Much Anticipated Update

It is a beautiful, cold, and snowy morning here in Colorado Springs, and I am loving every minute. Not everyone likes waking up to a cloudy morning, but I definitely am one of the few who does. In fact, I always feel a bit energized when I look out and see a cloudy day. Kind of weird? Maybe a little. I just finished making a delicious latte, and now I am going to write an update on our little family. It will, once again, be in a numbered style. I like to refer to this numbering blog style as Kristy's style since she inspired it. Thanks, Kristy!

The "Other Other" Willcutts' Family Update:

1. Ady has been doing really well lately. She has transitioned to whole milk, one bottle a day, and one nap a day really well. She has been eating more and more normal foods and is getting closer and closer to walking. She loves to hold our hands or fingers and walk all around the house and up the stairs. Also, she can now answer lots of questions when asked.

* What does Charlie say? "hmm, hmm, hmm"

* How old are you? she holds up one finger very proudly

* Where's your nose? Points to nose

* Where's your belly button? Tries to lift up your shirt and grab your belly button

*Where's my ear? Turns my head and grabs my ear

This has been a really fun age for both Scott and me to play with Ady. Every day she amazes us with some new facial expression or sound or ability. Parenting can be hard, but it definitely has its perks too.

2. Speaking of new facial expressions, Adyson has a new one that just cracks us both up. I know I shouldn't laugh and encourage it, but I just cant hardly help it. It is her mean face. She makes it whenever something happens that she isn't pleased about. For example, the other day I was feeding her some lunch. She was enjoying some chicken noodle soup. I thought she might like some apple slices (she usually does), so I cut some pieces up and gave them to her. She of course went to eat a piece, but the apple was not the flavor she was expecting and she made her mean/ grumpy face. I've been trying to get a picture for a while, but it has been difficult. Here is the closest picture I've gotten of it. *sigh* It just tickles my funny bone for some reason.

3. On Friday evening, I noticed that Ady seemed to be a little warm and flushed, so I took her temperature. To my surprise, she had a mild fever. She hadn't been acting sick or different, so I wasn't expecting to find a fever. I didn't think too much of it, and I decided to see how she was in the morning since she was playing, eating, and acting completely normal. The next morning, I had a baby shower I was supposed to go to, and Scott and Adyson were going to have a fun morning all to themselves. She had been playing, eating, and acting completely normal again, but before I left that morning I decided to take her temperature just to be sure. Sure enough, she had an even higher fever than the night before. This time it was at 102. I was starting to get a little worried, and I thought that when I got back from the baby shower we'd check it again and see how she was doing. After a lovely time at my friend's baby shower, I came home. Scott had just gotten our little lady up from her nap, and they were sitting together in her rocking chair. This time I knew something must be wrong. Her cheeks were bright red, her eyes were really glazed, her head was a little sweaty, and she was really lethargic. Scott and I took her temperature again, and this time it was up to 104.6! We tried to not panic, and I called the doctor's office right away to ask them what we should do. The nurse told us to take her to urgent care immediately, and we did. When the nurse took her temperature at the doctor's office, it was up to 105, and they gave her a whopping dose of Tylenol to bring it down. I was terrified that she was going to have a seizure from her high fever, but thank the Lord, she didn't. After what felt like forever, the doctor came in and checked her out. He asked us if she had had a runny nose or congestion, stomach problems, or any other symptoms. Scott and I both told him no and that we were shocked she had this fever. It came out of nowhere! Finally, he looked in her ears and found that it was a terrible ear infection in both ears. The right ear was especially bad. He told us, "It looks like someone kicked the inside of her ear it's so red!" Needless to say, he sent us home with some heavy antibiotics and some ear drops. The last ear infection (and only) that Ady had was due to her molars coming in, and it healed up within the first dose or two of antibiotics. I assumed the same thing would happen. NOPE! Saturday night we couldn't get her fever lower than 103.5 even after a cool bath and full dose of Motrin. Sunday her fever stayed around 103 until the night time, and then it was back up at 104.5 again. Poor thing! I called the nurse at our doctor's office just to ask if that seemed normal and to ask what else we could do. He told us that if it wasn't below 102 on Monday to take her in to our pediatrician. Also, he told us that if it got to 105 to take her to the emergency room. Talking to him really helped, and I felt much more reassured that Scott and I were doing everything we could. Monday morning, Ady still had a fever, but it was below 102. Tuesday and today she has been fever free! Yea! We'll go to a follow up appointment next week to make sure it is really better. The antibiotic has given her some tummy side affects and a horrible diaper rash, but it is great that she is finally fever free. It is still surprising to us that she didn't have any symptoms of an ear infection other than that fever! So weird! (Wow! That is the world's longest paragraph. Seriously, look at it!)

4. My sister got the Swine Flu or H1N1 virus, and spent a little over a week in the hospital with pneumonia as a result. It was really scary for a while because it took a couple days for them to find an antibiotic to help, and in the meantime, the infection spread to her organs. By God's grace, though, the doctors found some medicine that would work, and she started improving very quickly after that. She finally came home on Sunday, and she is doing better and better each day. My mom went to stay with them this weekend and the first part of this week to help Vernon with the kids and cleaning house. I know they are enjoying her visit and her help! Christina came home on oxygen, and she'll probably be on it for a while, but I am just so thankful that she is doing better!

5. Speaking of sick people and this weekend... my darling friend of over 24 years, Jamie, just called me yesterday to tell me about her weekend. Jamie is about 15 weeks pregnant (I think that's how far she is), and she had been having some severe cramping in her side for the last week or so. On Sunday it was so bad that it kept her up all night. Her and BJ were so worried that they went to the emergency room on Monday morning. Come to find out, Jamie had Appendicitis and the doctors immediately rushed her into surgery that morning. Jamie didn't have the classic symptoms of appendicitis, so they were all shocked to find out that that is what she had. It was so bad, that the doctors told her it was about to burst! YIKES! Again, by God's grace, she is doing much better, and at home recovering. Her and the baby are fine! One of my favorite parts of her story is such a testament to God's astounding ways of granting peace in situations that seem beyond our control. Jamie said that she kept having the jingle from the Midas car mechanic commercials in her head for the whole weekend "Trust the Midas touch", and that it was driving her crazy. Sure enough though, when she got to the emergency room she cracked up because her surgeon's name was Dr. Midas! She said that she just felt the Lord was telling her to not worry and to truly trust her surgeon's touch. Dr. Midas! So awesome! God works to give us peace in weird ways, doesn't He? Praise God she and baby are doing well!

6. On a more random note, I have really been on a big popcorn kick lately. It is hard to go even one day without a bowl of that fresh, crispy, goodness! In fact, I am munching on a bowl as I type this. Delicious!

7. Well, for my last numbered update, I thought I would share with you a little story from last night and some pictures to go with. Knowing that there was a snowstorm coming into town, Scott and I decided that it would be good to take Charlie out for a nice long walk so that he could get some good exercise before the storm made us all stay inside for the next few days. When Scott got home from work, we bundled Ady up and we all went for a walk all around our neighborhood. It was such a fun way for our little family to hang out together and enjoy the crisp, cold fall air. On the final portion of our walk, Ady's little fingers started getting cold, so she decided that Daddy (Da- dou as she calls him) would be the best person to help. She would stretch her little right arm up into the air towards Scott and stretch her little fingers out so he could better grab her hand. As we finished our walk, Scott held Charlie's leash in his right hand and Ady's cold little had in his left. It was absolutely adorable. I tried to take pictures on my iphone, but they are a little blurry. It was hard to push the stroller and control the camera all in one motion, but here are some pictures. Ady sure loves her Da-dou and so do I! The Lord has truly blessed me with a lovely family, and I am thankful to Him for each day I get to spend in it.

As I close, I would like to make mention of someone very special to me. She is very creative and one of the funniest people I know. She has been bugging me for quite some time now for "stealing the name of this blog and infringing on her copyright laws". So, let me clear the air. Aunt Melanie (Scott's lovely Aunt from Georgia) came up with the name "The Other Willcutts" in reference to their family or Scott's family. "The Willcutts" will address letters to "The Other Willcutts" and visa-versa or refer to the other Willcutts family with this name. When Scott and I got married we officially became "TheOtherOther Willcutts". When I went to start this blog, I decided I should call it "TheOtherOtherWillcutts", but as I typed it and looked at it... it was way too long and only a few would understand the meaning. So.. yes, Aunt Melanie, I copied and infringed on your copyright laws and called it "The other Willcutts" just for simplicity's sake. But the real title is "TheOtherOtherWillcutts". However, to give full credit where full credit is needed, I thank the creative genius of Aunt Melanie for inspiring the name of this blog.

I love you, Aunt Melanie! Now watch the baby's head and stop worrying about it. :)

... and Called it Macaroni!

Just a fun little update on Ady. Today was the first day that she ate out of her bowl all by herself. She did a pretty good job, and I thought I would share some pictures from lunch. What a cutie!






The last picture says it all. My stomach is still sore from giggling so much! I am so proud of her, though! She ate most of her lunch and had a great time doing it. Charlie loved cleaning up, too!
Have a great week!

Thursday's Thoughts

Lately, I have come to love Thursday mornings. I say that I have come to love them because for whatever reason, Thursdays have been the hardest day for me for about 3 months. As I briefly mentioned in my last blog, I have been struggling with loneliness and Thursday seemed to be the worst day. Even since starting a Bible study and meeting lots of new women, I have had to fight back the tears of loneliness and restlessness that have consumed me. However, by God's grace and despite this rough season, I have found such rest and peace in knowing that God is faithful. The Bible study I joined is on Thursday mornings, and He has been so faithful to reveal His Word so clearly to me as I've studied. He has placed me with some of the sweetest, most Godly, elderly women at my table who have "taken to caring for me".

Although Thursday mornings have been difficult in the past and may continue to be, I have been learning to look for the best things in my day and to find hope and joy in those things. Thursday has become the one day of the week when I actually wake up before or at the same time as Scott. I actually take a shower and blowdry my hair! I have even sometimes been able to find the time to make Scott breakfast and lunch before he heads off to work. When Ady wakes up, we eat a yummy breakfast which is usually scrambled eggs, and then we finish getting ready for Bible Study. Then we're off to church! Ady plays in the nursery, and I get to have some adult time in God's Word. By the time we get home, Ady is ready for a bottle, blankie, and binkie(the holy nap trinity at our house). Then, I usually have around 2 hours to do what I need or want to do. Thursdays don't sound too bad afterall, do they?

Well, there is one part of my Thursday scene that I love and have come to find such hope in. I would even go so far as to say that it is the "cherry on top" of my day. What has once been a hard day of the week has evolved into my favorite just because of this one precious moment. Let me describe it for you.

When we get home from Bible study, I gently get Ady out of her carseat and we go inside. We give Charlie a nice pet and greeting, and then we climb the steps up to her room. After getting her "ba-ba", "nee-nee", and binkie, we snuggle up in the rocking chair. It's important to tell you that Ady hasnt been as cuddly as she used to be, and she rarely falls asleep on me anymore. You see, she is becoming more and more independent with every passing day. Well, on Thursday mornings Adyson is usually so worn out from playing at church that she can barely keep her fluttering eyelids open for half of her bottle. When she finishes, she snuggles up right into my chest and falls deeply asleep. She is so at rest and to be honest, so am I. I rest my nose on her head and breathe in her sweet baby smell. I always find myself almost in tears out of the gratitude I feel to the Lord for giving me such a sweet gift. How humbling to be her mommy and yet how wonderful. The last few weeks, every Thursday I have quietly hummed blessings and prayers over my sweet little one and tried to savor every moment. What a gift. Today, as I had my sleeping angel snuggled in my arms, I had an interesting thought. I wondered if God feels a little bit like I do when we snuggle up into His arms and find rest in Him? Does He feel so proud of His children when we look to Him for comfort? Does He just savor the moment of spending close moment with Him? Somehow, I think that my feelings are but a shadow of the feelings that He has for His trusting children. I was reminded of two passages in Scripture that sent goosebumps down my arms.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want [or need anything else]. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul... Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [the valley of deep darkness], I will fear no evil for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:1-4

What a Good Shepherd we have as believers in Christ. When we trust Him and cling to His guidance and protection, He gives us satisfaction in Him (rids us of restlessness); He provides a place for us to rest and find peace; and He restores our souls. He is with us. Oh what a comfort that is! I dont know about you, but I feel such peace in that. We can rest our heads on His chest and find our true restoration in the safety of His protecting arms.

"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Does anyone else find hope in this verse? Come to Jesus and He will give you rest. He is gentle and humble, and in Him we will find rest for our souls. What a promise. I dont think that this verse promises that trusting in Him will secure us an easy ride on earth, but I do believe that walking with Him under His yoke, will provide an unexplainable peace and rest and the promise of an eternal hope and future with Him. I yearn for His peace and hope, and to find restoration in His shepherding and gentle arms.

Okay, I better stop now or no one will want to read another one of my blogs because this one is so long. I just felt like sharing some of my heart today.
On another note, I did mention posting some pictures in my last blog. How about if I just post one? It was taken from our hike this last weekend, and I think it is pretty cute. Have a great day!


How about those sunglasses? hehehe! Colorado babe!