My last official blog post was January 2011...and here we are in 2015. Over four years have passed since my last post...where has the time gone? An even more telling question is "Do you know why I quit after only a couple posts?"
Here's why: I wasn't getting enough attention. Sad but true...and thus began my enslavement to Facebook, where gratification is instant. Whenever I needed my ego stroked, I just clicked on the Facebook icon on my phone, typed out something self-centered and clicked post.
If I could count the number of hours I wasted on Facebook in Lilly's lifetime, I would be ashamed of myself. I AM ashamed of myself. How many times was I trolling my News Feed when I could have been playing with my sweet daughter or simply talking to my husband?
I am very much an old school kind of girl. I still send letters and cards through the mail but I couldn't tell you the last time I actually dialed a friend's phone number and just called to chat. That's what Facebook messenger is for, right?
One thing you will learn about me is that my world is black and white. I sometimes see in color but in my mind it's either you give all or none at all.
I speak for myself here. How God is leading me is not how He is leading you. Is Facebook in itself evil? Not at all. When anything takes God's place in my heart, then that's where the trouble starts.
I have purposed in my heart that I am not going to be influenced by this world. I have a little girl who needs the special attention of her Mama. I have a husband who needs an effective helpmeet. I have 88 students to win for the cause of Christ. I don't have time for distractions.
If you're still reading, pray for me and my resolve to uphold decisions I have made this week.
Until next time...
Tomma
Friday, August 21, 2015
Friday, January 14, 2011
The Magic of Mama
I never was the type to be comfortable around infants. I was afraid of hurting them or not being able to soothe them when upset. I remember working in the church nursery, holding a crying baby. I tried whispering to her, rocking her...all to no avail. The baby's mother was summoned and once she graced the door of the nursery, her child immediately was at ease. It beat all I'd ever seen! I couldn't understand that kind of power until I had a little one of my own.
Mothers seem to have a kind of "magic" when it comes to consoling their children. I don't really like to use the word "magic" because it is really a gift given to women by their Creator...but as a young woman, the power of a mother was always magical to me. When Lilly was born, I was amazed that she just seemed to know who her Mom was. I kind of chalked it up to my being a warm body but there have been times when no other warm body would do except for my own. She was only a view days old when she would turn her head in the direction of my voice. My fear of infants vanished the minute Lilly arrived...I just knew what to do. As Lilly and I became better acquainted, I was able to decipher her cries to better serve her. As her Mom, that's what I do :)
There are times when I wish this Mommy magic could erase the pain out of Lilly's life...her pain is now my own and I think I feel it ten times worse than she does. I couldn't bear watching her suffer at the ER when the nurses stuck her time after time. As her tear filled eyes gazed into mine, I knew she was saying "Mommy, take this away" and it hurt me knowing that I couldn't. All I could do was cry with her and hold her close when it was all over. I get teary just thinking about it...
If you have read this far, you are probably wondering what sparked this edition of "Adventures in Motherhood." Lilly had a restless night and the only way she would sleep soundly was to be next to me. If I moved, she moved. If I slept, she slept. Mommy magic. Those moments don't come often but I cherish them when they do. I imagine her in the years to come, running to my bed when she can't sleep or is afraid. I'll cherish those moments too because I know they won't last. Instead of dreading Lilly growing up, I take each moment as it comes and savor it. I am so blessed to call her mine!
Mothers seem to have a kind of "magic" when it comes to consoling their children. I don't really like to use the word "magic" because it is really a gift given to women by their Creator...but as a young woman, the power of a mother was always magical to me. When Lilly was born, I was amazed that she just seemed to know who her Mom was. I kind of chalked it up to my being a warm body but there have been times when no other warm body would do except for my own. She was only a view days old when she would turn her head in the direction of my voice. My fear of infants vanished the minute Lilly arrived...I just knew what to do. As Lilly and I became better acquainted, I was able to decipher her cries to better serve her. As her Mom, that's what I do :)
There are times when I wish this Mommy magic could erase the pain out of Lilly's life...her pain is now my own and I think I feel it ten times worse than she does. I couldn't bear watching her suffer at the ER when the nurses stuck her time after time. As her tear filled eyes gazed into mine, I knew she was saying "Mommy, take this away" and it hurt me knowing that I couldn't. All I could do was cry with her and hold her close when it was all over. I get teary just thinking about it...
If you have read this far, you are probably wondering what sparked this edition of "Adventures in Motherhood." Lilly had a restless night and the only way she would sleep soundly was to be next to me. If I moved, she moved. If I slept, she slept. Mommy magic. Those moments don't come often but I cherish them when they do. I imagine her in the years to come, running to my bed when she can't sleep or is afraid. I'll cherish those moments too because I know they won't last. Instead of dreading Lilly growing up, I take each moment as it comes and savor it. I am so blessed to call her mine!
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Year of Lilly
As 2010 draws to a close, I still can't believe how blessed this year has been...and it all began with one word "Yes." Who knew that one simple word could mean so much? "Yes" you're pregnant! "Yes" there's a life inside of you that you're now responsible for. "Yes" life as you knew it is over...So many thoughts ran through my mind that afternoon of January 3rd. I had prayed for this event for three and a half years and finally it was here!!!!!! I'm a Mom! And the excitement began...Here's a recap of the Year of Lilly.
January 3...the day our lives changed forever...I'm pregnant!
November 18...Lilly is admitted to CHKD for 2 weeks to treat a blood infection. Lilly celebrated her first Thanksgiving in the hospital but God showed us just how faithful He is!
December 25...Lilly celebrated her first Christmas!
January 3...the day our lives changed forever...I'm pregnant!
January 28...Dave and I saw Lilly for the first time...she had a name before we knew if Lilly was really a "she" ;-) I just KNEW I was having a girl! Lilly's due date was projected to be September 18, 2010.
April 30...IT'S A GIRL!!!
June 5...We see Lilly in 3D/4D. What an amazing thing this was! We were able to see her quite a bit in 3D because she never would cooperate...she was always stuck to her placenta!
We were so blessed to have FIVE celebrations in Lilly's honor throughout the year!
September 17...the day we ALL had waited for...Lilly's arrival! After countless hours of laboring at home and 8 hours of labor at the hospital, Lilly Ann made her debut at 3:09 pm! And one day before her predicted due date!
December 25...Lilly celebrated her first Christmas!
So, there you have it...the highlights of Lilly's first year. What will Lilly's second year hold? More excitement, for sure!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Through the Storm
As I sit here writing this post, I am in a place I thought I'd never have to be with Lilly...the hospital. I look back over the past couple of days and wonder how we got here...should I have known something was wrong sooner? I push these thoughts aside knowing nothing happens unless it passes through the hands of my Lilly's Creator. All of this is for His glory :)
So, how did we end up here? Here's the story:
Lilly had been fussy and not quite herself since Monday but we figured she was going through a growth spurt. Wednesday was the peak of her fussiness and I was becoming concerned. Early Thursday morning at 2 am I noticed Lilly felt really warm so I took her temperature and it was 102.5. Dave went to Walgreen's for some Tylenol. I ended up calling the triage nurse because the box did not give a dosage amount and she told us to come to the ER at CHKD because of her fever.
Thankfully, the waiting room at CHKD was empty and we got right in. Lilly's fever had broken by the time we arrived and much to my delight it has never come back :) I'm not sure how long during the night Lilly had had the fever but I'm so glad I caught it at the spike or we may not have come to the ER. So, after a urinalysis and blood culture we learned that Lilly had a UTI. Her pediatrician said it would be okay to treat her at home on oral antibiotics since we they had caught it early. We were home by 8 am :)
Later Thursday evening, I went to Walgreen's to pick up a few things and when I got home, Dave came to the car and told me the doctor from the ER had called and we had to take Lilly back. If I'd known what we were in for once we got there, I would've prayed for more strength...
This time the ER waiting room was maxed out but we got right in with Lilly. After the ER pediatrician spoke with Lilly's pediatrician, it was decided that Lilly would have to be admitted and be on i.v. antibiotics. Then the nightmare began when they couldn't get the i.v. in...in all, Lilly was stuck 6 times before there was success. I didn't know that there was an actual professional person who could do it better than the people that had been sent in (we went through 2 people before the vascular specialist was called...had I known any of this, Lilly wouldn't have been stuck until the pro had been called...). After the 4th attempt, everything within me collapsed and I just cried right along with my baby. My heart just hurt so bad for her because she is just so little and fragile and people just didn't seem to care that she just might need a specialist to get her iv started.
We were told that there were no more rooms available and that we'd have to stay in the ER but thankfully a semi-private room opened up for us. The nurse said she didn't know Who we were praying to but Someone was watching out for us :)By that time it was 11 pm and we were informed by the nurses that two more blood cultures had been ordered, which meant more sticking. The nurses were able to get blood during the first round but were not successful the second round. Nana and I just broke down and cried and the nurses called off the second blood culture. Thankfully, Lilly's cultures have come back negative so she hasn't needed another one. Although her i.v. fell out last night, the same lady put in another one without too much trouble.
Even though Lilly's blood cultures are negative thus far, she will have to stay at least 10-14 days in order to get the full round of i.v. antibiotics because she is so young. Better to be safe than sorry but I hate for her to be here that long...
On the bright side, we have had excellent nurses and clinicians taking care of Lilly and everyone who comes in just loves her :) They had heard what a horrible night we'd had Thursday and said if any sticking had to be done, the vascular specialists would be called :) Lilly is in excellent spirits and is back to her old smiley, giggly self.
Because I am a pensive individual, I can't help but think about the past couple of days and how fortunate we were to get Lilly in the ER when we did. I give all the glory to God because He allowed me to catch her fever at the right time and has given her doctors wisdom to use caution in this situation. Even though my nerves have been stretched to the limit, I know that my God will see me through everything He allows :) Lilly will not remember any of this in years to come, but I will tell her the story of how her faithful Creator had His hand over her little life and over her parents as well :)
To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
So, how did we end up here? Here's the story:
Lilly had been fussy and not quite herself since Monday but we figured she was going through a growth spurt. Wednesday was the peak of her fussiness and I was becoming concerned. Early Thursday morning at 2 am I noticed Lilly felt really warm so I took her temperature and it was 102.5. Dave went to Walgreen's for some Tylenol. I ended up calling the triage nurse because the box did not give a dosage amount and she told us to come to the ER at CHKD because of her fever.
Thankfully, the waiting room at CHKD was empty and we got right in. Lilly's fever had broken by the time we arrived and much to my delight it has never come back :) I'm not sure how long during the night Lilly had had the fever but I'm so glad I caught it at the spike or we may not have come to the ER. So, after a urinalysis and blood culture we learned that Lilly had a UTI. Her pediatrician said it would be okay to treat her at home on oral antibiotics since we they had caught it early. We were home by 8 am :)
Later Thursday evening, I went to Walgreen's to pick up a few things and when I got home, Dave came to the car and told me the doctor from the ER had called and we had to take Lilly back. If I'd known what we were in for once we got there, I would've prayed for more strength...
This time the ER waiting room was maxed out but we got right in with Lilly. After the ER pediatrician spoke with Lilly's pediatrician, it was decided that Lilly would have to be admitted and be on i.v. antibiotics. Then the nightmare began when they couldn't get the i.v. in...in all, Lilly was stuck 6 times before there was success. I didn't know that there was an actual professional person who could do it better than the people that had been sent in (we went through 2 people before the vascular specialist was called...had I known any of this, Lilly wouldn't have been stuck until the pro had been called...). After the 4th attempt, everything within me collapsed and I just cried right along with my baby. My heart just hurt so bad for her because she is just so little and fragile and people just didn't seem to care that she just might need a specialist to get her iv started.
We were told that there were no more rooms available and that we'd have to stay in the ER but thankfully a semi-private room opened up for us. The nurse said she didn't know Who we were praying to but Someone was watching out for us :)By that time it was 11 pm and we were informed by the nurses that two more blood cultures had been ordered, which meant more sticking. The nurses were able to get blood during the first round but were not successful the second round. Nana and I just broke down and cried and the nurses called off the second blood culture. Thankfully, Lilly's cultures have come back negative so she hasn't needed another one. Although her i.v. fell out last night, the same lady put in another one without too much trouble.
Even though Lilly's blood cultures are negative thus far, she will have to stay at least 10-14 days in order to get the full round of i.v. antibiotics because she is so young. Better to be safe than sorry but I hate for her to be here that long...
On the bright side, we have had excellent nurses and clinicians taking care of Lilly and everyone who comes in just loves her :) They had heard what a horrible night we'd had Thursday and said if any sticking had to be done, the vascular specialists would be called :) Lilly is in excellent spirits and is back to her old smiley, giggly self.
Because I am a pensive individual, I can't help but think about the past couple of days and how fortunate we were to get Lilly in the ER when we did. I give all the glory to God because He allowed me to catch her fever at the right time and has given her doctors wisdom to use caution in this situation. Even though my nerves have been stretched to the limit, I know that my God will see me through everything He allows :) Lilly will not remember any of this in years to come, but I will tell her the story of how her faithful Creator had His hand over her little life and over her parents as well :)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Love and Marriage
I'm not quite sure what possessed me to start a project that I really don't have time for, like blogging, but here goes...
Every story has a beginning and mine is exceptionally unique :) My adventures in motherhood began with a man named David. Our adventure began before we even officially met. We happened to see each other in a Mexican restaurant that both of us frequented quite a bit. Dave was there one Sunday afternoon in 2006 (sometime before May...just don't recall the exact month) eating with mutual friends when he saw me walking in the door. According to him, this gorgeous lady rounded the corner and he was transfixed by her beauty. As this beauty walked to her table, she stopped to talk to the friends he was eating with. He was surprised to find that his friends were her friends too! Although no introductions were made that day, Dave was sure the pretty lady had to be taken so he didn't ask about her. I noticed him too and wondered who he was but didn't think much about him after seeing him because I'm pretty sure I was fed up with men at that point and was ready to be single for the rest of my life :)
Fast forward a month or two to May when these mutual friends asked if I was seeing anybody. I said "no." They said, "We have someone we'd like you to meet." I said, "Okay." But I somehow thought this guy was going to be a big dork, so I put off meeting him (I'm bad, I know). I delayed the meeting until May 21, 2006. The four of us met up at the same Mexican restaurant where Dave and I had seen each other before. Dave said he didn't remember what I looked like but only knew that I had been gorgeous :) Not only was the pretty lady he had seen a few months before his date, she seemed excited to see him too :) Our friends inhaled their food (so it seemed) and left us to ourselves. Much to Dave's surprise, I suggested getting dessert at Bruster's but we ended up at Dairy Queen. The more time we spent together, the more I knew that this guy was different. I discovered that he and I were so much alike that I thought to myself "this is what it must be like to hang out with me." :)
To make a long story a little bit shorter, Dave and I were pretty much inseparable after that first date. We were engaged on his birthday just two weeks later and we were married two months later on August 19 :) Fast forward three and a half years to January 3, 2010 when we discovered that we were expecting an addition to our family. And so it began...the adventure of a lifetime :)
Every story has a beginning and mine is exceptionally unique :) My adventures in motherhood began with a man named David. Our adventure began before we even officially met. We happened to see each other in a Mexican restaurant that both of us frequented quite a bit. Dave was there one Sunday afternoon in 2006 (sometime before May...just don't recall the exact month) eating with mutual friends when he saw me walking in the door. According to him, this gorgeous lady rounded the corner and he was transfixed by her beauty. As this beauty walked to her table, she stopped to talk to the friends he was eating with. He was surprised to find that his friends were her friends too! Although no introductions were made that day, Dave was sure the pretty lady had to be taken so he didn't ask about her. I noticed him too and wondered who he was but didn't think much about him after seeing him because I'm pretty sure I was fed up with men at that point and was ready to be single for the rest of my life :)
Fast forward a month or two to May when these mutual friends asked if I was seeing anybody. I said "no." They said, "We have someone we'd like you to meet." I said, "Okay." But I somehow thought this guy was going to be a big dork, so I put off meeting him (I'm bad, I know). I delayed the meeting until May 21, 2006. The four of us met up at the same Mexican restaurant where Dave and I had seen each other before. Dave said he didn't remember what I looked like but only knew that I had been gorgeous :) Not only was the pretty lady he had seen a few months before his date, she seemed excited to see him too :) Our friends inhaled their food (so it seemed) and left us to ourselves. Much to Dave's surprise, I suggested getting dessert at Bruster's but we ended up at Dairy Queen. The more time we spent together, the more I knew that this guy was different. I discovered that he and I were so much alike that I thought to myself "this is what it must be like to hang out with me." :)
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