gonna happen.
Here's where your help comes in.
Could you please tell me which one is your favorite? Perhaps with a little help I can get them ordered and on their way a little quicker....
Please.
And thank you.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Time Flies
Two weeks have passed? Seriously? That, my friends, is called a serious neglect of the blog.
A lot has happened in that timeframe.
1. I saw a blue tailed skink on our back porch. I tried to catch him, but he was far too speedy. Thankfully, I managed to snap a picture before he darted into the great outdoors so my family would know that I wasn't hallucinating.
2. Jack is finally about re-potty-trained. Aaarrggghhh. I don't particularly enjoy that job the first time around, but the second time around is even worse. The first couple days he actually had the nerve to go to where the diapers were kept, point to them, point to his chest, and say 'baby'. Not true, son.
3. Baby Sophia is home from the hospital. I think she came home last Tuesday, but I could be mistaken. It was a long, stressful road for her parents.
4. My dad and youngest brother arrived one afternoon (two weeks ago today, I believe) to knock out a wall for us. They made a HUGE mess. Our walls are still the olden days plaster and lathe, so you can imagine the dust and dirt that made a really nice coat over all items that were accessible. Tuesday they returned to finish their destruction, and we now have a large open room....living and dining combined. I love it, but everything that was removed from the room that no longer exists is now upstairs awaiting my attention.
5. Jack struggles to hang up his coat after removing it. I've tried and tried to tell him that it works best to hang it up by the hood...but he nearly always ends up in tears before he remembers to ask for help. I couldn't help but snap this pic....
6. Addie had a birthday. Our little lady is now seven. Whoa. It seems like she should be about four. She was delighted with the birthday, and didn't allow us to forget it for even three minute spans in the few days before it actually arrived. She delights in gifts. She loves having all the special attention. She is so not like her mother. :) She has officially declared herself big enough to obey at all times, to sleep all night, to do her jobs without whining. But, alas, she is still a human. :)
Her birthday celebrations started on the Sunday prior to her big day. My family got together to celebrate the March and April b-days...
Amber, Halli, Dad, Addie, Clay, and Collin.
Ais made the cake. Addie had requested a cake with chickens on it (I know. Out of all the little girl options, she wanted chickens.) and Aunt Ais kindly obliged. Not only did it have chickens on it, but it was the prettiest cake on the inside that I think I had ever seen. The girls loved it!
She got her own 'Hello Kitty' alarm clock and hymn book from Grandpas....and that lovely alarm clock is loud enough to wake the entire household. And...Aunt Ais made her a cross-stitched wall hanging that is absolutely adorable.
The morning of her birthday, Will presented her with a gift that he picked out all by himself. The largest tube of lip gloss that I had ever seen, a bath mit, a pack of 'hello kitty' kleenex, and a tube of lotion. She was beyond delighted.
But the best part of her birthday? The surprise little party that she had waiting on her when she got home from school. And it was little. The bummer for our children is that they got a mom who REALLY doesn't enjoy parties. Especially hosting them. I'll go to one anyday, but if it's up to me to plan it, I can guarantee that it will be nothing spectacular. Three little girls showed up....all bearing gifts.
They got a little snack of jello and cupcakes and chocolate candy. Addie opened her gifts. (a cutesy little broom and dustpan, a pillow pet, a pair of glittery pink shoes...and later that night a tablet and pens dropped off by a friend who wasn't able to make it to the party).
They sat and did crafty things for a while. They disappeared upstairs and came down after much giggling in dress up clothes. They traipsed to the barn to see the chicks...and then it was time to deliver them all to their respective homes again.
Meanwhile, the boys got banished to the great outdoors...a fact that didn't have them too pleased until there was sweet food delivered. Then they bucked up and enjoyed the outside romping.
That night we had our own little party. Nothing special. She chose her meal...salad, bread, and mac-n-cheese...she opened her gifts (a new bedspread and a new purse), and we all fell into bed, exhausted.
I believe she considered the day a smashing success. I considered the day a day that I was thankful was in the past. Talk about a spoil sport.
7. Easter was yesterday. We had a rather full day. To the park for sunrise services at 7:00, to church, home for lunch, and off to a visitation for Ais's grandma....where we stood in line with three sleepy children for 2 1/2 hours. Home again to a housefull of company!! Ryan's and my parents came to our house after they left the visitation with four extra children in tow. It was a hullabaloo, to say the least. A fun hullabaloo, but a hullabaloo, none the less. I like that word. Hullabaloo.
The children were starving, aparently, as they (and us adults) devoured four pounds of hotdogs, four pounds of carrots, one head of cauliflower, and two bags of apples. The oldest child would have been eleven, I think. The youngest, two. There were eleven of them altogether.
The last ones left about 8:45 and our children were plopped into bed shortly thereafter.
The intent was that our children would sleep in til about 8:00 this morning.
8. All three children were up and at it by 7:15 this morning. So long peaceful morning.
9. Baby is doing well in it's little cocoon. It is kicking up a storm and we lay in bed at night and marvel at seeing my tummy moving all by itself. It's still a little hard for me to grasp the fact that God has blessed us with a baby. And I still am not quite sure what to do with a baby once it is in my arms. Give me a two year old...that's where my 'baby' knowledge comes in. I keep being reassurred that it'll come naturally, but honestly? I'm struggling to believe that. :) We have yet to have an ultrasound done to make sure that he/she is growing correctly, but judging by the poochy tummy? I'd say it's a healthy and growing baby.
10. Jason is getting ready to head to the field. Which makes for some busy days....so don't expect many posts in the near future. ;) Not that that is unusual these days.
How's all that for overload?
A lot has happened in that timeframe.
1. I saw a blue tailed skink on our back porch. I tried to catch him, but he was far too speedy. Thankfully, I managed to snap a picture before he darted into the great outdoors so my family would know that I wasn't hallucinating.
2. Jack is finally about re-potty-trained. Aaarrggghhh. I don't particularly enjoy that job the first time around, but the second time around is even worse. The first couple days he actually had the nerve to go to where the diapers were kept, point to them, point to his chest, and say 'baby'. Not true, son.
3. Baby Sophia is home from the hospital. I think she came home last Tuesday, but I could be mistaken. It was a long, stressful road for her parents.
4. My dad and youngest brother arrived one afternoon (two weeks ago today, I believe) to knock out a wall for us. They made a HUGE mess. Our walls are still the olden days plaster and lathe, so you can imagine the dust and dirt that made a really nice coat over all items that were accessible. Tuesday they returned to finish their destruction, and we now have a large open room....living and dining combined. I love it, but everything that was removed from the room that no longer exists is now upstairs awaiting my attention.
5. Jack struggles to hang up his coat after removing it. I've tried and tried to tell him that it works best to hang it up by the hood...but he nearly always ends up in tears before he remembers to ask for help. I couldn't help but snap this pic....
6. Addie had a birthday. Our little lady is now seven. Whoa. It seems like she should be about four. She was delighted with the birthday, and didn't allow us to forget it for even three minute spans in the few days before it actually arrived. She delights in gifts. She loves having all the special attention. She is so not like her mother. :) She has officially declared herself big enough to obey at all times, to sleep all night, to do her jobs without whining. But, alas, she is still a human. :)
Her birthday celebrations started on the Sunday prior to her big day. My family got together to celebrate the March and April b-days...
Ais made the cake. Addie had requested a cake with chickens on it (I know. Out of all the little girl options, she wanted chickens.) and Aunt Ais kindly obliged. Not only did it have chickens on it, but it was the prettiest cake on the inside that I think I had ever seen. The girls loved it!
She got her own 'Hello Kitty' alarm clock and hymn book from Grandpas....and that lovely alarm clock is loud enough to wake the entire household. And...Aunt Ais made her a cross-stitched wall hanging that is absolutely adorable.
The morning of her birthday, Will presented her with a gift that he picked out all by himself. The largest tube of lip gloss that I had ever seen, a bath mit, a pack of 'hello kitty' kleenex, and a tube of lotion. She was beyond delighted.
But the best part of her birthday? The surprise little party that she had waiting on her when she got home from school. And it was little. The bummer for our children is that they got a mom who REALLY doesn't enjoy parties. Especially hosting them. I'll go to one anyday, but if it's up to me to plan it, I can guarantee that it will be nothing spectacular. Three little girls showed up....all bearing gifts.
They got a little snack of jello and cupcakes and chocolate candy. Addie opened her gifts. (a cutesy little broom and dustpan, a pillow pet, a pair of glittery pink shoes...and later that night a tablet and pens dropped off by a friend who wasn't able to make it to the party).
They sat and did crafty things for a while. They disappeared upstairs and came down after much giggling in dress up clothes. They traipsed to the barn to see the chicks...and then it was time to deliver them all to their respective homes again.
Meanwhile, the boys got banished to the great outdoors...a fact that didn't have them too pleased until there was sweet food delivered. Then they bucked up and enjoyed the outside romping.
That night we had our own little party. Nothing special. She chose her meal...salad, bread, and mac-n-cheese...she opened her gifts (a new bedspread and a new purse), and we all fell into bed, exhausted.
I believe she considered the day a smashing success. I considered the day a day that I was thankful was in the past. Talk about a spoil sport.
7. Easter was yesterday. We had a rather full day. To the park for sunrise services at 7:00, to church, home for lunch, and off to a visitation for Ais's grandma....where we stood in line with three sleepy children for 2 1/2 hours. Home again to a housefull of company!! Ryan's and my parents came to our house after they left the visitation with four extra children in tow. It was a hullabaloo, to say the least. A fun hullabaloo, but a hullabaloo, none the less. I like that word. Hullabaloo.
The children were starving, aparently, as they (and us adults) devoured four pounds of hotdogs, four pounds of carrots, one head of cauliflower, and two bags of apples. The oldest child would have been eleven, I think. The youngest, two. There were eleven of them altogether.
The last ones left about 8:45 and our children were plopped into bed shortly thereafter.
The intent was that our children would sleep in til about 8:00 this morning.
8. All three children were up and at it by 7:15 this morning. So long peaceful morning.
9. Baby is doing well in it's little cocoon. It is kicking up a storm and we lay in bed at night and marvel at seeing my tummy moving all by itself. It's still a little hard for me to grasp the fact that God has blessed us with a baby. And I still am not quite sure what to do with a baby once it is in my arms. Give me a two year old...that's where my 'baby' knowledge comes in. I keep being reassurred that it'll come naturally, but honestly? I'm struggling to believe that. :) We have yet to have an ultrasound done to make sure that he/she is growing correctly, but judging by the poochy tummy? I'd say it's a healthy and growing baby.
10. Jason is getting ready to head to the field. Which makes for some busy days....so don't expect many posts in the near future. ;) Not that that is unusual these days.
How's all that for overload?
Friday, March 30, 2012
Trip to the Hospital
Yesterday was a busy day. Jack's appointment, visit to Sophia, and a meeting at our house last night.
Whew.
Perhaps that's why it's 10:30 and I have yet to do anything overly productive.
Anyway.
Jack's appointment came first. Finally his stent is removed. I had no clue how long that thing really was...and to think that I've been worried the past 10 days that it was going to fall out all by itself. :) He was far from impressed with the removal process.
But he survived and is going to the bathroom well now!! So far...no accidents. We'll see if that continues, but it's appearing that he hasn't forgotten what bathroom runs are all about.
He was deemed well healed so our doctor visits for that issue are over!!
From there we headed to visit Sophia. The boys weren't allowed into the wing where she is, so my mom sat with them in the waiting room while I went visiting.
Except I didn't visit. Natalie was sleeping, so I gazed at Sophia for a bit and left Natalie a note saying that I had been there.
On the way out we met up with her mom who insisted that I come back with her.
She had the honors of waking Natalie and we visited for a bit before I left for good.
The short of it is that Sophia is definitely improving!!! Her little lung with a hole is nearly healed up. She has only opened her eyes a couple times in the past couple days, but her little feet were wiggling around quite a bit. They're still keeping her sedated so she doesn't pull out the tubes that are helping her breathe.
As I stood there gazing at her, I couldn't help but think of all the families who don't get this second chance. Being in a Children's Hospital opens my eyes. So many sick children. So many issues.
So much seemingly unfairness.
We are so thankful that little Sophia is doing well, but still have to remember all the families whose children are going downhill rather than uphill.
Praising God for good reports yesterday!!
Whew.
Perhaps that's why it's 10:30 and I have yet to do anything overly productive.
Anyway.
Jack's appointment came first. Finally his stent is removed. I had no clue how long that thing really was...and to think that I've been worried the past 10 days that it was going to fall out all by itself. :) He was far from impressed with the removal process.
But he survived and is going to the bathroom well now!! So far...no accidents. We'll see if that continues, but it's appearing that he hasn't forgotten what bathroom runs are all about.
He was deemed well healed so our doctor visits for that issue are over!!
From there we headed to visit Sophia. The boys weren't allowed into the wing where she is, so my mom sat with them in the waiting room while I went visiting.
Except I didn't visit. Natalie was sleeping, so I gazed at Sophia for a bit and left Natalie a note saying that I had been there.
On the way out we met up with her mom who insisted that I come back with her.
She had the honors of waking Natalie and we visited for a bit before I left for good.
The short of it is that Sophia is definitely improving!!! Her little lung with a hole is nearly healed up. She has only opened her eyes a couple times in the past couple days, but her little feet were wiggling around quite a bit. They're still keeping her sedated so she doesn't pull out the tubes that are helping her breathe.
As I stood there gazing at her, I couldn't help but think of all the families who don't get this second chance. Being in a Children's Hospital opens my eyes. So many sick children. So many issues.
So much seemingly unfairness.
We are so thankful that little Sophia is doing well, but still have to remember all the families whose children are going downhill rather than uphill.
Praising God for good reports yesterday!!
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