Welcome to Georgia...where the sun shines, tornadoes blow, and snow falls all within the same week.

There is a chance of severe weather today and a likely chance of snow over the weekend. We’ll be in Guyton, which means that we will miss the potential winter wonderland. I’m starting to think that North Georgia only gets snow when our little brood is in Coastal Georgia. It’s a diabolical plot to keep my kids under the impression that snow is merely a figment of their imaginations.

So much has happened in the time since I have written that I barely know where to begin. My cousin was released from the hospital, and my uncle is recovering from his surgery for melanoma. Another cousin’s grandmother passed away, so Johnathan and I postponed our Guyton visit in order to attend the funeral. My mother-in-law came up to avoid another week of grandchild deprivation, and the two of us had an enjoyable morning of shopping. My excursions are generally fast-paced and goal-oriented, and I had almost forgotten how nice it is to browse leisurely. I acquired two pairs of much-needed maternity pants and gazed longingly at adorable items that would no longer fit my expanding waistline.

Following the afternoon funeral, Johnathan and I ventured to Ted’s Montana Grill for Valentine’s dinner. We walked around The Avenue and spent a considerable amount of time in Barnes and Noble. I enjoy the simple things most. There’s a quiet contentment in shivering down a sidewalk with my husband...or unhurriedly flipping through bargain books together. No amount of romantic fanfare could have made me happier than simply existing together in an unspectacular moment.

In only a few days, we will see the first real picture of our future bundle. I’m anxious to verify that everything is progressing normally and excited to discover baby’s gender. We have discussed potential names for girls, but agree that we’re sunk if we have to decide on a boy’s name.

David is continuing to enjoy school and has become quite cooperative around the house. Instead of shirking household chores, he has been eager and willing to take on all manner of tasks...from sweeping to cooking to cleaning his sister’s face. It is amusing and helpful, but makes me realize how quickly he is growing. David has an appointment with a pediatric urologist on Friday to see if we can get to the bottom of his enuresis.
Emily is continually adding words to her vocabulary and perfecting words that are already there. She is beginning to group words together and has learned the effectiveness of “PWEASE?” She still loves singing at the top of her voice and is remarkably adorable in almost everything. Almost...

I’m quite happy at the moment, but perpetually exhausted. I honestly feel that if given the opportunity, I could sleep for days...

When it rains...

When it rains, it pours.

My aunt’s family has been repeatedly slammed with health concerns over the past few weeks, and sometimes it’s hard to remember that God will never give us more than we can handle.

My aunt Joyce had a cancer scare that turned out to be benign tumors, but on the heels of good news came the hospitalization of her daughter, Denise. Denise had visited the ER with bronchitis...worsened...and been sent away on a second ER visit with medication for a sinus infection. She entered another hospital ER less than 24-hours later and was found to have a serious case of pneumonia. The small hospital in Dahlonega could provide her no further treatment and decided to transfer her to Cumming. Denise was crying and fighting getting into the ambulance, insisting that she couldn’t breathe if they made her lay down. Sure enough...she basically stopped breathing (three breaths per minute) and received a tracheotomy en route. She was placed on life support in Cumming under heavy sedation.

The family watched and waited last night, and Denise remained unresponsive. As of this morning, she was showing improvement and was trying to ask questions about what happened by writing with her finger. She kept trying to interact, so they placed her under sedation again. The infectious disease and pulmonary specialists have been working with her and confirmed the presence of staph infection in her lungs. The infection was present before the onset of pneumonia.

Now it’s a waiting game. In the meantime, Denise’s husband (who suffers from seizures) had a seizure at the hospital and had to be placed in the ER. It has also been confirmed that Joyce’s husband (Denise’s Dad) has melanoma on his scalp and will undergo surgery a week from tomorrow.

Needless to say... The family can use an abundance of kind thoughts and prayers.