Here are the facts on my pregnancy with Madelyn. Man, it seems like so long ago! I never did get a baby announcement out for her because my life was so turned upside down after she was born….. She is such a blessing to me!
1. WAS THIS PREGNANCY PLANNED? No… we use Natural Family Planning because the pill makes me REALLY irritable. However, one month we didn’t “plan” well enough to not get pregnant!
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? yes
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Excited! I had wanted a baby for a long time but Ben wasn’t sure if he was ready (or would ever be…).
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? No way!!
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 27
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? my aching breasts followed by a pee-stick
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Ben – I woke up early to take the test and I was SOOO anxious about it. When it came up positive I had to tell Ben right away. I woke him up and showed him and he responded groggily with “Congratulations.”
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? I did but Ben believed that God should be allowed to keep His secrets until He wants to reveal them.
9. DUE DATE? August 8, 2004
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? YES!
11. DID YOU DELIVER EARLY OR LATE? 9 days late
12. WHERE DID YOUR WATER BREAK? It was broken for me while in transitional labor at the hospital
13. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Pickles and Swedish Fish
14. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? That I was soooo tired all the time!
15. WHAT WAS YOUR CHILD'S SEX? girl
16. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Nah! But I wanted a boy too!
17. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN? About 30 lbs, I think.
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY BABY SHOWERS? yes
19. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew about them…. One at work, one at church, one by my mom and aunt, one by Ben’s extended family (at our annual family reunion). It was amazing that we didn’t really have to buy anything!
20. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Because my doctor was aware of my previous pregnancy and the suspicion of an “incompetent cervix”, he sewed my cervix up until week 36 (or 37?).
21. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Maplewood, Minnesota
22. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? After having contractions off&on for a couple of weeks, I started labor at 1:30am and had Madelyn at 5:35am – 4 hours!
23. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? My dad with Ben and me in the back seat
24. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Ben and my mom (and the nurse and doctor at the hospital. Even though my doc was on call, he didn’t make it because my labor was so quick!)
25. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural
26. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? No meds!!
27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 7lb 9oz
28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? August 17, 2004
29. WHAT DID YOU NAME YOUR CHILD? Madelyn Paige Rhodes
30. HOW OLD IS YOUR CHILD NOW? 4 ½ years old
Monday, February 16, 2009
Monday, February 09, 2009
Madelyn and Sarah
Last Thanksgiving we took our bi-annual trip to north Louisiana/south Arkansas area to visit Ben's extended family. It was a lot of fun! During that trip, we stopped to look on Sarah's grave. She was buried in that area in Ruston, LA (my college town). We stop every time we go down there just to make sure the the site is kept up, the stone is still okay, and leave some flowers. I usually spend some of this time just reflecting on Sarah, my life, and how I can honor her and God in my life now. This trip was the third to include Madelyn, however this time she was old enough to question and start to understand the situation. So, she sat down with me by Sarah's stone and I told her, in very simple terms, that I had a baby in my tummy a LONG time ago that died and now lives with God and that I named that baby Sarah.... Madelyn didn't seem to really be paying attention or listening at the time. She did settle down into my lap for a minute though and when she did I started crying a little. Crying because I was half-way imagining holding my little Sarah and also because I was so overcome with joy to have my Madelyn. Of course, Madelyn asked me why I was crying and I told her it was because I was very happy to have her with me. Since we had been occasionally watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition as a family on Sunday nights, she was familiar with this idea of "happy crying". :)
Now, I'm realizing that she was listening after all in the cemetary that day. For since then, I had decided that I was not going to talk about Sarah for awhile. I am afraid that talking about Sarah will be confusing to Madelyn and that will bring feelings that just don't need to be dealt with right now. Everything in its own time. However, Madelyn has brought her up several times. She doesn't usually ask anything, she just retells the story to me that I told her. She did ask yesterday on the way home from church though, "if Sarah isn't there in the ground, where is she?" Then I said, "I think she went to live with God in Heaven. Do you think she likes it there?" To which Madelyn replied, "Yeah Mom, I think she does." I'm glad that Madelyn is starting to get to know Sarah and that one day I'll be able to tell her the rest of the story, the part where God used Sarah to draw me closer to him. Just not yet.....
Now, I'm realizing that she was listening after all in the cemetary that day. For since then, I had decided that I was not going to talk about Sarah for awhile. I am afraid that talking about Sarah will be confusing to Madelyn and that will bring feelings that just don't need to be dealt with right now. Everything in its own time. However, Madelyn has brought her up several times. She doesn't usually ask anything, she just retells the story to me that I told her. She did ask yesterday on the way home from church though, "if Sarah isn't there in the ground, where is she?" Then I said, "I think she went to live with God in Heaven. Do you think she likes it there?" To which Madelyn replied, "Yeah Mom, I think she does." I'm glad that Madelyn is starting to get to know Sarah and that one day I'll be able to tell her the rest of the story, the part where God used Sarah to draw me closer to him. Just not yet.....
Sarah's Birth Story
I like this questionnaire! It really has lasting value. It helps me remember those moments that I hope to NEVER forget. I'm really writing this for me (and my children) to help remember these things, but feel free to read it too! I think I will do one for each of my kids... caution: the first one *might* surprise you.
DISCLAIMER: This is a sad recounting of history.... but it really doesn’t capture the real impact Sarah had on me and my relationship with God. I feel blessed by her and God to have put her in my life (although through my own actions!). Please click on “Sarah” in the label list in the sidebar for more about her.
1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Absolutely not and completely threw me for a loop!
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? no
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Denial
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Truly, no, I never considered it
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 20
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? my aching breasts followed by a pee-stick
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? My boyfriend, the baby’s father
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes and no
9. DUE DATE? November 21, 1997
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? YES!
11. DID YOU DELIVER EARLY OR LATE? Too, too early
12. WHERE DID YOUR WATER BREAK? At a summer camp in Louisiana
13. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Peace within
14. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? my stupidity
15. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? girl
16. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? No....
17. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN? about 10lbs.
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY BABY SHOWERS? no
20. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Sarah was born at 21 weeks gestation and was still born. The doctors thought that I had/have an incompetent cervix which led to Sarah becoming septic in the womb.
21. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Ruston, LA
22. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? Hard to tell since I was kept pretty loopy on medication.
23. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? myself
24. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? the baby's father and my mom (who flew in from Hawaii immediately after I told her what was going on)
25. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural
26. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? didn't need any after all the meds they already had me on
27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 3lb 11oz
28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? July 11th - 19 weeks early
29. WHAT DID YOU NAME YOUR CHILD? Sarah Jean Cobb
DISCLAIMER: This is a sad recounting of history.... but it really doesn’t capture the real impact Sarah had on me and my relationship with God. I feel blessed by her and God to have put her in my life (although through my own actions!). Please click on “Sarah” in the label list in the sidebar for more about her.
1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Absolutely not and completely threw me for a loop!
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? no
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Denial
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Truly, no, I never considered it
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 20
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? my aching breasts followed by a pee-stick
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? My boyfriend, the baby’s father
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes and no
9. DUE DATE? November 21, 1997
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? YES!
11. DID YOU DELIVER EARLY OR LATE? Too, too early
12. WHERE DID YOUR WATER BREAK? At a summer camp in Louisiana
13. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Peace within
14. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? my stupidity
15. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? girl
16. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? No....
17. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN? about 10lbs.
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY BABY SHOWERS? no
20. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Sarah was born at 21 weeks gestation and was still born. The doctors thought that I had/have an incompetent cervix which led to Sarah becoming septic in the womb.
21. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Ruston, LA
22. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? Hard to tell since I was kept pretty loopy on medication.
23. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? myself
24. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? the baby's father and my mom (who flew in from Hawaii immediately after I told her what was going on)
25. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural
26. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? didn't need any after all the meds they already had me on
27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 3lb 11oz
28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? July 11th - 19 weeks early
29. WHAT DID YOU NAME YOUR CHILD? Sarah Jean Cobb
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Above Freezing!!
I had just written to my mom a couple of days ago that I needed a day that was at least in the mid-20's outside so that I could get out and play with the kids. Someone with more clout must have heard me because today we were pleasantly surprised with mid-40's(!!!!) weather! It was marvelous! We definitely didn't need to get as decked out in our snow gear because within half an hour we were shedding hats and stuff to keep from overheating...
I have noticed (in my nine years here in MN) that the snow has to be just right -not too dry or wet or cold or warm- in order to build a snowman. And I have never been able to really build a snowman the "right" way. Ya know, where you make a small snowball and then roll it on the ground into a bigger one. So, when I got outside this morning, I decided to try the "right" way again completely predicting another failure. But NO, it worked!! I was astounded! So here are Ben and Madelyn rolling the snowman bottom and middle. And then below, we decided to pose with him. However, an hour or so later, it got so warm that he fell over and melted.... poor snowman. I had to go out and save those Thin Mints that we used for eyes before they were lost forever. And then I ate them - yum! Forget the carrot, I'll leave that to the squirrels.
I have noticed (in my nine years here in MN) that the snow has to be just right -not too dry or wet or cold or warm- in order to build a snowman. And I have never been able to really build a snowman the "right" way. Ya know, where you make a small snowball and then roll it on the ground into a bigger one. So, when I got outside this morning, I decided to try the "right" way again completely predicting another failure. But NO, it worked!! I was astounded! So here are Ben and Madelyn rolling the snowman bottom and middle. And then below, we decided to pose with him. However, an hour or so later, it got so warm that he fell over and melted.... poor snowman. I had to go out and save those Thin Mints that we used for eyes before they were lost forever. And then I ate them - yum! Forget the carrot, I'll leave that to the squirrels.
Monday, January 26, 2009
the third time's a ......
Yesterday, Madelyn and I took a trip to the ER. She was playing with some friends at church before service and ended up with her face hitting a wall. I didn't see it so I don't how exactly how it (or she) went down, but I do know that it was deep enough to need some hefty stitches. So, off we went to get stitches for the THIRD time in the past year for a Rhodes child. (I'm starting to wonder if Ben and I are doing something wrong here....) We got there and Madelyn was pretty upset. I finally got out of her why - she thought that if we went to the hospital she was going to have to stay there, like overnight. I assured her "no, you don't have to stay" and she calmed down pretty well. When the doctor came in, she suggested gluing the cut located on her cheekbone instead of stitching it. I'm glad because it was much less traumatic and seems to be well put together to minimize scarring. She also said the one on her eyelid was superficial and didn't need any "stitching". This picture was taken shortly after coming home from the hospital yesterday. Today her eye has the additional hues of purple and red and some swelling. Madelyn is being such a big girl about all of this. She isn't upset about it, although she was a little shocked the first time she saw herself in the mirror after our ER trip yesterday.
Can I be honest for a second? I'm angry... I'm angry that my little girl has gotten this very prominent cut on her face and will probably have to look at a scar on her face for the rest of her life. I'm angry that I couldn't stop it from happening. I'm angry that we didn't deal with some of the issues that could have kept it from happening (like not letting Madelyn run in her sunday shoes). If it happened the way I've heard, I'm angry that she got pushed. I'm trying to confess this to God and allow him to heal this anger inside of me but I'm also having a hard time letting it go. When I really think about it, it's so petty to be angry about something so insignificant in the larger picture of life and love.
God, you are our Provider and Protector. I know, in my mind, that You are sovereign and that You know us better than we know ourselves. Lord, help me to see, in my heart, how you love us and desire to care for us despite all our shortcomings. Help me to see what is really important and not get stuck in the superficial, shallow trappings of this world. Please forgive me.
Can I be honest for a second? I'm angry... I'm angry that my little girl has gotten this very prominent cut on her face and will probably have to look at a scar on her face for the rest of her life. I'm angry that I couldn't stop it from happening. I'm angry that we didn't deal with some of the issues that could have kept it from happening (like not letting Madelyn run in her sunday shoes). If it happened the way I've heard, I'm angry that she got pushed. I'm trying to confess this to God and allow him to heal this anger inside of me but I'm also having a hard time letting it go. When I really think about it, it's so petty to be angry about something so insignificant in the larger picture of life and love.
God, you are our Provider and Protector. I know, in my mind, that You are sovereign and that You know us better than we know ourselves. Lord, help me to see, in my heart, how you love us and desire to care for us despite all our shortcomings. Help me to see what is really important and not get stuck in the superficial, shallow trappings of this world. Please forgive me.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
the last two months...in short
Okay.... I'm not letting the guilt get me down. Just letting it get to me enough to get a post up. Things are great (but COLD) here in MN. Did I hear you say, "What have you been up to?" I'm so glad you asked! We have done so much! Let's see if I can run down memory lane real quick.
1. Well, I made it to a full year of staying home!! And I'll have to say that it has been fun, albeit exhausting!
2. Ben and I also made it to our 10th anniversary.... don't act so surprised! We celebrated it kidless in downtown Minneapolis - what a blast!
3. We've had a very cold and snowy winter which means we've done a lot of sledding alternated with huddling inside with hot chocolate. Madelyn likes the being outside part and Greyson has decided that he much rather stay inside.
4. We flew down south for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time seeing Ben's extended family and meeting my first nephew, Sam!
5. My parents and sister came up for Christmas and it was hard to see them go... it seems that right as we're all reconnecting then someone has to leave.
6. Greyson is absolutely attached to his ukelele that we got him for his birthday! He hardly ever puts it down! He has made up his own hand sign -struming his fingers along the other hand's knuckles - to say that he wants to play it (along with saying "o-rahn ee-TAR" - orange guitar). Lately he has started "singing" to his playing too.
7. Madelyn is still my little dress-up queen. It is amazing! Now we have put her in dance class too so we now have a princess who wears ballet shoes, twirls, is learning her positions, and sings a very cute song with the words, "I love you, a bushel and a peck...." Very cute!
FYI - If I can find the time and gumption, I'll probably come back and do dedicated posts to some of these. We'll see...
1. Well, I made it to a full year of staying home!! And I'll have to say that it has been fun, albeit exhausting!
2. Ben and I also made it to our 10th anniversary.... don't act so surprised! We celebrated it kidless in downtown Minneapolis - what a blast!
3. We've had a very cold and snowy winter which means we've done a lot of sledding alternated with huddling inside with hot chocolate. Madelyn likes the being outside part and Greyson has decided that he much rather stay inside.
4. We flew down south for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time seeing Ben's extended family and meeting my first nephew, Sam!
5. My parents and sister came up for Christmas and it was hard to see them go... it seems that right as we're all reconnecting then someone has to leave.
6. Greyson is absolutely attached to his ukelele that we got him for his birthday! He hardly ever puts it down! He has made up his own hand sign -struming his fingers along the other hand's knuckles - to say that he wants to play it (along with saying "o-rahn ee-TAR" - orange guitar). Lately he has started "singing" to his playing too.
7. Madelyn is still my little dress-up queen. It is amazing! Now we have put her in dance class too so we now have a princess who wears ballet shoes, twirls, is learning her positions, and sings a very cute song with the words, "I love you, a bushel and a peck...." Very cute!
FYI - If I can find the time and gumption, I'll probably come back and do dedicated posts to some of these. We'll see...
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