Rainy Days

We have been having a good old time indoors as we celebrate our rainy days lately.  Okay, so it hasn't really been raining.  It was actually the "first week of summer," and Memorial Day Weekend.  I may sound like a teenager when I say this, but everyone was out and about, traveling, visiting, and pretty much having the best week ever.  But we were stuck indoors.

Being stuck indoors doesn't bother me all that much, but I have felt extremely sorry for Maryn and a little bad for Josiah, too.  Our zoo membership has run out, so there's probably no hope for going to the zoo this summer.  Poor Josiah has yet to see an elephant since he's become obsessed with them.  And Maryn points out to me at least three times a week, "We haven't gone to the zoo in a long time."

I know, sweetie.  I know.

So I try to make things fun for them.  But all the neighborhood kids are having so. much. fun. right outside their windows.  Maryn has been such a big girl, such a great helper, and hasn't thrown a fit yet about not being out there.  But it breaks my heart.  I guess this is what the Baby Blues looks like when you have older kids.  

Hopefully my belly will be feeling better soon, and we'll get out there, at least in the mornings before it gets blazing hot.

 Poor Josiah had to wear Maryn's PINK paint shirt.  :)

Washing a baby...this kept them busy for quite a while.

 We made these adorable snakes.  We did some learning about reptiles and snakes, too.

 Maryn and Josiah made a hide out under the baby swing, so I got them to make Indian (Native American :)) headbands.  Cutest picture ever.

 Owen.  He's so cute.  We are taking him to the doctor soon because he's had gunky eyes.  I think probably just clogged tear ducts.  He rolled over the other day, at 9 days old.  I couldn't believe it.  I am going to try to get him to do it again here soon.  And he has grown out of newborn diapers.  He's definitely our biggest baby so far.  And look at him...he's so contemplative.

 I think he's probably a genius.  He's a lot like Maryn in the way he watches me.  I know they say newborns are blind as bats, but I don't believe it.  This baby studies my face and even reaches for me--I know it!  He turns immediately when he hears my voice and SMILED, genuinely smiled at me when I sang to him.  It was the I Love You (from Barney) song.  What a precious sweet boy.

John got home at 10 am today and has the whole weekend off.  I get him for almost four straight days!

And we got a new washer today.  It is NICE.  Like, really nice.  Happy birthday to me.

A day in the life

 We cuddle!

 We craft!

 We play!

 We take silly pictures.

 We cry...

We do random studies on West African Literature and African music.

We watch Angelina Ballerina.

We blog and facebook and text.

We read about the Garden of Eden and the Fall.

We stick to our routine as much as possible.

We....go to bed.

Good night!

The Big Reveal

It took 39 weeks for baby Owen to get to this point, and involved a very painful, uncomfortable pregnancy if I can be honest with you.  I was a little concerned how my older two children would take the addition of our precious little miracle.  Other than both kids being a little afraid of me and that big ol' hospital bed, they were extremely excited!

 They brought Owen a special gift, and what a surprise--Owen had gotten them gifts too!  I will have to get you pics of those gifts later.

 All three children have adapted very quickly to each other.  Maryn expressed her disappointment today that Owen STILL can't play, run or jump around with them.  Josiah has had one fit in which he bopped Owen right on top of the head.  Today Owen turned 8 days old, and I think the novelty has pretty much worn off and they are well into the swing of things.  It's hard to believe, but Maryn has really stayed busy (partially thanks to all the fun stuff Aunt Cathy and Mamaw brought), and we have hardly watched television at all.

 I need to get some better pictures of my Mama on here!  Here's one I took of her and Owen with my cell phone.  :)  I love his long arms.

So I guess we're doing all right.  I'm not too happy that John went back to work on Friday, 4 days after my c-section, and doesn't have a day off until Friday.  Or that our washer broke for good today.  Or that Maryn peed on the bathroom floor and then she and Josiah rolled around on balls in the pee....

Buuuut...enough.  Life is good.  Fun and interesting, at least!  We are blessed.

"We marvel at some of the experiences, through which we are called  to pass, but afterward we see that they afforded us some new knowledge of the Lord."  - G. Bowen

"He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."  Psalm 62:2

The Morning of Owen's Birth Day

It's time to write about Owen's arrival!

This time we decided to have a c-section without trying a VBAC.  I had been having contractions every night the week before Owen's scheduled date of arrival, so I wasn't sure we would make it.  But we did!

I have had my three children in three different hospitals, and this experience was by far the best.  I loved our doctor, I loved the nurses, all the medical staff, the anesthesiologist and anesthetists, etc.

Here we are in triage.  Woop woop!

I really don't like drugs, so I expressed my fears to the anesthesiologist because I'd had such a horrifying experience in Naples with their abusive nurse anesthetist and spinal headaches.  The anesthesia team was so sweet.  And the way they led me into surgery (walking) and showed me around, introduced me to everyone, led me through the procedure, explained everything, etc., made such a difference.

My doctor, before he operated, asked everyone to pause and listen to him for a moment, and said, "This is Amanda Erdman...she is having her third c-section...she does not want her tubes tied..." haha!

The anesthesiologist made sure none of the sensors needing to be placed on me were in front, so that I could hold my baby right after he was born.  And they gave me the very lowest dose of anesthesia possible by doing all kinds of weird things, including tilting me way back on the table to help the numbing rise up to my chest instead of just pumping me with more anesthesia.  It's so weird having a spinal and feeling so much tugging and pushing and pulling, because I think I'm going to feel the cutting.  Ouch!  My anesthesia was so low this time that I can say at certain points the surgery took my breath away with all the activity that was going on, and I think I gasped a few times for air as they did stuff behind that sheet.  It was crazy.

The anesthesiologist took this photo, and the triage nurse took the other one.  They both asked if they could get a picture for us.  Isn't that so thoughtful?  And everyone was so affirming.  My OB went on and on about  how I had a beautiful pregnancy and had managed my gestational diabetes well, and had a very healthy baby.  The anesthesia team said I had the best spinal they had ever seen (ha!  I'm sure!) and go figure, no one even had to slap me across the head to get me to stay still (thanks Naples).  Yay!  I love words of affirmation.  Really,  it's little things like that, I believe, that can help a new mom stay on her feet and not get those baby blues or post partum.  

We have all fallen in love with our precious baby Owen.  He is such a sweet addition to our lives, we can't imagine life without him.  He has a very laid back temperament.  He loves to lay in his Moses basket, and after he eats, if I wrap him tightly, will fall asleep on his own.  He's always done fine just laying on his back, no pacifier, no gassiness, no spit up, no tummy troubles.  I am amazed that God has had mercy on us and given us this healthy, happy baby who just goes with the flow.  So far...he IS only 5 days old afterall.  :)

I have been getting a good amount of sleep.  I slept over 8 hours the second night he was home, and the first night was only bad because our sweet little Josiah woke up for two hours during the night :)  

Thank you all for the prayers.  They are heard and felt, and we are blessed!

Countdown to Baby!

The other day, we planted our flowers that Maryn and Josiah gave me at church.

 I wasn't able to bend down and help her plant them, so I told Maryn what to do.  She followed directions so well!  She definitely has a green thumb.  Our neighbor Heather is always outside with her plants too, and Maryn loves to go over and watch her, and ask a hundred questions.  It looks like if we ever move, we will have to have at least a small garden, like it or not.

 Last night, the kids and I made mini biscuit pizzas while John was at work.  It was so much fun!  And Josiah is doing so well at following directions, too.  He smashed down his biscuit just right, spread on his own sauce, put on his favorite toppings (mushrooms, pepperoni and lots of cheese), and was more than happy to eat all the ingredients as we prepared the pizzas.

Maryn loves lots of toppings--mushrooms, pepperoni, sausage, black olives, and just a little bit of cheese.  She eats all the toppings off, of course, and then doesn't want to eat the crust.  Josiah picked his little pizzas up like a big boy and ate them bite by bite.

We are having some good times as we wait for baby Owen to arrive!  Josiah has been really tough though.  I literally try to keep him outside as much as possible.  He does much, much better out there.  Indoors he is just a little monster, throwing fits and picking fights with his sister constantly.  It sounds like having a newborn will be loads of fun, doesn't it?

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

One of my favorite memories of my mom...

So, my mom was a single mom for a while.  It was just her and me, and she had this creepy stalker for a few years.  It's kind of a long story I won't go into here.  Anyway, the stalker eventually went crazy crazy, and burnt down a house down our street and stabbed my mom's water bed and stole her purse and tried to steal her car...Anyway, not all that happened at once, but let's just say my mama and I were a little freaked out.  She never let me see her scared much, but I remember we slept in the living room together for a while after he stabbed her water bed.  We slept in the living room and she sang "Kumbaya My Lord."  Which is actually kind of hilarious.  If you know my mom,  you know how much she enjoys "Negro Spiritual Songs," as Kumbaya is described on Wikipedia.  I am not sure where in the world my mom thinks of her bed time songs.  For Maryn she sang The Farmer in the Dell.  I'm thinking maybe I'll make her a list of some good ones before she babysits again.  ;-)

Anyway, as we laid there singing Kumbaya (I can't even type that without laughing), I thought she had the most beautiful singing voice in the world.  And God really did use that song, and her presence, to give me peace.  She was (and is) a wonderful protector.

Nesting

First, man oh man, I hate myself when I read the last blog post because I sound so cocky about teaching!  Have you ever known a mom who writes one of those supermom blogs?  I don't read supermom blogs any more.  Only blogs of people I know who are humble and real.  So, sorry for acting like a moron.

I got the kids to bed just after 7:30 tonight.  When I came out of Maryn's room I saw the kitchen floor and said, "Floor, you are dirty.  And I have a brand new mop head that needs to be used."  So I pushed aside all the dirty dishes, filled the sink with hot water and Murphy's Oil Soap and mopped all the floors.  But then I realized while I mopped that the baseboards were dirty.  And that made me realize the walls were dirty and the cabinets, and several areas needed decluttered, and the laundry needed to be put away, socks needed to be sorted and put away, and the bathroom was dirty, and things smelled funny, and Murphy's Oil Soap makes wood things look so shiny, so I cleaned all the  wood things in our house, and that made me think of glass things so I cleaned all the mirrors and windows...  Then I did the dishes, made blueberry bread, and fried sausage for our lasagna tomorrow.  I only stopped a few times to play my favorite 80s songs, and take a few gulps of water (I usually missed my mouth a little bit and dropped water all over myself).  All that took me only two hours.  Then I took two Benedryl and three Tylenol, and then I threw up.

And so now you and I both know what nesting looks like.

Good night!  :)

Cubbies, Bible, Kids, etc.!

Maryn has completed her first year of Cubbies.  She completed the book.  She memorized 24 verses of the Bible (some of them were quite shortened).  On Wednesday, she received her reward and we took her out for frozen custard at Culver's.  

She made a card for her teachers, Miss Adrian and Mr. Junior.  It says "Thank you for teaching me about Jesus."  I love the way she made the letter S in Jesus.  :)

 Here's the front of Maryn and Josiah's cards.  I thought you might like to see in case you need some ideas for Mother's Day cards.  :)

 We had our neighbor, Ella, over to make a card for her Mommy.  She did such a great job coloring in the lines!  She said, "I'm going to color like Maryn."  :)

I love our church's children's ministry.  The people who volunteer in Maryn and Josiah's rooms love those kids so much.  They really teach them about God beginning from the day the babies enter the nursery.  A child's mind is a wondrous thing!  I love it when people don't underestimate kids' abilities.  There are far too many songs rich in gospel truths (Jesus Loves Me) and a child's memory is so absorbent that it's foolish not to fill them up from the beginning (even in pregnancy!) with His Word.  

If you have a three year old, for example, I know you've probably heard them say something like, "For more games and activities go to PBSkids.org!"  That's in the commercial break between PBS shows.  Or how about, "Come along with me on the Dinosaur Train!  All aboard!"  Yep, your kids can memorize Scripture!

So far in Maryn's little life, she's memorized the first five points of the catechism we use (she had these memorized at age 2, and that's not unusual).

She's memorized most of Luke Chapter 2 and all of Psalm 23 as well as many Bible verses beyond her Cubbies verses (Ephesians 6:1-3 is a good one to start with).

You can download the catechism we use free here.http://sojournchurch.com/2009/06/27/a-catechism-for-boys-and-girls/

These CDs (also available free on Spotify) are great for Scripture memory.  The Seeds of Courage is a favorite.  http://www.seedsfamilyworship.net/  I might listen to it in the car sometimes.  By myself.  :)

I don't think we'll have Maryn in Cubbies or Josiah in Honeybees next year.  That commitment was rough on our family, and I think Maryn and Josiah would benefit more from memorizing Scripture we choose for them.  I'd like to give Maryn MORE time but larger passages.  One verse a week was a little fast and I don't think she had adequate time to really store them in her heart or understand them.  

But, AWANA is a good program.  I continue to be a little disappointed in the resources I've seen for children's ministry and I think Cubbies could use some work.  However, I LOVE the toddler curriculum at our church.  Plenty of age appropriate (sensory!) activities for babies-2 year olds.  It's called Heartshapers.  So cute.  I haven't seen the curriculum that Maryn uses in her class, but I love the stuff she brings home too.  

And that's my teacher schpeel!  

Adios.  And God bless!

More things I don't understand

There are so many things I don't understand about our culture.

My facebook feed lit up yesterday after North Carolina's vote with so many hateful, hurtful comments.  Not towards homosexuals, but towards "hicks," "hateful Christians" and "ignorant Conservatives."

One comment read, "What do you expect from a bunch of hicks?"

Another thing I don't understand is how so much of our culture, especially in our media, can make fun of homosexuals.  How many SNL skits make fun of them?  It's ridiculous.  Does anyone complain about that?

Why do anti-gay and yes, some Christians boycott things like JCPenney because Ellen Degeneres is their new spokesperson?  I don't know.  I'm pretty sure not everyone in every ad for Target, McDonald's, or Pizza Hut is a Christian.  Is Ronald McDonald a Christian?  Should we boycott his products?  Should we boycott Target and Starbucks because they contribute to many things that promote the homosexual agenda (I'm certainly not boycotting Target and Starbucks, idk about you!).  These things are so silly, so ignorant to me.  

Here's one passage in the Bible about homosexuality, but there are many:

"Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error."

- Romans 1:24-27

Homosexuality is a sin, and there's just no getting past that.  BUT I am a sinner too, and so are you, and everyone else.  Should I and everyone else have to recognize civil unions as marriages?  No, I don't think I should.  Marriage is a covenant instituted by God.  Marriage is a Christian word.  A union between a man and a man is not a marriage, and neither is a union between and woman and a woman.  God's word defines a marriage as a union between one  man and one woman.  

Would I vote against a marriage amendment defining a marriage as a union between two people, man/man, woman/woman or man/woman?  Yes, I would vote against it.  Because I don't believe our government and everyone else, including myself should have to recognize it as a marriage.  It's not a marriage.  Marriage, as defined in God's Word (which He wrote) is a covenant between a man and a woman.    

The thing is, I know that the way I see it is silly and ignorant to a lot of people, probably even to most of my blog readers.  But it's okay, you know?  We can agree to disagree.  Seriously.  I have read and heard plenty of arguments FOR gay "marriage" (ones that are not completely ignorant, hateful, etc.) and I can see where those arguments are coming from.  But I personally believe we have to take God at His Word, and I've come to realize even in the last couple years how that ancient, miraculous and sacred thing called "Marriage" is not something to be dealt with lightly or to be twisted in any way.  

Ballerinas and Siblings

 We are so proud of our pretty ballerina and the young lady she's becoming.  Today was a rough day with her.  Maryn and I clash personalities so badly sometimes.  Isn't that awful?  But her mind is a thing to really wonder at, and I love her so much.  She has just memorized Psalm 23 and is starting to have these seriously interesting questions and thoughts about God.  It's very obvious God is working in her heart.

 She has also been such a good big sister.  She is learning to read, and Josiah has become very interested in books.  Such a great combination.

 I love this picture...

My kids love each other.  I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to siblings.  I didn't grow up with siblings, and I never know how to solve disputes or judge fairly.  Sometimes I think I am doing everything wrong, especially when it comes to sibling squabbles.  There's no room for pride in motherhood, that is for sure.

Parent Fail #9,672

God has used nothing else in my life to sanctify me more than my children and being a mom.  All of us are sinful people--we all need Christ to save us from the sin just as much as any.  As parents, we sin and our kids know it.  We know it.  


"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea."  Mark 9:42


I see Maryn and Josiah imitate so much of my sin.  Sometimes it's very obvious.  Like when Maryn shouts at her brother, "Daggone it, child!  I told you to sit down!"


Sometimes it's more subtle, like when I witness one of them throw a toy in frustration, let out a heavy sigh of annoyance, or slam the cabinets in anger.  They are watching me, and I know it.  And I also know by now that of course they will imitate me.  I would expect my behavior to be better, but it's not.  


The other day, I was preparing the kids' lunches.  Almost done, I went down the line of three plates and squeezed out a little ranch dressing on each to go with the carrots.  Maryn grabbed the bottle from me and squeezed as hard as she could, pouring ranch dressing everywhere.  


And so much sin, so much pent up anger and frustration that really had nothing to do with her or that situation, rose up out of me and I threw a fit.  I walked away from the kids, went to the sink, and started slamming things (Crazy!  I know!).  I didn't swear, yell, hit or damage anything (physically anyway)--but my kids knew I was mad.  They both sensed it so strong and clearly that they both began to cry.


And what did I do?


I pretended it didn't happen.


Two days passed.  I was putting Maryn to bed last night and we were having a sweet conversation about praying, Heaven, Jesus, and things of that nature.  She looked into my eyes with that wounded look and said, "You didn't apologize."


"I didn't apologize about what?"
"When I got too much Ranch dressing," she said as her eyes filled with tears.


I had wounded my little girl's heart so deeply that two days later at age three she was still thinking about it.


"I am so sorry, Maryn.  That was terribly sinful of Mommy.  It was wrong for me to get so mad and throw a fit.  Do you forgive me?"


"Yes.  I love you," she said, and gave me a huge sleepy hug.  


We all fail as parents.  I'm so grateful that as a human I can model failure for my kids and show them how God's grace and mercy work in my life.  I'm grateful I don't have to give a big show of perfection for them and when I mess up, I don't have to feel guilty forever.  There is forgiveness.  


Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. -Hebrews 4:16

Sunday Sweetness

These two kids are my favorite kids in the whole world.

They are the best.  The smartest, funniest, cutest kids

(they are also the second and third most sinful beings I know, behind myself, but who's counting?).  ;-)

Adorable...

 It was brought to my attention that a lot of you haven't seen our new van yet.  We  have had it for a while.  But here it is.  We are LOVING it.  My only complaint is that there's no handles on the ceiling for me to hoist myself up or reposition my giant watermelon body.

 Maryn has a new love for our whiteboard.  She found a marker that actually works quite well and lo and behold, she can write.  She can write really well, it turns out.  She wanted to write Daddy a message because he was going to get home after she went to bed.

We just love her, and we love the interesting ways God is working in her heart lately.  It's very interesting when your kids start to verbalize what is going on in their minds and souls.  It makes it difficult to deny there is a sinful nature in all of us, but also that there is a Savior wanting to redeem.  That there is a Holy Spirit stirring our hearts.  And that there is a Father who makes his presence known to everyone, somehow.

 Maryn had some friends over yesterday.

Josiah loves to do what Maryn does.  She sat on a ball and read a book, so he did too.  The only thing was that the ball he chose was really quite small.

It's fun to be pregnant and have an excuse for looking, feeling, and acting terrible.  But I am ready to be skinny again.  I think I will need a lot of new clothes.  I have hardly bought any skinny clothes for myself in years because I keep getting pregnant, growing and shrinking.  But I think we may be done with this whole carrying a baby for 40 weeks stuff, so maybe it's time to make an investment in some new clothing.  Where should I buy clothes?

We went on a date night last night.  It was nice but it was nicer that the kids went right to bed without much fuss right when we got home.  We never know what in the world to do on date nights.  This might make us losers.  We ate at a cheap but yummy burger place, bought Maryn and Josiah each a new t-shirt from The Children's Place (Owen will "give" them to them as big brother and big sister presents the day he is born), we walked around the mall, I went to the bathroom 4 times, and then we came home and watched Ocean's 11.

It's so easy to drop our kids off somewhere.  There's never tears and I don't worry about them (not too much anyway).  I feel like people like them, too.  Maryn's gotten pretty obedient and more respectful lately, and Josiah is just everyone's sweetheart.  I wonder if a newborn will just throw everyone into a tailspin.  I forget sometimes that he's going to be a new little baby, and that I'll love him just as much as I love the rest, and everything will come naturally.  I don't actually think/worry about it much at all, but when I do, I just figure...it's going to be crazy for a while and I'm really going to have to loosen up, lower my expectations of myself.  But we will have a SEVEN month old at Christmas.  A two year old and a four year old.  And that sounds so cool to me.

Thanks everyone, for all your support in these last few months.  This pregnancy has been painful but it's been by far my most cheerful, happy pregnancy.

Updates on Everything :)

Maryn:  Maryn attended her big siblings class last night.  We went to Chick Fil A beforehand and had a pretty good time.  I think it really helped her to meet so many other kids her age getting ready to welcome a new baby, too.  She is such a great little student.  She sat criss-cross and stayed focused on the teacher the whole time.  They took us on a tour of the hospital which I think eased her fears too.  She is still scared for me, so please pray for her anxiety.  She has so many worries for a three year old that she can't always verbalize, so who knows what is going on in her head right now.

Josiah:  Josiah needs prayer too.  He is such a snuggle bunny.  I'm grateful he's gotten much more attached to daddy in the last few weeks.  But welcoming a new baby is going to be hard for him, and not being able to crawl up on me all the time is going to be even harder.

Gestational Diabetes:  My sugar has been really good.  I've had a lot more energy the last few days.  I haven't been able to eat a whole lot at a time, so it's been hard to fast for two hours after meals and snacks like I'm supposed to, but I'm hanging in there.  I've had a lot of sweets lately (ice cream mostly), but they don't seem to affect me like the carbs do in breads.  Lucky me :)

I am still in a lot of pain with my back and legs, but having energy sure does make a difference.

Pregnancy:  We had a really good 36 week appointment today.  I am not measuring large, despite what some of you may think.  I haven't gained much weight, despite what some of you may think, and I even lost a pound from last week!  The dr. said he doesn't think I have extra fluid (sometimes the case with GD) or that the baby is large.  The dr. said the baby's head is down and I'm dilated a couple centimeters, which is incredibly unusual for me.  The baby is also really low, so if I did have a chance to labor.....he might come rather quickly! So the question is do I cheat and try to labor some at home if the opportunity arises even though I'm scheduled for a c-section?

What a great thing it would be to have my dream of holding my baby immediately on my chest after labor come true.  And have a short recovery time and not worry about picking up Josiah or snuggling him and Maryn without so much pain.

Grandparents Visit

 Just a few days after we got home from Kansas, Grandma, Grandpa, Great Grandma and Great Great Aunt Sharron came to visit us at our house.  They just couldn't get enough of us.  Notice Maryn eating carrots in all the pictures.

 With their Great Great Aunt Sharron (Grandma Joyce's sister from California)

Daddy's tired girl (eating carrots):

 Playing with Great Grandma!

 The cutest outfit from Grandma and Grandpa!

 Maryn posing in her new dress from Grandma and Grandpa:

Home Schooling is definitely the right choice for us.

We just went to a preschool "siblings" class at the hospital.  It was really sweet.  The nurses were great.  But I am so glad I'm not sending Maryn to preschool.  And that's all I'm saying about that.

Baby Stuff!

Three weeks from yesterday we will have our new baby boy!  I just updated our registry on Babies R Us and Target for anyone interested.  Thank you all for sharing in this exciting time of our lives!  We don't need much for this baby at all, but if for some reason you felt inclined to get something, it should steer you in the right direction.