It's a beautiful day, absolutely beautiful.  Doug is mowing the yard and Audrey is sleeping.  I can hear the birds singing away -- outside that is, not from our bathroom vent.  Now, yesterday I could hear them in the bathroom fan, but today I hear the birds outside where they are supposed to be.  Pretty funny, huh?  The birds sure love all our vents - bathroom and dryer vents.  Yesterday I thought someone was trying to break into the house via the roof.  But it's just some pesky birds.  This isn't the first or second time the birds have invaded our house!!

Happenings of Late
Today we're off to run a few errands.  We need groceries.  We're getting new pillows and an elliptical machine.  Random purchases, for sure. Our pillows are dead, and have been for a while.  We keep talking about replacing them, but today we're going to do it..We're excited about the elliptical machine.  Since Audrey was born I have been unable to do any physical activity.  It's been 9 months and I'm eager to get moving and drop this baby weight!!

We're looking for a new car.  Actually, a new-to-us car.  The Sable hasn't been running for about 8 weeks.  It culd probably be fixed without too much difficulty, but I think the Sable just needs to be laid to rest.  It served us for about 6 years, and that is about 6 years longer than we thought it would.  That car has been such a blessing to us, but it's time to move on.  Hopefully we can find a new vehicle soon.  I'd like to start getting out of the house now.  It has been 9 months, after all!

For easter weekend, we went to Nashville to see my folks and my sister, brother-in-law and 2 nephews.  It was a great time.  The boys are fun to watch hunting for eggs.  Mom always makes good food. It was a nice visit.

My friend Stephanie is coming home from Greece in a few weeks.  I am realy stoked about that.  It's been 6 months since I've seen her.  She'll be amazed at the changes in Audrey. 

Audrey
CUTE!!  She is just a bundle of energy now.  She is a speed crawler now.  It's hard to keep her next to me and out of trouble.  She has found all the elctrical cords and sockets in the house.  She likes the fireplace screen, the dog's bowls, the dog's toys, and the flashing lights ont he computer.  Oh, and last on her list---her toys!  She enjoys standing and walking more than crawling.  I thought for a while she'd be one of those kids who skipped crawling and went straight for walking. But, scrawling does help her get to places she can pull up to and walk while hanging on. 

She is still sleeping about 11 hours at night.  She is taking 2 naps still.  The later nap is becoming more of a struggle, though.  She needs it, but she fights it.  I think she thinks she's going to miss out on something big if she falls asleep.

Audrey is displaying a few behavioral issues that are demanding Doug's and my attention.  She can definitely be a pill.  Doug and I are having lots of talks now about what we're going to do about certain things and where to draw the line.  In the beginning, Audrey was a pretty sedate, mild-mannered child who could entertain herself fairly well.  She's always had a few idiosyncrasies and hang-ups, but in general, was good.  It's amazing how the things that she was so stubborn and impatient about months ago are still issues for her.  She is still a stinker when nursing.  She expects all meal to be delivered in a certain manner and order.  She's learned to throw her pacifier when she's mad.  I don't know.  I can no doubt see a stubborn side to her. 

Audrey was sick for several weeks.  I think she has allergies, but time will tell for sure.  She is just a little thing.  At 9 months old, she is still 16 pounds.  She is in about the 7th percentile.  She is cute, though.  She's just a little peanut!

Doug
Doug has been busy.  He is still trying to get acclimated at MarketLinx.  Some of the guys meet on Thursday morning at Panera for a Bible study.  That has been a real encouragement to him.  The folks there have been so understanding and easy to work with Doug when he needs to work from home- which, quite frankly, is more often than we thought at first and more than we'd like.  We're so thankful for an employer who is a major help to us in this area.  Doug misses the guys at Scripps.  He had some great friends there.

Doug is busy working on the Smoky Mountain Youth Conference 2005 website.  There are new and bigger plans for next year, and so Doug is excited and busy.

Rebecca
Well, what's to say about me?  I have a great husband who helps me out and loves me.  I have a miracle daughter who puts a smile on my face and energizes me in her own way.  I have a couple friends that pray for me, keep after me, and won't let me fall off the face of the earth!  That I guess is me - or at least all the good parts of me that I try to stay focused on.  I have a great OB/GYN, Dr. Fields, who is empathetic and determined to help.  We're so thankful for him.  Doug and I are still holding out some hope that things will turn around and I'll feel better and be able to get out of the house.  It's been 5 weeks since my most recent surgery.  Healing is coming along.  I am over a respitory infection I had recently.  I have recovered from a recent migraine. 

Many of my friends will remember 3 years ago April 1 when I woke up in excrutiating pain, unable to turn my head, feel some fingers, and the start down a very long, hard road.  It happened again last week  It was discouraging, but we're getting through it.  It raises so many unanswered questions again, though.  Something is seriously wrong, and we are in search of a specialist to help me.  We are hoping that some recent medication is to blame for some breathing difficulties, chest pain, leg pain, and more vision problems.  I am going off the medication to see if the problems stop.  The new problems would fit in, though, with all my previous problems, wo who knows.  I really needed this medicine, but I really don't need these ailments.

Audrey will be weaned in 3 months.  We have big decisions to make for that deadline.  We have a few option.  We must decide to either pursue fertility or go through a long round of hormone treatment and putting a growing family on hold.  We're grateful we have options, we just don't know what to do just yet.  We're confident that God will show us what to do.  We're eager to do whatever He thinks is best.  We've no personal agenda that we demand -- just staying close to God!!

Answered Prayer
We have a very dear friend in Michigan who has been sick for quite a while.  There were several weeks that we thought she might have lymphoma.  It was a scary, sad time.  My heart broke for them and I was at a loss for how to help.  This past week, we found out she is going to be just fine.  She has a fungal infection that should clear up in a month or so with some medication.  How awesome!!  This friend, Jeanelle, has been a true friend to me.  We've only known each other for a few years and have only seen each other 5 times I think.  I never could not have imagined finding the treasure I have found in her.  Our husbands, Doug and Mike, became friends in college 8 years ago or so.  I got to know Mike through Doug. The three us of stayed friends after college and Doug and I were always very concernec about Mike's quest for a wife.  I met Jeanelle on their wedding day and so began our friendship.  Se talk everyweek on the phone.  We're going through a book together called Lord, Change My Attitude Before it's Too Late.  I love her encouragement, her wisdom, her empathy, her desire for God, her strength.  Incidentally, she's a pharmacist.  That is more than coincidental I think!!  Her expertise has come in quite handy for her sicko friend.  She is such a great person.