We stopped to have Christmas with Edna while we were in Manistee. She gave Jacob a bag of fake bugs. At first, he didn't like them, was scared of them. Edna put all the bugs in a pail for us to take them back to the hotel and Jacob scattered them all over the hotel room.
Jacob loves his bugs now. He even took them to therapy with him this week. He takes them out of the pail, one by one, lines them up on my arm and/or leg and he names them as he does this. "Mantis, Earwig, Hopper, Cricket, Pider, Fly, Korpian, Patapiller, Ant, and Crotchroach."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
We're planning a Gotcha Day party!
Jeremy and I decided this morning that this year (and every year following) on July 12, we are going to celebrate Jacob's Gotcha Day. As it stands now, we'll do a cookout/pool party with family and friends. It's a no gifts kind of party. It's a 'we're glad you're here' kind of party.
In adoption world, Gotcha Day or Adoption Day, is the day that the papers were signed and the adoption was final. Jacob's adoption certificate, the piece of paper that made him our son legally, was signed by the judge on July 12, 2006. His Gotcha Day.
I've been reading a book, Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wished Their Adoptive Parents Knew. I've been focusing on the different types of adoption (closed, semi-closed, and open) and how these work, what effects these different types have on the child, and how we should handle them as the adoptive parents. It's been an interesting read and I'm willing to loan my copy when I'm finished. I've kept quiet on the adoption front for a little but - only because I've been holding onto some thoughts about the responses to Jacob's adoption and birth family.
As Jacob is getting older and understanding more, I'm finding more of a need to work adoption into everyday conversations with him. It's getting easier. We're talking to Amber a little more and Rob's parents are putting forth a huge effort to make a relationship with Jacob as well. I think, I'd rather address adoption openly and up front with Jacob, rather than have him question me later. I know he'll always have questions but, I think bringing adoption out into the open will make it easier for him to talk when that time comes.
Which leads me to this our family and friends, please, we need your support and we need your help, now more than ever. There is zero shame in the details of how Jacob came to be our son. If you're harboring negative feelings about adoption or Jacob's birth family, the time has come for you to drop them! We need you to be ready to answer Jacob's questions too. He needs to know that his birth family are good people, that they love him, and that it's okay with you that they want to be a part of his life. Jacob will also need reassurance that we all love him, he's safe here, and that Jeremy and I will never give him away or that we all will never stop loving him.
Jacob's birth family will never replace what Jacob has with Jeremy and I or with our families and our friends. Just the same, our family and friends cannot replace Jacob's birth family. Jacob's birth family can't come in and take him back. Our lawyer, he crossed every T and dotted every I. It's not legally possible. Jacob's birth family - they're not perfect and neither are we. I can't imagine how they feel. Their flesh and blood has a home with complete strangers. I couldn't imagine knowing one of my nieces or nephews was being raised by another family. I can't imagine how they're hurt. Most of all, I can't keep it a secret from Jacob. I know that I couldn't bear being the person responsible for shutting them out of his life - especially if one of them died before meeting this sweet child.
From here on out, I will discuss the adoption openly and honestly from time to time and I'm sure I'll post about it. I'll talk about Amber and Rob too - we'll get frustrated, confused, angry and 9000 other emotions. I hope you can be supportive of us and talk about these feelings when Jacob and I have them. BUT, and I'm going to ask you to do this as well, I will not tell anyone outside of my circle of friends and family that Jacob is adopted. I ask that you don't either. Everyone who needs to know already knows. From this point, Jeremy and I will reveal Jacob's biology for medical treatment only. This decision is not out of shame, it's out of respect for Jacob and respect for what he holds personal. I hope you can understand.
I pray you can learn to talk more openly with us about adoption and help our little family to celebrate Jacob and his Gotcha Day. I hope you can understand how important a role everyone plays in our lives and how valuable you are to the success of this adoption.
In adoption world, Gotcha Day or Adoption Day, is the day that the papers were signed and the adoption was final. Jacob's adoption certificate, the piece of paper that made him our son legally, was signed by the judge on July 12, 2006. His Gotcha Day.
I've been reading a book, Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wished Their Adoptive Parents Knew. I've been focusing on the different types of adoption (closed, semi-closed, and open) and how these work, what effects these different types have on the child, and how we should handle them as the adoptive parents. It's been an interesting read and I'm willing to loan my copy when I'm finished. I've kept quiet on the adoption front for a little but - only because I've been holding onto some thoughts about the responses to Jacob's adoption and birth family.
As Jacob is getting older and understanding more, I'm finding more of a need to work adoption into everyday conversations with him. It's getting easier. We're talking to Amber a little more and Rob's parents are putting forth a huge effort to make a relationship with Jacob as well. I think, I'd rather address adoption openly and up front with Jacob, rather than have him question me later. I know he'll always have questions but, I think bringing adoption out into the open will make it easier for him to talk when that time comes.
Which leads me to this our family and friends, please, we need your support and we need your help, now more than ever. There is zero shame in the details of how Jacob came to be our son. If you're harboring negative feelings about adoption or Jacob's birth family, the time has come for you to drop them! We need you to be ready to answer Jacob's questions too. He needs to know that his birth family are good people, that they love him, and that it's okay with you that they want to be a part of his life. Jacob will also need reassurance that we all love him, he's safe here, and that Jeremy and I will never give him away or that we all will never stop loving him.
Jacob's birth family will never replace what Jacob has with Jeremy and I or with our families and our friends. Just the same, our family and friends cannot replace Jacob's birth family. Jacob's birth family can't come in and take him back. Our lawyer, he crossed every T and dotted every I. It's not legally possible. Jacob's birth family - they're not perfect and neither are we. I can't imagine how they feel. Their flesh and blood has a home with complete strangers. I couldn't imagine knowing one of my nieces or nephews was being raised by another family. I can't imagine how they're hurt. Most of all, I can't keep it a secret from Jacob. I know that I couldn't bear being the person responsible for shutting them out of his life - especially if one of them died before meeting this sweet child.
From here on out, I will discuss the adoption openly and honestly from time to time and I'm sure I'll post about it. I'll talk about Amber and Rob too - we'll get frustrated, confused, angry and 9000 other emotions. I hope you can be supportive of us and talk about these feelings when Jacob and I have them. BUT, and I'm going to ask you to do this as well, I will not tell anyone outside of my circle of friends and family that Jacob is adopted. I ask that you don't either. Everyone who needs to know already knows. From this point, Jeremy and I will reveal Jacob's biology for medical treatment only. This decision is not out of shame, it's out of respect for Jacob and respect for what he holds personal. I hope you can understand.
I pray you can learn to talk more openly with us about adoption and help our little family to celebrate Jacob and his Gotcha Day. I hope you can understand how important a role everyone plays in our lives and how valuable you are to the success of this adoption.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Jacob has a girlfriend
Last night, on the way home from bowling with Jeremy's work crowd, Jacob was jabbering in the backseat and I heard him say "girlfriend".
"Jacob, do you have a girlfriend?" I asked.
"Sarah" he said.
"Is Sarah your girlfriend?"
"Yeah."
"Is she hot?"
"No, warm."
"Jacob, do you have a girlfriend?" I asked.
"Sarah" he said.
"Is Sarah your girlfriend?"
"Yeah."
"Is she hot?"
"No, warm."
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Cabin Fever Reliever
In celebration of the rare event when Jeremy and I have 3 unplanned/unscheduled days off together, we thought we'd take a little trip to Manistee.
I called the Manistee City Fire Department last week and asked if we could take a tour of the station. They were the first stop on our list. Manistee's fire station is the oldest, manned fire station in Michigan. It's a beautiful building and we were all excited about this tour. Jeremy and I wanted to do more tour and hear more history of the fire department in the city but, our lack of a nap child only wanted to see woo-woo's. He did learn a new word though - ambulance!
This is Abe, our firefighter/tour guide. He was wonderfully patient with us and Jacob's energy. He let us open doors on the trucks, sit in trucks, jump on trucks, stand on trucks, open doors in the station, and he even showed us how to slide down the pole - just like Fire Dog (Jacob's new favorite movie - Firehouse Dog). I sure hope he didn't have to wash our fingerprints off of those shiny trucks!
The Pumper - there is only a 1 1/2 inch clearance between the lights on this truck and the sides of the bay where it's parked!
Jacob and one of 2 'Firedog' poles.
Jacob in the pool at our hotel. It snowed the whole time we were there so, we swam both days.
I do have to say that our hotel was GREAT! We stayed at the Manistee National Inn & Resort. It was wonderful! They only had 3 sold rooms that night! We had everything to ourselves! The beds and the pillows were soft and comfy. They had a full bar in the lounge - that was open! The staff was wonderful. And not to sound hillbilly-ish but, they had Bath & Body Works soap, shampoo, conditioner AND lotion. Now, we have stayed at some pretty swanky hotels and most of them, had stinky soaps! They had complimentary fresh coffee with flavored creamers and juice in the lobby at all times. I highly recommend staying with them and we will again - even if we can only afford to stay off-season! :)
Jacob and one of 2 'Firedog' poles.
The three of us on the city's aerial ladder truck. This truck was specifically built for Manistee's Fire Station. It has fold down buckets to be able to fit through the door. They also have a red light at the back of the station - that goes either on or off when the door is up all the way (I don't remember which) so they don't rip off the garage door with the big ladder/buckets on their way in or out.
Jacob in the pool at our hotel. It snowed the whole time we were there so, we swam both days.
I do have to say that our hotel was GREAT! We stayed at the Manistee National Inn & Resort. It was wonderful! They only had 3 sold rooms that night! We had everything to ourselves! The beds and the pillows were soft and comfy. They had a full bar in the lounge - that was open! The staff was wonderful. And not to sound hillbilly-ish but, they had Bath & Body Works soap, shampoo, conditioner AND lotion. Now, we have stayed at some pretty swanky hotels and most of them, had stinky soaps! They had complimentary fresh coffee with flavored creamers and juice in the lobby at all times. I highly recommend staying with them and we will again - even if we can only afford to stay off-season! :)
*** I did forget to mention the BEST part of going to Manistee. Big Al's! We went twice! Once after the fire station and we took it back to the hotel. The other, we ordered and brought it back home with us to eat after we unloaded the truck. I unwrapped my sandwich and it smelled just like the dive that Big Al's is! You know, the smell of a restaurant that hits you as soon as you open the door. We had a nice little chat about how greasy everything feels in there but, yum! We went to House of Flavors for "pink' ice cream too. Jacob wanted pink ice cream...
I do have to tell you that we didn't sleep well. Jacob woke 3 times in the night, crying. Jeremy and I both kept waking up - too hot, too cold, or Jacob. So, this next photo should come as no surprise...
Jacob crashed about 9:00 PM with his woo-woo pillow from Aunt Cindy and his woo-woo blankie from Aunt Karen. He slept until almost 7:00AM. There's something to be said about sleeping in your own bed.
Jacob crashed about 9:00 PM with his woo-woo pillow from Aunt Cindy and his woo-woo blankie from Aunt Karen. He slept until almost 7:00AM. There's something to be said about sleeping in your own bed.
Friday, January 16, 2009
On the horizon
I don't like to make resolutions. To me, it's like making promises I know I'm going to break. I did tell myself that I wanted to make more changes in myself for 2009. I want to make better relationships with my family - excluding Edna (and that's a different post). I want to work on maintaining/improving relationships with friends. I want to do these things wholeheartedly with no reservations.
In the past few months, I've made a connection with 3 of my closest friends from high school, 2 of my sisters, an Aunt, a good friend I'd made through a past (as opposed to current-duh!) boyfriend, my friend I've had the longest, a co-worker who took a leap of faith, and even an old crush! I've also made 2 new friends. I made 2 new friends! Wow! Look at me coming out of my shell!
I'm learning things about myself that I didn't know I had. I'm learning to enjoy people for who they are instead of looking for who I want them to be. I've found generosity and compassion in myself. I, for once, don't care about what I'm getting back - I'm just enjoying what I'm putting in.
I like what this new outlook has given to me. Sure - I still have some work to do but I can see what is on the horizon - and the view is fantastic.
In the past few months, I've made a connection with 3 of my closest friends from high school, 2 of my sisters, an Aunt, a good friend I'd made through a past (as opposed to current-duh!) boyfriend, my friend I've had the longest, a co-worker who took a leap of faith, and even an old crush! I've also made 2 new friends. I made 2 new friends! Wow! Look at me coming out of my shell!
I'm learning things about myself that I didn't know I had. I'm learning to enjoy people for who they are instead of looking for who I want them to be. I've found generosity and compassion in myself. I, for once, don't care about what I'm getting back - I'm just enjoying what I'm putting in.
I like what this new outlook has given to me. Sure - I still have some work to do but I can see what is on the horizon - and the view is fantastic.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Three Things
I came across this today while cleaning out some bookmarks on my computer. If you don't already know this about me - I love these things. I love finding out goofy little facts about people. And I'm tired of posting serious stuff. I wanted to post something fun!
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE ME:
01 Death
02 Dark
03 Serial Killers - they're all coming after me, don't you know!?!
THREE PEOPLE WHO MAKE ME LAUGH:
01 Jacob
02 Ember
03 My nephew, Chris
THREE THINGS I LOVE:
01 Boot socks - Jeremy gave me some for Christmas, mmmm, warm!
02 Crocheted dishcloths
03 List paper - I am totally addicted to paper just for writing lists! It's crazy!
THREE THINGS I HATE:
01 Excuses
02 Nuts - in cookies, breads, or cakes. Peanuts, cashews, etc. are fine by themselves - just not IN other foods.
03 The little paper inserts in magazines
THREE THINGS I DON'T UNDERSTAND:
01 The welfare system
02 Health Insurance
03 Edna
THREE THINGS ON MY DESK:
01 Hand Sanitizer
02 A bag of broken toys for Brian to fix
03 A tube containing Scott Fischer's balls (stress balls - they were a gift from his departure)
THREE THINGS I'M DOING RIGHT NOW:
01 Typing this
02 Submitting Purchase Requisitions to become purchase orders.
03 Mentally organizing my 'to-do' list (where's that paper?).
THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
01 Make a million bucks (I'd take more!)
02 Raise my child to be a good person
03 Forgive myself
THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY:
01 Impatient
02 Short-fused
03 Determined
THREE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOODS:
01 Ham & cheese sub with Extra mayo from Big Al's in Manistee
02 Jalapeno Poppers with Broncoberry Sauce from Arby's is my newest fave
03 Pizza
Honorable Mention: Rhubarb and Cherries
THREE THINGS I'D LIKE TO LEARN:
01 To knit
02 To forgive
03 To forget
THREE BEVERAGES I DRINK REGULARLY:
01 Coffee
02 Water
03 Diet Pepsi
THREE SHOWS I WATCHED WHEN I WAS A KID:
01 The Waltons
02 CHiPs
03 The Love Boat
See? Wasn't that fun?
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE ME:
01 Death
02 Dark
03 Serial Killers - they're all coming after me, don't you know!?!
THREE PEOPLE WHO MAKE ME LAUGH:
01 Jacob
02 Ember
03 My nephew, Chris
THREE THINGS I LOVE:
01 Boot socks - Jeremy gave me some for Christmas, mmmm, warm!
02 Crocheted dishcloths
03 List paper - I am totally addicted to paper just for writing lists! It's crazy!
THREE THINGS I HATE:
01 Excuses
02 Nuts - in cookies, breads, or cakes. Peanuts, cashews, etc. are fine by themselves - just not IN other foods.
03 The little paper inserts in magazines
THREE THINGS I DON'T UNDERSTAND:
01 The welfare system
02 Health Insurance
03 Edna
THREE THINGS ON MY DESK:
01 Hand Sanitizer
02 A bag of broken toys for Brian to fix
03 A tube containing Scott Fischer's balls (stress balls - they were a gift from his departure)
THREE THINGS I'M DOING RIGHT NOW:
01 Typing this
02 Submitting Purchase Requisitions to become purchase orders.
03 Mentally organizing my 'to-do' list (where's that paper?).
THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
01 Make a million bucks (I'd take more!)
02 Raise my child to be a good person
03 Forgive myself
THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY:
01 Impatient
02 Short-fused
03 Determined
THREE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOODS:
01 Ham & cheese sub with Extra mayo from Big Al's in Manistee
02 Jalapeno Poppers with Broncoberry Sauce from Arby's is my newest fave
03 Pizza
Honorable Mention: Rhubarb and Cherries
THREE THINGS I'D LIKE TO LEARN:
01 To knit
02 To forgive
03 To forget
THREE BEVERAGES I DRINK REGULARLY:
01 Coffee
02 Water
03 Diet Pepsi
THREE SHOWS I WATCHED WHEN I WAS A KID:
01 The Waltons
02 CHiPs
03 The Love Boat
See? Wasn't that fun?
Friday, January 9, 2009
SPD Update - for mom
I was sitting here this morning working away and Mrs. V stopped by to catch up for a minute. Mrs. V has 2 adopted children and 2 biological children. She just recently adopted a two year old little girl and I haven't talked to her since she's been back to work. I, sometimes forget what an amazing resource she is.
Mrs. V's #2 child has SPD! She recomended a book for me that really helped her with her son. She also has a good friend who is an OT (Occupational Therapist) and Mrs. V is going to set up a lunch for me to meet her friend!
The book Mrs. V suggested is The Out of Sync Child. I ordered it as soon as Mrs. V left my desk. I also ordered The Out of Sync Child has Fun to give me some ideas to entertain Jacob and I without both of us wiggin' out on each other. I can't wait to start reading. Mrs. V said this book helped them. And, Mrs. V, she's a book reader too!
I can't tell you how relieved I feel right now. I can't tell you how comforting it is to have someone that I can see most everyday who knows this disorder! Oddly, I'm actually excited. Excited to start learning and to have something I can do to help Jacob! Thank you for your prayers, my friends. God answered! And thanks Mrs. V!
Mrs. V's #2 child has SPD! She recomended a book for me that really helped her with her son. She also has a good friend who is an OT (Occupational Therapist) and Mrs. V is going to set up a lunch for me to meet her friend!
The book Mrs. V suggested is The Out of Sync Child. I ordered it as soon as Mrs. V left my desk. I also ordered The Out of Sync Child has Fun to give me some ideas to entertain Jacob and I without both of us wiggin' out on each other. I can't wait to start reading. Mrs. V said this book helped them. And, Mrs. V, she's a book reader too!
I can't tell you how relieved I feel right now. I can't tell you how comforting it is to have someone that I can see most everyday who knows this disorder! Oddly, I'm actually excited. Excited to start learning and to have something I can do to help Jacob! Thank you for your prayers, my friends. God answered! And thanks Mrs. V!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD
Jacob had his 3 year check-up on Tuesday. He's 38 lbs. and 37 in. tall. The 95th and 60th percentile respectively. Jacob was EXTREMELY uncooperative and wouldn't let Dr. Greene do anything. Dr. did say that Jacob's ears are heavily waxed and he couldn't see the tubes.
We talked to Dr. Greene about the concerns we have with Jacob's over sensitivities. He sent us to SPDfoundation.net. I do hope you follow the link and read (if nothing else) the 'About SPD' tab. Reading that section, I actually felt my shoulders fall from relief. This is my kid! That's Jacob! This explains the past year of his life!
Infants and toddlers
__X__ Problems eating or sleeping
__X__ Refuses to go to anyone but me (he takes FOREVER to warm up)
__X__ Irritable when being dressed; uncomfortable in clothes
_____ Rarely plays with toys
__X__ Resists cuddling, arches away when held
__X__ Cannot calm self (depending on the situation and amount of sleep)
__X__ Floppy or stiff body, motor delays
Pre-schoolers
__X__ Over-sensitive to touch, noises, smells, other people
__?__ Difficulty making friends
__X__ Difficulty dressing, eating, sleeping, and/or toilet training
__X__ Clumsy; poor motor skills; weak
__X__ In constant motion; in everyone else's face and space
__X__ Frequent or long temper tantrums
Ouch! **Where multiples are listed, I made bold the things he does do.
I kept this news to myself a little longer than maybe I should have. I didn't do any research or reading until this morning. I was too shocked, too hurt. I'm still hurt. I'm so angry that this is happening to my sweet little boy. It's not fair! He's a little boy. He doesn't deserve this - no kid does! I was relieved though, to actually read this is a disease and it isn't all my fault. I didn't cause it - I may not have helped him deal with it but, I didn't create this. Other parents really just suck sometimes! I had asked the Dr. if it was me - his answer was yes...and no. According to my reading, he's right. I have a lot of reading ahead of me on this topic. I need to find the spectrum of severity and where Jacob fits before I can relax.
We're doing all we can do right now to treat this. Jacob's OT is aware of it, we're aware of it. We'll be trying different things to help Jacob through it. Hopefully, he will grow out of it or we can give him good tools to deal with it. I don't know how long it will take, if it will go away, or if this a rest of his life thing.
Just in case you were wondering, I love Jacob with all that I am and all that I have. He is my child. He is my life. I don't regret even a second of this adoption. I don't blame his birth parents. When I signed the papers to make Jacob my son, I agreed to take on everything he had. I agreed to be his mother and to love him, to nurture him, to teach him, and to protect him - no matter what. There is nothing that could ever happen with him, nothing he could ever do to take that away.
We talked to Dr. Greene about the concerns we have with Jacob's over sensitivities. He sent us to SPDfoundation.net. I do hope you follow the link and read (if nothing else) the 'About SPD' tab. Reading that section, I actually felt my shoulders fall from relief. This is my kid! That's Jacob! This explains the past year of his life!
Infants and toddlers
__X__ Problems eating or sleeping
__X__ Refuses to go to anyone but me (he takes FOREVER to warm up)
__X__ Irritable when being dressed; uncomfortable in clothes
_____ Rarely plays with toys
__X__ Resists cuddling, arches away when held
__X__ Cannot calm self (depending on the situation and amount of sleep)
__X__ Floppy or stiff body, motor delays
Pre-schoolers
__X__ Over-sensitive to touch, noises, smells, other people
__?__ Difficulty making friends
__X__ Difficulty dressing, eating, sleeping, and/or toilet training
__X__ Clumsy; poor motor skills; weak
__X__ In constant motion; in everyone else's face and space
__X__ Frequent or long temper tantrums
Ouch! **Where multiples are listed, I made bold the things he does do.
I kept this news to myself a little longer than maybe I should have. I didn't do any research or reading until this morning. I was too shocked, too hurt. I'm still hurt. I'm so angry that this is happening to my sweet little boy. It's not fair! He's a little boy. He doesn't deserve this - no kid does! I was relieved though, to actually read this is a disease and it isn't all my fault. I didn't cause it - I may not have helped him deal with it but, I didn't create this. Other parents really just suck sometimes! I had asked the Dr. if it was me - his answer was yes...and no. According to my reading, he's right. I have a lot of reading ahead of me on this topic. I need to find the spectrum of severity and where Jacob fits before I can relax.
We're doing all we can do right now to treat this. Jacob's OT is aware of it, we're aware of it. We'll be trying different things to help Jacob through it. Hopefully, he will grow out of it or we can give him good tools to deal with it. I don't know how long it will take, if it will go away, or if this a rest of his life thing.
Just in case you were wondering, I love Jacob with all that I am and all that I have. He is my child. He is my life. I don't regret even a second of this adoption. I don't blame his birth parents. When I signed the papers to make Jacob my son, I agreed to take on everything he had. I agreed to be his mother and to love him, to nurture him, to teach him, and to protect him - no matter what. There is nothing that could ever happen with him, nothing he could ever do to take that away.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Faith
I don't speak openly of my faith in God. I've mentioned my faith, here and there. I've been angry with God. I've touched on having my faith slip through our infertility challenges. I've alluded to having my faith restored. Through everything going on in my life, I have never said, "That's it! There is no God!"
Did you know that Footprints in The Sand is my favorite poem ever? I wear a cross pendant everyday. It's a very special pendant and I rarely take it off. It's a symbol of my faith that has been restored and also, a cherished gift from my husband. On the front of my cross, are footprints in the sand, on the back are the words "It was then that I carried you". I look back on our time of infertility and I see NOW, yes God was there and yes, he did carry me. He carried me through that to be Jacob's mom!
I was baptised in a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I grew up in that church. I attended their school. I was confirmed in that church. I memorized bible stories and verses. I know the holidays of the church. I know the seasons of the church and how long Lent, Advent, and Pentecost are - and I know what those seasons mean to the church in Jesus' life. I learned The Lord's Prayer and The Apostle's Creed. I can still recite them from memory.
After I moved here, I wanted to get involved in a church. Due to a lack of choices in Lutheran churches, Jeremy and I joined an Evangelical Lutheran church. It was okay. The people were nice. But, it just wasn't me. They change the tunes of the hymns, they changed the rhythm to reciting The Lord's Prayer. And their greatest sin - Holy Communion by intinction! I didn't like it and I couldn't do it anymore. We stopped going.
We live in a very small town. There are 2 Lutheran Churches. Both are ELCA. The nearest Missouri Synod Lutheran Church is over 30 minutes away. I hope that once spring comes, we'll go and check out a few. I have tried other churches and they're just not right for me. I sit politely as my parents said to do. They said, "it may not be your house but, it's still God's house".
Jacob was baptised in the ELCA church. I'm not happy about that though it's where we were when he was born and he is baptised. I am happy with the choice that we made in his Godparents. Jacob will learn of faith. I will teach him. His Godparents will help and make sure that I do. That's why I chose them. Should I not be here to teach my son, they will!
I believe that faith is something very personal. I believe in living your life right and following the commandments as Moses set them before us. I believe that going to church and participating is important as a Christian. I also believe that attending church should be done as a family. I don't like to go to church alone...I never have - even in my dad's church.
I'm not always the perfect example of a good Christian. I try very hard. I am aware of my sins and I pray to my God for forgiveness of those sins. I try to treat others as I'd want to be treated. I try to turn the other cheek and forgive seventy times seven. Then again, I seem to remember that God never expected for us to be perfect...
Did you know that Footprints in The Sand is my favorite poem ever? I wear a cross pendant everyday. It's a very special pendant and I rarely take it off. It's a symbol of my faith that has been restored and also, a cherished gift from my husband. On the front of my cross, are footprints in the sand, on the back are the words "It was then that I carried you". I look back on our time of infertility and I see NOW, yes God was there and yes, he did carry me. He carried me through that to be Jacob's mom!
I was baptised in a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I grew up in that church. I attended their school. I was confirmed in that church. I memorized bible stories and verses. I know the holidays of the church. I know the seasons of the church and how long Lent, Advent, and Pentecost are - and I know what those seasons mean to the church in Jesus' life. I learned The Lord's Prayer and The Apostle's Creed. I can still recite them from memory.
After I moved here, I wanted to get involved in a church. Due to a lack of choices in Lutheran churches, Jeremy and I joined an Evangelical Lutheran church. It was okay. The people were nice. But, it just wasn't me. They change the tunes of the hymns, they changed the rhythm to reciting The Lord's Prayer. And their greatest sin - Holy Communion by intinction! I didn't like it and I couldn't do it anymore. We stopped going.
We live in a very small town. There are 2 Lutheran Churches. Both are ELCA. The nearest Missouri Synod Lutheran Church is over 30 minutes away. I hope that once spring comes, we'll go and check out a few. I have tried other churches and they're just not right for me. I sit politely as my parents said to do. They said, "it may not be your house but, it's still God's house".
Jacob was baptised in the ELCA church. I'm not happy about that though it's where we were when he was born and he is baptised. I am happy with the choice that we made in his Godparents. Jacob will learn of faith. I will teach him. His Godparents will help and make sure that I do. That's why I chose them. Should I not be here to teach my son, they will!
I believe that faith is something very personal. I believe in living your life right and following the commandments as Moses set them before us. I believe that going to church and participating is important as a Christian. I also believe that attending church should be done as a family. I don't like to go to church alone...I never have - even in my dad's church.
I'm not always the perfect example of a good Christian. I try very hard. I am aware of my sins and I pray to my God for forgiveness of those sins. I try to treat others as I'd want to be treated. I try to turn the other cheek and forgive seventy times seven. Then again, I seem to remember that God never expected for us to be perfect...
Monday, January 5, 2009
Into the New Year
My wonderful, glorious, relaxing, 12 days of holiday break are over. I'm back to work.
Of course, nothing turned out like I had originally planned over the holiday break. We didn't make a trip to Manistee. We took 2 trips to Bronson in it's place. Jacob and I both caught colds and we didn't have much Daddy time either. We did go out to lunch with our friend Lisa. We played a lot of trains. Jacob and I went to see the woo-woos quite a few times, and we celebrated his sister's 1st birthday.
Jacob started with his new therapists this morning. I sent Daddy armed with some questions on Jacob's sensitivities and some seemingly OCD type things. I've noticed more of Jacob's picky-ness lately. Tags in shirts really bother him, he's obsessed with the fuzz in his toes. At first, it was kind of funny, those little quirky things but, now he's expressing more and more of them. We also have his 3 year check-up tomorrow and I'll discuss some of his progresses/digressions and some of these quirks with him too.
We've also been contemplating potty training at our house. I took a little potty training readiness quiz on-line last night (I'm a dork!) and according to that, the potty training DVD sent to me by a certain brand of diaper, and a little more research, we're not ready. Daddy was also planning to ask the therapists about that today too. With Jacob's development and speech delays, we don't think he's communicative enough to start yet. So, we'll revisit that issue over the summer.
I gave you a small sampling of what we have in store for us this year. We hope you continue to follow along with us and see what happens, where we go, what we do - and we have some cool things planned this year! It's never a dull moment at our house and I hope to write more about the craziness that goes on. Especially the stupid shit I manage to say or do! I'll be following along with my blog friends too - Aubrey and her 3 beautiful kids, Em and her hearts desire to have a child, and Kate's first year as a mom. I know I can't wait to see what's ahead!
Of course, nothing turned out like I had originally planned over the holiday break. We didn't make a trip to Manistee. We took 2 trips to Bronson in it's place. Jacob and I both caught colds and we didn't have much Daddy time either. We did go out to lunch with our friend Lisa. We played a lot of trains. Jacob and I went to see the woo-woos quite a few times, and we celebrated his sister's 1st birthday.
Jacob started with his new therapists this morning. I sent Daddy armed with some questions on Jacob's sensitivities and some seemingly OCD type things. I've noticed more of Jacob's picky-ness lately. Tags in shirts really bother him, he's obsessed with the fuzz in his toes. At first, it was kind of funny, those little quirky things but, now he's expressing more and more of them. We also have his 3 year check-up tomorrow and I'll discuss some of his progresses/digressions and some of these quirks with him too.
We've also been contemplating potty training at our house. I took a little potty training readiness quiz on-line last night (I'm a dork!) and according to that, the potty training DVD sent to me by a certain brand of diaper, and a little more research, we're not ready. Daddy was also planning to ask the therapists about that today too. With Jacob's development and speech delays, we don't think he's communicative enough to start yet. So, we'll revisit that issue over the summer.
I gave you a small sampling of what we have in store for us this year. We hope you continue to follow along with us and see what happens, where we go, what we do - and we have some cool things planned this year! It's never a dull moment at our house and I hope to write more about the craziness that goes on. Especially the stupid shit I manage to say or do! I'll be following along with my blog friends too - Aubrey and her 3 beautiful kids, Em and her hearts desire to have a child, and Kate's first year as a mom. I know I can't wait to see what's ahead!
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