Miracle Baby

Just a little story, for those of you who don't know why we call Tate our miracle baby...

Five years ago (after my water broke at home late one night - 3 weeks before my due date) we were headed to the hospital to welcome our third child into the world. Instead of the "birth center" kind of labor and delivery I had experienced with the girls, I found myself in the unexpected position of being in the middle of a very non-active labor, watching the monitor tell us our little man's oxygen rates were dropping, and dropping, and not coming back up.

Around 7:00 a.m. we started prepping for an emergency c-section and at 7:24 a.m. Tate was born with a low heart rate (less than 60 bpm), not breathing. The doctor and his team performed 15 minutes of CPR and took him from the room without us knowing his status. I knew something was "wrong" but of course they don't tell you anything when you're laying on an operating table. Still, I cannot begin to explain to you the peace Matt and I were surrounded by - but I am certain it is the peace we read about in Philippians 4:7.

We finally got to see pictures of him that they let my mom take in the nursery, but since he was under constant monitoring, we had not gotten to see or hold him yet. We were told that once they got him going, he seemed good to go, but that Cook Children's was coming to get him for a couple days stay in the NICU for observation and testing. They came to get him by ambulance, and when the team brought him in to see me before he left, one of the paramedics told me he was the healthiest baby she had ever picked up for transport.

 I got to snuggle him, and tried to soak up every second, for I knew it would be two days before I'd get the chance to do it again. We ended up rooming in 5 days at Cook's (Tate was there a total of 7) because those monitors pick up every episode of apnea and he was making them go off late at night. He had an amazing team of doctors and nurses there, and we are forever grateful for the care they gave him during his week visit. Family and friends surrounded us; took good care of our girls, prayed for our little guy and me, came to visit us, and ministered to us in a hundred different ways.

Even with tests and scans and lots of poking and prodding, they never found  an "explainable" reason for Tate's issues at birth. We believe, at the very least, God reveled Himself to us during this time. We came to know Him better, we realized we could explicitly trust Him - no matter what the outcome was to be, we felt very safe and secure in His love for us in the midst of it all. And we can have that confidence in Him because of this experience.

Today, Tate is a curious, busy, curly-headed blessing. He is the child who randomly comes up to me multiple times every day and says, "I love you, Mom," or "I need a hug." He is a "typical" jumping off furniture, digging in dirt, wrestling, ball-throwing boy. He gets "minute bears" at school for not listening and at home he's often too rough with his brother. :) But he has the most amazingly tender heart and he moves my heart in ways that are simply beyond words. He is a constant reminder of the grace of God.

When days are hard, when we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, when we just don't understand why the things that are happening - are happening; let's remember all that we have been given and treasure it for the blessing it is.


I didn't go dig out a ton of photos, but here are a few from the past couple of years...

After his day surgery in 2009 - Snuggling his giraffe he got

when he pointed it out to Nana in the hospital gift shop. :)

 You have to watch this kid's magic trick!

He turned three a couple of months before this ...

  

Playing Uncle Jonathan's drums.

Soccer camp 2010

To Infinity, and Beyond!
Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!
October 2010

Snowball!!
February 2011

Handsome Guy

With precious baby Landrii.
Look, he's holding her hand!

Bubble Face, 2012

Good, clean, Dirt!

Lovin' the Fun Run benefiting Micah Reed, 2012.
(Tate's first name is Micah.)

Constantly in awe,
A Grateful Receiver

Book Review: Praying for Your Future Husband

This is one of those books I wish I'd read years ago; 12-15 years back would have been ideal. Before I fell too far into my ideas of what it means to be a wife, before my heart had longed for certain things in a marriage-worthy man. I was raised in a Christian home where we were encouraged to pray for and save ourselves for our future mates ... but what did that really mean? This book would have helped me articulate so much more clearly what typically came out as, "Lord, be with my future husband. Bless him and help him stand strong in the world." Not that that's a bad prayer but having this book in hand would have given me more opportunities to pray boldly and specifically for him.
This book offers young women the chance to go to their heavenly Father and "talk over" their hearts desires with Him, while dealing with their own issues about love and marriage and at the same time allowing God the chance to mold them into loving, praying future brides. It opens up communication by the offering of real life situations experienced by the authors to support and encourage readers and by the inclusion of chapter questions and journaling space.
And, although I've been married almost 11 years now, reading this book has reminded me of things I should still be praying for my husband and has encouraged me to lift him before the Throne daily. I'm definitely getting copies for each of my sisters!

Would you please take a moment to rate this review? Thanks so much!
Review Note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group to review.

Balance

Balance.

I don't even know what that is anymore. To be honest, I am really struggling right now. So many things that need to be done. So many things I want to do. So many things that should be priority.

But I think I know how I gain my footing again.

For starters, I go to bed at a decent hour. (Funny that I start with what I do at the end of the day!) The  quietness of night draws me in, and I find myself wasting an hour, an hour and a half, two hours, on ... nothing. Nothing to show for my "Hulu-ing" and "social networking" and "pinning." Nothing but the darkness under my eyes the next morning. I know going to bed at a decent hour will guarantee (well, at least increase my chances of) a good night's sleep.

(Even if it's interrupted by one of our littles, at least I've been sleeping for a few hours instead of a few minutes, before one comes calling,) and once I get a decent night's sleep I won't groan when my alarm goes off at 4:40 a.m. I will whisper a prayer as I pull on some shorts and a tee because my 5 a.m. running buddies are waiting to meet me three days a week, and I've been putting them off. On the other days, I've got a Wii trainer on my shelf, as well as a group of workout gurus on DVD for higher impact exercises. I am convinced the reason I'm so tired lately is that I've done absolutely none of this!!

And after I've warmed up my body, my mind is eager to take in the Word. Sipping my coffee and digging into the Truth puts my day on the right track. Even if tough things come at me in the coming hours, I'm much better prepared to take them on. A little praise and worship music sets a good background as I make breakfast and head to rouse the troops. My heart is much lighter and my attitude more gracious as we search for socks or misplaced library books. Yes, much better than rolling groggily out of bed only minutes before the, let's call it joyful chaos, begins!

If I'd have a better balance, chores wouldn't overwhelm me, my creativity would be free-er (you know, actually do some of those neat things I have pinned or sew the girls something cute I've been daydreaming about,) maybe even plan out our meals! I think balance would definitely lend itself to quality time with the kids in the evening and the precious minutes I try to steal away with my husband every night.

The other thing that helps me find balance is spending time with women who pour good into my life. Laughter. Spirit. Friendship. Understanding.  I need this, and yet, I rarely take time for fellowship. Maybe if I weren't so tired I'd actually invite someone over...

So, I've come full circle. Back to the place where I know the key to my day starting better is for it to end better. I praise God His mercies are new every morning, and He always gives us a chance to "start over" from where we are. And with that, I'll bid y'all, "Goodnight!"


What about you? What are your tips for finding balance? I'd love to hear your comments, and if you blog, head over to Hearts at Home and join the blog hop!

Five Minute Friday: Delight

~begin~

Delight:

Early morning runs followed by quiet time with Jesus.

My husband's embrace. I melt.

The giggles of our four children. And hearing them talk to each other when they after they are tucked into bed at night, torn between shushing them and soaking in every single syllable they utter. 

Coffee, mixed with just the right amount of cream and sugar to taste like my great-grandmother's did when I was "too young" to drink it, but she let me anyway.

Hearing testimony of what God has been doing in the lives of my friends. Lately, this has been eye-opening for me. I find myself doing the praise-Jesus dance in my heart (and admittedly, sometimes for real) when the evidence of His grace spills all over us. Sometimes, it's in the middle of "the worst" times that this strikes us, and we find ourselves surrounded by a bliss that cannot be explained, but that can be felt and experienced and shared. Amazing!

Daydreaming of the adoption process that we are soon to start. I find myself wondering what precious ones will be welcomed into the folds of our family. Knowing that God will place specific little people into our lives is exciting, and I cannot wait to see what He has in store!

~end~

Five minutes ... No editing, no worries, just writing! Care to join me? Link up here!