Prenatal Checkup

I also wanted to share that I had my checkup with one of the midwives yesterday, and the little bean's heartbeat was very strong and fast, I'm measuring exactly where I should be, and I scheduled my ultrasound for 4 weeks from now, on January 29th- that's when we'll get to find out if it's a boy or a girl... And I just have to go on record right now to say that Bobby has already called it as a girl! We'll see!

Lewis Family Update!

So,we just wanted to let anyone know who reads this, that WE ARE EXPECTING LEWIS BABY #4 ON JUNE 23RD!! I am 15 weeks pregnant...
We actually found out in October, but wanted to wait to tell people until we knew that everything was good (since I've had miscarriages in the past...).

The plan right now is to deliver at Best Start Birth Center in Hillcrest, the only state-licensed, nationally accredited freestanding birth center in Southern California. It's a place where I can, as their slogan says, have "my birth my way..." I wanted to have Josiah at this birth center, but he turned out to be 5 weeks early, and they only deliver low-risk babies. I would have wanted to go there for Selah, but I just stayed with Grossmont because I assumed that she would most likely be early as well... Go figure, our third baby would be the only one so far to stay put as long as she was supposed to! So, we thought that it would be worth a shot to try again. The only small pause that I have about it is that at the birth center, unlike the hospital, you go home only hours after the baby is born -a nice thing for actually wanting to get some sleep without getting bugged about my blood pressure all night long, but not for being sibling free and being able to focus on the baby and getting rest... So, that being said, we will most likely be trying to get Brayden and Josiah and Selah out of the house for a couple of days after the baby is born... Any takers??? lol...

Here is the birth center's website if you want to check it out- www.beststartbirthcenter.com

I would recommend them for any mom who wants more freedom in giving birth than being strapped to a bed with monitors on and being treated more like your pregnancy is a diagnosis instead of the miracle and natural wonder that it is... And if you want a caregiver who is actually there to help you, rather than just to "catch..."

Big (and little) Bubba Josiah

Ok, I'm still getting this whole uploading pictures thing down... top, Josiah and Brayden racing down the slide at Jackson Park... 2nd, Josiah about to conquer the twisty slide also at Jackson Park... 3rd, Josiah praying before eating his birthday pancakes on his 2nd birthday (birthday pancakes are a tradition in our house)... the last pic is Josiah at his birthday pool party with his little buddy Noah... I was gonna post a pic of him on the potty since that's our new feat we're tackling, but he's naked in all of them and thought some people might not appreciate them as much as we do lol!!!

Princess Selah Joy... I guess that makes me a queen... hehehe

7 mos. old just being cute

5 mos. old swimming in our backyard

4 mos. old with Big Bubba Brayden

3 mos. old with Daddy in the kitchen

Just wanted to post some pics of the little princess, she is doing so good! Teething and drooling all over the place and getting into everything... It really amazes me, how beautiful she is and how she gets more and more beautiful everyday... Daddy has a big job to do in about 16 years...

Just a random pic

This is not really for any real reason, I just LOVE this picture, and now that I've finally figured out how to upload them (and I've finally gotten our pics off of our camera and onto a disc) I just feel like posting a random picture! So, here you go- this was taken in August, we all went to Ski Beach and Brayden rode his bike all over the place and we played on the playground... It was a lot of fun...

My kids love HORSES!

Last Tuesday my mom, kids, and I went up to Descanso to my friend Gillian's house to take the boys horseback riding... Selah had never even seen a horse before, and she was so brave- she kept reaching out to try and stick her fingers in Robin's (the horse's name) nose! Josiah was fine until the neighbor's horse came up to the fence and breathed on his neck... After that it was all over- anytime the horse came near him, he would scream his head off... But what was weird is that after all that, he still was brave enough to actually get on the horse's back and ride! And of course Brayden had the best time, he's always been my little cowboy... What I didn't get a picture of (I'm so bummed!) is the boys riding in the wheelbarrow filled with hay to feed the horses, and then feeding them hay from their hands... Even Josiah was doing it, because somehow, after he rode Robin, he wasn't afraid at all anymore... We had so much fun! (That's Gillian in the picture with Brayden)

Josiah's CT Scan

Josiah had his CT scan at Children's Hospital yesterday... He did so good! We had to wait for about 2 hours before his appointment, and he was just playing and running around like crazy, in the best mood... Then when it was time to take him in for the CT scan, I laid him on the table, and asked him if he wanted to go night-night, and he said "yeah, mommy, I wanna go ni-nite!" He laid down like a big boy and picked what flavor he wanted in his mask- he picked strawberry... And just laid there till the excitement phase kicked in, where he started fighting it a little bit... Then he just fell asleep! Before he fell asleep, I heard him yell to me through the mask, "Mommy! I got Stawblelly!!" He woke up pretty quickly, and we were able to go home 30 minutes later... God totally answered our prayers- I wanted it to be no anxiety for him, I asked that he would be safe, and that we could get out of there quickly... And the Lord answered EVERY prayer! The nurses and even the anesthesiologist couldn't believe how calm he was! And the first thing he did when he woke up was ask for a popsicle!

@#%@#!!!!

I bet you'd never guess how dangerous a simple rhyming game could be... Let me just tell you... The kids and I were sitting around on Saturday, when Brayden asked me if I wanted to play a rhyming game. I said, "sure, how do you play?" And Brayden told me that we take turns giving a word and the other person has to find words that rhyme... Simple enough, right??

We went through several sets of words, and then when it was my turn again, I said "duck..." To which Brayden said, "Guck..." So I nicely told him how silly he is and how "guck" isn't a word... So he said, "okay, F@#%!" I just about peed my pants trying not to let on to what a bad word he had just said!! I just said something like, "oh Brayden, is that really a word? Have you ever even heard anyone say that?" And he just said that, no, he had never heard it and it wasn't really a word... How silly of him!!
All of this conversation is happening in the midst of my little innocent Josiah, yelling over and over at the top of his lungs, "F@%#!! F@#%!!

Thank goodness there wasn't really anyone around to hear all this, I would have been mortified!

Another thing Josiah has been doing is asking us to kiss his booty when he falls on it, and when we're unbuckling him from his carseat, he asks us to "unbuckle my penis please..." (the crotch strap- gotta love these literal minds...)
GEEZ! You'd think we were the most vulgar parents in the world (or that our children have Tourette Syndrome)!!

Sheriff Update!

Bobby went to his 4 hour orientation last night for the Sheriff's Dept. We thought that this would basically be a time where they would give him and the other possible recruits information about the hiring process, to let them know kind of what they are getting themselves into...
So, upon arriving, Bobby found that the orientation was actually an interview, and a whole questionnaire about his past (you know, have you ever done drugs, stolen anything, whatever...) The orientation is basically the stop right before you really get into the hiring process; if you don't pass the orientation, the door is closed for quite awhile.
But, praise the Lord, he passed! So, now we're on to the next step in this journey: the background check. We now have to gather a million documents from near and far, like birth certificate, marriage certificate, insurance info, school transcripts...

I just keep thinking that the Lord is so CRAZY! I'm amazed at His hand that opens doors so wide, wider than we could ever open them ourselves.
Now we're just praying for wisdom and diligence, that the Lord would prepare Bobby (and the rest of us) for the stretching that we know is going to take place in all of this... And we're (in the words of my lovely mother-in-law) gonna walk by faith until God closes the door!

Update on Josiah

So, unfortunately, last time we went in to see Josiah's craniofacial surgeon, he checked him out, and said that he wants to do his surgery all over again... Apparently there is a 5-6% rate of children who have had the surgery that Josiah has had that have to have it repeated... And he falls into that 5-6%.
He will be going in for a CT scan next Tuesday, the 11th, so please be praying for him because they have to put him to sleep for it.
Also, please pray for wisdom when we talk to the doctor again, I have lots of questions and I really want to be asking the right ones... Also, for the right timing of when to do the surgery, since it's not really a medical urgency, it's more like we'll schedule it at our convenience; but we want Bobby to be able to take a few days off to help me in the hospital with Josiah and with Brayden and Selah too, and he just started a new job only about a month ago...
We've been through this surgery before, so I kind of know what to expect, but he's older now... So my prayer is that the pain won't be too bad, that the Lord would be his comfort and strength, even if he doesn't understand... And that the Lord would also comfort and give peace to our hearts as we have to watch our baby go through this all over again...
We know that God is sovereign, and we trust Him... His grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness...

If You're Happy And You Know It...

CLAP YOUR HANDS! Or at least, that's what Selah must be singing in her head constantly these days... She just learned to clap her hands yesterday! Yes, I know, a small step for mankind, but a HUGE step for a little baby! It was adorable- I have been trying to get her to clap for a few days, because she's been hitting everything, so I figured it would just be a matter of time... So, anyway, we were at the park yesterday playing with Gramma Sandra, and I took the boys potty... When we were walking back, I see from far away Sandra clapping, and Selah copying her- it was soooo cute! So now everything is clap-worthy to her, she claps over everything!
Also, she just had her 6 month check-up yesterday as well, except it's a month late- so here's an update on how she's growing:
She is 17 lbs, 8 oz, she is 27 inches long, and her head is 16 1/2 inches around... So, she is in the 50th percentile for weight, 75th for height, and 25th for her head... And the doctor thinks she is crazy because she's doing everything so early... crawling, pulling up to stand already, clapping, blabbing... She's a growing girl!

My big kiddos!

I've always heard from older (ahem, excuse me, wiser) moms that I should treasure each moment with my kids, and enjoy them while they're little because they grow up so fast... Boy, is that true!! It's so cool to watch them jumping milestones, learning so many new things everyday and it seems like almost every week they are bigger kids than they were just the week before... You may be asking yourself why I'm thinking about this, and let me tell you... Brayden lost his first tooth last Monday!! That's right, my little, 6 lb 10 oz at birth baby boy is now a jack-o-lantern pumpkin face... I picked him up from school and his teacher told me the whole story- he bit into his apple at snack time and there was his tooth! (It had been wiggly for almost 2 weeks...) When Mrs. Terri took him over to look in the mirror, he was very upset and told her pointedly that she had better put that back in! He had school pictures at the beginning of October (before the missing tooth), and he looks sooo old in his picture!

Only a week after Brayden lost his tooth, Selah found it! Not literally, I just mean that she just cut her first baby tooth two days ago on Oct. 27th (almost 7 months old!)!! AND, that same day, she started pulling up to stand holding onto her crib rail, the couch, the laundry hamper, or whatever will hold her!

Josiah is talking to us right now in full (and REALLY FUNNY) sentences... He was so cute the other day, he was climbing up onto a dining room chair, and Bobby told him to get down... He got down, then immediately started climbing up another one of the dining room chairs, which got him a stern "Josiah..." from me. He responded with, "Let me get my water, kay Mommy?" What the HECK!!! It's like they wake up one morning and decide, "okay, no more of this baby stuff anymore..."

It is exciting to see my babies start to grow up, but it's sad at the same time... I guess all we can do is be grateful to the Lord for whatever stage of life that they are in...

By the way, I promise we're going to post some pictures very soon, I'm so bad at that...

I Am A Disciple of Jesus Christ

By Bob Moorhead

I am a part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

I have Holy Spirit power.

The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made.

I am a disciple of His.

I will not look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.

I’m finished and done with the low living,

sight walking, chintzy giving, dwarf goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position,

prominence, plaudits or popularity.

I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized,

praised, regarded or rewarded.

I now live by presence, lean by faith, walk with patience,

lift by prayer, labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven,

my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,

my guide reliable, my mission clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured,

lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice,

hesitate in the presence of the adversary,

negotiate at the table of the enemy,

ponder at the pool of popularity,

or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I will not give up, shut up, letup, until I have stayed up, stored up,

prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I must go until He comes, give until I drop,

preach until all know, and work until He stops me.

And when He comes for His own,

He will have no problem recognizing me.

My colors will be quite clear.

Amen.

Sick Sick Sick

So, Brayden is home from school today because he woke up with a nasty cough and a fever... We've all been battling this for awhile; it always just seems to go around and around. I guess that's the one hazard of having a bunch of kids lol... So, as I'm typing this, he's sitting out in the living room, wearing a t-shirt, undies, socks, a beanie and gloves, watching the Brave Little Toaster... Hey, whatever makes him feel better, right? I have to say though, I secretly love sick days... He gets to stay home, snuggle up, and we all get to comfort him as much as we can- I think he kinda likes it too...

How Rich We Are

This is taken from a book I'm (Heather) going through called "The Unsearchable Riches of Christ," by Wayne Taylor:

-Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.- Ephesians 1:3


A sad but true story involves a man named Stanley William Walker, who was the son of a wealthy British ship builder. Stanley moved to Chicago, removing himself from contact with his father and family. He fell on hard times and became a homeless alcoholic on Chicago's Skid Row, living on the streets and begging for wine money so he could remain drunk.
After a while, his father died and left Stanley millions of dollars in inheritance. The authorities tried to locate him, but couldn't find him. Then one day, years later, on a cold Chicago night, he was found in a doorway lying next to a cheap bottle of wine, frozen to death. What a tragic story. Stanley never realized his fortune because he never found out about it. He was an heir to millions, but he lived as a beggar drinking cheap wine on dirty streets.
Many children of God are also living as spiritual beggars, groveling in sin and discouragement, seeking pleasure from the cheap wine of this world, not knowing they are heirs with Christ. God wants to give them rich, vintage Holy Spirit wine, which comes from a life of encouragement and purpose in fellowship with Jesus Christ and His people. Our first step is to grab onto that fact and believe it with all our hearts.
Where is it? It is in the heavenly places in Christ. God wants us to lift our eyes from earthly circumstances and the material things of this world and look up to Jesus. God's riches are not found in worldly possessions. God can and does provide earthly things for us, but that's not what we're talking about here. The things of Christ that deeply satisfy are found in seeking first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and in setting our minds on the things above, not on the things below (Colossians 3:2).
Everything He wants to give us comes through our relationship and fellowship with Jesus Christ. Make this relationship number one in your life. Make it central in every circumstance-your marriage, your finances, your job, your parenting-let Jesus be the center.

Hello to whoever will read our blog!

Hello Friends and family,
Since Myspace and Facebook are now our enemies (lol), we've decided to start a blog to let all of you know what's going on in our lives. Right now, Bobby is working at Alpine Fence, a job that God totally provided and has done exceedingly abundantly above what we've asked (as always), and currently going through the process to become a San Diego County deputy sheriff. I'm home with the kiddos, Brayden, Josiah and Selah- my rewards from the Lord! Brayden is in preschool about 3 hours a day, and loving it...
Our lives have been hugely changed in the last month, and our Lord has shown Himself to be amazingly faithful through it all... It just goes to show me even more that our stupidity and wretchedness in no way alters His lovingkindness...