Death to Dental Phobia

Do you know anyone who loves going to the dentist? I don’t, and I bet if you did a poll most people would not list going to the dentist among their favorite things to do. However, we all know that it is an important thing that must be done.

I cannot ever remember a time when I didn’t hate going to the dentist, but I can remember the exact moment when my dental phobia began. It happened when I was around six years old. I went to the dentist and ended up having one of my baby teeth pulled. My mom was not allowed to be in the room with me, they had to hold me down, and through my screams they came at me with pliers that looked like they came straight out of some mechanic’s toolbox. Against my will and with me fighting tooth and nail (see what I did there) they pulled my tooth. I was petrified, and that is where things started going south for me in the dental department. Now along with the emotional baggage associated with that awful mess, add on the fact that I have extremely sensitive teeth and gums, and I am apparently genetically predisposed to getting cavities (thanks mom and dad), and you have a recipe for disaster.

I have hopped around from dentist to dentist for a long time, and as time has gone on my dental phobia has only gotten worse. I was always searching for that elusive dentist who would treat me with respect while also treating me like the biggest baby and understanding my needs without making me feel silly or downplaying my fears when it comes to dental care. I've tried older dentists, women dentists, younger dentists, and I'd even try a dentist in monkey suit if I thought that would help. But y’all, I think I finally found the dentist for me!

After avoiding the dentist for 3 years (even though I was paying $45 a month for dental insurance...insert eye roll here) I finally mustered up the courage to put on my big girl panties and go in for a cleaning. However, since I hadn’t been in so long I had to do an initial consultation, and even though I knew the dentist wouldn’t do anything but look at my teeth my stomach was in knots on the way to the office. My mind was racing: “I know my teeth need work. This is going to cost a fortune. This is going to hurt. This is going to be embarrassing when they see how my teeth look. They might think I’m a nasty person.  What if my breath is funky even though I brushed my teeth? What if my armpits get all sweaty, and it shows through my shirt? They are going to think I’m a crazy person when I cry. Why didn’t I wear the waterproof mascara? Why do I have to have such crappy teeth? Maybe I should just go back home….” Despite my thoughts I pressed on.

When I finally got to meet the dentist I was amazed at how kind he was. I warned him that I would probably cry, and I told him to try not to take it personally. He joked around with me a little and truly spent some time getting to know me and sharing a little about himself before he got down to business. By the time he got to the part where he looked at my teeth I felt totally at ease. It was almost like an old friend was checking for some food stuck in my teeth. I didn’t even cry! This was a MAJOR milestone for me! I usually start crying and having trouble breathing the minute the dental chair lays back.  

Unfortunately, I can’t say I didn’t cry at all, because I did cry when he was done looking at my teeth. When he sat me up in the chair and began explaining what he thought needed to be done first, and he mentioned the words “possible root canal” I lost it. I always said I’d never get a root canal, but that I’d opt for extraction instead. He talked me out of that, and I’m thankful. Again he was able to set my mind at ease.

You might be wondering what exactly he did that made such an impression on me that I felt compelled to write a blog post about it. Well here it is:

• He treated me like a real person rather than just some patient who was to be shuffled in and out. He spent time talking to me, and we really didn’t even talk that much about why I’m scared to death of the dentist, but by the end of our conversation I felt like he understood.

• He complimented my teeth. Now he could’ve just been lying, but he said something to the effect of, “Your teeth are beautiful. You need to stop saying they are terrible.” That was huge. I feel like my teeth are awful, so that really made me feel less embarrassed.

• He used humor, and it was obvious that he was passionate about his job and doing a good job. He even took a picture with me! Yes...I had to document this moment! 

I can't believe I did it!!!

• He gave me choices. When we were discussing the treatment plan he explained that his goal was to give me the best care possible within the parameters that made me comfortable. That was novel. I’ve always felt very pressured to get this or that done immediately when I go to the dentist. He understood that some people are okay with having teeth that need work and not getting the work done until the tooth starts hurting. He explained that approach wasn’t the one he would choose for his patients, but he would support me and provide the best care for me if that’s what I chose. No dentist has ever told me that. NEVER. Not a single one.

• He had evidence to back up his claims that my teeth need work. The dental assistant took pictures of my teeth, and I was able to clearly see exactly what they were talking about when they said my old filling was cracked or my tooth was chipped. This was also huge for me, because I have trust issues with the dentist. In any other healthcare setting the patient tells the doctor what’s wrong and the doctor finds the solution to the problem. But often at the dentist you go in thinking all is well and suddenly you need to fork out $1200 for a crown. I have issue with that. If my tooth was not even hurting why would I want to spend that much money on it? How would I even know it really had a problem? However, on this day I was able to see for myself.

• He was truly concerned about me. How do I know that? Well, how many dentists do you know that PERSONALLY call their patients at 6:30 in the evening? Y’all he called me to make sure I was doing okay and to tell me he was proud of me for overcoming my fear and coming to the dentist. Wow!!! How cool is that? I can’t promise you that you’ll get a personal phone call if you go visit him, but I know you’ll leave his chair knowing that he cares about you.

So, I am happy, as crazy as that sounds, to say that I have scheduled phase one of my dental treatment. I will be getting nitrous and conscious sedation, so I am not even stressing out about getting the work done.

If you are scared to go to the dentist I strongly encourage you to give Dr. Whitworth at Winterville Dental a chance. So far, I give him two thumbs waaaaaay up! I’ll get back to you in October after phase one is complete, and let you know how it all went.

Facebook Intervention

It all started back at the end of December when this little thing popped up on my newsfeed. This innocuous looking video about my year. A nice little trip down memory lane...or so I thought.

Facebook Year in Review Video

You see, I did enjoy my year, and I enjoyed seeing highlights from it. However, my stomach started knotting up when I saw that in a matter of 365 days I had "liked" 9,758 things on Facebook. Yes. NINE THOUSAND things!!!! I quickly picked my jaw up off the floor and popped up the calculator on my phone. Some quick math revealed that I had liked an average of about 27 things each day in the year 2016. Y'all...twenty. seven. things. each. day!!!

I was disgusted with myself. I realized that I had a problem. I thought, "Oh my gosh. I am addicted to Facebook." Then I thought, "No I'm not....let me google addiction...I'm sure I'm not technically addicted." My search turned up the following:

addicted

 (əˈdɪktɪd) 

adj

1. dependent on a substance, esp a narcotic drug

2. devoted to a particular activity or thing, to the extent that one does it or has it as much as possible

So there it was in plain writing. Sadly I had to admit that definition number two described my behavior perfectly. I began thinking of all the time I had wasted on Facebook throughout the the year. Time that I didn't even realize I was wasting. Yet here were the numbers glaring at me while some nice music played in the background. How much sleep had I lost because I wasted time scrolling on Facebook instead of going to bed? How much stress had I needlessly added to my life by scrolling on Facebook instead of planning for the next day, doing the laundry, doing the dishes? And most importantly and most heartbreaking was this....how had my addiction affected my relationships with my family and with God? How much of my daughter's lives had I missed out on each day while I "liked" those 27 things? Because if I'm being truly honest here...I didn't always wait until they were in bed to scroll through Facebook. How often could I have been more engaged with my husband instead of scrolling through Facebook? How often could I have spent time in prayer and reading God's word instead of scrolling through Facebook?

I realized I wanted to do something to make things different in 2017, but I didn't know what exactly to do. Deleting my Facebook account would be the easy answer, but I knew I didn't want to get off of Facebook completely because I enjoy being able to have a digital scrapbook so to speak, and I enjoy seeing what my friends are up to and sharing in the joys of their lives. I just needed some sort of way to get control over my habit. I was racking my brain for a solution, and I decided to turn off all the notifications on my Facebook App in hopes that it would help. And I vowed to myself that I wouldn't go on Facebook as much. I'll let you guess well that worked.

Eventually through lots of conversations about my problem with lots of different people I came up with a solution. I deleted the Facebook App off of my phone. I still have my account; however, it takes a conscious, concerted, and purposeful effort on my part to log in and look at things on Facebook. I have no more dinging reminders, notifications, or red circles on top of the app icon beckoning me to come and see what kinds of comments people have posted on my pictures or how many likes I have on my status. Not that I don't enjoy seeing the comments or likes, but sadly I don't have the self control it takes to look quickly and leave.


So why does this matter? Why did I waste time to write a blog about it? Because I wanted to share my story in hopes that it might help someone else who doesn't even realize how much Facebook is making them miss out on life. Maybe that someone is you. Maybe not, but I challenge you to take a look at the way you use your time. It might not be Facebook at all. Maybe there is something else in your life that is a "time suck." Is there something that causes you to waste hours and hours of your life while offering very little in return? If so, do something about it. Make a plan and stick to it. I promise you'll be amazed at the difference you see in your life.

This past weekend marks the second week I've been without Facebook on my phone. I've only been on the actual Facebook website twice in two weeks, and it has been such a freeing experience. It's sad to say, but Facebook had such a strong grip on me that I had become a slave to the notifications. I tried turning off all the dings and all of the notifications before I finally the deleted the app, but just seeing the red circle on top of the app icon with the number of notifications I had was drawing me to the app like a moth to a flame. Not feeling that pressure to see what was going on has been great. Really, you should give it a try.


My first step was admitting that I had a problem. Then I came up with a solution. Now I am basking in the joy of my success. These days when I want to post pictures or share things to Facebook I do it through Instagram. I'm not sure why, but Instagram doesn't have the same effect on me that Facebook does. I can take it or leave it. I can go on to post a picture and leave without a problem.  It doesn't suck me in causing me to suddenly look up from my phone and realize that 45 minutes of my life have passed. I do still go on Facebook, but only once a week on the weekend after my girls are asleep. I thought that I'd eagerly anticipate that one day each week when I allow myself to go on Facebook, but I've found that I don't miss it nearly as much as I thought I would. I'd say my personal Facebook intervention was a success.

On Becoming Big

October 12^th was a big day in our family. After many, many years of begging us and praying to God for a baby Azalee’s dream came true. She became a big sister. To say she was excited would be a major understatement. The look on her face the first time she saw her baby sister was one of sheer joy. As we promised her, she was the third person to hold Arabella after she was born – only after mommy and daddy. And she was the one who announced her name to everyone in the room. She felt so important and special and included – just the way we wanted her to feel! She was on cloud nine! It was perfect, and I was hopeful that her excitement would not be replaced by jealousy.

Sisters Meeting for the First Time

When we came home from the hospital I really began to worry about how she would handle this new way of life. After all, for the past five years she was the ONLY grandchild on my side of the family and our ONLY child. We have been pretty inseparable since the day she was born. The child won’t even spend the night with grandparents. However, she adapted to her new role as big sister like a champ. She is oh so helpful…no really. I don’t know how I made it without a big sister to help me when she was born! She is so sweet and loving to her little sister, and seeing them together makes my heart happy. I am hopeful that they will grow up and share a wonderful friendship. Sure there have been moments where she has lamented the fact that we don’t get to spend as much time together, and there was that one time when she cried and said, “I just need to have you to myself for a while mommy.” (That was pretty gut wrenching.) But for the most part she has adjusted very well and is doing awesome. I have tried really hard to spend as much time with her as possible, and I am trying to do things as close as possible to the way I did them before Arabella joined our family.

My Mini Me

One of the things that was a daily routine for us was bath time. Azalee has been taking showers for several months now, but I always help her wash her hair, and sometimes I even help her wash her body. She is almost six, and she is definitely capable of taking a shower all by herself. I know that she really doesn’t need my help, but I also know it won’t be long before she will not want my help. So I always help her if she asks. Tonight she decided she wanted to take a sit down bath instead of a shower. Of course I agreed, and I ended up giving her a bath as if she were a toddler. She LOVED it. We played all the silly bath games we used to play before she started taking showers every night. I haven’t heard her giggle and squeal and laugh so much in a long time! We definitely made some great memories tonight!

However, during bath time I couldn’t help but notice how big she is getting. She is almost too long to lie down in the tub anymore!!! The strange thing about Azalee becoming a big sister is that it has caused me to realize just how fast she is growing and how big she is getting. I distinctly remember the first time I tucked her in after Arabella was born. After holding her little sister so often during the day it was much more obvious that my first baby was not a baby anymore. I remember looking at her face, her hands, and her arms and thinking, “When did she get so big?” It was almost as if becoming a big sister actually made her bigger. Obviously she didn’t grow suddenly on the day of her sister’s birth, but I know one thing for sure -- no matter how much she grows and how big she gets she will always, always, always be my baby.

Always My Baby

Is She Crying Again?

This morning after dropping my girl off at daycare I met a transfer truck traveling in the opposite direction. Before the moment that we actually passed in the road a mother duck and duckling decided it would be a good time to waddle slowly across the road. We both stopped and allowed them to cross safely.

After they were safely across the road, the truck driver and I exchanged a friendly wave, and we went in opposite directions. Almost immediately tears began rolling down my cheeks. I was just so struck by the kindness of the truck driver and the beauty of the encounter. He could have easily smashed those ducks without a second thought, but he chose to join me in letting them cross safely.

I used to be tough, but somehow I have turned into a crybaby. Personally I attribute the change to the birth of my daughter. It is almost as if her birth fully opened my eyes to the beauty of life that surrounds me, and now more than ever I often find that the beauty is more than I can take! Now, when I see another child (even the students I teach) I can't help but think about the fact that somewhere that child has a mother who loves him just as much as I love my sweet girl. I feel like giving birth has really caused me to place a greater value on life in general. Perhaps it is because the process of being pregnant and giving birth caused me to come to grips with just how fragile life really can be and how each new day really is a blessing.

So if you are around me, and I cry about random things like Johnson's Baby Shampoo commercials, Pampers commercials, or kids singing at church, don't worry. I'm not depressed. I'm just amazed by the beauty of this life that God has given me and sometimes my amazement trickles down my cheeks in the form of tears!

God’s handiwork is a spectacle that, rightly understood,
should not only take our breath away
but should inspire us to worship and praise our God.

-- Bill Crowder

DIY Laundry Detergent

I first saw the idea for this on a nifty little blog I follow called “How Does She?” I pretty much love and want to try all of their ideas. Here is my personal experience with the DIY laundry detergent.

When I first saw the blog post about DIY laundry detergent, I vowed to try it when we ran out of our box of Tide. Why you ask? It’s simple really…I’m cheap. I would rather pay less for laundry detergent -- even if I have to make it myself. 

Alas, the day arrived when I used the last scoop of Tide and realized (gasp) we didn’t have a back up box! Then I remembered my big idea to make my own detergent. I had already purchased the necessary materials (total cost $28), so I gathered them up and began the process. You might be wondering how I saved money if I had to buy all that stuff. Just keep reading and you will see!

DIY Laundry Detergent Ingredients

*Ingredients I Used: 

1 Box Borax (4lb 12oz) 

1 Box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3lb 7oz)

1 Container OxiClean (3lbs)

2 Bars Fels Naptha Soap

2 Boxes Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (2lbs each) 

1 Bottle Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (55oz)

*I found all the ingredients on the laundry detergent aisle at Walmart except the baking soda. It was in the baking section.

I spent the next 12 minutes grating the Fels Naptha soap which looks so much like cheese that I almost forgot it was soap. This part was definitely not my favorite. Next time I nominate the hubby to do the grating.

 

After the soap was grated up nicely I realized that I needed something really big so I could mix all my ingredients. A quick search concluded that my only option was the mop bucket, but it worked! I opened all the boxes and grabbed a really sturdy and BIG metal spoon. I added a layer of each of the ingredients and then mixed it up really well. Then I added another layer of each of the ingredients and mixed it up with what I had already mixed up. This process took some time because I wanted to make sure that it was mixed really well. In the end, my mop bucket was almost overflowing, and I had 20 pounds of laundry soap!!!!! I was honestly very shocked by how much this recipe made!

20 Pounds!!! Wow!!!

 From start to finish (clean empty kitchen counter to clean empty kitchen counter) the entire process took 42 minutes. (If you want to be really technical it probably only took 40 minutes because I spent at least two minutes hefting the mop bucket to the scale and gawking at the fact that it weighed 20 pounds!!!)

  

We have been using this DIY detergent since March 22, 2012, and we have only used about half the batch! I couldn't be more impressed! I must admit that I was skeptical at first, but it really does work, and it smells great! Even the hubby who is a brand-name-only-kind-of-fellow is happy with this new, cheap alternative.  

As for the cost savings here is what you want to know (probably more than you want to know):

A 20oz box of Tide Ultra costs about $5.59 and does 15 loads (cheapest price I could find online). That is a cost of about 37¢ per load of laundry. A batch of the DIY laundry detergent costs about $28 and does about 320 loads (there are 32 tablespoons in one pound of powder, and you need 2 tablespoons per load of laundry). That is a cost of about 9¢  per load of laundry.

So if we were to compare apples to apples it would look like this:

320 loads of Tide Ultra = about $118

320 loads of DIY Laundry Detergent = about $28

Are you inspired to try it yourself? Here are some things you might want to know:

• Buy a 5 gallon bucket with a lid for storage – remember it makes 20 pounds!!!
• You must have a really big and really sturdy solid metal spoon for mixing. I feel sure a plastic spoon will break.
• Mix the ingredients outside to avoid getting detergent “dust” on everything in the kitchen and to avoid getting the detergent “dust” up your nose. It’s not very pleasant. Trust me…I know.  
• It only takes 2 tablespoons per load of laundry!
• Don’t be alarmed when you wash your first load of clothes and there are little to no bubbles. The detergent really doesn’t make suds like you expect to see, but it still cleans really well and leaves your clothes smelling great.
• Save the Purex Crystals container. You can use it as the functional and pretty dispenser for your new detergent. The little dome lid has measuring lines on it, and the first one is about 2 tablespoons! 

Repurposed Purex Crystals Bottle 

Mamas Don't Get Sick Days

Recently our family was hit by a nasty stomach bug. I’m talking the brutal kind that causes you to lie moaning in agony while you wonder if you will live to see the next hour of your life. Yes, it was that bad.

It started at 12:30 am on Friday when I was awakened to my tiny one beckoning for me. I thought she just needed comforting so she could go back to sleep. In reality it was just the start of a terrible chain of events that began with her vomiting in her crib and ended with her daddy and me both lying in the fetal position wishing we were in a crib. Isn’t it great when a family can share a special moment such as that?

Azalee was sick all day on Friday and most of the day on Saturday. Meanwhile her daddy and I both got sick starting on Saturday night really late, and we were sick all day Sunday and most of the day on Monday. The worst part for me was being so very sick and still having to care for my sweet baby – who was pretty much back to her peppy little self by the time her daddy and I were in the thick of things.

I can honestly say I don’t remember the last time I felt so rotten. So what is a momma to do when she is sick as can be, but she still has to care for a toddler?

Fear not! I have the perfect plan!

Step 1: Prepare

Drag yourself to the kitchen. I know the thought of food and drink is enough to cause a panicky trip to the trash can, but this is not for you. Grab some juice boxes and some small, quick, and easy snacks. On the way to the living room, go through the house closing all the doors to any room other than the living room effectively trapping your toddler in the living room with you. Next do a quick scan of the room to make sure that anything dangerous in is inaccessible.

Step 2: Get Down on Their Level

Muster up all of your remaining strength to drag the couch cushions onto the floor making yourself a comfortable spot to nap in between the required entertainment you must provide. Push the couch cushions up against the couch. Then stuff all of the snacks and juice boxes between the couch and the cushions. This allows you to hide them yet still have easy access. This is also a great place to hide your cell phone and the remote if you have a grabby technology junkie toddler like mine.  

**Important Note: Do a quick scan of the secret stuff under the couch cushions and hide anything dangerous in the secret spot between the couch and the cushions.

Step 3: Let the Games Begin

Here are some of the ways that I entertained Azalee without much effort and with very little getting off of my “bed.”

The “New” Couch: The couch without cushions is a novel thing at our house. So Azalee was entertained by the sight of it, its strange bouncy properties, and the surprises she kept finding on it. Other than the required “oh” and “uh huh” and “really” I didn’t have to do anything, and unless a couch without cushions is common at your house, I’m guessing you won’t either.

TV: Once the novelty of the couch wears off, turn on the TV and allow your toddler to bask in all of the stuff that she loves. This was a real treat for Azalee because she doesn’t watch TV that often, but thanks to our recent Netflix subscription we now have access to about 5 bazillion Barney episodes. Although Barney does annoy me at times, during this particular time he was my BFF! She even sat on my “bed” with me to watch Barney which meant that I was free to close my eyes and sleep. Yes…I did actually sleep while my toddler was awake.

Can You Find…?: This game allows your toddler to be entertained while you don’t have to move. It works great! First you spot something in front of the toy box, and then say, “Can you find __________ (the item you can plainly see)?” This would send her looking for it, and occasionally during the hunt something would grab her interest and she would be occupied without needing me or my input. *Word of caution: Don’t send your tot to find something too difficult or you’ll have to end up getting up to get it yourself. Ugh.

Cards: We have a set of preschool learning cards with animals and numbers on them. I told Azalee to spread them out on the floor then I would tell her which one I wanted. “Bring me the cow please….bring me something red….bring me the pig…” This game can last a long time.

Coloring: This required very little effort on my part (other than getting up to get the book and the crayons), but it provided at least 15 minutes of entertainment. Never mind that Azalee colored on the couch cushion while I dozed off. Oops!

PlayDoh: This did require me to get off the couch and venture into the kitchen because Azalee can only play with PlayDoh while sitting in her high chair. I took a pillow with me and rested my head on the table while she made flowers, snakes, birds nests, and pizzas until her little heart was content. I even let her go buck wild and mix two colors! This activity provided a significant amount of rest time for me because although I was forced to sit up I could rest my head on the pillow on the table and really close my eyes to catch some zzzz’s knowing that Azalee was in no danger and was completely occupied. This was also a good segue into lunch because she was already in her chair.

Emergency Toy Stash: Think back to Christmas or to your child’s most recent birthday party. Remember all those nice new toys? If your toddler is like mine, he received a whole bunch of toys. Now, like any good mother I don’t want my daughter to be over stimulated, so I secretly stashed away a fair portion of those new toys in what I like to call an “ETS” or emergency toy stash. When things get boring or I just need a few moments to myself, I will whip out one of those suckers and shazam – instant silence for at least 10-15 minutes. The ETS was my best friend during my recent illness. I went into the stash on three separate occasions, but it was worth every minute of time that I had to rest in peace (in between my panicky runs to the bathroom and the trash can)!

So there you have it folks! The perfect plan for the sick momma because Lord knows sick days are not permitted in motherhood.

Note: You may be wondering why I didn’t send Azalee to her grandparent’s house or let my hubby take care of her. Well…Azalee wasn’t completely symptom free when my hubby and I were sick, and I certainly didn’t want anyone else to suffer through the mess that we were going through. So sending her to the grandparent’s house was out of the question. And yes, my hubby was sick with the same stomach bug, but his was somehow worse than mine (read – he is a man), so I mostly took care of Azalee. I must say that my amazing and wonderful mother went to the grocery store for us and brought us a plethora of get well supplies ranging from Gatorade to a plate of hot food for Azalee so that I wouldn’t have to worry about what to feed her. She even delivered it to our porch!

I’d love to hear your ideas!

How have you entertained your toddler when you were really sick or tired?

I Witnessed a Miracle!

Tonight as I was working on my blog entry for next month I found this little jewel saved in my blog folder. I'm not really sure why I never posted it back in July of 2011. So, without further ado...

Today was absolutely miraculous. Days like today make me wonder how any person can be agnostic or atheist. The amazing thing that I witnessed today was the birth of my (handsome, beautiful, and perfect in every way) nephew! Oh what an awesome, awesome thing it is to witness a new life coming into the world!

For months we have looked at my sister-in-law’s beautiful, round belly and wondered with great anticipation about the lil' man inside. What would he look like? Whose nose would he have? Would he have hair? Would he have those weird toes like his daddy? Would he have his mama’s beautiful eyes? No one knew…until today!

My sweet sister-in-law decided early in her pregnancy that she wanted me to be present at their lil’man’s birth, and she decided she wanted me to capture the special moments of the birth on camera. Of course I was so incredibly honored that she would allow me to be a part of such a private and immeasurably special time, and I agreed without a second thought.

As the due date approached she and I were both concerned about how I would be able to get off work to be at the birth (especially since I just changed jobs and she was not planning to be induced). However, as it turns out we worried for nothing because my sweet nephew was born during my summer break from school!

His actual due date was not until August 17^th, but the lil’ man decided he was ready to make an early appearance. He came today – 4 weeks early! He wiggled and squeezed his way out into this world at 1 pm weighing a tiny 4 pounds 12 ounces, and measuring 17.75 inches long. We were all so concerned about him – worried about his lungs, his heart, his everything! Would he have to go to the NICU? Would he be able to breathe okay? Just so many questions, but soon after the lil’ man was born all our fears were put to rest because he was absolutely PERFECT!!! I think he wanted to get our attention so he was a bit sluggish at first, but it didn’t take long for him to turn as pink as a flamingo, start breathing effortlessly, and crying like the super awesome champ that he is! No NICU for lil' man!!! Whew, what a relief!!! God is so good!!!



Welcome to the World!



 ♥ Sweet Angel Boy ♥



In addition to the awesomeness of witnessing the birth of my nephew I also enjoyed witnessing the birth of a mama and a daddy. Sometimes we forget that when a baby is born a mama and a daddy are too! No longer will they be just a husband and wife, they will now be team mama and daddy. They will love him more than they ever thought it was possible to love another human being, and he will love them with an unconditional love. They are now part of this elite group of people called parents. To them I say: Welcome to the hardest and most rewarding job you will ever have. Enjoy the ride!