A Time For Every Season....

“Earth is crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God; but only he who sees takes off his shoes. The rest sit around it andPluck blackberries.” ~Elizabeth Barret Browning 176. The coming of Winter and the growing life inside that is close to appearing 177. The fun of planting 100 white tulips while 36 weeks pregnant 178. The preparation of bringing our new life home 179. Final days of togetherness before the impending change 180. Family assistance in the final weeks 181. A mother-in-law who sings sweet hymns to Drew as he begs for more 182. 36.6 days of pregnancy 183. Our little blessing with 10 fingers and 10 toes 184. A peaceful and relaxed labor, 4 pushes, and the shocked look on Gabe’s face when he came out 185. John’s careful wiping of my brow and his constant encouragement during our 3 hours of labor 186. John’s diamond game on his palm that distracted me from most of the pain from contractions 187. Focused breathing 188. Gabe’s perfect little body, all 6 pounds 4 ...

(John after eating his Thanksgiving Meal!) We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, spent with family! It was so much fun to get together, play games, eat tons of food and take turns cuddling with little Gabe. Drew loved all the extra attention as well, Daddy brought home a huge box from Home Depot and made Drew his own fort, equipped with a window, door, and lighting system (flashlight). Drew has been enjoying all his family, especially his Grandma Patti and Tio ! Grandma Patti has captivated little Drew with her songs and Tio has been Drew's personal playmate for the weekend. It has been so much fun! Little Gabe had his first checkup on Friday, he was a little jaundiced, but nothing the Doctor was too worried about. Gabe weighed in at 6 pounds 4 ounces - he lost very little after birth (1/8 of an ounce) and has maintained his weight all week. The doctor said my breast milk must be made of butter - most babies take 2 weeks to get back to their birth weight. Gabe;s eating style is very d...

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;tell of all his wondrous works! Psalm 105:1-2 We give thanks for the many trial and tribulation that have softened the uneven edges of our hearts, bringing us wisdom and understanding and the life-changing realization that God is always in control. We give God thanks for the life that is growing inside of me, that by Thanksgiving will be home in his parents arms – Gabriel Allan Williams. We are thankful Lord for the gift and blessing of life, the responsibility to raise godly heirs, and the wisdom you provide to us daily. Thank you Lord for continued health, it was a rough year for John and the auto accident that brought on back and neck pain. Thank you that he is healing and is able to return back to work. Thank you Lord for the blessing of a great family. Our little boy Drew is abounding with energy and life, he loves to sign praises to You and is learning to...

We are so excited to announce that Gabriel Allan Williams arrived on Monday, November 19, 2007. He was 36 weeks 6 days old. Gabe was 6 pounds 4 ounces and 19 inches long and has a full head of dark brown hair. Gabe was born at 3:39 in the afternoon and was very healthy upon arrival - thank you Lord for another baby that didn't spend time in the NICU!. We only stayed at the hospital 24 hours and are now home enjoying our family of 4! Drew isn't too sure about his new little brother but he loves to hold him and tell people when he is crying. To ease some of Drew's tension his Grandma's bought him a baby boy doll that he can feed and hold and dress. The doll has been a huge success and has helped Drew feel more involved and included. Drew loves to be included in everything we are doing with Gabe! For those women who are curious about the birth story, I'll now delve into the finer details of Gabe's arrival. Monday morning John and I went into the Dr's office for...

I went in today for a routine checkup, my BP was about the same. All looked well, I am dilated to a 3 already! My last progesterone injection was on Tuesday so I hope it is safe to say we should deliver next week - pending no BP issues. I can't believe I had dilated from a 1 to a 3 in one week because I haven't been having any contractions. Dr. W. said that the combination of the baby's weight plus the fact that I have already had a child before could dilate me. So, my next appointment is on Monday 11/19 - a great date for a birthday? One funny moment I just had to share. Tonight John said to Drew " OK Drew" in that voice that Drew knows so well. Drew completed his sentence by iterating " Two minutes." John is always preparing Drew for changes like getting ready for bed or getting into the bath. The timing on this was perfect!

Week Thirty-Six Your baby is almost ready and most likely, so are you! The only organ still to mature is the lungs. While certainly you are both growing anxious to meet, remember that each day (up to 42 weeks), that your little one stays within your womb will multiply his chances to breathe on his own. If he hasn't already, this week your baby may drop into the birth canal. While breathing for mom becomes easier, walking may be the exact opposite! If he's not your first baby, this "lightening" may not occur until right before labor. Fat is dimpling your baby's elbows and knees, and forming creases in the neck and wrists. His skin is growing smooth and, shall we say it, "baby" soft. His gums are very rigid. It won't be many months before you'll see his teeth. She has a fully developed pair of kidneys and her liver has begun processing some waste products. Your child's average size is now 18.66 inches (47.4cm) and 5.78 pounds (2622 g). Between ...

We are back from an overnight trip spent in Labor and Delivery. I went in on Saturday evening with a blood pressure of 150+/102+. My BP had progressively worsened throughout the day, I was also having upper gastric pain and a very mild headache. John, my knight, stayed with me the whole night while they monitored my BP , took blood labs, 12 hours of urine samples, and the highlight - an ultrasound of little Gabe. All checked out well and my BP was able to get back within normal range by late evening. Little Gabe measured on the small side - 5 pounds 8 oz and mommy and daddy enjoyed watching him on the monitor. The blood flow from the placenta to his body looked great, which is what I was worrying about. My doctor sent me home on bed rest until Wednesday, when we will re-evaluate everything. It would be great to get to 37 weeks! Drew handled the whole thing with much ease, he spent the night with Nana and then went to church this morning. He visited us around 1:00 this afternoon and t...

In this world, a second is a second. Time paces forward with exquisiteregularity, at precisely the same velocity in every corner of space. Time is an infinite ruler. Time is absolute.-- Einstein's Dreams

Today I was explaining to Drew what Thanksgiving was all about. I asked him what he was thankful for and he replied "God," I asked him again thinking I might not have heard him correctly and he proclaimed "God mommy, I am thankful for God." Oh so cute, no wonder Jesus said in Matthew 19:14 "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

The human body is an amazing thing! I made an early appointment to see my OB today, I have had a feeling my blood pressure was starting to rise and my contractions were getting more regular and painful. i was amazed to discover that my blood pressure was 140/90! Then my doctor looked at my chart from Drew and would you believe that my body did the exact same thing at the exact same time? On Monday I will be going in for another appointment and if history repeats itself I could be sent to Labor and Delivery to induce labor. I would be exactly 35 weeks 6 days, the exact same gestation that Drew was born. Dr. W stated that some bodies are just like that, they only go up to a certain point and then the BP rises in the body's attempt at delivering the baby. The good news is that I am still 1 CM dilated and only 50-60% effaced - I really was expecting her to say 3 CM! Little Gabe's head is down and somewhat movable. Gabe is still moving well and keeping active. The toxemia hasn'...

Well, for 35 weeks I have had great news to report, alas those times are changing. I went in today for a routine exam and discovered that I am 1 CM dilated and the thinning process has begun. I have had a lot of pain in my lower pelvic area so I think my body is getting ready for our upcoming birth. I also have had a hard time getting rid of the swelling in my legs and had a little protein in my urine, but not enough to worry about yet. I have to make it to 36 weeks so the Dr. wants me to take it easy - no picking up Drew or getting to active. I am so glad to be hearing this at 35 weeks instead of 22 - like with Drew! On the bright front, my BP has remained low 124/72, Gabe's head is down and he has dropped a little, but not into the birth canal . In fact, my Dr. was able to couple his head with her fingers and move it to the left and right. Gabe's buttox wraps around my right rib cage and his feet and fingers are on the left side of my tummy. His heart rate was also very stro...

Sorry for the lack of posts. Drew has been sick with the terrible flu since Wednesday! He finally started to keep down liquid on Sunday and is slowly returning to his old self. It was a rough 5 days without Daddy here to help out, but it made us all appreciate him more! Drew did loose 2 pounds this week and was dehydrated for a day. We almost took him into the hospital, but I held out for 1 more day and of course he started to get better. My mom had her Thyroid surgery on Friday and has recovered well. My sweet sister drove down to take care of her. Drew and I tried to keep her company too!

Researchers studying those who kept gratitude journals concluded : "At the end of the 10 weeks, participants who’d kept a gratitude journal felt better about their lives as a whole and were more optimistic about the future than participants in either of the other two conditions. To put it into numbers, according to the scale we used to calculate well-being, they were a full 25 percent happier than the other participants. Those in the gratitude condition reported fewer health complaints . People who kept a gratitude journal reported feeling more joyful, enthusiastic, interested, attentive, energetic, excited, determined, and strong than those in the hassles condition. They also reported offering others more emotional support or help with a personal problem— supporting the notion that gratitude motivates people to do good. And this was not limited to what they said about themselves. We sent surveys to people who knew them well, and these significant others rated participants in the ...

I just have to share with you how crazy and fun it is to be married to a youngest! Last night John and I were talking, I had noticed he had drifted in to a type of "funk" - he was not his normal jovial self. After much conversation it came out that he missed his family and their hunting trips. His brother just returned from Afghanistan for a visit and the boys and their dad are going hunting. His sweet brother had offered to buy John's ticket home if he could come for a brief visit. Well, John being the sweet and wonderful husband that he is didn't even consider flying to Portland since I am so close to delivering our precious little boy. I love to see my husband smile, so I told him I didn't care if he went for a few days? I was not going into labor before Monday since my FFN test came back negative ( I hope !). I told him I thought he should go enjoy himself. After very little prodding, he said, "well lets go check flights!" So, at 11:15 pm we were s...

Our pastor, Bob Roberts, spoke to us Sunday about his recent trip to Washington where he was invited to speak with Condoleezza Rice. Northwood and other churches around the US, are actively seeking involvement in bringing Christian aid to the Palestinians. I love how they call our pastor a Mega church pastor - our church only has 2,000 people which is small for a Texas church! The article is a great read! Melissa October 30, 2007 2:56PM Condoleezza Rice: From Bethlehem to Annapolis The Secretary of State is determined to lay foundations for Middle East peace. David Neff Last Friday, I joined five other evangelical Protestant leaders for an intense and rewarding half-hour conversation with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Our goal was to assure her of our support as she navigates the treacherous waters of Middle East politics—particularly as she arm-wrestles the various parties toward the summit planned for the beginning of December in Annapolis. The Bush Administration is hop...