A Million Pictures... and Roxie's Birth Day Story - Part Four

Good Tuesday afternoon!

I want to set the record straight.

I have more than one child.

I have Austin, my oldest.

I have Josh, my second oldest.

I have Roxie, my baby.

If today was the first day you ever visited the blog, you would think I only had the one.

And that just isn't the case.

Here are pictures of anything and everything leading up to the Homecoming Game.

I will post the Homecoming Court pictures TOMORROW, Wednesday, October 1!

RANDOMNESS #1 - We attended the Homecoming Powder Puff Football Games Thursday night.


This is the Senior Team and the Senior Coaches.

No one knew at the beginning of the night how awesome this team was going to be.


Roxie doesn't like anyone touching her flag.


But she doesn't mind grabbing someone else's flag.

That's a whole different story.



After two games, the Seniors were declared the champions.

Those are winning smiles!


Roxie and Coach Seth.


Ally and Roxie.

Ally made the first touchdown of the night, and Roxie made the last one.


What they lack in muscles, they make up for in EVERYTHING else.


Kelci and Roxie (photo bomb courtesy of Bryant, Kelci's brother).

Kelci came straight to the Powder Puff game from playing volleyball in Tuscaloosa, and hopped right into the middle of the battle!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Roxie was a Senior Representative for Homecoming Court in the Pep Rally Friday morning.


Roxie, Seth and Alyssa prior to the Pep Rally.


Roxie and Hunter.

Hunter came by before heading to his classes.

It made Roxie's day, I tell you.


Seth and Roxie.


Five minutes later, Seth was crowned Homecoming KING.

Homecoming King is announced during the Pep Rally.

Homecoming Queen is announced during halftime of the Homecoming Game that evening.

Just wanted to clarify.


Roxie and Grandmother (after Seth was crowned).

RANDOMNESS #3 - Roxie and her escort, Seth (also known as King Seth), rode together in the Homecoming Parade later in the afternoon.


Roxie and Alyssa.


Roxie, Seth and Kelsey.


Seth and Roxie... and the cool car we borrowed from Hannah's grandparents!


Roxie and Mikie.


Roxie and Seth mid-Parade.

RANDOMNESS #4 - Before the Homecoming Game, Roxie and friends took pictures at a the home of a lovely woman who owns and boards horses.


Roxie and Josh.


Roxie and Hunter.


Ragan and Roxie.


Hunter and Roxie.


Alyssa and Ragan.


Roxie and Heather (Hunter's little sister).

Cutest seven year-old ever.


Hannah, Ragan, Alyssa, Roxie and Ally.

This is what Roxie calls a "laughing" picture.

She loves to take laughing pictures.

And everyone else is nice enough to just do as they are asked!


I loved this tractor pic. Roxie said it was "okay," but as you can see, it is more than just "okay."


Roxie, Samson and Hunter.


Samson and Scottie.


Samson belongs to this lovely young lady, Hanna Ray.

Hanna Ray is also Hunter's younger sister.

Sweet Chick and sweet horse.


Roxie and Roxie.

Yes.

The horse's name was really and truly Roxie.


Roxie and Alyssa.

Roxie's Birth Day Story - Part Four

As the weeks slowly went by (as they so often do in the last trimester of pregnancy), my numbers went up. It took a long time, but three weeks before Roxie was due, I had reached the "borderline number." It wasn't my goal number, but the doctor was much more confident of a safe delivery at this point of the pregnancy.

However, as I stated before, we were about to hit Incident #4 of this pregnancy. I was now going to the doctor weekly. A sure sign you are going to have the baby sooner than later. I was huge. And I don't mean huge from eating powdered doughnuts and Sneaky Pete's hotdogs thrice daily (see Austin's Birth Day Story). I mean huge as in Kate Gosselin (I'm carrying six babies) HUGE! However, we knew because of multiple ultrasounds, there was only one little baby in there. Hmmm.

"You're measuring over 44 weeks," the doctor told me.

"I thought when you measured 40 weeks, it was pretty much time for the baby," I said.

"That is correct. Let's do another ultrasound and try to figure out what's going on," he said.

Now, I'm okay with ultrasounds. Except for a little cold jelly on the belly, it isn't painful, and because it is basically taking pictures of the baby, it's right up my alley.

"The baby is a normal size for 37 weeks. However, there is a very large amount of fluid," he told me. Fluid. That didn't sound bad. I could set a two-piece place setting of china and a pot roast on top of my belly and still have room for the dessert tray, but as long as it was just fluid causing my enormity, I could deal with that.

"What causes extra fluid? Am I drinking too much?" I asked.

"No. There is a 50-50 chance that the baby's esophagus is not attached to the stomach. That means instead of the fluid going completely through the baby, it is backing up." He let that sink in a little.

"That doesn't sound good," I finally said. "How do we get the esophagus to attach to the stomach?"

He then went on to explain that after Roxie was born, she would be whisked away to NICU for testing. They would have to give her a dye and X-ray her to make sure it went through her entire digestive tract. It would show if the esophagus wasn't attached.

I thought about that information for a little while. "What if it isn't attached?"

"We transport her to Children's and she'll have surgery that day to correct the problem. It's a pretty basic surgery," he reassured me.

"Can I go with her?" I asked.

"No. We won't transport you, because unless you go into labor before we schedule this birth, you'll have to stay put and recover from your C-Section."

Okay. This man was getting on my last nerve. He was nothing but a big fat bad news bearer from beginning to end.

"That's not acceptable. If one of my kids is having surgery, I will need to be there," I said stubbornly.

"You're not understanding," he said just as stubbornly. "This will have to be taken care of quickly. As soon as we see a blockage, she'll be transported immediately."

After asking a few more questions, I waddled out to the waiting room where Mike was waiting to drive me home. Everything had happened so fast in the doctor's office, I hadn't even had time to call him back. We talked about this latest development on the drive home.

"Okay. Here's the deal. I want you to stay with Roxie from the minute she's born until we know what's going on. I want you to ride in the ambulance with her, and be outside the operating room waiting for her, and I don't want you to leave her side until you know she's okay. Mom will go with you, too. And Daddy will stay with me until we hear something."

"I'm not going to like leaving you after you have surgery, but that's what we'll have to do," he agreed.

With a plan in place, we prepared ourselves for the birth of our third (and final) child. We were to wait two weeks for the scheduled C-Section. (The ultrasound indicated she was a little small, and if she was to have surgery, they wanted her to be a little heavier.) Needless to say, it was going to be a long two weeks.

You'll be glad to know, Roxie will be born tomorrow as far as this story is concerned.

You've gone this long, you might as well come back tomorrow and finish the story. You know you want to!

Okay, Guys. I'll be back TOMORROW, October 1, with the rest of the Homecoming Pics AND Brad and Stephanie Wedding Pics, a new-to-me recipe and THE FINAL INSTALLMENT OF ROXIE'S BIRTH DAY STORY!

I Know y'all are thrilled.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Roxie's Birth Story - Part Three

Hey, Guys.

A lot has happened since Tuesday.

Homecoming has taken over at our house.

It is the last high school Homecoming ever for our little family of five.

Bittersweet, but oh, so fun.

Roxie has played in a Powder Puff Football Game...

Attended the Homecoming Pep Rally...

And ridden in the Homecoming Parade.

All that is left are pictures at 5:00, the game and a Homecoming date with Hunter after the game.

To top it all off, my nephew, Brad, is getting married tomorrow evening.

So today, I'm posting ONE pic and ONE old story!


This is Roxie in all her PRE-Homecoming glory. I'll be posting 1,347,021 pics on Tuesday of everything else.

It will be Homecoming Overload, I tell you.

Roxie's Birth Day Story - Part Three

I told you it was a very loooong pregnancy. I also told you there were two more incidences before Roxie's arrival. The first two had to do with Roxie, but the third was all me.

In July, two months after our UAB appointment, I began to feel more tired than normal. Now this is tricky, because I am, and have been as long as I can remember, always very, very tired. It's who I am. I have NEVER had insomnia. I sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. (Don't hate me because I'm well-rested. I would say, "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful," but the sheet marks embedded in my face 24/7 take away from my natural prettiness.)

This was different. I even talked to my doctor about my exhaustion. He said, "Well, you're three months away from delivering a new baby, and you're taking care of two very active little boys. Of course you're tired."

No kidding, Sherlock. "I'm telling you. This is different. This is 'If you walk out of the room to get a chart, when you come back I'll be zonked out on this comfortable table with the stirrups and the paper sheet-tired.' This is 'If Barry Manilow were to walk in your waiting room, I would have to wave weakly from where I was sitting because I don't have the energy to get up and go meet him-tired.' This is SO MUCH MORE than 'running after two little boys with a watermelon strapped around my waist-tired.'"

He looked at me. Then he looked at my chart. "Well, when we tested your iron last month it was close to being borderline. Let's check that again."

Thank you, Sherlock! Another blood test. Another day of waiting by the phone. (Well, actually I was asleep on the couch, but mentally, I was pacing the floor). Finally, a phone call. "You are EXTREMELY anemic. I'm talking 'blood transfusion' anemic. I'm talking we've got to get your levels up and soon!"

All right. An explanation. And now a solution. "You're going to bottom out before your levels begin to rise." To this day, this does not make sense to me, but recently I talked to someone who said the same thing happened to her. You have to get worse before you get better.

"Well, I'm pretty much wiped out 20 out of 24 hours a day now. What are we talking about here?" I asked.

"You don't need to drive for a week because you could pass out behind the wheel. And if you go to sleep, and no one is able to wake you up, you'll need to call the paramedics."

Hmmm. I didn't like the sound of that. Mikie had to get up at 6:00 and leave for work around 7:00, so he could make sure I got up from my night-time sleep, but it would be up to the boys to make sure I got up after their naptime. But in my heart of hearts, I am a teacher! It was time for a little lesson.

"Austin. Do you know what to do if there is an emergency?" I asked.

"Call 9-1-1!" he responded correctly.

"That's right," I said. "Now, what is an emergency?"

"FIRE!" both of the boys said in one voice, both smiling ear-to-ear.

Okay. That was a little disturbing. "Well, yes. That is definitely an emergency. But I'm going to talk to you about something else that is an emergency. Mommy has something called 'anemia.' Can you say 'anemia?'"

"A-men-ia," they said.

"Close enough," I said in my best teacher voice. "Anemia means Mommy might go to sleep, and it would be very hard to wake me up. I'm okay, but I need a little help to wake up. This is only going to last for one week. So, if you come in Mommy's room (or see Mommy on the floor), if I don't wake up from my nap, you will need to call 9-1-1. Okay?"

Big grins. "All right!" they shouted with gusto. Okay. I was a little disturbed again.

"But you have to try to wake Mommy up. Do not see me taking a nap and just assume I need help from the paramedics. You have to try first. Promise?" I had visions of waking up and having three paramedics standing over my bed. (Not a bad vision, but not how you want the local paramedics spending their precious time either.)

Needless to say, we spent several minutes practicing "waking" me up, and the boys did a very good job. I felt we had the anemia-thing under control.

And in fact, seven days later when I went for another blood test, I had indeed bottomed-out. I had no where else to go but up. But the doctor said I had to be at a certain number (there are those numbers I don't understand again) before Roxie was born for it to be "safe delivery."

Now we were talking. A goal. And a specific "number" I was trying to reach in a certain number of days. You know. Like 75 Christmas cards this year. This I could do. In fact, I was born to do this.

Part Four of Roxie's Story next Tuesday!

I'll be back next week with Homecoming stories and pics, Brad's Wedding stories and pics, Roxie's Birthday stories and pics... and a little more.

Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Weekend Wrap-Up, Baked Chicken Salad Pie, Wedding News, Way Back When... (Roxie's Birth Day Story - Part Two)

Good Tuesday afternoon!

RANDOMNESS #1 - I don't know if you are aware, but this week is officially HOMECOMING WEEK 2014.

I also don't know if you are aware, but kids in high school go just a little nuts during this busy, fun, eventful week.

They dress up as something or someone different ever day.


Disney Day.

Roxie chose to be Darla from Finding Nemo.


Tacky Tourist.

And she was very, very tacky.

I was SO proud.

There will also be a bonfire, a Powder Puff Football Game, a Pep Rally, a Parade and then a GAME!

It is almost too much to comprehend.

And it is only Tuesday!

Homecoming Week has got to be the LONGEST (and most exciting) week of the year for a high school student.

RANDOMNESS #2 - Our weekend date went well. Mike and I decided to see The 100 Foot Journey which is a movie about food... and love... and more food.

On our way to the restaurant, I read my text messages, and my friend, Nancy, asked what we were doing because she and her husband had a night without their girls.

This impromptu double date was just what the doctor ordered, and we had a very good time catching up on news about kids, work and life in general.

And because the movie was about food... and love... and more food, when it was over it was unanimous we walk to Mugshots and eat hamburgers.

Because we were starving, you see.

All in all, a delightful, well-spent evening!

RANDOMNESS #3 - Wedding News - Melia had a Bridal Tea Sunday afternoon, and it was ever so wonderful.

Take a look...


The Tea had a beach theme...


And it was as cute as it could possibly be.


Roxie, Monica and Abbie.

It was a time for cousins to reunite.


Roxie and Grandmother.


The gifts went on and on and on.

It was a "sea of gifts," if you will.


Melia had a special seat to open some of her gifts...


And she kind of liked it.


My sister, Bev, made the signs for the Tea.

My sister, Bev, is incredibly artsy.

I am not.


Lisa, Melia's Mom, and Melia.


Lauren, the Flower Girl.


Roxie and Katie heading out.


Austin came toward the end... just in time to load the gifts.


Melia and Austin.

Just waitin' for the big day.

Baked Chicken Salad Pie

You will need the following:

Pie crust
3 cups cooked chicken, diced
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 to 1 cup sweet yellow onion (sautéed in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter until translucent)
1/2 cup celery, diced (sautéed with the onion until translucent)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 small can water chestnuts, diced or sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1-1/2 cup shredded cheese (divide in half)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with 3/4 cup cheese. Mix well.

3. Pour into the pie crust.

4. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

5. After 30 minutes, sprinkle the last 3/4 cup cheese over the pie.

6. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more. The pie should be set in the middle and crust golden brown.

Just so you know...

Everyone liked this dish a lot!

Way Back When...

This was first posted in September of 2009.

Roxie's Birth Day Story - Part Two

Now where did we leave off... Oh, yes. Mike and I were scheduled for testing at UAB. It was scheduled for May 1.

Bear with me just a moment while I share something that happened before the May 1 appointment. (It is relevant, I promise. God's hand at work.) Joshua was invited to a birthday party at the local park in town, and he and I ran/waddled (respectively) into the park gates. He ran to his friends and began playing, and I looked for a comfortable bench to rest my weary, but as yet, unswollen feet.

I found myself sitting next to a young woman named Laura, and we began a conversation. At the time, she was working with families with Downs' children, as well as other disabilities. I began asking her many, many questions, and she answered them all calmly and in a wonderful matter-of-fact tone. I told her about my test, and she reassured me... not necessarily that the test was probably wrong, but about how our family would be able to handle a special baby. I came to the party anxious, sad, unsure of my abilities as a mother, but thanks to Laura, I left with a peace and reassurance that the Faulkner Five (to be) would not only survive, but thrive. It was my first of many, many lessons in living one day at a time. (Regarding that lesson, I am such a SLOW learner.)

If you have read Josh's Journey, I would now like to mention the Laura I sat with on that park bench a little over 13 years ago is the same Laura I called when Josh was at his worst. The same Laura who told me she loved me, and then put me with the doctor God wanted for us. Coincidence... I think not! God's sure and steady hand in an unsure and unsteady world... I know so!

Okay. Back to May 1. Mikie and I dropped the boys off with Grandmother and headed to UAB for the special ultrasound which looks for ten signs of a Downs' baby. We sat for a few minutes holding hands before they called us back. We prayed, stood up and walked into the ultrasound room. A wonderful ultrasound tech named Michelle started the ultrasound. (I later met Michelle again at church... We have sons the same age, and I am proud to say she is a friend to me. She and her husband have lifted our family up in prayer these past years, and they have never NOT stopped to talk to me or Mike to ask how Josh is doing. She's a very special person. Once again... Coincidence that a wonderful Christian woman was performing this stressful test for me and Mikie... I think not! God's sure and steady hand in an unsure and unsteady world... I know so!)

The test went quickly. One, two, three, four... Nothing was showing up on the ultrasound as being abnormal. Five, six, seven, eight... Still nothing. Nine and ten. Nothing. Nada. The things they look for on an ultrasound to determine if the baby has Downs' were not there. The blood test had been a false/positive. As far as they could tell, the baby did not have Downs'.

We were very calm. Then Michelle leaned down and said, "Did you want to know the sex of the baby today?"

Up until that time, if anyone had asked me what we wanted, I was honest. I consider myself a little boy mom, but I would have loved to have a little girl. When we were worried about the health of this baby, the boy/girl thing literally flew out the window. I answered, "It doesn't matter either way, but we have always found out."

"Well, it is definitely a little girl," she said.

"Are you 100% sure?" I asked.

"Pretty sure," Michelle responded.

"Wow," Mike and I said. But let it be known, we would have said "Wow" if it had been a precious little boy, too.

I didn't mention it before, but we had four "incidences" during Roxie's pregnancy. It was May 1, and we had already had two. We thought the rest of the pregnancy would be smooth sailing. However, we had two more obstacles to overcome before Roxie was considered "okay." I'll talk about those a little bit on Friday!

DISCLAIMER - Please know I am not comparing this pregnancy to other women who have been through so much more in terms of having difficulty conceiving, having special need babies, having extremely difficult labors, having babies in NICU and many, many other hardships. This is very simply Roxie's Birth Day Story. This is her beginning. She knows this story backward and forward, and I tell her this story every year because I want her to see God's hand in her life from the very, very beginning.

Remember, everyone has a story to tell, and that is all this is meant to be... Roxie's Story.

Have a phenomenal Tuesday. I'll be back Friday (AT SOME POINT) with Homecoming News, Wedding News, Mother Sitting in Corner of Bathroom Rocking Back and Forth, Back and Forth News, Roxie's Birth Day Story - Part Three... and so much more.

Take care, and I'll talk to you the end of the week.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Weekend Happenings, Quotable Quotes, Pinterest Stuff (Fall Popcorn AND Fall Potpourri), Wedding News, Way Back When... (Roxie's Birth Story - Part One, The Importance of Planning AND The Bible Alphabet)

Good Friday morning!

RANDOMNESS #1 - Since Airwalk was closed Sunday and the family couldn't jump on trampolines with Roxie, she called Airwalk to check on their Thursday evening hours. The next best thing than having your family jump on trampolines with you on a Sunday would have to be having some of your friends jump on trampolines with you on a Thursday night.

And that's what they did.



Warning... All of the pictures are a little blurry.

Sorry about that.

Alyssa, Allyson, Ragan and Roxie.



Did I mention Roxie wanted to use Airwalk as her background for asking Hunter to Homecoming next weekend?

Did I?


Did I also mention he agreed to go with her?


I don't know if they are looking at the pics of the invitation or texting friends.

Probably both.


The sign says, "I would JUMP for JOY if you would go to Homecoming with me!"

And then she jumped on the trampoline in front of him while holding the sign.

It all made perfect sense.


More Airwalk.


The foam pit.

You know you are in a class establishment when they have not ONE, but TWO, giant foam pits!


Hunter and Roxie.



Mason and Ragan.



Personally, I loved Airwalk.

I know it can be very dangerous, but on a Thursday night it was not crowded at all. The Staff was always present to make sure rules were being followed. After about a minute of watching, I wasn't concerned about the safety issue with Roxie and friends (and if you have known me five minutes, you know I am ALWAYS concerned about the safety issue.)

DISCLAIMER - That being said, I wouldn't necessarily take a large group of 12 year-old boys on a crowded Saturday to this place. I can't imagine the outcome of that trip being very good at all.

Mike and I just stayed a few minutes to visit and quench my curiosity about a building filled with trampolines.

And Mike thoroughly enjoyed listening to me whine, "Why didn't they have that when the kids were small?" all the way home.

LOVED IT, I tell you!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Wedding News - Yes. As October 25 draws near, there will always be Wedding News.

Melia has a Bridal Tea this Sunday afternoon, and we are pumped up, I tell you.

Nothing makes an approaching wedding seem more real than parties and writing Thank You Notes.



I also have Wedding News regarding Brad and Stephanie's impending nuptials. As of today... ONLY NINE MORE DAYS!

Single digits.

Difficulty breathing... again.



Quotable Quotes

Never trust your tongue when your heart is bitter.

Pinterest Stuff

I'll be honest... I haven't tried these two recipes yet. They are on my Fall To-Do List.

But just in case they don't get done, I didn't want you to not have the info!

Fall Popcorn

You will need the following:

Two bags of popped popcorn
Bag of candy corn
1 package (16 ounces) white almond bark
Halloween sprinkles

1. Put two bags of popped popcorn and a bag of candy corn in a large bowl.

2. Drizzle white almond bark over the popcorn and candy corn.

3. Spread out on to wax paper.

4. Sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles and let cool 15 to 30 minutes.

5. Then break it up and enjoy!

Fall Potpourri

You will need the following:

Peel of 1 orange
1 apple (cut up)
1 tablespoon cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 1/2 cup water

Simmer and enjoy.

Way Back When...

These three items were first posted in September of 2009.

The Importance of Planning

I wanted to post an excerpt from an Emilie Barnes' book. I love all of her books... her devotionals, her books for children, etc., but what she says in this book really hits the nail on the head (to me).

"You don't need money to create memories; you just need a desire. As adults, many of our memories are from our childhood or from when we were first married. Looking back to our early married life, Bob and I had very little money, but we have many fond memories. Now we have much more financial independence, but our early memories are still very vivid. Someone shared with me once, 'Successful people do what unsuccessful people aren't willing to do.' That statement had a real impact on my life. From that day on, I began to identify what those things were. One that was brought to mind was that successful people planned their lives. I wasn't planning my life very well at the time. Since then, I have learned to create treasured memories."

Of course, being a planner doesn't always work either. I found that out the hard way. So the last few years have found me trying to be a "flexible planner." Plan, plan, plan, but if things do not work out as you plan, do NOT be upset. Flexibility is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to learn... and I'm still not very good at it! It's not a natural skill for me. (Surprise to all those who have known me for more than one minute!)

But when plans fall apart or just totally disappear, I trust in God's Word. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

And since I know He has plans for me, it gives me the desire to try again.

How many days just melt away, and we look back at the week that has just passed and wonder where the time went? Did we have dinner together as a family? Did we spend one-on-one time with one or more of the kids? Did we plan something special to do with our husband as a couple? But more importantly, did we go somewhere to "be still" and spend time with God? If I'm honest here, I would have to answer "no" to several of those questions on a weekly basis. But if I can say "yes" to even one... or two... or three, then that's a good week because it means I'm planning. I'm trying. And as I have said before, that's what A Simple Life is all about... striving.

The Bible Alphabet

Again, we're going to use this family devotion under the Party/Event section. This is no little devotion. This goes on for 26 weeks. Wait, wait, wait. Don't stop reading. It is an EASY 26 weeks. Read on, please.

To do this activity/event/devotion, choose a special day of the week that will suit your family.

Have each member of the family choose a Bible verse that begins with the letter "A." The verse that is chosen must be a complete sentence.

At a certain time of day (breakfast, supper, bedtime, or whatever time the family chooses) have each person share their verse.

The next week, learn verses beginning with "B," and the following week learn verses beginning with "C," and so on.

Continue this activity until everyone can complete the alphabet. The REAL fun begins with letters like "X" and "Z."

Examples:

A - All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

B - Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. (Acts 16:31)

C - Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. (Joshua 24:15)

D - Delight thyself also in the Lord. (Psalm 37:4)

Hopefully, you will not have many duplicate verses. This will be a weekly "event" which will also serve as a tool for children to learn to use their Bibles more easily.

Again, this idea comes from Let's Make a Memory. Great book!

Roxie's Birth Day Story - Part One

It was the day of our eighth anniversary. I was at Mom and Dad's dropping the boys off, and Mike and I were going out to eat and spend the night at Embassy Suites as was our tradition. I was visiting with Mom for a few minutes when her phone rang. It was Mikie. The doctor hadn't been able to reach me, and had called him. They needed to talk to me right away.

Hmmm. That didn't sound good. I had been to the doctor earlier in the week for my annual doctor's appointment. I hung up with Mike (who told me he was on the way to Mom's), and dialed the number. A nurse answered the phone, and when I told her who I was she immediately put me through to the doctor. Hmmm. That didn't sound good, either.

"Mrs. Faulkner?" the doctor verified.

"Yes," I responded a little louder than normal.

"Well, we have good news and bad news," she went on. That's it. She didn't ask me which one I wanted to hear first. She didn't ask me if I wanted to hear any of it at all. She just kept on talking. (If you've known me for more than a minute, you know when given the choice, I will hear the good news and totally disregard the bad news. It's a defense mechanism, I am sure.)

"You are pregnant," she said. I was surprised because even though we were planning on trying for a third child, I hadn't thought I was actually pregnant. Before that could sink in and I could be thrilled, she gave me the bad news. "However, your numbers are not good, and you will probably miscarry this baby."

The only thing I heard was the "pregnant" part. I didn't understand the "numbers" part. I didn't comprehend the "miscarriage" part.

"Well, okay then. That's wonderful," I answered. She paused, then repeated the other stuff until she was sure I had grasped what she was talking about.

"Call the office over the weekend if anything happens. Otherwise, I'll see you in my office next Wednesday for some more tests." And that's how the call ended. Mike arrived, and I told him what was going on. Anniversary plans were now very irrelevant compared to the news we had just received. However, two little boys had made plans to spend the night with Grandmother and Granddaddy, and that was NOT going to change.

Mike and I left with heavy hearts and made it through the weekend. We then made it through Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Wednesday afternoon found us at the doctor's office having more blood tests. Friday morning we received a telephone call saying we were not out of the woods, but the numbers were better. (To this day, I don't know what numbers they were talking about... nor did I ask.)

Two weeks later, we received an "all clear" on the baby. We were expecting baby number three. The numbers were good, and the due date was the first week of October. Mike and I were both very excited.

Everything went well (extremely well) until the middle of April when I received yet another call from the doctor. A blood test I had given permission for them to take indicated our baby was at high risk of being a Downs' baby. I knew which blood test they were talking about, and I knew I had NOT signed the permission slip. Several of my friends had false/positives from this same test, and I had not wanted it... EVER. I told them I had not signed the permission slip, but it didn't change the fact the test had indeed been given, and the results were not good. They wanted me to come in for another test, and if the results were better, they would disregard the first test. I agreed on that condition.

I went in for the test, and a few days later received a call from the doctor (again, a very bad sign). If anything, the results were worse. Much worse. While I tried to absorb this new information, they made an appointment for me and Mikie to come to UAB for a special ultrasound test which would help determine if the baby was Downs'. They also wanted to know if I wanted amniocentesis, but I immediately declined. If God was giving us a Downs' baby, we would absolutely welcome him/her into our family and love him/her and take care of him/her just as we had our boys. Nothing would change that... ever.

After all, we were talking about the baby which would one day make us the Faulkner Five. This baby was always going to be special... no matter what.

Tune in for Part Two next Tuesday (September 23). It gets a little more complicated!

Weekend Happenings

1. Mike and I have a date tonight... AGAIN! That is TWO WEEKS IN A ROW! It is in the process of being planned, so I'll have to let you know the what, when, how, where, etc. next Tuesday.

2. Mike and I have a date tonight BECAUSE Austin is working at Donoho, Josh is working at Zaxby's and Roxie has a date of her own.

3. On Saturday afternoon, Roxie and I are going to be searching for and GETTING a gown for Homecoming. She was honored as one of the Senior representatives yesterday, and while we immediately went shopping when she came home from school, we still have a store or two to visit.

The good news... She tried on a really, really pretty gown yesterday, and if we do not have any luck tomorrow, we're getting THAT one!

4. Josh has plans with a friend all day Saturday.

5. Austin has up-in-the-air plans.

6. Mike has a to-do list.

We are going to be scattered, to say the least.

7. After church Sunday, we are going to be doing the Wedding Tea "thing." I may or may not have mentioned that earlier in the blog!

I hope you and yours have a great weekend. I'll be back Tuesday with Weekend Wrap-Up, Tea pics, Roxie's Birth Story - Part Two, and so much more.

Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda