It all began at the Easter Egg Hunt...

My brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew came for the weekend...and to celebrate Easter.

What an awesome time we had! It all began on Friday night- they came to the house for dinner and we caught up on old times, laughed, and loved. Saturday we went to Todd's for an Easter Egg Hunt...Gage had a blast with his cousins, uncle and aunt (she was taking the picts)

Macie and Gage

Jacob and Gage

Chad and Gage

Saturday night we had "breakfast for dinner" and once again enjoyed each other's company.

and tomorrow...EASTER!

I am in love...

with the photographer we met today. Kyle Hitchcock is AMAZING! She did an awesome job with Gage.  She is one of those people you feel like you have known your whole life. Her website is www.kylehitchcock.com and to view Gage's picts you can enter my email address Loodygirl@hotmail.com. Its going to be hard to choose favorites...they are all so good.

7 months old...already?

Robert Gage Brown is...

happy healthy and has a hearty appetite! 

He is long and like his...not so lean...19 pounds to date!

I remember when we used to be concerned with weight gain...its no longer lacking!

He loves to smile, laugh, talk, eat, play (especially at 2am) and so much more.

He is a daily reminder of God's goodness and mercy.

He is a blessing and has brought much joy to so many.

Chris and I are already proud to be "Gage's parents"

He brings out the best in us and we are better people for having him, knowing him, and watching God work out HIS plan for his life and for our lives too! 

We continue to be...Blessed Beyond Belief!

Sinclair...Harlem...and back home again

Well, we made our debut at Sinclair on March 15th...what a homecoming that was! I remember like it was yesterday when we announced to the church about Gage-his CDH- and what was to come over the next 6 months...they rallied around us, prayed for us, collected money, sent us back and forth to Philadelphia several times, and followed our story step by step. They not only followed our story, they were and are a HUGE part of our story...where would we be without our family?!

We also made our debut at Harlem Baptist Church (Chris' hometown) this past Sunday. That too was a great thing. We got to spend time with more family and enjoy a good service too. It was good to see people that Chris was raised by, with and around. We know they too have prayed for us faithfully and I know that it was so neat to see that faith become sight.

Faith...such a small word for such a big, and so many times hard, thing. The Bible says that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains...I don't know about you, but I have a long way to go. I am ever-so thankful that God's faithfulness does not depend on our own.

 

He is faithful when people surprise us, disappoint us, and hurt us.

He is faithful when we surprise people, disappoint them, and at times hurt them too.

He is faithful when the economy is up and down and down and down.

He is faithful when we choose to not to include Him in our day and in our plans.

He is faithful when...no matter what may come...He IS!

Our situation with Gage this year has really put things in perspective for us. Chances are over my lifetime the economy will continue to rise and fall...jobs will come and go...people will continue to change, but one thing (besides the certainty and security of our salvation) that will not ever change is this...God chose to grant Chris and I a miracle in Gage. For some reason he chose us "for such a time as this". We don't know what the future holds for him, but as of right now he is the most "normal" healthy baby you could want to be around. He is sweet, cute as can be, friendly, and I could go on and on. The perspective God has given me and constantly tries to remind me of is this...you are given TODAY...it is a GIFT...you will never get it back and tomorrow may not come. Don't spend all your time on what could have been or on what may be...spend it on what is...and that is TODAY. My goal at this time in life is to be a woman of faith...and to try and build that faith DAY by DAY. Will I always succeed? Will I always be faithful? Do I have faith even the size of a mustard seed...no no and no...but no matter what...HE IS!!! 

What a day!

Well...the long anticipated day arrived...we took Gage to CHURCH! We found it only appropriate for Gage to make his first appearance at my home church. I was born and raised there and Chris proposed to me in the very same church parking lot. The people of County Line Baptist Church loved on us, prayed for us, and raised enough money for my brother and dad to come to Philly for a week...what more could you ask for? The sermon was about the miracles of Christ and Jerry (our pastor) asked the question "Do miracles still happen today"? He looks at us, we stand, and the people of CLBC were able to apply the verse "Their faith became sight". Not only did he speak of the miracle of Gage, but also time after time throughout the year there were various miracles happening in the lives of people all around them...but they happen all around us too...and daily! We just have to be looking- God is still performing miracles- 

He was, is, and always will be!

Good news from the doc...

Gage turned SIX months old on March 4th...so hard to believe I know! Chris and I took him for his check up on Thursday afternoon. He weighs 17 pounds and 6 ounces. He is 27 1/2 inches long and his head circumference is 17 1/2 inches! If you didn't know he was a 5 week early preemie that spent close to 7 weeks in the NICU who came home on a feeding tube unable to tolerate much food...you wouldn't know it now! He LOVES to EAT!!! He is a happy, sweet and friendly little boy. He is getting CLOSE to sleeping all night and we are loving watching him play, laugh and grow! He will be attending his first church service tomorrow morning at my parent's church in Lithia Springs, Ga. I was born and rasied in that church and can't tell you how excited I am that we get to take him tomorrow! We will definetly be posting pictures about the big day! Thanks for continuing to pray and follow our story! We are SO blessed!

Sleeping and Snowing...

Two things I never thought would happen at our house...but as you know...one of them did!

SNOW! It was beautiful and I certainly enjoyed the day out of school. I bet our friends in Philadelphia would laugh if they knew we cancelled school for less than an inch of snow. I called up there and talked to one of our nurses about a month ago and she was late to work that particular day because there was a foot of snow in her driveway and there had been an ice storm the night before- oh well- we have never had a "real" snow storm and she has never had "real" grits or sweet tea...guess we will both just have to take what we can get!

As wonderful and miraculous as the snow was...I cannnot wait wait to have a whole night of the other "s" word...SLEEP! Gage seems to think he is a cat and sleeps and naps accordingly. We thought surely when we started to fill up that little belly with cereal he would sleep the night away- no go. We thought ok- give him some veggies and we will hear him in the morning- no go. I guess the only other option is a suggestion from a friend here in Milledgeville- a chicken leg :) Ok maybe not. I know one day he will sleep through the night, and when that does happen we will probably still wake up on and off because we don't hear him!

On the other hand- I was catching up on a blog I began to follow in Philly about a baby girl a little older than Gage who also has CDH. She had a lot more complications, stayed in the hospital a lot longer,  and is now home on a feeding tube as well as a vent (breathing tube). Things could always be worse and we have SO much to thankful for! 

Just to name a few things I am thankful for:

Salvation and the certainty of Heaven when I die

The marriage and the friendship Chris and I share

Gage- oh the many things that go along with this little miracle!

Family- what an awesome heritage Gage has

Church- not just during the good times, but the in between times too!

Job- Chris and I are both blessed to be doing something we love

Our house...it is home

Friends- old and new- they make hard times doable and good times great

Laughter- it is definitely like good medicine

Changes that are taking place- it means God is getting ready to do something new in our lives

Sunshine- its amazing how much happier we seem when the sun is shining brightly!

I am so very blessed beyond belief!