"To the country I'm going/ Lay and laugh in the sun/ You can bring, bring your guitar along/ We'll sing some songs, we'll have some fun"

It’s that time again….time where I have a few moments to update you all on the daily goings on around here.

We had a very eventful Sunday night (Oct. 17). I’d like to preface the story by telling you all that Charlotte is doing very well. In fact, she is snoozing away on our bed. I’m hoping the nap will last long enough for me to write this blog!! Two Sunday nights ago Charlotte was unusually wakeful. Typical she is starting to snooze pretty good by 7pm, and we put her in her crib at around 8pm. Well, she was so wakeful that it was more like 9pm when Ben went to take her downstairs to bed. I remained in our upstairs bonus room as he headed for the stairs. On his way down he slipped and fell…with Charlotte. He fell back so most of the impact hit his back but it was enough of a fall to knock Charlotte out of his arms and onto the steps. By the time I got there (heart had pretty much stopped), he was getting up and she was still on a step…not crying. When a baby gets hurt or jarred I expect them to cry, in fact I want them to cry. I picked her up. Her arms were rigidly held out from her body, and her eyes were staring at the ceiling. She was nonresponsive, and it was extremely scary. I called my parents who advised me to either call an ambulance or go to the hospital immediately. Charlotte stayed in this odd state for at least five minutes and then fell asleep in the car seat.

I drove to the hospital very fast, and the only words I could utter were “please God” over and over and over. We reached the hospital at about 9:30pm. After telling the doctor and nurses the situation, Charlotte received a physical exam and had to have a CT scan. To make a long story short, at around 1:45pm we were discharged when all exams came back normal. I will say it was the longest 4 hours of my life. My mom, who had driven down very late that night, came with Charlotte and me to a follow up pediatrician appointment the next morning. Our doctor gave her a clean bill of health but told me we did the right thing by taking her to the emergency room.

I have been praying for God to teach me many things, but I did not expect Him to do it through my child. Often I ask Him why it can’t be me, but I will admit that nothing brings me to my knees faster than issues with my daughter. I am daily repeating the verse: “For Thou hast tried us, O God; Thou hast refined us as silver is refined. Thou didst bring us into the net; Thou didst lay an oppressive burden upon our loins…we went through fire and through water; Yet Thou didst bring us into a place of abundance” (Psalm 66:10-12). Unfortunately, I don’t get to choose how I reached the “place of abundance.” I must merely hold all with an open hand and allow God to refine me the way He sees fit. I question God when He involves Charlotte in this refinement, but then I must remember that He created her for this purpose. And it gladdens my heart that Charlotte, who is still so young, has already glorified God.

On a lighter note, I was able to have an incredibly wonderful weekend with my parents. They came up late Thursday night and stayed through Saturday. During this visit, we found that Charlotte has a favorite. Is it her mother who feeds her and gets up in the middle of the night with her??? NOPE. Is it her father who plays with her and helps sooth her when she cries??? NOPE It is Papa (my Dad) who we have also dubbed Baby Hog. Friday morning she smiled like she has NEVER smiled before at him. Her face lighting up with every word he said. My mom and I tried lots of baby talk, but she only had eyes for my dad. We were all pretty jealous, but if she has to like a man she picked a great one!! She has finally started to smile at me more but I still have to work at her grins unlike my father.

Saturday, we all headed up to Gorham’s Bluff for a box lunch. Charlotte was pretty unhappy the whole ride up. She does not like her car seat and will rarely take a pacifier, so road trips are a bit long and stressful at the moment. However, once we arrive I fed her and put her in the Moby where she was happy as a clam. We ate delicious fried chicken and fresh crisp apples on the back porch over looking the valley. We then headed for a little hike which made my mom neurotic when we were any where near a cliff edge. It was wonderful to get away from the house and outside into the beautiful fresh air. I was beginning to get a bit stir crazy cooped up in the house 24-7, and the trip was the perfect antidote.

My parents had to hit the road after our adventure. But I wasn’t too sad, because we are head to B’ham for a doctor visit and then I’m headed to Covington with my mom for the WEEK!!! I’m so excited. We are going to have a late celebration of my brother’s birthday, sew Christmas stockings for Charlotte and Lia, and I’m even going to get my hair cut which I haven’t done in months. Oh, and I forgot; Charlotte’s first Halloween will be in Covington. She is going to be a ballerina because I’m in love with her TuTu. We’ll be getting back into town Nov. 4. The following Monday she gets her first round of shots which mean FREEDOM. Not that we’ll be gallivanting around town all day, but it will be nice not to be quite so house bound.

I hope everyone has a fun Halloween…I’m hoping to eat ridiculous amounts of candy!

P.S. I forgot to say that my Chunky Monkey was a whopping 9 lb at her pediatrician’s appointment. This growing up stuff happens way too fast.