For Hope

Jonah just loves his cousin so much! Hope is such a sweet girl. This is just a short but cute video from when Jonah was on his way to mail Hope a letter yesterday.

Deep Sadness

Scott's cousin was tragically killed on Friday night. He was 21 years old and per family request cannot offer any more detail. Nevertheless the experience has been sobering, saddening and numbing. Scott and his cousin were close as children so the loss has been pointed for him. If you would like to please pray for the family of Scott's cousin, they are understandably upset and grieving. Pray for us as we work day by day through our response. There will be a memorial service within the week, please pray that our believing family may even in the midst of such dark grief find the joy of Jesus Christ. For our unbelieving family may this tragedy even be redeemed through a powerful gospel witness and compassionate love.

The only pearl of wisdom we can offer is that if you have little ones hug them a few extra times tomorrow. We continue to confess with singular devotion that despite the bitter hand that has visited us the Lord our God is good,- perfect and without reproach in his ways and worthy even in this- to be praised and glorified.

Check-Ups

I took both boys in for their well-baby check-ups this week. A huge praise is that I finally found a pediatrician that I like!! He is willing to listen to my concerns and he was good with the boys, too. He found a vaccination that our previous pediatrician missed with Jonah, which meant an extra shot for him, but now he's all caught up.

At two years, Jonah is 36 1/2 inches tall and he weighs 31 1/2 pounds. He's a big boy but very healthy and right on track with everything.

At nine months, Noah is 28 1/2 inches tall and he weighs 19 pounds on the nose. His growth slowed down a bit since his last check-up, probably in part due to the trouble he's had in the feeding department. The Dr. referred him to a neurologist for a few concerns that he saw, primarily because Noah is not yet bearing any weight on his legs at all. He wanted to make sure to rule out any problems with him right away, because the earlier treatment is started in the event that something is wrong, the better the results will be. Hooray! I've addressed this concern with 3 other doctors over the last 3 months, all of whom treated me like I was one of those mothers who if their child is one day past reaching their milestones on time, they freak out and assume the worst.

After their appointments, we all went over to our friend Lynda's house, and went on a beautiful walk to pretty little park where Jonah played 'til he dropped! So fun!

A Long, Long Way...

I didn't sleep much last night. Noah was up for much of the night...again. I'm tired. The first thought I had this morning was not "God, thank you for the sleep I got and for your sufficient grace to get me through today" but rather it was more like, "God, don't you know that I need--I deserve--more sleep than this?!? Especially since I have two energetic boys to tend to today...why didn't Noah sleep so that I could get the sleep I need?"
I am not predisposed to exercise much patience with my boys today. This was already clearly demonstrated in a very ironic way this morning. Knowing my weakness but also wanting to remain faithful in my quiet time, I opened up my study this morning to find that the passage would be Romans 2:1-6,17. I had a rich time in the Word, gleaning much from the Scriptures and finding myself thankful for God's gift of repentance to me. As I studied, Noah began fussing. My sin welled up inside and I sharply, impatiently, told him to Stop! In my heart, I was mad at him for first keeping me up all night and then distracting me from my Bible study. (After all, I'm trying to be godly here!) And then I looked down at one of my verse 4 in my passage for today, which says,

"Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"

Some thoughts:
*I found myself being thankful for God's lovingkindness to us as sinners while almost simultaneously demonstrating the opposite quality to my son. Shame on me.
*What am I trusting in for righteousness? Why am I tempted to think that I can only succeed if I receive an adequate amount of sleep the night before? This attitude smacks of trying to do things in my own strength rather than walking by the Spirit. Of course I'll fail if I try to obey without the help of the Spirit.
*At the end of the day, there are no excuses. It doesn't matter how much sleep I got or how fussy my children were or any other circumstances. These various happenings are what God ordained for me that day.
*It is my own sin that makes me short-tempered...not a lack of sleep! The lack of sleep is just the circumstance that brought about the sin that was already there in my heart.
*I am called to demonstrate God's love to my children. I oftentimes fail.
*I find that I'm even more vulnerable to sin when I'm trying so desperately to do good and fight sin.
*God never sleeps. And He's still longsuffering. That's really cool to me right now.
*I'll take the opportunity for a nap today, if the opportunity presents itself (i.e. if I can get both boys down for their naps at the same time). Taking care of the body's basic needs allow more room for self-control when I'm tempted to sin.
*I've got a long, long way to go in demonstrating Christ-likeness.

Quite sobering.

My Kind of Prison

This is Scott here, been a while since I posted but I was just captivated by this video! As many of you know I am involved in rehab and prison ministry. One of the most distressing things is to see is the effect that the shift from punishment to rehabilitation has had on so many. The lock up used to be a deterant to crime but talk to many and prison time is now just an 'expected' part of life. Prison wasn't meant to be pleasant but the shift in emphasis from punishment to rehabilitation has only exacerbated the problem. Now petty homeboys are locked up with gang veterans who in essence disciple their younger homeboys. Add muscle building activities and our prison s #1 export is the hard bodied, street wise homeboy. This isn't to say the guys who get to prison don't deserve to be there. If you've ever been around one you know why they exist. I just don't think the rehabilitative model is producing the kind of guys Lady Justice would feel comfortable going on a date with!

In other countries people do thing differently. Instead of lounging around becoming more depraved prisoner, in the facility on this video achieved something visually stunning. Sure it may just be a stunt but think of all the time, dedication and effort put into learning how to pull this off and you soon will realize that all the time, dedication and effort put into this was not put into other more insidious enterprises. Look, if we can't bring back chain gangs and work crews then at least let us be entertained by them!

So Thankful...

When we were moving to our new home, Jonah stayed with my brother and his family for a few days. He had a great time playing with his cousins, and they must have treated him really well, because every single day since then (almost 2 months ago), Jonah asks, "Where's Hopie? Where's Unca Chunka?" (He's asking about his cousin Hope who is also 2 years old and his Uncle Chuck.) I've recently been asking Jonah who he is thankful for before he goes to bed at night so that we will pray for that person and thank God for them. Most kids might be thankful for their mommy or their daddy or sister or brother...but Jonah, without fail, is always thankful for Hope and Uncle Chuck.
And then a few nights ago, he was extra thankful. After I was done praying, thanking the Lord for Hope and Uncle Chuck, he closed his eyes and said a prayer of his own: "Thank you...for...


...Santa."

Santa? What is this kid thinking?!?

A Boy and his Dog

Jonah really loves dogs! He does really well with them, too...always very gentle. He will take any and every opportunity he has to run and play with them. Several people have noted how he would do so great with a dog of his own. We are not ready for that yet, but in the meantime this wooden pull-toy dog is just perfect. Jonah and the Dog have become fast friends this past week. The Dog goes on our walks with us, and Jonah even gives the Dog an occasional opportunity to 'relieve' himself in the grass. This toy Dog gets lots of attention and love right now. He even gets a bowl of water after our walks because he is thirsty. Below is a picture of Jonah helping his Dog drink his water. Wherever Jonah goes, his little Dog is sure to follow close behind.

Testing...

This one's for you, Abby. Glad I got to talk to you on your birthday. Here's hoping you'll actually be able to see our little Birdies in action.




Did they work?

Hospital

Poor Noah had to spend a few days in the hospital earlier this month. His Dr. feared a case of pneumonia or RSV, but after various tests at the hospital, his official diagnosis was a case of bronchialitis and dehydration. After a couple of days of IV fluids, the bands on his ankles that were loose upon his admittance became tight, and Noah was released from the hospital, plumper and happier. We did learn something else while he was there: Noah is allergic to cefotaxime, an antibiotic they started him on as a precaution.No to Cefotaxime; Yes to Benedryl! Noah broke out in hives all over his body, and in a matter of seconds, we watched his color change from pale to bright red as he plumped up like a ballpark frank over a fire. The nurse stopped his antibiotic and gave him a dose of Benedryl which knocked him out for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. These pictures were taken after the Benedryl was administered, and Noah was already starting to improve.

We are very thankful for many things, including the fact that his diagnosis was the best case scenario and far less serious than what he was admitted for, and for the fact that Noah was in the hospital when he had his allergic reaction, where he received immediate care. God is good!

Let him eat Cake!

Here are some pictures of Jonah and his birthday cake. Earlier in the day, he 'helped' me frost the cake and even got to lick the spoon! Along with the frosting, the candles were a big hit this year...and the presents too, of course (but the camera died before he got to open them).

Pears

These pictures are pretty self-explanatory, and typical of Noah's reaction to every food he's tried so far. Pears are actually his 'favorite' food as of yet...indicated not by his great enthusiasm for them, but by the least passionate looks of disgust.

2

Today is a milestone in the Bird household. We now have a two year old in our home. Jonah is a kid who wears his emotions on his sleeve; his highs are high and his lows are low. It is not hard to make him smile or laugh. He loves anything that 'goes' including airplanes, choo-choos, cars, motorcycles, "bikles" (bicycles), firetrucks, boats, etc. He's interested in every sport he sees, and calls them all "b-ball." Then he tries to imitate the moves he sees (i.e. tackling the quarterback) on his daddy. Jonah is an affection kid and a great big brother. He takes good care of Noah, offering him toys or patting him on the head and giving lots of kisses. Jonah is also quite a talker, and the fact that we don't always understand him never deters him from trying to communicate with us anyways. He loves to read his books; some of his favorites are Little Toot, I'm a Big Brother, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Brown Bear Brown Bear, and From Head to Toe.
Life is very, very different in our house than it was 2 years ago. Gone are the days of "just the two of us" where we could enjoy adult conversation at the end of the day, cuddle up without someone wanting to climb between us, or go out for coffee on the spur of the moment. Gone is the relative peace and quiet that used to typify our home. These things have been replaced by the sounds of crying and squeals of delight. The pitter patter of little feet running down the hallway and the quiet stillness of a sleeping child. The smells (both good and bad). The lovely artwork that adorns the refrigerator (and that hopefully won't be adorning the walls). But we wouldn't want it any other way. Happy Birthday, Jonah! We love you, kiddo.

Review

It has been a busy couple of months in the Bird house, as we are accustomed to. Here's a brief rundown of recent events:
*Noah has not had more seizures and is continuing to grow and develop into a happy little guy. At his recent 6 month appointment, he weighed in at 18 lbs 1 oz and measured 28". He is *finally* starting to sleep through the night on a consistent basis!
*Jonah's favorite things right now are talking on the phone, learning how to jump, and playing with matchbox cars and 'The Guy' (a toy Gladiator action figure).
*We spent Thanksgiving with Amy's parents in Lancaster this year. We had a good time visiting with her brother's family while we were there.
*Amy submitted her resignation from apartment managing to devote more attention to Scott and the boys.
*The townhome we were looking to rent fell through, so now with a deadline quickly approaching to move out, we are back at square one and waiting for the Lord to show us where our next home will be.
*We spent Christmas at home, just the four of us. It was the first time we had not been with extended family for the holiday, and though we missed their company, we had a great time blending traditions from both sides of our families to make it uniquely 'ours'.
*Scott took Jonah up to the mountains near Yosemite for a couple of days; they left yesterday and will return tomorrow. They met Scott's Dad and family up there. Amy stayed behind with Noah to look after the apartment building and to pack up our things for our impending move.

If you think of it over the next few weeks, please pray for us during our transition. Specifically, please pray that the Lord would make it evident where we ought to live next. We are trying to find somewhere where we can be responsible stewards of our finances while at the same time having a safe neighborhood for the boys to be outside playing. So far we have found this to be nearly mutually exclusive but we know there is something out there. Please pray during our time of wrapping up this season of our lives and setting up home in the next. Scott starts his winterim class on the 7th and his final (!) semester shortly afterwards. We look forward to seeing how the Lord will provide and answer our prayers. He is faithful...

ER

Noah had a 'first' this week but I can't seem to find a "first trip to the ER sticker" in any baby book I've seen. I was nursing him on Thursday afternoon when he started having an apparent seizure that lasted for approximately 10 very long seconds. My attempts to alert him were unsuccessful and at one point when he opened his eyes, I saw them rolling back in his head. He seemed fine afterwards and went right back to nursing, but at his pediatrician's recommendation, we took him in to the emergency room. Dr. Friend was in charge of his care and he ordered some blood work and a CT scan which both came back within normal results. Having to hold him still for the insertion of the IV was not fun as the nurses struggled to find a vein under all his arm chubs. Other than that, he was acting really happy in the room and I found myself having to convince Scott that no, Noah was not shaking "just because he was cold." We were discharged late Thursday night with a follow-up visit with his pediatrician the following day. He ordered another test, an EEG, which we will hopefully have done in about a week or two.

waiting in the waiting room, acting really happy and not giving much cause for concern.
they wrapped him in a blanket after his CT scan. Note the feet.
excited to be coming home!
showing off his new boo-boo, where they put in the IV

Reflections on Sem Wives 10/17

Lisa Hughes spoke this week in sem wives. She is the wife of Jack Hughes, who pastors Calvary Bible Church in Burbank. He is a TMS graduate, so it was nice to hear from a wife who was once in my shoes. She addressed the discipline of studing Scriptures. This sounds simple and basic, right? But if having a devotional time is so important for every Christian to maintain, then why do so many struggle with consistency? I know I have my ups and downs.
So here are some practical things to consider. Nothing new, nothing hard...just helpful, hopefully.

To help with consistency:
*Seek an accountability partner. Maybe it's a spouse or a friend.
*Commit to studying and learning something new before talking to someone you talk to on a daily or regular basis (best friend, mom).
*Above all, pray that God would give you the grace to develop the discipline of consistency in your devotions!

How/what to study:
*Read through a specific book of the Bible every day for a month. Get familiar with the text. Maybe at the end of the month you'll want to study a particular theology further.
*Read through a Proverb each day of the month. As you read, keep a journal and write down the things that you learn about a few topics of your choice (such as the tongue, the slothful person vs. the industrious person, money, etc.)
*Study a particular theme or theology. Search the Scriptures to see what God says about Himself, prayer, covenants, marriage, etc.
*Choose a passage/chapter/book to memorize.
*Go from big to small. Get the context of the writing by reading the entire book first. Then break it up into smaller sections or by chapter. Then go verse by verse.
*Make your observations before you make your applications. Don't read into the text what you want it to say, but consider what the original writer intended to convey to the original recipients.

Redeeming the time:
*If you are a mom like I am, take advantage of the kiddos' nap time by making study a priority. Housework will still be there when you're done.
*Do you commute? What are you listening to in the car? Consider using the time to pray, or stick a hymn or sermon in the CD player. Download podcasts from good preachers.

Scripture study is a discipline that must be developed, and there are no shortcuts. But for the faithful, the rewards are plentiful and eternal. So if we are to be consistent, we must remember this: we will never be what we are not already now becoming. What are you doing today to ensure that your walk with the Lord is vibrant?

When did that happen?

One of my pet peeeeeves is telemarketing calls (I inherited that gene from my mom). I don't need people interrupting my day to tell me about a product that I've spent 27 years not knowing about and have somehow survived without (and using my monthly cell phone minutes to do it). But do you know what I don't need even more than that? Telemarketers interrupting my day and then being rude. Ummm....I really don't want your product now. And...I think it's supposed to be my job to hang up on you--not the other way around!!

Noah-4 Months

This post will probably be most interesting to the grandparents. We just returned home from Noah's 4 month appointment where he weighed in at 15 lbs 10 oz (75th percentile) and measured 27" (off the charts). He seemed to enjoy Dr. Chan listening to his heart/lungs and looking at his eyes/ears, but the real treat was the second dosage of his oral rotavirus vaccination! The shots were painful but quick and he seems to be doing fine now.
At four months, Noah enjoys laughing, cooing, reaching for toys, playing with his hands and feet, and sticking out his tongue to blow raspberries (just discovered that yesterday). Jonah likes watching him do this, and gleefully announces "Bubbles!!" every time Noah spits. My favorite relatively new skill of Noah's is that he is finally sleeping through the night on a regular basis! He can generally go 10 hours, which now gives Scott and I some time awake and alone without the kids, as well as a good night's sleep. Wahoo!
Look for Noah's 4 month pictures in a post to come.

Reflections on Sem Wives 10/10

As most of you who read this blog may know, Scott is in his 5th (and Lord-willing final) year of seminary. One of the aspects of The Master's Seminary that distinguished itself from the other seminaries we were considering 5 years ago was the emphasis that it placed on the family. With the heavy load that the students are required to undertake, it is not hard to see why some seminarians shamefully neglect their priorities of loving and leading their wives and families. We decided that this scenario was least likely to happen at TMS, where wives are not forgotten by the school. In addition to classes like the Pastor's Home where wives attend class with their husbands, and the annual Fall Picnic and Spring Banquet, there is a special program dedicated just for seminary wives that meets for 10 weeks during each semester.
In Seminary Wives, each semester focuses on a theme (this semester's happens to be "disciplined for godliness" taken from I Timothy 4:7,8). I like the fact that wives are encouraged to grow alongside their husbands in the Word, as we are training for our own unique ministry that we will have as a pastor's wife. We are also forming friendships with other women who understand what it is like to have a husband in seminary, and we are being led by table leaders who are who are professors' or elders' wives.
Last night, my table (led by Dawn Iverson, who is the wife of an elder at Grace Community) talked about last week's message (which I missed due to illness), prayer requests, praises, and creative and/or money-saving tips. We talked about how a pastor's wife, who is often on a limited budget, should gracefully deal with all the wedding and baby shower invitations she will receive. What is she to do if she cannot afford to buy gifts for every one of them and still be responsible with her household budget? So we brainstormed...and here are some of the ideas we came up with:

for weddings:
a scrapbook of favorite recipes on decorative 3x5 cards
a prayer for the couple or a Bible verse calligraphied or neatly printed and framed
a group gift of a scrapbook including advice from older women on how to have a loving, lasting, God-honoring marriage
a frame with the couple's name and wedding date burned into it
handmade cards (thank you's, blank, or multiple occassion)

for baby showers:
some of the ideas above, modified for babies
sewing burp cloths or blankets
a list of money-saving tips for moms (Grocery game, anyone? or www.mommysavers.com)

Do you have any ideas? Please share them in the comments and I'll pass them on!

The night was topped off with a convicting message from Donna Shannon about disciplining our thoughts. How easy it is to let them wander if we are not being purposeful about taking every thought captive! One of the 'take home points' for me was this: if my mind is a glass to be filled, am I choosing what goes in (by spending my time reading Scripture, meditating, singing hymns, praying, etc) or am I passively letting the world fill it with its own philosophies (by wasting time, daydreaming, watching TV, listening to radio, reading silly books or magazines, etc*). Because, as she pointed out, we do what we do and we feel what we feel because we think what we think. We cannot expect godly behavior if we haven't been disciplined to think godly thoughts.
*Disclaimer: I am not trying to come across as a cultural fundamentalist. I think it is fine to enjoy the things of the world that were created for our pleasure (and I gladly partake!), and I shy away from the type of Christianity that shuns the world and keeps all secular activities at an arm's length, but we must exercise wisdom in setting our priorities.

So that's just a small glimpse of sem wives. I really enjoy talking with the ladies at my table, as it is one of the times in my week that I get to enjoy conversations with adults without being interrupted to wipe spit-up off my sleeve.

Just a few reasons why I Love Jonah

1. He so graciously volunteered, even without our asking, to be "Quality Fruit Inspector #1" of the Bird household. See how each and every piece of fruit has at least one Jonah-sized bite out of it, and how he neatly arranged them back in the fruit bowl?
2. When he spills things on the carpet, he is thoughtful enough to spill them in the shape of a heart, so that when I am on my hands and knees scrubbing and trying to lift the stain, I am reminded of his love for me. Can you believe how perfect this heart is, considering it is the result of an accidental spill? I don't think I'd have done better had I tried!
3. He demonstrates love for his brother, as evidenced by the remnants of the kiss on Noah's head (those red and yellow dots on Noah are chewed up Trix--Jonah's cereal of choice this morning).

So beyond all the messes he makes are little reminders to me of why I love Jonah so much. In fact, I think you could say that I am thankful for the messes because those handprints on the sliding door (or on the TV, or the mirrors, or the...) wouldn't be there unless I had the cute, happy, carefree Jonah running around our home and having a good time. And these are just a few reasons why I love him so much.

Checkups

Recently we took the boys in for their checkups-Jonah's 18 month and Noah's 2 month. We are so grateful for healthy, growing boys and we never want to take this for granted. Here are some recent pics and their stats:
Noah, at 2 months, weighs 13 lbs and is 25" long. He has added 3 inches since birth and has no signs of slowing down anytime soon. At 2 months, Jonah was 12 lbs 13 oz and 24". Noah got 4 shots at his appointment, along with an oral vaccination for rotavirus, which he thoroughly enjoyed, and I think is looking forward to his 4 month appointment when the second dose will be administered. He is a firm believer of the common phrase, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Mmmmm....more rotavirus, please!
Jonah, at 18 months, weighs 27 lbs and is 35" tall, and has 12 teeth. He is very tall for his age and the Dr. thought he must have been wearing his shoes when the nurse measured him, so the Dr. did it again only to find out that he is, in fact, 35". A disadvantage to having a young child so tall is that he can reach just about anything on the desk or kitchen countertops, so a new rule at our house is that he is not allowed to grab knives from the kitchen and hold them at his head (or brother's, for that matter). This joins the growing list of rules I never thought I'd have to voice, such as, "Son, please don't lick the T.V." Needless to say, although he is quite busy, he is never out of our sights for long.