Nora Lee

Well, it has been quite the week for the Jackson family. Last Wednesday we welcomed Nora Lee Jackson into the world at 8am weighing 7lb 4oz and 22.5in. She is beautiful and thankfully looks like mom:) Also to my great surprise has a headfull of black hair!! The surgery went well and we were able to cuddle in the recovery room. Shortly after she started showing signs of distress and trouble breathing. This quickly developed into a very serious matter and was transported to Children's Hospital in Denver. I never thought I would have to go through this experience again. Being away from my brand new baby and have her in a completely different hospital. What was a joyous day quickly turned into panic and heartache.

In the days following, Nora developed a type of pneumonia from fluid in her lungs which then promted a pneumo thorax(hole in the lung) which caused her right lung to collapse. After being ventilated, having a chest tube put in, and countless lines and IVs, Nora is on the road to recovery. Thanks to prayer and the wonderful Doctors and nurses at Children's. She came off the ventilator, chest tube and IV yesterday and today has lost her oxygen supplement. She was able to nurse this morning and has been nursing since. Her antibiotics are completed tomorrow and her last line in her little body will be out! We look to go home Thursday or Friday...fingers crossed!!

It has been such an emotional journey and heartbreaking, but God is in control and in a way has prepared us for this. It is a true miracle the birth of a child and I will never take for granted how much a healthy, perfect baby born is. Please continue to pray for Nora's recovery and health as we come to the end of this chapter. God is Good!

Few Pictures

This gross critter we found one morning in the backyard!

A favorite pastime in our house...


Watching our first snow!


Abbie wearing daddy's shoes and her favorite wardrobe accessory of late, her bib

Baby Update

Well, after a fun hospital visit last night we were able to go home to cook Nora a little bit more! I know Mike Wishard was very very relieved at this news as he was the stand in babysitter for the girls last night. As we were walking out the door he says "so, I've never changed a diaper before". Before I could panic Andy shuvs me out the door and yells back "It's pretty self explanitory man". But fortunately is was false labor and we were able to come home and Lord willing wait till Wed of next week to meet our newest little girl.

It seems God has lined up everything lately and now I'm starting to see why. Andy accepted a new job which officially starts Dec 1st. He will be in another round of training for 2 months(convenienty the time of my maternity leave). He's been in training the last 2 months which has thrown our schedule out of whack, but this round is sure to test us. He will work 6 12 hour days/nights then have 3 days off. This rotation will continue for the next 2 months!! I'll be glad to meet my husband again after that time. A trip with just the 2 of us will definitely have to be put into works. But until then it's going to be a hard 2 months:) It seems God has been bringing in sooo many changes since July, and I'm trying so hard to listen and see where He is leading us, but it's so hard. My OCD is getting pruned I believe, lol. I can't stand not being in control and knowing the outcome so this is new new new territory for me.

But I am still amazed daily at the power of prayer. As I prayed today before doing our budget and bills (and I'll openly admit I was scared to death about it because it is our first single income budget!) I asked God to please provide for us and give me peace of mind and surrender control to Him. And after I finished all the bills and budget for the next few months I was extremely encouraged to have all the numbers work out! But even better after that we received Andy's paystub in the mail and his check was double what it normally is!!! God is amazing and is faithful to provide!! We started the Dave Ramesy Total Money Makeover and God just supplied our babystep one! Though the extra money was a wonderful security, but more that was the comfort of knowing my heavenly Father cares and provided me comfort in His answer. I know these times can be so hard with Christmas and year end finances, but God taught me once again to lean on Him and give Him my worries and remain faithful and He will provide. Again we are so blessed and I hope those few of you who read this will be abundantly blessed this Christmas season!

Daddy's Girls

I can't believe how fast my girls are growing!! They come up with something new every day. It's amazing how much their little minds pick up and how fast they learn it. They love to sing and love for momma to sing:) They are talking so much and love to laugh. Ella's favorite song is the "dadda song", Which she wrote herself, haha. The girls love, love, love their daddy. They love running in our room in the mornings when Andy is off and jumpin on him in the bed. It's so sweet how much they just want to cuddle with him and love on him. They definitely have daddy wrapped around their finger! I'm so incredibly blessed to have Andy as my husband and father to my kids. He is so patient and loving with the girls. His entire world is the girls and I and he is proud to tell anyone that. He is THE BEST dad i could imagine my kids growing up with. My idol is my grandpa. My whole life he has been the standard to which I compared all men to and how they should love, serve, parent and act. My Papaw is the Godliest man I know and his life is evidence of that and God molded Andy from the same cast. It's such a comfort to have his relaxed demeanor around when my OCD is in full swing. He complements me so well and we are so much alike in so many areas that it is evident God made him just for me. It's so easy throughout the day to lose sight of him as MY Andy when we're both in parent mode, but it still takes one look to give me goosebumps to my toes:) I love him so much for everything he is and everything he's becoming.