The Ending of the Year

I have stated in earlier post that this has been a great year. Very educational, a lot of big losses and great gains. I thank God for letting me see this year. I look forward to 2011 with the big presentation in April and in May the arrival of my beautiful new baby boy. I don't know what his name will be but I can't wait to meet him.

Let me tell you, I have been chosen to speak at a huge conference this year. I am excited and scared at the same time. I have about three months to get prepared. I will be in my eighth month of pregnancy when the conference is held. I realize that anything you do "unpregnant" a person can do pregnant so I didn't turn the opportunity down even though fear almost got the best of me.

For the past two years of my 3years of  business ownership, I have been toying with the official business name. I felt the previous name didn't make room for growth. It limited me to speech and language. It made team members feel unwelcome. Like they didn't matter. I had planned on using the new name only in the other State and on some publications, but I began to feel that it could be an all inclusive name. So,  I decided in November to go ahead and start 2011 with a new company name. I think it is okay and I did a little research of other companies that have changed their names. It happens more than I realized. The good thing about my name change is that I am early in the growth of my business. There are still a lot of people, agencies and others that do not know who we are. So it was done and I feel great about the decision. I was surprised at how easy it was to change. I thought I would have to send in this or that and have the IRS do this and that, but a couple of calls and it was done. Too bad the phone books for next year have already been printed so the change will not be reflected in the phone book. That is okay, my phone and fax and address will remain the same.

I feel like I am starting all over. It is a great feeling. I know what I have done wrong and have learned from that and I see a lot that I have done right and I have learned from that as well. So I look forward to a very, very successful and prosperous 2011.  With that said, I realize that a lot of people lack dedication and commitment. They just don't have it. They make promises and break them while looking you square in the eye. People are all about themselves. This is not a bad thing necessarily, it just makes me have to; got to;MUST start looking out for MY best interest sometimes. I have a big problem with going out on the limb for people and helping them out while screwing myself at the same time. This has just recently happened to me...AGAIN, God is trying to teach me to put myself and my family and my business first. You can give these people diamonds and pearls and they will take them and walk away...never acknowledging what you have done for them. I guess that is why we don't do things for people; we should do things for God and He will reward me. I believe that is my lesson...motive...Don't look for them to appreciate me. They can't. But God can and he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

My husband will be starting school again. He is so excited. I know he is going to do well and it won't take him very long. He is so smart and will make a great student. Bug will start his speech classes next year too. Hopefully, he won't need them too long. I must admit. I have seen big changes in the past couple of weeks. So I believe about 4 or 6 months will due, but we will let the Speech Therapist do his other job and determine what he needs. Wouldn't it be great if Bug gets a male SLP. He would relate a little better, but not very many men in speech pathology choose children, most choose long term care or adult voice...something more "medical".

 My brother in law will be heading to Afghanistan tomorrow to help rebuild the country. It will be very dangerous as terrorist are still at work. Please pray with me for his safe return home. Thanks for fighting for our country...Adrian and I will or should I say we will miss you.

I love my husband and I guess anyone who reads this blog knows that I have the most supportive and loving husband God has ever created. This Christmas showed that he has been listening to me all year. He purchased an e-reader for me. Something I never thought I would even enjoy. I like the feel of a book; the smell of it..but the e-reader is great. I have one that is in color. Lucky me. He also got the pearl ring, necklace and earrings that I wanted. Lil Fred....OH MY...did he get a great visit from Santa. He had all of his Thomas the Tank Engine Dreams fulfilled. I gave Fred a MP3 player and clothes. He was happy about his gifts. He really wanted a big flat screen T.V., but we decided to wait until we move. He wants a big one and our home is small.

I didn't get the new baby anything. I am waiting until the season changes to buy his clothes. He will be born during the later part of the Spring. So starting next month they will start putting out some of the Spring clothes. I will buy something then.

Fred already bought our black eyed peas, pork and cabbage greens for prosperity. He is going to cook it on Saturday. Yummy.

Well, I have to do some research. I have a lot to prepare for. I will write next year. Goodbye 2010. Thanks for the memories, victories and great lessons. Welcome 2011, I look forward to a great year.

OH BOY!

This week has been very restful. I didn't have to see any patients at my office, but I did have a few at the nursing home. The staff at the nursing home is so fun. That makes working there a big delight.

I got Bug signed up for an Audiological evaluation for mid-January and a speech and language evaluation set up for Early February. The difficult part will be getting him there, but he will get there every time he is scheduled to be there. We have Aetna insurance. I doubt if it will cover Fred's services, but I think the hospital can bill differently so maybe we won't have to pay TOO much out of pocket. It doesn't matter...anything to help my boy...anything!

Today was the big day, I went to my ultrasound screen. The tech was able to locate all of the baby's parts. And yes, there was an extra part sticking straight up in the air. I said at the same time as the ultrasound technician...It's a boy. Yes, Mia will have two boys. I think it is wonderful. Being honest...as you know I am. I had just a tinge of disappointment. I was really hoping for a girl. Fred was more disappointed than I was. Don't get us wrong, we are excited about our new addition, but we both just knew that this one was going to be a girl.  We wanted to have the experience of a girl..the bows, the dresses, the prom..you know girlie stuff. Well, I guess we could try again next year or the year after, but there are no guarantees that it will be a girl...so I guess the question is...Do I want to have three children??? I don't know. We are a middle class family. We have to pay "full strength" (as Fred says) for everything. We are not rich enough to just not care about the price of things, but we are not poor enough to receive any type of assistance. It turns my stomach when I pay my $130 per week for daycare and drive my 2008 Envoy when another person pays $25 a week and is driving a Cadillac. I kid you not. I have seen this happen at my son's daycare. I would be able to afford that too, if I qualified for government assistance. I am blessed to not have to use the government, but I wouldn't mind a break on some of my expenses. Help us out OBAMA! Okay, I will get off of my soap box. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, my new addition.

On the way home from the visit, I knew Fred was a little disappointed ( I could tell by his silence), so I asked him if he would like to try for a girl next year or the year after. He said that TODAY, he feels like two is enough, but he would have to make that decision after the baby is born and gets a little older, then he can make the decision. For me, It is up to him. It has always been up to him. I was never really the one that wanted kids.During my sophomore year in college, I decided that motherhood was not in the cards for me and I was just going to be a major U.S. tycoon (I was soooo dramatic then). But when I met Fred, I wanted kids because he wanted kids and  he made me believe in family. So if two is enough for him then that is what we will do.

The good thing is, the boys can share the room. I won't have to buy a lot of new items. He may hate it, but he will have tons of hand-me-downs. Thank God for my healthy new baby boy.

A full Plate

I only have five more months before my new addition will be here. It is not that far away. I am halfway through the pregnancy and have to make a lot of business decisions. I want to stay off work with my new baby as long as I can. I want to breastfeed as long as I can. With me being the main provider at my business, I think things will have to be cut short. It makes me a little nervous. Fred is starting school in January and that is another addition to our already full plate. I know that 2011 will be a great year, but with lots of changes. I am praying to God that He helps me to make the right business and personal decisions. I am continuing to find that these decisions are one in the same.

Frederick and I are going to sign Lil Fred up for speech and language therapy. Yes, I have felt he has needed some help for some time now. I am also in the process of taking him to a preschool and out of the daycare. He is very unintelligible and does not speak more that two word phrases. This is a delay. I want to put him in private therapy, but I don't have a place to take him in the area. I want him to be treated fairly, but with me being direct competition, I am not as comfortable with the possible therapy my son may receive. So, I am going to have him evaluated by the school system, but he may not qualify for services. I dont know if he is severe enough. If this is the case, I may have to take him out to Germantown, TN for services.

I miss running. I am almost mad at myself for not running during my pregnancy. With the placenta issues and just plain old fashion morning sickness, I stopped. I want to start back, but I don't know if I should. I will just stick to my prenatal DVD, but it gets boring.......

Explaining to Bug and I have a bug

For the last two weeks. I have been trying to explain to bug that mommy has a baby in the belly. Every so often during the day I would say, "Fred, mommy has a baby in the belly". He will just repeat me and then go back to playing with his trains. I continued to do this daily. Well, Monday, I went up to bug and I said, "Fred, mommy has a baby in the bell". He said, "Well, go lay down then, okay." Fred and I laughed so hard at Bug's response. He still doen't quite understand, but at least  he responded this time.

Haven't been able to see my clients this week. I have been ill. Sore throat, cough and aches. I really could push through, but I don't want to spread my yucky germs. So I cancelled sessions yesterday and will probably do the same for today. Hopefully, Thursday will be better. I am still going to go to the Christmas Play tonight at the church. I haven't been to a Christmas play in a long time and I think Bug will enjoy it.

Healthwise, I just received the book that I ordered. I am a little hesitant to read it. I have recently learned not to eat my seed, so when I read it. I must be a doer and not just a hearer or reader.

I went to the nursing home yesterday and saw a few patients. One of the workers lost her child and recently received the autopsy results. Her son died from SIDS at his daycare back in September. So everything is still new to her and hard to deal with and I imagine this will be the case for some years. She doesn't know me well, but found comfort enough in me to ask questions about God. I am so glad that she was able to see that in me. I want others to know where I stand and I am thankful that people see the love of God in me. She thanked me several times for talking with her and she felt that I helped her to feel better. I thank God for using me. That is a difficult situation and it is hard to find the right words, but God gave me words that she found comforting. Praise God for using me.

Don't eat the Seed...Mia

I learned this week not to "eat my seed". In my women's bible study class, we are studying the Psalms of Ascent. In one of the lessons, the text took us to the parable about the sowing of the seed. You know the one in Mark 4 that I was studying earlier. I never understood why God would teach me something or I could learn something, understand it, but not see the results, whether its weight loss or discipline or forgiveness, or self-esteem issues any of the areas I struggle with...its because I ate the seed. I never planted it or let it grow to full maturity. That was so enlightening to me. I don't know if it had an impact on anyone else in the class, but it sure opened my eyes to the reason for some of my road blocks in life. I just love learning more and more about God's way. I am consistently learning that we are all wrong about how we do things. God has a TOTALLY different system. From this point on, I am going to do my best to sew my seed. Meaning....obedience. total obedience.

When I went in to work today, one of my co-workers presented me with a book called Satan, I am taking my health back. It is written by an african american man who lost several family members to colon cancer. He has devoted his life to research, not just of health and nutrition, but to education and other topics based. He based his love for unrelated topics on the scripture "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". It was so exciting. I am a little like, who am I kidding, I am a lot like that. I love different topics, those unrelated to my field of study. I often want to explore different subjects and study them and share what I have learned with others. I ordered the book and am anxiously waiting on its arrival.