Heartburn

With Adon, I started getting heartburn really bad around 18 weeks. It pretty much stayed with me the remainder of the pregnancy. I could avoid the foods that triggered it (tomatoes, caffeine, peppers, etc.) and make sure I didn't go to bed for several hours after I ate, but it still showed up.

I ate a bowl of chili yesterday for lunch...and had heartburn all afternoon and evening. I can't help but wonder if it was an isolated incident or if the thus far perfect pregnancy will no longer be perfect. I'm not complaining if I do have it. I've been so grateful to not have had any morning sickness or discomfort or anything else uncomfortable for the first 16 weeks. In fact, there are some days I have to remind myself that I'm pregnant, because I definitely don't feel like it. It is reassuring to hear the baby's heartbeat at every doctor's appointment...just so I know I'm not dreaming it up. :o)

Pictures are almost uploaded!! I'm into January of 2009!!! Once their done, I hope to get some posted...hopefully while Adon's taking a nap!

Back Home

We made it back home safely. We enjoyed our R&R. I got some paperwork/research done and finished Adon's baby blanket. However, it's always nice to come back home.

I'm working on uploading some pics, so hopefully I'll be able to post some monthly reviews with pics soon. It looks like the last time I did that was August, so I have some work to do.

In the meantime, Adon and Daddy shared Vanilla Wafers (before breakfast) this morning!

A Little R & R

This is the first time Jer has had some time off of work and didn't have to do clinicals!! We're up in Bloomington celebrating Christmas with his family and enjoying the grandparents playing with Adon and all of the yummy food! I did bring a few projects to work on, but they're fun projects that have been put on the back burner. I'm working on Adon's baby book and a blanket for his new carseat. The blanket for his old carseat is too little now. But boy have I really enjoyed just resting!

Jeremy's mom is such a great hostess! We always have great food and rarely go home with any laundry to do!

Before we left for Bloomington, Grampy (my dad) gave Adon his first cookie! Grampy's been asking for a long time, "Can I give him a cookie?" My typical response has been, "He doesn't even have teeth yet!" However, with teeth numbers 3 and 4 coming in, I couldn't use that excuse any more. I think Grampy enjoyed giving him the cookie as much as Adon enjoyed eating it! It was just a small butter cookie, but he put it as far in his mouth as it would go and used his little teeth to break off what was in his mouth. It was soooo cute when his cheeks were stuffed with cookie!

Small News

Jer and I have been asked to teach/disciple a Crown Financial ministries class at church. I'm so excited about it! I taught the youth a simpler version when I was in college. It's funny that this offer comes at a time when we're financially most in need of some teaching ourselves! God always gets us to a point we quit trying to survive on our own and rely completely on Him. I think we're about there, as we're struggling to make it on one income. However, God has promised that He will always provide, so we aren't worried.

Also, we got Adon a big boy carseat tonight. We were very blessed by Happy's (J's Grandpa) generosity! Shopping for carseats is such a challenge...trying to get just the right one. We didn't get the one we set out to get, because there were soooo many to look at! It's a good thing we got one. I knew Adon wasn't anywhere close to the weight limit on the pumpkin seat carseat, but asked the lady at the store about the height limit on it. Don't you know it's 29 inches. The same height Adon measured at his 9 month checkup a couple of weeks ago. Guess we'll have to figure out how to get it in our cars tomorrow...before our trip to Bloomington. Isn't it just like God to provide exactly what we need?

BTW - it's been sooooo nice to have J home for dinner every night this week! I'm really glad school is over!

Breathing

Don't take it for granted...Adon and I have had colds since last Friday and neither of us can breathe very well. Actually this is my second cold. The first one last two miserable weeks. I had a nice one week reprieve before being attacked by this second cold. It's awful not being able to breathe through your nose...your lips get chapped, your mouth gets dry, your throat gets sore, and you feel as if your nose is taking over your head. It's especially bad when you sleep, you can't sniff the snot back it because you're all clogged up and so it just drips all night. You toss and turn hoping one position will provide some slight relief. On top of all that, I can only take Tylenol...

We've moved Adon back into our room for sleeping so he and I can share the humidifier. I've been putting saline drops in his nose...per the pediatrician's recommendation...several times a day. They seem to be helping. Last night he only woke up once, and I actually slept pretty well. I remember waking up once in the night and sat up in bed and thought to myself...hey, I can breathe!! Must have been that second dose of Tylenol Cold J made me take right before bed!

There is one bonus...Adon took a 4 hour nap yesterday!!! He's been sleeping for two and a half hours so far this morning. Hooray for time to do chores!! Actually, my dad came over for lunch and a game of Sequence yesterday and kept me company. He also used his expertise and helped me make soft pretzels. Mmmmm........

Ok, guess I should get back to work while Adon's still sleeping...although a nap sounds really good, too.

Adon's Accomplishments

In the last week, Adon learned to:

• shake his head "no"
• say "da da"
• clap his hands by himself
• eat carrots and bananas by himself with his fingers
• do "So Big"
• give "fives"
• the beginning stages of dancing

I think we have the smartest kid in the whole world...little brother or sister will have some ground to cover to catch up. I have a feeling that Adon will be a great teacher and encourager of his younger siblings!

Wives and Mothers

This is my desire as Jeremy's wife.

"A true wife makes a man's life nobler, stronger, grander, by the omnipotence of her love 'turning all the forces of manhood upward and heavenward.' While she clings to him in holy confidence and loving dependence she brings out in him whatever is nobles and richest in his being. She inspires him him courage and earnestness. She beautifies his life. She softens whatever is rude and harsh in his habits or his spirit. She clothes him with the gentler graces of refined and cultured manhood. While she yields to him and never disregards his lightest wish, she is really his queen, ruling his whole life and leading him onward and upward in every proper path." -JR Miller

We long for a multigenerational faithfulness and pray that our humble efforts will give our children an advantage over us and their children an advantage over them, for the glory of God. "For there will be no end to increase of His government or peace." Isaiah 9:7

"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is place in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into it's soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no others hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller