Easter

Easter is a time of miracles so it's a great time to tell you what a miracle you are...God's gift to us! You bring so much Joy and beauty into our family.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

II Corinthians 9:15

The simple pleasure of watching you today, with your Easter basket and you adorable dress on just warmed my heart! I remember how small you were this time just a year ago. It amazes me how much you grown and learned over the past year! I'm so blessed to have a daughter like you who gives me so many reasons to smile.

Being a Mom completely changes how you look at things, and situations in life. With it being Easter this past Sunday the movie The Passion of the Christ had been playing on TV over and over. So I finally decided to record it and watch it early Easter Sunday morning. Wow.... that's all I can say. I've seen the movie before, and we all know the story of Jesus dieing on the cross for our sins. Something was so different to me this year as I watched the movie... I realized what a sacrifice Jesus really did make for us.  Watching the scene where Mary runs to his side just brings up all this emotion in me. I know how much I love my little Ella and I could not even begin to imagine something like that happening to her. Wow what a sacrifice he made for us! It's awful to watch them nail him to the cross....but I got to thinking. I do that everyday with the sins I commit. I'm a sinner, and this is the price that Jesus paid for Me so I could ask for forgiveness and be forgiven!  

                                                    

Gobsmacked

                                                                         
God gives us lessons in everything right? I believe God has given me a big lesson over the past 3 months. With all the sickness we’ve been dealing with, from Ella being in and out of Doctors offices and Hospitals it’s really gave me a heavy heart… When we were at Floyd Pediatrics floor for two days with Ella there were LOTS of REALLY sick children there. Children that had been there for weeks if not longer. I knew Daniel and I were exhausted from a long night of no sleep and being in an uncomfortable room. These Parents were beyond anything I was feeling. They were living it EVERDAY with no relief! I felt like what we were going through with Ella was awful, but watching these kids who were REALLY sick just made me realize how truly blessed Daniel and I really were. Don’t get me wrong I realize Ella was sick, but these kids some of them seemed chronically ill. My first thought when we had to go to Children’s in Atlanta was “WHY GOD? WHY us again”! Now looking back on it all I can think to tell myself if Wahhhhl! At least my child will be going home with me. I guess what really got me thinking about this again was Daniel coming home Monday night and telling me about this family he had dealt with that had a chronically ill child in the home that was living on a respirator, and had to have a 24 hour nurse there to take care of him. I mean I could not even imagine how you deal with something like that, and how you keep from letting yourself feel bitter and mad at God. I felt angry and frustrated over two little ordeals, and some people live this EVERYDAY and it’s never-ending! How often in life do we have pity on ourselves instead of trying to find the lesson in what it is God is doing? I’m guilty of it all the time. Well I found this lesson… and I’m hanging on to it!



By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."


-Proverbs 24:3-4

The Weather's Way....

                                                                                                         
Daniel and I have this joke.... We say that we like to do things "The Weather's way"... AKA "The hard way".
Ella has proven to be no exception to the rule. The poor child just can't seem to catch a break this winter with all the sickness. Last Thursday we were at church, and I noticed she had developed a cough. By Friday morning she was running a 101.9 fever. So I took her straight to the doctor. They felt like she just had the crud, and a little ear infection. The weather had gone from 75 degrees to 25 degrees in 24 hours. She told me to watch Ella and if her breathing became labored to come back. Well by Monday morning the poor girl couldn't sleep or eat she was coughing so hard. She was also running a 102.9 fever. So once again I called the doctor, and they got us straight in. They ran a RSV test; came back positive. Next step was to start breathing treatments and steroids. They wanted to see Ella in 48 hours to make sure her breathing was getting better. Well.... by Wednesday morning Ella was sicker. She slept 13 hours that night and when she woke up that morning she could barely keep her eyes open like she hadn't slept at all. She was very weak. So we rushed straight to the doctor. They took Ella's oxygen level, which was low 90. They gave her a breathing treatment right away, but her oxygen levels stayed low and she was having trouble breathing. So the doctor called ambulance to transport Ella to Children's in Atlanta. 
After what seemed like the longest ride ever we arrived at Children's. The doctors looked at Ella right away and listened to her chest. The BIG worry was they thought Ella had a partially collapsed lung because of how and what her breathing sounded like. They took her for x-ray, and then we waited. An hour later doctor's came in and said that her lungs looked great. They thought that maybe Ella had mucus plugged in her lung from the RSV causing her not to be able to get good oxygen and also causing her breathing to sound weird. Whatever it was had passed and Ella was doing much better! I say it had to be God and a huge answered prayer! There were a lot of people praying for that little girl.
So now we are continuing breathing treatment, and trying to get her over this RSV Bronchiolitis.
I'm also praying to God that this is the last time we have to do this for a LONG time.
Luke 4:40
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

Hello... Miss Independent!

My daughter is Miss Independent... those of you who really know me would joke, and say "I wonder who she gets that from!". Poor Daniel even  jokes and says he doesn't have a chance with both Ella and I at him all the time! This morning Ella insisted that she feed herself her morning yogurt. So I let her give it a try. I thought these pictures were cute, and wanted to share them!

Strep Throat... I HATE you!

 

 So I’m sure all of you know my little baby has been sooooooo sick this last week. This nightmare all started out of the blue 3:00 Sunday afternoon. Ella and I had been to church that morning; she had played so hard, and been so good. At 3:00 Sunday afternoon she just randomly threw up. After she threw up, she acted completely fine. So I just thought no big deal babies throw up sometimes! So I took her to Ingles with me to get something for dinner. We made it to the back of the store and then it began….. The projectile vomiting started. God love who ever cleaned up my child’s puke from the floor and the cart. All I could do was run to the bathroom with her, as we were both COVERED in puke! Finally I got her to the car and we made our way home, as I pulled in the neighborhood she started to cry and I knew it was coming again… I squealed tires pulling in the driveway trying to get her out of the car. As soon as I laid her on my shoulder she started to puke again, and it wouldn’t STOP! I thought for sure Ella must have a stomach virus. She slept all night Sunday and never ran a fever. She woke up Monday morning acted like she didn’t feel a 100% but ate and drank and didn’t throw up at all that day. So I thought, thank you God, she was getting better. Well…. Haha NOT….. Tuesday morning Ella woke up and was very lethargic. She threw up as soon as I got her downstairs, and I knew right away we needed to get to a doctor, that this was no virus. We made it to the doctor 45 minutes later… she had already gotten worse. They swabbed her throat, and they said she had Strep and was very dehydrated. They wanted us to give her 5ml of pedialight every 5 minutes. We also had strict instructions that if she started to throw up again to take her straight to an ER. Well she did great all day… Until 3:00….. Here came the puke again and this time is was green and tick the child had nothing left. We threw her straight in the car and headed to Redmond hospital ER. They took us straight back when we got there! Ella was very sick and they knew it! Right away they started running test and took X rays. Let me just say now… I love the nurses at Redmond. They took 1 hour to find a vein in my baby girl she was so “dry” as they call it. But they only stuck her once. I was so happy that they were patient and kind enough not to dig around in my baby’s arms! Anyways after 6 hours of sitting in the ER letting Ella get fluids. The doctor came in to tell us they were going to transfer Ella by Ambulance to Floyd Medical because they had a pediatric ward where they could take better care of Ella and keep her over night. Around 11:30 the ambulance came to get her. I was so glad they let me lie on the stretcher and hold her on the ride over there. (I was so afraid they weren’t going to let me go with her) When we arrived at Floyd they wheeled us right to the Ped floor and straight to Ella’s room. They took such GREAT care of Ella! They poked and prodded at her, and she was soooo brave. Finally around 3:30 in the morning we all got some rest. My sweet husband let me have the chair and he laid a blanket on the tile for to sleep. It was a long night, but the next morning Ella had a little Smile so I knew we were headed in the right direction! As the day went on Wednesday the doctors were happy with how she had “perked up” and was holding food down. They gave us the option to spend another night or take her home! WE WANTED TO GO HOME!!!! I have had no greater relief when I saw the IV finally out of her arm and we walked out of that hospital!!!!! Today Ella is getting back to her old self. She is still very sleepy, but has got a little of her spunk back!

I want to say thank you again to all the people who called us, prayed for Ella, and came to see us at the hospital!  We love you all soooo much and are so happy to have you guys in our lives
Most of all I thank the good Lord for Laying his healing hands on Ella! I’m so happy to have my little girl back!!!!!!




                                                        

What a difference a year makes!!!!

I woke up this morning and all I could think about was my life this time last year. I'm not sure why Valentines day stuck in my mind , maybe its because I was thinking about about how small Ella was this time last year. When people tell you that kids grow up too fast; their NOT lying! They Do!! Anyways.... My poor sweet little Ella is a totally beat up and bruised little girl this Valentines. Last night Ella was playing with Daniel right before her bedtime. Daniel took off chasing her, so Ella ran into the kitchen, slipped and fell hitting our back door. She hit right on her forehead above her eye, missing the glass window pain by less than an inch. It was sooooo loud the whole house shook.  Thank the Lord Ella was ok. Screaming..... but ok. Just a really bad bump and bruise on the forehead.  Here are some Pictures....


          Look at what a difference a year makes!!!!!

Ella's Boo Boo

And then she was One

                                                                           
You came into our lives a week past your due date, my labor slow and furious, but in what seemed like a blink you were there in our arms. With each passing day, each month since you arrived we have fallen more deeply in love with you. We are better versions of ourselves because of you. Better partners to each other. Because of the love you’ve poured over us.


This is our anniversary, Ella Morgan. Your first year of life. Twelve months of giving us laughter and love and sleepless nights and proud milestones. We are so proud of you, and always will be NO matter what. I will always be here for you, I will always hold you and keep you close. I will try to let you go, to let you discover. but always know, I am your BIGGEST fan.


Love Mommy


For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

                                                                             I had so much fun planning your 1st birthday party.

 

                 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 You weren't quit sure if what you were doing was ok... but you got the hang of it after a minute.