Thursday

My Week with Maleah

I've been home with Maleah since last Thursday. I was on vacation all week and it has been FANTASTIC. To just spend every day with her, absorbing her baby hugs and kisses all day long, watching her play, giggle, laugh and even cry....it's been amazing. I will hate when Monday rolls around because I don't know if I'll be able to bear to leave her again. I know I have to, but still....it sucks.

However, I will marvel in the remainder of the time left with her and we will go on as necessary.

I love her SO much....she is my amazing little genius who opens the DVD player and licks the DVDs....even though she's not supposed to be anywhere NEAR the T.V.....she's my amazing little scaredy cat who we have finally managed to get to stop going into the dining room by placing a stuffed snowman in the way....she just looks at him and whines....she's my amazing little walker who took 5 steps today all on her own...the most so far.....she's my amazing little sleeper, who has mastered naps...but still wakes up every night....she's my amazing little talker who jibber jabbers all the time saying lots of things that start with "b".....and who we finally got to only take her bug (pacifier) when it is time to sleep. Once she's awake...out it comes. She's my amazing little big girl. She's over 10 months old....

She's mine and she is AMAZING!!!

p.s. She's Bob's too :) But this week, she's MINE! :)

Tuesday

Thanksgiving...

It's coming upon Thanksgiving (2 wonderfully short days away!) and I have heard many people request "What are YOU thankful for?"

There are so many things....and it's so hard to pick just one thing. The Lord, aBob (the "a" was a type-O, but I had to leave it in there) ;), Maleah, family, church family, friends, my job, my house, my food and clothing, my transportation....the list goes on and on. They may be obvious, sure, but I am no less thankful for these things.

One thing I am very thankful for is trials. Yep. That's right. I am thankful for the hard times in my life. Am I crazy? Possibly. But not about this. Blessings are nice, absolutely, but I feel that the trials we go through make the blessings we receive so much sweeter. If we never had to go through trials, we would not recognize blessings when we receive them.

Thank you, Lord, for sending trials my way. I hope they are handled in a way that is pleasing in your sight. Strengthen me for the next, Lord, though I can't see it, I know it will come.

Monday

10 Short Months

Well, here it is....November 19th....our little baby girl is growing up! She's a big 10 months old today! It has all gone by SOOOO fast. Truthfully, in the beginning, she was so fussy I wanted to fast foward about 4 months....and here it is....so much later....and it has flown by. She's talking up a storm now, finding consonants she didn't know existed. She finally said "Da-da" and though she doesn't say it often...she means it when she says it! I've been middle-naming her and she understands it. She heads for that TV and I tell her "NO" in a firm voice and she doesn't react, and then I say "Maleah Desiree" and she turns and looks...she knows what that means. Whether she listens or not is another story! She's beautiful too. She makes these faces that are just indescribeable. There are no words to describe her. She's just AMAZING!!! I still can't believe she's ours!

Friday

Confession #71

Today's confession is that I have a hard time moving on once someone has hurt me.

Do I forgive them? Yes.
Do I forget? No.

It's a flaw of mine and something I battle. When someone hurts me, and there is no sort of reconciliation, my thought is usually to just forget them. I tell myself that I don't need them. That if they hurt me and don't seem to care then they must not be worth reconciling with. The truth is...I hate being hurt so badly that I would rather just not have to worry about being hurt again. Lack of reconciliation drives me crazy. If I feel a situation is not settled, I find it hard to move on from that. To allow myself to continue to talk to the person that hurt me, because then I feel as though I am being fake to someone....knowing there is something that isn't quite finished.

This world is full of hurt and pain and there's no way I can run from it. I've been hurt by family, friends, co-workers and people I don't even know. It's something I have to learn how to get past. I'm working on it.

Wednesday

Verse of the Day

1 Peter 3:18
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,”

I don't think I need to elaborate. Christ died for YOU. Period.

Tuesday

Today....

Today I am feeling very happy and excited. I have a wonderful husband, amazing daughter, awesome family, great friends, a fantastic church family, a great job, Thanksgiving is next week, I have vacation the week after that, then comes the Singing Christmas Tree, and we'll be right in the heart of the Christmas Season! I am fired up for our Christmas this year, moreso than any other. This Christmas will make up for the last 2. Bring on the holidays!

I
AM
READY!

Monday

Verse of the Day

After making my earlier post, Answered Prayer, I read my BibleGateway verse of the day:

Colossians 1:9
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”


When you pray, seek God's will. Then you KNOW your prayers are answered.

My Maleah...

We had such an awesome weekend...got to visit Grandma, spend time together, have a Sunday school get together, and just relax at home...and there are days like today that it physically hurts in my chest because all I want to do is leave work and run and see her.

Man, I miss her!

Answered Prayer

We've been praying, and praying, and praying and praying....
and crying, and crying, and crying....
and waiting and waiting....

Our prayers were answered yesterday! Rick, Kathy and Greg were back! Oh, man, I was SOOOO excited, and still am. It was the highlight of my week! (Aside from Maleah!) When we lost Emily, these were some of the first people that we heard from, from Greg's initial phone call on the machine, to Rick and Kathy's flowers, to the visits, the cards, the hugs, the prayers...They saw our pain and were there for us. When we were hurting and waiting to get pregnant again, they prayed. They had the class pray, and remembered us and were faithful in their prayers, and God heard them. We got pregnant. When I was fearful of losing another baby...they were there. They had the entire class pray around me in my fear providing me comfort and reminding me that God hears our prayers and He is in control.

These are some of the most loving people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, and I am grateful that they are in my life. Welcome back!

Thank you Lord!!!

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Now, we're waiting on another prayer to be answered. We need to continue to pray that one of these houses will sell! My mom and dad have worked too hard to have such a heavy burden resting on their shoulders. They are the 2 most wonderful people in the world and they NEED one of them to sell ASAP. All prayers are accepted!

Thursday

Bob and Maleah

I just love them so much. Bob is so awesome. He's my best friend, husband, protector, confidant, everything. Maleah is the greatest baby in the entire world, the most beautiful little girl, the most wonderful daughter in the entire world. I love them more than words can say.

Here's Maleah's halloween pictures...