God's Sovereignty Part 1- Protecting Penny

We've been going back and forth on whether or not to share our little scare that took place last week. I didn't want people to freak out, but at the same time I think it is good to share the lesson that God graciously taught us and to publicly praise Him for His sovereignty over Penny's life.

Last week we had put Penny down for a nap and then I left for SCCS while Jona watched her. This is a typical arrangement for us and I am usually gone for the first half of her nap. She was making a lot of noise and calling out for us like she usually does, but we typically just ignore it and she eventually falls asleep.

Jona has been listening to a podcast lately so he usually has his headphones in around the house, or he was even going to hop in the shower while she was taking her nap. He heard her yell out again and then she got quiet. By God's grace he prompted Jona to go in (which he would never do) and check on her.

When he got in the room he found Penny with the blind cord wrapped very tightly around her neck. Tears were streaming down her little face and she was beginning to lose oxygen. Thankfully he got her unstuck quickly, but a million things could have happened and we could have lost our sweet little Penelope.

If Jona had his headphones on, or had decided to hop in the shower he wouldn't have heard her. We can only praise the Lord for how he protected our little girl.

These are some pictures of her poor neck in the few days after the accident.

There are so many lessons to learn from this but here are a few of the key lessons I learned...

1st- I am not a big worrier, I am actually the exact opposite, to a fault. I am not always the person who looks out for the worst case scenario, but in being that way, I am learning that there are areas I could definitely be more vigilant.

2nd- This precious girl does not belong to me! In the blink of an eye she could be gone. The only one that can truly sustain her life is the Lord. I don't ever want to take for granted the sweet gift that she is to us!

Thank you Lord for protecting my baby. May I always remember that you are the one who keeps us in Your hand!

Funny

This picture made me laugh for a very long time...

Here's a closeup...

Hello? Is anyone out there?

It has been so incredibly long since I've posted I don't really even know where to begin! Maybe I'll just relieve some of the pressure and I'll start with a couple pics of Pen from the last couple of months...

A trip to Disneyland!

As a side note, she's worn this sweatshirt

since she was like 9 months old and it still fits!

Good buy Uncle Jer!

Pen's Nana (Jona's mom) took this pic.

I love our funny girl!

Before a much needed bang trim :)

Play time in the park!

One of our favorite things to do in SCV

I love that sly little grin!

Playing in the sunshine!

She loves outside time

Another train ride

Penny and her sweet Dada

I love this little girl! I will hopefully do a better job of updating this blog! (Don't hold your breath) :)

Finger Painting!!

I recently bought Penny some big paper and finger paint. She has totally loved it! I don't know why it took me so long to get some but it has been well worth the wait!

I love how timid she is at the beginning, then by the end, nearly every inch of her is covered in paint.

This is what Pen does when I ask her to smile.

While taking a break, she looks at her belly and

sees a world of canvas opportuity

Reaching in for a hand full

A little tentative at first :)

I adore her chubby little hands

Trying to figure out what her mom just did to her nose

My sweet, happy girl!

Making sure nothing goes unpainted :)

Now she's wondering if it tastes as good as it looks.

Time for a bath!

Start Spreading The News...

Way back in August, Sarah, Jona and I took a trip to New York City! My family surprised Sarah for her 30th birthday and Jona and I decided what better way for her to enjoy NYC than for us to tag along! :)

We had so much fun. It was HOT and incredibly exhausting but we really did have the time of our lives. I learned quickly, while our on honeymoon, that my husband is an OVER ACHIEVER vacationer. Which means that you shouldn't expect to sleep in or relax. My sister is even worse. The two of them combined create a sightseeing force that is not to be messed with. I am just now getting the feeling back into my feet.

We saw the Metropolitan Museum, Grand Central Terminal, Ground Zero, Museum of Natural History, The Pompeii Exhibit, The Hello Deli, Ed Sullivan Theater, Strawberry Fields, The Dakota, Central Park, Rockefeller Plaza, Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, took a boat to the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Carnegie Deli, Times Square, took ABC tour...

It went on and on. It really was a blast. My poor sister has been suffering from Celiacs, soy allergies, Dairy allergies and every other food allergy you can think of so her food choices at home are pretty limited. As it turns out, NYC is like the mecca of gluten free and vegan restaurants. It was so fun to watch her be able to eat things like pizza and pasta and breadsticks that actually tasted good!

We left Penny with my gracious in laws. We missed her like crazy. By the end of the trip Jona and I kept staring at kids on the subway. We couldn't wait to get back to her but we really had a great time with each other and Sarah.

Here are some pics from the trip...

Sarah and I in Grand Central Station

(which was across the street from our hotel)

Sweatin' it up in the Subways. Seriously every time

we got down there I wanted to cry. Subways are not for me.

Go ahead, call me a snob.

Inside the Met. This place is absolutely incredible.

While at the Met, I made Jona sit down about

100 times to "take a picture".

Holy cow, my feet hurt

Incredible!

(sorry for the butt crack :))

This was my favorite part

Sarah and I got last minute tickets to see Phantom

I cried through the whole thing. Absolutely amazing!

(We also saw Wicked, which was great, but not as good as Phantom)

Sorry for the poor quality.

I think this was right before Wicked

My sister is even beautiful while stuffing her

mouth full of gluten free pizza :)

(Don't hate me for this Sarah)

This was on our last night.

We surprised Sarah by taking her on a sailboat cruise to see the statue of liberty.

It was so beautiful. I didn't get a great picture of it,

but here's one of the skyline on our way back.

Thanks Jona & Sarah for a great trip. Love you both!!

I'm Not Dead Yet

I've come to terms with the fact that I am a very obnoxious blogger. I would apologize but I'm not sure it's about to change so I'll hold off on that. Hey, at least I'm not as lazy a blogger as this guy :)

I come to realize that my relationship with blogging is a lot like the friend you were supposed to call a while ago. You don't call, forget to call, lose the number, etc. Then you get to a point where you're so embarrassed to run into them that you move to another state and change your name. Thats kinda where I'm at.

I thought I might start another blog but then I realized that no one reads this blog anymore so maybe I'll start with a whole new audience. So welcome, newbies. This blog is filled with consistent, meaningful, life-changing content.

Let the blogging commence!

Pigtails!!

Ever since I could remember, it has been a dream of mine to have a little girl. Whenever I would picture what she'd look like she would have these cute little pigtails. Imagine my dismay when for the first year of her life, Penny was almost completely bald! I can now say with confidence that my child has hair!

As a matter of fact, she has a killer mullet going on. I have been told several times (ahem Janel) that I need to cut it because its getting a little hillbilly, but I refuse to cut those precious locks that we have been waiting for all these months!

Anyway, If finally gave pigtails a shot and I thought she looked super cute! Here is some photographic evidence...

Yes, I am aware my child looks freakishly tall.

She is really tall for her age, but not that tall!

See what I mean about the mullet?

There's just not much hair on top

This is Pen's BFF the Mr. Vacuum.

Whenever I try to use it she lays down in front of it

As if I am forcing it to clean against its will.