I thought Caroline would be born and I would love her more than I had ever imagined. Well, that is true. But, one thing I didn't realize is how much more I love her every day. Sorry for the cheese.... I look at her every day and love her more and more. She is so sweet. It makes my heart smile to see Zach look at her with the same love I do. I am so thankful.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Reflections on motherhood
I thought Caroline would be born and I would love her more than I had ever imagined. Well, that is true. But, one thing I didn't realize is how much more I love her every day. Sorry for the cheese.... I look at her every day and love her more and more. She is so sweet. It makes my heart smile to see Zach look at her with the same love I do. I am so thankful.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Caroline's birthday in pictures...
8am Monday, April 12th...
Pitocin, an epidural, and almost 12 hours later...
Mimi
Gigi
Daddy's new love...
Pitocin, an epidural, and almost 12 hours later...
Mimi
Gigi
Daddy's new love...Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Caroline
Well, we are alive... I haven't had the energy or time to get on the computer, so I've been updating Facebook via my phone. In case you haven't heard, here are Caroline's stats:
Born: Monday, April 12th at 7:54 pm
weighing 6 pounds 8 ounces
20 inches long
However, as of Monday the 19th at our 1 week checkup,
she weighs 7 pounds 2 ounces and is 20.5" long
Go girl!!
Born: Monday, April 12th at 7:54 pm
weighing 6 pounds 8 ounces
20 inches long
However, as of Monday the 19th at our 1 week checkup,
she weighs 7 pounds 2 ounces and is 20.5" long
Go girl!!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Smilebox of Caroline
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| This free photo album made with Smilebox |
This was made for my Mom's office ladies, but I thought you would enjoy it too! We are home and busy trying to get settled in!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
39 weeks & an Easter surprise!
Well, Caroline is still snug as a bug in a rug in there... Went to the doctor yesterday for our 39 week check-up and I'm still stuck at 1cm dilated and 70% effaced. Talking with the doctor, she seemed surprised that I hadn't progressed further, so she wanted to go ahead and schedule the induction. I haven't gained any weight in the past 2 weeks (I've actually lost 3 pounds! Wish I could do that by eating ice cream and pizza when I'm not pregnant!!) so she thinks Caroline will be close to the 6 pound mark. Itty-bitty girl!So, we scheduled to be induced on Monday the 12th- Caroline's due date! Although I will give you a warning... My sister was induced with Preston and didn't have him until the following day, so it's a possibility too! (Let's pray I don't have to endure that!)
Speaking of my sister, she was due with my nephew on April 23rd but scheduled the C-Section for the 22nd. Sweet Garrett decided he didn't want to wait that long! He was a surprise Easter blessing! Welcome Garrett Donald McCaffrey! Born Saturday, April 3rd at a whopping 6 pounds, 12 ounces and 19" long. Look at that hair!! I love it! I SO wish I could be in Dallas to meet him!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Head first
I'm not sure that I have really mentioned this much, so I thought I would take the opportunity. If you know us at all, you know that Zach is very handy around the house... like rockstar handy. There are STILL so many things he'll fix, and I'm like- how did you do that??! You've never done that before! He has the most incredible work ethic I have ever seen in anyone, and I'm not just saying that.Back up a second... When we lived in Dallas, Zach always talked about owning his own company some day. There were many ideas thrown out... homebuilding and landscaping being two of the common ones. We just let ourselves get so busy, nothing really ever came of it.
Well, we moved down south because of an opportunity with a General Contractor for Zach to be Project Manager over the building of some schools. The company is great, and he is learning so much from this job. He likes construction and it fits his skill set really well.
It might have been me getting pregnant that really lit a fire under him to pull the trigger and start a business. He knew he couldn't just leave his job and start a new business, so since last summer he has been working *hard* at starting up this new company. Based on the market here, he decided Landscaping. So, Magnolia Landscape Development was born. He doesn't have any plans to leave the construction job... at least any time in the near future. But, he has made some great contacts through a networking group for small business owners and we are really starting to see it take off. His goal is to have crews doing all of the work and he just supervises, but at this point, he is doing work too. And this is all after his 8-5 day job. Rockstar, I know.
I am so proud that he jumped right in, head first, to go after his dreams. He already has 2 guys that have started to help him out on large scale projects and he scored his first really big job yesterday. I am so thankful that the Lord guided him in this way and I am excited to see where it takes us.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
(Colossians 3:23)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
I don't want my children to be happy...
I found this post through another blog (Thanks Amanda!) and couldn't just leave it there. I absolutely believe what she has to say. Here is the link so you can peruse her blog. This family has gone through the adoption process, and this is a letter from the Mom to her four children. It's definitely worth the 5 minutes to read...
Dear Shepherd, Sissy, Maggie and Ikey,
Recently we were told by people whom we love and respect why they oppose our plans to adopt. One of the reasons given was that we would not be able to pay for your college education.
It's true.
You all have college funds - college funds which recently took a terrible hit - but "they" say that by the time you're 18, college will cost anywhere between $200,000 to half a million dollars each. You might as well know now, we won't be covering that. I'm telling you now, babies.
The people said that the day would come when you would look at us with resentment because you had to apply for school loans while many of your friends got a free ride from their parents.
Maybe you will. Maybe you'll resent us. I really hope not. But maybe I should tell y'all now why your dad and I have decided to do what we are doing.
I know you're going to think I am going off topic (I do that a lot) but several years I saw a story on a TV show about how the latest trend was for parents to give their daughters boob jobs for high school graduation (I don't know what they gave their sons.) When interviewing one of the moms, she said, "I just want my daughter to be happy." And as I tossed a throw pillow at the television, this really huge thought occurred to me: I don't want my children to be happy.
My goal as your mom is not your happiness, sugars. In fact, I spend at least half my day making you unhappy. If I had a nickle for every tear that falls in this home on a daily basis, we wouldn't need to worry about college tuition at all.
Happiness is fleeting, sweet babies. That means it doesn't last. It's a quick feeling that comes from a funny movie or a heart shaped lollipop or a really good birthday present. It's great. I love to be happy. But happiness is a reaction that is based on our surroundings. And our surroundings are so very rarely under our control. Even when - especially when - we think they are. So no, I absolutely don't want you to spend your life chasing something that has so little to do with your own abilities. You'll just be constantly frustrated.There are two things I desire for you, precious loves.
There are two things that I spend most of my time as a mother trying cultivate in you. Happiness ain't one of them. (This means, sorry, no boob jobs for you.)
The first is, I want you to be content. Being content is so much different from being happy. Being content is not based on your surroundings. Being content comes from within. Contentment is a spirit of gratitude. It's the choice you make to either be thankful for the things you do have, or to whine about the things you don't have.
Being content and grateful leads to consistent joy.
As you know, because I've told you lots of times, Paul talked about being content. Paul said that he had "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." And Paul was in some rotten situations, kiddos, really rotten.
How could Paul be content whether he was in prison or if his life was literally a shipwreck? Because Paul was constantly seeking to be in the will of God instead of his own, was constantly sacrificing his own comfort for the sake of the gospel, and was constantly being confirmed, strengthened, and blessed by God because of his obedience. He was given a supernatural power - that means something kind of like magic, God magic - to do things that most other humans could not do. And guess what? The bible tells us (in Ephesians 1) that God will give you the exact same power! If you want it!
Which leads me to my second desire for y'all.
I don't want you to be happy. I want you to be holy. That means, I want you to seek that God-power to make you content. I want you to want the Kingdom of God more than your own kingdom. And that's hard, babies, that is so hard. And that usually means passing up a lot of what the world considers happiness. But it means that you will achieve blessings directly from God that most of the world never dreams of because they are too occupied with the achieving the perfect birthday present!
This means you may be poor, 'in want' as Paul said, and that's okay. It will never, ever be okay with the world for you to be poor. So you'll be up against the world. But not your dad and me, loves, because it was never our goal for you to be wealthy - at least not in the way that the world considers wealthy.
Darlings, we love you so much. You will never even grasp how much we love you until you have children of your own, and then you'll get it, and then you'll apologize for the ways you treated us ;) But our goal is not to please you. Our goal is to please our Heavenly Father. And nowhere in the bible does the Lord command that we save our money to send our kids to college.
But the Lord does command us to care for the orphan around fifty times. He does tell us to care for the poor around 300 times. He does tell us that when we care for the neediest, we are caring for Jesus Himself. And in chapter six of the book of Matthew, He tells us to seek His kingdom first, and let Him worry about the rest, like college tuition. Because it's all His anyway.
They said that one day y'all would resent us for using 'your' college money to go and get your sister out of an orphanage in Ethiopia and bring her home to you.
But I know my babies. Even at your tender ages, I know your hearts, and I have already seen you weep for the least of these. I know the prayers I offer up to God that He and not the world would shape the desires of your hearts. I am trusting Him to answer those prayers.
So, sugarbears - I just don't believe those people.
Love,Mommy
Dear Shepherd, Sissy, Maggie and Ikey,
Recently we were told by people whom we love and respect why they oppose our plans to adopt. One of the reasons given was that we would not be able to pay for your college education.
It's true.
You all have college funds - college funds which recently took a terrible hit - but "they" say that by the time you're 18, college will cost anywhere between $200,000 to half a million dollars each. You might as well know now, we won't be covering that. I'm telling you now, babies.
The people said that the day would come when you would look at us with resentment because you had to apply for school loans while many of your friends got a free ride from their parents.
Maybe you will. Maybe you'll resent us. I really hope not. But maybe I should tell y'all now why your dad and I have decided to do what we are doing.
I know you're going to think I am going off topic (I do that a lot) but several years I saw a story on a TV show about how the latest trend was for parents to give their daughters boob jobs for high school graduation (I don't know what they gave their sons.) When interviewing one of the moms, she said, "I just want my daughter to be happy." And as I tossed a throw pillow at the television, this really huge thought occurred to me: I don't want my children to be happy.
My goal as your mom is not your happiness, sugars. In fact, I spend at least half my day making you unhappy. If I had a nickle for every tear that falls in this home on a daily basis, we wouldn't need to worry about college tuition at all.
Happiness is fleeting, sweet babies. That means it doesn't last. It's a quick feeling that comes from a funny movie or a heart shaped lollipop or a really good birthday present. It's great. I love to be happy. But happiness is a reaction that is based on our surroundings. And our surroundings are so very rarely under our control. Even when - especially when - we think they are. So no, I absolutely don't want you to spend your life chasing something that has so little to do with your own abilities. You'll just be constantly frustrated.There are two things I desire for you, precious loves.
There are two things that I spend most of my time as a mother trying cultivate in you. Happiness ain't one of them. (This means, sorry, no boob jobs for you.)
The first is, I want you to be content. Being content is so much different from being happy. Being content is not based on your surroundings. Being content comes from within. Contentment is a spirit of gratitude. It's the choice you make to either be thankful for the things you do have, or to whine about the things you don't have.
Being content and grateful leads to consistent joy.
As you know, because I've told you lots of times, Paul talked about being content. Paul said that he had "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." And Paul was in some rotten situations, kiddos, really rotten.
How could Paul be content whether he was in prison or if his life was literally a shipwreck? Because Paul was constantly seeking to be in the will of God instead of his own, was constantly sacrificing his own comfort for the sake of the gospel, and was constantly being confirmed, strengthened, and blessed by God because of his obedience. He was given a supernatural power - that means something kind of like magic, God magic - to do things that most other humans could not do. And guess what? The bible tells us (in Ephesians 1) that God will give you the exact same power! If you want it!
Which leads me to my second desire for y'all.
I don't want you to be happy. I want you to be holy. That means, I want you to seek that God-power to make you content. I want you to want the Kingdom of God more than your own kingdom. And that's hard, babies, that is so hard. And that usually means passing up a lot of what the world considers happiness. But it means that you will achieve blessings directly from God that most of the world never dreams of because they are too occupied with the achieving the perfect birthday present!
This means you may be poor, 'in want' as Paul said, and that's okay. It will never, ever be okay with the world for you to be poor. So you'll be up against the world. But not your dad and me, loves, because it was never our goal for you to be wealthy - at least not in the way that the world considers wealthy.
Darlings, we love you so much. You will never even grasp how much we love you until you have children of your own, and then you'll get it, and then you'll apologize for the ways you treated us ;) But our goal is not to please you. Our goal is to please our Heavenly Father. And nowhere in the bible does the Lord command that we save our money to send our kids to college.
But the Lord does command us to care for the orphan around fifty times. He does tell us to care for the poor around 300 times. He does tell us that when we care for the neediest, we are caring for Jesus Himself. And in chapter six of the book of Matthew, He tells us to seek His kingdom first, and let Him worry about the rest, like college tuition. Because it's all His anyway.
They said that one day y'all would resent us for using 'your' college money to go and get your sister out of an orphanage in Ethiopia and bring her home to you.
But I know my babies. Even at your tender ages, I know your hearts, and I have already seen you weep for the least of these. I know the prayers I offer up to God that He and not the world would shape the desires of your hearts. I am trusting Him to answer those prayers.
So, sugarbears - I just don't believe those people.
Love,Mommy
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