Autumn

How I love this time of year. This year, being a mom, brings new excitement, especially as a family. Eli & I love to hike & we now get to share it with our favorite lil person. Not so sure how much she enjoys it quite yet cause she sleeps most of the time. Guess its all that movement :)

She's enjoyed her new pack (thanks Kristy & Dave!)...we've been blessed with so many borrowed or items given to us.




This week we got to go on two great hikes. One was only 2 miles from us on the Tobacco Trail, but on the unpaved portion just south of Southpoint mall. The weather that day was amazing highs in the upper 70s, just beautiful & then yesterday we got to go for a longer hike @ the Eno River State Park. It was cooler & not as sunny, but still so gorgeous. Leaves all scattered about, the ones on the trees so vibrant with golds & reds. Eli & I could just walk & walk & I truly believe he would prefer living in nature more than anything else. We even got to see a dear along the way. If you haven't hiked the Eno, check it out. Its so peaceful to walk along the river....such a perfect few hours. :)

Back on Track

I don't want to dwell on what life has dealt us lately, our challenges are soooo small in comparison to the bigger scheme of things. Yesterdays sermon really led me in a good direction, I want to enjoy life & find more ways to give back, I feel like something bigger is coming for this Rodriguez clan, not sure what, but we're sure open to what He has in store for us.



On a lighter note, our baby is growing. I honestly don't know what week she's in, is that bad? For so long; through pregnancy then the first couple months I thought of everything in weeks all I know now is Nov.6th, next friday, she'll be 4 months. Its amazing to watch life develop so quickly, in bountiful steps. We are so truly blessed to be a witness to it everyday.

@ 3 1/2 months Liliana loves:

1. To roll onto her tummy, has been doing it for about 2 weeks now. Loves the new scenery in the prone position for well about 10 maybe 20 seconds, then crys till you flip her back or falls to sleep.
2.Sleeping longer @ night...(or maybe momma loves this)
3.Realizes her tongue makes fun raspberry noises against her lips. Dad is not appreciative of this during feeding time though
4.People watching
5.Urinating through cloth diapers...ugh (not momma's favorite)

ONE tough week

So I'm wrapping this week up by working s night shift..its about 6am Saturday & I can't wait to get home to my family. :)
This week has been challenging for so many reasons. I feel & know these are times when I should run to the bible for answers but honestly I'm beat; emotionally & physically--I'm spent!
I've cried for what could of happened, what has happened & what may happen. Our health is this thing that is so unpredictable, when we have it & our healthy life is good-Great even! When we don't & its a loved one- it's gut wrenching.

I would do most anything to take away some of the pain that Eli is dealing with now, some of the nausea that the meds have brought on. Theres still so many unanswered questions as we await an appointment with a Neurologist....God, please lighten our hearts. They sure are heavy these days. :(

In Sickness & In Health--I love You

What do you do when your heart takes on too much & your mind doesn't know what to do with it all...?
So I've pretty much established work is work, when I'm there I'm there & when I'm not--well I'm just so content to just be. To just be in our little three, to be with friends, to be loved & to give love back.

This weekend I received a frightening call from Eli while I was @ work & at the moment he was telling me what happened a million thoughts ran through my heart, but all my mind could think of was, "Alison you're at work, alarms going off...busy prevails," But I did know immediately I didn't want Eli to be alone in it or with our child alone. Don't get me wrong if I was just at an office job, or any other job than being responsible for lives I would've left ASAP, but its just not that easy in the setting that I work. You see Eli was diagnosed with childhood Epilepsy & for some reason, still in the 11+yrs that I've known him he's continued to have more. The last one that he had was in 2003 & well now Saturday. In 2005 Eli ran through a battery of tests, one in which they tried to elicit a seizure & he was seizure free. We thought we were in the "Clear".

I don't know what its like to have one. I do know when he comes to he's dazed, has an intense (for lack of a better word) headache & well frightened cause you never know if it could come on again. He often gets intense headaches but hadn't had a seizure like this for 6+yrs. I know he tries to down play how he's feeling & well is pretty selfless in his thoughts, but now we need to get some answers & figure this thing out. Its different now, I want answers for Liliana if not for you & I. I know you wouldn't want to be anything but safe for her & so lets bathe in this together and try to get all these feelings & emotions figured out.

Thank-you so much for loving on my husband this weekend. Coming without questions & just being there. I wanted to be here with my family, but so glad we have an extended family of friends around us.

13 weeks

So here we are and the 13th week has been well... TIRING. It's my third week of work, but I'm not even sure I'd say my exhaustion is related to that, its not helping but not the sole reason for it. So we were on a great groove of sleeping at night since about week 5 or 6. She would go down in the co-sleeper next to the bed & sleep for about 5 hrs. before the first feeding of the night. There were some hiccups along the way, but overall it's been lovely.
THIS week not so much, she's been waking every 1-2 hours to eat & then not falling back to sleep so well at all. She tosses & turns in the co-sleeper almost to the point that I'm not sure how much longer she can be in it, for safety reasons. She still sleeps fairly well in the swing, but I am sooooo hesitant in putting her in it cause I feel like she should learn how to self-soothe and be able to sleep without that.....or perhaps I'm just completely wrong. Many people might ask why not in your bed, and like I've said before she's a mover & I don't sleep at all when she's in bed, I wish I could but I just don't. :(
I think another reason why I make such a big deal about her night sleep is that she still doesn't sleep long stretches during the day consistently-10 minutes there, 20 minutes here. She still will sleep in the car seat or Moby but once you put her down, on a steady/non moving object-she's awake.
I know this is just a season, but just want to remember it as well, maybe in a few weeks I'll be like what was she like @ 3 months......maybe?

Happy 3 Months Liliana!

I'm sentimental when it comes to birthdays, anniversaries & such. So of course working last night into today I couldn't wait to spend the day with you, even knowing I was a bit lacking in sleep. I love coming home to you whether you're awake or still asleep- I always pick you up for a feeding. You always welcome me with a smile.
We are still adjusting to working & more work & not sleeping so much. For instance Monday began @ 8am for us, we did errands & then made our way home around lunchtime, Eli makes it home from work around 1pm (he's up @ 6:30am for work), we attempt to take naps in the afternoon to prepare for the long night. Me working overnight & Eli w/Liliana & her feedings. I slept maybe for an hour. Not sure about Eli. After working I come home & Eli immediately heads to work. I know we don't have all this figured out, but we are just taking each day as it comes.
After being up for all those hours, I really don't want to count, its about 7:30pm now-ok 36 hrs give or take, I start to reflect about the last three months. How quickly they've gone, how much has changed & yet it feels like you were always a part of us. :)
We love you!