Our happy baby...

Cole is such a content and happy baby--what a joy! He has been smiling a lot lately and is starting to coo. His little noises never get old! After watching Sam grow into a little boy, I know these tender moments with Cole will wisp away way too fast. I'm trying to enjoy every second, even if that means the laundry piles up and the house is left messy.

Thank you, Lord, for my two precious boys!

Sam is TWO!

So hard to believe that my baby boy is now two. We planned a party in Georgia but decided to nix our trip when Cole was in the hospital. Scott and I made sure he had a BIG day here in MB. Sam woke up to decorations and airplane pancakes (he loves airplanes).

Scott took him to "Wee Jump", an indoor playground, before lunch then brought him home for a big bubble bath to wash all the germs away.

When Sam woke up from his afternoon nap, we gave him a few gifts including a tricycle!

He was excited to get on it...

...but not excited to get off.

Our friends, Kevin and Kelly Hill (and Olivia), had us over for dinner to continue the celebration. It was a fun-filled day!

A tiny glimpse into our day...

Sam is enjoying inside activities during these cold winter days.

A New Year

We did not anticipate greeting the new year from Conway Medical Center. Cole was struggling to breathe New Year's Eve, so Scott and I took him to the ER. After lots of tests (blood test, urine analysis, x-ray, and spinal tap), we were admitted in the hospital. It was a scary experience seeing Cole so weak and watching his little body be poked and punctured all over the place. It was a sight no mommy ever wants to see. Cole was diagnosed as having RSV (a respiratory virus) and was given antibiotics, breathing treatments, and kept on oxygen for a couple of days. He was taken off oxygen early Saturday morning, and we were released to go home Sunday. We will be going back for a follow up appt. tomorrow to make sure we are

in the clear.

God was so gracious throughout it all and gave us sweet reminders of His presence in our lives. For example, the male nurse's name (that we saw in the ER) was Tobias. I asked him about his name-where it came from, what it meant, etc. He shared that its origin was Hebrew and meant "one who knows the Lord is good". How appropriate. My sweet husband had just been reminding me of this truth on the drive to the ER. God IS good ALL the time. Our circumstances do not change that fact. God is also committed to our sanctification, and He knows my attention is quickly gotten when it comes to my children. So... although I would not choose to go through this again, I cannot doubt my God's faithfulness. He has proven it time and time again.

Of course, I have given Cole extra love these last few days and squeezed Sam a little tighter. Ultimately, I have had to reevaluate my heart and ask myself: Do I cling to the gifts God has given me more than I cling to the giver of the gifts-God Himself? Also, I am reminded that my children are really His children given to me for a time. I must trust Him with their lives.

Nothing like starting a new year with a sharpened awareness of who God is and how helpless I am without Him.