What are you doing?

Lilly has her own personality and her own Likes and dislikes these days...

She prefers to sit up and play with her toys then laying down....

 She also thinks she should be involved in EVERYTHING Gary and I do. She wanted to read Daddy's book so we gave her one of her own!

 I was looking at Newspapers ads and Lilly wanted to sit on my lap with me...She pulled all the ads on the ground...I put her on the ground where she played for 30mins with the ads

I love this pic! all her Toys on one side of her, and the ads on the other side...and her face says which should I play with MOM?

Favorite Things

I have been encouraged to write a list of favorite things from the week past...I will try to come up with a list every Friday, but being a mamma of a 6 month old it might not happen. This week could be hard to get a list since this week was the first time Gary and I have been separated since before we got married, but I have had some wonderful moments this week which I am thankful for

A dear friend, Lorna coming and staying for a few days to keep me company and help with Lilly while Daddy was in Pretoria. 

A little Girl who loves to be thrown up in the air; the laugh she lets out just makes you laugh right with her.

A little baby who is finally learning to sleep through the night, she slept from 10-6 almost every night, one night she slept from 10-8...I loved it and am hopeful it will continue!!

Going to a craft store and buying some stuff to keep my hands busy during down time.

Getting three new books for less then 100 rand ($12)

Speaking to my Husband on the phone several times a day and hearing all the things he is learning

having in-laws that graciously take  care of us in all sorts of ways and help out when ever asked!

A little girl that lights up when ever she is naked! if I would let her she would be in her nappy (diaper) all day long...she even cries when i start to put new clothes on her.

A little girl who LOVES music.

A little social bug...went to the shops to return some winter clothing that was to big for her (since we are now going into spring) and as we were in line waiting for our turn Lilly starting laughing a smiling. I looked in the direction of her laugh and an "Aunty" (as they are called here) was coming in the line behind us. Lilly laughed and talked to her the whole time we waited, as well as all the other people in line with us.

And for a husband who is to be returning home in 2 hrs!!! I have missed so much this week

So with out my husband this week, which i was dreading, I am able to look back and say it was a good week. There were sad moments where I missed my husband so much and Lilly was driving me nuts, but in the end it was a good week and I am thankful for all the little moments that has made it special.

first Trip to the hospital

Sunday night at church Lilly started to cough and wheeze some. I didn't think much about it, just thought she was getting a cold. Monday morning she woke up with a fever so I gave her meds and lots of Fluids hoping she would get better, and to me it seemed that she was better on Tuesday...but I could she didn't feel 100%

my sick little baby

Wed morning she woke up at 3 am, 4 am, 5 am and 630am she woke because of Coughing. She still had a slight fever but nothing bad 99.1, but I was debating whether to not to take to the doctor. We had an appt with the nurse for her 6 month Check up 2pm so I decided I would ask her first. As soon as we walked into her office and she heard Lilly wheezing She asked us to take Lilly to our Pediatrician. We called the Pediatrician and he said to bring her in asap. As soon as we walked into his room, he said she needs to be hospitalized to get breathing treatments Oxygen. Gary and I were devastated. There were a lot of What ifs going on in my head. That if I had taken her to the dr on Monday we wouldn't have to have gone in to the hospital, but Dr Christie said that no matter when we had brought her in he would have sent her to the hospital because its going around and not to scare us but a baby died at one of the Local Hospitals last week because the right precautions weren't taken. Since we don't have medical Aide our Pediatrician sent us to a Govt hospital where children under 6 gets treated for free. (we are so thankful for this) It took a litte bit to get to the pediatric ward because with govt things there are a LOT of steps and hoops you have to go through to get where you need to go, but we finally got to the ward.

Trying to sleep in this strange place.

 Her first couple of breathing treatments were torture for not only her, but me as well. She screamed and I cried. Its this big massive mask with this yucky smelling stuff blowing in her face and she was just frightened. She didn't know what it was or why it was happening.

The nurses turned lights out at 930pm but it was still fairly bright in our room that we shared with to other babies. Lincoln and Philip. Lincoln was 20 months old and had been in hospital 10 days with a fever for no known cause. and Philip was 1 month old with bronchial pneumonia. Lilly's room at home is dark and we rarely turn the lights on at home, so she thought it was daytime all night and barely slept. She and I got about 2 hrs of sleep. We both were exhausted, but the every 2 hr breathing treatments worked well and when the Dr did her rounds at 8 am she said that there was still a slight wheeze but she hopes getting Lilly on an asthma pump will help and then we could go home

Waiting on pharmacy to bring up asthma pump, and Lilly finally sleeping

Going Home

The Dr came back at 12 and said she looked at Lilly's xrays from the day before and her lungs looked better then what she thought (we had a different Dr admit us who originally looked at the xrays) so she said as soon as we get the pump from the pharmacy (they deliver between 12-1) and a nurse shows us how to use it we can go home. The Dr we had (can't remember her name) was a mom of a 6 month old too, so she knows how we were feeling. 

The Hospital, Karl Bremem Hosptial, is a teaching hospital so the Dr we had was doing her residency. but there were lots of young Drs and Nurses working with a Head Dr over them all. It was cool to see

Lilly is now home, she slept 11 hrs last night with only one feed during that time, but she woke up this morning with a terribly blocked nose. It took 30 mins of  off and on of the nose aspirator to get it all out  so she could eat. 

What a way to spend your 6month birthday, on hospital!

6 months

My baby Girl is 6 Months old Tomorrow! Can you believe it! I know I can't.

She has started to roll from back to tummy ( she rolled from tummy to back at 2 weeks old) and is getting up on all fours. I think she will be crawling very soon.

She laughs all the time. 

A happy little girl

Small but Chunky

My little Sweat Pea, Mommy Loves you so much and is so very thankful for you

one of my Favorite Songs that I pray that will be true for all our children

"Planting Trees" by Andrew Peterson

We chose the spot, we dug the hole
We laid the maples in the ground to have and hold
As Autumn falls to Winters sleep
We pray that somehow in the Spring

The roots grow deep

And many years from now
Long after we are gone
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless the dawn

"that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified" Isaiah 61:3b

Desires of My heart

Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of being a Wife and a mother. When I hit 25 yrs old I started to think that was not my calling in Life. I felt maybe the Lord had other plans for me. I was not happy about it what could I do? If God had other plans I would have to find contentment in my life and with the job the Lord had given me to do. After going to Kenya several times I felt the call to go to the mission field, but I really didn't want to go because I knew if I did that would mean I was going to be single the rest of my life. I prayed for contentment and asked the Lord to take the desires of my heart away, so that I could serve him fully and do what he had called me to do. The desires never left, but I knew I had to enter into the mission field. Who knew that while obeying the Lords commands he would bring into my life a wonderful man. 

These past two years have been a complete 180 for me. Gary and I met at the Bible Institute,where I was living and he was studying April 2010. We started dating August 2010. Got engaged November 2010, Got Married April 2011, found out we were expecting August 2011 and Welcomed our baby girl Lilly into the world Feb 2011. She is now 6 months old and such a joy to have.

God continues to be faithful to me even when I do not deserve his love. He has given me the desires of my heart when i thought those desires would never be met. I know God sometimes says No to those desires, but I glad he said yes to me.

April 16, 2011...I give the Lord praise for bringing this man into my life who knows how to deal with all my emotions and loves me unconditionally

My Leap Year Baby...Lillian Christine 3 1/2 weeks early.... That feeling of being a mommy is so great! 

My Family! Thank you Lord for saying yes to my hearts desires!

Snotty Nose Bandit

Lilly woke up at 12 am on Tues night coughing. I fed her and calmed her down. She proceeded to cough all night long and waking around 530 that morning. Needless to say I didn’t sleep much. I was so concerned that she was coughing. She woke up with a snotty nose. And after she fed she puked all over me. I started to give her cough medicine but after talking to my sister she said don’t; that way she can cough up all that is in her lungs. She is a fairly pleasant baby for being sick, but she is pretty pitiful. So Gary and I did the baby Vicks, Saline Drops and when either of got in the shower we put her bouncy seat in the bathroom with us.

That night she woke up at 430 for a feed. We didn’t even get half way through the feed when she puked all of over me and floor; all milk and mucus. GROSS…I don’t handle puke very well so I was thankful that is was night time and the only light in room was her nightlight. I cleaned her and wiped my shoulder and rocked her to sleep.  I promptly took my shirt off before I climbed back into bed at 530. Lilly slept until 830. It was wonderful.

Lilly's medicine cabinet

By Thursday I got a nose aspirator. Our upstairs neighbor must think we are abusing our child the way she screams bloody murder when I use it. But it helps her breath better and she eats and sleeps so much better after a murder session.

We are hoping that she doesn’t get an ear ache with all this snot…so far so good

The Weight of Food Tantrums

Lilly has struggled to gain weight like a normal baby should. She is small. Her parents are small, so what can people expect. The Nurse, who we take Lilly to get weighed and get her shots, wanted her to gain 150 grams a week. She was gaining anywhere from 80-120, so Lizbe (our nurse) put her on 150 ml of formula a day. I felt like such a terrible mother because my baby wasn’t gaining enough weight and I was the food supply. My parents had just left after two weeks of constant on the go, and I got sick right after they left. But I didn’t factor any of that in. I was just a terrible mother who wasn’t producing enough milk, and to top it off my baby refused any and every bottle put in her mouth. Gary and I fought her for two weeks with bottles. I couldn’t take her screaming any more so I decided to start her on cereal.  She was just barely 3 months old and I know that is a huge no no in some people’s books but my mom did it with my brothers so it did with Lilly. She LOVED it. She still isn’t gaining weight like a normal baby should be but we took her into the pediatrician at 4 months and he said “look at you (pointing at Gary and myself), you are short. Don’t expect her to be BIG when you guys aren’t”. I told him about giving her cereal and he didn’t even flinch. He said that is fine. She is now eating rice or corn cereal and either apples or bananas.  She loves it.

Sunday she threw her first temper tantrum… Sundays are always rough on her because she misses her morning nap. She doesn’t sleep very well in her car seat. She is a social baby and wants to know what is going on around her ( a little bit like her momma). She fights sleep even when we are home. Once a month we have a fellowship lunch at the church after the morning Service. Lilly took several 15minute snoozes in my arms but was pretty much a fussy pants. I fixed her cereal, which she usually devours, took her to the cry room (she likes to have milk after she eats her cereal) and proceeded to give it to her. She threw her hand in bowl and screamed. A scream I had never heard out of my child before.  She was mad, she wanted milk not that stuff.  I cleaned her up then fed her. Afterwards I asked a woman in our church who I highly respect with the way they discipline their children “When do you start spanking?”  She advised me that if she is misbehaving spank her. Just lightly slap her on her hand so that she knows what she did is bad. You know I never have had a problem spanking my nieces or nephews but to spank my own child, it hurts. You know all those years of hearing my dad say “this is going to hurt me more then it hurts you” is so true. I never believed him at those moments of sitting on his bed waiting for my punishment, but now I know how true it is. It is torture to spank…