Monday, October 31, 2011

October 25, 2011

Patriots edged by Orioles

INDIANAPOLIS — Last year, the Bethesda Patriots volleyball team beat an overmatched Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) team in sectionals.
This year, the match between the two schools was much closer.
Despite an impressive showing in the fourth set with their season on the line, the Patriots lost to the Orioles last Thursday in five sets; 25-21, 12-25, 15-25, 25-23, and 5-15.
“The girls have a lot of fire and a desire to win,” Bethesda coach Marissa Sharbaugh said. “We came out and did our best tonight. I don’t think any of the girls quit and we kept pushing forward. It just didn’t go our way.”
Bethesdacould not find consistent play throughout the match, hurting its chances to advance.
In the first set, the Patriots were down early but came back to take the set, scoring seven straight points at one point.
However, the following two sets were dominated by the Orioles.
In the second set, ISD scored seven straight points to build a commanding lead and easily won the set.
The Orioles didn’t have an impressive streak like that in the third set, but were in control throughout.
It was in the fourth set where the Patriots started to come alive again.
They scored the first points of the set for the first time all match and after the Orioles came back to take the lead at 23-22, the Patriots scored the final three points to take the set.
“We played hard and with our middle hitter being hurt, it was just great to push through adversity and push them to five sets,” senior Olivia Harrison said.
In the final frame, Bethesda seemed to run out of gas.
The Orioles jumped out to a 9-2 lead and never looked back, ending the Patriots’ season.
“We were fighting sickness and quite a few injuries tonight, you can see our crutches on the bench,” Sharbaugh said. “We just did the best with what we had left.”
For Harrison, it was a tough way to end her career, but she will always cherish the memories.
“My favorite moment was last year beating this same team, and they’ve come a long way since last year,” Harrison said. “I’m really going to miss the people. I got so close to so many people and they are like my sisters.”
Even though the Patriots didn’t finish the way they wanted to, Bethesda has a lot of potential when one looks at next season.
“Losing just one senior, we have a great starting point for next year,” Sharbaugh said. “We look great and I can’t wait to get started next season. It’s just unfortunate that we had to end so early this year.”

click HERE to see article on original website. 

Saturday, October 29, 2011

randoms from today


When God heals me, I will be better.


While talking on her pretend cell phone:  "yes, they do have car insurance, but my mom and dad don't want to give it you."


Boys aren't supposed to wear purple. Purple is a girl color. Boys aren't supposed to wear pink either!

my day today


I was curious to see what I actually accomplish on a "regular" day.  Most days I feel like we don't really get much done around here.  I was pleasantly surprised...

Get up, shower
Emma up, change clothes, check temp--no fever!
Jackson up, change diaper, change clothes
Dry hair
Make his bottle, her breakfast, my coffee
Empty trash
Put Jackson by toys
Start load of rags
Console Jackson bc he escaped and pinched finger in pantry door
Check email, reply to a few, star some for later
Wipe snotty noses
Start tidying front room. 
Read book to Jackson
Get on emma for not being done with breakfast yet. 
Smell pretty flowers on either end of our main floor
straighten unused book bags. 
Put on little house on the prairie season 1--lazy day for the sicky
Snuggle Jackson while he finishes his bottle
Put baby down for a nap. 
Get back to picking up study/living room/kitchen
Go up and rescue jackson.  Cuddle him to sleep. He wakes as soon as I put him down, stands up, and signs all done
Let Jackson cry more, continue cleaning 10 min
Rescue Jackson for good. Put him in study. Notice his signing diaper and all done...sure enough as I got within 10 ft, I could smell why he was all done
Change said diaper
Took remote from Jackson
Took controller from Jackson
Took iPad from Jackson
He begins crouching to look under furniture for things to grab. 
Tell jackson to stop messing with DVD cases at the tv before he gets hurt.
Jackson falls over and hits both the tv stand and floor on the way down
Console hurting baby
Sweep floors
Apologize to Emma and console her for bonking her on head while sweeping
Make lunch
Work on signs with baby..more, please, thank you, all done 
Cuddle Jackson in the rocker and put him down for a nap. 
Sit patiently at the table while Emma talks instead of eating her food.
Empty dryer, towels still wet turned dryer on. 
Empty dryer, Move rags to dryer. 
Pretend to ignore Jackson banging his crib against the wall upstairs
Begin clearing kitchen table and counters. 
Load dishwasher
Switch lamp and bookcase, return things to their shelves
Fix curtain length
Put Emma to bed for a nap, told her to try for 10 more minutes (this usually works). 10 min later, I found her walking around. Back to bed for 10 more minutes
Both kids up
More curtains hung
Treat for the kiddos
Is John home yet?
Pick up kids toys in study
Disc two little house
Take remote, remote, and controller away from Jackson.
Console crazy upset baby
Pack up and meet daddy at chik-fil-a for dinner (under $5 for 3 chicken sandwiches, large fry, choc milk, and a soda!)

Lesson learned:  All the little things I do around here really do add up.  I didn't even do school or anything like that with Emma today since she's been sick, so many days its even more jam-packed!

RMH; such a blessing








Transport to Riley

Very, very early the following morning, we were able to see/touch baby after waiting for the doctors to finish up with me, then moving us from the delivery room to the recovery room hours later.  We didn't know what was wrong with our baby.  But we trusted God.  I am so thankful for the clarity of mind that God gave us especially in these first few days.

Visitors were held to a minimum, and those under 3-yrs were not allowed past the lobby. Mom pulled right up front and we met them outside. They arrive shortly after Malachi's ambulance which was still parked out front. After seeing Emma for a little while, I took Mom down to the NICU to meet baby while John spent some time with our daughter.  In the NICU, we were only allowed two people at the bedside at a time. 





The rest of the day was spent getting Malachi transferred to Riley Children's Hospital near Downtown Indianapolis (we were currently south of Indy). As a patient of the hospital myself, I had to wait for my OB to discharge me (two days early by her standards and 3-4 days early due to how much blood I had lost).  Seeing our concern as a couple to be with our baby together, she conceded on terms that I take it easy (HA!) and fill a prescription for large dose of iron. 







More about Riley Hospital to come...

Thursday, October 27, 2011

belly laughs

just what this mama needed today...


a new project


Before we can put a leaf up on our tree, we have to write something we are thankful for.  The first two of Emma's leaves were "birthdays" and "candies".  I was pretty sure we trained her better than that ;)

Flower delivery

Daddy, who was at the door?
{Someone got us flowers}
Are they for mommy because she is so beautiful?

Melt. My. Heart.

Rainy Days

It's raining,
It's pouring,
UNCLE BUD is snoring!

A Grandma's Remembrance.

Copied from Facebook...

Teri Hubble Sharbaugh My heart is often touched as I see him smile at me from the picture on my livingroom wall. Many times a thought of Malachi brings a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, but as I pondered his approaching birthday, God gave me some new insights.



I thought of how thrilled Malachi must be now when he realizes that, because of his parents commitment to God during his brief time on earth, his life with all its struggles has brought glory to God (as well as encouragement to many individuals in their walk with God.) I'm positive that, as he lives in God's presence now, he is truly thankful for his parents and their part in that. Without their testimony of trust in their Savior, Malachi's effect on others could not have been so far-reaching.




Surely, Malachi is now rejoicing with others in glory and thankful to God for putting him in just the right family. And I believe that, if he could talk to us today on his birthday, he would invite all those he left behind to rejoice with him until we join him up in heaven. Perhaps at that time we'll think less of what Malachi missed in life and more about what we've been missing in heaven. So until that reunion time, with God's help, I want to choose to remember my little grandson with joy and continue to praise God that He shared him with us for seven months.



Malachi's birth; 2 years later.

Hindsight:  We really didn't know how extensive Malachi's problems were going to be at this point.  Also, I said "a few complications of my own" was the biggest understatement of this post.  John was very much worried that he was going to have his baby and wife taken away from him this night two years ago. 

I will post more later, but here's some pics for the time being. He arrived at 7:28 pm weighing in at 7 lb 8.9 oz and measuring 21 inches long (same length and a pound less than Emerson). Thankfully, there was only 15 minutes of pushing because Malachi was stressed. He had the cord wrapped around his neck and was trying to come out while holding the cord in another place. He had to work very hard to try to take a breath on his own and he was quickly rushed to NICU within 5 minutes. I had a few complications of my own, but am currently feeling much better. Most importantly, we want this little guy to be able to breath on his own (he is currently intubated and was weaned from 100% oxygen down to 75%). As of right now they are not sure if it is a lung problem specifically or an airway anomaly of some sort that doesn't show up on a regular x-ray or imaging study like that. We will learn more tomorrow as more tests will be ordered at that time. So... meet Mr. Malachi.

Laying in his crib holding my hand.


Close up. You can see his ear is a little bit deformed as well.
Not sure if that will lead to anything or not.


Finally, holding John's finger.
(He squeezed three times--how we signal 'I love you')

For those of you praying for our family, THANK YOU! You have no idea how appreciative we are of your care and support for us Sharbaughs. I am falling asleep as I type here, I better try to get a little more comfortable. More will be updated as information becomes available.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Beautiful Things {Gungor}

Praying for this to be true in our lives...

Soundtrack: Beautiful Things {Gungor}

Very much a song John and I have turned into a prayer for our lives...
that He who is able would complete this work in us.

Beautiful Things
Gungor


All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all

All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful thingsYou make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

You are making me new

a little apathetic

John while walking up the stairs: (sigh) my head is killing me.
Emma: nobody even cares.

WWF

Emma while getting ready to body slam daddy: "I'm going to destroy you!"

why dogs are superior to cats.

This was in the news a while ago, but I am just now posting it.  
Such loyalty.


This heart-wrenching photo shows how a Navy SEAL’s dog refused to leave his master’s side during an emotional funeral. Petty Officer Jon Tumilson, 35, killed in the major U.S. helicopter crash in Afghanistan this month, was remembered by around 1,500 mourners. But it was his Labrador retriever Hawkeye that really captured the public’s emotions in the photo taken by Mr Tumilson’s cousin, Lisa Pembleton. 
Text found here

Friday, October 14, 2011

a week without parents.

So John and I had a premature getaway for our 5-year wedding anniversary last week (December 16, so only a few MONTHS early).  With that, also came lining up childcare for the little ones and trying to put their "normal" down on paper for grandparents.  I figured, I might want to remember the "simplicity" that I experience today when I'm completely running like a chicken with my head cut off a few years down the road when Emma is actually involved in things of her own. I need to remember to keep that in perspective. 

So here's their "normal." (You know, when you take my vball schedule and church activities out of the equation)


Even since this was made for LAST WEEK, Jackson is already working on dropping his morning nap AND switching from formula to whole milk AND dropping the baby food AND almost walking. SLOW DOWN, BABY KING! (Baby King is a nickname affectionately given to him by our youth group teens). 

Looking back at the handout I left with the grandparents, here are some other interesting thoughts I might want to remember one day...

"Food:  Only give Jackson little things at a time.  He will continually shove food in his mouth even if he’s choking. During his morning bottle, he might drink 4oz, play for a little while and then you will have to practically force him to finish later before morning nap."

**Jackson will pull down anything within his reach on coffee tables, etc.  He also is becoming more interested in the stairs.**

Things to do:  Craft stuff (construction paper, markers, coloring books, paint)  and Play-Doh ...When Jackson is sleeping, I usually let Emma do puzzles and her doll stuff (little pieces) so he doesn’t get into them.  Lately, I’ve just been doing a Signing Time DVD or you could do Dora Netflix for 30-40 min in the afternoon while Jackson sleeps. Otherwise, TV is generally off.  Please wait to have the TV on until kids are asleep.  Emma picks up on way too much to even have it on in the background.  But then feel free to do Netflix or whatever is on after they go to bed.  John made it so that the TV and PS3 are all you will need to watch anything.  Also, the kids love playing at the play table in the front room.  Emma likes to “entertain guests” in her kitchen upstairs in her room too.  Reading books.  Catechism Q&As“School stuff” on table in loft.

(we also included insurance/doctor information, contact information, and other places the kids like to go)

What kind of instructions do you leave for "long-term" childcare? 


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

10 on 10

Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba....

 spinach pizza for lunch...

 Peas for baby...

orchard with grandma...

 playground climbing...

 pretty mums...

 baby with mini pumpkins...

our punkin'...

volleyball practice...

goofy shot...

their imitation of me when I'm excited about something...

We finished off the night with dinner at John's parent's house with a missionary family to China (thanksgiving feast with all the fixin's!) and saying goodbye to Grandma Kathy as she headed home to Iowa.  Didn't take a picture of either unfortunately.  I will definitely miss seeing these vball girls on a daily basis though!