Here's another video from Baby Signing Time Vol. 2... Aunt Allie even knows how to sign dead tree :)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Baby Signing Time
So, I'm on this kick of learning sign language again!! Let me tell you why... :)
Sometime before I had Hannah, my Father-in-law bought the first Volume of Baby Signing Time. He had gotten the recommendation from one of his secretaries and thought we might be interested. I watched the first one and LOVED it!! In the past, I had heard stories of moms that taught their children some basic signs to help with the frustration of not being able to communicate in speaking at a young age. I thought that it was pretty interesting... and just put it in the back of my head as an idea. But when Chuck gave me this dvd, I thought it was such a great idea. The video looked like something that a child would love, and Mommy and Daddy could sit and watch it too and also learn sign language.
I've always been interested in sign language but unless I have to use it everyday, I'm sure I'll never master it! But just to have some basics is great! Every now and then, we will have a deaf patient on the unit... at least now I can ask him his name, and where he hurts :) When Hannah was able to sit in her Bumbo, we started watching at least once a day. I know, TV is not good for little ones, but I disagree for this show! At about 9 or 10 months, I became more determined to signs when I spoke to her, even though she was a couple of months away from being able to say one word. But before I knew it, she was signing more! And from there her language skills took off!
By the time she was one year old, Hannah was able to say 5-8 words and could sign over 10 words. Soon she was learning a few words a week. By the time she was 15 months we were well over saying 25 words and signing 15 new words, and able to say some 2-3 word sentences. Usually when she can say a word she drops the sign, but there are some basic words that she still signs... more, please, all done! Sometimes we won't watch a video for a few weeks, and some how in the back of her mind, she will remember a random sign and start signing that word! She's so smart!!!
Now at 21 months, her vocabulary has expanded to well over 100 words + some signs, she can say 3-4 word sentences, and she will try and say or sign almost anything we ask her too. Her speech is becoming more clear and sometimes I think we are actually able to have a short conversation!
Do I attribute all this to Baby Signing Time? Definitely NOT! I do think that God is the giver of language, and He is the one who developed it so quickly in her head... but I do think that Baby Signing Time gave her the opportunity to learn it!
Baby Signing Time leads into the series of Signing Time... which is more for older kids. In a matter of fact, a lot of parents and teachers use this as part of their school curriculum to teach a second language! Luckily, our Library carries the series... because the complete series alone costs well over $800.
If you get a chance, you must read or watch the story of Rachel Coleman and why she started Two Little Hands productions ( http://www.signingtime.com/aboutus/our-story/ ). I can't imagine having to have to learn another language in order to speak to my child... but I'm so glad she was able to look past her difficulties and share her gift with us!!
So, now Sam is 5 1/2 months old and starting to notice the TV... so I've gotten out the dvd's again and we are watching them daily. It's hard to use ASL in your daily language when you are not use to it, but I am to make a conscious effort to use as much of it as I can... please, thank you, more, all done, when talking about animals, when counting, when learning colors!! I'm so excited to hear Sam's little voice and know what is going on inside his head... but most of all I can't wait to communicate to him :)
But more than anything, I would be absolutely THRILLED if one of my children learn it as a second language and use it in some way to bring glory to God! There are ministries that need help and lives that need to be reached to know the King of Kings and Lord of Lords... how awesome would it be if someone came to know Jesus all because it started with more, more, more :)
Sometime before I had Hannah, my Father-in-law bought the first Volume of Baby Signing Time. He had gotten the recommendation from one of his secretaries and thought we might be interested. I watched the first one and LOVED it!! In the past, I had heard stories of moms that taught their children some basic signs to help with the frustration of not being able to communicate in speaking at a young age. I thought that it was pretty interesting... and just put it in the back of my head as an idea. But when Chuck gave me this dvd, I thought it was such a great idea. The video looked like something that a child would love, and Mommy and Daddy could sit and watch it too and also learn sign language.
I've always been interested in sign language but unless I have to use it everyday, I'm sure I'll never master it! But just to have some basics is great! Every now and then, we will have a deaf patient on the unit... at least now I can ask him his name, and where he hurts :) When Hannah was able to sit in her Bumbo, we started watching at least once a day. I know, TV is not good for little ones, but I disagree for this show! At about 9 or 10 months, I became more determined to signs when I spoke to her, even though she was a couple of months away from being able to say one word. But before I knew it, she was signing more! And from there her language skills took off!
By the time she was one year old, Hannah was able to say 5-8 words and could sign over 10 words. Soon she was learning a few words a week. By the time she was 15 months we were well over saying 25 words and signing 15 new words, and able to say some 2-3 word sentences. Usually when she can say a word she drops the sign, but there are some basic words that she still signs... more, please, all done! Sometimes we won't watch a video for a few weeks, and some how in the back of her mind, she will remember a random sign and start signing that word! She's so smart!!!
Now at 21 months, her vocabulary has expanded to well over 100 words + some signs, she can say 3-4 word sentences, and she will try and say or sign almost anything we ask her too. Her speech is becoming more clear and sometimes I think we are actually able to have a short conversation!
Do I attribute all this to Baby Signing Time? Definitely NOT! I do think that God is the giver of language, and He is the one who developed it so quickly in her head... but I do think that Baby Signing Time gave her the opportunity to learn it!
Baby Signing Time leads into the series of Signing Time... which is more for older kids. In a matter of fact, a lot of parents and teachers use this as part of their school curriculum to teach a second language! Luckily, our Library carries the series... because the complete series alone costs well over $800.
If you get a chance, you must read or watch the story of Rachel Coleman and why she started Two Little Hands productions ( http://www.signingtime.com/aboutus/our-story/ ). I can't imagine having to have to learn another language in order to speak to my child... but I'm so glad she was able to look past her difficulties and share her gift with us!!
So, now Sam is 5 1/2 months old and starting to notice the TV... so I've gotten out the dvd's again and we are watching them daily. It's hard to use ASL in your daily language when you are not use to it, but I am to make a conscious effort to use as much of it as I can... please, thank you, more, all done, when talking about animals, when counting, when learning colors!! I'm so excited to hear Sam's little voice and know what is going on inside his head... but most of all I can't wait to communicate to him :)
But more than anything, I would be absolutely THRILLED if one of my children learn it as a second language and use it in some way to bring glory to God! There are ministries that need help and lives that need to be reached to know the King of Kings and Lord of Lords... how awesome would it be if someone came to know Jesus all because it started with more, more, more :)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
So Many Changes
This last week has brought on so many changes in my life.... ALL are good, ALL are progress forward, but each comes with it's own set of growing pains! Change is hard and sometimes all I want to do is curl up and sleep and let things changed on their own. I use to give my parents (more specifically my mom) a hard time about not wanting "to change"... but as I get older, I realize how much work it is to make changes in your life. It is so much easier to just stay complacent where you are and learn to live with it!
All this said, I just want to make clear that there are no MAJOR changes in my life! All is well, just a lot of little ways things are changing around here! Last week I decided that the house needs a good "spring cleaning" and of course, I got motivated to clean on Thursday. When I set it in my mind to really clean, I get detailed and clean EVERYTHING :) So, over the last week, not only did I vacuum and dust and pick up... I took everything off the shelves to dust, threw away things that we didn't need or want, washed the base boards, walls, cleaned the carpets, couches, kitchen floor and windows. And I rearranged the furniture downstairs. Most of it I did after the kiddos went to bed... but the downstairs looks awesome!! When I told Josh I wanted to rearrange to make more room and just for something different (our furniture was in the same place we put it when we moved in almost 5 years ago) he kept telling me that there was nothing we could do different to make more room... but he still helped me move everything around :) an now he loves it too!!
I have to do laundry today, and it has to be one of the chores I hate the most! YUCK! It's just soooooooooo boring and time consuming! And of course I'm putting it off by blogging :) Next week, my goal is to clean the entire upstairs. This may be a little challenging because I'll have to do a lot of the cleaning while the kids are awake, but I'm determined to have my house as clean as possible. I was joking with Josh last night and told him I can't get pregnant again until this house is finally clean! After that, I want to focus room by room and paint and redecorate each room, starting with our bedroom. That room has become clothing storage central, and I need to get rid of everything and clean it out!
I find one of the frustrating things about having an infant is that as soon as you get a schedule down with them, you have to change it again! When I was only breastfeeding Sam, it took me a long time to get him on a good 3 hour schedule, and then we started on rice cereal. Actually, this was an easy change... we went to a 4 hour schedule and I was able to get the kids on the same nap schedule... which meant I got to take naps too :) I just feel like every week Sam's sleeping habits are changing. He use to take 3 naps a day, but he was not sleeping through the night very well... so a couple of days ago, I decided we needed to try and skip that last late nap. I feel so bad for him because he seems so tired, but it has really helped him sleep well the first half of the night.
I also decided it was time to break him of being swaddled when he sleeps. This one has been the most painful, but it was time. He use to sleep straight through the night until 7:30am when swaddled, but the last couple weeks he has become a little magician and breaks out of it multiple times and won't go back to sleep without being swaddled again. So, we tried last week to stop swaddling, but by the end of the week we were using it again. I put it away for good this week and now he is able to put himself to sleep. At night, he usually makes it until 3 or 4 in the morning, and then I have to get up 2 or 3 times to give him a pacifier. Yes, don't worry, I let him cry for a while to see if he'll go back to sleep... but I've been able to distinguish the difference between "I'm going back to sleep cry" and a "I'm not going back to sleep until I get my paci" cry :)
Another change with Sam is that I decided the other night that I'm going to start weaning him. This one is probably the hardest change of all right now, and it makes me sad because I truly love breastfeeding. But since he turned 4 months, I just haven't been able to keep up with the demand and my milk supply just keeps going down. This week I've basically dropped to only feeding him 3 times a week and plan to just keep decreasing it. It will probably be a slow wean, but it still makes me sad know that this time is coming to and end. Sam is just growing and learning by leaps and bounds and I am losing my baby that was 100% dependent on me. But as I said at the beginning, change is hard but so worth it and I am so excited to see Hannah and Sam interact and play together more and more everyday!
The most important change is how God has been working in my heart over the last few weeks. I've been able to stay with my Bible reading which amazes me that I've made it this far!! And God has opened my eyes to things I need to change in my life and how I can live to serve Him better!!! I can't wait to see how He is going to use these changes in my life to glorify Him!
So much more I want to write, but Mickey is over and Sam just woke up from a nap! Have a great weekend!!!!
All this said, I just want to make clear that there are no MAJOR changes in my life! All is well, just a lot of little ways things are changing around here! Last week I decided that the house needs a good "spring cleaning" and of course, I got motivated to clean on Thursday. When I set it in my mind to really clean, I get detailed and clean EVERYTHING :) So, over the last week, not only did I vacuum and dust and pick up... I took everything off the shelves to dust, threw away things that we didn't need or want, washed the base boards, walls, cleaned the carpets, couches, kitchen floor and windows. And I rearranged the furniture downstairs. Most of it I did after the kiddos went to bed... but the downstairs looks awesome!! When I told Josh I wanted to rearrange to make more room and just for something different (our furniture was in the same place we put it when we moved in almost 5 years ago) he kept telling me that there was nothing we could do different to make more room... but he still helped me move everything around :) an now he loves it too!!
I have to do laundry today, and it has to be one of the chores I hate the most! YUCK! It's just soooooooooo boring and time consuming! And of course I'm putting it off by blogging :) Next week, my goal is to clean the entire upstairs. This may be a little challenging because I'll have to do a lot of the cleaning while the kids are awake, but I'm determined to have my house as clean as possible. I was joking with Josh last night and told him I can't get pregnant again until this house is finally clean! After that, I want to focus room by room and paint and redecorate each room, starting with our bedroom. That room has become clothing storage central, and I need to get rid of everything and clean it out!
I find one of the frustrating things about having an infant is that as soon as you get a schedule down with them, you have to change it again! When I was only breastfeeding Sam, it took me a long time to get him on a good 3 hour schedule, and then we started on rice cereal. Actually, this was an easy change... we went to a 4 hour schedule and I was able to get the kids on the same nap schedule... which meant I got to take naps too :) I just feel like every week Sam's sleeping habits are changing. He use to take 3 naps a day, but he was not sleeping through the night very well... so a couple of days ago, I decided we needed to try and skip that last late nap. I feel so bad for him because he seems so tired, but it has really helped him sleep well the first half of the night.
I also decided it was time to break him of being swaddled when he sleeps. This one has been the most painful, but it was time. He use to sleep straight through the night until 7:30am when swaddled, but the last couple weeks he has become a little magician and breaks out of it multiple times and won't go back to sleep without being swaddled again. So, we tried last week to stop swaddling, but by the end of the week we were using it again. I put it away for good this week and now he is able to put himself to sleep. At night, he usually makes it until 3 or 4 in the morning, and then I have to get up 2 or 3 times to give him a pacifier. Yes, don't worry, I let him cry for a while to see if he'll go back to sleep... but I've been able to distinguish the difference between "I'm going back to sleep cry" and a "I'm not going back to sleep until I get my paci" cry :)
Another change with Sam is that I decided the other night that I'm going to start weaning him. This one is probably the hardest change of all right now, and it makes me sad because I truly love breastfeeding. But since he turned 4 months, I just haven't been able to keep up with the demand and my milk supply just keeps going down. This week I've basically dropped to only feeding him 3 times a week and plan to just keep decreasing it. It will probably be a slow wean, but it still makes me sad know that this time is coming to and end. Sam is just growing and learning by leaps and bounds and I am losing my baby that was 100% dependent on me. But as I said at the beginning, change is hard but so worth it and I am so excited to see Hannah and Sam interact and play together more and more everyday!
The most important change is how God has been working in my heart over the last few weeks. I've been able to stay with my Bible reading which amazes me that I've made it this far!! And God has opened my eyes to things I need to change in my life and how I can live to serve Him better!!! I can't wait to see how He is going to use these changes in my life to glorify Him!
So much more I want to write, but Mickey is over and Sam just woke up from a nap! Have a great weekend!!!!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
My Second Little Monkey
Samuel Edward was born in August of 2010... and he is an amazing little baby boy!!!
A couple of months after we had Hannah, we decided that since she was such an easy baby, we should have another one soon! A few things happened that made me think I was pregnant, so I stopped by Meijer after work on a Saturday. The test was negative :( I was bummed... Something must be wrong with me. That following Monday, I decided to take another test and there was a faint 2nd line! I was so excited that I called Josh right away... poor kid couldn't concentrate at work the rest of the day!
We found out we were pregnant a few weeks before Christmas, so we decided to wait and tell our families on Christmas. We did tell Jeremy and Leanne about a week before Christmas, Justin and Ashley a couple days, and I told Allie the day before Christmas. All for different reasons, but I'm glad we told them when we did. On Christmas morning, we Skyped my parents and told them we had a Christmas present that we ordered in November but wouldn't come until August... it took about 10 seconds but they quickly figured out it was another baby!!!
At dinner that night, we shared with Josh's family that we were expecting again, and they were sooooo surprised and excited. Justin and Ashley also surprised them with Christmas cards of an ultrasound, they were pregnant too!!! Wow, 2 grandbabies are a great Christmas gift!!!!
At the beginning, I was convinced that I was going to have another girl. That's just the way it is in my family. The first two kids are always the same sex. However, as time went on, this pregnancy was way different. I had more nausea, I threw up a few times, I had more acid reflux and I grew out instead of wide. Before we had the ultrasound, I knew this was a boy and even started buying boy clothes :) Josh didn't believe me and was convinced it was a girl... and when the ultrasound revealed it was a boy... he was shocked and I think it took a few days for it to soak in!
I was really tired this pregnancy... I think working night shift AND having a baby really took it's toll on me... I think I am still recovering! Thankfully, Hannah is such an easy going and independent little girl that I was able to rest often. She took 2 naps a day until the week Sam was born, and I took two naps with her :)
A second C-section was scheduled for this kiddo! My OB said I could have a VBAC, but strongly recommended that I choose a C-section since my pregnancies were so close together. And honestly, I liked the idea of having this delivery planned and knowing that he would be here by that day. And I am glad I did!!!
Sam was born at 8 lbs 6oz and 22 inches long!! What a big boy!!
And since he was born, all he has done is grow grow grow!! At his 4 month appointment he weighed almost 15lbs and was 26 1/2 inches long which put him in the 95th percentile in height.
He is such an easy going baby. He didn't start sleeping through the night until he was 4 months old, but before that he only got up once during the night. He needs a little bit more attention than what Hannah did at this age, but now that he can play with toys and reach and grab things, I'm seeing him become more and more independent and able to entertain himself. He LOVES Hannah and watches her every move. And he is such a happy baby. He laughs and smiles at you all the time!! And I'm starting to notice how happy he is when he wakes up in the morning or from nap times. He rarely cries anymore... instead I hear him cooing and then I know it is time to get him!!
I look forward to him sitting up and crawling and walking and talking and growing up and playing with Hannah and any other siblings he will have!! He is an amazing little boy already and I look forward to what God has in store for this little man :)
Friday, January 7, 2011
My First Little Monkey
It's Friday... I hate Hate HATE leaving my family on the weekends to go to work, but sometimes it is nice to get away and interact with other adults :) I thought I would take sometime to tell you about my two little monkey's that I love with all my heart, but I only have time to write about one before nap time :)
Hannah Marie was born in April of 2009. She had us going from the start... The pregnancy was wonderful! Hardly sick, felt great, was able to sleep whenever I wanted!! At 18 weeks, we were soooo excited to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. However, she decided not to show us. We had a friend who was an ER resident at a local hospital... he did 3 ultrasounds on me and my doctor did 2 ultrasounds for a total of 5... and we never found out until she was born! About 37 weeks I started experiencing contractions (but didn't realize at that time) and one night when I was up with contractions, my water broke! 12 Days early!!! It was sooo much fun calling everyone in the middle of the night to tell them we were on our way to the hospital, a fun surprise! The next little surprise was that I was moving along pretty good, already 4 cm dilated when we got to the hospital... but the baby was now in a breech position, which meant I had to have a C-section. I was okay with this, I already had it set in my mind that I would end up having a C-section. When the Dr. pulled her out and said, "IT'S A GIRL"... my response was- "I told you Josh". I kept telling everyone I thought it was a girl, and I think Josh's family was convinced that I was going to have a boy. Everyone has boys in his family, why would I be different??
Hannah was born a healthy, crying baby girl weighing in at 6lbs 11oz. I couldn't believe how tiny she was. I was almost a 10lb baby, so I assumed my babes would be huge!!! She was born with Hip Dysplasia... which if anything was to be wrong this is by far the easiest to fix. She had to be in a harness thingy for 9 full weeks, 24 hours a day... and another 4 weeks just at night. But at her 18 month follow up appointment, her hip looked wonderful and we were given a clean bill of health!!!
She had to be one of the easiest newborns/babies/toddlers EVER!!! It's so much fun to watch her grow and learn everyday!!! She picks up on things so fast, it amazes me. Except for walking :) She finally started walking at 17 months... and even now if you breathe on her she falls over! Her verbal skills are amazing... the doctor said she is way ahead of her age, but I didn't really believe her. But as I talk to others that have children at Hannah's age, she really is talking much much more other 18 month olds. She will repeat anything we say, she says 2-4 word sentences, and I know I've heard her trying to sing through the monitor :) Her voice is so sweet!
She is also extremely polite... and I have no idea how she picked up on this. She always says Thank You if you give her something or take something she is giving you. And she is quickly learning to say or sign please if she asks for something.
Hannah is so in love with her baby brother. She is quick to comfort him and give him is pacifier, she hugs him and kisses him when he is on the floor, and will stand next to him when he is in his bouncy seat and laugh and play with him. I know they will grow up close to each other... and know doubt he will protect his little, big sister!
At 18 months, Hannah barely weighed 21 lbs (which puts her in the 5%) and was only in the 30% in height. She is still our little pumpkin!!
I have so much more I would love to brag on Hannah about. She is independent, happy, giving, loving and simply wonderful. She makes her Mommy and Daddy extremely proud and happy to have her as our daughter. I love you Hannah!!!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
What will you do?
Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day... with Hannah sick, that meant we watched a lot of Mickey Mouse. I know, my New Years Resolution was to only watch one Mickey a day, and I haven't been able to keep that. Maybe I should rephrase that as, my goal is to get down to one Mickey a day :) It's the funniest thing that the two things that comfort a sick child is Mommy and Mickey! I love it!! Actually, I'm not sure if Hannah is sick or teething. She is acting the same way she did the last time she had a virus (although not as bad) and she was cutting a tooth at that time too. I don't know if it is coincidence or if this is her reaction to her eye teeth coming in. Either way... I spoil her on these days with lots of Mickey, lots of Apple Juice, lots of snacks that she likes (or else she doesn't eat) and lots of loving!
This morning she seems to be doing better. She looks so pale after having rosey cheeks for the last couple of days, and her appetite seems to be coming back. And she is playing with her toys instead of wanting to watch Mickey Mouse. Yep, she's back to getting in trouble too. We have a very strict rule in our house... NO PLAYING IN THE DOG BOWLS! Yet for some reason, she is obsessed with them- especially the water bowls. So this morning, I gave her some gummy snacks because she asked for them and really didn't eat a whole lot for breakfast... and while I was not looking, she went over to the dog bowls and put a couple in the empty water bowl. When I realized she had been quiet for a while, I looked over and she was eating them out of the bowl! Ewwww!!! That is sooooo gross!!!!
She has also been such a cutie pie this morning, playing with her baby doll that Aunt Leanne got her for her birthday. She was walking all over the downstairs saying, "Where baby go?" Usually she says this when looking for Sam, but somehow I figured out she was looking for her baby doll. She took the baby for a walk in her toy stroller, put the baby in Sam's car seat, and then held the baby when I held Sam and copied everything I did with him. She is such a good Mommy to her babies.
Josh and I have been Youth Group Sponsors at College Park Church for 3 1/2 years now. Last night we started a new book study on a book called CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan. Love, love, love this book! It's just what I need at this point in my life... something easy to read that gives me a fresh, new perspective on the Christian life and challenges me in many ways. We watched the first two videos last night which basically covers the first two chapters of the book. There were so many little things that stuck out to me in the videos... but the thing that really blew my mind today was when he said, "Today could be the day you meet God!" Whoa! Am I really ready to meet God? What would I say? What would I do?
I was trying to think of the most famous person, and I chose Oprah... I think she is pretty famous world wide! Everyone knows who she is. I could google her and find out everything there is to know about her. If I knew I was going to meet her today, I would buy a new outfit, look my best, and prepare in my mind what I would say or talk to her about. After I met her, I would tell everyone how I know Oprah. I met her face to face and she knows my name. But in reality, we would never really know each other in a friendship/savior way. She would forget me probably within a few minutes of meeting me.
But is that the way I want it to be with God? When I come before the Most Holy, Magnificent, Awesome, and Beautiful Creator... what will I do? Kind of reminds me of the song, "I can only imagine." Will I stand in awe? Will I worship? Will I fall down? Will I thank Him for saving my life? Will I not only know about Him but know Him in a personal way? Will I be able to say I love you? I need to prepare!!! I need to spend as much time on this earth getting to know Him and sharing his love with others. I want to live this life with no regrets. I want to die proclaiming the name of Jesus so when I stand before Him Jesus will proclaim before God, "This is Amanda Marie Owens!" (Mt 10:32-33) I want our relationship to be eternal, everlasting!
Today YOU may meet God face to face! What are you going to do differently?
This morning she seems to be doing better. She looks so pale after having rosey cheeks for the last couple of days, and her appetite seems to be coming back. And she is playing with her toys instead of wanting to watch Mickey Mouse. Yep, she's back to getting in trouble too. We have a very strict rule in our house... NO PLAYING IN THE DOG BOWLS! Yet for some reason, she is obsessed with them- especially the water bowls. So this morning, I gave her some gummy snacks because she asked for them and really didn't eat a whole lot for breakfast... and while I was not looking, she went over to the dog bowls and put a couple in the empty water bowl. When I realized she had been quiet for a while, I looked over and she was eating them out of the bowl! Ewwww!!! That is sooooo gross!!!!
She has also been such a cutie pie this morning, playing with her baby doll that Aunt Leanne got her for her birthday. She was walking all over the downstairs saying, "Where baby go?" Usually she says this when looking for Sam, but somehow I figured out she was looking for her baby doll. She took the baby for a walk in her toy stroller, put the baby in Sam's car seat, and then held the baby when I held Sam and copied everything I did with him. She is such a good Mommy to her babies.
Josh and I have been Youth Group Sponsors at College Park Church for 3 1/2 years now. Last night we started a new book study on a book called CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan. Love, love, love this book! It's just what I need at this point in my life... something easy to read that gives me a fresh, new perspective on the Christian life and challenges me in many ways. We watched the first two videos last night which basically covers the first two chapters of the book. There were so many little things that stuck out to me in the videos... but the thing that really blew my mind today was when he said, "Today could be the day you meet God!" Whoa! Am I really ready to meet God? What would I say? What would I do?
I was trying to think of the most famous person, and I chose Oprah... I think she is pretty famous world wide! Everyone knows who she is. I could google her and find out everything there is to know about her. If I knew I was going to meet her today, I would buy a new outfit, look my best, and prepare in my mind what I would say or talk to her about. After I met her, I would tell everyone how I know Oprah. I met her face to face and she knows my name. But in reality, we would never really know each other in a friendship/savior way. She would forget me probably within a few minutes of meeting me.
But is that the way I want it to be with God? When I come before the Most Holy, Magnificent, Awesome, and Beautiful Creator... what will I do? Kind of reminds me of the song, "I can only imagine." Will I stand in awe? Will I worship? Will I fall down? Will I thank Him for saving my life? Will I not only know about Him but know Him in a personal way? Will I be able to say I love you? I need to prepare!!! I need to spend as much time on this earth getting to know Him and sharing his love with others. I want to live this life with no regrets. I want to die proclaiming the name of Jesus so when I stand before Him Jesus will proclaim before God, "This is Amanda Marie Owens!" (Mt 10:32-33) I want our relationship to be eternal, everlasting!
Today YOU may meet God face to face! What are you going to do differently?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Welcome 2011
So far, 2011 has been somewhat uneventful but perfect in so many ways...
Jan 1st- I brought in the new year at work. It was an extremely quiet weekend. We were well staffed and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Not very many patients in the hospital over the holidays, which gives everyone a nice break. We needed it because usually we fill back up and our numbers don't drop again til spring break. I got home around 7ish, and went straight to bed. Josh did a great job taking care of the kids in the morning, I only had to wake up to feed Sam. Josh took the kids over to his parents in the morning and was back by nap time... I'd love to say that he went over so his parents could see the kids, but the truth is he went over so he could get his new cell phone :) We love our EVOs. I got up around 1pm and never really fell back asleep. I was back at work at 6pm with only 5 hours of sleep... that makes for a long, tired night!
Jan 2nd- Usually on Sunday mornings, I come home and get changed and help get the kids ready and we all head off to Church for the 8 O'Clock service. However, we decided not to go that morning. Josh wasn't feeling good, and we decided to head over to his parents in the morning so Josh could stay with his mom that morning. Gloria had hip replacement surgery in mid December, and although she is pretty independent by now, I think it makes us all feel better if someone is there just in case she needs us.
I have to take this moment to brag on my wonderful Hubby! He has been super Dad, super Husband and a super Son. He takes such great care of the kids while I am at work or sleeping, he keeps the house cleaned up, and he has gone over to his parents at a drop of a hat to help out in anyway he can. He is always calm and level headed when I get stressed out and he is a great leader for our family. I love him sooooooo much!!!
Back to the 2nd... Usually, on Sundays I sleep at Chuck and Gloria's. I think I didn't go to bed until 10:30am that morning, and I have no idea how I stayed up that long! I slept until 3:30pm and was up to feed Sam and watch the Colts game. But I was so tired... so I went back to sleep during the 3rd quarter and got up to see the last play of the game. I'm glad the Colts won, they're going to the playoffs for like the 9th year in a row. And for the 3rd year in a row, I'm going to miss the playoff game! Yep, I'll be at work.
Jan 3rd- Mondays are the hardest days of all! I had such great plans to get up and clean. But I woke up at 2:30am and never fell back to sleep. I went to Dunkin Donuts to get coffee and breakfast (I'm addicted), came home and got the kids up and fed them breakfast. After 4 days of having Daddy home, Hannah kept asking me all morning, "Where's Dada?" "Where Dada go?" How do you explain to a 1 year old that Daddy is at work? I let Hannah watch one Mickey Mouse after breakfast and by then I was ready for bed. So we just hung out that morning in her room and after lunch we all took nice long naps! So thankful that both of my kids nap well, it makes for a nice rest time for Mommy. The only thing I did get done that day is that I got our sheets and comforter washed and I made dinner. Needless to say, Josh and I were in bed by 10pm.
Jan 4th- Josh was home sick :( Poor kid has been sick with a yucky cold/cough since last week. Another day of just relaxing and lounging about, taking care of my husband and kids. At lunch time, I gave Hannah spaghetti O's (which she loves) but she decided to throw a fit and refused to take even one bite. Josh and I were insistent that she sat there and waited to get up until we were done with lunch. Normally we don't have this problem because she is a slow eater and we are done before she is, but this time, she didn't want to sit with us. Later that night she ended up spiking a little fever... poor girl was sick, no wonder she didn't want to eat. When Hannah is sick, the only thing that makes her feel better is being held by Mommy or Daddy and watching Mickey Mouse. And sometimes a bath helps too. So last night before bed when I went to brush her teeth, she asked to take a bath... and I decided to make it fun. She had her very first bubble bath and loved it. It was so fun to see her get excited about all the bubbles in her bath! We hung out in Hannah's room for a little bit before bed time... and Sam finally rolled 100% from his back to his belly!!! We've been working on this for weeks! He could never get that arm out from under him!! Now he can roll both ways... and I'm going to be in BIG trouble once he starts moving :)
Jan 5th- Hannah slept in until 9:30am this morning... poor little girl woke up with a fever again. So we've been watching Mickey all morning and drinking apple juice. Sam is napping and I'm just enjoying time snuggling and caring for my little monkey :) Our MAC should come today... WooHoo!!! I'm so excited to start working on little projects I want to do. And I think Josh is going to stay home with the kids tonight so I can go to The GrOve (our youth group at church) tonight. See, he's such a great dad!!! And I can't wait to see my girlies again!
Hope your 2011 is going as well as mine!!!
Jan 1st- I brought in the new year at work. It was an extremely quiet weekend. We were well staffed and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Not very many patients in the hospital over the holidays, which gives everyone a nice break. We needed it because usually we fill back up and our numbers don't drop again til spring break. I got home around 7ish, and went straight to bed. Josh did a great job taking care of the kids in the morning, I only had to wake up to feed Sam. Josh took the kids over to his parents in the morning and was back by nap time... I'd love to say that he went over so his parents could see the kids, but the truth is he went over so he could get his new cell phone :) We love our EVOs. I got up around 1pm and never really fell back asleep. I was back at work at 6pm with only 5 hours of sleep... that makes for a long, tired night!
Jan 2nd- Usually on Sunday mornings, I come home and get changed and help get the kids ready and we all head off to Church for the 8 O'Clock service. However, we decided not to go that morning. Josh wasn't feeling good, and we decided to head over to his parents in the morning so Josh could stay with his mom that morning. Gloria had hip replacement surgery in mid December, and although she is pretty independent by now, I think it makes us all feel better if someone is there just in case she needs us.
I have to take this moment to brag on my wonderful Hubby! He has been super Dad, super Husband and a super Son. He takes such great care of the kids while I am at work or sleeping, he keeps the house cleaned up, and he has gone over to his parents at a drop of a hat to help out in anyway he can. He is always calm and level headed when I get stressed out and he is a great leader for our family. I love him sooooooo much!!!
Back to the 2nd... Usually, on Sundays I sleep at Chuck and Gloria's. I think I didn't go to bed until 10:30am that morning, and I have no idea how I stayed up that long! I slept until 3:30pm and was up to feed Sam and watch the Colts game. But I was so tired... so I went back to sleep during the 3rd quarter and got up to see the last play of the game. I'm glad the Colts won, they're going to the playoffs for like the 9th year in a row. And for the 3rd year in a row, I'm going to miss the playoff game! Yep, I'll be at work.
Jan 3rd- Mondays are the hardest days of all! I had such great plans to get up and clean. But I woke up at 2:30am and never fell back to sleep. I went to Dunkin Donuts to get coffee and breakfast (I'm addicted), came home and got the kids up and fed them breakfast. After 4 days of having Daddy home, Hannah kept asking me all morning, "Where's Dada?" "Where Dada go?" How do you explain to a 1 year old that Daddy is at work? I let Hannah watch one Mickey Mouse after breakfast and by then I was ready for bed. So we just hung out that morning in her room and after lunch we all took nice long naps! So thankful that both of my kids nap well, it makes for a nice rest time for Mommy. The only thing I did get done that day is that I got our sheets and comforter washed and I made dinner. Needless to say, Josh and I were in bed by 10pm.
Jan 4th- Josh was home sick :( Poor kid has been sick with a yucky cold/cough since last week. Another day of just relaxing and lounging about, taking care of my husband and kids. At lunch time, I gave Hannah spaghetti O's (which she loves) but she decided to throw a fit and refused to take even one bite. Josh and I were insistent that she sat there and waited to get up until we were done with lunch. Normally we don't have this problem because she is a slow eater and we are done before she is, but this time, she didn't want to sit with us. Later that night she ended up spiking a little fever... poor girl was sick, no wonder she didn't want to eat. When Hannah is sick, the only thing that makes her feel better is being held by Mommy or Daddy and watching Mickey Mouse. And sometimes a bath helps too. So last night before bed when I went to brush her teeth, she asked to take a bath... and I decided to make it fun. She had her very first bubble bath and loved it. It was so fun to see her get excited about all the bubbles in her bath! We hung out in Hannah's room for a little bit before bed time... and Sam finally rolled 100% from his back to his belly!!! We've been working on this for weeks! He could never get that arm out from under him!! Now he can roll both ways... and I'm going to be in BIG trouble once he starts moving :)
Jan 5th- Hannah slept in until 9:30am this morning... poor little girl woke up with a fever again. So we've been watching Mickey all morning and drinking apple juice. Sam is napping and I'm just enjoying time snuggling and caring for my little monkey :) Our MAC should come today... WooHoo!!! I'm so excited to start working on little projects I want to do. And I think Josh is going to stay home with the kids tonight so I can go to The GrOve (our youth group at church) tonight. See, he's such a great dad!!! And I can't wait to see my girlies again!
Hope your 2011 is going as well as mine!!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Where We Come From
Four days into 2011 and I'm loving it so far! I always love the new year because I feel like I can have a fresh start. My days are just like any other and my house is still mess..., but I guess it is just a mind trick that we play on ourselves every year and we feel so much better about ourselves for doing what we should have been doing all along :) As long as it works, I'll go with it!
So in case your just tuning in and haven't talked to me in years, here is how I got to where I am today. I graduated from Harrisburg Christian in 2001 and that fall packed up my room and moved (temporarily) to Ohio to attend nursing school at Cedarville University in Ohio. During my sophomore year of college, I met Josh through a friend of mine in the nursing program. From the beginning we clicked. We spent lots of time talking and walking in the cold getting to know each other. We started dating on April 15th (tax day, so it is easy to remember) and were engaged in January of that following year. We both graduated from Cedarville in 2005, we were married on July 2nd, and moved out here to Indianapolis.
Right after high school, I took a job at Harrisburg Hospital on a cardiac floor. I already knew I wanted to be a nurse, but I was 100% sure I wanted to be a NICU nurse (sometimes I wish I would have stuck to it). But my experience there changed my mind and I wanted to be a Cardiac Nurse for life :) There are times I wish I could go back there and work, it was a great place to be! That hospital is now a MAGNET hospital, and there is a reason why! So when I graduated from college, I took a job on a surgical cardiac/peripheral vascular/ thoracic unit. I worked on the floor for 2 years, and then I took a job as a Practice Facilitator (fancy word for assistant manager). I've basically stayed in that position for 3 years now, although it has changed locations and names a few times! 2 years ago, I took the weekend option position and so now I only work Friday and Saturday night... and I get to be home with the kids during the week.
Back to when we got married... We lived in an apartment near the hospital for the first year. Josh took a job at a waste management company as an accountant and we started in on our new life as husband and wife! Almost a year exactly, we moved into our first home in a suburb of Indianapolis. Life was great, but I wanted something more to care for. So we got a puppy... a CRAZY puppy!! Her name is Daisy... and I do love her, but she still drives me crazy. In fact, she was so hyper and energetic that we got a second puppy... Napoleon. He's an awesome dog. Just what she needed! He keeps her company, keeps her entertained and he is very well behaved.
Daisy 
Napoleon
In May of 2008, I became an Aunt for the first time to a special little boy named Rex! I was there when he was born and I feel like he is one of my own. I was so excited to be an Aunt that I got pregnant that August! Haha, just kidding! I was ready for one of my own :) Hannah was born in April of 2009. Easy pregnancy, had a C-section so over all an easy delivery, and a super good baby!! So good, I decided I could have another one right away :) So, when Hannah was 7 months old, I found out I was pregnant again. This pregnancy was different... overall not bad, just different. In Aug of 2010, we had Samuel.
That's our story in a nutshell... so much I want to tell, so much I left out, but I'm sure eventually I will have opportunities to talk about events in more detail. Now, the past is past... here's to a great future...
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