Run!! Here comes the beef!!

fPhoto friday

"Kissin' Cousins"

Canon XSi
ISO 400
1/50 f1.8
Maggie's 2nd Birthday Party

For more fPhoto Friday, visit Natalie!

To Ignore or Not To Ignore?

BabyCenter sends me out these helpful little messages every month or so for Carter & Lilah and the age they are at during that month, and now for the new pregnancy each week. I actually look forward to getting them since they have lots of good info packed into each email.

However, the one I got today for Carter's age I'm not so sure I agree with. Here's a portion of it:

"You're so proud of your angel's burgeoning vocabulary — until words like "poopie head," " stupid," "dummy," and worse creep in. "Bad" words are all around your child: They hear grownups cursing at traffic, pick up foul language from TV, and trade exciting words (the ones that seem to get a rise out of Mom or Dad) with playmates and siblings. Alliterative silly words ("poopy doopy") are favorites because they are so fun to say and hear. The quickest way to make this kind of language disappear is to ignore it. If you make a fuss, you're only showing them how powerful certain words are, which makes them want to say them all the more."

I'm just not sure if this technique will work with my little guy. He, and frankly most every kid I know, will just continue to repeat the "words" more and more loudly until they get a reaction of some kind.

Or maybe I just hang out with and birth "that" kind of kid.....

Today we were driving up the mountain and this pokey car just kept hanging out in the lane that was ending. I slowed down to let them merge but they were basically about to drive their Buick off the side of the mountain and land smack on top of the city of Trenton.

Anyway, I had pretty much come to a complete stop by this point to see what this Buick was going to do when she finally swerved like there was no tomorrow over into my lane.

I said, "You Big Dummy, watch where you're going." I said it really calmly, because I wasn't surprised. I knew she was either gonna swerve or go airborn.

Anyway, turns out I'm the big dummy, because I spent the rest of the drive home, 15 minutes or so explaining to my son what a "big dummy" is.

Which is kinda hard.

Thanks a lot Fred Sanford!

To ignore or not to ignore?.....that is the question!

Top 100

"This list of 100 Christian family blogs will provide parenting tips, support and fellowship to those seeking support and friends from other followers of Jesus Christ."

Here is a LINK. This is a great way to make some new friends facing the same challenges you are, or maybe reconnect with some familiar old ones!

I didn't know this list was being compiled, but I'm excited to be included at number 54!

I look forward to checking out some of the other blogs on the list!

Surgery!

Stellan is undergoing a delicate heart surgery at Children's Hospital in Boston this morning. Surgery is scheduled to begin at 8:30 AM EST. Please join me in praying for this sweet miracle baby, his family, and the doctors in that operating room today.

I was so thankful when he was moved to this hospital in Boston. This hospital will always hold a special place in the hearts of my family. My first cousin's sweet miracle baby, Kyla, was flown there only days after her birth and has since been back for two more heart surgeries. Today Kyla is a beautiful thriving five year old!

God is good and has already worked such miracles in Stellan's life. I know HE knows the future, but I feel like I "know" this family and I'm praying for another one today! My heart aches for this mother as I know she must be missing her other 3 babies terribly as well as worried sick about Stellan.

MckMama is updating via Twitter pretty regular so you can check there for updates!

Wearing Orange for Stellan today!

The Picture of Disgust

Our President has been quoted as saying relations with Venezuela are "promising". This picture makes me want to vomit profusely. Chavez is an evil evil man. Don't know who Chavez is? Visit my friend, Rita who knows firsthand. She was one of the many missionaries driven from Venezuela by this evil man.

This image should remind us all that the only "promising" way to approach any relations with this man and what he represents is on our face in prayer before the Almighty God.

I sincerely hope our president has done just that.

If you aren't already praying daily for God's guidance, wisdom, and salvation for our president and national leaders, today is a great day to start.

One, Three, Five.....

I had a Dr's appointment today.

....and we HEARD and SAW a beautiful, sweet, STRONG little heartbeat!!


Our little ONE, which if you are keeping track will be number THREE, is due on December FIVE. (5th actually, but that didn't work out nearly as well in the title....One, Three, Fifth....not quite as good. no?)

However, when I informed Dr. H that I would like to give birth on December 3, (you know, since he was taking requests and all) then went on to explain that Carter was born on the 1st, Lilah on the 2nd, and how cool would it be if THREE were born on the 3rd? He laughed ....kinda loud, and said, "yeah, we're looking at a November baby". My other two were 2 weeks early so this one will probably be about the same.

....and really, how awesome would it be to have a Thanksgivingish baby? For my husband and I to go from years....yes, years, of fertility treatments, 2 miscarriages while on said treatments in 2003 & 2004, to giving up on our dream of children after the last failed IUI in May of 2005, to miraculously finding out we were pregnant in Oct 2005, giving birth to a beautiful baby boy in June 2006, finding out we were expecting Lilah in August 2007, and giving birth in April 2008.......

.....for someone who barely dared to dream of one baby, much less two,......to even hope, pray for a third seems almost too awesome to even imagine! What better time than Thanksgivingish to have that baby enter the world?

I'd say that would be God's time.

Thank you so much to all who are praying with us for this little miracle. Please continue to pray for the health and safety of this baby and the sanity of it's mother...:)

.....Once I can feel it moving, I promise I'll chill out.

Philosophical Musings.....

...So I'm cleaning house while Carter is watching Max & Ruby this morning. Max & Ruby are brother and sister bunny rabbits. Max is the little brother and Ruby is the bossy older sister bunny.

Anyway, Max and Ruby were getting all excited about Easter and an upcoming visit from the Easter Bunny.

As they wondered what treats the Easter Bunny would be leaving in their baskets this year, I couldn't help but ponder this thought.....

If the Easter Bunny visits other bunnies, like say, Max & Ruby, wouldn't it just be like a break in?

....or would Easter be like Christmas for bunnies?.....and the Easter Bunny like their Santa?

....or maybe the progesterone shot I got last night is affecting my brain?

Something is up because as I listened to Ruby in the segment just before the Easter one, she was running around a candy store tasting every imaginable candy and I, Deedra Pike, got literally sick just thinking about all that chocolate and candy and hearing her sound effects as she enjoyed each one. MUST be the hormones! (which in a weird way makes me feel good, since I think maybe this means everything is going as it should be babywise?)

No doubt if this post disappears, you'll know the hormonal haze I am apparently drifting around in has worn off :)

Hello, Esther....

Yes, that's right! I've signed up to do the latest Beth Moore Bible Study starting soon at our church.

Esther. It's Tough Being A Woman

It's been a while since I've done one of her studies, but I told myself as soon as I heard about this one that if our church did it......I'd be in on it. Because really, It IS tough being a woman....and I need all the help I can get!

Plus, since Bethy (I can call her that now, since she reads and comments on my blog) is now my BFF, I want to be able to give her honest, educated feedback because I know she'll surely ask me for it next time we see each other.

After the clogging, of course.

SO!! Local girls, have you signed up yet? You don't have to go to our church to participate! From what I understand we'll be doing the study on Monday nights at the church. You can call Deb, Judith, or the church for more info!

See you there!

I Regretfully Inform You.....

That the Obama Chia has been banned, according to the latest press release from CNN.

SO!

You'll have to find something else for your Father's Day, Graduation, Mother's Day, and Birthday gifts if this was the gift you were planning on presenting to your loved ones this year.

I know my own dad will be devastated. I can only imagine the many uses he would have found for this festive little trinket.

Happy Birthday Lilah!

Happy birthday sweet Lilah! I can barely believe you've been with us for a year! We are so blessed to have you in our lives. We love you so very much!

Love,
Mom, Dad,
& Carter

(to make this bigger, click the second button from the right at the bottom)

Update

So, my Dr's appointment this morning revealed a "very early pregnancy". Which in my mind is wonderful and scary all at the same time. It's wonderful because I got to start on the progesterone shots that I took with both Carter and Lilah the first 12 weeks or so really early. The ultrasound today actually looked pretty much exactly like the first one with Lilah. Pretty much like a big chunk of cells. It's scary because it's still so early and I didn't get to see or hear a heartbeat or much of anything today. Hopefully by the next visit, April 15, we'll be able to see more.


So!

Please keep us in your prayers!

2 weeks is a long time sometimes.