Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Updates: A Comedy in 3 Acts

Act 3: God Still Laughs

(BUT FIRST, A BRAGGADOCIOS SIDE NOTE)
Before I launch into this post, I need to brag on my baby boy. Again. He is 13 months old now and I somehow missed this big parenting tip that you are NEVER supposed to give whole milk in a bottle. That is supposed to only be a sippy cup thing. Formula and breastmilk go in bottles. Big boy whole milk goes in sippy cups. I missed the boat. I didn't read enough of my tips for everything in the world parenting e-mails that I get. I must have been too preoccupied with other things. So I have dreaded the switch to a sippy cup only existence. I decided to wait until spring break so that our babysitters don't have to bear the brunt of Isaac's frustration. So on Monday, we started the day with a sippy instead of a bottle. He hated it for the most part, but at naptime, he took his sippy like a champ without so much as a whimper. The evening bottle was uneventfully changed to a bottle with no complaining, and the dreaded night-night bottle was changed to a sippy with daddy and a little boy who drifted right to sleep. It was so easy! I have been praying about the transition since I knew it was coming soon and God just let him accept it so easily. He's such a good kid.

But even more exciting on Monday: HE WALKED! My baby took his first steps. Ryland and I were sitting on the couches, we looked over to see Isaac standing in the middle of the room smiling with no help. So being the big goofballs we are, we both started crying and spent the rest of the evening trying to get him to walk in between us. He did sometimes, but it had to be his idea. 2 milestones in a day. It's like he grew so much in 24 hours. We both work full time and both feel like we miss so much, so witnessing this miraculous first together was a gift from God. But in His grace and goodness, he let us both see it. And we will never forget it.

(THE REAL POST)

As my long-time blog followers know. I started this blog in 2008 to chronicle what I thought was going to be an adoption story, and the story of my struggle with infertility. But as I poured out my heart in text, God changed my course and blessed me with my biological son and made me happier than I ever thought I could be, while giving me a ministry to other women who were living the same things that I was. It also allowed me to heal and grieve the loss of my Aunt Karla and my three precious glory babies. I have been able to chronicle some of the most special times of my life and my sweet hubby has preserved them for me in a book that will be a legacy and a keepsake for my children. But my story is far from over.

Because I am pregnant again.

I am morning sickness, clothes too tight, giddy, ecstatic, pregnant.

At the end of last year my overly planning, control freak, too small faith side, started worrying. What if it takes another three years to have another baby? What if I can't ever have another baby? What if we lose more babies? What if it doesn't happen until after I turn 30 and my risk factors go up?

Have I learned NOTHING? God is so much bigger than all of that stuff. I should know that by now.

Ryland and I began to pray about how God would grow our family and if He would grow our family. We told him that our heart's desire was to have more children but that we trusted that He knew best for us. We felt that God had showed us that it was okay for us to begin trying. We decided that we would begin trying in January 2010.

On Ryland's birthday on February 6, after a long birthday party day, we came home and I took a positive pregnancy test. He didn't know that I was taking it. He was unloading the car. I came out of the bathroom and handed it to him saying, "happy birthday, daddy". We were overjoyed and completely shocked at how easy it was! I think I am healed.

I shared a LONG time ago in a previous post about the time that God gave me the passage in 2 Kings about the Shunnemite women who served Elisha and God gave her a son in a year's time. God spoke clearly to me then and that is when I really knew in my heart that our son was coming. Well, the God of no coincidences, put that very passage into our Sunday School lesson. I have never heard that passage preached on or spoken on in church, ever. It was divine confirmation that this pregnancy was a keeper and I didn't need to waste any time being scared of a miscarriage or anything else. God had already done the hard work. My job was just to bask in the blessing.

So as of today, I am 9 weeks pregnant. My sweet little tator tot has shown us its heartbeat twice. It is about an inch long and has arms and legs. I have been extremely sick, but not as sick as I was with Isaac. Very different sick. My projected due date is October 20. A week before my birthday. Ryland laughed and thinks it serves me right to have to share my birthday month with Tator since he has to share his with Isaac. And to help out my math conscious friends, my kids will be 20 and 1/2 months apart. I would have chosen to space them out farther than that, but God has always been much better at working those thing out so I think I'll trust him there too. But I might kick you if you make a comment such as "Wow, two under two" or "Two in diapers!". Just a warning.

So as you can see, my cup is full right now. We are praying for our house to sale, our upcoming move, and that God will carefully and perfectly form our new Tator Tot. It is all so far from over. And as I look forward with hope, resting in God's care, I can almost hear quiet laughter. God is still working. And I am joyfully anticipating the outcome.

Mindy

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Updates: A Comedy in 3 Acts

Act 2- Dare You to Move

As I stated in my last post. One of my biggest prayers over the last year has been that God would make it possible for me to spend more time at home with Isaac. Please don't get me wrong, I love my job. Teaching is my passion and calling. I am in a career where I get to witness miracles. As much as I love teaching, I love Isaac more. But at the same time, if God asks me to stay at work, I will, because He knows best. But I am happy to share that God has released me from teaching for a few seasons and is giving me more days with Isaac.

This post is dedicated to the amazing past and the bright future.

Last Septemberish there was a classified ad in the Baptist Messenger. Let me be quick to point out that we do not peruse the Baptist Messenger for career opportunities- we have never been that way. Ryland's jobs have come through recommendations from other people or word of mouth. Let me also point out that we are not unhappy with Ryland's current job. I don't want anyone to get that idea either. Anyways, I believe that God showed it to me for a reason. The way the description was written, it was seeking a "Worship and Media Arts Pastor" for a church that had everything form senior adults to a skate church. Something about it made me tell Ryland that the description sounded like it was perfect for him. He is amazing at media stuff and even more phenomenal as a musician. We were actual speaking with another church about a different position at the time and God very clearly told us that job was a "no". So several weeks later we came back to that ad and prayed about the possibility of looking into it. God confirmed to both of us that He desired for us to proceed. We dusted off Ry's resume and sent it in. Over several months, a few phone interviews, a meeting or two with the search team, and a lovely weekend meeting the church family, God called us to go to Central Baptist Church in Owasso, Oklahoma.

We have no doubt that God lead us every step of the way to this place. There are some amazing blessings that were wrapped in with this new job.
1) Ryland's income is increasing enough that I am going to be able to stay home part time. I am planning to work at the pre-school at their church three days a week and take Isaac with me. I get Mondays and Fridays to be a stay at home mommy. I am crying with joy as I type this. God is so good! Don't get me wrong, we are not going to be rich, we just have an opportunity to scale back in some areas and make it work.
2) My two childhood best friends live in Owasso. Charity, Aubrey, and I were born within 2 weeks of each other, grew up in church together, went to school together, have been through EVERYTHING together. And I have no doubt that God has planned for us to be back in each other's lives for a reason. My Morgan from my teenage years is also across town. I am so excited!
3) I am 40 minutes away from my parents and grandparents. I have missed family things for 9 years and I am looking forward to making up for lost time.

Things that are sacrifices:
1) Lane and Jilian- Ryland and I are both leaving siblings here in the OKC metro. I don't even think we know how much we are going to miss them yet. I have loved being part of my nieces and nephew's lives. I love that we can randomly meet for dinner or be together for any tragedy or celebration. This part hurts.
2) 9 years of familiarity- The Edmond area has been my home since Fall 2001 when I moved here as a little college Freshman. I know this area. I have many precious friends here, and I love it here. This place is the setting to so many sweet memories. My first job, our first married home, our church homes, our alma mater. I will always love Edmond.

People ask me how I feel about it all. The only word that really fits is bittersweet. I am so thrilled to go, but just as sad to leave. I know that there are challenges ahead and so many sweet changes. We would be wrong to stay when God has so clearly set this in our path.

To my UCO Broncho Brothers and Sisters, HPBC, Ignitioners, EPS co-workers, WRBC Family, and my beloved brother and sister-in-love- You have all worked together to weave a tapestry of beautiful memories that have changed and impacted me in so many ways. There is not enough time for me to write it all out- it would fill books upon books. Thank you for investing in me, supporting me, grieving with me, and rejoicing with me. I will never be able to repay all that has been given to me. May God bless you all. Thank you for filling my life with beauty.

To my new family at Central, and my long neglected friends and family- Get ready, this is going to be epic!

Gratefully and Tearfully,
Mindy

Monday, March 15, 2010

Updates: A Comedy in 3 Acts

Act 1- Ponderings, Resolutions, and Lessons Learned

First, Apologies for my absence. I have truly missed the blog world. I am a full time working momma. Leaving my son all day to pay bills truly hurts my heart and the last thing I want to do when I come home is to not pay attention to him. I don't feel like there are enough hours in a day for me to love on him the way I want to. I have prayed for an opportunity to be able to be home more because as I look back on his first year, my only regret is that work has made me miss so many little things. But surely you will forgive me for choosing that relationship over my blog.

Speaking of my beautiful Isaac, he has grown so much since last August. He has six teeth that he got at about 10 1/2 months, he cruises furniture but has no desire to walk yet, I weaned him at 12 months and a week (I reached my goal!!!), he has a huge vocabulary and just learned the word "yellow", he loves Sesame Street, baths, dogs, playing ball, and eating any and everything, he hates sippy cups, carrots, and when other kids cry. He is amazing. I still can't look at him without seeing the absolute miracle that he is.

He turned 1 on February 3. We celebrated with 2 monkey birthday parties. We only invited family because if we invited friends too then we would have to book and arena! We were blessed to celebrate such an amazing milestone. Ryland and I celebrated by watching Isaac's birth video. I still cannot believe that my son is the same tiny baby we first brought home. We have learned so much about giving God control, trusting him to provide help, and leading us to people and situations that will take care of all our needs. We've also learned the finer points of removing poop and vomit stains from just about anything, juggling tough babysitting issues, and how to pray, pray, pray, over the mundane and the serious, it all matters.

Again, the name of my blog has proven so true in my life. For instance, let me tell you about Isaac's first Christmas. As a parent you tend to romanticize all of these "firsts". We had planned to spend a little bit of time with all grandparents and great grands over the Christmas holiday. But then the blizzard of 09 happened and crippled Oklahoma under two feet of snow. We had a picture perfect Christmas morning. We spent the night at Ryland's sister's house, snowed in with his parents and siblings. We had a wonderful time. Isaac's first Christmas morning was spent opening gifts with his cousins, he loved it. I will never forget him in his santa pj's, sitting amongst packages that towered over him. But alas, the day went south from there. We waited until early afternoon before we (STUPIDLY) attempted to drive to Barnsdall to spend time with my family. After 6 hours on the turnpike and only making it to Sapulpa, we gave up and spent the night in a Super 8. To make matters worse, Ryland left in search of our Christmas dinner because we hadn't eaten all day. He returned with a flaming hot beef burrito called "the Bomb". When I started crying so hard that I couldn't talk he left to find something more suitable, like a frozen microwave pizza. We will never do that again. We will accept defeat and go home where I could have at least had left overs for Christmas dinner.

I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions. I never have been. I think it is stupid to make promises to do things like lose weight or whatever. You should be doing these things anyways because we should be good stewards of all the things God gives us, including our bodies. But I stumbled across http://myoneword.org/ . This is not a typical NYR site. This is a challenge to take a word where you feel you are weak and make it a goal to improve who you are in Christ. My word for the year is "HOPE". I can get so tethered in fear and worry that I can't see thing for what they are. I am choosing this year to put my hope in the plans that God has for me and my family. Knowing that all things are working for my good, there is no need to fear the unknown because I am in God's hands.

It's nice to be back. I am on spring break this week, so hopefully Acts 2 & 3 will come soon. Depending on how long my first priority naps.

Love and Blessings!

Mindy