Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Faith
Faith is easier without kids...
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. " Philippians 4:6 (The Message Version)
I have known and experienced the truth of this passage since I was a little girl. Although it has not always been easy to put into practice, it has been a guiding principle in my life.
But now, with Pax, and his bloody stool issue (I have stopped eating dairy and he is still having blood in his stools. The doctor said this may happen but it is still disconcerting.) I find myself not even wanting to hear this truth. Instead I want to shout, "I don't want to take the time to pray and wait and see what God does. I just want him to be better." I just want to know why he is having this problem and fix it. It is hard to practice faith when you want to be the one in control. When you feel like you are the one responsible for the well being of someone else.
But then I listen to myself pray that Pax will grow into a boy and man who loves and trusts God. How will he learn this unless we model this for him?
Despite my ignorant anxiety, God whispers an invitation for me to trust him.
Today we go to the doctor again. And in the midst of my detailed documentation of his stools, my reading of food labels, and my many questions I have ready to ask the doctor, I am trying feebly to trust in the One greater than me.
What is God teaching you about trust?
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. " Philippians 4:6 (The Message Version)
I have known and experienced the truth of this passage since I was a little girl. Although it has not always been easy to put into practice, it has been a guiding principle in my life.
But now, with Pax, and his bloody stool issue (I have stopped eating dairy and he is still having blood in his stools. The doctor said this may happen but it is still disconcerting.) I find myself not even wanting to hear this truth. Instead I want to shout, "I don't want to take the time to pray and wait and see what God does. I just want him to be better." I just want to know why he is having this problem and fix it. It is hard to practice faith when you want to be the one in control. When you feel like you are the one responsible for the well being of someone else.
But then I listen to myself pray that Pax will grow into a boy and man who loves and trusts God. How will he learn this unless we model this for him?
Despite my ignorant anxiety, God whispers an invitation for me to trust him.
Today we go to the doctor again. And in the midst of my detailed documentation of his stools, my reading of food labels, and my many questions I have ready to ask the doctor, I am trying feebly to trust in the One greater than me.
What is God teaching you about trust?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Stopping Traffic
Today was a beautiful sunny Spring day. Pax had a fussy day, so in an attempt to pacify him and save my sanity we ventured out for a "3 hour tour" in his shiny new stroller. As soon as we stepped into the outdoors we was a new man. (Maybe I should have listened to my mother and picked the name Oliver (lover of nature) instead of Paxton.)
If you are wondering, don't they already have a stroller? Yes, but we used a friend's Chicco umbrella stroller while in St. Louis and fell in love. So, now we have one. It is great for our less ambitious adventures, where the BOB stroller is just too cumbersome.
We first headed out to The Daily Grind, my fav coffee shop here in Marshfield, for a soy latte compliments of Jonas (the Barista) who has proven to me that soy lattes can be amazing. There is even a latte (or drink) holder on our new stroller. We then popped in The Back Porch, my fav decorating /antique store in town. Thankfully for our check book Pax's stroller made it hard to navigate through the store so I could not go throughout the whole store (particularly the clearance section) and consequently we left the store empty handed.
Pax was still enjoying himself so we headed up a few blocks for Pax's grand debut to the library! (I forgot to snap a picture of the moment.) Here I stocked up on a stack of dairy free cookbooks to help us make it through the next two weeks and perhaps the next year. Thank God for public libraries! We ended our adventure with a leisurely stroll home, just soaking in the rays.
The title of this post comes from the fact that I stopped traffic 4 times on this adventure. Having a baby (in a flashy stroller helps too) is awesome for walks. We even managed to stop a semi truck, along with 3 other cars on Central.
This was Pax after our tour of the town. It was so warm I had to take my sweater off! Check out the undercarriage of this stroller. Fits 6 large cook cooks, plus all diaper bag supplies!
This is just a picture I snapped on the way home. It is a church building. Not really sure about the other entrance down on the left. ?? Who enters through the main entrance and who enters through the midget door? It just made me laugh.
If you are wondering, don't they already have a stroller? Yes, but we used a friend's Chicco umbrella stroller while in St. Louis and fell in love. So, now we have one. It is great for our less ambitious adventures, where the BOB stroller is just too cumbersome.
We first headed out to The Daily Grind, my fav coffee shop here in Marshfield, for a soy latte compliments of Jonas (the Barista) who has proven to me that soy lattes can be amazing. There is even a latte (or drink) holder on our new stroller. We then popped in The Back Porch, my fav decorating /antique store in town. Thankfully for our check book Pax's stroller made it hard to navigate through the store so I could not go throughout the whole store (particularly the clearance section) and consequently we left the store empty handed.
Pax was still enjoying himself so we headed up a few blocks for Pax's grand debut to the library! (I forgot to snap a picture of the moment.) Here I stocked up on a stack of dairy free cookbooks to help us make it through the next two weeks and perhaps the next year. Thank God for public libraries! We ended our adventure with a leisurely stroll home, just soaking in the rays.
The title of this post comes from the fact that I stopped traffic 4 times on this adventure. Having a baby (in a flashy stroller helps too) is awesome for walks. We even managed to stop a semi truck, along with 3 other cars on Central.
This was Pax after our tour of the town. It was so warm I had to take my sweater off! Check out the undercarriage of this stroller. Fits 6 large cook cooks, plus all diaper bag supplies!This is just a picture I snapped on the way home. It is a church building. Not really sure about the other entrance down on the left. ?? Who enters through the main entrance and who enters through the midget door? It just made me laugh.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Happy Spring Updates
Happy Spring Time!! I know it's foolish to call anything Spring before Easter in the northern half of the US, but this past week has been splendid and we are taking advantage of it as much as we can. Pax loves walks (so does mommy), Aimee has been getting out for runs (training for the Duathalon we are doing together May 1), and Preston has started cleaning up the twigs and junk around the yard.
Here are some pictures of our latest adventures and happenings.
Friends of ours got a Baby Bjorn for us and it is SOOOOOO much better than the cheap knock off we had. Pax especially likes chewing/drooling all over the top of it.
His top 3 favorite things are daddy, sleep and milk in that order (although the milk is now dairy free :)
He feels that his main job is producing saliva. He does this with vigor each day and usually soaks a few outfits /bibs throughout the day. He is also a fan of technology and the TV is really fascinating to him.
This morning Pax and mommy stayed home from church because mommy sounded like Darth Vader with her cold. As Pax was playing with his ring it got caught under his double chin and he couldn't get a good grasp on it. After a little struggle and yelling, he gave up and accepted it. This picture was his acceptance and the ring stayed there for a while longer!
While mommy and Pax stayed home daddy decided to dress nice for church today. It's the first time he's worn a tie on a Sunday that wasn't a holiday in a really long time! When he got home Pax was so impressed he did his best Don King impersonation and told daddy that he could be daddy's promoter on a professional level. Not sure what he would promote but sometimes it's just the thought that counts from your children!
Here are some pictures of our latest adventures and happenings.
Friends of ours got a Baby Bjorn for us and it is SOOOOOO much better than the cheap knock off we had. Pax especially likes chewing/drooling all over the top of it.
His top 3 favorite things are daddy, sleep and milk in that order (although the milk is now dairy free :)
He feels that his main job is producing saliva. He does this with vigor each day and usually soaks a few outfits /bibs throughout the day. He is also a fan of technology and the TV is really fascinating to him.
This morning Pax and mommy stayed home from church because mommy sounded like Darth Vader with her cold. As Pax was playing with his ring it got caught under his double chin and he couldn't get a good grasp on it. After a little struggle and yelling, he gave up and accepted it. This picture was his acceptance and the ring stayed there for a while longer!
While mommy and Pax stayed home daddy decided to dress nice for church today. It's the first time he's worn a tie on a Sunday that wasn't a holiday in a really long time! When he got home Pax was so impressed he did his best Don King impersonation and told daddy that he could be daddy's promoter on a professional level. Not sure what he would promote but sometimes it's just the thought that counts from your children!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Good Bye Dairy Delicious
I am sitting here drinking my non dairy chocolate soy milk, trying to convince myself that it hits the spot. On Wednesday Pax was diagnosed with probable milk allergy. He has been having blood in his stools and the doctor's best guess is it is caused by an allergic reaction to milk. Since I am breastfeeding Pax, I am on a strictly no dairy diet for the next two weeks. This includes abstaining from anything with milk, butter (Even my Smart Balance!), cheese, cream of any sort, and any milk derivative. When someone is allergic to milk, it is the protein found in milk that they are actually allergic to. This protein is found in so many foods on the market. The next two weeks will be filled with lots of label reading.
Our hope really is that it is a milk allergy and nothing more serious. Hopefully the blood in the stools will clear up in two weeks and we will continue a non dairy diet for 5-6 months and then try reintroducing it.
I have spent the last two days forcing Preston to eat all of our delicious dairy food so that it is not a temptation for me. He hasn't been too bothered by this since it includes him enjoying my chocolate stash, fresh baked cookies, cheesy chex mix, and milk by the glass full.
We'll keep you posted on our progress. Meanwhile, please keep little Pax in your prayers!
Our hope really is that it is a milk allergy and nothing more serious. Hopefully the blood in the stools will clear up in two weeks and we will continue a non dairy diet for 5-6 months and then try reintroducing it.
I have spent the last two days forcing Preston to eat all of our delicious dairy food so that it is not a temptation for me. He hasn't been too bothered by this since it includes him enjoying my chocolate stash, fresh baked cookies, cheesy chex mix, and milk by the glass full.
We'll keep you posted on our progress. Meanwhile, please keep little Pax in your prayers!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Splendid Day
Today is seriously the first really nice day we have had this year. The snow is all but gone the sun is shining bright, and it's in the low 60's before St. Patrick's Day! All this has the makings of a splendid day. We have already taken one long walk today and considering a second (but only after mommy gets a nap).
While we were out walking is was great to see all of our neighbors outside their homes or walking around the block. It reminds me now much i don't really know my neighborhood, and how you don't see anyone from November to March. I'm gonna meet more people this spring/summer, and Pax is a great conversation starter.
Here is the 3rd installment of the Paxton Files: A Home Documentary.
For more videos of the St. Louis and Kidz Blazt go here.
While we were out walking is was great to see all of our neighbors outside their homes or walking around the block. It reminds me now much i don't really know my neighborhood, and how you don't see anyone from November to March. I'm gonna meet more people this spring/summer, and Pax is a great conversation starter.
Here is the 3rd installment of the Paxton Files: A Home Documentary.
For more videos of the St. Louis and Kidz Blazt go here.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Crazy 7 days
It has been a whirlwind of trips for the Tippen Trio. First was 2 days at a kidz conferene at the Kalahari with 1000 other elementary kids. Then it was home for 1 crazy Sunday. To top it off we traveled to St. Louis for a week of Children's Ministry Conference. Two 8 hour trips (which turned into 9.5 hour trips) in the car has made Pax rebel against his car seat.
We loved St. Louis and not only got a ton of resources for ministry but had fun around the clean city. There are a lot of cool free tings to do there that we didn;t have time for but can;t wait to go back when Pax is older.
Enjoy some of our latest pictures here!
We loved St. Louis and not only got a ton of resources for ministry but had fun around the clean city. There are a lot of cool free tings to do there that we didn;t have time for but can;t wait to go back when Pax is older.
Enjoy some of our latest pictures here!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Our Night Out on the Town
2 parents + 1 cute sleeping boy + 1 quaint authentic Italian restuarant in St. Louis= 1 happy family outing
baby wakes and is not happy
1 fussy baby + 2 confused parents = 1 nervous waiter
baby becomes inconsolable and fussing turns to screaming so mom takes him into the bathroom to check for dirty diaper
1 dry diaper + 1 SCREAMING baby + 15 minutes = 2 parents making an exit strategy
1 quiet hotel room + 2 lukewarm Italian pastas in Styrofoam containers with plastic forks = 1 smiley baby with WHAT?!?! poop running down his leg
1 sleeping baby + 1 Snickers Bar cheesecake = 2 parents humored by their unexpected evening
baby wakes and is not happy
1 fussy baby + 2 confused parents = 1 nervous waiter
baby becomes inconsolable and fussing turns to screaming so mom takes him into the bathroom to check for dirty diaper
1 dry diaper + 1 SCREAMING baby + 15 minutes = 2 parents making an exit strategy
1 quiet hotel room + 2 lukewarm Italian pastas in Styrofoam containers with plastic forks = 1 smiley baby with WHAT?!?! poop running down his leg
1 sleeping baby + 1 Snickers Bar cheesecake = 2 parents humored by their unexpected evening
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