Give Them Roots and Give Them Wings...

You'll remember that one of my favorite sayings is:
"Longest Days, Shortest Years!"

 

Today, I'm remembering one of my other favorites: 
 "Give Them Roots and Give Them Wings!"

 

We spend years doing the day to day task of raising our children.  We dream about the day when we will no longer have to shuttle them from place to place, discipline, clean up after them, analyze each look...sigh...friend.  We plant roots of Christ...family...service...work ethic...financial responsibility...traditions. And then the day arrives.  The day they fly from the nest.

 

Then you wonder if the roots you planted were deep enough.  You consider if the urge for independence will supersede the desire to return now and again.

The small moments are now a memory...

 

Never again will a quick sandwich need to be made because the alarm didn't go off. The questions of "who's sock is this" and "will you be here for dinner" no longer need to be answered.

 

Your heart aches and swells all at the same time!

 

Today our second born "flew the nest".  He is feathering his own nest as he begins the process of preparing to be a husband at the end of May.

 

I have the benefit of the distraction that other children bring to soften the wound.  I am also grateful to know that he is prepared for his journey...(car rides with Dave Ramsey playing didn't hurt)!

 

Tonight I will rock Zion and remember 20 years ago when I rocked another sweet, chubby cheeked boy!  I will breathe in his smell and feel the soft tickle of his breath on my neck...and tears will fall as the tender memories come pouring back through my thoughts!

 

Soar my Brandon boy...soar!

Update on Zion...

So, if you've been following at The Cottage for long, you know that Zion was born with issues with his kidneys.

 

Briefly, during a routine prenatal ultrasound, we found out that his kidneys were both dilated.  An ultrasound and procedure after birth showed that he did not have any blockages from the bladder down.  We were told to follow up in 3 months...

 

At the 3 month follow up ultrasound, we were fully expecting for his kidneys to be normal.

Unfortunately, that was not the case...

 

The ultrasound showed that his right kidney had stayed the same, but his left kidney was showing significant enlargement.  We would need to go in for another procedure...

 

The Renal Scan was a procedure where they injected radioactive dye into his system, and then took photos of his kidneys and bladder in action.  The whole procedure took an hour once we had him swaddled down and ready to go.

 

 

In order to keep Zion comfortable, we gave him "Sweet Ease" on his pacifier.
 {It's really just sugar water, but babies respond to it as a pain reliever!}

{Ahhh...that's better!}

The final result of the scan was that Zion's left kidney is functioning, but not unless it has a "push".  {Meaning it releases once it is VERY FULL or he is given Lasix - as was the case with the scan.}

 

The Dr.'s agree that, short of God healing Zion, he will need surgery to open his ureter from the left kidney to the bladder.  Basically, there is a partial blockage or narrowing causing the slower function of that kidney. {They actually did not mention what they thought about the right kidney.}

 

For now we are to follow up in June...

 

Thank you to all who are praying! 

 

 

Back on Track!

So, I've been a bit off lately!

Honestly, I've been a bit discouraged!  I never started this blog with the intent to get famous, but somehow the "comparison bug" got a hold of me and I started questioning myself! 

 

Soon I was looking at my most favorite blogs, seeing how many followers they had, how many comments they receive, adding up how much money they must make off of advertising, and, well....let's just say - it wasn't pretty!

 

I've always intended for this blog to be an outreach to women...basically a way to "mentor" in a Titus 2 sort of way.  With so many women asking about mentorship, and my lack of ability to meet with them all and still care for my own household, blogging is a great way to reach many all at one time!

 

I almost gave up!  

 

Then, last week, one person made a comment to me about my blog!  Nothing big...just an unexpected visitor!  Not even someone who falls in the audience I'm targeting!  And it made me realize ~ there really are people out there reading!

 

I talked to Ken about my discouragement, and how that simple comment changed my thinking.  Ken reminded me about my purpose in this blog in the first place...and really, I'm writing and posting for God's glory, not my own! 

 

We all find ourselves in the comparison trap sometimes! We all get discouraged! But, we don't have to stay there!

 

Today is going to be a glorious day!  A perfect day for a new start! 

 

If you are finding yourself discouraged...maybe just at a low point, let me encourage you!

 

"...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."(Hebrews 12:1-2a)

 

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Look out blog world...Mama Cook's back in the race!