Givens Family

The official Givens Family portrait.

Picture Day

It is here again...the dreaded annual Christmas picture day. Inevitably the photo session runs into a nap time, feeding time, or potty time. Today I think we hit all three! We did get some great photos, but the process of getting there was not very fun at all.

Notice the tongue sticking out? That was Micah letting us know how he felt right from the beginning.

Jonah was REALLY tired and REALLY needed a nap.

Joe tried to bribe Jonah with a piece of candy, which then ended up in the picture.

Micah really wanted to be fed.

And Noah was just tired of the babies not cooperating.

Like I said before, we did manage to get some good shots of our family. Here is one of my three handsome men. I will share more of the "good" pics later.

Happy Thanksgiving

This month has really flown by and as I sit here reflecting on Thanksgiving, I keep realizing how much we truly have to be thankful for. This Thanksgiving I am most thankful for my husband. I have to be married to the best man on earth! This post is dedicated to My Joseph and some of the things about him that I am thankful for.

Joe has played Mr. Mom all week long, not because he had to but because he wanted to. He changes dirty diapers, and wipes snotty noses. He is an amazing father and I am so very thankful that our children get to enjoy their father.

I know that every week, Joe is going to hand me his paycheck...no questions asked. I am so thankful that we are blessed enough that I do not have to go to work outside the home and that Joe and I have the type of relationship where he trusts me enough to know that I will handle his hard earned money responsibly.

Joe understands my addiction to Caffeine Free Diet Coke and will go out in the middle of the night just to get me one if I happen to run out.

Happy Thanksgiving to my hubby, you are my best friend and the love of my life. I am so thankful that God put us together. I love you!

First Dentist Appointment

Today was Noah's first dentist appointment. I had been meaning to take him for quite some time, but just kept putting it off. For some reason, he was incredibly excited about his dentist visit. His teacher said that was all he had talked about in school all day long!
He did very well and let the dental hygienist and the Dentist poke all around in his mouth without even one complaint. The dental hygienist found one small "sugar bug bite" on one of Noah's back teeth. For all of you who do not speak pediatric dentistry, that equals a cavity.
The Dentist wants to fill it next week. He said it is not a big deal, Noah will not have to get a shot, and should be in and out in less than thirty minutes. So my question is this...if it is a baby tooth that is going to fall out anyway, why fill it? Is the Dentist just trying to make an extra buck or is there a real need to fill a small cavity in a baby tooth? Have any of you had any experience with cavities in baby teeth? What did you do? I guess that is more than one question, but any advice would be appreciated!

Sweet Tart Chews

Oh what a morning this has started out to be! Obviously, Jonah was hiding a piece of candy from me when I put him to bed last night. The little sneak then fell asleep and got it stuck in his hair!
I was in total shock when I got him up this morning and saw a large pink sticky blob of candy entangled in his hair and plastered to his scalp. Ugh. Definitely not the way I had planned for my Monday morning to go.

Thank God I have Internet and was able to Google what to do!!! What did mothers do before Google? A bottle of baby oil and a few snips of the scissors later, and the candy was all gone.
It is not too obvious....is it?? Oh well, I guess we will be a little later taking our Christmas pictures that I had planned! Now please excuse me as I am off to see what else Monday has in store for me.

Shoe Box Ministry

Our church is participating in the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child shoe box ministry. As a family, we decided to do two boxes, one for a boy and one for a girl. We have been purchasing items for a week or so and Monday during the little ones' nap time, Noah and I wrapped and packed the boxes.
After we were finished he and I joined hands and prayed for the recipients of the boxes. I said a general prayer asking that the children who received our box would feel God's love and then let Noah say a prayer. Noah's prayer was a lot longer and a lot more specific. Just a few of his requests were that his box would be received by a boy exactly his age who loved Hot Wheels cars, had never had a magnifying glass before, had always wanted a fishing game, and really liked the color orange. I am sure there were more specifications, but I can't quite remember them all.
When Noah was finished praying, I asked him if he thought he was limiting God by making all of those requests. Of course he responded by asking what it meant to limit God. I tried to explain to him that it would be difficult to find a little boy that was exactly like he prayed. I gave him an example of how it is easy for me to make him a sandwich, but if he requests twenty different things on that sandwich, he may not get it because that would be much harder for me to make.
Then he said something that blew me away...

But I'm not asking you to do it, I'm asking God.

Wow! I was reminded by my five year old that I serve a God that is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. My God is able to meet all of Noah's criteria. He can fulfill all of Noah's requests and I pray that He will. I serve a God who is limit-LESS.
If you ask Noah what omnipotence means there is no telling what he will come up with, but his grasp of the concept behind the word is far better than I will ever be able to wrap my mind around. I have a feeling that I am never going to be able to teach my children anywhere near what they can teach me!

Not Again!!!

Poor little Jonah is sick AGAIN! After feeling better Thursday and Friday, we have started the whole cycle over again. I am beginning to think that he never even had a virus, but that it is just an allergic reaction to the antibiotics that the Dr. put him on for his skin issues. I had stopped giving him the meds when I thought he had a virus, but started back this morning since he was doing so much better. Well, Jonah has thrown up all morning and is now passed out on Joe's chest. I take that to mean that it was the meds making him sick all along. I guess we will wait and see what the Dr. has to say on Monday. I hate it when my little ones are so sick. Hopefully Jonah will be back to his normal self soon.

Standing

Guess who is pulling up to a standing position?

Micah Joseph Givens

We are so proud of you!

It Is Amazing...

...what popsicles, prayer, and a little TLC can do! Jonah is feeling a little better. He still has a persistent fever, but has not thrown up all day. He even felt like eating a bit if banana this evening. Hopefully we are on the road to recovery.

Not What I Meant

Jonah saw a new Allergist yesterday morning. I had prayed before the appointment that when they did the allergy test that his egg allergy would be gone...that he had grown out of it or been cured somehow. Guess what happened??? Yep, the egg allergy did not show up on the skin test! Instead they found that he is allergic to milk, peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, and pistachios. I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but my answered prayer is sort of a bummer. There is a possibility that the skin test was inaccurate so the Dr. is doing a blood test to confirm the results. We will not get the blood results back until December so until then he is to stay away from eggs, milk, tree nuts and all peanut products. It looks to be a very challenging month for dinner menus.
The allergist has also started him on a rigorous treatment plan to try and calm his severe eczema. That however has already been put on hold this morning due to other issues. Jonah started vomiting about nine last night and is still sick this morning. He has vomited so much that he has burst blood vessels in his eyes. He is napping right now, but even with Tylenol and Motrin, I can't get his fever to come under 100. I have spoken with his pediatrician and he thinks that it is just a virus. Right now we are trying to wait it out. He is miserable, but I am doing my best to keep him comfortable. Please pray for his little body and for the rest of us that we stay well.