Alaina Kristine was born Saturday morning at 8:07 via emergency c-section because after laboring for several hours, her heartbeat kept fading from the fetal monitors. After she was born, the doctor found that she had been living in a severely significant amount of meconium for about a week. Apparently Stephanie's placenta had aged prematurely, causing Alaina a great deal of stress. The lack of amniotic fluid & oxygen in the placenta triggered Alaina's premature bowel movement, releasing the meconium. The doctor was able to remove a large amount of the meconium from Alaina's lungs, but the remainder of it is preventing her from breathing properly & has to be dissipated by her body. She is making small improvements, but she still has a long road of healing ahead of her. Fortunately, every report that we have received from her doctor since early Sunday morning has been encouraging.
Stephanie is doing well. I can not imagine the torment that she & Scotlon are facing. Alaina is in a zero-stimulus environment in the NICU where they are not allowed to hold her, touch her, or even speak to her. Thankfully, Scotlon was able to touch & visit with his daughter immediately after she was born. Stephanie was able to touch & visit with her daughter only minutes before she was taken to her postpartum room to recover.
Thank you for your prayers. I know that Stephanie & Scotlon are both extremely appreciative of every prayer, every thought & every kind word of encouragement. Please continue to pray for Alaina's & Stephanie's complete & speedy healing, as well as peace & wisdom for Stephanie & Scotlon during this terrifying time.
CURRENT: Alaina's blood pressure is bottoming out. She is receiving an immediate blood transfusion in hopes that the extra blood with help stabilize her, but if this does not work, Alaina will be transported to Egleston Children's Hospital in Atlanta this evening.
Please, please pray for our sweet little girl's healing.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Jon & Kate - NEVERMIND!!!
You know.... I was going to blog about my Jon & Kate thoughts, but I changed my mind. There are more important things in my life to talk about – my kids!
We scored some AWESOME tickets to last night's Braves game against the Chicago Cubs. We're cheap/thrifty, so we packed snacks to bring along (popcorn, Cracker Jacks, water, Capri Sun) not to mention dinner (we ate that in the care BEFORE the game).
We decided to leave during the 8th inning (to get a head start on the traffic). Once outside the stadium, walking to the parking lot, we encountered a homeless man asking for change. We have a policy of not giving money for fear that they will use it for alcohol/drugs. Craig told the guy that we didn't have money but we did have some extra popcorn left over. He gladly accepted it – which came as a surprise to us. As this gentleman is sitting on the curb eating popcorn, Chelsea – my precious almost-11-year-old daughter – decided that the guy must be thirsty and she wanted to go back and offer her half drank bottle of water. Instead of offering the water, we remembered that we still had Capri Suns left & a few Weight Watcher candy bars. Craig & the kids walked back to the man and gave him the drink & candy.
As they were walking back toward me & Craig's parents, Chelsea started looking around. Then she said “Mommy, I feel bad for that guy. He didn't have anything and no one else would stop to help him.” This thought continued to anger her. “Mommy, I cannot believe those people just walked by him and ignored him as if he was garbage. That makes me so angry. I just want to say something to them. What's wrong with people?” - clearly she gets her passion from me.
What a great opportunity for Craig & I to teach our children about charity, homelessness & even worked in some of the Bible – remember the story of the Good Samaritan?
And what verse popped into MY mind – Matthew 25:41-45 (NIV)
“Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
“They will also answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
“He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
May God give you teachable moments.
Many blessings,
Allison
We scored some AWESOME tickets to last night's Braves game against the Chicago Cubs. We're cheap/thrifty, so we packed snacks to bring along (popcorn, Cracker Jacks, water, Capri Sun) not to mention dinner (we ate that in the care BEFORE the game).
We decided to leave during the 8th inning (to get a head start on the traffic). Once outside the stadium, walking to the parking lot, we encountered a homeless man asking for change. We have a policy of not giving money for fear that they will use it for alcohol/drugs. Craig told the guy that we didn't have money but we did have some extra popcorn left over. He gladly accepted it – which came as a surprise to us. As this gentleman is sitting on the curb eating popcorn, Chelsea – my precious almost-11-year-old daughter – decided that the guy must be thirsty and she wanted to go back and offer her half drank bottle of water. Instead of offering the water, we remembered that we still had Capri Suns left & a few Weight Watcher candy bars. Craig & the kids walked back to the man and gave him the drink & candy.
As they were walking back toward me & Craig's parents, Chelsea started looking around. Then she said “Mommy, I feel bad for that guy. He didn't have anything and no one else would stop to help him.” This thought continued to anger her. “Mommy, I cannot believe those people just walked by him and ignored him as if he was garbage. That makes me so angry. I just want to say something to them. What's wrong with people?” - clearly she gets her passion from me.
What a great opportunity for Craig & I to teach our children about charity, homelessness & even worked in some of the Bible – remember the story of the Good Samaritan?
And what verse popped into MY mind – Matthew 25:41-45 (NIV)
“Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
“They will also answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
“He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
May God give you teachable moments.
Many blessings,
Allison
Friday, June 19, 2009
The VALUE of me
My recent 'break up' with a friend, coupled with the death of a family member & a friend has really caused me to re-evaluate my life.
What have I learned?
I am a people pleaser (not a shock, I know). As much as I like to THINK that I don't care if people like me, deep down it breaks my heart when someone doesn't (now I know where my daughter gets it from). I go so far as to allow others to treat me like garbage just so I don't lose their friendship.
What does that say about me?
It says that I do no respect myself. I hold myself at very little value to this world.
How do I change this?
First & foremost, I need to turn to God. No matter what I do or say, I will always be of value to Him. After that, seek His counsel when it comes to friendships.
The purpose of a friendship is to build eachother up - not tear eachother down.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't hold one another accountable. It's all in the way we do it - with LOVE.
Friends, be mindful of one another.
Many blessings,
Allison
What have I learned?
I am a people pleaser (not a shock, I know). As much as I like to THINK that I don't care if people like me, deep down it breaks my heart when someone doesn't (now I know where my daughter gets it from). I go so far as to allow others to treat me like garbage just so I don't lose their friendship.
What does that say about me?
It says that I do no respect myself. I hold myself at very little value to this world.
How do I change this?
First & foremost, I need to turn to God. No matter what I do or say, I will always be of value to Him. After that, seek His counsel when it comes to friendships.
The purpose of a friendship is to build eachother up - not tear eachother down.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't hold one another accountable. It's all in the way we do it - with LOVE.
Friends, be mindful of one another.
Many blessings,
Allison
Friday, June 12, 2009
4 children & a funeral
As some of you know, we recently had to travel to NJ to attend a family funeral. You see, my husband's grandfather, Bud, passed away at the ripe old age of 92.
Our the past few months, we've learned a lot about Bud - stuff some of us never knew.
My simple words cannot convey the beauty of the moment. It made me proud to be a part of this family.
Our the past few months, we've learned a lot about Bud - stuff some of us never knew.
- Bud was a 2ND generation volunteer fire fighter which makes my husband a 4TH generation fire fighter.
- Bud's cargo ship was torpedoed off the coast of Cuba during WWII on June 6, 1942 by a German submarine. He & several other crew members survived in lifeboats for 5 days.
- Bud passed away almost 67 years to the day of his ship being torpedoed (June 6, 1942 - June 5, 2009).
- As much as Bud was a cranky old man, he was highly respected among his fire fighting peers.
Besides having 2 grandsons, Bud was blessed with 4 great grandchildren: Jason, Chelsea, Justin & Jaclyn. Because Jay & Jackie live in NJ, they got to visit him a lot more often & were devastated when he passed away. Not that my kids weren't affected, but it was a little surreal for them. Jason, 11, even gave a eulogy. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
My one regret was that I didn't pack my camera. Gruesome, I know. Not that I wanted a picture of his body in the casket, but the graveside service was beautiful.
The US Navy sent 3 officers to play taps & fold the flag. I am not a fan of Obama, but it touched my heart to hear condolences from him. Bagpipes played 'Amazing Grace' in the background as the fire fighters said their final farewell. As each fire fighter saluted, they removed their right glove & placed it on the coffin. The bagpipers removed the reed from their pipes & placed those with the gloves. Then family & friends each placed a red rose.
My simple words cannot convey the beauty of the moment. It made me proud to be a part of this family.Many blessings,
Allison
Thursday, June 4, 2009
I am guilty....
... of harboring a grudge.
Several years ago I had my dream job (what I thought was my dream job). However, God had other plans in store for me. I lost that dream job – because of my personality. LONG story – not worth retelling.
Anyway, for years now I've held a bit of a grudge toward 2 of the people that I worked with/for. Angry that they couldn't see past my personality and see more of my potential as an employee.
Dear reader, life is too short to hold a grudge like that. A silly grudge over something that was beyond MY control.
The supervisor that I worked for died yesterday in a horrific car accident. “Thankfully” he died instantly. Rumor is that he was texting while driving. Regardless, it was a tragic accident that left his wife a widow & his 7-year old daughter without an earthly father.
Hearing the story of Sean's death convicted me immediately. I wanted to burst into tears and mourn the loss of this man. I have been harboring a grudge for so many years... over something that was totally out of my control... heck, it was out of Sean's control. It was all a part of God's greater plan for me... yet, I still needed to blame someone.
It also reminded me that we are not invincible! We all think that we will live well into our 80's or 90's, but the reality is that God may have a different plan. We may only live until we are 39 (that's how old Sean was).
Live every moment like it is your last – it just might be. Do not leave the house or hang up the phone angry with the one you love.
Many blessings,
Allison
Several years ago I had my dream job (what I thought was my dream job). However, God had other plans in store for me. I lost that dream job – because of my personality. LONG story – not worth retelling.
Anyway, for years now I've held a bit of a grudge toward 2 of the people that I worked with/for. Angry that they couldn't see past my personality and see more of my potential as an employee.
Dear reader, life is too short to hold a grudge like that. A silly grudge over something that was beyond MY control.
The supervisor that I worked for died yesterday in a horrific car accident. “Thankfully” he died instantly. Rumor is that he was texting while driving. Regardless, it was a tragic accident that left his wife a widow & his 7-year old daughter without an earthly father.
Hearing the story of Sean's death convicted me immediately. I wanted to burst into tears and mourn the loss of this man. I have been harboring a grudge for so many years... over something that was totally out of my control... heck, it was out of Sean's control. It was all a part of God's greater plan for me... yet, I still needed to blame someone.
It also reminded me that we are not invincible! We all think that we will live well into our 80's or 90's, but the reality is that God may have a different plan. We may only live until we are 39 (that's how old Sean was).
Live every moment like it is your last – it just might be. Do not leave the house or hang up the phone angry with the one you love.
Many blessings,
Allison
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The waiting game...
They say that breaking up is hard to do... I'd have to disagree. Waiting for the death of a loved one is worse. I know, that's a morbid thought.. I'm not talking about doom & gloom, constantly thinking that someone is going to die. I'm talking about having a very sick family member & knowing they're dying and just waiting for the phone call. It's not that you want them to die, you just want them to go quickly & painlessly.
We're in that situation with my husband's paternal grandfather, Bud. Bud has lived an amazing 92 year life. One that any man should be proud of. He fought during WWII, was stuck at sea after his ship was torpedoed off the coast of Cuba. He has been a volunteer fire fighter for YEARS - his son & grandson followed in his footsteps.
His health is rapidly declining. He is refusing to eat or drink & dementia is setting in (though there are lucid moments). All in all, we're just waiting for that call. We've said our goodbyes & told him that we'll be ok; that if he needs to go then he should go.
We pray that God calls him home without further suffering. We know that it is all in God's time. We're just hoping that God's time is rather quick.
Please join our family in lifting Bud up in prayer. That God is with him and gives him peace.
Many blessings,
Allison
We're in that situation with my husband's paternal grandfather, Bud. Bud has lived an amazing 92 year life. One that any man should be proud of. He fought during WWII, was stuck at sea after his ship was torpedoed off the coast of Cuba. He has been a volunteer fire fighter for YEARS - his son & grandson followed in his footsteps.
His health is rapidly declining. He is refusing to eat or drink & dementia is setting in (though there are lucid moments). All in all, we're just waiting for that call. We've said our goodbyes & told him that we'll be ok; that if he needs to go then he should go.
We pray that God calls him home without further suffering. We know that it is all in God's time. We're just hoping that God's time is rather quick.
Please join our family in lifting Bud up in prayer. That God is with him and gives him peace.
Many blessings,
Allison
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