Anniston

I know that my opinion may be biased, but I really do believe that I have the most special girl in the whole world. She continues to develop more and more! She now weighs 3lbs. 6ozs.

Yesterday, they took her off her CPAP. They put a regular oxygen tube on her. She is mostly on "room air" but does occasionally need a little oxygen. She is doing so good! I can' wait until tomorrow, I am going to get to hold her for the first time in a few weeks. I am so pumped!

One of my heroes...

Perry Noble has become one of the guys that I have a lot of respect and admiration for. He is the Pastor of Newspring Community Church in Anderson, SC. Yesterday, 214 people accepted Christ at Newspring over the weekend. Not too shabby. I encourage you to click on his name and read his blog about this weekend. God is at work there...that's for sure!!

The Biggest Loser

One of my favorite shows is the Biggest Loser. I credit the show with being one of the things that motivated me to lose weight. It helped me to realize that it was possible. As I watched it tonight, I was rechallenged to lose more weight. I know this may sound stupid, but I can't wait to run tomorrow!

Tigers Bring Me Joy

I am a college football freak. More importantly, I am an avid fan of Clemson Tiger football. Today has been a good day for me. I was going to listen to the game on the internet but could not resist the temptation to buy the game on ESPN Gameday. There is 10 mins left in the 4th qtr. and the Tigers are up 52-0. Todd likes that!

I am going to finish watching the game, help Joni work getting Anniston's room ready, and go to see Anniston later. Maybe I can also work a nap into the mix!!

Anniston and the Pirates

These 2 things are not really associated, but I do want to talk about both of them in my blog for today.

Anniston continues to do well. She seems to be getting stronger and stronger as the days go by. I think she is probably going to be a pretty fiesty (yes, I used that word) girl. Joni and I are probably going to be in big trouble with her. Brayden certainly seems to be the calm one!

I was at JR's house the other day and we watched Wife Swap. Not usually a show that you would see 2 guys watching, but he Tivo'd it because it looked so interesting. One of the families was a group of pirates. Yes, I said pirates. Their whole goal was to teach their kids 'pirattitude'. It was pretty ridiculous to see a couple of guys named Ol' Chumbucket and Cap'n Slappy wearing patches over their eyes and running around saying "ARRRRRRRRRRRR". Actually the guy is a real genius. He has written books and even has a website that you can see here. Just proves you can make a living doing anything.

I am ready for the weekend and some Clemson football. We play UNC this weekend. I hope they play well and don't embarrass me!

Music

As a student pastor, one of the things that I am commonly asked is "should my child only listen to Christian music?" Obviously, everyone has an opinion on this subject. I had someone email me yesterday and ask me about this topic, so I thought I would share with you how I feel.

I am a huge fan of music, first of all. It is one of my addictions. At different points in my life, I have felt differently about this issue. I have gone through phases when I listened to any and everything. There was also the "Christian music only" phase. Now I am somewhere in between the two.

When I was a teenager, I went to a church that took a somewhat legalistic stance on every issue. I was told that I should NEVER listen to anything but Christian music. I really struggled with this because I was not a Michael W. Smith or Amy Grant fan. I wanted to listen to cool music like my friends. I constantly felt like I didn't love Jesus if I listened that stuff.

Then there was the phase where I listened to anything and everything. Believe it or not, I was (and still am) a big fan of rap music. This was not the best idea either. The music I listened to really affected the way that I talked and thought about life. I got in the habit of listening to music that used vulgar language and viewed women as nothing more than an object for man's pleasure.

So, here's where I am today. I really do not believe that you can honestly say that you can find anywhere in the Bible that it says that you cannot listen to "secular" music. I know, I know, some of you will say that we should "not love the world". However, if you believe this way, you need to get rid of your TV, car, cell phone, etc. because none of those things are in the Bible.

However, I do believe that you should use discretion. You won't see me buying the new Snoop Dogg cd. But I was driving down the road today listening to "Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi and my Coldplay cd. I could go on and on about this subject.

Parents, what should you do? I would advise you to monitor what your child listens to. Be aware and use those opportunities to teach your student about why certain things are wrong. The bottom line is that they will listen to music other than Christian music. You should be an active part of what they are listening to. Let me know your thoughts.

Comments

Several of you have asked me about how to leave a comment on this blog. After you read an entry, click on the link that says "comment". This will allow you to leave us a note letting us know that you read the blog and give any opinion or thoughts you might have. We'd love to hear from you!

No Infection

Joni and I went to the hospital to see Anniston today. We are 99% sure that there is no infection! All of the tests have been negative to this point. God has been so gracious to us!

We also asked about holding her. They told us that we should be getting really close to that becoming a reality. We cannot wait!

Clemson Tigers...

The Tigers are ranked #19 in the AP Poll after a big win over Florida State. I am pretty excited about this. I was really concerned after the Boston College loss. Clemson has a few weeks of easy games before the big challenge of the year...Virginia Tech. This really seems to be a down year for the ACC and Clemson looks really good. They still have a great chance at winning the ACC championship! Go Tigers!!

Happy Birthday!

Anniston turned a month old today! The sad thing is that she already has me right where she wants me...wrapped around her finger.

They put her back on her CPAP machine yesterday. She was having to work too hard to stay on the oxygen hood. It is just a matter of time and she will be back off the CPAP. They are also a little concerned that she might have an infection. Her temperature was a little low last night. Her oxygen level in her blood stream was way down and they had a hard time getting it back up. All of the tests are negative for the infection so far, but they are playing it safe. In a premature baby, they start antibiotics as soon as they suspect an infection. If the final test comes back negative tomorrow, they will just stop the antibiotics.

Oh yeah, we no longer have to wear the mask, gloves, and gown(have I mentioned that I hate calling it this, sounds like something my grandma wears to bed).

Pic

Here is a new pic of the coolest girl in the world! She is still on CPAP in this picture.

Bye Bye Bye

In the words of one of the original boy bands, Anniston said "Bye Bye Bye" to her CPAP today. While we were at the hospital today, they decided to take her off the CPAP and put her on an oxygen hood. What's the difference? I thought you would never ask...lol. The CPAP is a breathing device that has 2 prongs that go in her nose. Not very comfortable! The oxygen hood is a clear helmet looking thing that fits around her head. There is nothing attached or strapped to her head. The oxygen is free flowing inside the darth vader looking thing. She looks so much more comfortable and you can see her head, hair, and face. Please pray that she can stay on the hood. (Pictures are coming soon!)

A funny thing happened while the respiratory therapist was putting her on the hood. She decided to change her diaper b/c she had pooped. As she opened the diaper, Anniston started pooping again. The lady finally put a new diaper on her and guess what? She pooped again. It was a funny experience and poop ended up everywhere. I am just glad I didn't have to clean it up. :)

A Great Football Saturday

I am a college football freak. I don't know any other way to express how I feel about the game. My ideal Saturday is sitting in front of the TV flipping from game to game all day long. Needless to say, this is not Joni's idea of a great Saturday. However, she endures my addiction.

Today was a great one. Florida vs. Tennessee. Louisville vs. Miami. Michigan vs. Notre Dame. And the game I waited all day for...Clemson vs. Florida St. Bowden Bowl. Father vs. Son. This was a huge game for Clemson because it could make or break their season. Fortunately, they pulled out a close one. It was INTENSE! Go Tigers!! By the way, I have never seen as many blocked kicks I saw today.

Unbelievable!

My mom just gave me this picture last week..no question who Brayden's dad is!

I am addict...

Sign me up for the classes. I will attend. Hi, my name is Todd and I am addicted to Reality TV. I know, it's pretty sad but true. If you don't believe it, here are the symptoms:

1. My Tivo is set to record 4-5 different reality shows each week.
2. I almost went crazy in Hattiesburg because there was only 2 channels and no Tivo. (Although I was grateful for the house and those 2 channels.)
2. I was genuinely sad when Janelle was kicked off Big Brother: All-Stars this summer. Season 6 should have run the house. Although the guys from Chill Town kept me laughing. Even though I would have never predicted Mike Boogie to win, I was glad he won over Erika.
3. I could not wait for Survivor to start last night. If you are not watching this show, you are insane. I am also excited about the teams this year. They are divided into ethnic groups. There is a caucasion team, an african-american team, a latino team, and a asian-american team. Pretty risky and controversial, huh? I love it! Greatest idea in Survivor history because it will revive a show that only reality show freaks seemed to care about.
4. I cannot wait for the Amazing Race to start on Sunday. I really would love to go on this show with JR. It would be an interesting experience for sure!!

New Pics Coming...

Ok...ok...ok. I promise there will be new pictures of Anniston here soon!

God's Favor

Joni and I have certainly been the recipient of God's favor the past few weeks. We have been able to see so many things work out to benefit Anniston and our family. He has been so gracious to us and has allowed us to experience Him, like never before.

One small thought that I had today was that God knew that Joni and I would be living 45 mins away from where our baby would be in the hospital. He knew that gas would be one of the things that we were really concerned about. It was so awesome to see how gas prices have dropped in the past week or so. We payed $2.62 the day that we left Hattiesburg. I just saw gas for 2.27 in Millington. God answered a huge prayer request and has really helped us out. Obviously, I do not live in a world that believes it is all about me. However, I do know Jesus well enough to know that He is faithful to provide all we need.

Anniston is doing great! She seems to be getting stronger and stronger. They turned down her CPAP machine again today. I can't wait for the day that she can remove that thing from her nose. I know it has to be so uncomfortable. I am praying that they can remove it soon!

Oh yeah, I know that some of you have been asking about Brayden. He is back to his normal self, running around all day trying his best to get into every cabinet and turn all of the TV channels. He is wide open!!

Mouse Update

Several of you have asked about our friendly little rodent that we have wandering around our house. I put out some glue traps a couple of days ago, with some peanut butter on them. I hope he likes Peter Pan (creamy, because no one really likes crunchy!). A friend told me that his mouse preferred Jif. We'll see what happens!

I do know one thing. All of Tipton and North Shelby counties will hear a loud scream if Joni finds that mouse on the trap before I do. I am pretty sure that this will take place while I am at work and I will have to go home to rescue Joni and Brayden. As for now, he hasn't been brave enough to show himself.

By the way, I saw the strangest thing in Walmart, while I was picking up the glue traps. They now have this thing called a mouse tube. After you catch the mouse with it, you are supposed to take it outside and let it run free. I think this is about the dumbest thing I have ever seen!! If I find a mouse, he must die! Otherwise, he will return and bring his posse with him.

Oh Happy Day...

Today was pretty exciting! Joni and I went to visit Anniston and hung out with her a little while. While we were there, the nurse told us that she was doing pretty well. They had changed her to a different type of CPAP machine to give her a break from the normal machine. The one that she was on had 2 prongs that fit in her nose. Can you imagine have prongs stuck up your nose for 3 weeks? Doesn't sound like much fun for sure! As you can imagine, her little nose was irritated and they decided to give her a break. The new CPAP is not as effective as the other one, but it will help her to not be so irritated for a couple of days. They are trying to work towards getting her off the thing all together.

Right before we left, the doctor told our nurse that he would allow us to touch her! We were so excited, to say the least. We weren't even concerned about the gown (i hate calling it that!!), mask, and gloves that we had to wear. They are also going to start allowing a few visitors to go in to see her. This is something that I had been praying for since we found out we couldn't touch her on Sunday. Just another example of a prayer answered!!!

It's Going Well...

Anniston is doing well. She has gained some more weight. She now weighs 3lbs 2ozs, which is almost a lb more than when she was her smallest. She is breathing well and eating 35cc of food every 3 hours. It is so good to see her make progress from day to day. I really think she is going to be a strong girl, which means I am in trouble in about 12 years (and even before then). I just hope she continues to move forward each and every day!