New Nephew

Baby Dawson

Baby Dawson

Sheldon, Erin and Baby Dawson

A son was born on Tuesday, February 24th, to my brother and sister-in-law, Sheldon and Erin Rish, at Kettering Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. Dawson Bruce weighed 8 1/2 pounds, and was 21 inches long. Both Mommy and son are doing very well, and came home from the hospital today. Sheldon now has five children: Stephanie, age 14; Kelly, age 11; Andrew, age 10; McKenna, age 1; and now Dawson. I am posting a few pictures of the baby and family we took yesterday when we visited.

Doctor Visit ... Nighttime Experience

We took Joshua to the doctor last evening to find out that in addition to his teething, he also has acquired an ear infection. The doctor said this could be related to all of his teeth coming in at once. Today he is feeling so much better, after only two doses of antiobiotics. I had an experience with him during the night though, that scared me to death for which I've never had before with any of my other children. About 3 o'clock this morning he started screaming at the top of his lungs. I went to see what the problem was, and he was on his knees rocking back and forth screaming, like he was in horrible pain. I picked him up and brought him out in the living room, and he continued to scream and would not sit still in my arms. In fact, I could hardly hold him, he was wiggling so intensely. I put him on the floor, and he kept rolling all over screaming. It seemed he was writhing in pain. Finally, he calmed down, and I was able to hold him, and he fell back asleep. I was afraid to put him back in bed, in case something terrible was going on with him, so I kept him in the living room with me. Every so often he would cry out, but then go back to sleep. James thinks he was having a nightmare, but I don't know...It was scary to say the least. Thank the Lord, he is doing much better today, and I hope we are past the worst part of this illness.

Sick Baby...Fever...Teeth...

What a weekend! Joshua has not felt well the past few days. He has been running a fever, and just plain not feeling good. I felt in his mouth to see if new teeth could be the culprit. Sure enough, I felt four teeth pointing through! They seem to be the molars, one on each side of the mouth, both top and bottom. I'm a little confused, though, at this point, since he has not gotten his eye teeth yet. This seems quite strange! I made a doctor's appointment just in case something else could be lurking in his little body as an additional problem. As for the teeth, I surely hope they come in quickly! This fever stuff is not very fun, especially at night!

Building the Bridge

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came, at evening, cold and Grey,
To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,
Thru which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim:
The sullen stream had no fears to him;
But he turned, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim, near,
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
you never again must pass this way;

You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide -
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"
The builder lifted his old grey head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come" he said,

"There followeth after me today,
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm, that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."

Junior-Senior Banquet (G.B.S.) - April 29, 1989

James and my Engagement Picture - 1989

To follow Marea Pouzar's lead, I will explain how James and I met and began dating. We both attended God's Bible School and College in Cincinnati, Ohio. There we became interested in one another, not long after I began my college career in 1987. You see, James was a preacher for one of the Nursing Home ministries that G.B.S. had. I also was interested in Nursing Home ministry, so began taking part near the beginning of the school year of 1987. After a short period of time, with a friend's "help" James and I began to realize that each was interested in the other. At the time, I was a High School Study Hall monitor in the library. So, in the afternoon, James would make his way to the library to "study". I don't know how much studying was accomplished, because many of his thoughts and sights were on the Study Hall High School Monitor. He soon asked me out for a date. This date was to attend the School Talent Show. I was so excited, even though it was on campus and pretty short at that. From then on is history. We dated regularly, and finally the big day arrived. It was a Sunday afternoon, and James was visiting my home. On Sundays we always went to our pastor's home for dinner. They were like family to us, and my mom prepared a good portion of the meal. Anyway, we were at the parsonage that day. The house was attached to the church, so James and I were spending some time alone in the church. James took me to the platform, and there he asked me to marry him. Of course, I said, "yes". We planned for our wedding and were married July 29, 1989 in Lockport, Illinois. So, along with the Pouzars and the Eads, some friends of ours, we will be married for 20 years this year.

MY VALENTINE

Happy Valentine's Day!

What is love? When I think of love, I think of the great love of my Savior, Jesus Christ, and His great sacrifice He made for you and I on the cross of Calvary. Immeasurable, bountiful, unfailing, matchless, and most of all, available for you and I to receive. He loves us so much that He is willing to stoop down and pick us up from a life of sin and make us a new creature in Him. Amazing! Next, of course, I think of the love that my husband and I share together. This love grows stronger each passing day. Moments spent together alone are special and remembered. This love is not to be broken, and it will not be with God's help. Last of all, is the special love I share for my children. Protecting, sharing, giving, helping, nurturing, and caring. Children are blessings sent from God. I wouldn't trade them for anything. They have brought joy and so much fun into our family. Life would be pretty empty without them. Yes, there are difficult times ... but with God's help, He sees us through and we can make it together. Without love, what would eternity hold? Without love, what would our marriage relationship be? Without love, how would our children survive? We must love God, our spouse, and our children and then just keep loving more and more.

GOOD NEWS!

My sister-in-law, April, has suddenly taken a turn for the better. Her fever has come down, her blood pressure is normal, and she is breathing well with the assistance of a trach which was put in yesterday. She still has some of the infections, but is doing much much better. Praise the Lord! Please continue to pray, as she is not totally "out of the woods" yet. Thank you so much.

Life with a Fourteen Month Old

"You want one? These are "delicious!" " (Joshua playing with our Quadominos game).

"Joshua Daniel Baker! You are wasting water!"

"Da Da! Da Da!" (Joshua yelling to Daddy downstairs looking over his gate blocking the steps)

" Joshua Daniel Baker! Get out of that dog food for the twentieth time today!!"

"Please, Skittles (One of Evangelyn's four birds), come out and play with me!"

"Am I adorable or what?"

" Hmmm. Wonder how big this is?" ("Helping" Daddy measure a project).

"Fluffy, you want one? They're yummy!"

"Mmmmmm ... We love peppermint sticks!"

"Ouch! Don't pull too hard Joshua! Fluffy is getting old and fragile!"

A Brief Update

April, my sister-in-law, is still in ICU in Cincinnati. She stopped breathing on Saturday, therefore a ventilator was placed down her throat, and is breathing 40% for her. She continues to have all the infections she previously had, with an additional: MRSA. She is expected to have a trach put in soon and probably will never have it removed, according to her attending physicians. Please continue to pray for her. Her condition is very serious and critical, and time will only tell what may happen. Pray for her parents, my in-laws, who are not taking this so well.