Sweet girls

My sister took this sweet picture of Jolie hanging out with Sarah on her Baby Einstein Activity Gym. I thought it was too sweet not to share. I'm so thankful Jolie loves her little sister!

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We had a great time at Todd's parent's house. My family is arriving at our house tomorrow night. Here are a few of my favorite pictures:Joseph, Mary & baby Jesus

Yummy!

We had a great time celebrating Jolie's birthday on Saturday. We embraced the Christmas theme again this year & made gingerbread houses. Jolie started to devour hers yesterday. Yummy! Also, she is sporting her fun Christmas dress. Sarah has one to match - so cute!

A day off

I really feel like I need a day off. Not that life is bad, but I just need a short break. Unfortunately, I have not chosen a career with vacation or comp time. Lord, renew me!

The end is near

We are counting the days until the end of another semester...3 to be exact. We can't wait to have some quality daddy time around this house. Todd's schedule has gotten increasingly lighter as the semester has gone on, but there is nothing better than some time off! Last night was our second annual "Bonfire & A Movie" out at our house. We set up a projector & big screen & watch a Christmas movie & have a big bonfire. Our yard was filled with college students! I attempted to take a picture with the girls before Sarah went in for the night - Jolie almost looked at the camera :)

Lucky Ducks

Jolie saw a commercial for the "Lucky Ducks" game a few weeks ago & has been begging for it ever since. Often when we'd load up in the car she would say "okay, Mom, let's go shopping & buy me 'Lucky Ducks'." So I decided this needed to be her birthday present from us. We had a small family party to celebrate her 3rd birthday while we were home at Thanksgiving & we gave it to her then. Her reaction was priceless! She was so excited she hardly cared about opening another gift. We spent the afternoon playing "Lucky Ducks" yesterday. So fun!

Jolie meets Cinderella

Jolie's friend Anna had a royal tea party to celebrate her 3rd birthday. Cinderella made a guest appearance & was a huge hit! When Jolie was chatting with Cinderella she told her, "you are the best princess in the whole wide world!" & on our way home she informed me that Cinderella was going home to her castle :) What fun it must be to have such a great imagination!

Family Portraits

We had a photographer from Olla come to our house yesterday & take some family pictures for us. Our session was so much fun! I was so thankful that Jolie was in a good mood & cooperative! She posted a few of the pictures on her blog: http://shannag.wordpress.com. I can't wait to see the rest next week. Tara, you should check her out because she is fun to work with & really reasonable!

My sweet family

Here is our picture from the Fall Festival at our church on Wednesday. Jolie was a ULM Cheerleader for Halloween. Go Warhawks!

I'm happy to report that the semester is slowing down & we will be seeing more of Todd at night over the next few weeks. Praise the Lord! As tough as it is being by myself at Jolie's bedtime I've decided that the Lord has equipped me to do my job just as He has Todd to do his. I really wouldn't want to be any where but home with my girls.

I've almost survived!

Tonight will be Todd's last night away from home at bedtime (for a few nights at least) & I'm happy to report that I have survived. He was out of town the past two nights & Jolie was unusually cooperative so thanks for your prayers!

We went to the park yesterday with several friends including Jolie M. & her fun kids. The weather has been beautiful here. We ended up letting the kids run wild for over 2 hours! We came home & started baking cookies for the Fall Festival at church on Wednesday night. I was completely pooped last night.

Tomorrow we have the Fall Festival at church & on Thursday we are headed to Baton Rouge to visit my brother & sister-in-law. We are looking forward to introducing them to Sarah & letting them hold her as much as they want :)

Oh my gosh...

I just realized that Todd will be gone at bedtime 5 of the next 7 nights - not to mention tonight! You gotta love ministry. Feel free to say a prayer for me :)

Too much HGTV

I've been watching way too much HGTV while I'm nursing Sarah. I go to sleep at night thinking of all the home improvement projects I would like to tackle & then I realize I really don't have time to tackle anything with Jolie shadowing me all day (not to mention nursing a baby!). Maybe over Christmas break we'll get some new paint on the walls in our bedroom & then again maybe not.

Sarah @ 1 month

It's hard to believe Sarah has been part of our family for an entire month! Here are a couple of pictures I took of her today...

A new normal

I'm waiting to feel like life is normal again. If we can keep Jolie away from the doctor's office for a week we'll be that much closer to a new routine. This week she has thrush (caused by her antibiotic from last week) & a cold virus. I love our pediatrician, but I don't want to see him again until Sarah's two month well check!

Here are the things I find most challenging about having two kiddos (so far):

• meeting their needs at the same time
• taking them to the doctor
  
• Todd being away 2+ nights a week!
• not being able to nap while Sarah is napping b/c Jolie is still running around the house

I'm sure it'll get easier as time goes on. On a positive note, I got a really good night of sleep last night & hopefully will get another one tonight. Sarah is finally starting to take a pacifier - praise the Lord!

Bye, bye Nonna & Hello Reality

We put my mom on a plane yesterday after 2 whole weeks of her help. She was so great! She made sure we were well fed, our clothes were clean & that all of Jolie's needs were met. I don't think I could have made it through the first couple of weeks without her! I think I could have cried for hours after I dropped her off at the airport, but instead I sucked it up & got ready for our double doctor visit. Jolie was sick (she is being treated for strep) & Sarah had her 2 week well check. Thankfully, Todd was able to leave the office for a little while & help me. I might have had a nervous breakdown in the doctor's office otherwise :)

We are actually adjusting to life with Sarah quite well. She is a great baby! We seldom hear a peep from her & when she does let out a little cry she is very easy to console. I'm only getting up to nurse her 2-3 times a night & if she latches on immediately we head back to bed pretty quickly. Nothing beats uninterrupted sleep, but for the most part I feel pretty good. The toughest part is getting out of bed in the morning! Todd has done a good job taking care of Jolie for me - thank goodness!

Our Sunday school class has been bringing meals since Sunday. It'll be a sad day when I have to start cooking again. I've been spoiled by my mom (who even fixed my plate!) & now our friends. We are so grateful the Lord has provided for us during this time of transition.

I'll leave you with a new picture of our sweet new addition...

Home...again

Sarah was jaundiced so we had to be admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening. Thankfully she responded well to the phototherapy & is no longer a pretty shade of yellow. Here are a couple of pictures of our sweet little patient. We are so glad to be home again! The hardest part was "fasting" from nursing for 24 hours. I like my pump & all, but it is much easier just feeding the baby. Fortunately, she didn't miss a beat & went right back to nursing!

More Sarah

We've had a good time being back at home. Jolie is doing great! My mom walked in on her rubbing Sarah's head & giving her kisses earlier today. So far she hasn't been jealous. I still can't believe I have two kids! I hope to get a little more sleep tonight than I did last night. I'm pretty pooped.

Sarah Ellen has arrived!

Sarah arrived yesterday at 2:38 pm weighing in at 6 lbs 14 oz & is 19.5 inches long. She is very sweet & came out with the sweetest little whimper. Jolie is adjusting well. We will be in the hospital until tomorrow afternoon. I'm feeling great! We can hardly believe she is finally here! Here are a couple pictures with more to come...

We are having a baby...

TOMORROW! I've had a low platelet count through out my pregnancy & when I went for my regular checkup today they were at an all time low. My main concern is that if my count drops below 100 I cannot have an epidural! (I'm at 119 now) So my doctor gave me the option to induce tomorrow since I'm already dilating & 70% effaced. Needless to say, it's been a crazy day since I wasn't planning to have a baby tomorrow. Please pray that every thing goes well & that we are able to come up with a name for this child by morning! We'll post pictures soon.

Thankful for a good daddy

Todd came home for a couple of hours this afternoon in between work & Haven (BCM worship service). He & Jolie had a grand time playing while he was here. So tonight when it was her turn to pray her prayer went something like this, "Thank you God for this great day. Thank you for Daddy comin' to play with me & thank you for shoppin'." Sometimes her prayers are VERY random, but I'm always amazed when she actually thanks God for the events of the day. I'm so glad she loves her daddy so much.

Goodnight Moon

Survival

We survived Freshmen Survival yesterday. We were excited to see so many new faces at the BCM. We can't wait to get to know each one of them. I thought I'd share a couple of pictures from our day...

Our annual family picture...

Our returning students that helped make the day a success...

We are blessed to have these folks in our life. Jolie wouldn't know what to do without her college friends. She loves the attention they give her & is getting very good at bossing them around! I cannot believe we are at the beginning of our 7th year of collegiate ministry - time flies.

Life in the fastlane

Things are speeding up around the Strain house again. ULM starts back next Monday, but Todd is away tonight with his leadership team & this Saturday is Freshmen Survival. Our calendar is filled up pretty much until my due date. I'm looking forward to the last few weeks of pregnancy (I'm in my 34th week!) passing quickly, but the thought of having another child is a bit overwhelming. I know she'll be in our arms before we know it!

Speaking of our soon-to-be bundle of joy, we do plan to keep her name a secret as we did the first time around, however, this child is truly nameless right now. Feel free to send suggestions - we might actually like one of your ideas. Todd thinks it'll just hit us - whatever this means. I think about names at least once a day. She'll probably be "baby sister" no matter what we name her :)

My sister is getting married in a few weeks (Sept. 8th) in Birmingham, AL. Please pray that the end of my pregnancy will be uncomplicated & that I won't go into labor during our road trip or while I'm in Birmingham. I'd be really bummed if I didn't get to be there, but not so bummed if I didn't have to wear a bridesmaid dress. Needless to say, I'm getting my alterations done at the last minute since I'll be 37 weeks pregnant at her wedding. She told me that I'll be the cute pregnant bridesmaid, but I'm pretty sure I won't be cute by that point :)

I'm tired just thinking about the next few weeks & the heat!

My sweet girl

Todd has been out of town this week so Jolie & I have spent a lot of time together. I often share about my frustrations - no naps! - so I thought it would only be fair to share about how much I've enjoyed her company this week. She has been whine free almost all week (with a few minor exceptions) & has been fun to have around. God has really reminded me what a gift she is & what a joy it is to be her mother. Our life is definitely richer with her in it!

We went to see Joe, Jody & kiddos for a couple of nights. We had a great time hanging out with them. Jody took this sweet picture of Jolie. She doesn't have her usual smile, but she is still beautiful :)

Tech friends

We had a special treat Saturday night because we got to hang out at the Henkel's house with some Tech friends! The McNeals were there with their cute crew along with Stacy & Christy Shirley White & her husband. It was fun to hang out & watch our kids play. The evening was a little chaotic with all the children, but still loads of fun. The adults played Scene It, but Todd & I headed home before the game was over. I heard the girls came back from behind & won! Way to go! Here's a couple of pictures of our cute kiddos.

A short break from motherhood

Todd's parents picked up Jolie today & took her to their house for 3 whole nights! She was excited to leave & we were excited to see her go :) Hopefully I'll be productive the next few days, but at the very least I should be well-rested. Praise the Lord for grandparents!

Fun Times

We had a great time last Friday night at Jim Bowie's celebrating Todd's birthday. We are so thankful for the wonderful friends that God has given us in Monroe. It was fun to leave the kiddos behind for a night. The old lady is not with us :) We are especially thankful for the Henkels who made our transition back to North LA so much easier. Jolie would be lost without her pal Josie. Jolie talks about Josie & Caleb at least 10 times a day!

Happy Birthday, Todd!

Today is Todd's 31st birthday! We went out to eat with the BCM staff for lunch at Piccadilly & returned to eat the yummy (but not beautiful) ice cream cake Jolie & I made for him. She has been dying to get it out the freezer all week! Tomorrow night we are taking a road trip to Jim Bowie's Relay Station in Enterprise, LA with several other couples to complete our birthday celebration. We are looking forward to a night with friends without all of our children around! I'm thankful that I've been able to celebrate Todd's birthday with him the past 15 years! Here's a look at my beautiful creation...

My favorite beach pic

Just wanted to share a picture of my favorite beach babe.

26 Weeks

Todd took a belly shot of me at the beach so I thought I'd share. I'm really feeling pregnant! It is getting increasingly difficult to handle Jolie & pick up things off the ground.

Travel Report

The BCM Director & Family Retreat was tons of fun. We enjoyed getting to see John & Amy & their fun kiddos. Jack is quite possibly the best looking little guy I've ever seen! Jolie & Sadie became fast friends & exhausted us by running laps around the hotel lobby. I'm pretty sure people thought we were totally not in control of our children. We ate some yummy meals & went to SciPort. It's always fun seeing all of our BCM friends.We returned from Perdido Key, FL yesterday. We had a great time with Todd's family (minus Hardy). Jolie has been talking about going to the beach for about six weeks & I think her expectations were met. She loved the ocean & the pool & could more or less do without the sand. She would hardly walk by herself on the sand the first few days - quite funny. It was wonderful being away from home for a few days.

Vacation here we come!

We are leaving town today for back-to-back trips. Our first stop is our annual BCM Director & Family Retreat in Shreveport & then Saturday we head to Florida with Todd's family! Yea for vacation!!! I'll share pictures when we return.

BCM Summer Missions

For those of you that are BCM Summer Missions alums I thought you might be encouraged to see students are still serving every summer. A few of our crew have blogs this summer. Just thought I'd post for those of you interested in reading/praying.

God has been so good to us at ULM. I knew we would fall in love with our crew here just like we did at McNeese, but I didn't know it would happen so quickly. We are thankful for our students & their heart to share Christ with the world!

The Latest Scoop

As of tomorrow, Jolie will have gone THREE whole weeks without a nap! I know you are all jealous! I really thought it might be a phase (& I guess it could still be), but I am more or less convinced that daily napping is a thing of past for my precious toddler. It was really tough on me at first, but I am slowly getting used to having her up & going all day long. She is actually quite pleasant most of the time with an occasional early evening meltdown. Even after being at VBS for 3.5 hours this morning she had no interest in napping. I am about to get serious about establishing quiet time. I have seen the Lord sustaining me during this transition time.

I'm volunteering in the Kindergarten class at VBS this week. We were anticipating 40 kids & had 62 show up this morning! I'm already thinking about not volunteering next year :) We will hopefully be able to effectively minister to all of them.

I had an OB appointment today & gained 5 lbs last month! I'm obviously feeling pretty good :)

Here's what we've been doing in the afternoons instead of napping...

23 Weeks & Counting

Here is a belly pic per Shandra's request. I'm definitely feeling big, but mostly because I am constantly helping Jolie with something or picking up toys. It's getting very hard to bend down to do things. I really can't believe I'm over 1/2 way. We cannot wait to meet this little girl!

Also, thanks to Tara for use of her maternity clothes - including this dress!

It's burning up in here!

Our AC went out a little over 24 hours ago & I am sitting here waiting for the repair guy. It's been okay so far, but it is starting to get really hot in here. Poor Jolie has been sticky all day :)

The joys of motherhood...

This week Jolie:

• Said good-bye to her paci
• Learned to climb out of the crib
• Didn't take a single nap
• Has demanded her way ALL week
• Has been in total control of our house.

And I want another child? It's been a LONG week!

Swimming at Gran's

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos Jolie got to go swimming at her Gran's house today. She loves the water! We are afraid she is going to jump in with no one watching. Sometimes it would be nice if she was a little afraid :)

Not again!!!

Saturday morning was sort of funny, but we were really ticked when we woke up this morning & discovered we'd been "forked" last night. We are pretty sure we know who is responsible, but haven't verified our information yet. Todd has spies out :) Jolie was very excited about the "little cups" that are ALL over our yard. She collected a few this morning & has been playing with them. Todd said next time the culprits park at the BCM they might be towed :)

It's good to be loved?

This is what we woke up to this morning. I guess we should feel honored that when our students are sitting around with nothing to do they think of us :) I surprised Todd by cleaning the majority of it up while he was out this morning. Surely, our sweet BCMers didn't picture a pregnant woman picking it up all alone! I woke up around 2am out of a deep sleep to the sound of something on the roof, but after a glance out the window I convinced myself it was just the teenagers next door getting home. I even told Todd that I thought it was toilet paper rolling down the roof, but he never moved & said, "they wouldn't drive all the way out here." I so wish we could have caught them in the act! Our neighbor got a look at the car so our investigation will begin later today.

Todd's New Car

It's car buying time in the Strain house again. We have to buy a new car every 5 years in order for Todd's employer to continue to give us a car allowance & maintain his car. It is a super nice benefit of his job! After much searching & researching we ended up with a GMC Arcadia. We left the dealership yesterday satisfied knowing that we got a great (or at least fair) deal on it. We gambled a little & decided to keep my '98 Honda Accord & trade in Todd's '02 Mazda Tribute. We knew if we wanted to upgrade a little we would need the extra cash from the trade-in. So we are now praying that the Honda keeps on going for at least another 5 years! It'll be fine for now, but might be a little crowded if we have a third child during that time. We'll survive. If you have time, click the link & check out our new ride! I'll post a picture later.

New Boots

Jolie is completely in love with her new boots Todd's mom bought her last weekend. She is able to put them on all by herself so she wears them all the time! We haven't worn them in public yet, but it is only a matter of time. Funny story...when she tried them on in Target they were attached, therefore, she had to walk in VERY small steps so once we got them out to wear at home she continued to walk like she was in the store! It was quite entertaining! Fortunately, she is now able to run in them :)

It's another girl!!!

I would have lost the bet, but fortunately we never made one. We are so excited that it is another girl. They will share a room & she will be able to wear Jolie's hand-me-downs. I was going to be bummed about giving up my guest bedroom. We miss the four bedrooms we had in Lake Charles. Because we had so much fun keeping Jolie's name a secret we will do it again this time, however, it will probably be months before we even make a decision! The best news is that everything on the ultrasound looks great. She measured almost exactly the size she is supposed to be for her due date & everything seems to growing properly - praise the Lord! I'll post a belly pic in a couple of weeks when it is more obvious that I'm pregnant.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is a big day for the Strain family because we will hopefully discover whether we will be welcoming a boy or girl into our family come September. Todd wants to make a "friendly wager." I'm guessing boy (only because I would really like another girl) and Todd thinks it is another girl. What do you think I should wager? I'll share our fun news tomorrow evening!

The life of a BCM kid

Now that Jolie is getting older our students are enjoying her more than ever. Mr. Parker (one of her favorite college friends) made a car out of this box today & pushed her around forever! It is loads of fun watching her interact with our students. She loves that they have so much energy & will do whatever she demands of them :) I hope she thinks it is a fun life, because it sure looks fun to me!

A few highlights...

I'm sorry for making all of you stare at Jolie's version of a kitty cat for so long! We've actually been having a pretty good time around our house, but I just haven't stopped to blog.

Here's few highlights...

• Visit with Mandy week before last. She was so sweet to drive all the way to our house for a visit. We had a good time catching up!
• Trip to Shreveport last weekend. We stayed with my brother & sister-in-law & had a really good visit with them. They had not spent any time with Jolie since Christmas so I think they really enjoyed hanging with her. I also got to see Jolie (who I was hoping would give birth while I was in town, but didn't) and Tara who brought Mallory along for lunch. I had a fun time seeing each of those gals!
• Last night we had dinner with some friends - including the Henkel's. We are enjoying getting to know folks better around here.
  
• Today we head to Todd's parent's camp on Larto Lake. Todd is looking forward to fishing & I'm looking forward to my mother-in-law showering Jolie with attention :)

Also, I'm officially in my 2nd trimester! I heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time on Wednesday & we will (hopefully) find out the sex at our ultrasound on April 16th. This pregnancy is really flying by & I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing :)

Oh yea...Jolie finally gave birth on Tuesday. She & Jason welcomed Gavin Scott Mizell into their family. Mom & baby are doing well. I cannot wait to meet him!

Jolie's Masterpiece

Jolie drew this beautiful picture of a kitty kat this afternoon. She was very proud. As she petted the concrete she said, "Aww, how cute. It a kitty kat." I've almost convinced myself that I can see a cat in her artwork. Her imagination is hard at work!

Old friends are the best!

A couple of weeks ago Jolie & I met in Ruston at Keri's house for a visit! (I forgot about posting until Jolie emailed me our group picture today.) We had the best time! The kids ran around Keri's house & the three of us got to catch up. I haven't seen Keri in years, but we visited like no time had passed. It was so fun to sit & share what has been happening in our lives. Keri has a beautiful family! Logan was napping & missed our group picture.

It's official...

baby #2 is on the way! I'm due September 29! I'm looking forward to being big & pregnant in the heat of the summer & welcoming our new baby home in the middle of the semester! Great planning, eh? We are very excited!

Poor, baby!

Jolie had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic she'd been on for 7 days this weekend! Todd was keeping her for the weekend as a birthday gift for me & he had to take her to the doctor on Saturday all by himself. He was such a trooper & took wonderful care of his little girl! I went to see my sister in Birmingham for the weekend & went bridal gown shopping with her. I didn't enjoy myself nearly as much knowing that Todd was at home with such a pitiful site! She's still red today, but looks much better!

Refreshed

The Lord has really refreshed me in recent days. He has given me a hunger for His Word & has even ignited my prayer life by answering some very specific requests. Todd's evening schedule is pretty hectic, but the Lord really has shown me how much truly quiet time I have while he is away & Jolie is asleep. God's really been using His Word to transform me. I hope other people can see it.

I hope He's at work in your heart too!

Our big girl!

Jolie is showing new signs of independence all the time! Over the last few weeks she has pretty much promoted herself to a big girl chair. When she is ready to eat she climbs up in "her" chair & waits to be served. We are having a lazy day today & she is, in fact, eating lunch in her PJs.

Update on Jolie

Thanks for praying for us this morning. Jolie's tests were only moderately painful. She had a VCU G & a kidney ultrasound. She wasn't big on the ultrasound and really HATED the VCU G. Todd went with me for moral support & then only one parent could go in the room for the really bad test. It took all of my strength to hold down her hands & head for the second test. We were both exhausted at the end!

The good news is that everything appears to be normal! Praise the Lord! I haven't talked to her pediatrician yet, but the radiologists that supervised the tests said they did not see any signs of reflux. Hopefully, we are done with the hospital for a while. She came home with 2 "boo boo bears."

I'm pooped!

I had to take Jolie to the doctor yesterday for a follow up visit because she had another urinary tract infection over the holidays. While we were there we learned that she had an ear infection. Something woke her around 1am last night (mayber her ear?) & she NEVER went back to sleep. She wasn't fussy or anything she just wanted to "watch tv" & "play." At 4am I gave in & turned on the tv & slept on the couch while she did whatever she wanted to!!! Where was Todd? Out of town for the night! Fortunately, she slept a little over 4 hours today, but what a night! Yuck! I've been spoiled because she is almost always a perfect sleeper!

Also, pray for us next week because Jolie has to have a couple of test run to make sure she doesn't have urinary reflux. Tuesday morning will be no fun for us!