So much for MY plans.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Well, happy 1st birthday to our first born son, Micah Zane Byrd.  I had the perfect morning planned out for him; you know since he's one and he'll remember all this.  I was going to have a balloon tied to his rocking horse, and sit his little "Scout"  Leap Frog toy on the table as well as his birthday cards so he could see them when he woke up in the morning . All of my perfect plans went down the drain starting yesterday.

We noticed water coming through the floor of our townhouse and Eli called the facilities management on his way to work. They quickly sent over some guys to take a look. This turned into being out of the house for the afternoon while the guys ripped up the floors and the carpet to begin fixing what was soaked  I am to be out of the house until Thursday. They are estimating we will be out of the house until Thursday.

Thankfully, they have an emergency house available for situations like this. Perfect, I thought . All I need to do is pack up everything and go. Anyone who has ever traveled with a child knows how much stuff has to go on the adventure. Not knowing how long exactly will be out of the house, I thought I'll just get things for the night. Pack 'n play, sound machine, pajamas, etc. etc., etc.  Thankfully a neighbor was able to watch Micah while I carted everything over to the new spot. I got the bed set up everything ready for what I was expecting to be a terrible night sleep. Who sleeps great away from their own bed? Not me and apparently my son does not either. When Eli got home from work at midnight, we made the decision to head back over to our wet house and sleep there. Micah's room was not damaged in any way, so we knew he would sleep well and that's all that matters at that point.

So, this morning my great plans and set up for his birthday did not happen, however his first day of Tumble Baby did (blurry flip phone pictures below). As well as his big boy car seat.  And we still got to see our little guy have fun despite the craziness that's going on. 

As they continue to work on the house, we'll spend our days in the guest apartment and our evenings at our house. We're praising God for so many things at this moment. Here are just two:

1. Micah's life.  We are so blessed to be his parents. My prayer is that he grows up to be a man of God.
2. We are thankful for the time Eli spent at his job at FCB.  We have formed a lot of relationships with the guys and their families at his job, and we are so blessed by them. We are so excited as Eli was offered a position at Southeastern and will be starting next week.

God is still faithful. He does have a plan. Sometimes it is so hard to sit back and trust Him, but in the end He has it all worked out and I'm so glad.

Micah and his coach on the balance beam.

Look at me, mama!!

Micah's debut photo

6 months

Remarkably and Wonderfully Made

A Mother's Perspective.

Psalms 139:14 HCSB
"I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.   Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well."

Back in May, we found out that we were expecting our second child.  Fear and Joy flooded our hearts with the thought of Micah having a brother or sister in January 2015!  We both knew this would be another opportunity for us to completely rely on God's provision as we do this daily now. 

On Saturday,  July 26th, my body began to show signs of miscarriage.  I discounted it at first but eventually called my midwife and she wanted me to come in the next morning.  After she examined me, she couldn't find the heartbeat and set up an appointment for an ultra sound.  Monday morning, we went and heard what we feared, our baby had stopped growing at some point between 9 and 13 weeks.

On Wednesday, July 30th, I delivered the earthly body of  our daugher, Zoe Charis Byrd.  Her body that was "remarkably and wonderfully made".

God prepared me on Saturday for what happened.  He quieted my heart and allowed me to deliver this child knowing that her body will never walk on this earth, but would pass right on into His arms.  I find joy in this.  Somehow.

I never thought I would have to go through something like this.  This doesn't happen to my family.  We have babies.  I have many sisters who have babies, I have nieces and nephews.  We have babies.  I did have a baby. 

This allow me to ask questions and search my heart.  For example, two of the little girls in my neighborhood were talking about how they would see Zoe and Hope (a friend's baby girl) when they get to heaven.  Such child-like faith. I know that she will be in heaven, but what about playing with Micah?  Tap dancing on the fireplace slate?  Family dinners?  Playing school, library, store, nail salon, etc.?  What about meeting her husband?  Getting married and having children of her own?  Aren't those things great??  

1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV
"However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him—"

What we think is great on this earth, will be nothing in comparison to what God has prepared.  Thank you, Zoe, for teaching me this.  I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this.

This is just the beginning.  I can only imagine how Zoe will be used to teach us and others.  We are healing.  We are learning. We have been touched by our friends and family.   We feel the prayers and know our Father hears them. Thank you.

How about you?  Have you placed your trust and faith in Jesus?  Do you believe?  He loves you.  He cares for you.  He has plans for you.  Just silence yourself and listen.

While Paul was in prison, one of the jailers asked how to be saved...
Acts 16:30-31 NIV
"He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”   They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

YOU, my friend, are "remarkably and wonderfully made"  by God.  I encourage you to trust and believe Him today.

 
A Father's Perspective.

 Experiencing the pregnancy and miscarriage was loaded with mixed emotions. When hearing the great news, I was excited and filled with joy, we would have another blessing from the Lord and Micah would have a sibling to play with. Then I began to think about the financial burden this would be to raise these children, but God has provided for us plenty of times and this would be nothing different. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, so this would not exceed His wealth at all. The thought of having a baby girl softened my heart in many ways; Julie would have a little sweet pea that she could get her manicures and pedicures with, I would have a precious daughter to protect and show what love is, Micah would be able to care for his baby sister and toughen up.

 

 Then there was blood... From my understanding could be a common thing, so I was not troubled. It was not until I saw my precious daughter Zoe on the ultra  sound screen that I knew she would not be held by anyone, play with anyone, nor experience this world at all (not a completely bad thing). She looked rested on her side at ease and in peace. I could not tell Julie initially, because I did not know if she could handle that information. Even with all of this, I was able to grasp the situation. It was not until Zoe had to be delivered did I realize that my heart was in a turmoil. It just got real and it hurt very bad, but God knew.

 

 Questioning God's reasons for doing this happened every day and once we shared our story with friends and family, it became clear. Zoe's purpose, as is all of ours, is  to bring God glory. Without speaking to a person nor looking them in the eye, she was able to do just that. We on the other hand, can speak and engage other people. We can eat, move and have our being. We can proclaim the greatness of Yahweh to every nation, tribe and tongue. Then I realized that through this situation, my faith in God cannot just be talked alone, but must be lived out so that all can see the good works and glorify my Father in heaven. The apostle James said that he would show you his faith by his works, not just by his faith, because without works his faith is dead. So, I ask you, not just with this loss of our daughter, but the loss of anyone, does your life truly reflect the faith that you proclaim in Jesus? Are you living out the purpose that He has made for you before you were ever conceived in your mother's womb? If not, it is not to late to repent, meaning to ask Him for forgiveness for not doing so, and turn to following Him. There will come a time that you will not be able to undo or add to your life and my prayer is that you would not wait until then to make the decision to trust Jesus with your life and follow Him.

Our neighbors have become our family since the day we moved to North Carolina. One of the girls made me this bracelet to remember our daughter, Zoe Charis.  Zoe, meaning "life", and Charis, meaning "grace".

Micah camera dump

For the Auntie's and Great Auntie's!!!

Micah, day one (8/26/13)

Micah, day three (8/29/13)

9/5/2013

9/20/2013

9/24/2013

9/24/2013

10/12/2013

10/22/2013

10/22/2013

10/22/2013

10/23/2013

10/29/2013

12/3/2013

Birthday Bash

This year, we decided to hang out as a family and take advantage of some of the birthday goodies that restaurants offer! 

Did you know...

Denny's offers a free Grand Slam meal on your big day?
Firehouse Subs offers a free sub?

We ended up taking advantage of both of these deals and then spending the day in Charleston.  I had a lot of fun with my boys!!

After a fun adventure, two of our close friends, Jon and Nicole Abercrombie, came over to bring me pie and cupcakes!

Denny's

#sisterweek

A couple of weeks ago, my sister, Becky, called me to see if I wanted to go on a sister trip.

OF COURSE!!!

Becky found a house on VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) that was about 5 hours away from Naples, FL, Rome, GA, and Charleston, SC perfect for "Sister Week".  House was booked, bags were packed, and I was ready to go!  Eli gave Micah a pep talk about being the only man on the trip and out the door we went.

The morning of the trip, Mari ended up taking Olivia to the doctor where she found out that she had the croup and a sinus infection - contagious for three days.  Needless to say, she couldn't go.  So I headed down the road towards Jacksonville, Florida where I was planning on stopping to see my in-laws.  Traveling with an 8-week old is a lot like traveling with a 5-week old.  They have to stop to eat and get diaper changes...still!  So I won't go into too many details here, but it did take about 6 hours to get to Jacksonville (normally right under 4 hours).  I was creative in choosing locations to stop - a gas station, McDonald's (hello wifi), and a rest stop - and everything worked out just fine.  I learned from the Tennessee trip about time estimate with a little baby, and made adjustments as needed!

It was so good to finally make it into Jacksonville, and even better when I rang the doorbell and mom peeked out the window and saw the baby!!  It was so special for us to be able to stop there because her birthday was the next day.  I also got to surprise Dad and Grandma! After a few hours there, I headed west towards the very small town of Fort White, about 30 miles from Gainesville.

The house we stayed in was situated on the Itchetucknee River, a river that flows from a spring that is a constant 72 degrees year round.  We stayed up late, slept in, enjoyed the dock where we watched the water flow, hiked at the Itchetucknee State Park, and jumped in the 72 degree water!  It was amazing!

We found a little restaurant there called "Charlie's Rib Shack".  Now this is not a place any of us would ever pick unless my BIL, Corey, was with us, but we decided to go for it.  We ended up going twice!  The people in this place were so loving and kind.  I loved watching the townsfolk come in and out of the place - black, white, asian, hunters, fisherman, bikers, etc. - just with a smile and so cordial.  It was like a tiny glimpse of what heaven may be like! I would go back to this place in a heartbeat.  In fact, I hope to go back again between Labor Day and Memorial Day when there is tubing down the river.  Apparently it's a pretty big deal in the town and people come from all over to tube.  They even have shuttles that run everyday.

The week went by so fast, but like every time I travel without my husband, I can't wait to get home to see him!  So it makes leaving a little easier!!

Looking forward to spending time with ALL of my sisters and brother too at the next event... not sure when that will be, but I'm hoping it's soon!

The babies had the best seat!

Absolutely gorgeous Florida State Park

View of the blue springs

Micah and I in front of the Ichetucknee River

Sweet boy!

Becky, Rachel, and I after jumping in the springs

The babies while we were swimming

#sisterweek

Traveling with a 5 week old

Last weekend, Eli, Micah, and I loaded up the car for our first road trip to Crossville,  Tennessee. Sounds like a pretty good plan, huh?  Well it was until about an hour into the six and a half hour trip.

Last Christmas,  we went to spend a week in Jacksonville,  Florida with Eli's family as we have been doing every year since we met. This time, we added a road trip to Rome, Georgia the day after Christmas. One month pregnant and MANY hours on the road, I decided then that I no longer liked car rides lasting more than four hours.

I don't know what I was thinking committing to this trip, except for we were going to see a good friend of Eli's get married!  Low on funds (hello, Dave Ramsey and stay-at-home mom pay) and lack of airport in Crossville, I was left with no choice but to drive! And that we did!

Micah doesn't mind being in the car seat as long as we are moving. I think he already has a sense of direction because if we are stopped, for traffic or even at a light, he starts to cry.  So after about an hour or so, baby boy decides he wants to eat. I rode in the back and was able to pump a bottle for him. We stopped at a rest stop and his daddy fed him while I walked around and went to the bathroom. Great first stop, but a couple hours later we had to do it again. This time I gave up on the pumping and we found a quaint little church on the side of the road to stop and handle business. Multiply this times 4 or 5 and a six and a half hour trip will easily turn into ten or eleven.

Needless to say,  we made it to the small town of Crossville. The family had reserved a couple of lodges on the 4H park in town. The camp was an extension of the University of Tennessee and absolutely gorgeous. The wedding was held in a little gazebo overlooking a pond there on site, as was the reception. Eli was one of the groomsmen which worked out well because Micah and I arrived as the guys were walking down the isle. Micah decided he wanted to take forever to eat and just as we were walking out, I noticed milk had gotten on my dress. After a quick change, we headed over and stood in the shade in the back!  The sun was hot but in the shade you could feel a beautiful mountain breeze.

The ride back was like the ride there but worse. We didn't leave Tennessee until about 4 (our time - we crossed into the next time zone) and got home close to 2 in the morning. Late night driving along with feedings at shady gas stations made for a long ride! I was so glad to see exit 205B and pull into our gated community, I mean campus. Thankfully,  Eli drove the last 30 minutes and whipped us through security.

Lesson learned:  Plan for longer travel time and get more sleep before driving.  I have trouble staying still so being at home a lot isn't an option! 

The 4H park

Beautiful front porch 

Here Is the quaint little church we found. Great place to feed  the baby!

Micah dressed for the wedding

Jamie and Becky!

Eli's GPS

A month in the nest

Have you ever heard people say, "It goes by so fast" or "enjoy every moment"?  Well I am sitting here finding myself believing those sayings are absolutely the truth.  Our son, Micah is one month old.  In fact, he is one month, plus a few days.  Here is a photo recap of one of the most awesome months at the Byrd's Nest!!!

This picture was taken on Tuesday (9/25) on our way out of Pop Pop's house in Annapolis and heading home.

I finally got to meet my sweet niece, Isabel.  This is Becky and Corey's second daughter.  These two little monkeys are 20 days apart.

Olivia and Ella Mae love to play with the babies, but they don't understand why they won't play back.  They also love to shove pacifiers into the babies mouths.

Isabel and Micah loved being next to each other. 

Kisses from Olivia!

Uncle Dave was holding Micah at the table during my cousin Jennifer's wedding reception.  Eli, Micah, Mari, Olivia, Rachel, Becky, Ella, and Isabel all went to Maryland to see Jenn marry her sweetheart, Scott!

 

This was Micah's very first picture at Charleston Birth Place after he was born.  We had such an incredible experience there.  I will write about the birth in another blog since so many people have been asking about the water birth!

Micah's just hours old and home at our apartment.  His first visitors were my parents, Olivia, Ben and Mari.  Eli's parents came two days later to meet him!

Micah loves to take walks in the stroller around the pond at CSU (or anywhere for that matter)!

A few months ago, I hit the most amazing sale on plane tickets.  So glad I booked them because we were able to go to the wedding and Micah was able to meet family for the first time!  He did so good on the plane.  He slept the entire way there... even through security.  They way home was a different story... He cried through the entire process until we got on the plane.  Then we was quiet for the ride.  Finally he fell asleep just as we were landing.  His cousin, Olivia, was on that same schedule, minus the crying in through security and while we were waiting.

We went to Quiet Waters Park while we were in Annapolis and took a hike through the woods.  Yes, we have matching "Birds" shirts!

Eli and Ella swinging at Quiet Waters.

Micah loves to take a bath.  He loves the time he spends with his daddy and loves feeling the water.  Truly a water baby!!!!

Micah was only a couple weeks old in this picture.  He is such a peanut.

I saved the best for last.  This month, Eli was ordained by the Southern Baptist Convention and Summit Church to be a minister.  I am so proud of him and his obedience to the Lord's calling.  He is such a great leader of our home and I am excited to see where the Lord will lead our family!!

xoxo

For some reason, this last picture went to the bottom.  All of my sisters and the babies... including baby boy Eckert who will arrive on February 4, 2014 (ok, so that is my prediction).