Blessed

We are SO blessed!  God continues to flood us with his grace, love, and mercy daily. 

8 months ago my daughter had a heart flutter that was so rare, that not a single nurse, doctor, or cardiologist at Baylor Dallas had ever actually seen it in an infant before.  They had read about it, were pretty positive how to fix it, but couldn't be 100% until they actually went in and tried.  As a mother...that is terrifying!  Today. Baylor Ann, is a healthy, crawling, babbling, and oh so lovable baby.

8 months ago my husband and I started on one of the scariest journeys God has ever taken us on.  We were starting a new family and a new job in a new town and did not know a single soul!  There was so much new and I was so overwhelmed.  Today my husband is coaching in his first play off game after winning District in the regular season.  I will be in the stands cheering him on and most likely I will not be holding my baby because God has placed so many new people in our life that love us and especially love Baylor that she will be getting passed around by all of the soccer moms who have fallen in love with her and want to hold her and love on her almost, but not quite as much as her own grandparents would. 

Also, today, I had lunch with friends.  Friends!  We have gone from not knowing anyone, to knowing several people, having several friends.  As a stay at home mom, I stay busy! It is God and God alone who has put these people we have come to love in our life because if you know me well, then you know my conversation skills are lacking at best sometimes! ;)

8 months ago we visited a church. A very nice church, full of very nice people.  When church was over and my husband and I got in the car, I cried.  Not cried, but bawled!  I did not think I would ever have the feeling of a new church feeling like my church home.  I did not know how important that really was until I no longer had it.  Since that time we have found a "church home" and LOVE it!  We love the people, we love the pastor, and we love the ministry of it. We are so thankful and blessed that God lead us here.

In the 8 months we have been here we have also had some health scares and financial scares.  God has always provided and God has always healed.  Yes, I'm a major hypochondriac, but every now and then I actually have something weird happen!  God is faithful and through prayer and God's grace I still breathe to live another day! And as the stay at home wife of a coach...we are not exactly rich.  In love, definitely, on paper...not so much.  I was joking with my mom the other day and I told her, "If you're poor then you better tithe because that's the only way you'll make it!"

We have an overwhelming support system.  My family, my husband's family.  They are all so supportive.  So willing to help if we call on them.  They come to Colby's soccer games, help watch Baylor if we need them.  Baylor's KK's and aunts keep her looking like quite the fashionista. :)  They pray for us daily and they are AWESOME!

Blessed is what we are.  In every way.   I know there will be drizzly times, rainy times, and scary thunderstorm times in our life.  But today I will celebrate the blessings.  Below are a few pics from Bay's dedication.  Thanks Minna and Lou Lou for taking pictures!

The Fam

Bay's dedication.  The scripture we chose for her. Isaiah 43:1b "Fear not for I have summoned you. I know you by name. You are mine"

Baylor and Mommy

Baylor and Drew...he got the best smile from her!  And he only holds her for like 30 seconds at a time!

Baylor and her Lou Lou.  The two red heads of the fam.

On the move!

Well this has been a BIG week in the Peek household.  First of all, my hub's soccer team is the District Champs!!! Woo-hoo!!!  AND Colb got Coach of the Year for our district. Yay!!!!  So proud of him and the team! I am also just relieved that we made it through our first regular season of soccer.  We definitely had a few learning curves along the way, but overall it has been a dream season!  On to playoffs!

Another HUGE milestone we have hurdled this week is crawling!  Baylor can finally go forward!!!!  Now...it does resemble more of a breast stroke that you might see in swimming, but it's forward!  Hard to believe she came into this world so little and fragile and 8 months later she is chubby and busy! 

In the video there is some commentary by me, so you might just want to watch it with your mute button on...

I have 2 doctors appointments on Monday that I am just ready to get through, so any prayers you could send my way on that day would be much appreciated!  Not expecting anything out of the ordinary, and am praying it stays that way! =)



My Little Orangutan

See any resemblence?

    

Oh my sweet baby girl and her red poofy hair!  I love it!

The Peek household is staying busy as usual!  Colby is busy with soccer and I am busy with a busy little 7 month old!  She is moving all over the place these days, but not quite in the right direction...yet!

She's up on all fours!

She's in a bear crawl position...ready to take off!

And backwards we go into the entertainment center!

And back again under our bouncer!

And even backs up under her lion....are you sensing a theme here?

Yes, my sweet Little Bitty can crawl backwards with the best of them.  It's forwards we need to work on!  I am positive though she will wake up one morning or after an afternoon nap and just start crawling...then, life as I know it will again change forever! =) 

Baylor also has 2 little bitty bottom teeth.  You can't see them very well yet, but you can definitely feel them if she catches you off guard!  I will miss her little gummy smile, but I am happy she is reaching milestones. When people told me how quick the time passes and how quickly they change I thought they were all liars for the first 6 weeks of her life.  Then, one day, she just came to life and has not slowed down since!  Sometimes I swear she's gotten bigger just during her nap!

Oh yes...I would like to take a moment to apologize to all the people who thought I was pregnant from the title of my last post.  I am not.  Just thought it was a catchy title.  I had no idea so many people actually read this blog until the comments, texts, and emails that started with, "I thought you were...".  My bad.  I will try to think my titles through a little better for future blogs. :)

We have been doing a study on "The Art of Marriage" in our life groups recently.  I have loved it and have been reminded of many truths in God's word and having a God centered marriage. Today's lesson was on conflict and forgiveness.  There was a great quote by one of the speakers saying, "Harboring resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."  Another great quote that is so true and so simple, "Love God. Love People."

"When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:23

Be blessed!-E



It's Confirmed!

Two things have been confirmed for me this week:

1.  I am not suffering from a brain tumor, but merely a sinus infection.

2.  Parents at Colby's soccer games actually did think that I was a teen mom who had gotten pregnant by one of the players!  Granted at the beginning of the season the only person I knew to talk with was a highschool teacher and I hadn't met any of the parents yet.  Since then, we have had several team meals and I have met the parents and introduced myself as the Head Coach's WIFE! =)  They, of course, have fallen in love with Baylor and she now has lots of  "baby-sitters" in the stands.

Speaking of soccer, Colby's success has continued throughout the season.  His record now is 17-1 which is AWESOME!  We give all glory to God.

Baylor had a pretty eventful Valentines day for only being 7 months.  She woke up with a note and a rose from her Daddy. =)  We then went and had a Valenties lunch at Colby's school...KFC $1.99 Monday Meal Deal style.  That night while Colb and I went on our Valentine's date, Baylor got to stay home and have a Valentine's date with her Paw-Paw.  I was a little nervous leaving Baylor with her Paw-Paw since she is still so little, but luckily she just loves him!  And he just loves her as well!

Lunch date with Daddy!

LOVE her smile!

Here are some pictures we recently took at JC Penny...I hadn't ever used them before, but they turned out really cute!  Thanks Shannon for the coupon! =)
Baylor Pics

Here lately

Hello All!  Here is a quick update from the Peek fam. 

Colby's soccer team has now been in 3 soccer tournaments.  They placed 2nd, 1st, and 1st.  Woo hoo!!!!  They have started the season strong with several wins, a few ties, and only one loss to their name.  We are so blessed!  In the pic below, Colby was passing out trophies and awards from the tournament, but hadn't seen Bay in a few days so he held her while he worked.  So sweet! =)

Baylor changes daily.  I am so so SO thankful I get to be home with her during this time.  It is crazy how one day she can't do something and then all of a sudden, the next day she can!  Here she is sitting up like a big girl at the grocery store.

And here is her latest trick...

She looks so cute, but then...

She finds her bow...

And it becomes an instant chew toy.  They don't stay on her head for too long these days!  Baylor also LOVES our dog Tink.

                                          Tink could really give or take Baylor. =) 
I've also been making Baylor's baby food.  It is cheaper and healthier and something I enjoy doing for her.  My latest baby cooking food was an acorn  squash...pretty sure that's what I bought... ;)

                                       Bake it, blend it, freeze it, and you get...

                                       Lunch for 2 weeks for only $.88! And you get...

                                                    One chubby, happy, baby!


                                         Here is a pic from our last snow day.

                                                What a cute family I have! =)

                                            And here is her Daddy's latest trick....

            Please Lord help us make it through the toddler years with out killing her!!!!!!!!

Wishing you all warm blessings!

Who's in charge here?

This past weekend Colby played in his first soccer tournament.  His team came in second place....woo-hoo!!!  I was not able to attend the tournament, but still had an interesting revelation come from it...

 When Colby and I were in our senior year at college I told him, "I love you, but if you think you need to go back to Sulphur Springs, don't ask me to marry you.  I will wait on you in the city."  I did not want to be that small town girl, that never left her small town, hung out with family all the time, and became a baby making machine at ridiculously young age with other girls that never left that small town.  I wanted to be young, free, adventurous, and on my or mine and Colby's own!  Colby said, "Oh no, I don't want to go back there."  Fast forward 7 months and where are we?  Sulphur Springs, Texas. I was MISERABLE!!!  Oh how I cried.  Colby had applied in Gainsville, but it was for a Varsity football and Soccer position and he was not Varsity football qualified at that time.  He applied at Denton Ryan and had the job, until he realized that he was one hour short of being able to take the Biology certification test and in DFW they do not emergency certify because there are so many other applicants that are already certified.  Who would take a chance and emergency certify him?  Sulphur Springs...small, quaint, hometown of Sulphur Springs.  Turns out it was the best move we ever made.  God knew what he was doing...I couldn't see it then, but I definately see it now.  In the 4 years we were there Colby won a State Championship in football...as a Varsity coach! =)  I had my dream job of teaching Kindergarten on the best campus with the best staff possible.  We had several new friends and became closer with old friends.  I was led to an amazing doctor by friends that helped us through our journey of infertillity. AND we actually enjoyed hanging out with our family! =) Life was more than perfect.  Then...almost out of the blue it seemed....we were moving again.  I was 9 months pregnant, due in August, had several friends who had just had a baby or were just about to have a baby and was going to miss out on the chance to see our kids grow up together.  We were both apart of some the most God centered staffs you will ever encounter.  I loved everything about my life and it was all being taken away in a flash.  I know moving is all part of God's perfect plan...but the question of, "Why here?  Why now?" couldn't help but pop up in my mind.  So now I am bawling and squaling because I don't want to leave Sulphur Springs!!!  What a change of heart from the beginning!

So...back to Colby's soccer tournament.  Guess who he played in his first two games?  Gainsville and Denton Ryan.  The first two places he ever applied to and got turned down which led us to, what I thought then, was a painstaking move to SS.  It's like God was saying, "Em...I knew what I was doing then. I know what I'm doing now.  You couldn't see it then, you may not see it now, but I have a perfect plan for your life.  Trust me. Follow me." 

So that is what we're doing!  We have made quick friendships here, gotten plugged into a great church, Colby is off to a great start in his soccer season, I get to stay home with Baylor, and since Colby doesn't have to coach football, he gets to see Baylor quite a bit more than if he had coached football.  Sometimes it's hard, but having reassurance and peace from our Heavenly Father that yes this is where he wants us to be makes the hard times, exciting.  I can't wait to see what all he has in store for us and the work he allows us to do for the Kingdom.  Jeremiah 29:11-"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you for a hope and a future."

And on that note...here are some pics of my litttle "Bitty Boo."  They are a little fuzzy b/c they are phone pics

Big girl!

My little Chunky Monkey!

Oh noooo she didn't!

And so it begins...

Soccer season has officially started!!!  So far we have had 3 scrimmages and have done really well.  I am so proud of Colby and all the hard work he is putting into this season.  It is much different for me this time around than last year because last year Colby was an assistant coach and I had my sister to travel to all of the games with.  This year Colby is a Head Coach and I am Hans Solo!  A little scary if you know me and sense of direction...or lack there of! =)  Soccer in general is a small crowd because it is an outdoor sport in the dead of winter...being able to have a warm body to get through it with and talk with about...whatever...is a luxury that I am currently without.  BUT...thanks to technology I can take lots of pics and text throughout the entire game...thank goodness!!!!   Here are a few pics from our Christmas and soccer games!  Be blessed in 2011 and make everyday count.  That is what I am going to try and do!!!

Such a happy baby!  LOVES her baby doll

All smiles

Baylor and Mommy at Daddy's first soccer game.  It was chilly!

Colby getting ready for his first game as a Head Coach and I was actually able to find the place on my own and get documentation!!!!

Baylor's Pirate shoes.  Go Pirates!

Pirate Passy

Our new version of Friday Night Lights