Happy Belated Birthday, Mom!

She has grown so much!

We miss you like crazy!

It seems like just yesterday that you were here...

So how is it possible that it has been 2 months already?

She only sleeps with me, in her carseat or her swing!

Please don't tell me she is going to be like her brother (in this way anyway).

I am trying to teach her things that came naturally to Mia and Josiah.

Josiah is potty trained! during the day.

He is picking up sign language pretty well.

You would be so proud. Mia is observing her own work and making adjustments accordingly. Her handwriting has come leaps and bounds in just a few short weeks.

We are in the horse club again! Can't wait to have her riding weekly again!

She will be doing barrels and poles this year!

McKenna is so fun to play with.

Especially when she doesn't have a belly ache in the middle of the night that lasts all night.

Hope you enjoyed your lunch yesterday!

Did you have giblet gravy and potato rolls for me?

Sorry I didn't think about this yesterday!

Love, your very grateful daughter!

My "Blessing", My "Sonshine", and My "Miracle"

How much you grow and change each day!

My "Blessing" is holding things, putting them in her mouth, rolling over, and beginning to laugh!

Oh, and working so hard to sit up on her own!

I hear the dryer door shut and I head in to find out what my "Sonshine" has put in it

only to find...

What are we going to do with you, Mr. Sonshine?

Love you, of course!

Such a helpful big sister, my "Miracle". Always asking:

"Can I hold her?"

"Can I change her diaper?"

"Can I feed her?"

"Can I get her dressed?"

What do you know: Mommy and Miracle time!

I'm off to play Candy Land!

What a blessing to nurse each of my little ones! God gives Mommy's such keen ears to hear slight differences in breathing. Such amazing bonds he builds sometimes over time and sometimes instantaneously. How awesome is my God! He has given me the priveledge of being Mommy several times over!

What I love about McKenna ~~~ 5 weeks

I love how alert you are.

So aware of who and what is around you!


No one can say my girls are tongue tied!

I love all of the new sounds you are making.

Finding your own voice in this family.



Get him!

Go ahead bite big brother's nose!

I love how you are interacting with Mia and Josiah!




And of course I love you LONG hands

and

feet!

So soft and sweet!

My Blessing!!!

McKenna means "able".

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Phil 4:13

Our Miracle has ARRIVED!!!

McKenna Jubilee

September 15, 2009

3:44p

8 lbs 13 oz

21.25 in

McKenna at 1 week old getting ready for bath time.

She was going to her 1st doctor appt.

McKenna (12 days old) and Mom

Dad and McKenna enjoying there favorite passtime: cuddling!

McKenna enjoying the ducks hanging over her swing.

3 or 4 days old.

Big Brother Josiah holding his brand new bundle of joy!

1 day old!

Big Brother Josiah, Big Sister Mia

and

Baby McKenna

the night she was born or the day after.

McKenna was born at home on Mom and Dad's bed with the help of our wonderful midwife, Colleen. Colleen got to our home at 2:45p.

Checked Mom about 3:10p.

Called Dad at 3:10p to say "Come home, NOW!"

Dad arrived at 3:25p.

McKenna arrived at 3:44p.

Anyone wanting more information on Colleen, midwives in general, homebirth, etc. please feel free to ask.

We don't by any means have all the answers but can share our experience.

Thank you for setting such a Biblical example...

My morning Bible reading was especially sweet this morning. I was reading I Thessalonians 2 and this jumped out at me:

11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

God had a 2-fold message for me this morning: 1) thankfulness for all of the people in my life who have done exactly this and 2) reminding me that this is how God wants me to treat other people in my life.

So I would like to thank a few of the people God brought to mind: Uncle Ray and Aunt Ruby, Pastors Mitzi and Lynne, the small group in Michigan, and of course our home fellowship group here in Mississippi.

Lord, please help me to follow your leading today and every day! Thank you for everything - even those things I don't understand. As I teach my children your ways are not ours and your plans are perfect - ours are flawed.

Blessings!!

Tiara...

As perfect as we thought Tiara was for us... we had to send her back. She attacked Saint. We miss her and our hearts are healing from her loss but we had to protect our family.

Please pray that she finds the perfect home and is healed of her thunderstorm anxiety. As another blog I read today says: Lord: You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say Lord,

blessed be Your name

One addition to the family before the much anticipated addition comes in a few weeks!

Saint, has enjoyed being the only dog but we continued to feel he would be happier with a buddy.

So after many months of waiting for the right timing and the right dog - God put us together.

Last week we found a Great Pyrenees, named Petunia.

We knew after reading her story on petfinder that we were interested in her.

After we talked to the nice folks at Zeus' Place in New Orleans we were 90% convinced she was the right one for us.

We met "Petunia" on Saturday and we were convinced that she was "our girl." She answers to "Tiara" better than she did to Petunia.

She is a year and a half old and so the "hard part" of getting a new dog isn't an issue.

She is potty trained, crate trained, calm, and laid back!

She chews appropriately or drops it when asked to.

Saint who is equally wonderful is used to having been the "puppy" of the bunch in his previous home and the "only" here for over a year. So he doesn't know what to do with the "new puppy" that dwarfs him by 3 times in weight and about 5 times in body size.

We are already working on the finishing touches so to speak with Tiara.
So far she has proved an absolute joy!!!
The biggest challenge: getting her to realize that a thunder storm is no big deal.

Thank you Lord! You have answered another prayer in the Sodini family prayer requests.

Human baby update: 33 weeks and counting. We are waiting to meet you little one!