Newsy Post

My students planned this amazing panel discussion at NCU lasst week. I was on the panel. It was an incredible time. When they first asked me to do it they said, "Tuesday Evening." Which I assumed was Tuesday evening. Little did I know that "evening" them meant sometime before midnight. The event actually 9:45pm - midnight!!! Eeeeks! I went home, took a nap from 7 to 8:30pm and then went over to the Deaf Panel night. About 250 - 300 students showed up to the event! It was amazing.

It was run completely by students and they did dramas, talked about life as a Deaf person, Deaf culture etc. Then there was a panel discussion and we answered questions. I was on the panel as well. There were 4 Deaf students, me, an interpreting student who is dating a Deaf student and a Deaf Culture student, and then 2 CODAs (Child or Deaf Adult). The questions were everything from "what is your favorite movie?" to "Can Deaf people speak in tongues." Felipe was absolutely hysterical and very entertaining. He said his favorite movie was "Jennifer." (My husband calls them Jennelipe because they are so close and always together.)

It was an amazing time and I think everyone had fun AND learned a lot about Deaf culture. :)

The weather here has been really great. I can't believe we haven't had any snow yet! (YAYYYYYYYYY!) We have had a few cool days, but it hasn't gotten cold yet. It's been a great Fall this year. I've enjoyed it a lot.

Yesterday I spent about 4 hours at a Creative Memories workshop and worked on Mazen's album. I have so much more to do, but I was glad to get some of it done. It was so FUN! I called Michael from there to thank him for watching Mazen (again) and letting me go do this. It was very therapeutic and so much fun. The consultant I go to has her entire basement turned into a giant store with scrapbooking stations. She sells EVERYTHING I think, and she has the best set up for working on your scrapbook. She had water, soda, snacks, and Christmas music playing. I felt so much like a wife and mother and was having a ball. I packed my stuff up at 1:45 to make sure I got out of there by 2 pm and home to Michael. He's so good to me.

We went to early service this morning and we got home early. It's kind of weird to have all day now and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. We were up EARLY with Mazen. She's cutting two top teeth. The one on her left top center just started poking through yesterday. She woke up pretty much screaming her head off this morning. I finally got her some Motrin and gum number so that she would feel better. Then went downstairs. Pretty soon Michael was downstairs too and we figured, "why not go to church now?" So we got ready and went. Worship was really good this morning. Then Mazen and I spent time in the church nursery. She had fun playing, but there was a rambunctious 18 month old boy in with the infants and I was afraid to leave her so I stayed. She's only been alone for about 15 minutes in the nursery so far and that was only with other little babies.

Last night we had some friends over for dinner. They are expecting their first baby March 10. They are so excited. I showed them a bunch of different exercises and techniques for relaxation and then gave them a ton of books, loaned them the pool I labored in, the ball to sit on, the baby baths we aren't using anymore, and other stuff. It was so much fun! They are really sweet people with a strong calling of God on their lives and it was so exciting to spend some time with them.

We got some pretty bad news on Thursday last week. It's a private thing, but if you think of my family please pray for us. A member of my family is greiving a loss and it's hurting all of us. It's a tough thing, but we are trusting God to take care of everything. He always makes a way when there is no way.

After a few weeks of striking and fussing, Mazen has decided that she likes nursing again. She was only nursing in the evening before bed, then she even refused to do that for a few days, last night she actually spit out the bottle and started rooting so I breast fed her again. Then she wanted to nurse this morning! That's not happened in at least a month. I know I have hardly any milk, but she might pull it back in as much as she has nursed in the evenings lately. It's strange that she will just flat refuse and just when I give up and each time I nurse I wonder if it's going to be the last time, she then decides that's all she wants to do. I have to say, it just warms my heart. I feel so bonded to her when she wants to nurse and cuddle close to me. Nursing is hard work, but it's so rewarding. I wonder how God feels when we cuddle up and want to be close to Him and receive love and nourishment from Him. I wonder how He feels when we "strike" and get mad and refuse to draw near Him. I wonder how He feels when we are crying in pain and still push Him away when all He wants to do is comfort us. I suspect it's something like the way I greive when Mazen does that to me. One of God's names is El Shaddai. It means "Many breasted One." Not in the weird sense of the Ephesian Goddess or something, but symbolically, that he is not only our Father, but he also wants to mother us and be our comfort and nourishment. He wants us to be bonded to Him in the way that a mother and child are bonded. It's a symbiotic relationship. We BOTH benefit from it. It's truly amazing.