The Miracle of the Bottle and a Feisty Baby

SO I am so excited about what God has done in my life (and Sam's) I just have to share. Sam has not yet successfully taken a FULL bottle in his 7 months of life! He would always just drink 1-2 oz. and then scream bloody murder NON-STOP until I finally came home to relieve usually my mother-in-law! Not only was it getting old, but I needed a solution within two weeks! I started back to work and each shift I've gone in has been totally stressful because the day care provider has had to hold him off and let him cry until I get to my break and can come nurse him. Each day I went in I was so stressed out about when he would need to nurse and if the timing would work out. Also we are going to Kyle's wedding over Labor Day weekend and Matt really wanted to leave the kids, but we can't if Sam won't TAKE A BOTTLE! It finally occurred to me after I felt I had exhausted all options that the one option I had not even visited on this issue was... GOD! I had not even been praying about it! I realized I was talking horizontally about it a lot, but never vertically. So I decided the next day (yesterday)I was going to hit it hard with Sam offering only bottles and pumping all day (which I loathe). I prayed about it that week and a lot the night before the big day. I woke up Thursday with confidence that the Lord WILL provide and DOES answer our prayers, but nervous because of the risk in pumping all my milk and if it doesn't go well (as it never has) having nothing in me to fall back on! I just kept praying...

...I went to yoga and our focus was PRAYER and SURRENDER! Living Streams is honored to have 24/7 prayer at our church this week in the chapel where we meet for yoga. On the alter was a big wooden cross with pinned prayers all over it. All during class we just kept our focus on the concerns of our heart and OFFERING them to God, surrendering them over to him, throwing them off our shoulders. Alisa also talked about her kids being so precious to her, but that they are not really hers, they're HIS! I thought of course of Sam. Why have I held onto this Lord? DO I trust you? REALLY? You CAN do this! You are capable! So I threw it off my shoulders and onto the cross where I pinned my prayer.

...I got out of class and called my mom where Sam was supposed to be napping but when I left him he was screaming. She called me back after Sam woke up to report that dadadadadad (drum roll) HE TOOK THE ENTIRE BOTTLE!!! ALL 6 OZ!!! I got tears in my eyes! This was GOD! Nothing was different except the prayers of me, my mom and several other loved ones! Througout the day I continued to pump and feed him bottles and he took it like a champ! No tears. It was truly a miracle. I had never yet seen God answer such a specific prayer for my children in such a quick time. THANK YOU JESUS! I am still on cloud 9 praising Him! California, here we come!

Where is Jesus?

The other day we were on the way to work and Jake said "OWIE OWIE OWIE MOMMY MY OWIE HURTS! Will you pray for my owie mom, PLEEEEEASE?" (Does it get any better than your child asking you to pray for him?) So I said "YES! Dear Jesus, PLEASE heal Jake's owie, Lord, help it to feel better soon, AMEN!" So this same thing repeated about 3 more times where Jake shouted "OWIE!" and begged for me to pray for his owie. Then Jake said "Where is Jesus?" (I wondered when he would start to question his physical existence). I said "well, He is right here with us. He's in the car with us right now, he's outside watching over everyone on these streets, he's in heaven, he's in my heart, he's everywhere! Jesus is our invisible friend that we can't see but he IS here! (So I'm all proud of my answer, and after a short pause)..."Where is he?" He obviously didn't get an answer that made sense to him but I was so excited that these conversations are starting to happen and that JAKE is initiating it instead of me talking his ear off wondering if he even gets what I'm saying!

It makes me think how honest and faithful children are. I am so thankful that Jake could just candidly ask his mommy, "where is He?" If only when we doubt the Lord's presence in our lives we could ask the ones we love and trust, "where is He?" and get a true and bold answer, HE IS HERE! He NEVER leaves! Then maybe we would be stronger and more equipped to stand against the devils schemes when we are tempted to walk away. (Ephesians 6) It is my prayer that this is the accountability I have with my most loved ones and can offer to those I love.
Thank you God, for using children to teach us lessons you have for us!

Jake and Halle Skeens become friends while their nutty two year old siblings bounce in the next room

My favorite video clip

So I love this clip because nothing special really happens, it's just an ordinary day at the Shores home, but that's what makes it so special. It's a true glimpse of my boys interacting and daddy coming home from work ready to "hit the field". Mind you this was spring still so this could take place at 5 pm. These days Sam is not on the grass and the play time with Matt and Jake (yes, exluding me) lasts for about 2 minutes. How many days 'till October??

The Beach is no time to rest...

...Batting practice continues! Ok, so this isn't Jake's best game day but can you imagine with all the excitement around him at THE BEACH!? He had only been talking about going to "da beeeech" in "Cal-e-foorna" for two weeks and here we are! Come on dad, give the poor kid a break! Can't he just be TWO!? But if I said that Matt would remind me that pros don't become pros by sitting around and relaxing. (uh-huuh!)

Two Little Monkeys jumping on the bed!

Mia Skeens is Jake's best friend, and you can see why! These two have SO much fun together doing anything, but being silly and giggling is what they do best!

A Mover and a Shaker

I just think it is hilarious that this kid actually gets restful sleep when I watch the shenanigans that go on in his bassinet! Here Sam is, 5 months old, and doing almost a complete (face-planted) pike while snoozing away.