Activity Update

We have the front of the house and it looks awesome. Phillip's dad came down and built the back fence. We have installed a new front door. We have gotten rid of the dreaded bed in the nursery so now we can: take all the toys from old playroom to new playroom, go through all of the clothes to see what is salvagable. This week I have cleaned out the car so we can go out of town. Phillip has his dr appt tomorrow, I am getting my hair done, and will pack. I have a cake due on Sunday and Monday. I am helping host the youth on Wed. We have VBS coming up which I am the director. I have been blessed with a friend who is going to paint the nursery but then I just have to get everything in order. I need to switch out several dressers since Kaylee's broke yesterday. It should be fun!! Oh, and we are going to have a baby soon. I am personally guessing the last week of July and she will weigh 6#15 oz. Don't know why but that is what I think.

9 more weeks

Sonogram today showed that Miss Becca weighs 3# and she was moving her mouth in a sucking motion and thankfully her little thumb was beside her chest and not in her mouth. The perinatologist said that he felt like he could find an excuse to deliver the end of July. She is growing well and all things are looking good. Have had a few contractions but nothing excing and definately not ready. I have the cradle up and nothing done in the nursery and it is driving me crazy. If anyone wants to move the huge bed that is in my soon-to-be nursery that would be great.

Phillip has an appt to see the doc in 1 week and we are hoping that we can get an injection on that following Mon.

Thorns

I remember last time that Phillip injured his back telling him that I feel like Phillip's back injury is like Paul's thorn in his side. I was reminded of that today. Here is the passage:

"I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I say or do. TO keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me, But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong". 2 Cor. 2: 5-10

I feel the passage speaks for itself. I could never see my husband being boastful about anything. He has always placed his "success" solely in allowing God to work through him and not the things that he himself accomplishes. However, I feel that this is amazing into itself. He is truly a man of God, seeking His will at every turn. I am overally blessed to have him as the leader of my family. At the same time he has this persistent back injury that will completely bring him to his knees. It always seems to be at the height of activity. What we have decided to rely on is the strength that only comes from God. I know we are not the only ones that experience thorns in our lives. We all have them. The key is to realize that when we are weak, we have the awesome opportunity to allow God's strength through us to be revealed as a living testimony.

I also have to thank my in-laws for coming this weekend and helping get some of our projects completed. I know Phillip doesn't feel well because he is just allowing them to work. I know how hard that is for him. So, keep us in your prayers. I will diligently, persistently try to move us Phillip's injection day beginning tomorrow. I long for relief for him. He says everyday he wakes up and everything is different.

Update

We saw the doc today and found out that basically the docs who had done Phillip's surgery in the past didn't do a very good job. He has a ton of scar tissue and his disc is 60% displaced but no new displacement. However the disc is placing pressure on the nerve and the doc said that he does not feel like he would have permanent nerve damage to try and injection and reevaluate in 4 weeks. We get up to the counter and the doc that does the injections can't do it for 3 weeks. I asked if that was the soonest since the doctor said as soon as possible and they just looked at me. Then they scheduled the follow-up for July 1. I was not exactly happy. Thankfully my sister Lacy works for another spine doc in Abilene that does the injections and I am hoping that Phillip can get in sooner there. I had explained that we both can't have had surgery at the same time and the doc had agreed so...I will call tomorrow to see what else can be done. Phillip is not sleeping and is in constant pain, so 3 weeks would be miserable. So, continue with the prayers. If this doesn't make sense I am pulling my hair out with a fiesty 2 yr old.

Prayer Request

Phillip has injured his back. Most likely it is the same disk that has been injured before. He is progressively losing feeling in his left foot. He has an MRI in the am and I have gotten him in to see a neurosurgeon in Abilene tomorrow afternoon. I thought he had left Abilene but we had seen him 5 yrs ago so feel good about seeing him again. He is thankfully on steroids now and is feeling a little less pain but it is driving him nuts to not be able to feel his foot. Also pray that if he is to have surgery it can be soon...like Monday. He has to preach a funeral on Friday. So if you think about him, say a prayer for him. No one would know he was hurting unless you really know him. His pain threshold is amazing. I just hate seeing him in pain.

S-l-o-o-w progress

Saturday I had a great visit with a childhood friend, Kristin. It is so neat to be able to hang out with someone you probably hadn't seen in 7 yrs and be able to relax and chat. It makes me miss the simple days. Then on Sunday I was able to get Becca's cradle up and some laundry done after a 3 1/2 hr nap. Today, after a nice days work, I helped Phillip build a fence and get some trash out to the dumpster and I FOUND REESE'S 2T SUMMER CLOTHES!!!! Which now means that I have to take out a ton of clothes that are too small to make room for clothes that fit but that won't take long. And I am finishing up laundry. I may have to nest for the next 3 mo...to the day. The count down is on. 12 weeks and counting. We are so ready to meet this sweet little girl.

Reese, What is on your face?

"Not nutting".



So we then asked her to go look at herself in the mirror. Afterwards she came back and said, "marker". Permanent blue marker I might add.