School's out… summer fun is IN!

May 25, 2010 | Stacy

School’s out… summer fun is IN!

May 25, 2010February 3, 2019 | Stacy

Some catch-up photos

May 24, 2010 | Stacy

These are of the girls singing in their last presentation of the year for CBS.
Look at my precious Bug.

And this is me doing some fancy tricks to try to get Scooter to turn.
I guess I should just be thankful that JB only took photos of this one move…

there were MANY more, I promise you.

But I would never have shared them, anyway!

FILLED WITH PRAISE & THANKSGIVING!!!

May 19, 2010 | Stacy

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!

PRAISE GOD WITH ME!!! \o/

THE BABY FLIPPED!!!

It took two hours for things to get set up, arranged and otherwise prepared.
It took about 4-5 minutes to flip the baby!
It took over 5 hours for me to feel my legs enough to walk out of there!

God’s hand was SO SO SO SO evident!! He blessed me so abundantly!
A Christian, homeschool-dad was my anesthesiologist [from Charity LEAH]!
My nurse was the wife of the Young Life director for the west side of Rochester!
The doctor [perinatologist Dr. Daniel Grace] that filled in for my doctor has lots of experience with versions and clearly liked and believed in this procedure to avoid surgery if possible.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I am so touched for the prayers lifted for Scooter and I.
Now, if you are so led… pray s/he doesn’t FLIP BACK! 😉
[I was told that possibility is pretty low.]

FILLED WITH PRAISE & THANKSGIVING!!!

May 19, 2010 | Stacy

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!

PRAISE GOD WITH ME!!! \o/

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I am so touched for the prayers lifted for Scooter and I.
Now, if you are so led… pray s/he doesn’t FLIP BACK! 😉
[I was told that possibility is pretty low.]

A Breech-Busy Week!

May 19, 2010 | Stacy

Last Thursday, during an U/S after my routine appointment, it was confirmed that Scooter was Frank Breech in his/her presentation.

Since that time I have:
prayed without ceasing
seen an accupuncturist
went swimming
seen a chiropractor
done a ba-zillion weird exercises
had Beau sing into my belly through a paper towel tube [this was the most successful at-home attempt!]
cried

Today I go in to the hospital to attempt a “version” to try to turn the baby from the breech position to a vertex one.

**If the baby becomes distressed during the procedure, I may require an emergent, “rescue,” C-Section that could leave me with extensive abdominal wall trauma in an attempt to save the baby. Please pray that this does NOT happen and that our baby would tolerate the procedure well.

**If the baby does not turn tomorrow, but avoids crisis, a C-Section would be scheduled the following week. This would still give the baby some time to turn on his/her own, but as he/she becomes bigger it may be more difficult.

**Because our 2nd child [Champ] was a C-Section, if this baby requires a C-Section, I would be committed to having any further children surgically as well.

Please pray that this would go well, that our baby and I would be safe. That we’d be bold witnesses for Christ in every encounter. That our other kids would be safe and blessed as their world has been a little unsettled this week.

A Prayer Shower

May 10, 2010 | Stacy

You wouldn’t think that someone who paints the side of her car would hate to be the center of attention.

You wouldn’t think someone who loves thought-filled gifts would tremble at the word, “Shower.”

But the truth is, the idea of an all-out baby shower horrified me.

Although MANY of the dear women in my life made offers and suggestions to throw one in Scooter’s and my honor, I declined. I did enjoy the SPRINKLE in our honor, last week, as Ellen, and Kelly kept it low-key and my girls so deeply enjoyed the festivities.

But things started to seem a bit weird around here this week.

My dear friend Emily had told me a few weeks back she wanted to take me out to dinner before the baby came. That part isn’t weird. She and I enjoy dinners, or desserts, out. Or shopping evenings. So her request wasn’t odd in itself. What WAS a bit strange was her pronouncement that the ONLY good day between now and the due date was Saturday, May 8th. Not some Tuesday or Wednesday, as we’d normally do. But a SPECIFIC date.

I had a dream during the week that she DIDN’T take me to dinner, but instead delivered me to the church where our homeschool group meets for many activities. It was for a shower for me. I didn’t like the dream at all. I told her about the first part on the phone.

As the week progressed, I admit I was suspicious. But I didn’t have any GOOD reason, except the dream. And this prickly feeling I had. She said we’d go to Longhorn Steakhouse. She needed red meat.

Well, when I called her unit on Saturday she wasn’t there. We both normally work Saturdays. I found her at home and we chatted for a minute. She said she’d see me later. When I got home from work, she was already in my kitchen! Wow… she’s hungry, I thought. I received lots of great hugs from my kids. They were dressed so sloppy. They looked SO ROUGH! Daddy lets them wear the WORST play clothes on Saturdays.

Emily got a phone call and as I headed upstairs to change I thought, “This is so weird. Could she REALLY be taking me somewhere else?” I told myself I was mighty narcissistic and to get on with it. When I got back downstairs, she said we had to stop somewhere for her husband. What? That sounds REALLY WEIRD.

We got in the car and I wasn’t at ease. She seemed stiff. I asked where we had to stop. She said her husband left his wallet at church. WHAT? Since last Sunday???? No, she said. He went to Spring Clean Up day at church that day. “He did?” I said. She said so. I was SO suspicious!!! I wasn’t letting her off the hook! I said, “I have a key to the church. We can go after dinner. Let’s go eat.”

“Oh. Let’s just get it over with, now,” she replied. I stared hard at her, but she didn’t even glance at me. Part of me wanted to scream, “Let me out, let me out, now.” The other part of me thought, “You narcissistic fool!” I prayed, “God please let her just take me for steak.”

She turned toward the church and I couldn’t help but push harder. It was all surreal but I wasn’t going to let it be painless! “What did Matt do there? I thought he laid tile in your bathroom all day.”

“He was only there for an hour or so; he painted a vent or something,” was her answer. She even hand gestured painting. A vent or something.

We made small talk. For the life of me I can’t remember what was said. My nerves were shot. As we approached the church I started having palpitations. I told her so. As we pulled into the church, I noticed a car or two around the back. Trying to hide. She pulled up under the awning. I grabbed her arm, “No. I don’t want to do this. No. Let’s go.” She was stiff and told me to get out of the car. I started to cry. “NO! NO!” I start mouthing to her as she went in and held the door. I was still sitting in the car. I somehow got out and walked in. She looked as pale as a sheet. I started really crying. I saw some balloons up the stairs [the church is a split level] and I turned to her for a hug. She kept saying, “It’s not what you think. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Lo and behold, there were about 15 friends standing in the coat room, in the dark, waiting to sweetly surprise me. I guess they did not get the reaction they so deserved. They got me shaking and crying and wishing the ground would open up and eat me.

I am nuts.

It turned out to be one of THE MOST WONDEFUL EVENTS OF MY LIFE.

It was a PRAYER SHOWER!!!!!

My dear friends Sheri, Darci, and Emily had worked together to make it happen. Sheri quickly explained it was a Prayer Shower. That JB was on his way to pray for us for dinner. Reality hit. HARD. “What about the kids?” I asked. “He’s bringing them,” she replied. Remember how they were dressed? S-C-R-A-P-P-Y! I was like, GOOD.GRIEF.

John and kids came. And prayed. His prayer was lovely. Their appearance was not. How a guy can be such a good dad and yet bring them out of the house like THAT is beyond me.

We then dined on the MOST AMAZING MEAL. My only regret of the whole evening was that I was too full/anxious to eat much.

After a lovely meal, my friends gathered in a circle of chairs and Sheri explained that each person, and many, many others, had taken the time to prepare a card for a “recipe” book. The friends there could share a recipe, a prayer, a Bible verse, or warm wishes. One dear friend wrote a poem. What was more, is that each person who WANTED to was offered the opportunity to pray for ME. FOR ME!!! ME!!!! And my family and baby. Each person did. My friend Rebecca SANG. Many laid their hands on me as they lifted up our family in prayer.

The truth is… I really haven’t processed the whole evening.

I am not sure I ever will.

I have decided my prayer now is that God would help me to remember and recall what He would have me hold onto, now. And that He would bring back to me, in His time, that which He would have me recall later.

I know that ever prayer lifted last night went up to Him as incense, and filled His golden bowls.

I am beside myself in AWE that these women would pray for me that way. That God would see fit to bless me in such an overwhelming way.

Oh boy. Do I have more and more to say and share.

And I will.

You have NO idea.

Sadly… almost all my photos are BLURRY. The ones taken on my camera, I should say. I didn’t have it together enough to take any myself.

This photo was taken by my friend, Evie, who was also there, but offered to take this shot. Two other friends who had stopped by with their love and support also did not make the photo.

I was tickled when I got home and began to peruse the book. There are almost as many cards from friends who could NOT attend, as from those who could.