Sunday Thought – Sleep Deprived At Its Finest

On Wednesday morning at 4am I woke up to Laila screaming! This is a very unusual occurrence so I ran into her room to check on her. She was crying so hard and was absolutely uncontrollable!  I held her in my arms, but she just wouldn’t calm down. It didn’t take long for Tyson to wake up. He took her downstairs to watch Sports Center in hopes she would fall back asleep. She seriously ended up NEVER going back to sleep and only took an hour nap later that day! It was a LONG day!

On Wednesday night she went to sleep and woke up around 11pm, crying uncontrollably again. This time we knew she was sick, as she was congested and was having a very difficult time breathing. Tyson ended up holding her and rocking her ALL night long. I came downstairs several times to check on them, but he insisted on taking care of her. He couldn’t sleep as he was holding her and I couldn’t sleep knowing she was so upset. It was a LONG night!

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “You rock a sobbing child without wondering if today’s world is passing you by, because you know you hold tomorrow tightly in your arms.”

I love this quote! As much as I hate sick babies and hate not being able to get my sleep, some of the greatest mommy moments I have ever had with Laila, have been in the early morning hours as I rock her in my arms. I love holding her and looking at her perfect features. Her big blue eyes, her little button nose, her kissable lips and her chubby cheeks. The most precious memories I will cherish forever are those little moments of cuddles!

When we are sleep deprived and exhausted because of  newborn baby feedings or a sick toddler or a scared child… remember this quote. We really are holding tomorrow in our arms. What a precious gift! I just love being a mom and feel SO lucky that I get to take care of a little precious child of God. Cherish these moments ladies! We are blessed.

Luckily, on Thanksgiving morning there was ONE Quick Care open in Las Vegas that we were able to take her to. We got her some antibiotics, a priesthood blessing and some rest. With all three of these things she is feeling SO much better, has slept through the night and is back to her normal sleep schedule!  

A Sunday Thought – God TRUSTS us

This week my life was changed forever. I have had a few things happen that have changed my perspective on life and to not ever take a moment for granted. I have had mixed emotions… sad, mad, scared, upset and have found peace at times. It is a cycle that continues to go around and around.

I woke up on Wednesday and got Laila out of her crib. Her cute, crooked smile will make ANYONE happy…even on the darkest days. I feel like she knows when I am sad and knows exactly how to make me happy in the simplest ways!

I could have been a bum all day long and seriously just laid in bed and cried… but it is truly amazing when you are a mom. You have another human being to take care of! She was completely depending on ME. She needed her diaper changed, to eat, to play, to be picked up, to get dressed, to be read to, to take a nap, to go to the doctors and to feel loved.

THAT was when it hit me! I am a mom! It is MY duty to take care of this little angel girl. She is 100% dependent on ME right now. That is a huge responsibility! As much as I wanted and could have been sad that day, I picked myself up and got us ready! My life continued…even if deep inside I was hurting.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “God trusts women so much that he lets them bear and care for His spirit children.”

I love that quote! God trusts us SO much that he lets us bear and care for HIS spirit children. I know that we, and our children, are each a child of God. What a wonderful blessing it is that he has given us the responsibility and privilege of taking care of these precious spirits.

I hope when we have bad days and life seems a little crazy, that we remember that our Heavenly Father knows us. He knows us individually. He knows what we are capable of doing. He is there to lift us up and help us. He loves us and TRUSTS us! He sent these babies to us because He knows that we are capable of taking care of them, even on our sad, not good, dark days.

I am so grateful to be a mom! I am grateful for the happiness and peace Laila brings me! Heavenly Father knew that I was actually the one that needed HER this week! Maybe even more than she needed me. 

A Sunday Thought – Seeking for Peace

I am having a hard time writing this post today. I type through tears of sadness and sorrow. My heart is aching and I am having a difficult time putting words together.

Three months ago, my four year old cousin passed away. She had been fighting cancer and multiple brain tumors for over a year. When we received the phone call, I couldn’t stop crying. I didn’t understand why such a horrible and sad situation had to happen to such good people.

Yesterday, my friend’s precious one year old daughter passed away suddenly from meningitis. It was unexpected. When I saw what had happened, I couldn’t stop crying. I didn’t understand why such a horrible and sad situation had to happen to such good people.

When we got the phone call about Holland passing away, I fell to my knees in prayer. When I saw the news online about Jane, I fell to my knees in prayer.

I am grateful for prayer and the peace it brings into our lives during the most difficult trials we must endure. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and that he never gives us trials that we cannot endure. I am grateful for these beautiful mothers of these perfect angel daughters, who show me how to be strong.

I have an unshakable testimony that this life is not the end. I know with all of my heart, that these angel babies were too perfect for this world. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for them. A greater plan than we could ever imagine. I know that we will see them again.

I am holding Laila tight today. As I cried in the rocking chair earlier, she was playing with her toys below me. She saw me crying and completely stopped doing what she was doing and was so concerned for me. I picked her up and held her as the tears rolled down my cheeks. It is my prayer that you each will hold your children tight today. Give them a hug. Kiss them. Cuddle them. Tell them you love them. Life is too short, but FAMILIES ARE FOREVER.

“There is terrible suffering in our world today. Tragic things happen to good people. God does not cause them, nor does He always prevent them. He does, however, strengthen us and bless us with His peace, through earnest prayer.”

—Rex D. Pinegar

Don’t Give Up. Don’t You Quit.

THIS has been a week! I have felt so stressed and uneasy for some reason! I have felt like I haven’t done enough. I felt like I couldn’t make my baby happy. I have felt like I failed. 

Laila has been struggling the past few weeks. Her top two teeth FINALLY broke through on Tuesday and it was a beautiful day! No more than 24 hours later though, she woke up from her nap with a runny nose and slight fever. You could tell she was back to just not feeling well.

On Thursday I thought I was going to have a breakdown. 9 hours went by and I had a crying baby for probably 8 of those. Nothing would make her happy and we both were getting frustrated. I told Tyson I may not be alive by the time he got home that day. I was ready to give up and quit.

Around 4:30pm I decided we both needed some fresh air. I bundled us up with sweatshirts and boots and we went for a walk. It was SILENT! The neighborhood was quiet, Laila stopped crying and I enjoyed the peace for a little while.

“Don’t give up. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—a lot of it...You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.” – Elder Jeffery R. Holland

Some days are HARD. Some weeks are HARD. And sometimes some YEARS are HARD. But I encourage all of us to remember this quote by Elder Holland. “Don’t give up. Don’t you quit.” I know that if we do our very best and keep trying, good things will come.