Today I ran a little errand over to the LifeWay Christian Bookstore. I was on a mission to find a journal for Lauren and I to share. The idea is to have a special journal for just the two of us - a place where I can write her encouragement notes, thoughts, dreams I have for her or verses I come across that I want her to read. And for her to be able to share her heart with me...to write out things that she may be feeling, but has a hard time verbalizing or to tell me things that are going on at school; etc. Now that she is reading and writing so well, I thought this was a perfect time to start. And I'm hoping that once we get into the habit of using it, it will become a great tool to keep the lines of communication open when she heads into the tween/teen years. Plus, it will be fun to look back on when she is older and what a precious keepsake for me to treasure when she leaves the house (sniff)!
I came home with the perfect journal for us - totally girlie with flowers and Proverbs 3:5 printed on the front (one of my favorite verses). I proudly wrote inside: This journal belongs to Kimberly & Lauren Smith. I took it into her room and explained to her what it was for and how it would work - when I write something for her, I will place it on her nightstand. Then, when she has written something for me to read, she puts it on my nightstand. She was very excited about this idea and after I left her room, she promptly wrote the first message: I love you mom. It melted my heart...looking forward to many more "journal conversations"!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Update on Nolan
Thank you so much for your prayers as Nolan underwent his test. I wouldn't say it went "well" because he screamed the whole time - the nurse and I together struggled to hold him down (he's a strong boy!) But, we survived and they were able to get all the pictures they needed.
We had our follow-up appointment (and his 2-year checkup) with our pediatrician on Wednesday - she had good news and bad for us. The good news was that they found no abnormalities or deformities with his esophagus or stomach. The bad news was that they caught pictures of him refluxing. This was after having taken his medicine that morning. So, even on a double dose of Prilosec, he is still suffering.
She said that, unfortunately, this severity of acid reflux isn't outgrown and it is something we will need to manage and medicate for the rest of his life. Which means cutting out the foods that trigger it, like pizza and spaghetti, orange juice and citrus. We were given the option of trying a different medicine that may work better for him, so we might experiment with that to see if it helps more than what he is currently taking.
Even though it is not a serious medical condition, it is still hard to think that your child will be stuck having to take medicine every day for the rest of their lives. It made me sad for him, but at the same time, I know that the doctors don't know everything and that God could still work a miracle and heal him from it someday. So, that is what we are now praying for!!
We had our follow-up appointment (and his 2-year checkup) with our pediatrician on Wednesday - she had good news and bad for us. The good news was that they found no abnormalities or deformities with his esophagus or stomach. The bad news was that they caught pictures of him refluxing. This was after having taken his medicine that morning. So, even on a double dose of Prilosec, he is still suffering.
She said that, unfortunately, this severity of acid reflux isn't outgrown and it is something we will need to manage and medicate for the rest of his life. Which means cutting out the foods that trigger it, like pizza and spaghetti, orange juice and citrus. We were given the option of trying a different medicine that may work better for him, so we might experiment with that to see if it helps more than what he is currently taking.
Even though it is not a serious medical condition, it is still hard to think that your child will be stuck having to take medicine every day for the rest of their lives. It made me sad for him, but at the same time, I know that the doctors don't know everything and that God could still work a miracle and heal him from it someday. So, that is what we are now praying for!!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Our Little Man Turns 2
Hard to believe, isn't it?!? Today we celebrated Nolan's 2nd birthday! I spent most of the day baking, carving and frosting his monster truck cake - I felt like I was on one of those reality cake shows. By the end of the day, I had black and green frosting dried under my finger nails and my skin itself was stained! It didn't turn out perfect, but for doing it on my own without a special cake pan, it was pretty good. And he loved it!! Here are some pictures: 
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Request for Prayer
As most of you know who have been following our blog, Nolan has suffered from some pretty severe acid reflux since birth. He has been on all different kinds of medication for it, but had been doing well on one daily dose of Prilosec...until recently. His sleep patterns have changed, he's not eating as well and points to his chest and says "Owee". A week ago, we increased his dose to twice a day and that has made little to no difference.
So, tomorrow morning at 11:00am (EST), we are taking him to the hospital to have an Upper GI test performed. They had wanted to do this on him when he was an infant and we declined. But, now we are pursuing it in hopes of some answers. He will drink some juice with contrast in it and then they will take x-rays of his chest. It takes about an hour, but the worst part is that he can't eat all morning before the test is performed. So, that will be rough! :( It won't tell us anymore about his acid reflux...but they want to look for abnormalities or deformities in that area to rule it out.
Thankfully, Ryan is able to work from home tomorrow and can be there with me to help. Please pray for our little man - that he handles it all well, that the results of this test will give us peace of mind and show us what steps we need to take next. Thanks so much for your support!!
So, tomorrow morning at 11:00am (EST), we are taking him to the hospital to have an Upper GI test performed. They had wanted to do this on him when he was an infant and we declined. But, now we are pursuing it in hopes of some answers. He will drink some juice with contrast in it and then they will take x-rays of his chest. It takes about an hour, but the worst part is that he can't eat all morning before the test is performed. So, that will be rough! :( It won't tell us anymore about his acid reflux...but they want to look for abnormalities or deformities in that area to rule it out.
Thankfully, Ryan is able to work from home tomorrow and can be there with me to help. Please pray for our little man - that he handles it all well, that the results of this test will give us peace of mind and show us what steps we need to take next. Thanks so much for your support!!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Last Journal Entry
I have been feeling lately like there is always something out there, just beyond my grasp, that I cannot have but that I believe will make me more happy and fulfilled if I could somehow get my hands on it. But I couldn’t, and it left me feeling anxious, empty and depleted. I reach, but I cannot grasp, not just for material things, but for expectations of how my life could or should be.
Through this time of quiet reflection, it has become clear to me that I should have been reaching for God, instead of reaching for happiness. Trying harder to be happy or content will not make me happy and content; trying harder to rest in God and depend upon His grace will. It is a spiritual issue, not a practical one. Contentedness will not come from being more organized, sleeping longer, being a better wife, selling the house or having more time to myself. Contentedness is learned in the process of daily accepting life as God gives it to me, and adjusting my expectations to life’s limitations.
If it is God’s will for me to endure these circumstances, then He is not asking me to do more than I am able (I Corinthians 10:13) and He is not withholding from me anything that I truly need (Philippians 4:19; James 2:2-8). If I choose to, I can learn to be content with the life that God has given to me, whether I have a little or a lot to live it with. What keeps me from being content is not what God is or isn’t supplying. The real problem is that I, Kimberly, have not been adjusting my expectations to life’s limitations—I want more than I can have, ask for more than I need, strive for more than I can do, and expect more than God has promised.
Now, having seen this, I can ask for forgiveness. I can ask for God’s help to break this cycle I’ve been in and to seek Him for the things I need…to find my contentedness in Him alone and to allow Him to change my heart. I am so grateful I had this time away to listen to what He wanted to show me, to rest and “refill my cup” and to realize these important truths. God is a mystery and a healer.
Through this time of quiet reflection, it has become clear to me that I should have been reaching for God, instead of reaching for happiness. Trying harder to be happy or content will not make me happy and content; trying harder to rest in God and depend upon His grace will. It is a spiritual issue, not a practical one. Contentedness will not come from being more organized, sleeping longer, being a better wife, selling the house or having more time to myself. Contentedness is learned in the process of daily accepting life as God gives it to me, and adjusting my expectations to life’s limitations.
If it is God’s will for me to endure these circumstances, then He is not asking me to do more than I am able (I Corinthians 10:13) and He is not withholding from me anything that I truly need (Philippians 4:19; James 2:2-8). If I choose to, I can learn to be content with the life that God has given to me, whether I have a little or a lot to live it with. What keeps me from being content is not what God is or isn’t supplying. The real problem is that I, Kimberly, have not been adjusting my expectations to life’s limitations—I want more than I can have, ask for more than I need, strive for more than I can do, and expect more than God has promised.
Now, having seen this, I can ask for forgiveness. I can ask for God’s help to break this cycle I’ve been in and to seek Him for the things I need…to find my contentedness in Him alone and to allow Him to change my heart. I am so grateful I had this time away to listen to what He wanted to show me, to rest and “refill my cup” and to realize these important truths. God is a mystery and a healer.
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