It is tough wanting to raise your children to know and love the Lord, and wanting your efforts to be completely effective. The impact of conversations that we have had with Charlie, what he has learned from his Sunday school teacher, and from being around some awesome Christian witnesses came to life at bedtime tonight.
I walk in his room to check on him. "I am just talking with God", he says. I snuggle up beside him and he continues, "Mom, I think God made me fall off the merry-go-round and get that battle wound (a bloody knee)." I explained to him that God does not make bad things happen, but that he can make good come from the bad that happens. Attempting to use words that would make sense to my super-smart 5 year old boy's understanding, I asked him if he remembered about how God gave us the choice to follow him all the way back to when he created Adam and Eve. He nodded and continued with a series of questions on why bad things happen, including asking why the devil would choose to do bad while living as an angel in Heaven? Maybe I am partial, but I was very impressed by the questions coming from my soon to be kindergartener.
Next he followed with, "Well, Mom, I know God wants me to choose Heaven. I just know that is what he is saying to me".
Yes, Charlie. That is what he wants for all of us.
For anyone reading this, all that God asks is that we love Him and accept that He sent His son Jesus to die on a cross for us. Whoever believes will have eternal life. It is ours. We must choose it.
God bless.
Kelly
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Saturday, March 6, 2010
A Prenn-cess is Born
Macy Grace Prenn arrived on December 21, 2009. I walked around at 5 cm for 3 weeks, trying my best to be patient regarding her impending arrival. We went to the hospital on the morning of December 21, with mild, but very regular contractions. The doctor had warned me about staying at home since I lived so far. In triage, they found that I was not in "active labor", but that with so much dilation, the doctor was not willing to let me go home.
I was taken to a huge Labor & Delivery room for the 'augmentation' to begin. This is where they help the labor along to get things moving. I got some pitocin and an epidural (yes, that's how I roll). They even have a button now that let's you give yourself more epidural if you need it! Some of my closest family members came to visit and we had fun. I would stop and focus when the contractions came, but otherwise, we just visited and relaxed for about 3 hours. The nurse would come and check me and over this time period, I went from 5 cm to 10 cm and was ready to push!
For those of you that do not know, I pushed for 3 hours and 2 minutes with my darling first child, Charlie. I was expecting a repeat performance and trying to get geared up for this great challenge on my body. Mike sent Dad to get some food, so that he could be fueled up for the long haul. Then, the nurse came and said, "We're gonna have a baby real soon." I did not believe her. I said, "No, I push for along time." She explained that the baby had already moved her way down and was ready to come out. I told her that I really wanted to push. Let's just say, the urge was there. The nurse said I could NOT push until the doctor arrived for fear of having to deliver the baby herself!
Dr. Graves arrived. I began to push at 7:00 pm. Macy Grace Prenn was born at 7:08 pm. Wow.
They put her on my stomach and I fell in love. I soaked up every thought and emotion that I could have about my new baby. Thank you God for the blessing that she is to our family.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Charlie & The Bedtime Routine
I was so proud of my Charlie when we got him a big boy bed just before his 2nd birthday. He always had good sleeping habits, but I wasn't sure what he would do once he found he had freedom from the bars of a crib. For the first month or so, he did awesome. He would ask Daddy if he could go nite nite and crawl up into his bed after giving Mommy a hug and kiss. Then, somebody must have told him that he should start exercising his free will some more!
For the last several weeks, Mike puts him to bed and within 5 minutes, he is up. And he is such a sneak, thinking he is going to get away with something spectacular. He gets up quiet as a mouse, tiptoes to his door, opens it VERY slowly, then thinks about coming into the hall, then actually comes into the hall, and quietly closes his door. Then, he begins to look for us. He spots us, scurries over our way, and smiles the biggest smile you have ever seen, saying "I just woke up." I say, "No, you did not wake up, because you never were asleep!" It is so hard to discipline him, but we must be consistent. We send him back to bed and he repeats this scenario until one or two spankings later, he gives up and stays in his bed.
The other nite I tried to explain to him that if he "really needed something", he could get out of bed and tell me, but otherwise he should stay in bed. Well, that little smarty pants, gets up from his bed, runs out to see me, and I say "why are you out of bed?", he says, "Mommy, I need something." I ask, "What do you need?" He says "I need something."
On a positive note, the last couple of nights have been better, with him only getting up once or twice instead of five times or more. I am praying that we will be rewarded as a result of our consistency in discplining.
Sometimes recently, I have spotted him talking to his Mickey Mouse stuffed animal. He says, "Mickey, get in bed. Close your eyes. I spank you. Don't get up." Hilarious.
For the last several weeks, Mike puts him to bed and within 5 minutes, he is up. And he is such a sneak, thinking he is going to get away with something spectacular. He gets up quiet as a mouse, tiptoes to his door, opens it VERY slowly, then thinks about coming into the hall, then actually comes into the hall, and quietly closes his door. Then, he begins to look for us. He spots us, scurries over our way, and smiles the biggest smile you have ever seen, saying "I just woke up." I say, "No, you did not wake up, because you never were asleep!" It is so hard to discipline him, but we must be consistent. We send him back to bed and he repeats this scenario until one or two spankings later, he gives up and stays in his bed.
The other nite I tried to explain to him that if he "really needed something", he could get out of bed and tell me, but otherwise he should stay in bed. Well, that little smarty pants, gets up from his bed, runs out to see me, and I say "why are you out of bed?", he says, "Mommy, I need something." I ask, "What do you need?" He says "I need something."
On a positive note, the last couple of nights have been better, with him only getting up once or twice instead of five times or more. I am praying that we will be rewarded as a result of our consistency in discplining.
Sometimes recently, I have spotted him talking to his Mickey Mouse stuffed animal. He says, "Mickey, get in bed. Close your eyes. I spank you. Don't get up." Hilarious.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
My DH Regarding: Our DD
My Darling Husband (DH) must have been wanting me to blog about him this week. Let me share two cute stories, that both include him, as he anxiously awaits the arrival of our Darling Daughter (DD):
On Friday night, we were eating dinner at one of our friend's house. I mentioned that being 35 1/2 weeks pregnant and 3 cm dilated, I should probably have my bag packed, but haven't gotten it all together yet (it's on today's to-do list!). Mike didn't skip a beat, he looked around the dinner table and said, "What Kelly doesn't know is that I have had a bag packed for myself and in my truck for the last three days!"
On our way home from visiting with our friends, I began to feel nauseous. This feeling has become common and is happening in conjunction with light contractions. I shared my woes with my DH and he sweetly put his hand on my belly and said, "You know, there is a lot of estrogen in there right now." How considerate coming from the male species!
On Friday night, we were eating dinner at one of our friend's house. I mentioned that being 35 1/2 weeks pregnant and 3 cm dilated, I should probably have my bag packed, but haven't gotten it all together yet (it's on today's to-do list!). Mike didn't skip a beat, he looked around the dinner table and said, "What Kelly doesn't know is that I have had a bag packed for myself and in my truck for the last three days!"
On our way home from visiting with our friends, I began to feel nauseous. This feeling has become common and is happening in conjunction with light contractions. I shared my woes with my DH and he sweetly put his hand on my belly and said, "You know, there is a lot of estrogen in there right now." How considerate coming from the male species!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
In Thanksgiving
Let me begin with Thanksgiving Eve and follow through to Thanksgiving Day as I highlight some of the memorable moments. Please note: when I say memorable, one story touches my heart, one story is wild, and the other is just plain weird. I'll let you decide which story falls into which category. If your family is perfect, you might not understand....I am guessing you will understand.
Who is this man in my bed and what did you do with my husband? It was Thanksgiving Eve 2009. My darling husband Mike and I had just put Charlie to bed and were enjoying some quiet conversation in our bed (let's keep this blog clean, ok?). After a few minutes, we heard our little one stirring in his room, then the pitter patter through the house to our bedroom. Mike scooped him up into bed with us and asked him what was the matter. Then, I heard my husband say something that I NEVER thought would come out of his mouth. He said, "Do you want to sleep with Mommy and Daddy?" Well, of course he did! We have been very careful not to start this habit, with fear of having a child in our bed on a regular basis and not thinking this was an option that we favored. My heart melted as I thought how sweet it was that Daddy and son were having this moment. My mind raced as I imagined this turning into a nightly affair. So, there we were; the three of us snuggled in bed. I love it, but also was longing for the quiet time my husband and I had shared for only a moment. After about fifteen minutes, Charlie started talking and Mike asked if he wanted to go to his bed. He said, "Yes Daddy, I go to my bed please." Amazed, I watched as Daddy took baby to his bed and got him settled. When Mike returned, I said, "Honey, that seemed so out of character for you to ask Charlie if he wanted to sleep with us." His response was that Charlie is just a little extra needy these days and he supposes that it is because a new baby is on the way. My heart melted. I am in thanksgiving for my husband and his love for his child.
You're on Fire! Now we begin Thanksgiving Day with my Mom's side of the family. I usually have the crazy clan over to my house, but being almost 9 months pregnant, I delegated that honor to Mom this year. We hadn't been at her house for more than thirty minutes when I heard Mom ask Uncle Tom to get the sweet potatoes out of the oven and to do it quick. She was afraid that the marshmallows would burn and that would be disaster! He threw on the oven mitts and reached into the oven. Then I heard Mom say in a most high pitched voice, "Tom, you're on fire." The tops of his arms had come in contact with the top coils in the oven and small flames were lighting up his oven mitts and sleeves. He stayed calm, the fire was a non-issue after a few moments, and the big concern was that this was his only good sweater and what would he wear for Christmas. I expect Uncle Tom will be getting some new clothing this Christmas! I am in Thanksgiving that the sweet potatoes were not ruined and Uncle Tom was not hurt.
I Lick My Wounds Let's move on to Uncle Greg. We were having small talk around the table after we had all stuffed ourselves. Uncle Greg decided it was time to show us a small spot that he had on his hand. He explained that the doctor had called it pre-cancerous and that they would watch it over time to determine if it ever needed to be removed. He then went into detail about a day in which he literally watched the spot grow larger right before his eyes. Then, as jaws dropped, he explained that at some point he determined the best course of action would be to lick the spot on his hand. He continued several doses of his magical saliva and said that the spot went back to normal size very soon. He attributes the healing to his process of licking the wound, as I about gag on the tangerine I was trying to eat. We are laughing and staring in disbelief. I am in thanksgiving that I did not truly gag on my tangerine.
My stories end here...or atleast until I venture to visit the other side of the family this weekend. My thanksgiving does not end here. I have so much to be thankful for. It overwhelms me sometimes to think of all of the ways that our God has blessed us. I don't deserve it, but am grateful for it. I want to share it with others. I pray that I can always be in thanksgiving because no matter what, God has given me much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving 2009 to all of my family and friends. May God bless each of you.
Who is this man in my bed and what did you do with my husband? It was Thanksgiving Eve 2009. My darling husband Mike and I had just put Charlie to bed and were enjoying some quiet conversation in our bed (let's keep this blog clean, ok?). After a few minutes, we heard our little one stirring in his room, then the pitter patter through the house to our bedroom. Mike scooped him up into bed with us and asked him what was the matter. Then, I heard my husband say something that I NEVER thought would come out of his mouth. He said, "Do you want to sleep with Mommy and Daddy?" Well, of course he did! We have been very careful not to start this habit, with fear of having a child in our bed on a regular basis and not thinking this was an option that we favored. My heart melted as I thought how sweet it was that Daddy and son were having this moment. My mind raced as I imagined this turning into a nightly affair. So, there we were; the three of us snuggled in bed. I love it, but also was longing for the quiet time my husband and I had shared for only a moment. After about fifteen minutes, Charlie started talking and Mike asked if he wanted to go to his bed. He said, "Yes Daddy, I go to my bed please." Amazed, I watched as Daddy took baby to his bed and got him settled. When Mike returned, I said, "Honey, that seemed so out of character for you to ask Charlie if he wanted to sleep with us." His response was that Charlie is just a little extra needy these days and he supposes that it is because a new baby is on the way. My heart melted. I am in thanksgiving for my husband and his love for his child.
You're on Fire! Now we begin Thanksgiving Day with my Mom's side of the family. I usually have the crazy clan over to my house, but being almost 9 months pregnant, I delegated that honor to Mom this year. We hadn't been at her house for more than thirty minutes when I heard Mom ask Uncle Tom to get the sweet potatoes out of the oven and to do it quick. She was afraid that the marshmallows would burn and that would be disaster! He threw on the oven mitts and reached into the oven. Then I heard Mom say in a most high pitched voice, "Tom, you're on fire." The tops of his arms had come in contact with the top coils in the oven and small flames were lighting up his oven mitts and sleeves. He stayed calm, the fire was a non-issue after a few moments, and the big concern was that this was his only good sweater and what would he wear for Christmas. I expect Uncle Tom will be getting some new clothing this Christmas! I am in Thanksgiving that the sweet potatoes were not ruined and Uncle Tom was not hurt.
I Lick My Wounds Let's move on to Uncle Greg. We were having small talk around the table after we had all stuffed ourselves. Uncle Greg decided it was time to show us a small spot that he had on his hand. He explained that the doctor had called it pre-cancerous and that they would watch it over time to determine if it ever needed to be removed. He then went into detail about a day in which he literally watched the spot grow larger right before his eyes. Then, as jaws dropped, he explained that at some point he determined the best course of action would be to lick the spot on his hand. He continued several doses of his magical saliva and said that the spot went back to normal size very soon. He attributes the healing to his process of licking the wound, as I about gag on the tangerine I was trying to eat. We are laughing and staring in disbelief. I am in thanksgiving that I did not truly gag on my tangerine.
My stories end here...or atleast until I venture to visit the other side of the family this weekend. My thanksgiving does not end here. I have so much to be thankful for. It overwhelms me sometimes to think of all of the ways that our God has blessed us. I don't deserve it, but am grateful for it. I want to share it with others. I pray that I can always be in thanksgiving because no matter what, God has given me much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving 2009 to all of my family and friends. May God bless each of you.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A Mommy's Boy (for now at least)
Charlie (age 2) has become super "into" Mommy lately and I love it. He still has his Daddy moments, but a few instances lately were all about Mommy and worthy of writing down.
Mommy's Hair Clip
He is obsessed with the small clip that I put in my hair everyday to hold the sides up. It is like he has a radar that spots it and retrieves it. Charlie will start running circles around me saying "Mommy's Hair Clip, can't reach it, need mommy's hair clip!" It won't do until he gets a hold of that clip, pulls it from my hair, and then runs and hides it. This game entertains him for longer than I will ever understand. After hiding it, he runs over to me and teases me about my hair clip, saying, "where's your hair clip Mommy?" with his most proud and mischievous little grin.
Makeup Time
Some mornings recently I have been sitting at my bathroom makeup counter, when a little man decides to join the scene. And of course he must be in my lap. I sit him up on the counter and he immediately wants to join in the makeup fun. Before we are done, he has lotion everywhere, a little foundation and blush on his cheeks, and the chap stick has been digested. It is so cute to see him wanting to do whatever Mommy does and then of course we wash it off before we are done as we wonder what Daddy would think. Last time, Daddy came in and didn't say a word...maybe finger nail polish would be the thing to put him over the edge!
Bath Time
I am guessing the days are about to end when Charlie and I take a bath together, but for the moment, we are still enjoying this time together. A bath full of bubbles, toys, Charlie, and Mommy makes for a fun time. This weekend was especially memorable for me because after I got Charlie all clean, I asked him if he would wash my back. I imagined this being a joke, but then experienced otherwise. Charlie carefully put the liquid soap onto his little hands and then maneuvered his way around to the back of me. Then, he did little circular motions with his sweet hands all over my back for at least five minutes, which is like an eternity for my little one. He was so content on doing a good job, he even requested more soap before the job was complete. Then, he spotted Mommy's hair clip and the moment was over!
Thank you Lord for my sweet boy and these amazing memories!
Mommy's Hair Clip
He is obsessed with the small clip that I put in my hair everyday to hold the sides up. It is like he has a radar that spots it and retrieves it. Charlie will start running circles around me saying "Mommy's Hair Clip, can't reach it, need mommy's hair clip!" It won't do until he gets a hold of that clip, pulls it from my hair, and then runs and hides it. This game entertains him for longer than I will ever understand. After hiding it, he runs over to me and teases me about my hair clip, saying, "where's your hair clip Mommy?" with his most proud and mischievous little grin.
Makeup Time
Some mornings recently I have been sitting at my bathroom makeup counter, when a little man decides to join the scene. And of course he must be in my lap. I sit him up on the counter and he immediately wants to join in the makeup fun. Before we are done, he has lotion everywhere, a little foundation and blush on his cheeks, and the chap stick has been digested. It is so cute to see him wanting to do whatever Mommy does and then of course we wash it off before we are done as we wonder what Daddy would think. Last time, Daddy came in and didn't say a word...maybe finger nail polish would be the thing to put him over the edge!
Bath Time
I am guessing the days are about to end when Charlie and I take a bath together, but for the moment, we are still enjoying this time together. A bath full of bubbles, toys, Charlie, and Mommy makes for a fun time. This weekend was especially memorable for me because after I got Charlie all clean, I asked him if he would wash my back. I imagined this being a joke, but then experienced otherwise. Charlie carefully put the liquid soap onto his little hands and then maneuvered his way around to the back of me. Then, he did little circular motions with his sweet hands all over my back for at least five minutes, which is like an eternity for my little one. He was so content on doing a good job, he even requested more soap before the job was complete. Then, he spotted Mommy's hair clip and the moment was over!
Thank you Lord for my sweet boy and these amazing memories!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
My Trip to the ER
Last Tuesday night, I took Charlie to Gram & Pop's house for a sleepover. I came home and went to bed. Little did I know how good it would be that our little one was with his grandparents that night. Around 1AM, I woke up with an upset stomach. I dealt with that "fun" for a bit and then fell asleep on the couch. I woke up again around 3am, with a terrible itch on my right foot. Within 5 minutes, my hands and feet were very swollen and I was shaking with chills. I immediately thought that it was pregnancy related and called my OB. She listened to my woes and proceeded to tell me that she had no clue what had occurred and that I should go to the ER. Mike helped me get dressed. I went to the ER in hot pink slippers that are 3 sizes to big, Mike's checkered pajama pants, a Notre Dame hoodie, and no glasses (I forgot). While I was at the ER, I developed hives all over my body. The doctor wanted to give me an IV of fluids since I had recently had the upset stomach. Next, he gave me Benadryl through the IV and let us know that it would make me very sleepy and that if it did not take care of the hives, he wanted to give me a steroid. I told him that he must call my OB and get her permission for what to do next. He did so, and she said to give me the steroid. I was rather loopy from the Benadryl. I remember realizing that my almost 8 months pregnant belly was sticking out from my shirt, but I did not care. Mike must have thought I was a hoot, laying there saying all sorts of things. The Benadryl did not work and the steroid was needed. The worst part is that we had no idea what caused the allergic reaction. I had recently gotten an H1N1 vaccination, but there was too much time in between getting the shot and having a reaction. My OB wanted me to be cautious though, telling me to avoid eggs for awhile and get with my allergist. The next night, my foot started itching again in that same spot prior to the swelling. I started looking more closely and realized I had a "bite" on the bottom of my foot. It all began to make sense. I had a moderate reaction a few months back to some "bites" on my body. The allergist explained that when you have a reaction the first time, you can expect a more severe reaction the next time. So, we are trying to rid the house of any of those pesky spiders. I am carrying my Epi-pen with me all of the time, in case of another allergic reaction (only to be used if I have trouble breathing). I am allowed to eat eggs again. The Prenn-cess and I are doing fine. She is due in around 9 weeks. I am thanking God for taking care of us through this ordeal. It was not a fun experience and I don't really like to think about the fact that it could happen again, but we have much to be thankful for. I must make special mention of Mike. He was such a blessing to me. He watched over me at the hospital, helped me go to the bathroom (I couldn't even pull down my pants with my swollen hands!), and made me feel comforted right when I needed him. Thank you God for my husband.
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