and the countdown begins.....10.....

Wow! The past few weeks have completely flown by! They have been weeks filled with many fun and memorable events. On many occasions I have intended to sit and blog about each of the happenings, but never took the time. I am considering doing some "catch up" blogs in the future, before the events become faded in my memory. For now....the main thing on my mind is the countdown to Avery's arrival. I have been counting the weeks for a while now, but recently it has turned to days! I sit with amazement at the fact that we will meet our new addition in just about 10 days! Wow! So exciting!! But I don't want to overlook all that is happening in the meantime with the other kiddos. The next week and a half will be filled with end of the year parties and field trips as well as graduation celebrations and a birthday.

I am trying not to become overwhelmed, and enjoy each of these moments as I know they will all pass too quickly!! Before long our "party of 5" will be a "family of 6" and we will have a NEWBORN, FIRST grader, FOURTH grader and MIDDLE SCHOOLER!!!! It is incredibly amazing how fast the ages and stages go by! Seems like just a short time ago that Jason and I were eagerly awaiting Alyssa's arrival....and now she is nearing the end of her elementary years and taking on the role of big sis to 3 siblings.

So today I sit, taking a break from nesting, and ponder all the great things that are happening now and look ahead to abundant blessings to come!

Reflective Moments...

During this season of lent I have tried to be more aware of the time I spend in silence, actually how little time that is. It seems most of my days/nights are spent with some type of noise either neccessary or contrived. You would think there would be a lot of quiet days, since all three kiddos are in school and I am home alone during school hours. I have noticed that in order to fill the silence I rely way too much on the tv and internet. I find myself leaving the tv on just for the noise and watching random junk for way too long. Or I surf random things online for countless hours. It never starts out that way. I usually have a purpose, but quickly get distracted. Now, don't get me wrong...I am not so consumed with these things that I neglect the duties I have around the house. While I am sure there is much i could be doing, I can say the house stays decent, the clothes are clean, and dinner is done.

In recent weeks I have been making an effort to turn off the tv more and have decided not to go online on Tuesdays. This may seem small, but you would be surprised how many times I find "reasons" to go online those days. It never fails that I want to look up a recipie when I am cooking tuesday's dinner! The change that I have been trying to implement that is actually taking even more effort than that is the hour of journaling/reading/praying. I think my analytical nature has grown comfortable in the noisey environment I have created and therefore the silence can be quite frustrating at times. I find myself overthinking way too much and creating drama in my mind. I have enjoyed journaling, however it hasn't been online. I have realized over the years, because of self diagnosed adult add that I am able to focus so much better when i write out my prayers and journal my thoughts, so my journaling has been pretty raw, but helpful. The reading...well that is something i continue to struggle with, but i am trying ;)

the beginning of the end... :)

Well, it is hard to believe that I am knocking on the door of my third trimester already! I have already hit the stretch where doctor visits will come every two weeks. Also, there are several fun and exciting tests coming up...happy happy joy joy. I have yet to get used to the blasted sugar test! I heard a rumor they have improved the taste of that syrupy stuff you have to drink, so I am hoping that is the case!! So now the waiting game begins.

I have never been one to rush the process and have never seemed to be quite ready for the big day to arrive. I am wondering if that will change since this will be my first summer baby living in Florida! I have to say I am not looking forward to being in the last stage of pregnancy during the summer months. I guess one relief is that I will be delivering before the dog days of august.

the following is an update on Cassidy Clark. It has been awhile since I posted any news regarding her condition, but this weeks is a very important week in her treatment and I wanted you all to be aware so that you can be praying for Chad, Cassidy, McKenzie, Savannah and Jen!

melissa

Dear Friends,

It is with a prayerful heart that I write this note tonight. As you know, we met with the Radiation team yesterday and also with our BMT doctor. We were glad to know that the radiation Cassidy will be receiving is the lowest possible dose. This means that the chances of her developing any secondary tumors down the road are lower than what we had first thought. For that, we are very greatful. She will still suffer some of the short-term effects of total body radiation-nausea, tiredness, mouth sores, intestinal tract problems and so on. Unfortunately, we received more news than that good news. Her BMT doctor (Dr. Boliton) informed us that her latest Bone Marrow Biopsy revealed that her remission is very "fragile" and the need for us to begin the transplant is urgent. She is scheduled to be admitted on Sunday evening. Monday through Thursday, she will have radiation twice a day. Friday and Saturday, they will give her body a rest before hitting it with a massive dose of Chemotherapy on Sunday. Monday, she is scheduled to rest. Tuesday, she will be getting "prograf" which is what they are giving to help her body not reject the new bone marrow. WEDNESDAY is the BONE MARROW HARVEST and TRANSPLANT. Please be in prayer for McKenzie as well as Cassidy. Wednesday morning, Kenz will go under general anesthetic while two surgeons use two large needles to extract her bone marrow. She willl receive 50 needle pokes in each hip bone. She will wake up and go home the same day with some soreness. They will begin implanting the marrow into Cassidy the same day. Over the next several days, Cass will be given a form of chemo that will work against graft-host disease. The first 100 days will be the most critical by far. Please continue in your ferverent prayers. Please pray for Chad...he's been through a great deal and this is hard for him.

We were looking again at some of the paperwork and it amazes us at how much of a match Kenz and Cass are. They have the same blood type and are both void of an infection that 80% of the population has. God is a Miracle Worker. We were talking yesterday on the way home from the hospital about all of the unlikely victories in the Bible - David and Goliath, Gideon and his 300 men, Joshua at Jericho, Daniel in the lions den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo in the fiery furnace. So many times God has done the "impossible" for His own. We know that Cassidy is in His hands and He loves her even more than we can. He wants His own glory and good for us. We trust His hand. We also know that "the ferverent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." It is with this thought in mind that I beg you to pray FERVERENTLY.

Cass continues to humor us with her antics. Today, she said to Nanie that she is excited to go to the hospital because she gets new toys. She will miss her sisters and they will miss her. Pray for Kenz and Savannah during this time as well. We appreciate your love and prayers more than you can imagine. Thanks for your notes and kindness.

Because of Christ,

Jen

time flies

Wow! I can't believe things seem to be passing so quickly with this pregnancy! This being said, I know the "rougher" stages are still ahead. I am thankful that all things baby are developing well! Every few weeks I have been checking to see how big the baby is supposed to be at this point. It seems like just yesterday i was reading that the baby had reached about 6 inches long. This morning when I checke, it was saying the baby is about 12 inches now. (well according to the norm that is) That totally explains why I keep feeling kicks and nudges from top to bottom these days! So far I have managed to not gain any weight above my prepregnancy point. This came after an initial loss and then a gradual gain. My fingers are crossed that I am able to keep all of that under control over the next 17 weeks.

With each passing week I get more and more excited. The past couple of weeks I was able to go shopping with mel h and pick out fabrics my the crib bedding set. I am so in love with the materials we picked out and can't wait to see it all put together! (Here is where I need to point out that melissa h has graciously decided to make my crib bedding set for me....she rocks!!) After a day of shopping with melissa I came home and found a package. It was my first baby gift, an adorable little boy outfit from aunt sherri! (well technically it was my 2nd baby gift because aunt sherri spoiled us christmas with bag of baby essentials and meds!)

There are still MANY details we need to work out and and lots of things we need to gather before he arrives. It is funny how quickly you forget about all the little things a baby needs! I am very excited about the process and can't wait to meet baby boy grizz. Hopefully by June we will be able to come to a decision as to what his name will be! lol

Cause I'm The Big Brother

Mom and Dad waiting to find out the news...we were very eager!




Lexi's first reaction was "I knew it!"
JT looks thrilled to be getting a little brother
and Alyssa is pumped about not sharing her room with another girl....lol!

It is has been sweet to see how each of the kiddos have reacted to the news of our soon coming boy. Alyssa was completely ecstatic that she will not be sharing her room with an additional sister! Can you feel the love?! lol She has also volunteered to change diapers and then quickly added she wouldn't need money to do it. Somehow I see this as some sort of 10 year old (almost 11 yr old) trickery to be paid for any diapers she changes! Nice try! Lexi was bummed because on the other hand she was looking forward to having a new gal pal in their room. But I think her words were, a baby boy will be cute too. I am sure when the baby starts waking up in the middle of the night and etc she will be a little more thankful. JT has been all smiles and giggles since he found out. Each new day he proudly announces some new task he will have to teach the new baby. He has actually started taking some independence in a few areas he needed help with, because after all he will be the big brother! A man's got learn how to do stuff! lol Some of JT's suggestions have been to let the baby sleep WITH Him, in his big bed. And when I say big...it is BIG. JT has a loft bed that is about 7 feet high, so I DO NOT think this is a reasonable possibility at all!! He also said that if the baby cries because he gets scared of the dark, he will be a helper and bring him to me. ummmmmmm (mom bites fingernails!) we will have to see on that one! :o)

The boy buzz has definitely hit our household and we are all very eager for baby boy grizzard to make his entrance. I am right about 19 weeks along (as of this coming saturday to be specific) so, we are nearly at the halfway mark. There is much to do to get ready and as of yet, I haven't hit the glorious phase of energy and motivation yet! I have been completely taking advantage of the ability to rest.

IT"S A BOY....IT"S A BOY....IT"S A BOY!!!

Ok...I can't hide my excitment! Yesterday we found out that baby grizz #4 is a healthy, growing, baby boy! Woo Hoo!!! More details coming soon...but for now...I rest!