A Date of Significance

I may be the first pregnant woman ever to pray:

"Dear Lord, please do not let this baby come early

 {like his brother, ahem}.

'On time' or even 'Late' would be awesome. 

Thank you, Amen."

I just heard several of you shout at the screen:

"What in the WORLD?! 

Sister, is you crazy?!"

:) Yes, I know it may sound crazy. But, perhaps if I can explain the last few months in the Radtke house, and what still lies ahead, you'll understand the reason I have such an insane passionate prayer request about a "date".

On November 15, 2011 our world was rocked. While away on a business trip to Indiana, Trip woke up to the most excruciating pain he has ever experienced. The pain started in his neck and radiated down into his shoulders causing numbness and tingling in his left arm and hand. By the grace of God he made it through his meetings and got back on the plane to return home later that day. But the moment I saw him walk through the door of our home I knew something was very wrong.

To make a very long story short - after medical consults and an MRI we learned that Trip's pain was caused by the degeneration of his cervical discs in four of his vertebrae {C3-C7}. Because of this degeneration, his spinal cord and nerves were lying unprotected and being pinched, causing the severe pain and numbness. After meeting with a surgeon the decision was made that surgery was our only option.

This Tuesday, March 13, Trip will have the surgery to fix his spine. The surgeon will remove what is left of those four cervical discs from his neck, fuse each of the vertebrae together and seal them titanium plates. Then bone marrow from his pelvis will be placed down the middle of his vertebrae to promote bone regeneration. Following his surgery, he will be in a neck brace for 8 weeks.

If you just did the math, following his surgery and recovery time, that puts me 2.5 weeks from my due date. {And everyone says..."oh I see...well, then the prayer request isn't that crazy."}

The point of this post isn't to give you a medical lesson. Or have you feel sorry for us. {Or seriously question my sanity...}

It's the opportunity to tell you that in the midst of all of this...
                 ...our God has been faithful.

Make no mistake, there have been moments of pure anguish. To watch the love of my life, my best friend, experience crippling pain has made me question God's purpose for this trial.

But as I would struggle to understand, He would give me one lesson after another in His word. Three weeks into my study of James, the lecture focused on verses 2-4:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, 

whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing 

of your faith develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you 

may be mature and complete, 

not lacking anything."

The teacher pulled apart those verses and walked me through a lesson about anguish and joy I had never known. She closed with this point, "Anguish is meant to lead to a birth. If you trust God {regardless of the circumstances} he will birth something precious to you."

I could barely breathe as she closed with that thought. As I sat there 22 weeks pregnant, in the midst of Trip's crippling pain, God revealed His purpose and timing of this pregnancy.

Kristin, you will give birth to joy.

I, the Lord your God, 

knew what you & Trip would walk through between

this child's conception and birth...

and I choose to give you JOY.

So, while I try to lighten what we have been through with humor regarding my due date, at the end of it all, I know that the evidence of His faithfulness is only part of the plan. His timing for our son's arrival will be perfect. And God reminded me as I came to that conclusion, that Trip and I have already experienced the power of his timing in our lives. 

And do you want to know the date of that revelation? 

November 15, 2008. 

The day that God turned our anguish, 

our complete weakness, 

into JOY.

Three years to the day that this last trial began. 

He asked us then: 

"Do you trust me? Do you believe me?"

He is asking us those very questions again.
And without hesitation we can answer....

God ~

"You were faithful.

You ARE faithful.

You will {always} be faithful."

~Job 8.21~
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy.

~2 Corinthians 12.10~
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight
in weaknesses...
...in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.

{27 Weeks!}

T MInus...13 weeks!

{Don't you just love my belly button? ha!}

~I continue to feel great. There is a lot going on in the Radtke house right now {a post is in the works} so my great energy and health has been a huge gift from the Lord. But boy oh BOY, this baby is a KICKER. My sides are going to eject this kid with joy and singing come June 5.

~I am so glad the weather is starting to warm back up. We have had a very mild winter this year, but it's still been too "bristly" for this Mama to get out every day for a walk. I'm looking forward to those final stroller walks with just Jackson. I can hardly believe I'll be pushing TWO little boys in a stroller in just a few short months.

~With the exception of hanging the curtains, the nursery is FINISHED. I will post pics in the next few days. I have loved using the bedding from Jack's nursery for his brother. One of my sweet memories of getting the nursery organized is having Jack "ooh" and "ahh" over the clothes as we put them in the drawers. He could not understand that HE used to wear all of the onesies and bibs. At 33lbs, it's hard for me to remember that he was once barely 9lbs. :)

And finally...

~The name...will be a surprise. Everyone knows we're having a boy, so the name is our treasure to hold onto until he arrives.

Two and a HALF

While Valentine's Day is indeed a special day around the Radtke house, it also marks a milestone of sorts for a little boy. February 14 is the "halfway" point each birth year for Jackson. I remember in 2010 when he hit 6 months I thought my heart was going to split in two. The idea that we survived the first 6 months and were that much closer to his first birthday filled me with a wide range of emotions. And while I'm in no way rushing to see him turn 3, there are many exciting things in the next 6 months that I look with great anticipation toward his future.

Jackson at 2.5 you are 37.5in tall and weigh 33lbs.

You wear 3T clothes and a size 9W shoe.

~ You are an incredible eater. 

It is not unusual for you to request TWO sandwiches at lunch.

Your favorite foods are yogurt, bananas, blueberries, 

broccoli, and peas. Your secret weakness is....chips. 

{I have no idea who you get that from.}

~You are still a great sleeper. 

I cannot thank you enough for taking a 2-3 hour nap 

each afternoon to let your pregnant mama rest.

~You have transitioned to a big boy bed. 

You weren't sure about it at first, but thankfully you have done so well.

~You are potty training. 

You think your Lightning McQueen & Thomas skivies are pretty cool.

~You LOVE to read.

Any book by Mo Willems is a winner in your book. You also enjoy

the Clifford series, the Thomas series, and any book about a truck.

~You are VERY excited about becoming a big brother.

You tell everyone you meet this news. Your Dad and I are 

very excited that God chose you to be first in our family. Your 

baby brother is lucky to have you to look up to.

Finally, Jackson, while you are absolutely the busiest little boy I have ever met, you are also an absolute joy. You fill our home with laughter each day. Whether it is something that you have said or a facial expression, you are a very funny little boy. You also have a tender heart that loves Jesus. You take your prayers very seriously and talk to Jesus about anything. It is amazing to see how He works in your heart. I am confident that the "twos" could have been quite dramatic if you did not ask Jesus to help you make good choices. I pray that you always seek to "make Jesus happy".

{Mama Recommends}

COCONUT FLOUR!

The key to successful gluten free baking is the type(s) of flour you use. Today's recipe uses coconut flour. This delicious flour is made from ground coconut meat and has the highest fiber content of any flour.

If you're like me, when I first heard "coconut flour" I gagged. I hate and I mean HATE shredded coconut. This flour is NOTHING like shredded coconut. It has a light and delicious flavor and is perfect for muffins and cupcakes. Even if you're not GF you should incorporate this flour into your baking. It's an incredible addition to your baking that will give it great flavor and health benefits to boot!

Today's recipe comes from Comfy Belly. I cannot remember how I stumbled upon her site, but I have used several of her recipes and they are delicious!

~ Chocolate Chip Muffins ~

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup of maple syrup (or honey or other liquid sweetener)
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, melted (or olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable shortening, or oil of your choice)
• 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Blend all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Using a whisk, or mixer on a low setting, blend in all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until well-blended.
4. Fill each muffin liner about 2/3 of the way full with batter.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is starting to brown a bit.
6. Store covered or in the refrigerator.

Notes:
~She states the recipe makes 8-10 regular size muffins, but I was able to make a dozen.
~Be sure you use muffin liners.
~I used 1/4c maple syrup 1/4honey - I really liked the flavor the honey added.
~I plan to make these again and use blueberries. I'll let you know how they turn out!

Big Boy Room

A week ago we made a huge transition in our home. 

We said goodbye to the nursery and HELLO to the big boy room.

With baby brother due to arrive in June, we wanted to have a few months for Jackson to adjust to the shock prepare for all the changes that are on the horizon.

For the past few months we have searched for a twin bed that was reasonable in price, solid in structure, and fit our taste. We simply could not find one. The price category was a deal killer every time. While discussing this dilemma with a dear friend, she offered her toddler bed as a transition while we look. Their daughter had just moved to a twin and it was sitting unused in their basement. It was such an answer to prayer {and a relief to this pregnant mama's back!}

So, the plans were put in place to paint the walls, put together the new dresser and acquire the toddler bed.

Trip and I didn't know what to expect from Jack. I think we had thought of every ridiculous scenario in our mind as to what he would do the first nights free from the crib. But we were shocked pleasantly surprised. He has fallen asleep in his new bed as though nothing has changed. And he has remained in his bed until we come to get him.

I think the sweetest part of his new bed is our ability to sit beside him once he's tucked in for the night. Jackson loves to be sung to before bed. Among his favorite songs are "Holy, Holy, Holy", "Tis So Sweet","Amazing Grace",  "Jesus Loves Me" and "Twinkle, Twinkle". Once his songs have been sung we pray and then say goodnight. To simply lean over and kiss his head has been such a treasure for Trip and me. {Sure beats trying to hike ourselves over the crib rail for one last smooch.}

A couple notes about the room:
The quilt is from his crib bedding. I think it's a riot that they put a quilt in crib bedding. Thank goodness we ended up using a toddler bed. Otherwise, what a waste of an absolutely adorable quilt.

The red stripe pillow sham is part of a twin duvet set from Ikea. Once we actually find his twin bed I plan to use the entire set.

The chair is from my grandmother. God bless the '70s. That comfortable chair is the most hideous yellow you can imagine. One day I hope to recover it, but for now, the throw will have to do.

The lamps & pillows are from our visits to Corolla, NC. We love that they came from a place so special to our family.

Finally, I cannot rave enough about the paint. After painting several rooms with warehouse store paint, I splurged for this project and went to Sherwin Williams. I lucked out that I had a coupon for 25% off my purchase. The color is the perfect beige and the paint quality is fantastic. It goes with everything and I absolutely love it. I wanted to paint the walls something that will be easy to work with as Jackson gets older. I plan to paint his brother's room the same color.

I still need to finish hanging his pictures. But other than that, the room is complete.

Next up...brother's nursery. Hopefully that "little" project gets done before my due date. :)

{Mama Recommends}

RECIPES that must be shared!

As the week gets started everyone could use a little inspiration in the kitchen. I made one of the recipes and the other was a delicious dinner brought to our family this weekend.

Y'all. They were both "drop yo fork" good.

I made these enchiladas. Do NOT question the addition of the zucchini. Do it. Seriously. It adds a subtle flavor that is absolutely delicious. {For those of us with kidlets, it is a sneaky way to get another vegetable in their diet.} Recipe Girl has become one of my favorite "go to" gluten free blogs. But if you are one of those glutenous eaters, she has tons of great recipes to try.

The dinner that was brought to us this weekend was a divine dish from Real Simple. Chicken with White Beans and Tomatoes. It is a very simple dinner that has so much flavor you'll be glad you hung out with your oven for 45min. Add a salad and voila you have a perfect weeknight meal.

I did not experiment in my kitchen this weekend. I painted a little boy's room and assembled his new dresser so that we could convert his nursery to a BIG BOY room. {That will be a post for another day.} Hopefully, I will be back in my "test kitchen" this weekend so I can share more from Deliciously G-Free.

Have a great week & Happy Eating!

January is for Birthdays!

January 24 is Trip's birthday. January 25 is mine. For the past 8 years we have shared in our celebration and I have loved every minute of it. This year was extra special as I had a sidekick in the kitchen to help make Dad's birthday fun.

My sous chef and I whipped up some awesome cupcakes full of gluteny goodness for Dad. Look, my sweet husband eats gluten free along with me 364 days of the year. For one day, HIS day, I'll make the man a regular cupcake.

But there was nothing regular about my baking experience this year. I have a little boy who loves to be in my business when it comes to all things kitchen. {Could I possibly be raising the next Emeril?!} So, we donned our aprons and got to work.

It was such a delight teaching him to break the eggs and measure out the ingredients. Once the cupcakes were baking we made icing. Yep. Good ol' buttercream icing. {I just gained a pound thinking about it.}

The suspense of the cupcakes baking was almost more than my sous chef could bare.

But alas they were finished and once cooled icing was applied. {Note to self, I really need a piping bag and tips especially when 2yo fingers and lips are involved.}

This moment in motherhood was a true accomplishment for me. I tend to be a... cough, cough... perfectionist. And I could have "fixed" the icing job my son did with pride. But I didn't! I left it all gooey and messy. And I'm sure to Trip it tasted even better.

After serving Trip one of his favorite meals, Jack and I sung "Happy Birthday" and served our cupcakes. In the midst of snapping this photo I realized that I have a tendency to catch the man in his undershirt on his birthday.

 

Well, undershirt or polo, for me, it is more than just Trip's birthday. It is the celebration of the man I married and the father who loves Jack. The joy that I have as I close the day in celebration of him is the thought that wakes me every January 25. That blessing is an incredible present and one that I dare not take for granted.

Happy Birthday, Trip! We love you!