Welcome our Mysterious Iranian Friend

The company I work at uses Google analytics to track customer trends and stuff. I thought it might be interesting to apply this technology to my blog to learn a little bit more about who comes from where to read what. I checked the stats for the past 30 days and learned that not only do we receive more than 10 visits a day from folks but that one such visitor is straight from Tehran, Iran! Welcome to the birdnest family our mysterious Iranian friend!

A Wedding and A Lesson Learned

The whole family went North this last weekend to visit my mother. It has become something of Bird family tradition: when death enters the camp somebody gets married. First when my cousin Nathanael died, his sister decided to get married to her fiancé a couple of days before the funeral. Now that my mom has been diagnosed with cancer she thought it would be a good time to get married to her 13 year long fiancé! So this last Sunday a simple wedding ceremony was performed where I ‘gave’ my mom away. Talk about a strange month! And its only the 5th. So in the span of less than 10 days we will have dealt with graduation, cancer and a wedding. I think I might just ask for an honorary TH.M.

We learned just a couple of hours ago that mom was admitted to the hospital today for pneumonia. Amy has been calling her every morning for a few days to make sure everything is O.K. and to start her day off with a bit of prayer. Today when Amy called mom sounded poor and after a Dr’s visit and some x-rays a trip to the E.R. was ordered. She will be there for the week for observation and treatment.

A little lesson I though I might pass on. My mom has always had a very compassionate streak in her. She has always felt very sympathetic to those who have had hard or difficult lives. This extended to the type of men she dated throughout my childhood and teen years. My mothers new husband was one such man when he came into my life. I wrote him off the day he walked through the front door and have spent the last 13 years spending as little time as possible around him, yes I have on occasion even been guilty of hate (or as Jesus called it, committing murder in your heart) towards him.

Over the last two weekends I have had a great opportunity to talk with Steve and learn some tremendous things that I had never known. I now understand him in ways that for 13 years I had tried to avoid. And while he is not what most of us might consider a knight in shining white armor the Lord melted my heart for him on Saturday April 26th. I was confronted with the choice of continuing to harden my heart towards this man but as I reflected on the 13 years he and my mom have been together and the extraordinary lengths that he is going through to care for my mom I was ashamed that this unbeliever could show so much more unconditional love toward my mom that I had shown to him. I professed a God of compassion, mercy and love but had not demonstrated any of those things to this man but had chosen instead to join the chorus of naysayers and those critical of him.

While there are elements that can be criticized any weakness in my mothers new husband, these weaknesses ought to have been met with the strength of God’s love, compassion and ability to save. I failed as an evangelist in this regard because of the hate in my heart towards him. I repent of this and would ask you if you have withheld the compassion of God from some person in your life because of hate toward that person? If so remember that God came in flesh to save those just like the person you may now be thinking of. You may object that you don’t really hate the person- have you held their hand and explained the Gospel? If you haven’t then you are like I was and are walking in the footsteps of the lawyer, the Scribe and the Pharisee while the man you hate lays bleeding and dying at your feet. Be the humble Samaritan and do what no one else would ever expect you to do- stop look at your Savior and then turn to minister in humility and compassion the witness of God. Confess your error and forsake your hatred and you will the compassion of God with which you must approach the former object of your hatred. I can tell you now that God does not bless hatred, even toward an unbeliever. He does bless compassion and mercy. I don’t turn a blind eye to sin now but neither do I turn a blind eye to the tremendous needs of this man either. The compassion of God has allowed me to embrace one I have spent so much time hating and to accept him for who he is where he is at right now in his life. The only hope for any of us- you, me and Steve is Jesus Christ. The people you hate will never see this through you.

Cancer Strikes

You know that its going to strike your immediate family sooner or later. I've been fortunate to be on the latter end since in 28 years I've experienced very few deaths in my family. My grandmother is with the Lord as is my cousin Nathanael. But its different when death enters your camp. My mother called me tonight to tell me that she was diagnosed 4 months ago with terminal lung cancer that has already metastasized and is now present all over her body. I will be heading up tomorrow to be with her and to work out all the details of life and death so she has nothing to worry about. Since our blog has also developed into a sort of online family scrap book I will post periodic blogs about this experience that I hope will be of benefit to read and provide an opportunity for you to give some feedback and counsel. I will attempt to refrain from eulogizing the living but will also pass on any interesting family trivia or facts. I am keenly sensitive to preserving family history and will pester my mom to the grave (in this the pun is intended) for her life story. Please pray for me as I try to the best of my ability to love my mom to the end of her life and to do so with compassion for all of those who are in her life now. Lest there be anyone who might read this and take an opportunity to charge my God with cruelty I would point out that in the diagnosis of cancer is the wonderful grace of time. I could have received a phone call from my dad letting me know my mom died in some horrible car accident. But with the news I did receive I know that my mom will have the time to make things right in her life with everyone and with God. Most important we will have the time(s) between now and then to tell each other everything we want to. I will not see my mom die with the regret of not having told her something (even if it means I have to eat a little crow, participate in a little confession and ask for lots of forgiveness)!

Just For Fun

"Excuse me, what are you reading?"

We still aren't quite sure why Jonah felt the need to pick the statue's nose...

Update-Noah

For those that have asked, I thought I'd post an update. We are still mainly in the 'waiting to hear' stage with the doctors, but we are making progress in terms of getting him appointments to see someone who will hopefully be able to help. His pediatrician ordered a stomach x-ray and we had that done on Tuesday. He has also referred Noah to a gastroenterologist. In the meantime, Noah seems to be doing better in the eating department, and last night even opened up his mouth to eat his apples/blueberries! He finished the whole jar in about 5 minutes, and Scott and I were floored! Praise God for that. Having a fuller tummy also helps him sleep (he's still sleeping as I type this--at 8:13 am. Perhaps I should check to see if he's alive?) He has slept through the night this whole week, which is a welcome change for me. :)

Oh, I hear him crying now. It's 8:14. He must have just known I was writing about how good he sleeps! Silly guy. I'll go get him now...

We are also still waiting to hear about the neurologist. He was referred to one at UCLA and it is the kind of thing where they review the case and give you an appointment. Well, they scheduled Noah for July 8, which is too long to wait. Thankfully his pediatrician agrees with me and they are doing all they can to expedite his appointment there. The pediatrician faxed more information to the neurologist to justify moving up the appointment, and I should hear back today or tomorrow, hopefully. Noah will occasionally put his feet down--more so when his hips are bent at a 90 degree angle.

I'll continue to update when there's any more news to share. Thanks to all who are praying for him. He is a treasure for sure.

Feeding Noah

If anyone is up for a challenge, I invite you to come to our house to try to feed Noah. This kid gives new meaning to "stubborn." In his defense, I think he now associates eating with being sick (he will not tolerate rice, oatmeal, green beans, peas, or corn, and the list continues to grow). And the foods he does tolerate he does not enjoy. It often takes 3 sittings, a couple of hours, and many tears to finish 1 little jar of baby food. Even the foods he used to "like" (and I use the term very loosely) are now becoming a struggle to feed him. I tried applesauce this morning--a former favorite, and after gagging on it, he put his fingers in his mouth to try to scrape all he could off his tongue. I think we're down to carrots and prunes being the foods he will eat most consistently. The poor little guy has had a cold for the past couple of days, which I thought would make it easier to feed him (if he can't breathe through his nose, he's got to open his mouth, right? And if he is opening his mouth, it will be easier to feed him, right?) Wrong.
I am calling his Dr. again tomorrow to see if we can't get him in to see a gastroenterologist. Please pray for him, and for me as well, as it is very taxing for me to keep up with his nutritional needs right now. We'll keep you posted.

Spring

The days are getting longer and warmer, and this week has been such a great time for the boys to get outside and play. These pics were taken today, while we were waiting for the choo-choo to go by and watching for Daddy to ride his 'bicyle' home.
Does anyone know how to rotate the picture of Noah? I have the original rotated on my computer but when blogger uploads my vertical pics, this is how they come up. I believe this problem started when we got our mac (which I love in all other respects).

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...