My un-Predictable Husband

It's 2:00am and I wake up to my husband jumping out of bed and frantically turning the light on.
"It's not time to get up yet, Babe," I say groggily.
"Oh. Okay," he replies, turns off the light, and calmly snuggles back into bed.

Fast forward a few months and I wake up in the middle of the night to find that the top sheet has completely vanished. Since I am typically the "cover stealer" of this duo, I look on the floor next to my side of the bed. The sheet is nowhere to be found.
"Nathan, do you know where the sheet went," I ask?
"Nope."
"Well, it has to be somewhere around here," I insist.
My husband then leans over his side of the bed, picks up the sheet which is wadded up into a little ball, and tosses it over to me.
"Here," he says in an annoyed voice.

And then there was the night this week I wake up to the feeling of something rough touching my leg. I reach down to see what it is and find the lining of Nathan's ABU cap all crinkled up and tucked under the sheets. I toss it over onto his nightstand, and shake my head thinking, "What in the world has he been up to?"

My husband, Nathan, is the most predictable man I've ever met. I love that about him. No surprises... except for in the middle of the night. I never know what's going to happen at 2:00am. I have to be ready for anything. And each morning I wake up and ask him for an explanation of whatever crazy thing happened during that night. He always just chuckles and says, "Haha...I have no idea."

People always ask these days how much sleep I am getting with a 3 month old baby in the house. The real question is, how much sleep am I getting with a husband who does crazy things in the middle of the night? The baby isn't the problem.


This blog post was approved by Nathan before published. : )

Made for Heaven

The baby cries. I sigh. The tummy is full. The diaper, clean. There are only so many things that could be the matter now. Is he tired? No, he just woke from a long nap. Cold? I wrap him in a blanket, and rock him in my arms. Still the tears fall. 

As I console my crying little child, struggling to meet his needs, there is only one thing I can whisper in his ear. "You were made for heaven, sweet boy. This world is scary, uncomfortable, dangerous and dark. But this is not your home. You, little one, were made for heaven. Heaven is all smiles, no tears. All joy, no sorrow. Look to Jesus. He will carry you there."

And this evening, as I sit in a quiet living room, baby in bed, husband sleeping...the Father reminds this child of the same thing. "I see your tired eyes, your weary spirit. Rest. Lift your eyes to Jesus, and let your spirit fill with hope, joy. You were made for heaven, and I am carrying you there."

"For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelation 7:17

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

The Great Vaccination Debate

The day after Titus was born, a kind nurse at Evans Army Hospital handed me a paper. On it was the CDC's recommended vaccination schedule for children, beginning at two months of age. I didn't think too much about it at the time, just added it to the stack of papers to bring home. But as Titus grew older and we neared his two month mark, I was forced to pull it back out. I knew that at his two month checkup little Titus would receive his first round of vaccinations per my consent. As I looked briefly through the list, a strange feeling grew inside me and questions filled my mind. For some reason, I didn't feel right about blindly giving my consent for something I knew so little about.

So, I did some research. I realized that this was a big decision, and I wanted to feel confident about my conclusion. I read articles on all sides of the issue, asked opinions from friends and family, and watched seminar videos. I investigated the prevalence, potential outcomes and treatments of the various diseases as well as the ingredients in and potential outcomes of the vaccinations.

And, most importantly, we prayed. Nathan and I prayed that God would give us wisdom and would allow us to make a confident, informed decision on this delicate issue that could very much affect the health of our son.

After all of this, Nathan and I chose to delay vaccinating Titus until we feel confidently that the risks of Titus getting these various diseases outweigh the risks of his getting the vaccines. Right now, we feel the opposite.

I write of this experience NOT to say, "We've seen the light. All vaccinations are wrong." No, no. I write to humbly acknowledge that we are choosing right now to wade against the tide. We realize that the vast majority of physicians and parents alike agree that vaccinating our children is best for their health. We completely understand that conviction. But after investigating this great debate a little further, we've found ourselves having a different conviction. We would happily discuss our decision with any who are critical of it, knowing that one of the best ways to learn from one another is through gracious, informative conversation. May we continue to learn and grow and become better parents day by day.

Happy FIRST Father's Day

What fun it was to celebrate my husband's first Father's Day on Sunday. Titus got his Daddy a sweet card that read, "I know this is only your first Father's Day...but it seems to me like you've been a great Dad my whole life!"

Titus and I had a little conversation about what makes his Daddy so great. Titus wanted to share with you just few things that he loves about his Daddy...

• He reads Scripture to me and tells me Jesus stories
• He plays the guitar and sings to me
• He goes to work every day without complaining so that he can provide for me and Mommy
• He changes my diapers
• He plays with me during bath time
• He loves Mommy and treats her so kindly
• He lets me watch golf with him on Sunday afternoons
• He doesn't get angry when I cry so much
• He shows me what is important in life
• He shows me how much my Heavenly Father loves me

"I love you, Daddy!"

I thank God for a husband who loves being a father so much. The patience and joy he displays every day encourages and inspires my heart. If my son grew to be just like him, I would be overjoyed. Titus and I are so very blessed to be led and loved by him!

The Sweetest Blessing

I sit here listening to the little breaths of my baby boy as he sleeps across the room. Could he be any more precious? No. No, he could not. He is the sweetest blessing I've ever known.

How fun it has been to get to know this little one over the past month! He has such a sweet, content personality. He LOVES being snuggled. He HATES bath time and diaper changes. He makes the cutest little expressions with wide eyes and pursed lips. His sneezes are absolutely adorable...especially the dramatic sigh after three sneezes in a row (we're hoping to get it on video one of these times). He eats so well and then sleeps even better. He is changing every day, so we're treasuring every day knowing that tomorrow will not be the same.

Mine and Nathan's lives look completely different than they did one month ago. We're doing our best to  love each other with joy and patience despite being tired all the time. We're slowly figuring out this parenting thing together, making lots of mistakes but celebrating every little victory. Most of all, we're praising God that Titus is held so securely in His hands! Titus is protected by the perfect plan of God. This frees us to simply be the best parents we can and leave the results up to Him. God gets all the glory for this little life that He created and sustains. And we are so thankful.

Titus Wesley Flack

Titus Wesley Flack

Born May 8th, 2013 at 9:28pm

6 pounds, 9 ounces

20 inches long
Looking JUST like his Daddy. : )

We are so very blessed. 

The Pregnancy Journey

Living so far from my mother and sisters during pregnancy has not been ideal. In the early months of severe "morning sickness" I would have given just about anything to have my mom cook an occasional meal for me (actually for Nathan) or just give me a sympathetic hug. As pregnancy became more pleasant in the 2nd trimester, I would have loved to be able to sit and chat with my sisters about the excitement of it all, ask their advice, and let them see my belly progression. : ) And I'd love to be with them all now as I await the arrival of our little one and want so badly to have them be some of the first to meet him.

But it wasn't in God's plan for me to be with my family during this time of life. So instead of spending time together, we've been filling the miles between us with phone calls, skype dates, and sharing pictures. I'm so thankful for their love and constant joy and excitement for us despite being so far away.

Here are a few of the pictures I've shared with my family over the past few months. Pregnancy has been a long, challenging, joyful and exciting journey that will (hopefully) soon come to an end as we meet our little miracle.

8 Weeks

28 Weeks

18 Weeks

Belly comparison at 34 Weeks

38 Weeks

Titus' things all ready to take to the hospital!