Happy Mother's Day!

We decided to play with the camera today for some fun family shots and pregnancy photos. Our little basketball officially has a name now.....Ty David Baughman is 29 weeks 5 days gestation and should weigh around 3lbs and be 17 inches long.

Erin

Hi... you all know me but mom is making me do this so here goes...
Umm... mom peed her pants a second ago. Daddy made her laugh really hard and she went ALL over the place! Just kidding, it wasn't all over the place. It was hilarious! Anyways back to me... If you want to know more about me you can ask to be my friend on facebook. I'll accept your requests I promise. Thanks for telling on me!:p ...Anyways I love you all and I will probably see most of you all in the near future so I'll see you then... Bye!
~Erin Gabrielle Baughman*


Well, I guess that is what I get for asking her to say something about herself on the blog! The next time she accuses me of telling her "private" business.....I'll be pointing out this entry!

Reality is that Erin and her best friend, Carlyn are inseparable. They do everything together. They love youth group, gymnastics and planning for high school together. Erin will be attending Floyd Central in the fall working toward an honors diploma over the following four years. She hopes to take several art classes and would also like to cheer. She calls the baby "the new kid" and hopes we name him Grant because we won't use her top choices of Spenser or Tyson. She babysits two very active boys in the neighborhood three or four afternoons a week and loves going out to dinner or the movies with large groups of friends on the weekends. Shopping is her favorite thing but rarely parts with real money. Gift cards are her best gift! She is a bright, energetic, sarcastic, easily distracted, multi-talented kid. We love being her parents....even when she's finding new buttons to push!

Celebrating with Cousins!

We met Theresa and the boys in Lexington for lunch and some shopping today. They brought Kate an early birthday package full of all kinds of fun surprises. She loves the monster truck, doll diapers, kite, bubbles and snow white dress up dress. Birthdays are so much fun! We love seeing the boys.....they are great kids.

Coming off the Mountain

Tonight’s sermon was one of those that made me think about the message long after it was over. I have found myself praying about it, thinking about the implications, talking to God, seeking forgiveness in a new way and wanting to share it. Travis spoke about Jesus up on the mountain for 40 days, fasting and being tempted by Satan. He followed God up the mountain…..the trek up any mountain would have been tough, but once He was up there, the view would have been beautiful. All would seem perfect. Life would be easy. Then He fasted and prayed. He was hungry and weak as the 40 days progressed. He had the option to turn the rocks into bread as Satan taunted Him to do. He could have made the story about what he could do but he instead allowed it to be about God. He could have done anything He wanted but He was on that mountain for a reason. He was preparing to go back down the mountain and into the valley. Jesus knew that He was facing the deepest valley ever. He was going to die for the sins of all mankind. He KNEW what pain and suffering were in that valley and yet, He made the even more treacherous hike back down that mountain. The journey ahead was going to hurt and He knew it. He could have just gone down the mountain and kept the temptation and fasting to himself but in keeping that part of the journey quiet, he would have kept God’s grace out of the valley. You see, God needs to be at work in the valley because that is where we suffer and that is where we hurt. That is where children die, marriages fail, good people suffer and everyone experiences loss. God has to be there….the world seems clean and perfect on the mountain because we can’t see the pain in the valley from up there. With God, there is victory and hope. There is healing and rejoicing. With God, we are not alone in our suffering. If Jesus had not shared that He was tempted or that He drew strength from God alone then the victory wouldn’t have impacted us the way it does. We all have a testimony of God’s strength and if we keep it to ourselves, we prevent others from knowing God’s character. Most often, we learn much more about God in the valley because that is where we are weakest…..that is where we are raw. God can work through us more effectively when we are not strong enough to make the journey alone. On the mountain, most of us are feeling good….life is going well and the view is beautiful. Satan does tempt us into believing we can do it all ourselves. The reality is that we will be heading back down that mountain and into the valley at some point. As Christians we know that we will suffer and experience pain….why shouldn’t we? Jesus suffered more than most can imagine and did so with perfect grace and humility.

Now this is where I am being convicted. God has carried me through some extremely painful times. I know God was there. I drew strength from Him. He taught me about His character and equipped me to grow in those circumstances. The journey was painful, to say the least. Sadly though, that is where I stopped growing. You see, I know the journey with God is painful and the valley is where we spend our walk with God because that is where God is at work in the world. I don’t want to come off the mountain. I don’t want to walk in the valley. I want to be on the mountain believing the illusion that all is perfect and I am capable of making my life work as I see fit. I have kept a wall up between God and me so that He can only get “so close”…I don’t want to be in pain anymore. I have avoided following God into the work He’s doing because it can and possibly will hurt. I know God is preparing me on the mountain top for the journey back down the mountain and into the valley and I’m afraid. Not that I don’t believe or trust that God will be there with me. I know He will equip me for anything His plan has for me but I also know the pain of the aftermath that can follow working for Him. But I am sinfully selfish and prideful for believing my life is my own when I have in fact, committed my life to following God. I have promised to spend time with Him, loving Him and worshipping Him. The truth is, I put my husband and my children and even my own selfish desires ahead of Him and He knows it. I grew bitter from some of the experiences I’ve had with God. That is me allowing Satan a foot hold that says that I shouldn’t have had to be in pain because I was following God’s plan. Really? What did Jesus suffer through for God’s plan for me and all of mankind? As a serious control freak, the idea of letting go and letting God lead my life is frightening beyond words but I know without exception that it is exactly what God expects from me. I give my faith a lip service only if I try to control the reigns as I tell others of my journey as though I’ve done enough for God and He should leave me alone now. After all, I followed God to a place that had me holding my adoptive son in my arms as he died. I would not have chosen to be there. It hurt too much. God lead me there and carried me through that time but I hurt so badly afterward that I told God….look, that’s all I got for you. Isn’t that enough? I can just hear God mentioning the suffering of His son for me…..no, it isn’t enough. I cannot DO enough. It is through God’s grace that I am saved. Anything I do for God is me living for Him rather than selfishly living for me and my desires. That is sin. Simple and straight forward. I have lived selfishly for myself since that day I rocked my precious son. That is where I left my heart and the sad thing is, so few even know that God was the leader of the journey that let me be the blessed mother to a tiny, perfect boy that otherwise would not have known a mother’s love and touch. God took me there and chose me to be Ryan’s mom. I was blessed even in my suffering. God carried me and He made sure I knew it but, it was there that I left my testimony. It was private….or was it? If I had shared the journey, would I have been glorified or would God? I have struggled with that a lot over the last 5 ½ years. At times, I want everyone to know about my son. Other times I think that no one can grasp the impact of his life on mine therefore it is best left unsaid. But is that making it about me again?

I need to come off the mountain. I need God to lead my life. He does so without my permission but it is best I follow with a willing heart and love for Him rather than the kicking and screaming that has lead me to where I am tonight. I am broken, but forgiven. I am sad that I have not allowed God to use me for the last 5 ½ years but looking forward to seeing where He leads me tomorrow. I want the love relationship that He seeks to have with me. I want Him first in my life. I know pain is part of any life in this broken world, but I want to be alongside God when my journey includes suffering. I cannot do it without Him. I have tried and can fake it with the best of them but reality is that I am not worthy of the love He so willing gives me. I am blessed beyond measure and that has me kept me holding onto all I have that much more strongly. I don’t want to let go of any of it. Life is good and I am blessed but, I am blessed to know and love the Lord with or without the many blessings that are additional in my life. The reality is that it can all be taken away without warning and I will be left with God…..if I am not willing to step off that mountain with God, where will I be when life happens?

28 Weeks

We are officially into the final trimester....28 weeks today. I saw Cindy, the nurse practitioner at the OB office and things are looking better. The baby is in position and no longer laying transverse which was apparently effecting our measurements. (This appears to have helped my sciatic nerve issue too) His size is now right on target. He didn't like the heart monitor and kept moving away from it which raised his heart rate. According to Cindy, this means he is neurologically developed. Good to know! I have gained two pounds in two weeks....perfect and my glucose numbers are good. She wants me to continue monitoring for two more weeks to make sure there aren't any issues (not what I wanted to hear but I am willing to play along).

Kate has decided that since we aren't accepting "Bear" for the baby's name, she wants us to name him "Mr. Tom" after her favorite Sunday school teacher! It is a good thing she isn't old enough to vote! Ty David, Grant David (which would be Greg's initials), and Nolan Micah are the names on the list.....we have time to make lots of changes. It is a transitional list based on moods, opinions and who's involved in the conversation!

We've finished the room!

After a somewhat eventful drive home from Theresa's with the crib and changing table in the truck, we have the room completed. We are thrilled with the results. Kate already keeps bringing her stool in to stand next to the crib so she can see where the baby will be.....we are all excited about his pending arrival.

Under Construction

We worked on the baby's room this weekend. I did all the prep work painting dirt and sky. Greg drew all the trucks and the entire family got into the paint...it was a lot of fun. We have a few more additions to make before adding furniture, bedding, accessories and window treatments but we have a great start.

Happy Easter!

It is so nice to have a quiet weekend planned to celebrate Easter this year. We don't have to travel and we aren't having company for the first time. After the last couple of weeks, the change of pace is welcomed.

I buy farm fresh brown eggs from a local farmer. We started to color our eggs and Makenna declared that she wants to dye hers white so they look "normal". Whatever!

"It Happened in a City"

Makenna was able to participate in another play at Hannah's church. She was "story teller #2" and did a great job. She sounded much older speaking on stage as she told the true Easter story of Jesus' death on the cross. The group photo is the entire cast hugging Mr. Troupe who has been a very patient director for the plays. The kids just love him.

Kate's mood today

Kate woke in a quiet, strange little mood today. She was rather somber at all suggestions for the day. I couldn't resist capturing it on camera. I often wonder what she's thinking when she is quiet....it doesn't happen often!

She went with me to the doctor yesterday and loved taking care of her baby doll while we waited. She told the doctor her baby brother is tired of growing big and strong in mommy's belly. She is so anxious for his arrival.

Happy Birthday Erin and Greg!

How on earth is my baby 14? Time has flown. Greg and I were looking at some photos of the girls taken as we were moving here in the summer of 2006 and couldn't believe our eyes. They were so little! Each and every one of them has grown so much these last couple of years. It is just shocking to realize just how quickly they do grow up.

Erin didn't get as special a day as we would have liked because everyone is still recovering from the flu and strep but we did manage to get her O'Charley's potato soup which was her one request for the day. She received lots of birthday wishes from friends and family including some new shirts, shoes and money (her favorite thing). She has lots of shopping planned in the near future...hopefully later this week we'll all be up for it.

Greg will celebrate his 39th tomorrow. He is doing really well in his recovery. His ankle doesn't cause him much pain at all. His primary complaint is the pain in his back from the crutches and the angle in which he has to carry his leg with the added hardware. He has always handled surgery and this accident with an amazing amount of grace. I am so proud of him.....Happy Birthday to two wonderful people.

Kate's ready for her baby brother to arrive

I woke up to Kate snuggling next to me in the bed this morning. She said, "Mommy, I love our baby brother". Within a few seconds she added, "I think he's tired of hiding in your belly". She says it is taking too long for him to grow big and strong enough to come out.

This afternoon I took a nap (Still recovering from the flu and strep throat) and as I was waking up, she crawled up onto the bed and asked if her baby brother was moving. He is typically active when I am resting. I said no and added that I think he just enjoyed a nap with me because I didn't feel any movement. She gently poked me in the belly and said, "wake up baby brother". Within seconds, he was stretching and moving....I am in big trouble if he is taking orders from her already!

Perfectly Pregnant!

Best friends do EVERYTHING together? Apparently! Whereas we were more than surprised by the news of our pregnancy, Kristin has been looking forward to this day for quite awhile. I am 22 weeks and she is 28. We are both having little boys this summer.

I got to have lunch with Kristin and Cherie (Happy Birthday Cherie!) in Dayton while Greg saw his surgeon today. It was a great way to pass some time! I am thrilled they were able to meet me! Greg's appointment went well. He had his stitches removed and some adjustments made on the pins. He will be doing daily adjustments on the struts at home in between appointments. Dr. Binski is okay with Greg working in the office at UPS. Nothing like asking forgiveness rather than permission....he went back on Monday! His back is causing him the most pain right now and we assume it is a result of the crutches. All in all, it was a long but good day. Who can complain in weather like this? All of the girls are sick....high fevers and sore throats. The good times never end!

Greg's back to work

Greg decided it was time to return to work tonight. His boss is allowing him to go in shorts and without a shoe on his right foot. He will be working in the office for the next four months. He will miss the operation portion of his job but thrilled to be back in a work setting. He was so stir crazy sitting at home. I am concerned for him because I think he is over doing it rather early but he insists this is best for him....four months earlier than the surgeon anticipated but we'll see what he has to say about it at Greg's first follow up appointment on Wednesday. The next time Greg mentions our kids being stubborn....this will be brought up! I, on the other hand, won't mind getting my family back into our routine and accomplishing some tasks in preparation for the baby this summer. Our first order of business is getting a room ready for Lauren and Makenna to share. They've chosen a deep egg plant color for the walls with chocolate and white accents. We ordered bunk beds this weekend and they will be here next week. After that, we can start working on the nursery. I am excited about our Tonka truck theme. I hope it is as cute as I envision it being. We've only been able to prepare one other nursery because we were in an apartment with Erin and Lauren. Makenna had a sweet room with a large tree growing above her bed with "Greg and Sherri" carved into a heart on the trunk. We had bugs and flowers growing around a painted picket fence. It was so much fun. When Kate arrived, she shared with older sisters so she didn't get a room. The baby boy's space will be unique for our family. We chose Tonka trucks because they were Greg's favorite childhood toy. We have two of his original metal trucks that a friend has agreed to help us restore for the room. I love that we are handing down something special from his dad and that it won't be out grown too quickly. Now, if we could just decide on his name.....

Happy Birthday Mason!

Mason turned 2 on the 13th and we drove to London, KY to celebrate him on Saturday. We all had a great time and brought home lots of little baby boy things to start preparing our nursery. Brennen is 4 and loves play station race car and monster truck games....doesn't he look cool? Mason has an expression a minute...I love these two! Nephews are so much fun!

Greg on Drugs....

Greg is doing much better as the week progresses. He describes his pain as constant but not throbbing like it was last week and through the weekend at times. His fever returns occasionally but doesn't last long. The surgeon's office says this is a normal reaction to surgery. He has been feeling stir crazy with few visitors (unlike home in Ohio where we were bombarded by multiple visitors daily). We had extremely warm temperatures yesterday so I took him out to run some errands. He was just a passenger primarily but did venture into Blockbuster to find a few movies. We don't watch movies so anything that has come out since he recovered in 2000 is a new release for us! Anyway, he had taken his pain meds before the drive to make him as comfortable as possible and boy was that entertaining! He was yelling at construction workers who were not tied off that "gravity always wins". He was singing to the girl's music (they were hiding under their seats). He added a few dance moves at times to make them wish they'd stayed home! The entire drive was full of his antics. At home, he is full of himself too....I am praying his boss will let him return to work soon. He will have additional injuries if they don't get him out of here soon. He shakes his water glass yelling "waitress" at me when it is empty, he points out things that could be done as soon as I sit down or appear too busy to deal with one more thing....yep, he needs to go back to work!

Saturday

Greg is running a fever tonight of 100.8. He is tired and in some pain but had a good day overall. It was beautiful and warm outside today so we spent some time sitting on the swing taking in more fresh air while we can...March can be so fickle. We had our first run at "pin care" today and neither of us faired very well. I didn't have to take care of his pins this fresh after surgery the last time and now know what I was missing....I was feeling quite squeamish by the time we had the old gauze off the pin sites. A warm shower after the old stuff was off cleaned up the leg quite a bit and the new, clean gauze looks much better. We are awaiting a delivery next week of the sterile q-tips and saline solution to do all the pin care but this was a good start. Greg is looking forward to visitors from work tomorrow. He is feeling stir crazy in the house. The distraction of company will do him some good.

There's no place like home

This was taken just before Greg was discharged yesterday. We drove home today with the help of our neighbors from Ohio, Pam and Ken. They were awesome about spending the day with me in surgical waiting all day Monday and then driving Greg home today so he could keep his leg elevated in the back seat of their car. They stayed with us long enough to allow me to get the dog and grocery shop. Thanks so much guys...you rock! Someone from our church loaned us a shower chair...thanks again.

Thursday

Greg and I arrived at my parent's house from the hospital just before 7 last evening. He was running a fever, had elevated blood pressure and was in intense pain. Getting his pain meds was a journey in and of itself. He ended up being 4 hours late on a dose because of paperwork/computer/authorization issues. This is the same government so many people want to take over our health care system! They need to live a nightmare or two like we have to see the "benefit" in it's true light...another soap box for another day.

As the night progressed, his temperature returned to normal and he finally slept better. Greg rates his pain at 6 rather than the 10-12 he had been ranking it. Praise God for that blessing. I hope it continues. He wants to try and go home today. There really is no place like home for quality rest, a good shower and real food with actual texture and flavor! Those are the things everyone wants while in the hospital. We are so grateful for the support and prayers offered us while he recovers. Once we are home, I will post some photos of his ankle. My nephews would love to play with the hardware....it looks like a really cool erector set of toys!

Surgery Update

Greg had surgery today. It took 4 1/2 hours and he will be recovering for 2-3 days in the hospital. Getting him home may be more challenging than we originally thought. He is in a lot of pain and the halos encircle his entire foot making propping it up for the three hour drive difficult. Please keep him in your prayers as he recuperates.

The girls are sufficiently full of sugar and good times with Grandma and Grandpa. They've been shopping, out to eat and to Build A Bear...this surgery thing is not a bad deal for them!