A Scary Tale

My creepy tale from the crib years:

It was a dark and stormy night, (truly it was).  Mike was at work, working the night shift.  The children tucked in their respective beds.  The youngest was a mere infant, still waking for night feedings and still much in need of the baby monitor.  We were used to hearing random baby sounds, neighbors homes, who had baby monitors and the like.  Once we even heard a man and his wife arguing over some cell phone type device.  She wanted him to pick up milk, he did not want to make a late night stop.  

I lay in my bed, having had trouble getting to sleep and thinking about the next day.  Suddenly...I heard a low, evil growl next to my ear.  First, I thought, someones dog or cat is outside my window.  I got up and cautiously, ever so carefully lifted one part of the blind to peek out.  Much to my relief...nothing jumped at me, like in the movies.  The ones where you scream, don't look out the window at the screen.  I sat back down on the bed and I heard it again, this time just a bit louder.  Know I realize...it is coming from the baby monitor.  This was NOT a baby noise. This was low and sounded so evil that my hair stood on end and my heart raced like I'd been running a marathon. 


 I started praying hard as I walked to the girls' room.  At that moment the growling stopped, just as I stepped across the threshold.  I peeked at my middle child and adjusted her covers.  Praying all the while.  Then I heard that horrid growl again. It was in or near this room!  I ever so slowly, heart in my throat, fingernails cutting into my palm as I gripped my own hands tightly....tiptoed over to the window  I peeked out......NOTHING!  The growl had stopped by this point.  Standing in the moonlight, heart hammering, like a race car out of control..I was near tears it was so scary. 




I walked over to the baby's crib.  I checked to make sure her sister had not placed any lovies in the crib with her.  She moved a bit and I patted her sweet little bottom. THEN I heard it..RIGHT NEXT TO ME and it was not coming from the baby. That low, evil growl like something evil this way came...kind of thing.  Then I saw it...the hideous "monster" that was making this noise. It growled low and evil.  Its fur shiny in the moonlight...its eyed beedy, glassy and dark.  I almost screamed...but then I realized......it was ..........it was.

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The WOMB SOUNDS BEAR attached to the side of the crib! I had not known when the batteries get low the bear can possibly make random sounds....

11 years ago

I woke up today and realized I haven't done Christopher's 11th birthday letter.  I try to write a letter or something each year on their birthdays.  I have missed one here or there depending on what was going on at the time.  But I do try.

When Christopher was born, I knew how to change a baby, feed a baby and the basics.  I had heard about sleep deprivation and colic but never experienced it.  When he was in the hospital with me just after his birth. Everything was easy and smooth sailing.  Well, until we brought him home.  Then the crying began.  We did not know at the time his crying was due to undiagnosed milk allergy. So at 3 a.m., my husband after a frantic call to the pediatrician, due to an newborn who had cried hours and hours and hours, went on a search for gas drops. First, he had to find something open and second...a store that actually carried the magic elixir..GAS DROPS.  It helped some, but truthfully not a lot.  It took a full year for him to be diagnosed and when we took him off all dairy......our baby..stopped crying like turning off a switch.  He had cried after every, feeding and every meal for a solid year.

 Doctors, would not listen, and we prayed and we cried and we searched for answers. Christopher was a happy, laid back little guy, when he wasn't in pain.  We named his tummy troubles "the tummy tigers".  This still has effects in him today. He learned that first year that food caused pain and because of it, eating, has never really been a big thing for him.  He is better now, but even after 11 years his eating is an issue as his sensory issues; I believe, in part, were caused by all that pain he experienced.

However, this leads me to Christopher's letter:

Dear Christopher:

When God blessed us with you, He gave us a warrior.  A warrior full of joy and laughter.  A warrior that has perseverance and faith so deep it astounds me.  All those times you saw Jesus and Mercy (your "imaginary friend") by your bed when you were so sick, instilled something in you.  Your faith is the foundation you need for life.  No matter what you face, that faith, your Lord Jesus will be WHO gets you through anything. There is nothing you can't face.  There is nothing, through the strength of Jesus you can't do . Nothing is impossible with God. You have proven that in your life and walk with Jesus over and over again.  I am proud of you positive outlook on life.  I am proud that you have compassion and love for others.

Your character is strong and mighty and it shines for the world to see.  Keep Jesus as your center and you will find that people are drawn to you.  You have grown so much this year, both physically and spiritually. Watching God grow you in faith is better than anything you could ever do, say or be.  Watching you become a young man that loves the Lord Jesus is better than winning a million bucks.  Thank you for being you.

 You pray first and ask questions later.  That my son, teaches your Mommy every day.  Sometimes, you struggle with organization, sorry , you get that from Mommy, but you are trying.  You are working hard and have the desire to learn and grow.  I thank God, He made you, just like you are.  As we learn and grow together, we will meet life head on with Jesus as our source.  As your parents, Daddy and I, are learning and growing too. Families, do that......they learn and grow together in love and faith.  I pray God will increase your faith and that you will grow in wisdom and stature.  We trust God with you and your life and His plans for you future

The scripture I proclaim for you this year is

Jeremiah 29:11
New International Version (NIV)
¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

We love you and know God is going to do great and mighty things in you.
Love Mommy..aka Mom as I don't know how much longer the Mommy label will stick..LOL

Mean girls??

I was watching the Today show this morning and they were talking about "mean girls".  They were discussing whether reality TV, kids show, etc were the cause of girls being so mean to one another these days. 

I don't think it can be blamed, entirely, on television or reality TV.  My girls have on occasion been mean to one another. However, we correct it immediately.  We explain WHY it is wrong and how it makes the other one feel.  Compassion doesn't all come naturally, some of it, is taught.

When a young child, hits another child to be mean, you teach them.  You teach them that it hurts and you have consequences for such behavior.  If a parent excuses their child, every time he or she does something wrong, they learn that behavior is wrong.  If you excuse a girl for being mean saying "that's just girls being girls"..you teach them it is okay.

Discipline and teaching kids to be kind and compassionate comes through many lessons.  They watch us and how we treat others.  They do things and crave discipline. Yes, I said crave discipline. Children need discipline. They want some one to care enough to correct them when they are wrong. 

I am not talking abuse. I am talking about correction and teaching.  Discipline is teaching not just consequences. 

Am I perfect mother, NOPE!  Haven't earned that distinction yet.  I don't think I will be earning it any time soon, because I too am learning.  The Lord teaches me and disciplines me through His word.

Sometimes, He uses a simple statement, made innocently by my child that is like a good wake up and do right message from the Father Himself. My children don't even know they just preached to Mommy.

So mean girls being the fault of TV? No, not entirely.  Yes, it has some influence, but we also have to take responsibility for our kids behavior and what we are teaching them.

Yes, sometimes, there are kids, that despite what they are taught, act out and become "mean girls", due to no fault of the parents.  However, I do not think this is because of TV.  I think it is a culture thing.  It is cool these days to show...just how "bad" you are...the badder the better. 

If we as a culture did not buy into the dress...well lack there of dress or the hype for "bad girl" behavior, it would not thrive. 

If we rewarded good behavior and highlighted, positive things so many teens and kids do, we would see a change.  Kids would think it was cool to be good.  MOST of the pressure to be bad comes from peer pressure.  Is that influenced by TV, probably.  However we can not blame it on TV. 

Many families are so plugged into technology they are tuned out on their kids.

Lord, help me be tuned into YOU so I can be tuned into my kids.  Help me prioritize my time, my family, my day so that my girls and my son can be...compassionate, loving members of society. People who shine brightly in a world where being mean is cool.  Let them show that kindness and love is the way to live.  Let us live the way YOU would Lord......where we live by loving those who society says is unlovable.  Let us never ever cast stones and let us shine brightly for you.

Wordless Wednesday

Along Came a Spider

or some type of insect and bit my child. She went to bed on that Friday night and was fine.

The next morning she woke up like this:



at that time we thought she was having an allergic reaction to something and began treating with benadryl. She was not complaining of pain.

By afternoon it had not improved much. We took her to a walk in clinic, they were closed. So we decided to continue as we were since she had no fever and was not complaining of pain, and that we would take her the next morning. Which is what we did. I took her to the walk in clinic and they said it was an infection from a possible bite and sent us home with antibiotics. I gave her a dose and she went to sleep for a nap. Around 4 pm or so she woke up vomiting and had fever. She was now crying and said it hurt and under her arm hurt as well. I did not pass go...I did not collect 200 dollars, I took her directly to ER.

Thanks goes out to Pastor Nate at our church who came to the hospital. He was there with Jenny and I while the put in the IV.  Jenny was all about that later.  She couldn't express it then...but since then she has referred to him as "her Pastor Nate".

She was admitted on IV antibiotics and morphine for pain. They did xrays and blood work as well. She had a raging infection from an unknown cause. When we first got there they splinted her hand but the xray techs took it off and no one ever replaced it.

The doctors painted a bleak picture of tendon, nerve and all sorts of damage.  But I KNOW a HEALER who can stop infections in their TRACKS!





This is my baby in pain and on morphine..(this one breaks my heart.)



She was brave though and tried to color and play with a gift sNonnie (Shelly Lickliter) sent her







a balloon from a friend brought a smile(Ches..thank you..it really did help her).

Our beloved Ms Terri works at Children's and she stopped in too..which brought smiles as well.  God is good and gives you people in your lives that bless you, in ways that may seem small to them, but is HUGE to you.



They were talking surgery.........and had been since we came in. Her finger was not improving fast enough



we sent out another call for prayer

This is an hour and a half after the previous picture and why I KNOW prayer works



The doctors then said NO surgery on Tuesday morning. she was so brave.  She still had some pockets of infection and her finger is still not the right color but is better. The last photo doesn't show the color of her finger now..or the bluish tint to it...they say it is the infection still under the skin...and it is still a bit swollen. She can now bend it and use it better. They let her keep her jammies on and we couldn't change them because of th IV...but here are some more pics of my girl recovering. (This was written just after we returned home..for a Mommy website I belong to, but now adding it to my blog)



being brave and finally smiling.

almost ready to go home..waiting for our walking papers..LOL





that cot behind her is where I slept. Do not let looks deceive you..it is NOT comfy..LOL.

I almost forgot to mention sweet Hannah Garmany and her mommy Emily came to say hello as well and Poppie called us too......where is my brain.  All that people did, posted, prayed, etc...all of it counted and it mattered and it blessed us so much.


oh and her class and school and teacher sent her this:


 She returned to school on the Friday after her admission.. She was hooked up to a heart monitor part of that time as well due to the morphine for pain and the infection messing with her system. I am so glad she is better. What a weekend we had.  
And while I wrote this the other day, I can now report she has finished that horridly yucky medicine.  Her finger is almost normal but still not quite back to like before.  God is completing the work. 

This is a test...only a test...

If it had been an actual blog post it would have been more interesting.  But since blogger seems to be misbehaving for me, I need to do a test post.  In the event of an actual blog post...read and laugh because generally my life is filled with laughable moments.  Or Cringe because there are some of those moments too. I now return you to regular blog land postings.  Have a great day.

Out of the mouths of babes

Comes great wisdom and great faith.  Last night we were driving to church.  Jenny said "Mommy I have a story to tell you and it is a true story.  It is not fiction (she just learned that word). 

Here is her story:

It is a short story but it is a good one.

Me and Jesus...we is best fwiends. Jesus...He plays with me and sleeps with me and hugs me and I hug Him. He wubs evewybody and He is evevybody's fwiend. He is kindness and He is sweetness. The end. 

And that my friends is the reward of a Mommy...faith in her child, love and hope and the joy of life shining out for the world to see.  I stand in awe of a Savior who has put such love for  Him into the hearts and minds of my children.

Great is HIS faithfulness unto me.