4 girls, 4 lives, 4 stories...

These are my three best friends from high school...10 years and 5 kids later we all got together

Don't we have some sweet babies...

Gage, Makayla, Madison, Kalaya, and Rowan

what were you doing one YEAR ago...

We were soaking up our last days of the NICU...

and getting ready to be discharged!!!

We were spending several days as a family at the Ronald McDonald House...

We were anticipating our flight home...and then excited about our arrival!

What a difference a YEAR makes...

Will I ever get tired of talking about what happened in our family during that YEAR? I hope not. I hope I never get tired of reminiscing and remembering the step by step details of our doctor's visits, plane rides, hotel stays, tests and sonograms, explanations, prayers, dollars donated, love poured out and life given. I hope I never get too busy to remember that God worked a miracle that YEAR, and his name is Robert "Gage" Brown. I hope that when every October comes around I post about how big Gage is getting and how it all began when he was knit together in my womb by our precious Lord. I hope I never forget...

how God is so full of love, grace, and mercy!

Happy Birthday Gage...love your friend, ELMO

This time last year...

Being that Gage will turn 1 in less than a week...I have been in major "reflection mode" lately! For example...this very day in 2008 mom and I were sitting in a hotel room in Philadelphia for a VERY LONG four days waiting for Tuesday (Monday was Labor Day) when we could call the hospital to tell them we went against their medical advice and came on anyway...we were in hiding! The reason they gave us medical advice NOT to come to Philly was due to the fact that I had been bleeding for 4 days and my doctor in Macon could not explain it or figure it out...it could have been a lot of different things-however-we knew we could not stay for Gage's sake, we had to get on that plane!

For the next four days...

We ate a lot of Denny's and a lot at the "Diner" that was right next door. 

We read a lot, cried a lot, prayed a lot, and we...WAITED! 

I blinked...and my baby grew up

As a new mom you often hear the phrases  "time flies" or "soak up every second" or "they are only babies once"... you smile, and you take it in one ear and out the other...until...it becomes real to you!

Reality is starting to set in!

Gage is getting bigger...minute by minute...hour by hour...day by day...

He was born in Philadelphia 5 weeks early

emergency csection- we could have both died

he had surgery 5 days later

he was in the NICU for close to 6 weeks

we were in Philly at the hotel and/or Ronald McDonald House close to 7

he recovered well...no major set backs

he came home on a feeding tube and 3 different medications

he removed his feeding tube within days of arriving in Milledgeville

he ate, he grew, he thrived

he no longer needed ANY medication

I was able to be home with him for close to 3 months 

  some days were better than others

I went back to work in Jan- 

  thanks to my mom, Chris' dad, and Megan it was an easy transition

Gage began to smile a lot

he reached and played

he cooed

he fell in love with Elmo

he went to the lung doctor who said everything looked great

he got to go to church

he sat up

school was out and I got to be home with him again

we visited family&friends

he went back to the lung doctor who couldn't get over how big he was

we went to the beach

he starting crawling

we laughed

we swam

we played

he pulls up on everything

he LOVES his walker and sprints around the house in it

he wants to walk so badly

he loves his puppy

he drinks from a sippy cup

he eats table food

he has hit every mile stone right on "target" in his way and in his time

he starts day care in 2 weeks and I am more worried about ME than I am HIM...we went by the other day to talk with the teacher...and in seconds he was playing with the other kids on the floor...all over the place

this is how it is supposed to be- and I am oh so grateful for EVERY SINGLE MINUTE- but nobody can prepare you for what it feels like to watch them grow up, gain independence, and not need you for everything

I am so proud of Gage. I love him more than words can express. Chris and I would do anything in the world for that little boy. I never imagined that having a baby could bring a husband and wife closer too- but it does- in too many ways to count.

Lord I pray that Gage will be that little boy who befriends the one nobody wants to play with. I pray that he will come to you at a young age and live his life- the life you miraculously allowed him to have- for you and you alone! I pray that he is like his Heavenly daddy, but I also earnestly pray that he is like his earthly daddy- merciful, unselfish, careful, a lover of learning, a lover of your word, and a lover of music, a respecter of those around him, a caretaker of his family, a servant, and so much more. Lord help Chris and I to live for you in our home...help Gage not to only see you limited to a church building, but help us show You to him everywhere we go in everything we do like our parents did for us! Lord tonight I find myself unable to think about much else that our little one sleeping so peacefully in his crib...we are so very blessed beyond belief! 

Gage's first trip to the beach...and the second is soon to come!!!

We had a blast! Gage loved to eat the sand and swim in the ocean. He wasn't crazy about the pool, but that was ok too! What a week it was...he is now crawling everywhere and wanting to eat everything on our plates. He also cut his two front teeth. 

It is amazing how fast he is growing and how big he is getting! Every day with him is truly a blessing and I am so thankful for our family!

Ahhhh....to journal again...what a beautiful thing!

School's out for the summer!

Time to clean, make lists, organize, trim those stinkin bushes, swim, visit family and the beach, and soooo much more...but for now...it's time to reflect.

My 5th school year began as a kindergarten teacher in August...I can't believe it...5 years I have been teaching...and each year gets better and better...I could imagine doing nothing else that would bring me a greater joy that loving on 5 and 6 year olds every day...trying and tiring yes, but SO worth it!

August brought with it not only the beginning of my 5th year at PCES, but also my 3rd and 4th trips to Philadelphia. As you may or may not know last June (a YEAR ago) when I was about 20 weeks pregnant my son was diagnosed with CDH- congenital diaphragmatic hernia. There was a hole in his diaphragm which allowed his bowels to move into his chest cavity and put pressure on his left lung which in turn put pressure on his heart. This was a very serious condition in which only 50% of babies make it full term, and 70% survive after that...wow...if that was a lot for you to take in as a reader...just imagine how it was for Chris and I as first time parents. We were referred to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and went for 3 visits. Everything was looking good- well as good as it could given the diagnosis. The original plan was that I would teach for 4 weeks and then head to Philadelphia when I was about 36 weeks just so they could keep a closer eye on me...well...I taught 10 days and long story short Gage came at 35 weeks and 2 days...and praise the Lord I was in Philadelphia just in time!!

Time...it is a precious thing. As I said Gage is 9 months old and I am so thankful for the time he has been with us already, and am even more thankful for the time I will be able to spend with him this summer. 3 whole months of time together! He has beaten all the odds that were stacked against him and is performing as any other "normal" baby would be. He is eating, laughing, and growing with the best of them. He is basically the most beautiful boy you have ever seen. As I have been reflecting on every single thing that has happened since this time last year it all comes down to one thing...Jesus Christ.

I was reading today in the book of Luke chapter 2 verses 41-50 about how Mary and Joseph were leaving Jerusalem and just assumed that Jesus was somewhere in the caravan...however he stayed behind to listen to the teachings and ask questions....when his parents finally found him they asked "How could you treat us this way" and Jesus basically replied...where else did you think I would be than in my Father's house...which also translates...I was all about my Father...wouldn't it be so awesome if when people looked at you and me they could say- wow she is all about her Father's business- not that she is a nice person, not that she was a strong mother in Philadelphia, not that she is a faithful member of __________ church, but that she is all about her FATHER! That is my prayer and main goal of this summer- to be more about my Father and less about...well anything else. Everything is all about Him anyway- and if its not- it doesn't matter- its not worth the time. If you are grocery shopping- make it all about Him- smile and greet the people at the store with kindness...you get the idea. Just as in Colossians where it says to do everything as unto the Lord...take the Summer challenge...and ultimately life challenge...lets be more about our Father and less about ourselves!