Pleasantly Quiet

Have you ever reassured someone that everything's going to be ok? Is it just me or is it always easier to say those words when you're not the one in the actual sitaution. I know we mean well but sometimes those words or variations of it aren't helpful.

My son's speech is delayed. He's extremely bright. If you show him something once he gets it. He imitates everything and he's so loving. He's my angel- my firstborn and only boy(so far;-). I remember when I was pregnant with our daughter my biggest fear was that I wouldn't be able to love her as much as Nathan. (I do love her as much, but it was a fear during her pregnancy that thankfully didn't come true). Nathan is a fantastic big brother as well.

I've been blessed to spend a ton of time with Nathan and I really know him. When it started becoming evident that his speech was delayed I became extremely fearful of autism since one of the signs is delayed speech. Sam and I went overboard and had him examined 7 times by 7 different professionals to rule it out. I even did my own intensive study to rule it out by researching and digging up videos of autistc toddlers to watch their behaviors and I too came to the conclusion that it's definitely nothing more then a speech delay.

I'm not going to go into intricate details of Nathan's actions and I no longer take or answer questions of what he can or cannot do. Nor will I address treatment because I do want to respect my son and keep some things personal.

But it has been a trying year for everyone. Compared to what a lot of other people are going through a speech delay isn't a big deal. And through this experience God has blessed us with a wonderful Pediatrician whose own son didn't speak until he was three, a neighbor who's son didn't talk until he was three and a cousin whose son had a speech delay as well and it's really helped me to talk to all of them. A lot of other people have been supportive too but sometimes the best help comes from people who have been through what you're going through.

There's been a few negative things said and to be honest with you when I first started writing this post the goal in mind was to vent a little, but for some reason it's just not worth writing anymore.

God blessed us with our children. And to be honest with you even on the hardest day I wouldn't trade them ;-). Just one of the joys of motherhood.


-- Post From My iPhone

Why God Made Husbands

I'm so convinced that God made husbands to keep wives sane! I just love how when I want to panic or really fall into worry my husband is the true voice of reason. Thank you so much God for giving him to me. And thank you so much Sam for being that constant "rock."

No title

Do you ever feel as if you're being tested? I really feel that way right now. And it's not just my daughter's weaning, which isn't going so well. It's just been an exhausting week of changes in so many areas that's really taken its toll. The main thing sustaining me and holding me up is the very fact that God is in control and no matter how difficult situations seem I truly believe He can't make a mistake. That very fact is very comforting now.


-- Post From My iPhone

Joy

I'm experiencing one of the greatest joys in life, having my daughter sleep on my chest, while listening to her calm even breathing. I swear life doesn't get much better than this :0)

Gone in 90 seconds

I watched 20/20 on Friday about an 11 year old girl named Mikelle Biggs who literally vanished in 90 seconds. Her and her 9 year old sister were waiting outside for the ice cream truck when Mikelle's sister got cold and went inside to get her jacket. When she came out Mikelle was gone.

The sad part about this case is that it happened 10 years ago and still today there are no answers and no leads. It's as if the young girl totally disappeared. After extensive search efforts no body turned up. There are no suspects and no one saw or heard anything. The only thing left behind was the girls bike and two quarters that she dropped.

It was an interesting case and my heart goes out to the parents. Several years after the disappearance they held a symbolic funeral burying Mikelle because she's presumed dead. I honestly think death would be better than not knowing. Don't get me wrong both would suck but not knowing anything would be extra hard.

And then I got to wondering if God took her. I didn't spend a lot of time on this theory and I don't know if it's Biblical or not. I picked my husband's brain about it and he wasn't sure. I know that Enoch didn't experience death and I got to wondering if God still takes some people. Mikelle's case made national news but others disappear in the same and similar ways and are never heard from again.

So if anyone out there has a Biblical answer to this question then let me know. I'm not saying that God took her - I'm just saying I wonder if that still happens.

Manicures

So I was in Walmart the other day and working at the checkout was a muscular guy. His arms were totally tattooed and as I recall he looked ok but as he handed me my receipt I noticed his nails were freshly "done."

He didn't have French tips or anything but the were shaped neat, kind of medium in length with clear nail polish. Eww. But I've been seeing this a lot lately and I'm wondering if this is a new trend.

My husband works in an office setting and it's very sexy to see him getting out of the car, cleancut, with laptop bag in hand. It's even more sexy to see him come in covered in grease after working under the car. But that's just my opinion.

I love clean nails on a man but polished and manicured? I couldn't imagine sitting next to Sam at a nail salon. So I thought I'd try to keep this question/answer session light this time.

The question is this: are manicured hands on a man a turn on or turn off? I'm not necessarily talking about length (although I do feel there should be a limit there as well) just the shiny polished nails.

As always feel free to pass this along. There's no right or wrong answer. You can comment on my blog or email me directly at LaToya_Murry@hotmail.com


-- Post From My iPhone

And the crown goes to...

There is a lot of buzz around Miss California, Carrie Prejean, and how she answered a question during the Miss American pageant concerning gay unions.



And you know what? I am so proud of this young lady and for taking the stand that she did. Instead of giving a "politically correct" answer she answered how she believed even though she knew it wouldn't be popular.



I know in the Christian community there is a lot of debate as to whether a Christian woman should be in pageants in the first place. I can't really comment on this issue because I'm totally on the fence. I know that the pageant world and the high fashion world are totally different and I'm definitely against the high fashion modeling industry but I've never really been able to come to a conclusion on whether or not I agree or disagree with the pageant world. We need missionaires in both worlds though. I don't know why people are so willing to send their children overseas to Hindi and Muslim countries for mission work but panic at the idea of them going into this industry.



I know a lot of people's issues is around self esteem and what it does to young women, blah blah blah. But hey kids today are horribly overweight and I feel it needs to be addressed. Not saying I'm going to enter my daughter in any beauty pageants, even though I think she's pretty enough to be (LOL of course I may be biased). But I will encourage healthy eating habits. And I will address it if I see her gaining too much. I don't plan on being insensitive, however, I will address that issue if it ever becomes one.



I struggle with my weight I always have and if she's anything like me she probably will too. I don't want her to have low self esteem, however, I think it's important to encourage healthy eating habits. Besides the humiliation of being overweight and if you've never been there, there is a ton of humiliation involved. Shopping sucks for one. Finding clothes that flatter and fit are hard and usually the plus size section is in the back of the store. Running into people who haven't seen you in awhile and witnessing their "silent" reactions. Not mention the old church ladies who feel the need to tell you, you've gained (as if you didn't already know).



And my family has a ton of health issues such as diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure and it's just stuff that I don't want my daughter to experience and it can all be avoided if she learns early on how to take care of herself and her body. And I don't want her to be a size 2 or fit into any mold like that. I may not like being overweight but I love my thighs and hips and back side area and I think I've blessed Peyton with that so I wouldn't encourage her to be too skinny either. Just healthy and as she grows I'll have to pray about how to do this without hurting her self esteem.



So I want to teach her different, African American food is cooked with tons of seasonings and though it tastes good it's not always good for you. So I want to learn myself and also teach her and my son in the process how to eat better.



LOL and I totally forgot where I was going with this blog post and I know it's all over the place.



But yeah so I'm proud of Miss California. Proud that she said what she said and that she's continuing to stick up for marriage. I really don't care about the new pictures coming out of the wood works. She was 17 at the time and made a mistake and admits that and to be honest with you I made a ton in my teenage years that I wouldn't want broadcast either.



And I'll use my blog to also say this. I'm TOTALLY 100% against Same sex marriage of any kind. I'm equally against same sex couples being able to adopt. Marriage is sacred and should be between a man and a woman (and they should be born a man and a woman - sex changes don't count).