Update on Ava Nichole

I've been a little busy here lately and haven't got a chance (or taken the time) to post an update on Ava. She was able to come home from Woman's Hospital on Tuesday, April 24th!!! She is doing GREAT!! She doesn't have to have any support from oxygen or anything. This was truly an answered prayer. Thank you, Lord, for hearing and answering.



Here's a few pictures of her lil sweet self. As you can tell...she LOVES to sleep. She's just so precious!

Learning New Tricks EVERYDAY!!

Korben is learning new tricks everyday! He has just recently mastered the art of crawling. And instead of being happy and content with that for a while...he's decided to try to move as quickly as possible into the cruising stage. Step one in doing that is to learn to pull himself to a standing position all by himself. MASTERED IT!!!...Sunday, May 6, 2007 (6 months old). :(

Step 1:

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Step 2:

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Step 3:

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos
DONE.

What's next, Mom & Dad??

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow!!!

That's the song that just keeps playing over and over in my head! The same song that I replayed continually in my mind while I was pregnant with my precious Korben!! There's just no way possible that we could NOT give praise to HIM for all the wonderful blessings and miracles that we've seen in our lives. All the valleys that we've gone through and all the stormy times in our lives...God was there with us, walking right by our side; and HE brought us through!! I love the Casting Crowns song "Praise You in This Storm". It just speaks right to my heart in so many ways.

We got great news on baby Ava today! They were able to take her off of the ventilator and remove that tube AND they were able to remove her chest tube also. Such great news! Blood work was done and so far all results are very positive and show that she's just doing great. What a lil' toughie!! Word is that, if she continues to do well today, Kelly and Nikki should be able to hold her and feed her tonight (for the FIRST time)!! What a blessing from above!

Kelly sent me this picture today on my cellphone. I know it's not the best quality in the world, but I just had to post a picture of the lil' angel that we've all been praying so much for here lately!!

Please continue to lift them up in prayer.

Picture Time...Just a Few New Ones

I thought I'd just share a couple of pictures with you real quick! (Can't help myself.)

Here's one of my sweet lil' man as he was just waking up at Mammy's house after sleeping all night long (as usual) in his cool crib! (Wish I was that cheerful in the morning!!)














And this one is of Korben waiting patiently in his high chair for his crazy Mama to take one more picture and then to put the camera down and FEED HIM!! HA!


















And last, but certainly not least, these two are of Korben and his friend, Elaina Grace. She's a month older than him. I think they're going to be pretty good buddies!! (Kinda like me and Elaina's Mommy!) Aren't they a cute pair!!

Meet Baby Ava!!...Korben's Newest Cousin

WOW!! We serve an awesome God!! On Monday, April 16, 2007, we welcomed the newest member of the Altman clan into the world. Little Ava Nichole was born a month early due to concerns about her sweet mama's BP being SOOO high. Ava weighed in at 6 lbs. 2 oz. and was 18 in. long!! She's such a precious lil' thing with a head FULL of dark brown (almost black) hair. (see picture below)




Of course, being born a month premature comes with it's disadvantages, too (no matter HOW anxious we were for her to get here). Ava is perfectly healthy except that the lower lobe of her left lung wasn't completely developed. Early this morning the doctors decided to put Ava on a respirator to help her with her breathing so she wouldn't have to work so hard. Being the tough lil thing that she is, they've already been able to lower the oxygen level some today. Thank you, Lord. She's doing great though! And the doctors and nurses say that this isn't anything that wouldn't be expected with any other baby born at 36 weeks.


Please keep Ava (and her mama and daddy, Nikki and Kelly Altman) in your prayers. It's been really hard on Kelly and Nikki not being able to hold her and to have their new baby in the room with them since she's been born. I know that the Lord will be faithful and they'll be able to get to know each other REALLY well soon! "I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well." Psalms 139:14


Lord, I thank you so much for the gift of life. And most importantly for the gift of salvation. I lift up Ava, Nikki, and Kelly to you and I pray that they would feel your arms of compassion wrapped around them during this time. And that you would touch Ava's lungs and heal her according to your will. I also pray that you would not let me take for granted the healthy child that you have given to me. Remind me continually that YOU are the one and only one who "makes all things new"...both physically and spiritually. Help us to look to You first for comfort and strength and to thank you always for the blessings, big and small, that you give us. In Your precious name I pray...Amen.

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Well...Easter has come and gone. Time is flying by so fast. I think Korben enjoyed it. He really just wanted to gnaw on the handle of his Easter basket (bucket). :D

Don't you just love his attire?? He slept in his pj's with eggs and lil' chicks on them! And then wore his sweet Strasburg outfit to church.

Speaking of church --- Easter sunrise service also marked our first church service in our new sanctuary. It was so wonderful to be able to worship with EVERYBODY in one service (as opposed to 2 separate services). I was just overwhelmed with the love that God has for us!! That Jesus was willing to die on that cruel cross for ME and for MY sins. But I'm especially thankful that he AROSE from the grave and that he LIVES now and that I will see him face to face when I get to Heaven!! I hope that you were able to reflect on the Love of God for you this Easter...and not just on the eggs and bunnies.

Lord, thank you so much for your unfailing love that you have for me. And for the assurance that you give in your word that, no matter how many times we mess up or disappoint you, Your mercies are new every morning! You forgive us as soon as we ask and we move forward together. I love you!!

Crazy, Crazy Daddy

OK...Anybody that knows my precious husband KNOWS that he's pretty CRAZY!! Well, he usually gives Korben a bath at night while I get his cereal and fruit and bottle ready. Last week, THIS is how Korben looked when Kyle brought him in the living room after his bath!!!

OH MY GOODNESS! I asked him how he got his hair to stay like that and he said, "Lots of lotion!" Please note that I am NOT a fan of the mohawk on my son, but I just had to share the pics. anyway.

Korben LOVES his fruit and cereal!! So far we've had applesauce and pears and they're both winners!! I think we're going to try bananas next and see how that goes. I hope he likes 'em!


Kyle got this lil puppy mask as a gag gift for his 30th birthday (a few years ago). ;) He puts it on sometimes and barks at Korben and he'll just laugh and laugh and try to "pet" him!! Well, Kyle decided that Korben needed to wear the mask. Poor child, he has no clue what a crazy, goofy family he's been born into! But OH THE LOVE we have for him!!

Hooray for Spring Break!

Spring Break...whoever invented it was (or IS) a wonderful person! I sooooo needed a break from work (even though I haven't been back that long from maternity leave. :D I tried to rest and relax a little bit, but mostly I shopped, which I can't normally do during the work week because most stores are closed by the time I get off work.

It turned out to be a really good week though! First things first...I got a HAIRCUT!!! Korben isn't able to do as much pulling as he was pre-cut, but it's long enough that I can still tickle his face with it! He just thinks that is so funny!

NEXT (and definitely more important than the haircut), I found out that I'm going to be an AUNT again!!! Misti and Jason are expecting a baby! and Micah is going to be a BIG SISTER. She's just tickled to death! Due date is November 12th, so it's going to be another VERY exciting year for our family. I just can't WAIT!

NEXT!! On Saturday (17th) we had a family reunion in Natchez. It was really a lot of fun and it was nice to be able to see everybody. Kyle, Korben, and I went over Friday night and spent the night with Uncle Tommy and Aunt Jane until Sunday. It was kinda like a lil' vacation. :D

Here's a picture of our ENTIRE family:














And then one of MY lil family. Don't you just love Korben's new shades and hat!! He was just too cool. He's growing up so fast!! I just love him with all my heart!!!

Turkey Hunting - It's in His Blood!!

Well...I knew it would happen sooner or later. As much as Kyle and I love to turkey hunt, I was sure that Korben would pick up on it, too. But I wasn't really expecting him to start so early (19 weeks old). ;)

Kyle came home from work yesterday with a little surprise for his lil' man. He gave Korben his first turkey call of his very own!! AND (the best...and sweetest...part) he had engraved the box call with "Custom Made for Korben Altman". Isn't that just the sweetest thing!

You know me...I HAD to take pictures of this special moment. And I also HAD to give my lil' buddy a lesson in turkey calling! In a few years I'll also give him a lesson in "how to kill two with one shot JUST LIKE MOMMY". LOL!! :D









Dear Lord, thank you so much for allowing us to know the awesome JOY of having a child. Help us to take every opportunity (even the many "family" turkey hunts to come) to teach him about You and Your love for him.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

A Lesson in Being Patient

Being Patient...such a hard thing to do (no matter what your age). I was reminded this morning of having a "refresher course" in this area not too many years ago. ha ha! ...And I have a feeling that there will be many more tests to come now that I have my lil' man around.

I subscribe to an e-mail devotional called "The Christian Working Woman". I've gained a lot of knowledge from these in the past and today was no different. The title of today's article was "Work Principles from King David - Part 1" and today was telling about Principle #3: Being Patient in the Waiting Room. It told about how Davis was anointed to be the king by Samuel. In God's sight he was king as soon as he was anointed, but he had to wait for God's timing before he actually took the throne...which turned out to be 15 YEARS!! I never knew that!! Can you imagine..."hey, you're going to be the next king, but it won't be effective until about 15 years from now".

From his years of waiting, David gave us some beautiful words of encouragement: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7

I've certainly done my share of fretting when things didn't happen in my life exactly when and how I thought they should. I had very little patience and honestly thought that God just didn't no what He was doing...that He didn't have it all under control. That was a hard lesson to learn. But I'm so glad that I did!! Not only does He have the things that we worry about under control, but he has the plan for our WHOLE LIVES all laid out...before we're even born. Now that's ORGANIZATION!!! :D It felt so good when I finally realized that there was no need for me to fret or worry over things that were out of my control. To finally understand that God had it all planned out and He knew EXACTLY what was going on. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

So, when your patience is running low and you think God is just moving too slowly, remember David. He waited 15 years for the job God promised him, and he waited patiently.

He wrote in Psalm 40: "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."

The same God who worked on David’s behalf during that long waiting period is the God who will work on your behalf. Trust Him–He is a trustworthy God!

(Some of the words above are taken directly from "The Christian Working Woman" daily devotional.)

Now...you KNOW I can't close out a post without sharing a picture of my beautiful son!! This is a picture of Korben on a very chilly morning as we were getting ready to leave our house. :D


These two are of him playing in his Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo. He LOVES it!! And we've only had it 2 weeks and have already had to raise it up to the next level because he's getting so long/tall!!! He gets that from his Poppa!!

4 Months Old

What a sweet lil' angel!! Korben turned 4 months old on February 25th. He's growing so fast and learning to do new things all the time. As of now, he can roll over (in BOTH directions), he can hold his toys and control his hand movements much better, and he has started eating rice cereal (although he's not too crazy about it just yet).

He went to the doctor on February 16 for his 4 month check-up and weighed in at 14 lbs. 11 oz. and was 24 1/2 inches long!!! Got his 2nd set of shots and did NOT enjoy it at all, but he still did great. No fever, swelling, etc.


We've finally had a few warm days and he's been able to go outside a few times and he just loves it!! I can't wait until summer so he can ride the 4-wheeler. :D

It's so hard for me not to post every picture I have of him. ha ha! I'm trying my best to control the urge.

Every time he smiles at me, I'm reminded of what a lil' miracle he is and how blessed Kyle and I are to have him with us. Thanks to everybody who prayed for us and with us during the VERY tough times we went through. You are all so special to us.

"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

Lord, help me to continue to put my hope in You daily. And remind me that, no matter what I go through in life, You are there with me...holding my hand.

12 Weeks Old

This is Korben at 12 weeks old. His Mammy and I took him to Sears for his first professional photos. I thought they turned out pretty good even though he got VERY sleepy!!

8 Weeks Old - First Christmas

Here are a few pictures of Korben's First Christmas (2006). He was 8 weeks old!! He seemed to really enjoy it, although I realize that he didn't know WHAT was going on. ha ha! Kyle and I had a great time playing with all of his toys and Korben especially likes to snuggle with his stuffed deer,"Bucky", that Santa brought him.

Korben also went to see his pediatrician on December 15th for his 8 week check-up. He weighed 11 lbs. 8 oz. and was 22 1/2 inches long!!! Dr. Tarpy said that he's doing GREAT, which is exactly what we wanted to hear. He also got his first set of shots. :( He did really good though...didn't cry much at all and didn't run any fever. He's such a tough boy!

Thank you, Lord!

Welcome to the World - Our Miracle Man

Wow! In only a few minutes we became parents! What an awesome feeling. On Wednesday, October 25, 2006 at 12:14 p.m. our precious son, Korben Russell, was born. I'll never forget the first moment that I saw his sweet face and held him in my arms.

I couldn't help but think about 1 Samuel 1:27...the verse that my sister had painted on the wreath that would hang on the door of our hospital room to announce Korben's birth..."For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition.".

Thank you, Lord, for such a wonderful gift...and for the gift of Your Son who died that we might live eternally.