Princess P

A year ago today I was admitted to the hospital and given medicine to put my body on rest from contractions. I got a full night of sleep and on the 22nd of May the Doc on call said if I made it to 4 he would break my water. I got to 3.5 and he put me on ANOTHER rest!! Monday the 23rd my WONDERFUL Dr. Lane cam in and I was very very close to a 4. We had to make a decision on if we went home and possibly not make it back to the hospital or go ahead and break my water. Rob and I discussed all of the pros and cons and decided it was in our best interest to go ahead and let Priscilla come. My labor was normal and typical for me! Princess P arrived at 4:10 pm and weighed in at 6lb 2oz 19.5 inches long. At the end she came very quickly and didn't get all the fluid out of her lungs so the NICU team that was in the delivery with us decided she needed to be up stairs. This begins our 2 week stay in the NICU.


Even though Priscilla was considered full term we quickly found out that in some ways she was a preemie. It was hard to watch her just lying in her bed BUT I am so thankful that I have a heavenly Father who was with me each step of the way. I had to fully trust Him. She lost weight and got down to 5lb 6oz when we brought her home on June 6th! When we came home she had to take medicine for acid reflux.

When Priscilla first started going to the doc she was not even on the growth chart! Within a week we figured out my milk was not enough for her so we put her on formula with rice cereal. Thankfully that did the trick and by the time she was 3 mths we no longer had to take the meds for acid reflux. In November, we started having other issues with her and in December we found out that Princess has asthma and was put on Albuterol and a Prednisolone to open up her airways. In January her ashtma flared up big time and we found out that she had RSV too. Another round of Prednisolone AND a daily steroid was added to her breathing treatments twice a day. In April, ALLERGY season flared up, and YEP, you guessed it we are not taking Loratidine daily for her allergies, but on a good note we have been taken off of the Pulmicort for her breathing. We have had MANY ear infections since she was born, and many medications also, BUT I know that God must have something special for my Princess P because He allowed her to come home from the hospital AND make it through EVERY trial that we have had in this first year! Princess P is now walking EVERYWHERE!!!

I want to take the time to THANK the Nurses and Doctors at Community North Hospital. With out their knowledge in the NICU my Princess may not have made it to her first birthday! I don't remember ALL of their names, but I remember the ones who allowed me to have my meltdowns and cry on their shoulder! Brenda, and Ashlyn are 2 that I remember specifically! Ashlyn was our night nurse and she was ALWAYS encouraging and sweet. Brenda was a day nurse and she had all 3 of my girls that went through the NICU. God knows exactly what we need when we need it and I am so very THANKFUL that I had both of these nurses when I needed them. I hope one day I will get to tell them how much they mean to me and my family!

Thank You Lord for adding Princess P to our family! I pray that she serves You her entire life!!

Princess P's 1st Birthday Party

First I want to thank everyone who was able to come on Saturday! You made the day special! I think the party went very well! It was so much fun, and I fretted so much over it and I should not have! Ladybugs were the theme for her party! My niece Breanna made the birthday sign and we used the ladybugs that were used for Cubbie Parent night at church! Priscilla's birthday is not until the 23rd of the month BUT we will be on a train heading to Chicago! (that is another post) I was taken off of bed rest a year ago today! Amazing what this last year has been like, but I would not change it for the world! Today I figured that in her first year of life I have seen the doctor more for her than all her sisters combined!! (1st years only) I am praying that year 2 is a WHOLE lot healthier for her!

Unexpected Events

Rob texted me on Tuesday asking if I minded him going out of town for 2 weeks. I thought about it for about 2 seconds and sent back GO!! Normally I will say go and NOTHING happens! Imagine my surprise when his phone rings last night while we were eating to be told he HAD to be in Mississippi by 1pm today!!!! We went to church and when we got home he ate a snack and went to bed. I stayed up and washed his clothes and folded them. While I was waiting for them to dry I wrote him a letter for each day he is gone! Hannah and Rachel stayed up with me and wrote him a letter too. I know I will miss him and can't wait for him to return home.


Next Saturday I have Princess P's 1st birthday party and depending on how the job goes he may or may not make it home. Her birthday is not until the 23rd so he will only miss her party which is fine because we will be celebrating it again on her birthday while in Chicago! I am so excited for our vacation coming up! My brother and his family will be here, and my Aunt and Uncle and their kids are coming too! There will be 19 of us in all! WOW!! 

SALE!! SALE!!! BOWS FOR SALE!!

I am really looking forward to getting my bows into the hands of others! I have been working on bows for weeks now and I cannot wait until Saturday! I will have about 100 bows when I am done and 30 pairs of RUFFLED socks! Roses, Princess Bows, Zebra Print bows, and I also have a few bow holders I will be selling too!

Memories of my Dad

14 years ago my Dad passed on into Glory! I have good memories and of course bad memories too. I am going to share a few of my favorite memories but to get there some of the bad will be shared.

My dad wasn't always the kind hearted, loving  person people came to know in the last 5 years of his life. He was born in Pinot, KY, and had a twin that passed as an infant. I don't know much about his life growing up, and some of what I do know it isn't important to share. He grew up on the west side of Indianapolis, IN. He served in the Army, but I am unsure of how many years. My parents were married on Feb 9, 1974 and he always told people that was one of the best things that happened to him next to his Salvation.

I am going to jump ahead to 1992. In 1992 my dad decided it was best for him to leave our family. I was hurt and devastated. I was angry at him for choosing this, but this is when things truly changed in our family. My mom said she refused to sign divorce papers and started fasting and praying for my dad. For those who say fasting and praying doesn't work let me finish this story. My dad did come back but a couple of weeks later he left again and this time moved to Tennessee. I saw my mom fast and pray again for their marriage. She was STILL willing to forgive him for leaving and moving with another woman. Not many have the strength to do this, but I am so THANKFUL that my Mom did because God worked and got a hold of my Dad's heart. He came home for good in Aug of 1993. The difference was unbelievable, and I know ONLY God could change him and make him what he was.

My dad became a totally different person. He tried to always speak kind to everyone, and had a zeal for the Lord I had never seen in him before. He was hired as the janitor for our church and he LOVED every moment of it. He took pride in making sure God's house was always ready for services. I have never seen the floors shine like my dad was able to get them to do. He loved going to the mission too. He once told me that by the grace of God he did not go there when he deserved to. I was privileged to have him walk me down the isle when I got married in 1995. I am so thankful for the changes that came.

 On April 11, 1998, Rob and I spent the day with my parents. My dad had lost his vision due to the brain tumor, but he was coaching me on how to make Pecan Pies. Rob and I went home at about 10, and as we walked in the door our phone was ringing. My mom was calling to tell us something was wrong with my Dad. I told her to call 911 and we were on our way. Thankfully we only lived 2 minutes away. We arrived before the paramedics and while my Mom was giving them the information I went into the room with him. While sitting with him he kept looking straight at the ceiling and reaching, I thought he wanted my hand but he kept pushing it away. As the paramedics moved him off the bed he took his last breath. I believe he saw the Angels coming to take him home. I still miss him today, and wish my girls could have met their Poppy Smith. He was only on earth for a short time, but I know in the last 5 years of his life he strived to live as Christ wanted him to live. I am thankful for the example he was to me.

Easter 2012

We had a great day on Easter. I am thankful that I serve a RISEN Savior!! My Jesus is no longer in the grave! He raised Himself just like He said!!

1.Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2.And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3.And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4.And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5.And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6.He is NOT here, but is RISEN: remember how He spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
7.Saying, The Son of man MUST be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day RISE AGAIN.  Luke 24:1-7

For God so loved the world that He GAVE his ONLY BEGOTTEN Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should NOT perish but have EVERLASTING life! John 3:16

 Priscilla was not feeling well so I sat in the foyer with her during Sunday school and in church we had the 4-6th graders. Brother Rick Fuller did an object lesson with a real crown of thorns for our kids. It was a great lesson for them. I am sure most of our kids have wondered what the Crucifixion was like and his lesson brought it to life a little bit more. I know we will never be able to portray exactly what Christ went through, but just seeing the crown of thorns and getting an explanation helped them understand a little bit more! Thank you Bro. Rick for sharing with out class!

After Church we went and had dinner with some of my family. Dinner was wonderful and tasty! I am thankful for the time we get to spend with family. I hope you enjoy the pictures below! I have posted all of them on facebook so if you have seen them there they are the same!