A New Baby

My best friend delivered her second baby last night. Mom and baby are fine. She now has two little boys and I am thrilled for her. Our friendship has been through a lot, which makes my happiness for her all the more sweet. I can't wait to meet her little darling as well as continue to dote on her oldest. Today, I am grateful for a happy healthy baby and mommy. Congrats PH! I love you!

In the Palm of His Hand

I am sick. No, I mean I am REALLY sick. I have a nasty cold and I am being a big baby about it. Hey, I'm entitled. I take care of a baby all day, everyday. Well, last night as I was shivering from my fever and feeling achy all over, I just wanted to be held. Hubby hadn't made it to bed yet, and I wouldn't want him to catch this nasty bug anyway. So, I closed my eyes and imagined what I like to tell friends and family who are going through a hard time. "Remember, God has you in the palm of His hand." I slept soundly in the palm of His hand. Today I'm feeling better, not 100%, but better. Thank you God for always having me in the palm of Your hand. Stay healthy and God Bless!

I am Love

This evening my husband's cell phone rang. Since he was in the basement and didn't hear it, I went to answer it for him. But, by the time I unlatched the baby gate, I had missed the call (I think that thing is also mommy proof). So as I was checking to see who had just called, I saw that "Love" had called earlier today at 3:41pm. How sweet it was to see my cell phone number listed as "Love"! (Did you think this was going to take a different turn?)

Life is a little uneasy right now. The economy is a complete mess, and the the gas prices.... I am so grateful to have a wonderful husband who identifies me as "Love". It's like a soft place to land, especially during trying times. I'm his "Love" and he's my "Bunny". (But please, don't tell him I told you; he'd never live it down!) OK, time to share. What are some of your pet names for your significant other? It may seem silly or corny, but admit it; it's comforting and sweet.

Back in the Day

So tonight I was doing the dishes and I caught myself humming. Now this is interesting for two reasons, (1) most people only hum when they are happy, and I HATE doing the dishes, and (2) I was not humming one my typical songs. Usually I hum or sing some of my favorites in the shower, like Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey (I can hit her high notes in the shower, just ask the neighborhood dogs), Mary Mary, Jill Scott, Fred Hammond. But tonight, I heard myself sing "La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, Elmo's World." Yes, we have been watching "Sesame Street". Yeah, I know she's only 9 months old and all the research shows to wait until they are 2 to introduce TV. However, a couple of months ago, LB and I both had terrible colds, and we watched some children's programming. "Sesame Street" kind of stuck, and now she gets so excited over Elmo and the Count. So if we're home and she's up from her nap, we watch it. I have loved Sesame Street since I was a child. Watching it with LB got me thinking about some of my favorite programs as a child. Are you a member of Generation X (born somewhere between the late 60s and early 80s)? If so, walk with me down memory lane. Here's a quiz to see how much you remember. There are no prizes (since all of my money goes to diapers, formula, and gas), but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are THE Generation Xer! :-)

1. ____ and Jerry (Bonus if you can remember what kind of animals they were.)
2. Today his name is politically incorrect, but we always learned a lesson from this big-hearted guy._____ ___________
3. He could get ACME products delivered to the desert, but he could never catch his prey._____ ________
4. An annoying bird with an even more annoying laugh. ______ _________________
5. This cartoon had only one girl! (Hint, not red, not white, but blue) _____ ________
6. Robots in disguise. ______________________
7. This lovable character had a stuttering problem. ______ ___
8. "_________ _____ powers activate!"
9. She could make you tell the truth and then ride off in her invisible form of transportation. __________ __________
10. It was always beautiful here. _______ _____________ ____________________ (Name of the show)
    
11. You probably learned many compound words here. _______________ ___________ (Name of the show.)
12. Probably the cleverest critter in cartoonland. He easily outsmarted a black duck, a hunter, and a cowboy. ____ ___________

How did you do? Post your answers in the comment section. And, what am I grateful for, childhood, and the gift of laughter. God Bless! :-)

Simply Put, I Love This Child

LB turned 9 months last Friday and today she had her 9 month well-baby visit. (I like how they don't call it a check-up.) All is well, and we are very thankful. All day, and even last night I have been trying to think of some eloquent way to convey how much I love this child and how grateful to God I am that she is my daughter. I simply can't find the words to show the depth of my love for her and my gratitude to God for trusting me with the privilege of being her mother. So today, I am grateful to God for enriching my life with my daughter. God is indeed good all the time. God Bless!

Shedding Some Light

My daughter's nightlight went out last night. She cried because she was scared. It's scary when you're in the dark. You can't see. You don't know what's in front of you or behind you. It's scary. I could certainly relate to LB's fears. How often have I been afraid to move forward because I was "in the dark" and "couldn't see"? I don't mean literally. (Although there is that time that I was in a dark haunted house and was sooo scared that, well, let's just say that if LB had been around back then, I would have needed one of her diapers.) Darkness can take on many different forms, depression, fear, grief, guilt. Jesus is the light for all of us. He can see us through our dark times. All we have to do is stay close to Him through prayer and meditation. I once heard preacher Joyce Meyer say that everyone can meditate because if you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. Think about it. What is worrying? Thinking about the same thing over and over again. Sounds like meditation to me. I have decided to meditate on God's Word and His promises in his Word. His light will always see us through. Today, I am thankful for the light of Jesus that never burns out. So reader, please "shed some light" on how God has guided you through darkness. God Bless!

Feeling Down? Make a list!

I haven't posted in a while because I have been moping. I make sure to put on a smiling face in public, but I cry often. Let me back up a bit. My father-in-law pasted away in June of 2007 when I was 5 months pregnant with LB. It was an unexpected death and he had been deceased for 10 days when my husband and I found him. My husband was very close to his dad and he has been grieving hard (yeah, I know, like there is any other way to grieve). I have encouraged him to seek therapy or a bereavement group, but his response is that it won't bring his father back. Sometimes I feel like he is mad at me for not understanding exactly how he feels. And I know he is resentful that both of my parents are still alive. Don't get me wrong. He is a fabulous husband and father and I know that my marriage is blessed by God. He is my best friend; we finish each other's sentences and have the same quirky sense of humor. But, things are REALLY HARD right now. I talk to my mother and counselor about it, but I still feel alone and helpless. (I have been in counseling for severe postpartum depression for the last few months. More on this in a later post.) I don't want to mope around, and I don't want to feel sorry for myself. Had this been a few years ago, I would have stayed down indefinitely. Those days are over. God has given me victory over self-pity and depression. So, here is a list of 27 things I'm grateful for. Why 27? It's the 27th day of the month, and it just kind of fits. My list is a mix of big blessings and small ones. Some obviously are more important than others, but they are all blessings, nonetheless.

1. Jesus Christ's ultimate sacrifice
2. God's undying love for me
3. God's patience with me
4. My husband
5. My daughter
6. My mother
7. My father
8. My niece
9. My brother
10. My extended family
11. My friends
12. Mocha Moms (Hands down, the world's best support group for stay-at-home moms)
13. My home
14. My career (Teaching)
15. Target (Good Deals)
16. Babies R Us (Consistent coupons)
17. Dark Chocolate (Tasty and good for you, as long as you don't eat the whole king size bar in one sitting)
18. Ice Cream (Coldstone, mmmmmm)
19. Baby Gates (Oh yeah, she's crawling--fast!)
20. My father-in-law's art collection which now adorns our home
21. Photos
22. California (My birthplace)
23. The Olympics (The best place to see track and field, my favorite sport)
24. LB's new Baby Bible Storybook (Too cute! It has great activities and it's a boardbook, so it can withstand her "reading" it.)
25. Home Depot (They're open late.)
26. Purple Heart (For all they do for our veterans, and they are making a pick up in our neighborhood tomorrow, so they're helping us to purge.)
27. Blogs ( I love reading them and posting to my own is cathartic. Today's post is a perfect example.)
28. Prayer (I had to go to 28 to include this one.) Prayer changes things. How do I know, because it has changed me. As one of my favorite TV preachers, Joyce Meyer says, "I'm not where I want to be, but thank God I'm not where I used to be." Prayer changes things. So, please pray for my family.
    

God is indeed good all the time. He is here for us. We will be all right. God is seeing us through. My job is to hold to His hand, remain grateful, be a blessing to others, and pray. So reader, please share what you are thankful for, it's always a blessing to hear about God's goodness. God Bless! :-)