poor tatum... 5 teeth!!!

here she is 14 months old, and sweet tatum still has 7 teeth. well a couple days ago, i noticed she is finally cutting the other bottom one, which would make an even 8 - 4 on top, 4 on bottom. she's been really fussy, a little sick and will not let me out of her sight the past few days. i knew she was cutting that tooth, so i've tried to be patient. anyway, today it was just unbearable, so i started feeling around in her mouth (ouch!) and found that she is also cutting at least 4 molars all at once. i couldn't be sure, but there was definately teeth popping up all over her poor gums. i cannot imagine the pain! i tried rubbing baby tylenol on her gums where i felt the teeth and she loved it! she sucked on my finger like it was candy. obviously i can only do that a few times per day. she's not a big fan of teething toys, so i really don't know what else i can do. i don't remember what i did for avery when she was teething, but i'm pretty sure she never got 5 at once! if anyone has any advice, please share!

baby news

no, we don't know what the gender is yet, but i did go to the doctor today and i got to hear the heartbeat. it was 150 this time. according to jennifer's advice, that is a more "boy-ish" heartbeat than last month's checkup when it was 172. it also took the nurse a LONG time to be satisfied with what she was hearing. i could hear the heartbeat perfectly fine, but she kept moving the little monitor around on my belly like she was trying to detect something different. finally after about 3-4 minutes of her searching (all the while i could hear the heartbeat loud & clear), she finally said it was 150. i don't know what that means, maybe there's more than one baby in there??? anyway, next month when i go, i will get an ultrasound, and the mystery will be solved, hopefully.

speaking of jennifer, congratulations to her and her precious family of boys who just welcomed baby KATE, their little princess! she is beautiful and we can't wait to go meet her in a few weeks!

after some time in prayer today, i am planning to make some calls tomorrow to arrange my schedule to teach in the later mornings. i have agonized over this decision probably much more than was necessary, but i feel like it's a really big deal. anyway, since my post a couple weeks ago, i have gotten some good advice and prayed alot, and i feel like i really wouldn't feel happy without my mornings with the girls. Lord willing, the scheduling will work out and also a spot in a different Mother's Day Out program will open up for the girls.

here's the verses i've been reading lately:
"Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass." Psalm 37:3-5

we're currently in a position that is requiring us to "feed on His faithfulness" because we really are unable to feed on our own abilities. not only does God want me to "dwell (be content) in the land," but He also wants me to be delighted with Him in the midst of it. i must admit this is not very true of me right now, but it's my prayer for myself.

colorado vacation

we're back! we spent the past week in durango, colorado with brian's family and we had a blast! we took avery with us, but tatum got to spend the week in SA with my parents. brian's mom & dad, aunt shelia & uncle terry were so fun to vacation with. here's what we did:

saturday, july 5:
flew from houston to albuquerque, NM - rented a minivan and drove 4 hours to durango, colorado. our cabin was so cute, and we had the upstairs all to ourselves (brian, avery & i). we roasted marshmellows and made s'mores around our campfire that night.

sunday, july 6:
brian fished. avery & i played at the local park, played horseshoes and threw rocks in the river. this was her favorite past-time... sitting by the river and seeing how big a splash she could make by throwing huge rocks in the river.



monday, july 7:
we took a bus from durango to silverton, which is an old mining town at about 11,000 elevation. it was cold, but it felt so good! the men went on a jeep tour while the women shopped around silverton. then we took a TRAIN ride back to durango! avery slept half-way on the train, but when she woke up, she loved looking over the edge of our open car at the scary view! that night we went to a chuckwagon dinner and show in durango. the food was delicious and the performance (5 guys with guitars singing cowboy songs) was suprisingly very entertaining!





tuesday, july 8:
the men & i played golf at the university golf course in durango, while brian's mom & aunt entertained avery. we didn't have clubs, so brian & i rented some. they gave brian a set of callaway's and me a set of pink & black cleveland's... by far the nicest clubs we have ever played with! we both played the game of our lives. i even kept my score on some holes, i was doing so good! and i think brian shot a 84! the golf course was in the middle of a valley surrounded by huge mountains with snow on top of them. it was gorgeous!

wednesday, july 9:
mesa verde national park - this place was cool. they have well-maintained indian ruins and cliff dwellings from about 1100-1300 AD. it was amazing to see the way the indians lived there, and we enjoyed hiking and climbing up lots of ladders to see all the details. avery was such a trooper. one lady watched her climbing a 12 foot ladder (with me close behind), and said "i can't believe she is only 3!"




thursday, july 10:
the men hired a fishing guide and fished all morning on lake vallecito. they came home with about 10 fish (previous to hiring the fishing guide, they had caught 1 fish all week). the women & avery walked around and found a nice rocky place to sit by the river. avery threw one of her pink crocs (shoes) in the river and aunt shelia chased that croc down as far as she could, but alas, it got carried away in the river. poor little pink croc. i kept the other one, but i'm not sure what to do with it now. guess we will need to get her another pair of those ugly rubber shoes, that we just really can't live without. anyway, later that afternoon brian & i rented a canoe. thanks to my training as a camp counselor at his hill, i rowed like a superstar while he caught one more fish for our fish fry that night. we told avery it was chicken (she is in LOVE with nemo right now), and she ate it all up. it was really good!

friday, july 11:
we drove to downtown durango and hit the shops. we bought heavenly fudge, a Cinderella PEZ dispenser for avery, some coffee for the folks, a smoothie at the same coffee shop, and i bought a BellaBand at the local maternity store. i have wanted one of those ever since i first saw them in a baby magazine, but i never felt the urgency to buy one. now, in my 3rd pregnancy, the need for BellaBand became so apparent that i just had to get one. i am wearing it right now over my pre-pregnancy jeans and they are fitting me like a champ! so far, it is so worth the money. it has so many uses, i think i will use it as a girdle after i have this baby!!! sidenote: speaking of babies, my friend bethany had her baby boy, noah, on friday. it was fun to talk to her on the phone and hear all the labor/delivery details. we got to meet him today and he is precious! that night, we played a couple rounds of trivial pursuit, the 1980's version. needless to say, brian & i were horrible at it b/c all the questions were so outdated, but it we all laughed and had a blast playing.

saturday, july 12:
drove forever (5 hours) from durango to albuquerque, NM. avery slept almost the whole way thankfully. then we flew from albuquerque to houston. it never felt so good to hear "the local weather is 93 degrees...welcome to houston" as we landed. i was so happy to be home!

avery with her "wings" on the airplane

dilemma

i'm mostly writing this post for myself to look at, but i'm also hoping somebody will offer some enlightening advice that might make this decision for me.
okay, so i signed my teaching contract back in may. although i've prayed otherwise, i feel peace that somehow God will get me through another school year. i'm really not complaining... i teach half-day, i really DO like teaching, it's just that i really really really like being home with my kids all day and not missing out on any of their day.
so here's my quandary: do i continue working early morning from 7:25-10:10 AM or do i try a switcheroo to later in the day from 10:16 AM-1:34 PM??? i've consulted both my school and my MIL, Sharla, who comes over to my house and keeps my kiddos while i'm at work, and both are fine either way. so really it is up to me. i hate when it is totally up to me. i really prefer sometimes to be told what to do.
anyway, i'm going to make a list of things that are good and bad about both options, and hopefully one will outweigh the other:


teach early morning (7:25 - 10:10 AM):
1. get work over with and am home by 10:30 AM - rest of the day to do whatever
2. students are usually better behaved during early morning classes
3. get to sponsor FCA (we meet before school)
4. can meet friends for lunch/playdates whenever i want
5. get to pick avery up from preschool on T/Th
6. get full advantage of girls' nap time to get things done

but,
1. when i get home at 10:30, i am TIRED and all i want to do is lay on the couch
2. tatum goes down for a nap right when i get home, so really i don't get to spend much time with her (however, that means good quality time with avery)
3. i feed them lunch, while we're all tired, we play for a little while, then they go down for afternoon nap - that's not very much quality time
4. i would have to float to two different rooms for my 3 classes - UGH!


teach later morning (10:16 AM - 1:34 PM):
1. get to sleep past 5:30 AM (with a new baby in january, this might be the decision-maker!!)
2. get to wake up my sleeping beauties, feed them breakfast, dress them, etc. they are so precious early in the morning!
3. get to take avery to preschool on T/Th and drop her off
4. i would have a built-in lunch break so i could get grading done at school
5. i am a much better mom in the first few hours of the day than i am after i get home from work, when i'm exhausted.
6. i would have the same classroom for all 3 classes (no floating from room to room)

but,
1. no playdates/lunches with friends
2. would have to find another teacher to sponsor FCA :(
3. my students might be NUTS in the afternoon
4. when i get home at 1:45, i may not have much time left of the girls' naps to rest/get things done


okay, looking at this list, it really doesn't help me decide. but i am leaning toward switching to the later morning simply b/c of sleeping in an extra hour or so. am i crazy? i don't know. any advice is completely welcome.

this is going to be a long one...

it's been awhile since i've posted, so i'm guessing this will be long. our summer has started out great. we had VBS at church all week last week, which was a lot of fun for all of us, although very exhausting! this week has been our official first week of summer, meaning brian started summer school on monday and i have been a stay-at-home mom with my girls all week. i must say i could get used to this! i hope someday i really can get used to it. anyway, it has been wonderful.

we did have two head injuries this week. i don't know what that says about my skills as a SAHM, but i like to think it was all in the name of fun, so it's okay. avery's head injury occured at our neighborhood playground. there is a big metal wheel thing attached to the top of a platform, and you can hold on to it and let it take you for a ride, if you know how to let it bring you all the way back to the platform. well, my brave little avery gave it a try by herself and let go too soon, so she face-planted into the playground wood shavings. it scratched her little forehead & cheek up, but she was fine within 5 minutes. i think it scared her (and me) more than anything. i also think it altered her personality b/c the last couple days since it happened, she has been a monster. seriously, testing everything i say. when i scold her, she says, "don't talk back to me, mama." Lord, give me patience!

tatum's head injury was not so much fun. she & avery crack me up b/c they love to chase each other around the living room. i don't know the rules or who is "it" but somehow they know and they take turns sneaking up on each other and growling at each other. it's pretty cute. anyway, tatum slipped and bumped her eyebrow on the coffee table. at first i didn't know where it hurt her b/c i didn't actually see it happen. but then after i comforted her a few minutes, i saw blood streaming from her little eyebrow. this was the first time my baby has ever bled, so it was kinda a milestone, i guess. not that i was happy, but i know there will be many more bumps, bruises & cuts now that she is mobile, so i guess it's sordof an initiation into toddler-hood. anyway, she was also fine within a few minutes, although the next day she woke up with a purple eye.


great news! i had my first appointment with my new OB this morning, and praise the Lord, it was great! i mean i don't love going to the OB but i was so relieved to find this doctor so kind & caring that i cried after he & the nurse left my room. God does answer prayer. also, i got to hear my baby's heartbeat, it was very strong. it was 172, i've never known what that means, or what is normal range, so if anyone can interpret that for me, that would be great. i am just so glad to know there is actually a baby in there with a healthy beating heart. also, i finally got my due date: january 9, 2009.

we took a trip to katy mills mall last night b/c that is the only place in town with an old navy maternity. i was so excited to find some cute stretchy shorts that should get me through these awkward months of being too big to fit into my regular shorts but not quite big enough to fit into the wide-banded maternity clothes. it is truly amazing what a couple new clothing options can do for your mood and self-esteem.

this picture of tate is just too cute not to share. we have been bumming at the pool alot this summer. with this heat, that's about the only thing i can tolerate for very long outdoors.


another deep thought: my poor children have to listen to me sing pretty often. tatum still likes it, but avery sometimes sings over me to drown out my voice. anyway, i like to sing them hymns b/c they are soothing to me and i think somehow the words of those songs have power to help my children learn about Jesus. also i am the daughter of a church organist so i grew up napping to the sound of my mom playing hymns on the piano/organ downstairs. a few of my favorites are "come thou fount", "and can it be?", and "blessed assurance". the other night i was singing "come thou fount" and i actually listened to myself sing the words. i was thinking of a loved one who is making bad decisions right now and then i heard myself sing these words: "Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God. He to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood." i sang it again and let the Lord remind me that it is He who leaves the 99 to search for the one who is lost. i've been that one before and i praise God He didn't just leave me on my own, but found me and captured my heart. even when we purposely wander away from Him, He never gives up on us. the words in that song have become my prayer for my loved one who desperately needs Jesus to seek him out.

Water to drink

avery thinks she looks pretty stylin' in my sunglasses. she's not real big on dressing up, but she loves accessories... shoes, jewelry (notice her pink plastic bracelet on her arm), sunglasses, hair clips, hats, etc. that's my girlie girl!

I really don't have an update about our new baby, other than I asked my mom to deliver it from home b/c I really don't want to find another OB. she said no. so i went ahead and scheduled another ultrasound appointment for next thursday, the 19th, with the OB that my old OB recommended. i am hopeful that it will be a good experience and i can finally give all of us a date to put on the calendar!

i have two new blogging friends! bethany and i grew up together in school and church ever since we were little bitty. she still lives in SA, and she and her husband are in ministry. oh and she is also a physical therapist! she is one of my oldest, dearest friends, and i just found out she's a blogger too, i'm so excited to keep up with you now, bethany! :)
kelly & i live around the corner from each other and go to church together. we used to be in the same sunday school class, but she & her husband split off to form a new class a couple years ago, so we only see each other in passing, but her kids, hunter & mia, are the same age as my girls, and we definately need to get together more, kelly!

Deep thought of the day:
The other day avery came in from the backyard and asked me for a cup of water. i told her i was so happy she asked me for water because i love to give her water b/c it is so good for her. then it occured to me that is just like my relationship with God. when i ask God for things He already wants to give me, He of course is glad to give them to me (like water). but when i ask for things He knows are not good for me (like juice), He doesn't. Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." I always loved that verse, but i didn't always realize it actually means He wants to change my heart's desires into what His desires are for me, so that He is able to give them to me.

january something 2009

that's my due date. i'll explain later, but first i must say i am truly amazed at God's goodness to us that He has allowed another little baby to start growing inside me. we announced it to our parents last week. i put avery's shirt on tatum that says "i'm the big sister." my mom really didn't notice at first, then i said "look at tatum's shirt - she's trying to tell you something." then there was a great reaction. brian's mom screamed and jumped up and down. we kindof thought people might think we're crazy for having another one so close (tatum will be 20 months older than this one), but everyone has been so happy for us. we are really happy too.
okay, about the due date... my obgyn that delivered avery & tatum and who i absolutely loved has quit OB, so i've been forced to find a new OB. today i went in for my first appointment with the new one hoping to have the ultrasound and hear the baby's heartbeat, find out my due date, etc. (sidenote: i'd been praying God would give me a clear feeling, good or bad, about whether or not this is the right person to deliver my baby.) let me just say i will never step foot in that place again. i was traumatized. i really can't even go into details because it's still so unnerving, but i didn't get to have an ultrasound or hear the heartbeat and so i still have no idea what my due date is. but thankfully God knows and will reveal that fun little fact soon enough. so needless to say, i am desperately trying to find another doctor. the problem is that teachers have crappy insurance so i have to find someone who takes my crappy insurance and there's is not a wide selection.
anyway, the bright spot of today, at least i think it's bright, is that on the way to the traumatic event mentioned above, i flipped my car. not literally, but i turned it over from 99,999 to 100,000 miles. i took pictures to document it, but they are not that exciting to anyone but me.
i love my honda cr-v. sadly it doesn't hold 3 carseats, so it's future is very uncertain right now.
okay, the other bright spot of my day is that tatum kissed me about 10 times tonight when i was trying to rock her to sleep. how can i resist that cute little face up in my face pushing her little lips out as best she can to show me she wants kisses. and the joyful look on her face when i pucker up and give her one.
lastly, we took the girls to our neighborhood pool today, and there were some older girls jumping off the diving board. brian asked avery if she wanted to jump off the board to him. she said yes, but we felt sure she would chicken out. well i'll be darned if that girl didn't march right up on the board with her care bears floaties and gleefully leap off the board into brian's waiting arms. she proceeded to do it about 90 more times. it was great.