The Nehemiah Scholars: October 2007

October 28, 2007

It's A Girl!!!

* 2nd edit* I tried to fix the video - please let me know if it still isn't working!!

My brother and his wife have had their baby!! Many congratulations to Jedidiah and Rachel and all the Vande Hei's and Beeman's!!! We are all thrilled that this little girl is here!!

Kathryn Esther Beeman

Wednesday October 24th, 2007

3:34 pm * 7 lbs. 8 oz * 22 inches

Kathryn is SO beautiful and precious! Patrick loves the "bebe" as he calls her! He said that often while visiting her, and loved to touch her and kiss her!

My dear brother and sister in law did a wonderful job, and I thank God for answering our prayers and bringing baby Kathryn into the world safely and healthy, and for giving Rachel strength and keeping her safe as well.

As to the votes we made when Rachel was in labor:

Grandmerry Beeman and I voted girl :)

I was the closest in guessing the time, although I was far off! I voted 2:00 am on the morning of the 24th.

Grandmerry was closest to guessing the weight. She guessed 7 lbs. 3 oz. Poppie was close behind with 7 lbs. 14 1/2 oz.

Patrick voted 22 inches :) which was absolutely correct. That's how long he was too!

I'm really sad that I can't upload any pictures here. I've hit my limit until I purchase more space. I'm uploading some to facebook though, so let me know if you'd like me to send you a link!

October 23, 2007

Baby Bee and Various Parenting Musings....

Tonight we are awaiting the arrival of the newest Beeman! Rachel is in labor and we are all so excited, and praying for her, the baby and Jedidiah!!
We can hardly wait, and I'm sure J&R feel the same way!
We five have cast our votes as to when the baby shall arrive etc. etc. - I'll let you know who comes the closest after the wonderful event occurs! :)

Recovery has been going pretty well. It's hard to not be able to lift Patrick, and it's hard to have our life "upset" out of it's normal routine, but it's so worth it, as James reminds me when I fret.

I was reminded today of how much my little son needs a routine - among other things. From the time he was itty bitty he was easily over-stimulated. He needed lots of sleep, yet sometimes fought it, thus making himself and his parents rather miserable.
With the surgery has come the need for people to be over here helping me since I can't lift P. With that has come a change of routine. and more stimulation. Poor little Patrick is having a hard time with the changes and excitement. He is also testing the waters. Fun times indeed. But we shall make it. And we are ever grateful for the help of those willing to come spend the day here with me lifting Patrick etc. etc.!

Patrick's personality continues to bloom - and as it does, I can look back and think -hey! he used to make that look when he was "little!" For quite awhile now he has had very definite opinions of how he wants things to go. Things of play etc. etc. - he has planned out just how he wants them to go - and he gets rather upset if anyone suggest something different!

It's amazing how different it is to have a child of your own vs. just babysitting. It's so true that love covers a multitude of sins.
It's a really neat thing to be able to compare our imperfect but oh so strong love for our children, no matter what they do, to the perfect and oh so much stronger love that God has for us. It's a great hope when we feel like surely God couldn't love us after this or that thing that we've done. I mean, last night my son threw a terrible terrible fit - totally out of control awful behaviour. Yet that night my heart was full of love for him. To think that God feels like that (and so much more/better) towards us! It's encouraging!!!

The 21st marked the one year anniversary of finding out I was pregnant with Jamie. So many milestones to pass after that loss. Still some more coming up in November, too. Almost a year since I've been pregnant. That's the longest I've gone since getting married. It was 8 months until there was Patrick, then about 9 months before there was Jamie.

Well, James was up until about 3:30 am - then up around 6:30, so he is already in bed. Perhaps I shall head that direction here soon, since I will hopefully be making a trip to visit the new baby tonight!

Have a wonderful evening! Hopefully soon there will be a big "IT's a GIRL or BOY" posty!!!

October 18, 2007

Thank you all SO much for your kind words and prayers about my surgery today! It's all done and I am so excited! Everything went really well, and we found out something very interesting. Apparently I had a pretty rare thing wrong with my gallbladder - it was twisted! This cannot be found out usually without surgery, and can actually be dangerous if not taken care of sometimes.

I'm so grateful to God for taking care of me today, guiding the doctor's hands, providing financially, calming my nerves, guiding my husband in the right direction (that I should have the surgery) etc. etc.....God is SO good to me. I'm SO grateful to each of you for praying for me, too! Thank you so much.

Recovery is going well. My mom was here today, and my husband was too, of course. He was so sweet to me, and is taking wonderful care of me.

Thank you all again for praying! It's such a HAPPY day for me - like the beginning of a new life! Thank you, God!

October 14, 2007

What's Up....

Time is just flying right by!

We've had some exciting news in the last couple of weeks. First we found out my cousin Jason and his wife, Carolyn are expecting their first baby! We were thrilled to hear that! Then we found out that my other cousin, Trisha, and her husband Gustavo are also expecting their first baby! We were thrilled again. It's so exciting to have these precious little ones on their way into our family. I cannot wait.

Speaking of not being able to wait-I cannot wait for the very close (we hope anyways!) arrival my brother and his wife's first baby, Baby Bee! I'm SO SO SO excited to see that precious little one. My brother's having a baby! It's so exciting and so amazing! (well, he's not having it, but ya know :) ) Pray for Rachel and the precious baby as you think of them. I hope she has a fast and as easy as possible labor, and that it is a wonderful experience for her!

Yesterday we got the letter about the end of our lease here at the apartments coming up - December 31st. I'm excited about the prospects up ahead. I hope we can find a nice little house to rent somewhere. It will be so nice to have a backyard!!

This coming Thursday I am having Gallbladder surgery. Please pray for me, as I am nervous. At the same time, I am very excited and grateful to God.
This has been such a long thing for me. So many times of pain and not knowing what to do....
What we believe was my first big bout with my gallbladder was way back when I was/thought I was in labor with Patrick! So, it has been a long time. Thankfully I stopped having attacks in late June/early July of '06, but It still gives me some pain-and although I did pass some stones we think, the sonogram showed that I have a mass of something in there still.

I wasn't sure if I should have my gallbladder out. We went ahead though and set up surgery for October 18th. The surgery center needed $2000 dollars before the surgery. We didn't have that, but our dear, dear family and friends from our old Church put on a garage sale to help with our medical bills.
Because of them we made a payment last month of over half the fee. We are so grateful to those people who gave of their things, time and energy. Thank you all SO much! I know it was a lot of work. We are truly grateful to everyone who helped. What a blessing you all have been-and what love you have shown us!! May God bless you for your kindness, love, hard work and generosity!

I was still unsure of what I should do about the surgery, but my dear husband said he thought it was what we should do, and decided this week to go ahead and pay the rest of the fee, even though it would make things tight for us....and do you know what the Lord did? First he made it possible for James to play some gigs this week (even with his full time job) giving us more money than usual.
THEN, on the very day James paid the surgery center, there came a letter to our mail box with $500 in it! What an amazing God we have! He is so gracious to me. So many times I grumble and complain...say and think horrible things....yet he turns around and gives us these great gifts! He is merciful and good to me-I am so undeserving of both!
The gift in the mail was anonymous....so, if that person happens to read this, please know how very much you blessed us by your gift. We are very grateful. Thank you SO much!!

So Thursday is the big day. It's such a huge thing for me. This gallbladder adventure has been long-seems like so long to me....it's amazing to think it's coming to an end. Of course I know that you can have problems from not having your gallbladder, so please pray that I won't have any, and that everything will go fine with surgery. It's my first surgery so of course I'm nervous. Probably would be even if it wasn't my first.

So, that's what's up. James is off at his last concert, and I'm going to go relax and watch a movie! Hope everyone is doing well!

October 09, 2007

Longing for a Circle....with love to my "Complete Circle"!!

Have you ever been removed from your "circle" before?

I have been removed various times before, but the last time has been the hardest, I think. Maybe it's because I'm grown up now, and more aware of things. Or maybe it's because of other circumstances happening at the same time.

What I'm talking about is your life. What makes up your day to day, who you see, what you do....The people and places to whom and where you belong.

I know, we truly belong to God. and of course there are our families. But there is more, too.

Nearly a year ago my life began changing. This has been a year of change - and now, I find myself without a circle.

...I like to "do the computer" as I call it. Reading peoples blogs, a forum, facebook....and as I do, I notice the conversations between friends. Girls talking to girls about babysitting for each other, getting together for coffee, going on outings together.

While doing this, I also observe the happenings of people from my old circle. Still together. Their lives still going on. And here I am. Removed.

Not because of anything they did, and not because they don't keep up with me. Things have just changed.

Parts of my life and heart that used to be filled are now empty.

This hurts.

I long for a circle. I long for my old circle. I long to belong. Have "my people."

But I'm stuck in the middle of two worlds right now.

I don't belong to my old circle.

I don't belong to our new circle.

Time will fill these empty places in my heart. A lot can happen with time. It always seems to hurt a little though, the affect of time, I mean.....for as time marches on, unfamiliar things become the norm, and familiar things become dear memories of the past.

I've thought some about my old circles. Looking at memento's reminded me of the people who made up my life 5-10-15 years ago.

All those different people were my life during different seasons of my 25 years.

Many of those people are still my friends today. DEAR friends....but they no longer make up my day to day, right-in-front-of-me life circle. It's a little sad to have been so close to so many people, and then every 5 years or so be removed and start over again!

I know there's a flip side, too. How wonderful to get to know so many people, and have their influences on my life!....

...So, here's to all my friends from my whole life: Thanks for being a part of my life. I may not see you from day to day anymore, but you are not forgotten!

Thanks for helping make up my complete circle! ;)