A Christmas Miracle!

On Christmas Eve we were given an amazing gift. I opened my front door to turn on some lights and found a box sitting on my doorstep. On top was a computer print out that said Patrick and Regina Murphy and our address. There was no postage or return address. I brought the box inside and opened it. Inside was the box was nothing short of a miracle. Now to truly understand this you must know a few things - I have been cloth diapering Paige since she was about 4 months, but I couldn't afford the kind of diapers I really wanted and the number I truly needed. I have been wanting to cloth diaper Eli, but Paige's covers are too big and there are not enough to use for both of them. I resolved to save the money (which we definitely don't have right now) to buy the diapers I want. I figured it would take me around 6 months to save the money if I set aside some every week and went without some other things. But this box changed all of that. Inside this box was 25 cloth diapers. And not just any cloth diapers, but the exact style, type and even colors I wanted. I'm not sure that I have ever even said exactly what I wanted out loud. I received 25 Smartipants diapers, 12 cloth wipes, a wet bag and shower sprayer. I have no idea who left this expensive and amazing gift for us, but I know that it was God displaying His love for us. With the stock I already have I will be able to diaper both babies, and save us a lot of money. But perhaps the best thing in the box was a small note that simply said "God Bless the Murphy Family." He surely does, and this miracle was just one example but it got me thinking. This has been an interesting year. Our family has had to face some horrible things - my dad's sudden death, Patrick being laid off, a horrible interim job, many family members being diagnosed with cancer and financial troubles. But in the midst of all of these heartaches, trials and tribulations God has shown Himself in bigger and better ways than we have ever seen. Upon my dad's death we learned that he had life insurance, something none of us children knew. The money from that paid off debts, paid for the funeral and left my mom enough money to be able to pay the bills. When Patrick was laid off and we had no income for a month God provided unexpected gifts and checks that paid every bill on time and left us never wanting. The horrible job provided our family with money, new friends and some perspective. We learned to praise God in every circumstance. We saw God provide for our financial needs in every situation. He came through with just what we needed just in time, every time. Then there were the physical miracles. My cousin Tim was healed of cancer after surgery. My cousin Ashley's cancerous brain tumor was miraculously healed through prayer. My cousin Daniella's appendicitis was cured through prayer. Our dear friend Joe was healed of colon and kidney cancer without any chemo. The list goes on and on. But perhaps most of all I have seen Him drawing a lot of my family back to Him. Many of my cousins have come face to face with their Savior this year, and changed their hearts and lives to follow Him. It has been awesome to witness God calling His children home to Him. My God is so good! He amazes me. In all of these awful things He has sustained us, provided hope and proven faithful. But even more than that He has chosen to bless us in the midst of it all. He has given us exceedingly and abundantly more than we could think or ask. These diapers may seem silly to some, but to me they are just another example of how my God lavishes His love on us so generously. He doesn't hold back, He always comes through, He's never late and He delights in His children. Thank You Jesus!!

Yay for Christmas!

YAY!!! It's Christmas time - our favorite time of year. We couldn't even wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate the house. We were so excited, and this year has definitely not disappointed. Does life get any better than Christmas with kids? I don't think so. Watching them discover things and get excited over the little wonders of the season brings so much joy. Paige LOVES everything Christmas. She loves the trees, the lights, the decorations, the food, everything. Wait, there is one thing she does not like - Santa. She hates him. She runs screaming from him when she sees him. It's actually pretty funny to watch. Elijah loves watching Paige get excited, and is such a happy boy. We've had a busy and fun month so far. We've made a gingerbread house, have gone to numerous Christmas parties, picked out the perfect tree, made our traditional Christmas cookies with family, met Santa and even got to visit family in Colorado and see some snow. Wow! It's been so fun, and it's not even over yet. Hard to believe, but our baby girl is 16 months old - running everywhere and talking a mile a minute (I wonder where she gets that from?). Elijah will be 2 months old next week. That's right, I said 2 months old. Where has the time gone? He's growing like a weed, and eating ALL the time. He's the cutest little boy ever, with the sweetest disposition. So we've already received the best gifts ever. We really don't need anything else. Paige and Eli are the best gifts we've ever gotten. And watching them enjoy all the things we love just makes our joy even greater.

Sharing

Just thought we'd share some pictures of the 2 cutest kids on the planet. This is what life has been like the past 3 weeks at our house. Blessed much?

Welcome to the World Elijah David!

Elijah David Murphy

born Wednesday, October 28, 2009

at 5:03 p. m.

8 lbs. 3 oz.

21 inches long

On Wednesday, October 28, I went in for my midwife appointment for my 39 week check up. The week before I had been dilated to 4, and I had hoped to go into labor anytime. I was praying that she would say that today was the day. My midwife checked me and told me I was at 5, nearly 6, and that my bag of waters was ready to break. She told me to go to the hospital and get checked in, and she would meet me there in a few hours to break my water. My mom had come with me and had Paige in the waiting room. I came out and told her we had to go. I quickly called Patrick to meet us there. We got to the hospital around 11:30 a. m. and checked in. I was put in a room and they started monitoring me around 12. I was having pretty consistent contractions but no real pain. Patrick soon arrived, and he and my mom left together to get our bags, and my mom took Paige to her house to eat and take a nap. Patrick returned around 2, right after my midwife had broken my water. Labor kicked in and my contractions started coming really hard and fast. My goal was to have as natural a birth as possible, and as the pain increased I worried I wouldn't be able to take the pain. Patrick was so helpful in coaching me to breathe, but I did finally cave in and get a temporary pain shot that lasted for about 15 minutes. The shot came around 3: 45 p. m. when I was at a 7. I was in transition and the pain was very intense. I worried I would be in that pain for a long time, but transition lasted hardly anytime at all. The pain medication wore off quickly, and my midwife came in at just about that time. She had me lay on a birthing ball, and that really helped with the pain. Then she asked if I wanted her to check me. When she did, she said I was ready to push. It was only 4: 45! I couldn't believe how fast I had progressed. When I had Paige everything moved so slowly, and this time everything was happening so fast. Patrick quickly called my mom to tell her she better be on her way. She was coming, but so was Eli. I only pushed for about 15 minutes, and Eli was here. My mom arrived just as his head came out. He was born at 5: 03. The cord was wrapped around his neck and his face was blue, but he was perfect. A beautiful baby boy. This whole experience was so wonderful. I remember all of it, every part. And although it was hard and painful I believe that going without the drugs made it go so much smoother and faster. I am so thankful for how it all went, and for a midwife that really understood what I wanted, and nurses that were very helpful, family that prayed and cared for Paige, and a wonderful husband who never left my side, encouraged me, and even slept on the hospital floor for us. What a beautiful little blessing this boy is already!

Paige and the Pumpkins

Sorry for the gap in updates. It's been a busy few weeks :). Last Sunday, you know way back in October when we were a family of 3, we took Paige to the Pumpkin patch after church. Paige LOVES pumpkins! She gets so excited every time she sees one. The pumpkin patch was the perfect place to take her. She walked all over the place looking at all the different kinds of pumpkins, and had the best time. She even got to see baby chicks, rabbits and ducks too. Later that day, we went to our church's fall festival and had Paige dress up as a ladybug. She was the cutest kid ever in that little costume. The next night we carved our little family pumpkins and lit them up. It was a wonderful few days of fall fun that Paige had a blast with before becoming a big sister.

Elijah's On His Way!

Hello All! I am now 36 weeks pregnant. In some ways this pregnancy has flown by, and in other ways it seems like I have been pregnant forever. But, regardless of how big my belly gets or how many millions of times a day I feel this little miracle move it still does not seem real that in a few short weeks a whole new person will be here living with us. He has such a personality already, and I am beyond excited to see his face and hold him close. I know that everything is going to change so much when he gets here, and I'm really excited for that too. We are pretty much ready for him to get here. We still have a few loose ends to tie up, but overall we have all we really need for him. I have even finished buying and wrapping over half of all our Christmas gifts. But, even though we are ready for him I am in no hurry for him to arrive. The midwife yesterday let me know that I am already 2 centimeters dilated. That's crazy! When I was pregnant with Paige I was at 1 until I was 41 weeks along. This is pretty early, but it could stay this way for weeks and weeks or progress much faster. We'll see what God has planned for this little guy's arrival. We'll keep you posted. Please pray that we have a safe and easy delivery.

As for our little 13 month old beauty - she is everywhere! She is walking and trying to run all over the place. Paige loves to dance, and is even now twirling around. She is starting to say lots of fun words, and does quite a bit of baby sign. We bought her a potty chair to start learning on, and she's still figuring that out. She spends most of her day chasing our dog Lola around the house and taking things in and out of her toy box. She's ridiculously smart and gets sweeter each day. We are truly blessed indeed that we have one happy and healthy little girl, and a very active and healthy little boy on his way.

As for Patrick and I - Patrick started a new job a few weeks ago. What a blessing! After 5 years of crazy hours, no weekends off, constant phone calls and drama, Patrick has started a new job that encourages spending more time with your family and in your church. We are so excited to see what God is going to do through this new job, and this new company that we really believe in. By the way, the company is called Northwestern Mutual and Patrick is working in financial planning - things like life insurance, disability insurance, and stuff like that. So great! And such an answer to prayer. This past year has been hard, and it's still a struggle, but I know that God has been refining us through all of this loss and trial, and showing us who he really is. I'm excited for what's to come. :)

33 weeks Pregnant!

First Steps!

Tonight Paige took her first real steps. Granted she has been standing alone for weeks, but always sat down to start crawling. Tonight she let go of the coffee table and took 3 big steps right to her mama on the couch. It was so awesome! So look out world! Our baby girl is on the move!

Can I Get a Witness?!

Is anyone else in need of some good news? I swear, I'm afraid to answer my phone anymore with all the bad news I get almost daily. Patrick HATES his job and is constant fear of losing it, money is tight, our health insurance is almost a weekly annoyance, Paige keeps having little stomach problems that we can't figure out the cause of, my cousin Tim was just diagnosed with cancer, my mom is working 2 jobs and she hasn't slept a full night since we lost my dad, we have no real friends here in Texas except my family, I'm scared of the direction our country is going, today is the 6 month anniversary of my dad's death, and on and on it goes. I feel like I'm sitting on the sidelines watching all of this go on with no power to do ANYTHING. It's such torture to watch people I love hurt and mourn and feel dejected and be powerless to help them. I'm so tired! I'm ready for some good news already. But then I'm reminded that I've already received the greatest news of all. God sent His Son into the world and He took ALL of my sin and shame and nailed it to the cross. I should be rejoicing in that news alone because it is more than I could ever deserve. He daily carries my burdens. He knows my every need, and He supplies it. I want to live in that truth all day everyday, but these stupid distractions keep popping up. My focus has become so blurred that I'm having a hard time seeing God in all of this - but He's there. In fact, He's right in the middle of it all. He holding us up and protecting us and providing for us and loving us through all of this junk. I keep hearing the verse where Jesus says that in this world we will have troubles, but take heart for I have overcome the world. He is in control. Nothing is a surprise to Him. Nothing is hard for Him. And He promises that He will not withhold any good thing from me if I follow Him. So, I am going to refocus and follow Him and trust that He sees what I don't. I'm going to allow Him to open my eyes to see the things that He is doing on my and my family's behalf. I'm going to lay aside my anger, hurt, frustration and fear, and let Him have complete control. Peace only comes from trusting Him, and that's what I'm going to do. This is no easy task. It's not like I just decide to do this and all of this stuff goes away. Oh no! In fact I fully expect the devil to hit us even harder as we trust in Him all the more. But all of these trials and struggles are a means to either pull us further from our Lord or closer to Him. I need to press in. I need to give Him my fears, failures and struggles daily, if not minute to minute. I need to arm myself with His Word, and speak truth into the lies that the enemy keeps hurling at me. I can't give up. I won't! I am more than a conqueror in Christ, and it's time I live like it. I'm done being depressed and defeated and ready to step into joy regardless of my circumstance. So, although there are a lot of reasons to complain and be sad I am going to live on the Lord's strength and not my own.

Paige's 1st Birthday Party

Our baby girl is not a baby anymore, she's a little girl now. Yesterday we celebrated her first birthday with a very small family party. Mommy made LOTS of cupcakes, daddy worked hard at the grill and Paige had the very best day ever. It seems like a lot of toddlers hate their birthday party, but Paige loved it. She had so much fun playing with everyone, opening her presents and eating cupcakes. She was all smiles all evening, and such a little hostess. We decided to try to make her day the most fun possible by keeping it small and simple, and having the party start after her afternoon nap. So around 4 p.m. our home was filled with grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins, lots of good food, and a lot of love. She loved every single present (and so did we - they were perfect for her needs and her little personality). She got winter clothes, books, baby dolls and some toys that make fun noises. The day just could not have gone better for her, and we are so thankful that our little girl had such a great day. Paige definitely deserved it.

1 Year Already!

Today our beautiful baby girl is 1. Can you believe it? The year has flown by, and yet we cannot imagine a life without this perfect little blessing. Paige is a so amazing! We wish everyone could see her smile with her little spaced teeth, or hear her laugh with her hearty giggle, or watch her run away when she thinks she's in trouble, or hear her squeal with delight when she plays, or see her play so sweetly and gently with her baby cousin Evelyn, or watch her get so excited when she sees Drew and Jake have come to play, or see her wrinkle her little nose as she makes a hilarious grunting noise, or see her wonderful dance moves, and hear her sing in the backseat of the car. She is so full of joy that she lights up every room. We cannot walk into a store without someone commenting how beautiful she is. Paige is so smart - she responds to everything you say. She loves to be part of the action, but gets uncomfortable if all the attention is on her. She loves to look through books and point at all the pictures. She chases our dog Lola throughout the house and tries to pet her tail. She refuses to walk, although she is more than capable. She loves to get and give kisses and hugs, and wakes up with a big smile on her face. She will be a sweet and gentle big sister to Elijah in a few short weeks. Being the parents of this little blessing is a privilege, and we love our job! We are loving this stage in her life, and are excited for all the ones to come. God has big plans for this little girl.

Insurance Updates

So a few weeks ago I shared some of the struggles we have faced with insurance, faith and God's provision during this pregnancy. Since then we hit yet another interesting snag, and witnessed Our Lord show us once again that we are His and He takes care of His own. Last week I went to pick up a prescription for my thyroid (I discovered I had hypothyroidism when I was pregnant with Paige and have been taking this medication since). When I went to pay I gave them my new insurance card. The pharmacist said that there seemed to be a problem, so he called the insurance to work it out. I could not believe what happened next. The pharmacist told me that the insurance company had told him that I was not insured and hadn't been since May 31st. He said that Patrick was the one that we extended the insurance for, and not me. What? So, I told him to hold the prescription (which quadrupled in price without the coverage) and called Patrick to find out if he knew anything about this. He said that he would call our provider and find out. I figured it must be some little mistake that would easily be fixed because I filled out all the paperwork and double checked it all. Boy was I wrong. The insurance I had signed up for was COBRA, which we received through his former employer. Our provider informed Patrick that any errors in our paperwork would result in me not being covered at all. In other words, the money we have paid up until now was for nothing and we would be responsible for every doctor bill, test, sonogram and the entire hospital stay. If, however, the fault was theirs, it would all be made right. I could not believe this. I knew that I had filled the paperwork out correctly. I was so frustrated. Another problem for no apparent reason when I had done everything I was supposed to do. I had filled out the paperwork and paid everything on time, yet we were facing huge bills. It seems like lately we have to fight for every inch. Why couldn't things just work out the way they were supposed to? Well, it turns out they did. After 3 days of phone calls and scare, Patrick got a hold of our provider and they told us that I had checked a box on the form that I shouldn't have. This should be reason enough for me not to be covered and for them to save all their money. Yet they decided to fix the problem for us, just because. They told Patrick that I would be covered from now on, and the past 2 months retroactively. It was fixed just like that. But why? The company was looking for any reason not to cover us and this was a perfect out for them. It is something that on the surface made no sense, or simply looked like some "good luck." But I don't believe in luck, I believe in Jesus. He knows my every need and even my every want. If they had decided not to cover us it would have been hard, but we would have survived. I had no doubt that God would provide either way. But this meant less stress, less money and less headaches for us. God allowed all of this to show us yet again that He is in control of every aspect of our lives - our health, our finances, our family, all of it. He showed us that He cares about all of it, and that He provides for us. These headaches bring to our attention just how much He cares and all that He does on our behalf. If we had never had a glitch at all we would not have been aware of God in the midst of us. We would have overlooked His place in all of this, and attributed it all to our hard work, the money we paid, and our fortunate insurance. So thank you Jesus! Thank you for being the giver of every good and perfect gift. Thank you for being more than enough. Thank you for never leaving or forsaking us. Thank you for caring about every detail, and showing us how infinite and boundless your love is. You are truly good.

7 Months Pregnant!

Little Elijah showing himself.

We are now 7 months along with this sweet baby boy.

He's so active - kicking and pushing out all the time. So hard to believe that

he'll be here in 12 weeks. It's really coming quick.

Go Bananas!

The Business of Birth

This post will be a little different than the others. This post is strictly about insurance issues, money problems and God's provision. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this year and pregnancy have been wrought with unexpected difficulties. Praise God that Eli and I have been healthy since day one, but external issues have arisen. The day that we found out we were expecting a new miracle, we lost my dad; after much searching I found a midwife that I loved, but also found that our insurance had changed and that my pregnancy care would cost significantly more than it had with Paige; Patrick was let go from his job in May, and thus we lost all our benefits; the health benefits offered with Patrick's new job were not enough to cover my expenses at the hospital, and were very expensive for me, along with the fact that we were making less money. Then, the company tried to use a loophole to deny coverage for Patrick and Paige. And on and on the list went. It seemed like every time we talked about insurance or a bill came I cried and worried over how we would ever be able to pay for it all. I knew that God would provide for us, but that didn't mean that we wouldn't have a huge bill that we would be paying back for the next 10 years. God did intervene in a million different ways - from family members offering to help, money coming in from strange places (Patrick got 2 bonuses from his old job while waiting to start his new one), the option of Cobra opening up for me, and Patrick supernaturally being able to join the healthcare option at his new job despite their refusal, just to name a few. God has been revealing to us everyday how He takes care of His own. Things were looking up. Granted, my care is still a significant cost and we are struggling to do it all right now, but God has been coming through and we haven't been late on a single payment. Then I got a bill today. It was a bill for the sonogram I got last month that apparently the insurance would not pay for. My heart sank when I opened the envelope. How could they not cover that? We paid our monthly payment and went through so much to get the coverage. How can we pay for this on top of everything else? I tried not to let it upset me or stress me out, and decided that it was probably a glitch that I could fix over the phone tomorrow. But thinking of that phone call made me angry and stressed and sad. Why does this happen every time? Why can't it just work out the way it's supposed to? Why do I have to lose sleep over something that should already have been taken care of, and fight to get the things I've already paid for? I was dreading the morning, when I turned on the TV. There was an old episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition on, and it had a family whose son had been born severely handicapped. Their needs were immense (including outrageous medical bills), and these strangers came and built them a house and paid off their mortgage. I cried through the entire episode as I realized the great provision of our God, His incredible love for His children and the amazing purpose that He has for each individual little miracle life that He brings into this world. God didn't leave this family adrift, and He wouldn't leave Patrick and me in all of this. He has and He will provide for ALL of our needs. I suddenly felt so stupid. My God made this baby, and He would provide for him, and He has a purpose and plan for this little baby boy. In fact, God loves Elijah more than Patrick and I ever could. These struggles and stresses are so small in comparison to the blessing of this baby boy. It humbled me to realize how spoiled I had been. I expected things to go smoothly with no bumps in the road, yet I accepted the sacrifice that Jesus made for me and all of the blessings I had received. We are called to sacrifice - this life is not about me. I am here to glorify my Savior and to serve my wonderful husband and my beautiful children. The key to real joy in this life is to put myself, my needs and my desires last. God will work this out for my good and His glory, and when I look back at all these little nuisances, I will realize how insignificant they were. These circumstances are small and for a time, but how I respond to them will determine a lot about my future and the future of our family. I can choose to trust the Lord and give it all to Him, knowing that He loves me and knows my every need. Or I can whine, complain, focus on my circumstance and try to go it alone. The first road leads to peace, joy and the ability to get out of the way and let God move on my behalf. The second will end in frustration, fatigue and failure. I am going to do my best to open door #1. So tomorrow I will be on that phone, working out this problem and knowing that regardless of their answer God's answer is Elijah, Paige, Patrick and I are His and He will take care of us.

June and July Fun

Father's Day at Lake Lewisville

Soaking in the sun!
                   

Getting some mommy kisses

4th of July!

Paige seeing her first fireworks.  She LOVED them!!

Elijah at almost 6 months along.  Starting to get big!

It's a boy!

Yes, the rumors are true!  After much speculation we have now confirmed that baby #2 is definitely a boy.  Little Elijah, or Eli, is set to make his entrance in early November.  We can't wait!  Paige is excited to meet her baby brother, and start to boss him around.  Patrick and I can't wait to see him and kiss his little face.  He's a strong little guy, kicking like crazy.  And he responds to both his daddy and big sister's voice.  So excited to meet this little miracle!  

    As for Paige, she is now 10 months old.  She got her third tooth last week, and the fourth is right behind it.  She's cruising around all the furniture and becoming so independent.  She is definitely starting to show her independent and at times defiant personality.  She's testing boundaries and learning something new every day.  We're having a lot of fun and learning how to love, discipline and guide this little girl each day.  It's a challenge and a joy.  And soon there will be two!  

   But this post would not be complete without a mention of our Lord.  God is good y'all!  He is such a provider.  Patrick recently switched jobs and thus we had insurance issues.  Being 5 months pregnant, this was a bit stressful.  We had cancelled our sonogram, and I was so sad that we weren't going to find out what we were having for a long time and that I would have to switch doctors and hospitals.  But God stepped in as He has every single time.  Why do I always doubt?  We called to make an appointment for the sonogram and planned to pay out of pocket (which wasn't cheap!).  We were blessed to have someone offer to pay for it for us, which blew our socks off.  But God stepped in and got our insurance figured out, and they ended up not charging us a dime.  On top of that, we get to keep our doctor, hospital and all the same fees we had before.  All of this resolved within 24 hours.  And, the money given to us for the sonogram was a loving gift that now we were told to keep and use for us.  Our God provides for all of our needs, and I feel so silly for ever worrying one little bit.  He is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and He never comes a minute late.  So blessed!  

A New Trick!

Yesterday, I came in to get Paige up from her nap and this is what I found.  A very proud little girl who had pulled herself up for the very first time.  We were both very excited, and luckily the camera was sitting on the table next to the bed so that I could capture this sweet moment.  Paige has been able to crawl for months, but refused to do so, opting instead to roll everywhere.  About a week ago she began to crawl and has taken off.  She's everywhere and into everything!  And the past few days she began to pull up.  She can walk around tables and chairs when I stand her up, but this was her very first time standing up completely on her own.  Now it won't be long until she takes off running.  

Updates!

Family picnic!  Feeding the ducks and eating dinner by the pond.
                             I love Cheerios and swimming with my dad!


                Baby #2 showing him/herself!  4 1/2 months pregnant!

Paige is now 9 months old and little baby #2 is 18 weeks old in my tummy and starting to show him/herself.  Paige is pointing, waving, crawling and starting to stand up.  She's still talking all the time and has added the word "what", which is hilarious to hear.  She's such a big girl, with so much life and personality.  She really is such a joy.  Our new little sprout is an active little one, and now I can feel him/her moving around.  Soon our little family of 3 will be a family of 4!  This little one has fingerprints forming this week and is the size of a peach.