Harris, sweet 3 month old

Our first new park

This is one of our closest parks. It is called Grist Mill Park because it is located near the site of George Washington's Grist Mill (and near his Mt. Vernon estate). It is a fun park, and the very first time we went we met a wonderful mom and her two children who have become our friends. ( I hope to get a picture of them soon.) The other day we went and I met moms from China, Brazil, and Germany. This community is definitely made up of a lot of internationals. I love meeting all these women, and I hope I can really make some good friendships. Good friendships means knowing each other. And I hope knowing me means getting to know Jesus. I met a lady at church the other day who said she heard a preacher say that military families are really missionaries, constantly being "sent out." It is definitely true.

Moving Day

Here is our moving crew- Leonard, Darnell, and Kelvin.

The moving truck- driven by Leroy (not pictured). He was from the Poconos and has been a trucker for 30 years! After he loaded our stuff he was headed to Tampa and then up to deliver our stuff in Virginia.

We took a slight detour on our trip to visit Jay's Dad and his wife Averil. Their apartment complex in Hunsville has a guest apartment that we got to use, and they brought us Dreamland BBQ for dinner! It was a short visit, but it was good.

This picture is ridiculous but it makes me laugh. My mom rode with me and the kids in the van and she tried to take various pictures while we were going 70 mph. Didn't work. This one is in Virginia- we spotted a flower known as crown vetch, that we remembered from when we lived up here. It covers whole medians. The guard rail came out nicely I think.

Ruthie on the port-o-potty. I got this great idea from my sis-in-law, Cheryl. She carries a little potty with her all the time. Ours came in handy on our trip. Ruth thought it was super fun.

We found Mater! Mac was so excited.

Neighborhood

Things I really like about our new neighborhood:



-Wide streets

-Lots of trees, including our backyard

-Sidewalks-great for walking and running

-Mailboxes are by the front door- I've always wanted to have a walking postman to wave to and check my mail in a little box by my door. It also makes the neighborhood look less cluttery with a zillion different mailboxes.

-Big hills!-good for running, walking, getting in shape. And sledding, should the opportunity arise.

-Close to everything-shopping, restaurants, parks, historic sites, and a metro stop

-Friendly- we have met so many neighbors already. There are tons of dog-walkers out in the evenings and they stop to chat. (They also pick up their dog's poo in little baggies. Two thumbs up from me!)

-Lightning bugs- I know they are not exclusive to our neighborhood, but they make me so happy. They remind me of my childhood days living up here....One time in particular I recall when I was living in Maryland, we lived on top of a hill. This night I looked out over the hills and farmland and it was twinkling with thousands of lightning bugs, like a fairy land.

-Curbside recycling- comes with our garbage service.

Bedtime Emergencies

Who? Ruthie

What? falling out of her bed

Injury involved? busting her chin and cracking one of her rear molars

Where? antique bed, pretty high off the ground, hardwood floors below

When? 3 a.m. two Saturday nights ago

Treatment? 5 stitches

Who else? Mac

What? string from blanket tightly wrapped around index finger, cutting into finger

Injury Involved? loss of circulation to end of finger, possible loss of finger if no intervention (not sure about this but it sounds logical to me)

Where? big boy bed

When? Wednesday night

Treatment? hugs and kisses, scissors to cut string

Mac's wins the Most Bizarre Bedtime Emergency Award. I discovered his finger because I went in to check on him when I was going to bed and I noticed he was sweaty so I tried to pull his cozy car blanket off of him. It kept lifting up his arm, and I couldn't get it off of him- then I saw what had happened. I tried to unwind it gently without waking him, but it was so tight that I had to really work at it and call Jay for scissors. Mac woke up and started screaming and wrestling around, but we managed to get it off and calm him down. Craziness.

Ruthie was very brave at the ER, she only screamed and cried out for mommy when they were giving her the shot to numb the area. Poor baby.

Conversation between a 4 year old and a 2 year old

Ruthie: Don't bite me Mac, I'm going to bite myself. (happily)
Mac: Me too! (in his cute little high pitched voice)
Ruthie: OW!
Mac: OW! (in his cute little high pitched voice)

(Overheard in the back of our sweet minivan. What the?)

So much to say

Every time I sit down to blog my mind goes into jukebox mode and all I can think of are song titles that are cheesily appropriate to what I'm going to write about. Today's is obviously Dave Matthew's Band, but I was also considering Pearl Jam's "I'm still alive." Although now that I think about it I'm not sure if that is the actual name of the song. It's not. (thanks Google- the song is officially entitled "Alive.")

So we just got internet flowing today and I am crazily bouncing around cyberspace trying to catch up on everything. It is amazing how many times during the day I think of something that I need or want to look up on the internet, especially now that I'm in a new town. So these last two weeks I would think of something and then think "I'll go look it up," and then "doh, no internet." Or something I wanted to blog about...."doh! (this sounds like dough when you say it) gotta wait. I hope I'll be able to catch up.

PCS=Military Lingo for Permanent Change of Station

So far moving is hell. It is so out of control and crazy. I can say like that comfortingly angst-filled bard of pop culture Alanis Morrissete, "I'm sane but I'm overwhelmed/I'm lost but I'm hopeful baby." I think that hell could be a for sale sign in your yard and a moving van in your driveway and lots of boxes. In really hot conditions, ummm, like south Alabama in a heat wave. But, unlike hell, I see hope (like a soap on a rope) and I see God. We are currently in Huntsville, AL, waiting to feed bambino Harris so we can get a good start. Having a 2 month old really adds some time on to this whole process, but on the other hand we can relax more...stop to feed him while the other kids play in the van or walk around a rest stop. Jay got a GPS for his birthday/Fathers Day/4th of July/Secretaries Day and it is super handy for finding Chic-Fil-As where they have relatively non-germy play places. So give us a wink and a prayer as we blow by your Corvette in our sweet MINIVAN and see you in VA, baby!

I have been wanting to get a picture of this place and post it for months. It is my favorite store in Mobile. One stop shopping. And an abundance of white stone lions.

how you know your child is addicted to the song Ice Ice Baby

Sitting in the minivan (oh yes I forgot to post back in January that we are now owners of a minivan) your 4 year old daughter says:

"Mommy, tomorrow at breakfast I'm going to kick my juice."

Thumb sucker

Playdates with Isabelle

The top picture is Harris and Isabelle's (daughter of Jen and Brandon McShea) first playdate back in May. The second one is roughly 3 weeks later. They really had fun together and decided they want to get married someday.

baby boy drinks from a bottle!!

These pictures are so exciting to me! Ruth and Mac never took a bottle, so having a bottle drinker this time gives me a little more freedom. Plus it is sweet to see others feeding my sweet baby. Here is Daddy feeding Harris, and Jay's mom Judi (Ju Ju) and my mom, Nonni. (Please note Jay's shirt in the picture, SBP 1997, his most favorite and most ratty shirt.)

First Bath

Harris's First Beach Trip

I'm backtracking again...This is Harris enjoying the beach at Gulf Shores in May. Our wonderful friends Craig and Cary Perry were there and we got to go spend the night with them, along with Jen McShea and lil Isabelle. It was fun with all our children running around, and so good to be with sweet friends. Harris loved the beach, as you can tell.

Our New Home-To-Be

Here is a picture of the house Jay found for us on his travels up to the DC area. I am very excited about moving into a new house and decorating and arranging furniture and all that fun stuff. There are four bedrooms, so that means guestroom!! The front yard that looks like dirt here has been sodded since this picture was taken. There is a fenced in backyard that is woodsy and has a patio, two sheds, and a firepit. We are very near Jay's work, several military bases, parks and historic sites, all of which are great for us. I am looking forward to our home sweet home.

The Big Move- Let it be known

We are officially gearing up to move to Alexandria, Virginia this summer. Jay got an active duty contract with the Coast Guard and they are moving us sometime in July or even late June. It is very bittersweet for us- leaving friends and family is heart-wrenching, but the adventure of a new city plus the step into active duty CG is very exciting at the same time.

The kids are small enough to not be too affected by a move, and Ruthie is very excited about the snow we will see "up north," as she would say. We are committed to web-cam conferencing, writing letters and staying in touch with those we love "down south," and we would love guests as we will have room, and we are basically going to be in a suburb of DC. Lots to see and do, and educational too! I spent about 8 years living in Virginia and Maryland growing up in a Navy home, and I loved it. I am excited about finding places we used to visit and seeing places I used to love- the Appalachian Trail, Potomac River, various State and National Parks, and even some restaurants I'd like to find. I know God's plan for our family is good, and we will try to embrace it and trust him with all our hearts.

Jay is currently on his way back from driving up to VA to find us a house (a rental, b/c houses up there are out of control expensive), which he did, so we really need to pray that our house here sells quickly! It is nerve-wracking to try to keep our house in order for showing when I have a month old baby, but that's just another reason to depend on the Lord for "help!" It is good that Jay will be home today or tomorrow too. So anyway, I'll keep posting as we begin this adventure.

Birth Story

Here is the official story of Harris's birth. I went in to see my doctor on my due date, and had an ultrasound which showed a very large baby, or so the ultrasound lady estimated. She guessed based on measurements, that he would be about 9 lbs. 14 oz. She also said it is really difficult to get it right at 40 weeks because the baby is so squashed in there. So I sort of got this nervous feeling in my stomach (i.e. I freaked out), but really tried to discount the estimate as an inaccurate way high estimate. But we did decide to go ahead and induce the next morning since he wasn't getting any smaller and I was miserable. As I started laboring, Harris was having multiple decelerations, which means his heart rate would drop with a contraction, and not come back up for several contractions (I think this is right) which means he was not handling labor well. I made it to 4 cm and based on the decels and his estimated weight, my doctor basically said she had a low tolerance for letting me labor, but I could try, or we could go ahead with a c-section now. Jay and I talked it over and prayed and really felt like going ahead with the c-section, based on the doctor's recommendation. I also kept thinking about a friend of mine who had really been seriously, permanently damaged by pushing out a huge baby. I am so thankful for the Lord's direction in this, based on the fact that Harris was so big. I remember hearing my doctor say, "Oh my gosh, Merrill, he's huge!" several times as I lay there and she pulled him out- it was so hard to believe. His head was right under the incision point, which means his head was not even down near the birth canal. This meant I probably would have gone through hell trying to deliver vaginally, and would have most likely ended up with an emergency situation. I breathed so many sighs of relief, and I am thankful for the skill and wisdom of my doctor, and the awesome anesthesia man, who is one of my favorite people ever. Praise God for his sovereign control over all things (I mean God's control not the anesthesia man)!

(This picture was taken the evening we were heading to the hospital to be induced the next morning. It was a wonderful reminder of the Lord's love, provision and care of his children!)

Mama said there'd be days like this

So I am two weeks without Jay starting yesterday, and dreading it, which certainly makes it worse. And Harris is awake more and very fussy. I am seeing the mercies of the Lord in spite of the hardness of this week so far. Like dinner brought last night from my sweet sis-in-law Kelli. And a visit from my dad who brought some New Balances for me (my first pair ever). And the ability to sit and laugh with a screaming newborn, a screaming 2 1/2 year old and two kids in the bathtub. I said "who's having fun?" and Ruthie smiled with me. I am thankful for a healthy baby boy, and I am hopeful that he will settle down, it just might be some tough weeks until then. I realize in this that I really like things to be easy and comfortable, who doesn't? But I wonder how much of what I pray for is based on my own comfort and ease and desire to have "my own time, my own way." I think I don't know really how to pray rightly, but I have this feeling of total rescue when I think of how Jesus intercedes for me. He knows what to pray; he can take my feeble efforts and say what I needed to say. He can teach me to pray and make my heart right.

I love you Lord because you have heard my voice and my pleas for mercy
He is my help and my shield

Baby days

Happy Mother's Day!

First trip to church, two weeks old.

Hanging out in the bouncer.

Early days at home

Harris started out very sleepy, and has done well at night especially, which is wonderful. Here are some pictures of his first few days home, with Ruth and Mac, and one of him getting his first sponge bath.

Full signal

This reminded me of those cellphone commercials with all the bars hidden in each scene (except the short bars are out of order)- is it Verizon? Anyhoo, these are our sweet friends Ruby and Becca having some fun with their buddies on the fence.

Welcome baby Harris!

Harris Morgan Hodges was born April 22, 2009 at 10:56 a.m. He was 9 lbs. 7 oz. and 22 inches long! The hand of God was definitely evident in his delivery, and we are so thankful for his safe arrival. He even gave me a kiss when I first met him, to thank me for carrying him for 40 long weeks. What a sweetie! More details to come...

Due Date Eve/ Happy Anniversary to us!

Today is our 7th anniversary! Hard to believe, that seven years can go by so quickly. And here we are on the eve of the potential birth of our third child. Whoa nellie! I don't really feel like going all googly about the wonderful years we've had and how I love Jay more today than I did seven years ago, probably because I am perpetually cranky and ready to get this baby out. And who got me into this condition? Yeah. Exactly. Which brings me to the next picture I will now post of my whale belly, entitled, "seven years later...still smiling though made of different proportions:"

Can you believe this? Really, most people who see me now say, "poor thing" or "bless your heart." Tomorrow is my due date and I have asked the Creator of this little life to deliver me. My last two times I was induced, with Ruthie at 41 weeks, and with Mac just over 40 (because the cord was around his neck) so I am wondering if I am one of those people whose bodies don't go into labor on their own. If that is the case I am tempted to just induce this week and get it over with instead of waiting till 41 weeks and drawing the same conclusion with a one pound heavier baby to push out. So we pray for wisdom and endurance. And a safe and healthy mom/baby delivery. Red rover, red rover send Harris right over! C'mon boy! I can understand how warm and cozy it is in there for you, but really, I think you'll like it out here too. Two words: breast milk.

Strawberry Patch

Back in March the kids and I went with my brother and his family to a strawberry patch in Elberta, Alabama. It was a beautiful day, perfect for picking ripe, juicy strawberries. The kids loved it, as evidenced by the juice all over Mac.

Two Weeks and Counting

Tomorrow I will be 38 weeks pregnant and I feel like there is a whale head strapped to my body. Like one of those beluga whales. People tell me my belly is cute, and even beautiful, which I truly appreciate, but I can't really go there with them. I have been having some troubles, mainly bladder infections and a kidney stone (what?), which was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced. My baby boy is crushing my innards, but really, he can't help it, he's just doing what he was made to do. So I've had several hospital stays and I am so thankful for everyone's prayers and assistance and love and concern! Mac ran in to my hospital room on Saturday as I was being discharged; ran up to me and said, "where's baby Harris?" I said, "exactly." I really really hope my next stay will be the one where I come home with a babe in arms and not so much one using my bladder as an air bag to cushion his head, sweet thing.

At Nonni and Papa's

Here are some pictures of the kids at my parent's house. There is so much to do there- we go on walks on Papa's trails in the woods, we go on tractor rides, we swing on swings, we play in the sandbox or the sandpile, we go on walks down to the lake and look for gators, and we play with our cousins. Ruthie has a cousin her age, Annabelle, just 5 months younger, and Mac has Alee, one day older- and they have so much fun together as you can see. Mac loves his Papa and wants to do everything he does. He was a big helper with the spring raking. I'll post some other pictures from former trips sometime.

A day at the beach

March means beach weather is here again! I love the beach in the early spring- it is cool and refreshing and amazingly beautiful. I spent time with my parents last week since Jay was out of town and they live just north of Navarre Beach, Florida. This beach holds so many memories for me- many other days at the beach in high school and beyond- and the memory of Jay asking me to marry him! So we loaded up the kids and spent some hours playing and having a picnic. Ruthie amazed me by actually playing in the water- which is still way too cold for most people. She danced and frolicked and it was precious to see. Mac loved digging in the sand and sliding down the big cliff cut out by the pounding surf. He liked the water too, but he wanted me to get in with him and I just couldn't do it. (Especially since my balance is all out of whack with this huge uterus.) I was sad to pack up and leave, but there will be more memories made on this stretch of white sand.