20 week baby bump

Emily.......are you having a brother or sister?

The Merry-Go-Round

She used to hate this...but all of a sudden she can't get enough. We were at Fashion Island the other day and was very upset that she couldn't ride it.....why would we pay $2 when we can get it for free at D-land :)

Finding Thankfulness in the Stomach Flu

My sweet Emily is sick.  She was filled with personality yesterday with a few tantrums (really nothing different than most days---she loves her tantrums).  We went to church and on the way home she cried the entire way.  Not completely unusual there either....since it was past her bedtime.  We got home and put her to bed still acting very normal.  She began to whimper a lot---not usual.  I went in there and she pointed at her rocking chair and said, "chair."  I asked her if she wanted me to rock her and she said yes.  She fell asleep, I put her back in her bed and she began whimpering almost as soon as I put her down.  I felt good in that moment because I thought that she just needed her mommy.  Turns out she needed me, but not in the way I thought.  We had a very rough night. 

Let's just say I did seven loads of laundry---I'm sure you can put two and two together. Brian and I didn't sleep.  After every incident she wanted to watch a little show.  We would let her watch some and fastforward through it as well.  She also cried out for "Agua" frequently.  Since this is her 4th time with the stomach flu we have learned that she really needs it in small increments---so when we told her no to her request for more we had a whole other saga going on. 

So, where does the thankfulness come in?  My child is relatively healthy on a regular basis.  It really hurts me to see her so broken, so sick, but I know there is an end in sight.  I just can't imagine what it must be like for some of these other moms that spend so much time in the hospital because of their children being so ill.  I appreciate their strength.  I admire their courage and I hope their children know just how wonderfully loved they are.

The art of losing myself

So, I was having a discussion about my love for the song "From the Inside Out" from Hillsong the other day.  Ever since then I haven't been able to get the song out of my head.  When I attended FCCHB I had the opportunity to help lead the congregation in this song and so I know the words, I know the melody.  I've been hearing it in my head since our conversation, but today, I had the song playing and it totally hit me like a ton of bricks.  You know how they say when you read the Bible you get something different out of it every time, well this song has also been that for me.  

When we started trying to get pregnant with this pregnancy, I was consumed with the fact that it was totally out of my control.  It was out of my control with Emily, it was out of my control this time.  I kept hearing over and over, "My heart and my soul, I give you control, consume me from the inside out.  Let justice and praise become my embrace to love you from the inside out."  Getting pregnant is supposed to be joyful, but for me it becomes a time of worry and fear and my least favorite....waiting.  It's so hard to wait.  God really held a mirror up to my face and said---give ME the control.  Through tears....I did just that.  Now, I'm pregnant and I know how huge of a blessing and gift it is from Him.  

I've got a lot on my mind again and WHAM....this hit me  "Your will above all else, my purpose remains.  The art of losing myself in bringing you praise.  Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades.  Never Ending, your glory goes beyond all fame."  

I have a decent prayer life.  I like to think that I have a lot of conversations with God throughout the day.  I pray for my family, my friends, my kid(s) and myself.  I think I need to be more intentional about praying for God's will in every aspect of life.  So, I guess I'm going to have to start losing more of myself.  I don't want it to just be an art, but a masterpiece. 

Updating the ol' blog with pictures

These are all very random photos from several different days over the past month.  I haven't had the energy or the time to update the blog as often as I would like, but decided I should do it sooner than later or I will be very backed up! 

We took Emily to the Aquarium and they have a place you can feed nectar to birds.  Emily was very interested in watching them drink the nectar.  Brian wasn't a huge fan.  

Bad picture from this "photographer" but that is  Sting Ray that Emily is watching swim around.

Auntie Tabatha was here for 5 days and we had SUCH A GREAT TIME!  Emily and Tabatha were looking for seals.  Tabatha is laughing here because as the Seal swam by, Emily was yelling, "HI!!!"

Said Seal...

Tabatha is very particular about pillows.  We brought all that we could find in our house for her to decide between.  I just had to take a picture. 

Grandma and Grandpa met us for an impromptu lunch the other day and Grandpa took Emily  on the carousel.  Emily loved it and loved riding with Granpapa (we call him Grandpa, but she has added an extra pa at the end.)

Joe/Alisha/Oliver joined us for a day of Disney yesterday.  These kids LOVE each other.  They have so much fun together.  Here they are meeting with Minnie. 

I was trying to get a decent picture of Emily up in the ferris wheel, but this is all I got because she made me laugh.  She was eating, although her hand is in her mouth she was saying, "CHEESE."  

Told you these kids love each other.  We were riding It's a Small World and she had to turn around and see him.  They are so cute saying each other's name to get their attention.  Just adorable!

Emily got in the LEGO box and Brian had to make a game out of it.  So, of course, I wanted a picture. 

After Emily's bath, she came to her drawer of books, picked one up, took it to her chair and started to read.  

I can't believe we didn't take many pictures of our Sea World adventure.  I guess I was just way too hot and uncomfortable to think about pictures, but this one made me laugh.  This is her new facial expression.  Thought it was cute.  

Perhaps I should

be worried that is....(previous post)

We got our first "Emily was a naughty girl" at daycare report.  Apparently, she was pulling kid's shirts when she wasn't getting her way and trying to steal their toys.  Super.