Monday, June 27, 2011

Noah James

























I thought I'd take some time to fill you in on all of the fun things Noah James is doing now as well as just some FYI on his sweet self. So, let's see:









  • Noah is just days of way from being six months old! I cannot believe it! That also means we are days away from another set of shots...and this breaks my heart.




  • He rolls everywhere and get wherever he wants by rolling or scooting. He can get in the crawling position but can't go anywhere so he just falls over to one side. He'll be crawling soon, though.





  • He can sit up now, but not for very long before he falls over. He loves sitting in his bumbo seat though.




  • His favorite toy is a water bottle, preferably cold. Actually, he wants anything cold, like a cold glass, can of diet coke, etc. I am pretty sure he is teething.






  • He will start solids soon and I think he will love FOOD...like his daddy.






  • We have a baby swimming pool that he and I sit in daily. He likes water and the grass. He prefers to lay on his tummy in the pool with his chest on the inflatable outer ring while running his hands through the grass. :)






  • He completed his first week of Vacation Bible School last week. He was such a trooper!






  • He laughs and grins and giggles and talks. It's the cutest little thing I've ever seen or heard.



  • I'll update more later. Here are some recent pictures.








This is Noah at the New Orleans aquarium.




His baby dedication. We were all praying...Noah was checking out the crowd. But later during the prayer he turned to our pastor and grabbed his hands. :)




NJ and my Daddy. Nj..obviously distracted.










Noah got into this sweet position himself to snuggle with his Daddy!






Drying off in Mommy and Daddy's covers afer a "swim." It wore him out.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Project Aisle 23: Post 2





Last week God spoke to me about a burden that I was carrying so heavily on my soul through one sweet old man whom I had never before met. This week, God spoke to me through the lives of four women some I've known my entire life and some just a short time. I am so excited to share this with you...but my mind is racing to tell you so much that I might lose you. I'll try to reign in my thoughts. So remember, last week God taught me to stop worrying about being the parent that all the books were telling me to be and trust Him to teach me. This week, over and over, God was speaking to me about His faithfulness. On Tuesday, I was in the ladies bathroom of church nursing Noah (we had VBS all week so I was at the church with Noah helping). A friend and mother of two, Karen came in and out of the blue she told me that she knew I was very hesitent and worried about becoming a mom but that as she had been watching me with Noah that I was so naturally very maternal with him. I knew that this was an answered prayer. I was so fearful of becoming a mom...I had all of these questions and doubts. Everyone said I would instinctly know what to do and that I would instantly fall in love with my baby. But I feared that I would be the one person who didn't know what to do or fall in love with my own child. I prayed, and God was so faithful to answer. Karen's sweet words just shone light on God's faithfulness. Then, mid week I received I spoke with one of my best friends (since like 9th grade), Jenni. As we spoke, God reminded me of yet another way where He proved himself faithful to answer me when I cried out to Him. You see, after I had Noah James, I went through a period of time where I was overwhelmed with fear of something happening to him, Ryan, or me. These constant fears brought sadness. In talking about this with Jenni. I knew that the only way I got over that period of fear and sadness was through prayer and the Lord. So...once again...God was reminding me of His faithfulness. The third woman who God used is my friend Kristin. She lives down the road from me and sold us our rainbow....so she then became my co-worker and friend. She called because she shockingly found out she was expecting. She was one of the first people I told that I was pregnant...and in that conversation I sobbed, I was mad, I was scared, I was bitter, I was so confused. She remembered how upset I was about getting pregant and thought I could empathize with her. And while I could, I also could not believe the way I reacted to my news. I cried out to God throughout my entire pregnancy..not rejoicing over the new life inside me...but being honest about my fears. ....I can't believe that was me. I can't believe I felt that way about my baby. But God...he did not think less of me. He listened and he was again faithful to answer. I am more in love than I ever thought possible. Thank you Lord for being faithful to listen and answer. The fourth lady that God used to encourage me this week is my aunt. I went to the mailbox one day this week and found such an encouraging letter that I know Christ led her to write. Once again, God reminded me of his faithfulness to show himself to us.



I began to think about how neat it is that God desires to speak to us through his word, others, his creation, etc. But I have to admit. I got a little sad wondering how many times He was longing to offer me encouragement, or trying to speak into my life....but I wasn't listening for His voice. I have learned the more you listen, the more you hear His voice, and the more you hear it, the easier it is to recognize and discern His voice from all the others. He is faithful to show himself to you!!!



"O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure." Isaiah 25:1



Monday, June 20, 2011

Project Aisle 23: Post 1

As I sit "criss cross apple sauce"(indian style for those without young children or who aren't teachers) on our comfy sofa, lights out all around me, hearing only the sound of my baby boy's sound machine and my pandora radio, I begin to type and instantly my body lets out a sigh....ahhhh...it's good to be back in the blogging world. I've wanted to update for a while now. But, I wanted it to be meaningful...not just ramblings. I thought about writing all about Noah James and his millions of amazing sounds,movements, expressions, etc. But, I could go on and on forever about that precious child, and really...who (other than my mama and aunts) would want to hear all of that. I thought, well, I could write about my adventures in motherhood....but you've all been here and let's be honest...I don't really know what I'm doing and I'm not sure I want to tell you all what a fool I have become as I sing made-up rap songs to entertain my baby while driving or the interpretive dancing that I do to make him giggle while I attempt cooking dinner. So, needless to say...a combination of a mental block and lack of time kept me away from the world of blogging. But, just last week something happened and it hit me..."This is it...I have to make this my blog project." So...first, let me share the story...then if you're still with me, I'll share the purpose of the blog. (Oh, and I'll still talk about my baby boy :)..can't stop me)

Noah and I made a trip to Wal-Mart mid morning last week. I always wear him in my moby wrap...so he's attached to me and watching all that goes on around him, stealing the affection of every shopper that glances his way. We were in the checkout aisle (aisle 23..and I don't know how I remember that). I've noticed that when you visit wal-mart in the morning you are joined by lots of older people....and I love old people! There was an old lady in front of me (taking forever) and an old man behind me. The old man was probably a little older than my grandfather. I noticed him as soon as he pulled up behind Noah and me. He was tall, had tan, worn, and weathered skin and was wearing blue jeans and a tattered blue jean shirt which wasn't even buttoned all the way. You could tell he was a hard worker...even in his old age. He began to talk to Noah and play with him. He was a sweet man. He kept saying what a fine boy Noah was. He commented on his blue eyes, patted his chunky legs, and played with Noah's "noopie" as he called it (His pacifier if you are wondering). He told Noah that he was going to grow up to be a fine young man and grow up to be just like his daddy and do whatever his daddy did like hunt or fish. Of course, I was talking to the man through all of this. Then the man looked at me while patting my sweet Noah and said, "Young Lady, let me give you one piece of advice. You hold this boy and love on him all you can right now. Because, pretty soon he'll be gone or wanting a car." I replied with, "Oh yes sir, you are right. I will. Everyone says they grow so fast, I believe it." We then continue to talk, he tells me about his great grandson also named Noah. (I told you that old lady in front of me was taking a long time.) I asked him how many children he had. He told me he had two. He had a boy and a girl. But then he said, "My boy died when he was young of leukemia." ......................................................My heart sank and he must have seen it in my eyes. I told him how sorry I was that he had to go through that. I asked how long his son was sick for. He told me he died a little less than a year from finding out about the cancer that was eating his son's body. He then put an arm on me and told me not to worry that it would not happen to my Noah. I just wanted to hug this man...I wanted him to hold me right there while I cried. This piece of advice that he gave me is advice you hear often...so often that you take it for granted. But when you hear it from the mouth of a man who lost his only son...a man who wished he had held his son more while he was still alive, then it kind of takes on such a deeper meaning. It hit me hard. He was right! The neatest thing is that God sent that man to me. He also sent the old lady...thank heavens she took 20 minutes to buy her groceries. ..I'm the kind of person who always wants to do whats right. Not because I am a good person...but just because I want to do what's right. I don't want to do anything wrong. Mix this with being a first time parent and you create a mess of stress. That's what I had become...I was trying to live up to what all "The Books" tell me to do as a mom and was beginning to feel like a failure. God spoke to me that morning in wal-mart. He told me to put the books down and pick up my beloved baby boy. So now, I am solely seeking Christ for my parenting counsel and not the many books that I've collected, not to mention google. He lifted the burden. ...........And here is where the blog project begins...with this old man on aisle 23. God is teaching me so much about being a mother, a godly parent, a human being, and a wife and He uses the most surprising situations sometimes to teach me. Daily there is something happens in my life that is my "life lesson" so to say for that day. So Project Aisle 23 is about me looking for, learning from, and sharing these random situations and people that God is using to teach me. I'd like to do this for 30 days. I may miss a day or two...but I'll catch up. I'd like to post weekly but I'll be busy loving on Noah James so I'll get to the blog late at night if I'm not exhausted from the days events.
Thanks for listening...it's good to be back! And I will post soon an update on Noah James and his incredible little self...but it's late, and I need some sleep :).

Saturday, April 2, 2011

A tribute to Chlo-Bug

So...for me writing is a release. It's the way I best express myself and my emotions. This must be why I pray mostly in writing in a prayer journal. If I am trying to express something of importance to Ryan, it's more effective when communicated through writing. ...And today...this post is for no one or no reason other than to gain closure and grieve over the loss of my precious Chlo Bug. So, if no one reads it...that will be just fine. If someone does read it, they may not relate to any of this...But, my heart needs this in order to start letting go and say good bye.


Chloe Jane Biscuit Webb

June 20th, 2004-March 31st, 2011


"Stacey, you have got to stop crying and being so sad. Maybe you should get a dog." This was my mom's advice to me on a long distance telephone call from Houston, Texas to West, Misssissippi shortly after marrying and moving away from everything familair. I was homesick...A LOT! My mom has given me lots of adivice, and this just might be some of the best she's ever given me. The search began for a puppy, a companion, a best friend, a baby. Mama actually found an ad for Chloe in a paper in Mississippi and drove a few hours to pick her up for me. I always loved that our whole family (Ryan, Myself, and Chlo-Bug) were all born in the great magnolia state. I remember anxiously awaiting an e-mail from mama containing pictures of Chloe Jane Biscuit. We excitedly opened the e-mail entitled "Congratulations on your baby girl" and instantly fell in love with a golden brown ball of fur....my little girl. Over the next several months my homesick heart began to heal with the help of Chlo-Bug. We went to parks together, went to the pet store, played all kinds of games. We had quiet time together. She listened to me read the Bible, sat beside me as I watched tv, and listened to every thought that entered my mind. She had become "my little girl" and my best friend. Months turned to years and the friendship and love only grew stronger. Chloe became quite the traveler. She went from Mississippi to Texas, from Texas to Virginia, from Virginia to California, and from California to Louisiana. As much as I enjoy moving and making new friends along the way, every move has contained a period of time where I went through a sad spell. I was uncomfortable in my new surroundings, lonely because I didn't know anyone, and mourning the loss of friendships left behind. But one friend stayed constant and loyal through it all...that was Chloe. She continued to listen to me complain, let me hold her close and play with her hair while I cried....it was in these sad moments that she never wanted to leave my side. I always told her that God made her just for me...that everything about her was everything I needed. I believe that, too. I know that most believe that animals don't have souls....and I guess there is no way of really knowing the answer to that. But I do know that Chloe had a way of reading my emotions and speaking to my heart...not just speaking to my heart but ministering to it somehow. Letting her go has been so hard. The days following her "Vet Appointment" were so hard. I can still see her, hear her...and sometimes I can still smell her :). I don't want to dwell on her death but rejoice over her life. Thank you Lord, for making the most perfect dog for me....and giving me 7 years with her. Thank you Chloe Jane Biscuit Webb for loving me unconditionally. You will forever be loved and missed.