In some sense, I am a fan of history. I did not enjoy History classes in college (what is the point of taking Western Civilization if you aren't a history major?), however, I find American history and SC history fascinating. This is probably why I was very interested in watching the inauguration and all of the coverage surrounding it. No matter who you voted for, this was an exciting part of American history. Each inauguration has it's own historical value, but this was stood out to me for several reasons.
Some of the things that stood out to me were because they were funny and others were serious. I couldn't stop thinking about Malia and Sasha. Those two girls are absolutely beautiful. When I saw them walking down the steps to be introduced I was overwhelmed with the need to stop and pray for them. Not because I think that they or their parents are evil, but because it hit me that they are going to be thrown to the wolves so to speak. These young ladies will be living in a fish bowl, on top of that, there may be times that there safety is at risk, and I can only imagine the stress that they may face over the safety of their dad. I prayed that God would protect them, their hearts, their families, and give their parents the wisdom that they need to raise these girls.
I must say that I was moved by the letter that the Bush girls wrote to the Obama girls. It was so poignant to close the letter with this line, "So here is our most important piece of advice: remember who your dad really is." I would like to add to that that they remember who they are. They are beautiful daughters of our Lord and King. No matter what the media may say about them or how they may change in their time in the White House, they will always be beloved daugthers of our Lord!
One final note about the Obama girls... Malia is a girl after my own heart. I couldn't help but laugh as I saw her taking pictures of everything.
Another funny thing that I noticed was the first President Bush's hat. That was awesome to see all of those important people dressed very sophisticated and then to notice President Bush's fur lumber jack hat in the corner of the screen. Thanks for the comic relief!
Speaking of the platform, it was incredible to me to think of all the power that was represented there. To think of how those people have effected this world for the last 30 something years. (I know it has been at least 30 years since Carter was President when I was born.) Former VP Quayle and his wife Marilyn hold a special place in my heart. Quayle was the first presidential nominee I ever voted for. Oh the memories... my first election in a tiny elementary school in Jefferson City, TN. The power on that platform reminded me of how incredible it is that we live in a country where we are free and empowered to help those less fortunate than us. Whether those politician represented your vote or not, think about how incredible it is that you even had the opportunity to speak up.
There are some more things that I would like to share, but I have a stinky baby awaiting me. Please come back for part 2 of my take on the inauguration.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Stomach Virus
On my way to the grocery store yesterday, I started feeling weird. By the time I parked the car I realized that I was going to throw up. That was about 5 pm and it continued until 3:30 am. Can I just say that I hate throwing up. I hate it even more when it is 5 or 6 times in a row and there is nothing left in my stomach. I will be spending the rest of the day in the bed or on the couch. The worst part is that I want to hold my baby so bad! However, I am not prepared for a baby with a stomach virus, so I am keeping my distance. He stayed at church with Bryan last night and has gone back to church with Bryan this morning.
I have to give Bryan a shout out. He has done well on his own for the last 18 hours. Reese is fed, dressed, dry, and loved. That is all that really matters, right!?
I have to give Bryan a shout out. He has done well on his own for the last 18 hours. Reese is fed, dressed, dry, and loved. That is all that really matters, right!?
Video Problems
I apologize for the video problems. I was able to post one video directly to the blog. The other is too large. Both of them have been posted on my facebook page. Sorry about the problems.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Reese's Nghtly Rant
Let's try this again! This is was Reese's take on Monday. We get to be a part of this lovely debriefing every night starting around 7:30.
Monday, January 19, 2009
7 months
Today our little buddy turns 7 months old. In celebration of this milestone, yesterday Taylor & Sara come over for lunch and we made cupcakes. Of course, Reese couldn't eat the cupcakes (nor could he eat the cookie that the lady at the grocery store offered him), so we were forced to enjoy the cupcakes for him. Today we will make baby applesauce. hopefully this sweet treat will be a good celebration for him.
Yesterday I took him in the grocery store with me for the first time. I took the cart cover in and tried to figure it out. NO LUCK! It is hard enough to hold the baby and put the thing in when you know what you are doing! I finally just laid the thing in there and sat him on it. He was not quite ready for that, he kept tipping over in the cart. I guess I won't try taking him in the store again for a while and I certainly won't be trying to use the cart cover again any time soon.
I wonder if all new mom's struggle with these things or if I am just a moron?!?!
Yesterday I took him in the grocery store with me for the first time. I took the cart cover in and tried to figure it out. NO LUCK! It is hard enough to hold the baby and put the thing in when you know what you are doing! I finally just laid the thing in there and sat him on it. He was not quite ready for that, he kept tipping over in the cart. I guess I won't try taking him in the store again for a while and I certainly won't be trying to use the cart cover again any time soon.
I wonder if all new mom's struggle with these things or if I am just a moron?!?!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Do Something!
The weekend before Christmas Bryan and I took a day trip to Charlotte. The purpose of this trip was to visit the Billy Graham Library. It is a beautiful place and it is free! It is a library of information and pieces from the Graham family. Bryan couldn't seem to understand why it is called a library when there are very few books. However, there is a bookstore inside called Ruth's Attic. I purchased a book there and have been very pleased with it. The book is ironically called Letter's from Ruth's Attic and it is written by Ruth Bell Graham.
I have always been fascinated by Ruth Graham, so this devotional book really got my attention. Last week one of the entries really stood out to me. Day 7 is titled Do Something.
I read something on the page that I have never read or been told before, but often felt. The article opens with "there are times that praying is not enough."As Christians we often over complicate or over spiritualize things. You know people like that, they have to pray about using the bathroom. Come on! God gives us common sense and instincts for a reason. He expects us to use those instincts to move, to do something.
He also gives us commands and expects us to act on them. You also know those people who totally miss the action step or command, because they spent all of their time thinking and praying about something. If someone is in an accident and is physically hurt, you don't stop and pray for 30 minutes and consult 10 people, you act.
Joshua 7: 10&13 (NCV)
10 The Lord said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why are you down on your face 13 "Now go!
This quote from CS Lewis summed it up for me, "I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them. It's so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see him."
The article ends with this line, "We must be quick to pray, and just as quick to obey."
What are you doing? Don't get me wrong, there is power in prayer and it is essential to our relationship with Christ. We must be careful that we don't make prayer a crutch or an excuse to sit on our rear ends. It just may be time to stand up and go! Go do something!
I have always been fascinated by Ruth Graham, so this devotional book really got my attention. Last week one of the entries really stood out to me. Day 7 is titled Do Something.
I read something on the page that I have never read or been told before, but often felt. The article opens with "there are times that praying is not enough."As Christians we often over complicate or over spiritualize things. You know people like that, they have to pray about using the bathroom. Come on! God gives us common sense and instincts for a reason. He expects us to use those instincts to move, to do something.
He also gives us commands and expects us to act on them. You also know those people who totally miss the action step or command, because they spent all of their time thinking and praying about something. If someone is in an accident and is physically hurt, you don't stop and pray for 30 minutes and consult 10 people, you act.
Joshua 7: 10&13 (NCV)
10 The Lord said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why are you down on your face 13 "Now go!
This quote from CS Lewis summed it up for me, "I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them. It's so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see him."
The article ends with this line, "We must be quick to pray, and just as quick to obey."
What are you doing? Don't get me wrong, there is power in prayer and it is essential to our relationship with Christ. We must be careful that we don't make prayer a crutch or an excuse to sit on our rear ends. It just may be time to stand up and go! Go do something!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Good choice Bub, Good choice!
I don't have a whole lot of free time anymore (I wonder why?), but I have found a little time to read. A while back I wrote about a piece that I saw on Today about Warrick Dunn. I was surprised to find that my husband gave me Dunn's book for Christmas. I was excited to start reading it. He made a great choice. I am only about 5 chapters in, but I am hooked for now.
Dunn's mother was a police officer killed in the line of duty. The book begins with him sharing his road to healing. That road took him to the prison that housed his mother's killer. It is amazing to read how he dealt with that man. I don't want to give away too much, because the story has much more impact coming from him.
Football played a huge part in Dunn's life, and he spends time in the book talking about football. I don't understand any of his descriptions of games and plays, but I can see how it ties into his story. It kind of feels like I am reading an engineering text book at times, but I am sure that most sports fans would be right there with him.
I am excited about finishing the book. Rest assured that I will be sharing more, so stay tuned.
Dunn's mother was a police officer killed in the line of duty. The book begins with him sharing his road to healing. That road took him to the prison that housed his mother's killer. It is amazing to read how he dealt with that man. I don't want to give away too much, because the story has much more impact coming from him.
Football played a huge part in Dunn's life, and he spends time in the book talking about football. I don't understand any of his descriptions of games and plays, but I can see how it ties into his story. It kind of feels like I am reading an engineering text book at times, but I am sure that most sports fans would be right there with him.
I am excited about finishing the book. Rest assured that I will be sharing more, so stay tuned.
Friday Excitement
Friday was a big day for the Holder's. Our morning started out with our first visit to the pediatrician. It was time for Reese's six month check up and shots (not fun!). To our surprise our baby boy was a hefty 20 lbs even! On the 29th he was only 19 lbs and 7 1/2oz so I was a little concerned about the weight gain. Since he is in the 90th percentile for height and weight we were told not to worry about that. I was not very impressed with the Dr. Having been a parent for less than three weeks, I had a lot of questions and she was not interested in hearing them. I think we will be looking for a new Dr.
When it was time for his shots, the nurse asked me to hold his hands. How did I manage to get that job? I couldn't bear to watch, so I turned my head. While turning my head I caught a glimpse of Bryan hiding behind the other nurse. I guess he couldn't watch either. It broke my heart to hear my sweet baby cry that way. We had not heard that cry before. It didn't take too long before he was his sweet smiley self again. After the Dr. we stopped by the YMCA and Calhoun to visit with friends who had not seen Reese in person yet. He loved the attention and of course everyone was taken with him.
After visiting at the Y, Bryan left us to bring Weldon home from the hospital. He will be completing his rehab from home. It will be a couple of more months, but after 5 weeks, we are glad to have him home. It is still going to be a long road for him, but being home will boost his spirits some.
Our day continued to be exciting as Reese went to work with me for the first time. He got plenty of love from Brooke! We left LearningRx and headed to Reese's first basketball game. He loved it! Probably not so much for the ball game, but for all the attention that he got from the other ladies watching. He is quite the ladies man! How could you resist the cutest kid ever?
As a side note: Despite the fact that he weighs 20 lbs he only needs 6 or 9 months clothes. So, if you were considering purchasing clothes for Reese, don't buy 12 months winter clothes. We have a closet full and they are way too big. Actually, we have a closet full of clothes that do fit, so if you are just dying to buy him something we would prefer gift cards so that we can get clothes in the spring.
When it was time for his shots, the nurse asked me to hold his hands. How did I manage to get that job? I couldn't bear to watch, so I turned my head. While turning my head I caught a glimpse of Bryan hiding behind the other nurse. I guess he couldn't watch either. It broke my heart to hear my sweet baby cry that way. We had not heard that cry before. It didn't take too long before he was his sweet smiley self again. After the Dr. we stopped by the YMCA and Calhoun to visit with friends who had not seen Reese in person yet. He loved the attention and of course everyone was taken with him.
After visiting at the Y, Bryan left us to bring Weldon home from the hospital. He will be completing his rehab from home. It will be a couple of more months, but after 5 weeks, we are glad to have him home. It is still going to be a long road for him, but being home will boost his spirits some.
Our day continued to be exciting as Reese went to work with me for the first time. He got plenty of love from Brooke! We left LearningRx and headed to Reese's first basketball game. He loved it! Probably not so much for the ball game, but for all the attention that he got from the other ladies watching. He is quite the ladies man! How could you resist the cutest kid ever?
As a side note: Despite the fact that he weighs 20 lbs he only needs 6 or 9 months clothes. So, if you were considering purchasing clothes for Reese, don't buy 12 months winter clothes. We have a closet full and they are way too big. Actually, we have a closet full of clothes that do fit, so if you are just dying to buy him something we would prefer gift cards so that we can get clothes in the spring.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Prayer requests and updates
Weldon, my father in law, is coming home on Friday. He will be doing the remainder of his therapy from home. Please continue to pray for his recovery. He has been in the hospital since his accident on Dec. 5. He will be wheel chair bound and in a hospital bed for some time even though he is home.
Brooke and Chris are still waiting for the call to bring Dillen home. Please continue to pray for them. Our prayer for 09 is that Dillen will soon be here in the upstate with us!
As for us, our car died this morning. We don't know what the problem is at this point. As you can imagine this is not a good time to be dealing with car trouble. This leaves us with only one car that we can put the baby in. I don't know what is going to happen, but I know that God is in control.
Brooke and Chris are still waiting for the call to bring Dillen home. Please continue to pray for them. Our prayer for 09 is that Dillen will soon be here in the upstate with us!
As for us, our car died this morning. We don't know what the problem is at this point. As you can imagine this is not a good time to be dealing with car trouble. This leaves us with only one car that we can put the baby in. I don't know what is going to happen, but I know that God is in control.
There's a new sherrif in town
Things are still going well and we are learning A LOT! We had our first post-placement visit with our social worker today. This weekend we had a shower with my family and our youth volunteers. We got a lot a stuff. It is becoming more and more obvious that we won't be in this house long because we are out growing it quickly.
(This is random, but my child is currently hanging sideways in his swing. We have a leaner on our hands.)
Reese has learned to blow out of his lips and make them flap. He discovered yesterday that he can do it with food in his mouth. I got a shower of carrots, YEAH! He has started sliding backwards on his belly and sitting up for long periods. Gailey taught him to tap on his mouth and make Indian noises (he is currently doing this). Of course, he is also learning how to work Bryan and I. It didn't take long for him to figure us out and learn to get what he wants.
His smile and laughing gets more endearing everyday. Hopefully I can post some videos soon. Watching him eat is one funny experience that everyone needs to see. This week is our first week of a normal work schedule for us, so things will be a little tougher this week. Stay tuned for some videos and more info.
I have posted a lot of pictures on Facebook, so check them out!
(This is random, but my child is currently hanging sideways in his swing. We have a leaner on our hands.)
Reese has learned to blow out of his lips and make them flap. He discovered yesterday that he can do it with food in his mouth. I got a shower of carrots, YEAH! He has started sliding backwards on his belly and sitting up for long periods. Gailey taught him to tap on his mouth and make Indian noises (he is currently doing this). Of course, he is also learning how to work Bryan and I. It didn't take long for him to figure us out and learn to get what he wants.
His smile and laughing gets more endearing everyday. Hopefully I can post some videos soon. Watching him eat is one funny experience that everyone needs to see. This week is our first week of a normal work schedule for us, so things will be a little tougher this week. Stay tuned for some videos and more info.
I have posted a lot of pictures on Facebook, so check them out!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Week 1
I am sorry that I haven't updated much, but as you can imagine, things have been a little busier than normal around here. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to have a wonderful babysitter so that I could get some house work done. It is amazing how much I got done when I thought I only had 3 hours to do it.
The first week was a little rough with the reflux issues. The first day his spit up/vomiting was terrible. It got a little better as the week went on, but it was still more than the average child. We did learn that it is worse when he is nervous and it stains everything! Because of allergies and reflux, we were only allowed to give him formula the first week. This gave us a good point of reference for what normal for him. He is on prescription formula ($50 a can!) and it makes his poo smell awful and not so solid. We went through lots of clothes and I was doing 1 or 2 full loads of baby laundry everyday.
On Christmas Day, Reese got to meet cousin Lawson who is about 5 weeks older. Reese loved it! He was so excited to have a playmate. It was really sweet to watch him inspect Lawson. I am looking forward to them playing together.
Monday we were able to start feeding him cereal. He was so excited. He must have been starving! The first day there was no spit up at all, YEAH!!!! We had a Dr. appointment on Monday and it went well. We are a hefty 19lbs and 7.5 oz. The Dr. said that he looks good and is doing well. Both he and the other Dr in his office are adoptive parents and they specialize in treating internationally adopted children. This was a recheck from a previous visit. We will see the pediatrician next week for shots. I am not looking forward to that.
Tuesday, Reese had his first day of work. He got to go with Bryan and stay with Ms. Tracy in the nursery. Yesterday, he stayed with a friend for a few hours while Bryan worked and I do some house work. He is loving cereal and the spit up is almost non existent, YEAH!!!! He is also having solid poo with a lot less smell. (I am so sure that everyone wanted to know that.)
Things are going well, and we fall more in love everyday. I never knew that I could be so in love with anyone in such a short period of time. I am probably biased, but I have the cutest and best baby ever!
The first week was a little rough with the reflux issues. The first day his spit up/vomiting was terrible. It got a little better as the week went on, but it was still more than the average child. We did learn that it is worse when he is nervous and it stains everything! Because of allergies and reflux, we were only allowed to give him formula the first week. This gave us a good point of reference for what normal for him. He is on prescription formula ($50 a can!) and it makes his poo smell awful and not so solid. We went through lots of clothes and I was doing 1 or 2 full loads of baby laundry everyday.
On Christmas Day, Reese got to meet cousin Lawson who is about 5 weeks older. Reese loved it! He was so excited to have a playmate. It was really sweet to watch him inspect Lawson. I am looking forward to them playing together.
Monday we were able to start feeding him cereal. He was so excited. He must have been starving! The first day there was no spit up at all, YEAH!!!! We had a Dr. appointment on Monday and it went well. We are a hefty 19lbs and 7.5 oz. The Dr. said that he looks good and is doing well. Both he and the other Dr in his office are adoptive parents and they specialize in treating internationally adopted children. This was a recheck from a previous visit. We will see the pediatrician next week for shots. I am not looking forward to that.
Tuesday, Reese had his first day of work. He got to go with Bryan and stay with Ms. Tracy in the nursery. Yesterday, he stayed with a friend for a few hours while Bryan worked and I do some house work. He is loving cereal and the spit up is almost non existent, YEAH!!!! He is also having solid poo with a lot less smell. (I am so sure that everyone wanted to know that.)
Things are going well, and we fall more in love everyday. I never knew that I could be so in love with anyone in such a short period of time. I am probably biased, but I have the cutest and best baby ever!
7 Things I Hate About You
A certain someone in my household has an affinity to a little song called 7 Things I Hate About You by a little girl named Miley Cyrus. I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone, so I won't mention any names. I even put it on my I Tunes so that someone could listen to it whenever he (did I say that?) would like. In the spirit of that certain someone's jam, I want to summarize my first week and a half of motherhood.
The 7 tough things:
* Reese freaking out in the car at night and not being able to do anything about it.
* Not knowing exactly how to console him.
* All of the reflux issues the first week.
* Not knowing if I am feeding him enough or too much.
* The nights he doesn't sleep well (neither do we).
* How sad and confused he seemed the day he arrived.
* Looking into his sweet little face and knowing that someone wouldn't care for him properly.
The 7 that I like:
* The sound of him humming himself to sleep.
* His curly hair.
* His sweet little smile.
* The sound of him laughing out loud.
* The way that he wants to snuggle up next to you.
* How he has become attached to us and lights up when he kiss him.
* Looking into his sweet little face and knowing that I am in love and would do anything for him.
The 7 tough things:
* Reese freaking out in the car at night and not being able to do anything about it.
* Not knowing exactly how to console him.
* All of the reflux issues the first week.
* Not knowing if I am feeding him enough or too much.
* The nights he doesn't sleep well (neither do we).
* How sad and confused he seemed the day he arrived.
* Looking into his sweet little face and knowing that someone wouldn't care for him properly.
The 7 that I like:
* The sound of him humming himself to sleep.
* His curly hair.
* His sweet little smile.
* The sound of him laughing out loud.
* The way that he wants to snuggle up next to you.
* How he has become attached to us and lights up when he kiss him.
* Looking into his sweet little face and knowing that I am in love and would do anything for him.
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