the lovell crew

It’s been a long time since John & I had an entire weekend all to ourselves. While I am always a little nervous about leaving the girls for an extended stretch of time, it will be nice to be able to relax, sleep in, & eat an entire meal at once Thanks to some awesome grandparents, John & I will be away for a few days, & this will be our view…

Well, not that exact view, but you get the point! We’ll be at the LAKE…

My weekend plans consist of eating lots of yummy food, sleeping as late as I want,  trying to turn my pale skin into a nice golden brown (oh how I miss the days of endless suntanning by the pool! Yes-bad for your skin, I know ) I might even be coerced into trying some water-skiing & tubing…after all, I only have three months to live it up while I can still say I am in my 20′s.

The big 3-0 is right around my corner…we’re not even going there tonight

It’s funny how life is backwards sometimes. The older I get the more I realize I don’t really know anything. Not like I thought I did. When I was a teenager, I thought my mom was nuts sometimes. Now, I think she knows everything

When I first got married, I thought my husband didn’t know how to do anything the way I thought it should be done. Now, I realize that yes, sometimes he actually has some pretty decent ideas.

Before I had kids, I would see weary moms pushing shopping carts in Kroger & think, “my kids will never…” If you need any proof that I have become that mom, click HERE.

Fast forward several years, throw in a husband, two kids, a dog, a house, a full-time job, and oh yes, spina bifida, & it’s amazing I don’t have a gray hair…yet.

Lately I’ve been thinking maybe the Lord just wants me to learn patience on this journey. That I don’t need pre-conceived ideas about what I would or wouldn’t do in a situation I’m not yet in, that I don’t have to control everything, or that maybe instead of ME helping make MY family into something, HE’s making ME into something.

It seems there’s something about unexpected twists in life that either make you throw your faith out the window, or realize you can’t make it on this road alone.

I’ve been reading from my old devotion book-Streams in the Desert lately. I’d been having one of those days where you wonder why in the world you would choose to serve a God who does things that don’t really jive with your plans. Who lets things happen that you don’t think should happen. Like, why in the world would I love & serve a God who allows my child to have challenges right from the get-go?

It was that night that I dug out my book, and came across this quote.

“The only way to know strong faith, is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm through severe testings.”

-George Mueller

I realized that night, that I don’t want to be the person with the shallow faith. I used to think I did. I wanted things my way. I knew best. Slowly, I am realizing that maybe God chooses to give me alternatives to the things I once thought I needed or wanted, & yes, maybe initially I think it’s wrong, or maybe He’s mistaken, or not trustworthy at all. I start to question things.

But as time goes on, I gain a new perspective. I gain patience. My faith gets stronger. I realize, that the things I never dreamed I would want or need, are exactly perfect for me.

Lately it seems as though every time I blog, I am mentioning how busy our weeks are. Maybe that should be a red flag! Anyway, this past week was our (hopefully) last super busy week for a while.

Zoe had her three month check-up at Vanderbilt on Monday. Every time we go, I am excited to show off the progress she is making, but yet, it is never far from my mind that we could receive news we don’t want. I was particularly nervous about this visit because it was our first follow-up with the ophthalmologist about her vision since she’d gotten glasses,  & it was also her first urodynamics study with the urologist.

First on the schedule was the urology appointment. In kids with spina bifida, often the nerves to the bladder are affected-especially in kids who’s lesion level is pretty low. We don’t know the exact vertebra that was affected with Zoe, but we know it is low so we’ve expected some bladder issues. Urodynamics studies are performed routinely to get an idea of how the child’s bladder & kidneys look. The ideal situation is a normal-pressure bladder, no kidney reflux, & the ability to empty the bladder completely. Lots of kids without spina bifida have kidney reflux, where urine travels backward into the kidney. A lot of kids outgrow this as they get older, but kids with spina bifida are susceptible to having reflux, especially if their bladder is high pressure.

Zoe did awesome during her test; she loved the nurse practitioner (maybe she has a thing already for nursing since mommy is an NP ). The test lasted only about thirty minutes, and involved placing a catheter in her bladder to fill it up, measure pressures, & using x-ray to see if any reflux was involved. She was not a fan, however, of having to lay still for the procedure & kept wanting to kick the tubing they were using until finally we had to hold her legs still. Mommy is VERY thankful to have that problem

Our results were pretty good overall. Zoe has a normal pressure bladder (yay!) & healthy kidneys. On one side she did have some mild grade 1 reflux (it’s graded 1-5, with 1 being the mildest & 5 being most severe). Our urologist seemed to think she will outgrow it with time since her bladder pressures were normal. She started Zoe on a prophylactic antibiotic to prevent urinary tract infections, and now…we wait. Zoe will continue getting an ultrasound of her kidneys at each of our three month check-ups, and periodically we will repeat the urodynamics study to check for any changes.

The rest of our check-up visit went very smoothly. We made it to all our appointments on time-our PT & OT there were very impressed with the progress Zoe made since her last visit in February. She’s now rolling over like nobody’s business & we are getting close to sitting unsupported. Orthopedics was a pretty uneventful appointment, & we didn’t even see neuro as we had no concerns & he was out that day anyway.

The BIG news, that I was super excited about-Zoe’s vision is getting BETTER!!  Ophthalmology said he could tell a dramatic difference in her eyesight which is great news. For now we continue having her wear her little glasses, which I am totally okay with. I have grown quite attached to them over the months-I think they add some baby character & individuality

In other news, Faith is now officially a big girl! John & I debated for some time on when to make the big switch to a toddler bed. It was assembled & waiting in her room. Being a self-described type A control freak, I hate transitions of all sorts so I kept putting off the new change, that is, until John called me at work one day to tell me Faith got OUT of her crib. Yep, she escaped. That night became the first night in her big girl bed, and she loved it. Zoe moved from the pack n play to the crib that night, and the rest is history. Potty-training, however. Another story (I’m open for ideas )

I have discovered something new I love this past week. Since Faith has moved to her big bed, she has discovered how fun it is to snuggle up under the blankets in bed. Of course, I’m taking advantage all I can while she actually wants mommy around. She loves to have me or daddy snuggle up & sing songs (of which Old MacDonald is currently the favorite), or play with all her stuffed animals.

The rest of our week concluded with work days, a few random appointments, & a couple cold viruses. But all is said & done, and this week is shaping up better so far. The girls have a big weekend planned at the grandparents’ house, which means….it’s DATE NIGHT

March is a big (& crazy!) month here in the Lovell household. Lots of excitement…

Someone should’ve warned me about the terrible two’s. Seriously. It’s like just this month something  has completely taken over my sweet eldest child. Faith has gone from sweet spirited child to one who literally drops to the floor in full-blown tantrums in a matter of seconds. Add teething to that & you’ve got a bad combo. John & I have racked our brains trying to figure out what to do, are we doing something wrong, etc.

Here’s a sample conversation from tonight while I was preparing dinner…

Me: “Faith, we’re having mashed potatoes for dinner tonight….your favorite!”

Faith: “MASHED POTATOES…..AGHHHH!!” (Drops to the floor screaming for mashed potatoes).

After giving her some mashed potatoes in an effort to maintain peace until dinner was ready, she discovered the canned corn sitting on the countertop.

Faith: “Open corn, open corn….corn stuck! AGHHH!!! (More screaming & dropping to the floor in a dramatic display over corn).

So…if any of you more experienced parents out there have any tips to help us make through the next year & manage the tantrums, I’m totally open for suggestions at this point. Technically, she’s not even two yet! We’ve still got one month to go.

On another note, Zoe is having a big month also.

She got her first pair of glasses,  to which I must say, make her look even more cute…she’s a total smarty pants baby now if that even exists

Zoe will be fitted for her first little ankle splint next week at physical therapy. Her right foot turns in slightly at the ankle, so the splinting will help keep it neutral & after some time she won’t need it anymore. We will move to more firm little ankle braces called ankle-foot orthotics (AFO’s) at that point once she’s ready to start standing. For now, she’ll just wear her new splint at night.

Therapies are going well; we are really focusing on building upper body strength currently. She loves to sit up & look around, but isn’t so much a fan of tummy time. So…we’ve got lots of new objects to try & motivate her more on her belly like exercise balls. She’s also sitting up well in her high chair & is a HUGE fan of oatmeal now that we’ve started solids. I have a feeling she’s about to get a lot more chunky

My brother returns from Afganistan sometime this month He’s been deployed for a year now, and we are more than ready to have him home. The last time he saw Faith she was about nine months old, & he’s not met Zoe yet. The word from today is that he should be leaving there in the next couple days, so hopefully sometime in the next couple weeks we’ll be able to meet him at the airport for a big family reunion!

That’s it for now-short & sweet…the girls have finally stopped talking in their room & are asleep, so I have learned I must take advantage of the free time to catch up on much-needed sleep!

Good night

John & I have sort of always embraced the idea that less is more Even before kids, we tried to make it a priority to not overcommit ourselves (yes, I realize some of you are probably laughing at this!). We tried to make time for date night each week. It was tough.

After kids, it got tougher.

No longer afforded the luxury of just going out spontaneously, our time has become very scheduled. Life revolves around who’s working what day, when does the babysitter come, what time we get off work, what the weekend plans are, etc.

Back in December, John & I started to realize we were overcommitting. Between the holidays, work, church, appointments, therapies, family visits, etc., etc., etc., we had become overstressed, overtired, worried, worn out, whatever word you want to use. That  was us

Something had to change.

Several weeks, a lot of prayer & a little planning later, & behold! New scheduling at the Lovell house.

I must say, this has been one of the best things we’ve ever done for our family. No longer do John & I just trade off “shifts” with caring for the girls. We’ve actually coordinated our schedules so that we have time home. Together. As a family. And, thanks to an awesome sitter, we’ve been able to avoid using daycare which is a HUGE blessing. As an added bonus…John also gets to now attend our Friday PT/OT appointments so that he can be a part of what’s going on with Zoe’s therapies.

This past weekend was one of our first that we got to enjoy in this new arrangement. Our end-of-the week/weekend plans consisted of lots of playing outside, taking walks outside (Faith’s new favorite thing!), baking cookies, & even having a date night for momma & daddy

I have always been a believer that having solid family time together is crucial for our kids…I am realizing how crucial it is for me too

This year was probably one of my favorite Christmases. After this bittersweet year we’ve had, some of my most cherished memories from Christmas 2010 involve hanging around the house with my husband & precious babies, all snuggled in, with this amazing snowstorm we had.

I remember staying up late, wrapping gifts while John got the privilege of putting this fun mess together…(which eventually became a kitchen!)

I remember watching these kiddos on the couch at Mamaw’s house wondering when exactly did Faith grow to be a “big girl?”

Had a few meltdowns along the way…

I remember having lots of extra time to play with this sweet thing…(who kept scratching her face because her nails grow faster than you’d believe )

I remember sitting in the rocker on Christmas Eve, everyone else asleep, holding Zoe & looking out the window watching the snow fall silently in the streetlight, thanking our great God who used a totally unexpected turn of events this year to give us more blessings than we ever could’ve imagined.

My heart was very full this Christmas for my sweet family.

What a year!

It’s been a crazy month at the Lovells! Probably one of the busiest Christmas seasons I can remember. And I don’t really like that much; I like to enjoy  the season at a slow & steady pace. Here’s our month so far…

• Zoe is doing fantastic! She’s now over 10 pounds, smiling & becoming more interactive every day. Her newest feat is attempting to pull herself to sit up when she holds onto our fingers. We are getting physical/developmental therapy every week, & of course it becomes a daily thing also with the amount of playing we do at our house.
• Faith learns new things every day. At this point, I really have NO clue how much the kid knows. Just a couple days ago she was playing in the bathtub, & she began counting to ten in Spanish! We attribute her obsession with Dora the Explorer to this new skill. She’s almost mastered her ABC’s, & can count to twenty! Call me biased, but I think she’s a pretty talented 20 month old!
• John & I are starting to once again function like a well-oiled machine. We know exactly who does which girl’s bath, what time is bedtime, and we have learned to make a “game plan” to tackle the craziness that involves evenings with two small girls. Thankfully, Zoe has fallen right into routine along with Faith & we’re usually able to get them both to bed together. In the same room We usually end up with a little free time in the evenings, which means we get some time without babies. To breathe. Or more typically, sleep.
• Our newest adventure is tackling the long drive to eastern Kentucky to visit family in Pike County. We made it here without any major meltdowns thanks to Dora DVDs & lots of stops to fill up babies’ bellies. My hope is the trip back goes just as smoothly

That’s it for now. Even with all the chaos & craziness that is the Christmas season sometimes, I’m very mindful of just how much our family has to be thankful for this year. Our Lord has graciously blessed both our daughters this year & we continue to watch humbly & he slowly adds to our family’s story.

Merry Christmas from the Lovell family!

It’s been a big (and busy!) week! Zoe’s first Thanksgiving…although she slept through it and didn’t get to enjoy the yummy food . We’ve been busy preparing for Christmas at our house AND I finally convinced John to brave the Black Friday crowd and go see Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows for date night .

I have however, managed to somehow find a few extra moments to snap some photos of my favorite moments this week.

Faith checking out the Christmas tree (last year she was oblivious to the Christmas season!)

Of course, she just had to touch it!

Zoe ignores the tree this year, but she does notice the toys on her Baby Einstein gym…she even got to wear the Thanksgiving jumper Faith wore to her first Thanksgiving dinner. Still a little big (it’s a 6 month size!) but it did the trick

But that picture that steals my heart every time is of both my girls together. Since Zoe was born, Faith hadn’t had much opportunity to really hold Zoe yet. She is crazy about her, calls her “Zo-Zo,” loves to pet her head and bring her pacifiers. Zoe is growing & healed up nicely from surgery, so we decided it was time to let big sister take over. I absolutely love the look on Zoe’s face in this pic…

That’s our week in review…feeling especially thankful this week as I remember all the amazing things God continues to do in my life.

As we are winding down 2010, I’ve been thinking back over this past year. What a crazy ride it’s been. I started thinking about all that our family has been through as I was trying to think about our Christmas card for the year. For some strange reason, creating our family Christmas card sort of put me in a contemplative mood. It’s weird I know, but somehow to me, our Christmas card sort of sums it all up. Trying to find that perfect picture, or that perfect verse…how on earth could I ever sum up this year?

I’ve decided to keep a running list of the things I’ve learned in 2010; things you can’t say in a card. I’m sure as the days go by I will be able to add MUCH more to this list. Here we go:

• God is good, all the time.
• Never underestimate the worth of grandparents living close by!
• Things could always be worse than they really are.
• One of life’s biggest blessings is a Godly spouse.
• Date nights are worth every penny!
• God shows himself in the strangest, most unexpected places in the times you need it most.
• Love for your child is a powerful emotion!
• Life really is out of my control (as much as my type A personality likes to think otherwise! )
• My mind is sometimes my worst enemy.
• Use every opportunity a babysitter is available!
• The internet can be a very scary thing.
• God is good, all the time (again )

Its been a great couple of weeks here at the Lovell house! Zoe is settled in, Faith has turned into an awesome big sister, and John & I have finally gotten into somewhat of a groove with managing two kids. So far, here’s the latest on Zoe…

• As Zoe has recovered from her back surgery, we’ve been able to stop cathing her. She’s making plenty (trust me when I say PLENTY ) of wet diapers on her own. When we go to our first Spina Bifida Clinic at Vanderbilt, we’ll learn more about her bladder function and whether we need to resume cathing.
• We’ve gotten Zoe started in physical therapy. Since spina bifida almost always causes at least some lower extremity weakness/paralysis, we want to be aggressive with therapy to help give Zoe as much opportunity as possible. Currently she has great movement down to her ankles. She will be getting weekly PT as well as additional PT through Early Intervention. Basically, it’s like extra playtime for her
• Faith is going to be in our church’s annual children’s Christmas program! This is her first “event” & I can’t wait! Momma will be in the front row with her camera! Her one-year old class will be singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” & “Happy Birthday” to Jesus.
• Faith & Zoe are now roomies! John & I had been taking shifts with Zoe, to make sure each of us is guaranteed some uninterrupted sleep. Zoe, however, is an awesome sleeper, so last night we put both girls together for the first time. It went great! Let’s hope they keep it up!
• The four of us also attended our first Spina Bifida Playgroup this past weekend. These playgroups are hosted by the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky and are held all across the state routinely. This was the first one in our area, and we had several families attend from surrounding counties as well as one expecting couple from Nashville. It’s a great opportunity to meet other parents & kids with spina bifida, share information & resources, & have a great time! Faith LOVED it, and I’m assuming Zoe did too…she slept through most of it!

That’s about it for life at the Lovells’ currently! We have our first Spina Bifida Clinic in one week, so we’d appreciate prayers for Zoe (and us!) as it will be a long day seeing a lot of people getting a ton of information. Oh,& Christmas is about to begin at our house too! This year I am pumped about celebrating with our new family of four, so I’m currently trying to persuade John to bust out the Christmas decorations a little earlier! We’ll see who wins