Moment of Silence for Cohen

What: Moment of Silence for Cohen

When: Thursday, July 1st from midnight to 11:59 pm

How: Bloggers participating will pos the Cohen banner (below) or simply post Cohen's name in large letters on their blog.

Why: July 1st Megan and Brent will be holding Cohen's memorial service. The moment of silence is an opportunity for Megan's blog community to stand behind her and support her on this difficult day. Linking up will give Megan a chance to see the support at a glance.

Decorating Dilemma Solved!

A few weeks ago I joined a Decorating Dilemma's party on Amanda's blog. I was very depressed about my shabby (NOT chic) living room furniture and arrangement. I just had to share with my friends our new arrangement. Yes, I realize that this is kind of a cop out. I didn't really fix anything in a DIY way because we just bought new furniture and a new rug, but I am still excited about it!

We got the furniture at Ashley's and the rug at a store in North Little Rock that I LOVE! There are SO many rugs to choose from and they are all super cheap!

Anyway - I am much happier with the arrangement. Emory has a giant area now to play around on (and hopefully learn to crawl/walk/hit all those milestones). It is so strange to be able to sit her on the floor and walk away, and look around the corner and see her sitting there like a little person, playing with her toys! What a blessing she is.

That's all for today - just wanted to quickly update. Worn out! Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Phil. 4:13
"I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me."

Sizzlin' Summer

(I started this post last week but my computer froze and erased it. So here we are again, hopefully it will work out this time!)

Man, is it HOT outside!


I don't know if it's the heat or the fact that Emory hasn't been sleeping well this past week that has literally exhausted me! I took my monthly work trip to Mt. Home this week and ever since then I have been really worn out. Emory is doing much better on the Milk of Magnesia regimen that we have started and I'd like to say thank you to all of my dear friends who have asked me how she is doing! The nurse from the GI clinic called to check on her the other day and help us take the next step in her daily regimen. Since then she has been doing pretty well!

Thursday my baby girl turned 7 months old! I cannot believe how fast time is flying by. I have really been slacking on the pictures lately, but I really plan on breaking out Andy's Canon and figuring it out so I can start taking pictures myself and not have to rely on him to take the good ones! Anyway - I was able to get this picture of her on her 7 month birthday!

Emory is 26 1/2 inches long (79th %ile) and 18#3 ounces (80th %ile). She is wearing 6-9 and 9 month clothes (and 12th month shorts because of her belly!) and is almost out of a size 1 shoe. I am still able to put excessive hairbows in her hair without her messing with them too much although sometimes she will pull them out and start waving them around or chewing on them. She sleeps okay at night. Some nights are better than others, but on many nights she will only wake up once to nurse and will fall back asleep. Those moments in the middle of the night when she is so sleepy is such a wonderful feeling for me.

Emory is doing so much now. She giggles SO much at everything and thinks so many things are funny. She loves to play on the floor with her toys and jump in her jumparoo while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She LOVES that show!

Emory also really enjoys bathtime now. Sometimes I have to sit back on the tub (within reach) and let her splash around so I don't get a bath along with her! She loves to look at herself in the mirror and chew on the toys in the water. She is chewing on everything now, but still no teeth. I can really see the whites under her gums but am just waiting patiently for them to poke through. I can't picture her with teeth right now!

She is really starting to have seperation anxiety from me right now. I know it's because I nurse her and am with her ALL of the time, but she has gotten to where if she can't see me she gets REALLY upset! Even when Andy is holding her! I know that this is a temporary thing and that in just a blink of an eye she will be telling me she wants to go with her daddy instead of me, so I am trying to soak it all up!

Sunday was Andy's first real Father's day. Friday after work I drove to Krispy Kreme and got an assortment of 12 doughnuts ("doughnuts for dad"). I also ordered a picture of Emory and him for his new desk (YES!) and cards from both of us as well as a tee shirt with Emory's feet and handprints on it. When we got home from dinner Friday night he walked in and was surprised to see the gifts. I thought he enjoyed the surprise!

We are so excited that Andy starts his new job on Friday as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch. It is going to be a very stressful job working with investments but we are very excited for this next step in our life. We are hoping to be able to move in the next few months to be closer to family. The options are endless right now and I really am excited about what is to come.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's day and celebrated those very important men in our lives - especially the One up above.

Eph 6:4
"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

MoM

It seems Milk of Magnesia is used so often in my life now that I have learned to abbreviate it! Yesterday Andy and I took Em to the GI doctor in Little Rock. We were there THREE hours! Yes, it was a long time, but the doctor spent 45 minutes talking to us. I'm willing to wait if it means we can have all of our questions answered.

There is still some speculation on Em's xray. It could possibly be something, but it could also be just the way the xray was taken. The doctor is going to take it to the radiologist at Children's to see if it is really anything we need to worry about. She really doesn't think so, though, and she really helped us feel better about what is going on. She believes that the change in Emory's diet to solid foods and her holding her poop in has made her constipation progressively worse. So we are starting a regimen of Milk of Magnesia - MUCH more than we were giving - to get her back on track and to help her "forget" that it used to hurt, so she doesn't feel the need to hold it in. She answered many of my questions and I felt great after the appointment.

I just wanted to put a quick update. I don't have much energy today because I drove 7 hours today and worked for 5, so I'm beat! But, I am very excited to report that I got NEW FURNITURE in my living room!! I'm so excited and hope to post a picture soon!

Thank you everyone for your prayers for my little girl!

Proverbs 18:24
"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Nervous Stomach

Years ago when I was little I had a lot of tummy issues. My sister had these same problems. Mom said my dad would have to massage my tummy and I would just cry. We did numerous tests, stool samples, doctor visits, etc., and all they could come up with was that my sister and I both had a "nervous stomach." Whatever that means.



Emory has always had constipation issues. Even when I was just nursing with no solids, she had random bouts of constipation. In the past month this has really gotten bad. I discussed the issue with our Pediatrician at her 6 month visit and she said we would discuss it more at her 9 month visit if we couldn't get water or juice to help the problem.


Well, the problem has gotten worse. After seven days, a few small poopy diapers, and one evening of screaming and a bloody/poopy diaper, I finally took her in to see the doctor.


Let me just say I LOVE our Pediatrician. I don't know how on earth she has an ounce of time to herself because EVERYone I know sees her. She is very proactive, and this visit even reinforced that. We discussed her tummy issues and she ordered an xray on Em. After that was over she said that, although she doesn't really believe that this is the case, she wants us to go see the GI doctor because there is an area that could possibly be malrotation of her intestines. Of course, I was slightly freaking out. I left the office with her promising to call the GI clinic and set up the appointment.


She called me (personally) twice after that to talk about her appointment. I was so impressed with the fact that SHE called and not her nurse! And I was also impressed that she set me up an appointment just a few days later (Monday). She told me that the GI clinic that she was referring me to does not accept my insurance but will give us a 40% discount. You're probably thinking "why can't she go somewhere else?" Well, these guys are the best in the state. I feel this and I know that if my doctor referred us to them it's because she knows they are the best, too. Hopefully we will just have this visit and we can figure everything out. We may have to go do some tests at Arkansas Children's Hospital, but I'm really hoping that the GI doctor does not see anything to be concerned about.


Friends, this could be nothing. It could be just something that runs in our family that we will have to work on. . . but please pray for my baby girl, who is the world to me and my husband, who has shown me a love that I never thought was possible, who brightens the dreariest of days, who inspires me, and who I pray endlessly for and thank God for over and over every night.

Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."