Accidents Happen

Sunday Isaac went to Louisville to a Phil Keaggy concert and I was having a girls’ night. Nate was supposed to spend the night at the grandparents' but she called around 9pm and he had fallen on (not off) the couch and hurt his arm. We went to Clarian West ER and were taken care of very well. Nate had x-rays and it was clear that he had fractured both bones in his left arm a little above the wrist. They wrapped him up with a fiberglass splint and sling and we were told to follow up with an orthopedic doctor the next day to get a cast that'll be on for a few weeks. By the time we got home from the hospital around 1am he was not acting like the same boy who came in all sad and injured earlier that night. He was back to bouncing off the walls as usual. The next day he hardly complained about pain at all - just about the sling being "stuck" – it was cramping his style. We saw the orthopedic doctor on Tuesday. Isaac went back with Nate to get more xrays and they came back with an xray of Nate’s toy cars which he thought was pretty cool. Then the Dr. Kendall reset the bone (Nate did not like that part!) and put a plaster splint on it - he'll probably get a hard cast later. Nate's been such a trooper. Our appointment was right during naptime so as soon as we got on the road to come home Nate fell fast asleep. All things considered none of this has really slowed him down much; he's still been bouncing all over the place. It is wearing mommy out though! We're very thankful that he didn't need surgery or anything. We'd appreciate prayer that he doesn't re-injure his arm during this critical healing time.

As mothers we want so badly for nothing bad to happen to our kids, right? I think the only thing worse than something happening to our child is having it happen when we're not with them. There was a whole lot of guilt going on Sunday night. Isaac felt guilty because he was in Louisville and couldn't be there until we were being discharged from the hospital. I felt guilty because the reason he wasn't at home with me was because I had been having girls' night (and I was bummed to be missing that girls night). My mom felt bad for leaving Nate with Hannah. Hannah felt bad for leaving Kyle and Nate alone for a few minutes. And Kyle felt bad because he was the one with Nate when it happened. We were all innocent of any actual guilt. Nate is a rambunctious two year old and while having a seemingly normal jump on the couch, he fell just right and hurt his arm. It could have happened while he was under anyone's care. Just last week he fell off a play ground ladder and bounced back within a couple of minutes later without hardly a scratch on him. Who would have thought that he would end up with a broken bone from jumping on the couch (and not falling off of it!)? I saw a book once and the title was "Motherhood, the guilt that keeps on giving" (or something to that effect). Its so true. I know I blame myself for far more things than I'm actually responsible for. But while motherhood is full of responsibility, frustration, anxiety, work, worry... its also full of joy, fulfillment, rewards, love, cuddles, bonding... I say (or maybe I heard it somewhere) marriage and motherhood both are the hardest jobs and the most rewarding. Sometimes its hard to see all the great stuff through all the hard stuff, but it doesn't mean its not there.

Tickles and Giggles

Of course daddies are the best at tickling and getting good laughs out of kids. Josiah is a happy and pretty content baby. Occasionally he'll be in the carseat or swing staring off into nothing and chuckle to himself for no apparent reason - which is pretty funny. But usually he doesn't hand out smiles and giggles for free much. Isaac can usually find the right spot and make Joe grin and laugh it up. Here is a clip from one of those times.

My Little Sunshine

Having a two year old can be at times challenging, frustrating, tiring, I could go on but I'll stop there. But then God is faithful and He gives us times when its pure joy. I think He knows we need those times of respite to be renewed and have reason to not lose heart when we moms feel like just about anyone could do our job(s) as good or better than we are doing them.

Over the past few months Nate has started taking more of an interest in praying with us both at dinner and bedtime. He’ll give suggestions on things to thank God for…. Usually its Cars or Toy Story, etc, but sometimes its Pop, Grandma, etc. Lately after some guidance from Isaac, he has been saying little prayers on his own. He’ll say “Jesus (or sometimes, God or Lord)…. thank you…. For…. Cars. Amen” Its so precious!

Isaac's mom taught Nate the cutest thing! Here is a video of him singing (in a whisper - so you'll have to turn up the volume) "You Are My Sunshine" along with Isaac. I thought it best that Isaac sing it with him and not me. Trust me, you should be thanking me!

Labor Day Weekend

We went to the lake for Labor Day weekend. It got off to a lousy start. We got up there late on Thursday evening and when we put Nate straight to bed he was a little warm but we didn’t really think anything of it. I awoke at 5am to hear Josiah stirring and I was preparing myself to get up to nurse him. I could hear Nate in the other room, he was having a raspy, kind of gurgled breathing and I hurried in to check on him, and found that he was having another febrile seizure. Isaac got up and we held Nate’s hands through the seizure which probably lasted less than a minute. He was burning up. We couldn’t find a thermometer but we gave him some Tylenol. He was very lethargic while recovering from the seizure, but slowly normalized and said he wanted a “nap”. His little body was so tired. We eventually went back to bed but I don’t think I actually went back to sleep. The next day we continued to give him Tylenol at regular intervals but he continued to feel feverish. Throughout the morning he would “start” occasionally, and every time I thought it was another seizure. Around 1:30pm he was sitting on my lap and he did have another one. I laid him on the floor and again we talked him through it. It wasn’t until this time that we had Dane go to the store and got a thermometer. When we took his temp after he recovered it was 104degrees. We called Dr. Bain and he recommended that we take Nate to the ER. Not because of the seizures necessarily, but because of how high his fever was. Dane came with us to the ER in Goshen and he watched Josiah(which was so helpful) so both Isaac and I could be with Nate. He napped off and on throughout the couple of hours that we spent in the hospital. They did a blood test and sent some blood off for a blood culture, but we were all confidant that it was again a fever related issue. The doctor said that Nate must have a low fever threshold. He said probably on top of teething (we can see a couple of teeth about to come in) he might have something viral (he’s had a bit of a cough). He had us continue a Tylenol/Ibprophen regimen for the next 24 hours or so to keep the fever under control. They say that the most significant effect of these seizures is "Parental Anxiety" - and boy are they right! Obviously it was stressful and scary, but we’re thankful for the prayers of our church body and that he is alright and by that same evening he was acting like his normal self again. Thankfully the rest of the weekend was fairly uneventful. We enjoyed the time we got to spend with our family and friends.

Building a Cathedral

I don't usually pass on forwards but every once in awhile I'll get one at just the right moment that I need an encouraging word or pick-me-up. And, wow - this one made me cry. I was going through my list of people that I thought might enjoy this email forward and realized I have so many awesome friends that are walking beside me in this life. And some of you may be in a place where you are not only feel invisible but also feel like you have not done anything right... That's just bogus. And I know I need stuff like this to remind me of what I'm really doing. Don't you? We moms are all building something as amazing as a cathedral one brick at a time.

For just one minute try to imagine a place where we will actually be able to see each and every moment we made happen in their little bitty parts all adding up to one incredible lifetime. That is what heaven will be. Why else would God have written about jewels in our crown if we won't even be able to see the crown. Surely we will not only see the jewel but also the reason we have it. Think about that!

But please keep in mind that though we "do" lots of things none of it will matter if we don't recognize who Jesus is and what He did for us.

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I'm invisible.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30 , please."


I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going ... she's going... she's gone!


One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it.


I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are! building g when no one sees."


In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Rolling Over!

Josiah has rolled over a few times in bed this week. I only got to watch him do it once though. He did it around the same age that Nate did – 4 ½ mos. He sleeps on his tummy so he rolled from front to back. We’re still working on back to front. He’s very chatty when he’s happy. Isaac and I take turns sitting in the foyer at church with him because he gets so loud sometimes.

Nate has gone in the potty off and on this week. One day he went three times! We’re offering incentive of stickers if he pees and a cookie if he poops in the potty – so far all we’ve actually gotten to do it the stickers… no cookies rewarded yet. He’s funny. When he is going somewhere, even just to bed or something he says good-bye to everything. He says “bye bye books”, “bye bye Signing Time” (when the video ends), etc. It is pretty cute.

inside the mind of a woman

I have to tell you.... I loved reading a recent post on a friend's blog. She is a stay at home mom of three and as we all know, grown up dates don't come along everyday. So, she kind of rambled on about being excited and worrying about what to wear to go out. I'm glad I'm not the only one who frets over ultimately trivial things that are somewhat vain (but harmlessly so). I also rarely have the occasion to "dress up" so when I do I go out of my way to look stylish, cute, as thin as I can, etc. Isaac has to laugh at me sometimes because I will on occasion be all school-girlish and say that I think I look good that day. Which may sound vain, but anyone who knows me knows that that doesn't really happen all that often so I think its alright.

Chuck E Cheese

Here are the Penrod boys when we went to the new Chuck E Cheese's in Avon. Its kind of cool - at this age Nate's happy to wander around and "play" the games without us putting tokens in or anything. He eventually wanted to ride the rides and stuff but for awhile he just sat in the video game section pretending to play the games. Janice and I enjoyed having the daddies there to help with the boys - at least until they got hooked on MarioCart or something like that.

Vacation

Here are a few pictures from our vacation. We went to Chicago to visit my friend Cindy. And then we went to the lakehouse. We went to the Shipshewana Flea Market and the usual lake stuff, boat, campfires, etc. It was nice.

Wedding Pictures

I did pictures for an old friend's wedding a couple of weeks ago. It was an outdoor event, beautiful day, gorgeous couple, it was great. I've really had fun editing the pictures. Its neat for me to look at how much my photography has improved over the last couple of years - upgrading my equipment helps! If you know of anyone who needs a photographer please pass my info along!
www.unforgettable-photography.com

My Boys

Here is a pix of Isaac and the boys over the weekend. Aren't they cute!?! Joe is getting so strong and talkative. Nate is getting smart and so independent. They're so much fun!
I've got a wedding gig next weekend that'll be my first one this year - pray for good weather, its supposed to be outside!

Our Sweet Boys

Here are a few "matching" pictures of Nate and Joe. Aren't they cute!?!

Going Wild

The past few weeks have flown by! Its hard to believe that a month and a half ago I was still pregnant! Now we have two boys! Nate can't seem to give Josiah enough kisses. Before Josiah was born we were bracing ourselves for Nate to have a rough transition but he's done really well. Not to say he doesn't have his "two year old moments" - oh he does! But over all he gets along pretty well with his new brother "Joe Joe Joe" as he calls him.
Josiah as you can see has filled out nicely. We haven't been to the doctor in awhile so I don't know what he weighs but judging from the looks of him, he's not missed a meal yet! He has started to give little smiles here and there and he's cooing for us now too! I forgot how neat this baby stage was! Nate is so cute in his toddler way, exploring and trying new things... but Josiah is just precious!
Here is a pix of us at the zoo last week. It was so hot that day! We were very thankful for the shade! Nate loves the zoo - he gets into making animal sounds and all that. If you look closely at Nate's shirt you can see that it has a dinosaur on it. He is so funny when he tries to say dinosaur it comes out "diodaur"! Its one of those things that he'll soon grow out of but I hope I never forget because its such a special part of this stage that he's in right now.

Adjusting

We're all still getting accustomed to being a family of four. Isaac has had the last two weeks off which has been great, but I'll have a reality check when he goes back to work tomorrow and I'm on my own with the boys!

Our Baby Joe is Finally Here!

Wednesday late morning I started contractions that were fairly mild and not too close together. But throughout the day they got more intense and closer together. By evening we had called our support team to come over. When we finally had the midwife come we had her check and see how far dilated I was and I was already 8cm and 95% effaced! That was very encouraging since Nate had been stuck at 7cm for several hours before his c-cection. We labored for awhile longer and then ended up pushing for about 2hours. Obviously this was the first time I'd gotten to the pushing part of labor.... it was a whole different ballgame! But after 19hours of labor at 3:50am when our beautiful baby boy finally came out of me and was slipped up into my open arms it was all worth it. He was 8lbs 8oz and 21in long.(Nate was 7lb7oz) He's so precious! Nate has lots of hugs and kisses for him, but probably doesn't really get how much his life is going to change now because of this new little guy. Well, we are all still resting from the long day yesterday but we wanted to let you all know about the new life that has joined our family!

* Obviously this was the abbreviated version of the story. For those who are really interested in birth stories let me know and I'll send you a word doc with the long version.

Closer Still

Well, the time is drawing near. We are within about a month or so of the arrival of this baby! Isn't that crazy!? Everything is still looking good, we're both healthy and growing! Hopefully the next time I post it will be to announce the birth of our second child!

P.S. I tried to post a recent pix of us but Blogger is being weird. Hopefully it'll be working right when the time comes to post pix of the baby!

P.P.S. Good thing you have a friend that knows a little bit about HTML!!!
-kev

Sleddin'

Here are Nate and JJ getting a taste of sledding. We had alot of snow that day!
We're at 34 weeks and counting! Just over a month before this baby will be making its arrival. We'll keep you posted when the big event happens! Keep us in your prayers as the time draws near!

Happy New Year!

Well, we had a wonderful Christmas season filled with family and friends! We were blessed in many ways. Now that the excitement of the holidays have passed we're turning our focus to the baby to come. Part of me feels like March is so far away... and part of me thinks its so soon! Isn't it weird how that works? Anyway, the pregnancy is going well. Its been different than with Nate's - I think this baby is already trying to prove its individuality. We're at about 29wks and still planning on a mid-March arrival. Nate came a little early so there is a little bit of me that hopes this one will too, since I'm feeling weighed down by my growing belly. But only God knows the day and time that this one will greet us for the first time. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this arrival.

Excited

We went to the lakehouse for Thanksgiving weekend. Deb and Dane just finished adding on a master suite and there's a small ramp going up to the bedroom. Nate thought the ramp was so cool - he kept running up and down it all weekend. As you can see in the pix, he was very excited! He would scream and screech as he ran back and forth. It was pretty fun to see him get so worked up.

Harvest Blessings!

Here is the Family Picture Collage that we're sending out with our "Harvest Blessings" letter. We're trying to beat the rush of Christmas cards by doing ours now(hopefully... they aren't exactly in the mail yet, but will be soon). Enjoy!