ONE!!!

"Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year!" ~ABBA

How can you measure a year full of beautiful blessings? February 25, 2010 God blessed our family with our sweet, little Julianne Avery Berridge. She was born at 8:01 am. She weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was 20 inches long. She had a head full of dark hair, blue eyes and looked just like big brother, Jarrett.

Since I don't think I could list 525, 600 things about her, I'll stick with 12. One for each month of her 1st year of life!

1. She is a little diva! She knows what she wants and when she wants it! (And she usually gets it!)

2. She sucks her first two fingers when she's tired. The boys always had a pacifier....not Julianne!

3. She has 8 teeth! What a mouthful for a 1 year old!

4. She has NEVER had any formula. I'm really proud of this one. I was determined to nurse for the first year. Through a lot of prayer and patience we made it!

5. She never passes up a meal! I hope she can keep a girlish figure! :)

6. Her smile lights up a room. The best smile she gives is to Daddy when she hears him come through the door each night.

7. She's very friendly. She says, "Hi" to everyone at the store.

8. She also says, "Uh-oh, bye-bye, Mama, Dada, and nigh-nigh" (and whatever else the boys "think" they hear her say)!

9. When you pick her up she pats you on the back...super sweet!

10. She loves to laugh at her brothers. And they love making her laugh!

11. She's a Mama's girl and I LOVE it!

12. She's our miracle. I prayed (and so did a lot of other people) for God to move in Brett's heart to prepare him for a third baby. And now, we can't imagine life without her!

This has been an amazing, difficult, fun, exhausting, blessed year! In this year there has been laughter, tears (lots!), adventures, long car trips, doctor visits, adjusting to daycare, chronic ear infections, tubes in ears right before Christmas, learning to roll, SLEEP, sit, crawl, pull-up, cruise around things, talk, cutting teeth, fun diapers, and the list goes on. I wouldn't trade these moments for the world! Today is a bittersweet day. I'm so sad that my baby girl is no longer a little baby. But I'm also so glad to see all that she has learned and how much she's grown this year. I'm excited to think about what next year holds for her, and the next, and the next.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Brett and I have 3 of those gifts in our home. It is our privilege and honor to be their parents!

Happy Birthday, Julianne!

Growing Up!

Jefferson is getting so big! Last night I asked him to help me make his lunch. Tonight he asked if he could do it all by himself! So, he put the goldfish in a baggie, got a juicebox from the pantry, got a cheesestick from the fridge and a go-gurt from the freezer. He got the bread and jelly out, too. I had to get the peanut butter since I buy the 6 pound can at Sams! He had to have a little help spreading the pb and j! He even cut the sandwich! He was so excited to use a knife!

I'm so proud of my sweet boy! He's growing up so fast! In a couple of weeks he has PONY Day (Preview of Next Year)! He'll check out what 1st grade looks like! Wow!

Crafty?

I would never use this word to describe myself! I believe God has given me many other talents, but crafty-ness is not one of them. I am, however, pretty good at copying things! I love to look at blogs. Alot of the blogs I look at belong to people I don't know! For the most part these blogs give tips on how to be frugal! They share where the best deals are and how to use coupons. There are other blogs that share their crafty projects. So, I get sucked in and try to copy them. Mom and Dad bought me a sewing machine for my birthday. I've had fun trying it out. I have a lot to learn, but I figured I should just jump in and try it. Here are a few of my recent "projects."

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. I found this idea here.





My friend, Jenny, loves to drink hot tea. I made this for her. (Don't look too close...my lines aren't straight!)

I made these keychains for Jefferson's teacher and student teacher. (Next time I'll use stiffer fabric and heavier interfacing. Again, my "straight" lines are horrible!)

Jefferson's teacher put together a basket of supplies for their student teacher as a thank you gift. She asked the parents to contribute things that she could use in her classroom. I gave her sharpies, post-it notes, red pens, the keychain and this clipboard. My SIL, Erin saw this idea in Canton last year. We made a lot of them for Christmas last year. I hope Ms. Matthews enjoys this one!

And, finally! Melissa and Jenny helped me make some burprags for myself and another friend. I found this pattern and decided to try it out. My sweet friend, Aubin, is about to have twins, so I decided to make her some burprags. This was my first project with the new sewing machine. This was probably not a wise choice. If you'll notice....no straight lines! Plus, I added ric-rac. I think Mom and I took one of these apart 2 or 3 times! I hope Aubin will enjoy them even though they're not perfect! They are just for spit-up, right! :)

Monkey Business

Here are my 3 little monkeys all wearing "the monkey suit!" It's fun to see them next to each other. No doubt they are siblings!


Jefferson (4 days)

Jarrett (1 week)

Julianne (1 week, 1day)

2 months already?

Wow! Where does the time go? Julianne Avery Berridge joined our sweet family 2 months ago! Thursday, February 25, 2010, 8:01 am. She weigh 7 lbs. 6 oz and was 20 inches long. Her entrance into the world was smooth and easy. Dr. Burkholder was great in the OR. I didn't even know he had started the surgery! Our first observation about her was the large amount of dark hair she had. The next thing Brett said was, "She looks just like Jarrett!" Our stay in the hospital was wonderful and my recovery was so easy. This was the best delivery and recovery of the 3! The boys came up to the hospital after school that day. Jefferson immediately wanted to hold her and love on her. Jarrett was a bit more reluctant, but quickly warmed up! My mom and dad and Brett's parents were there. We also had 2 sweet friends there bright and early to celebrate her Birth-day! We were so glad that Melissa and Aron came!

We came home Saturday around noon just in time to welcome the rest of the Berridge clan from Odessa. Uncle Jason, Aunt Erin, Grant, Hagan, Evyn, Uncle Todd, Aunt Jessica and Luke all came to spend the day with us! Cousin Natalie had play rehearsal and couldn't come. The kids were so sweet with her. Aunt Erin took some wonderful pictures of Julianne for her birth announcement. We're so lucky to have Aunt Erin!

The next 2 weeks my mom stayed with us. This was a huge reason my recovery was so quick! I sat on the couch and fed Julianne. My mom did EVERYTHING else! She cooked, cleaned, bathed the boys, did the laundry, took the boys to school, EVERYTHING! She also helped in the middle of the night when the little princess couldn't get her tummy to settle down.

The next week was Spring Break and Brett was home the whole week. Again, I was able to sit and rest while Brett took care of everything else. Brett's mom came the next week to help. She also cleaned, cooked, took the boys to school and helped in the night. We were so grateful for all the help.

I think we've now settled in to our new normal. Julianne eats every 2 1/2 - 3 hours and sleeps from 10:30-6:00 most nights. She's still has more gas then any child I know! While I was pregnant I prayed that I would be able to nurse her for a year without having to supplement formula! So far, we've been successful! We go to the doctor tomorrow for her official 2 month check-up, but I think she's around 11 pounds! God is so good!

Julianne is such a precious gift! I'm so glad I get to be her mommy! We love her so much and thank God daily for her.

T-minus 12 Hours and Counting...

In less than 12 hours, we should be holding our new little girl! Here is a brief chronology of Beth's pregnancy ending with the last picture of our family as a family of four. Exciting days lie ahead for the Berridges!

Big Things Lately

I figured this was a good time to get back on the blog. It's been awhile, so please forgive me!

As most (if not all) of you already know, we have a little girl on the way. We are scheduled for a C-Section next Thursday at 7:30.

Obviously, we will be posting pics, commentary about no sleep, and general observations about our new bundle of joy........ but for now, we are just happy to have functional plumbing!

Anyone who has ever spent any length of time at our house can appreciate the water pressure (or lack thereof) in our house since we moved in almost 3 years ago. That problem has since been alleviated, in addition to our various forms of other plumbing difficulties this week! After the replacement of our water line and sewer line, we ran a tub of water, washed clothes, and washed dishes... ALL AT THE SAME TIME... just because we could!!!!

Yes, I know that it is so very lame that I'm excited about having water pressure... but after having all of the problems we have had to deal with, it's going to be nice not to have to worry about these things anymore.

Jack in the Box

By the title of the post, you may be thinking something that involves a famous fast-food chain. Unfortunately, we Lubbockites do not have a Jack in the Box to call our own. So, sadly, you would have been mistaken.

Oh the creativity of little kids and our leftover empty boxes...

First Pictures

I apologize for this taking so long, but Baby Berridge's first pictures were taken this past Monday. As many of you know, early ultrasound pictures look like nothing more than a little alien. This ultrasound is so early that it hardly even looks like that!

There are a couple of pretty grainy pictures, and there is a 3 second video of his/her heart beating and you can see a little bit of movement in the extremities. The video is quick, so if possible, it's best to loop it.

Enjoy!

Good Friends

As you know by now, I have had the recent misfortune to have bulged a disc (again) in my back last week. Though my recovery is progressing well, I am obviously limited in my movement.

As a result, two of my friends offered to finish hanging the doors on my shed for me. I was moved by their generous gesture, and I jumped at the offer!

Many thanks to Ryan Highley and David Dees for their fantastic work on the doors! I really couldn't have done it without you!

THANK YOU!!!

Show Stopper

I mentioned in my last post that the shed wasn't completely finished yet. All that is left is putting the doors on the front. Initially, I was waiting to get a second set of hands to help me get the doors hung. However, my back had different plans.

For those of you who have known me for at least 4 years know that I have had a bulging disc in my back. To use an analogy - to have this affliction is a bit like being an alcoholic: you will forever be an alcoholic and can never be "cured," though you can control your symptoms by continuing the 12 steps... likewise, I will always have a bulging disc, and I always stand the risk of re-injury, but I can keep it under control by continuing my physical therapy exercises.

Friday afternoon it became VERY painfully obvious that I had not been keeping up with my exercises like I should have been. I was in my new shed sweeping... that's right, sweeping... when I bent over to pick up the dust pan and felt a pop in my lower back that stopped me in my tracks.

If you have ever had severe back pain, then you know that there is no way to adequately explain the amount of pain I was feeling. Not to mention the fact that your back is so integral in every other movement your body makes. I passed out in the backyard due to the extreme pain, and couldn't even get upright (whether on my knees or my feet) for almost an hour because I would begin feeling faint each time.

With a lot of help from my wife, I finally made it to the doctor's office. When asked what the problem was, I told her that I had a bulging disc, and she very flatly told me there was no way I could know that diagnosis if I hadn't had an MRI to tell me so. I wasn't so much a fan of her. She wanted an x-ray and since I couldn't even walk across the doctor's office to their x-ray machine, they ended up calling 911 to have an ambulance take me to the ER.

I spent the next 8 hours in the ER trying to explain that I had a bulging disc to anyone who asked what the problem was... but no one believed me there either since I hadn't ever had an MRI to diagnose it in the first place four years ago.

I finally got my MRI around 8:30, and guess what it said? I HAVE A BULGING DISC!!! I was very frustrated, but at least now I have confirmation that it really is a bulging disc... more specifically the disc between L5 and S1.

I have since been spending most of my time laid up on my back while trying to help out (although I'm hardly helping at all) with the kids, dishes, etc.... When you have restrictions from sitting or bending from the waist, that limits you more than you would think. I feel even worse since I'm only able to give limited help my pregnant wife!

The only solace I get from this is that it happened during the summer... I don't have anywhere that I need to be on a daily basis, and thankfully neither does Beth. Although the obvious downside is that it has now made the remainder of the summer a wash, but I don't have to miss any work for it. I am ready to be back on my feet, but if this goes anything like 2005, then it won't be until it's almost time for school to start when I'll be all better.

Bask In the Berridge Manliness!

Last weekend, my brother Jason came up to help me build a shed. He was under the illusion that it was a pre-built kit where we would just assemble the parts... well he was half right. We did assemble the parts, but there was NOTHING that had been pre-fabricated. His face fell at the sight of all of the parts of the shed being loaded into the back of the trailer by forklift. All of the measuring and cutting had to be done by us!

If you know anything about Jason and me, then you know that we may be many things, but we've never been accused of being carpenters!

We knew very quickly that we were in over our heads, but fortunately for us, Jason's in-laws happened to be in Lubbock that day shopping. We could not have gotten started on the right foot if it were not for his father-in-law (Hat tip to Jerry Jacobs!) He helped us get the foundation built up correctly, and from there, it was just a matter of following directions.

Once we got going, I was very surprised at how far we got before they left on Sunday evening. All we had left to do was to put on the roof (which I did on Monday) and hang the door (which still isn't done, but I'll expain why in my next blog post!)

Overall, I was very impressed with us. For not being at all constructive, it looked great, and is extremely sturdy. Everything lined up, and it actually looks like we knew what we were doing! Who'da thunk it?!

Funny Things Jarrett Does

I have been playing Mr. Mom since Monday while Beth teaches at her annual music teachers' workshop. So while I was making a pass through the living room (while dusting and vacuuming, I might add....) I spied a little boy curled in a ball and talking under his blankie. Click the "play" button to watch!

Uncharted Waters

It's becoming a blog-fest around here.... we haven't posted since February, and now twice in one week! What's the world coming to?

We went to Odessa yesterday to visit my brothers and their families... but more specifically we went for my nephew Hagan's birthday party. We had a great time at the party, and then went to dinner afterward before we came home.

Aunt Erin asked us to stop by her house after dinner so she could give us some clothes for Jarrett, and while we were there, she asked JJ if he would like to stay at their house for a couple of days and play with his cousins. Without hesitation, he said, "Sure!" We thought he would change his mind in a few minutes (as "almost-5-year-olds" usually tend to do,) but he was very confident that it was something that he wanted. It didn't matter how many times we asked him if he was sure... he knew he wanted to stay there!

This brought back memories of when I used to do this with my cousin in Lubbock when I was growing up in Odessa. It happened much the same way the first time... our families met in Lamesa for dinner and very unexpectedly they asked if I wanted to spend a week with my cousin Jim. I had the clothes I was wearing, and that was it... much like Jefferson last night: He had his PJ's that we were going to change him into for the late night ride home, and the clothes on his back. He should be ok since his cousins are not that much older than him... he could probably share clothes with them. What a fun experience!

Beth asked if I was ready for this... I asked her right back if she was ready for this. Turns out, we should have asked Jarrett if HE was ready! He has never known life without JJ! He has been fairly melancholy this morning, continually asking about where his brother is, and being generally sad about his brother's absence! It's pretty sweet, but at the same time, kinda heart-wrenching. As I write this, he's asking for "JJ to play football with me!"

I imagine JJ is having a blast right now... it will be cool when Jarrett can do this, too.

Ahh... Summertime!

It seems as if our only posts come as we get the chance to take a break from work. So, that must mean it is officially the start of the most magical time of year: Summertime!

After a killer last few weeks of school and a trip that started the day after graduation, I have finally returned home to now begin tackling that long list of honey-do's. The capstone of which will be the building of a shed in our backyard with the help of several family members (hint, hint) and some of my closest friends (whom I hope will remain close after the completion of this project.) :)

Beth and I have a whole laundry list of things that we are planning on doing to our house over the next several years... many of the things are dreaming, but some are just plain practical. For instance: replace ceiling fans throughout the house (practical), it would be nice to have windows that actually open (practical); it also would be nice to have an addition to our master bath, and a bathroom and closet added to our den/guest room/computer room/office/sun room (unfortunately, dreaming.)

However, we should most likely be able to knock down two of the biggest items on our list this summer! Not only the afore-mentioned shed, but we just had an A/C repairman come out to basically tell us that our A/C cannot be fixed. We are hoping that our Home Warranty will cover the costs of a new unit! It seems to look very promising from this end!

On a separate note, Jefferson has now begun playing T-Ball. It's so funny to watch those little kids play this game. I don't know where Jefferson got it, but he seems to have a pretty good knack for all things athletic. He's fast as all get out, and he seems to know (relatively) what he's doing. He's making some good decisions out on the field.

Jarrett is still as much of a handful as always... he definitely keeps us on our toes! Our last post dealt with his potty training. We are, unfortunately, still dealing with accidents and occasional messes! Jefferson had only a couple of accidents, and then he was all done. Jarrett is having a much more difficult time with this process than his older brother. It's very frustrating at times, but then we just get over it!

Both of the boys have really gotten into playing baseball. They love to go outside and play catch with each other or with dad...

It certainly is a magical time of year when I can drop everything and go have a catch with my boys.

Spring Break at the Berridge's

Happy Spring Break to all!

I know that not everyone gets to spend the week of spring break taking it easy, but those of us in the teaching profession relish the chance to take a week to recharge the batteries and get some long-needed household projects finished (or maybe just a little more started than before...)

Amongst the much needed times of R&R, we have been harping on a little 2 year-old to begin using "the facilities." That's right... potty training!

Beginning on the second day of PT (because we aren't even going to talk about the dreadful first day) he pretty much got the hang of it and didn't have any accidents; thanks to the good folks at M&M's and Dum Dums for the bribery materials. Of course, there have been couple of days since with a few more accidents than others, but overall he's doing a great job. We're a little anxious about sending him to school in undies next week... but he ought to be doing great by then... right?

Wish us luck in the rest of this endeavor and have a spectacular rest of Spring Break!

Abundance

So, today I got the boys home from school and Brett fixed them lunch. We went through our normal routine of not being silly at the table. I was complaining about not feeling well and irritated that Brett left me no lunch meat. I had to eat PB&J. Then the doorbell rang and my perspective changed. At the door was a man asking to rake our leaves. He told me he had been laid off from his job and that he and his wife were staying in a cheap motel. He wanted to rake the leaves so he could be tomorrow's hotel bill. I asked Brett and he said yes. Brett told the man that if he raked the front and back yard we would pay him enough to cover 2 nights at the hotel plus some money to eat on. This man was so grateful. I fixed him a sandwich (PB&J, of course) and gave him a banana and water. He told Brett, "You must have read my mind." I'm so teary just writing this. The man had such a positive attitude and was willing to rake my leaves and eat a peanut butter sandwich. God has blessed us tremendously and we often take it for granted. I have a wonderful husband, beautiful children, a great home, etc. This helped remind me that I need to embrace those blessing everyday. Thank you God for all you've given us!

A Post of Nothing!

I've been so terrible about posting. Most of the time I feel like I don't have anything to blog about! We're pretty boring people. But, I though I'd try to update you on the past few months.

Christmas was wonderful. We enjoyed spending time at home and with family. It was really hard to start back to school in January. I think we're back in the swing of the things.

The boys continue to do well at school. Jefferson is really starting to write his name well. Jarrett decided he didn't need to take a nap at school for a whole week. He told Ms. Stacy, "I no have to!" Thankful, I was able to convince him that he did have to and he's done well since!

Brett is busy with school. They just had a String Fling concert which involved all of the orchestras in Lubbock. Now, he's in contest mode. UIL is at the end of April, ugh!

My teaching schedule is still busy. At Bozeman I have 3rd and 4th graders. I really enjoy this group, especially the 4th graders.

My brother, Clint and his wife, Kerry welcomed Britton Thomas into the world on January 15. We made a quick trip to Decatur on Jan 17-18 to see him. He is so precious and everyone is doing well.

Next week we make our annual trek to San Antonio for TMEA. My parents are meeting us down there to help with the kids. We love this time of year. It's a nice break between Christmas and Spring Break. My principal paid for my membership fee and convention registration. I'm so excited. Plus, my director at the Preschool approved some money for me to buy materials. I am so blessed to work for great people!

We found out last week that Jefferson got into Murfee Elementary for kindergarten next year. We are so excited and relieved. This school is wonderful and has a LONG waiting list. With a little help from our friends....

It's hard to believe that Jefferson will be 5 in June and will start kindergarten in the fall. The time has passed so quickly. I know he's ready and will do well! He continues to improve on his violin. He's such a good, little musician. If I were better about our practice times he would be even better.

Jarrett is anxious to play the violin, too. So, I ordered him a foam violin with a bow that has no hair. I'm going to give it to him for Valentine's Day. He's going to love being able to play with Jefferson.

Well, I've taken up enough of your time with my rambling!

His Grace is Enough

Jefferson's favorite song on KLOVE is Your Grace is Enough. During this Thanksgiving time the words of this song have been flooding my spirit. I'm really trying to cling to the fact God is all I need. I am so guilty of relying on Him only when I need something instead of a daily friendship with a God who always has my best interest in mind. Since we moved a year and a half ago I've really struggled with lonliness. I know this sounds silly because I could make a huge list of friends that I have. For some reason it's different. For those of you who have known me for any length of time know that I'm a people pleaser. I want people to like me. I love doing things for people. I love for people to need me. The problem is I try too hard. That's when I get hurt. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that some friends are only in your life for a season. When we moved relationships changed and I don't like that. But me being me tries to hold on and keep things the same and just get hurt over and over. So I come back to the lyrics of that song, "God I see your grace is enough, I'm covered in your love, Your grace is enough for me." I have to learn to let go. I'm not in control, but I'm covered in His love and that's enough.

Is it really the middle of November?.....

....what happened to all that we did in October??!

How time flies. I can't believe Thanksgiving is less that 2 weeks away. I haven't even finished processing all that we did in October! The fall is always busy for us. Brett's weekends are filled with symphony rehearsals, All-Region and All-State auditions and All-Region Clinics and Concerts. In between all that we celebrated Jarrett's 2nd birthday twice and had a fun Halloween.

It is hard to believe that Jarrett turned 2 on October 25. He is such a charmer and truly a blessing to our family. We first celebrated his birthday with a family party in Odessa. Aunt Erin ordered a Thomas the Train cake. Jarrett got a lot of fun Thomas toys. He loves playing with his trains. It was fun to have all of Brett's family together. Pretty crazy with all 7 grandkids. We also took that weeked to have Erin take our pictures for our Christmas cards. She also took pictures of all the grandkids. On that particular day they were ages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7! How fun is that!

On Friday, October 24 we drove to my parents house in Plano. On the way there we stopped in Denton to have dinner with Clint and Kerry and Cooper. On Saturday (Jarrett's actual birthday), we drove to Rusk, Texas to ride Thomas the Train. We had a blast. It was the most beautiful fall day. The kids played games, jumped in the jump house, stamped pictures. The train was so fun. It moved extremely slow, but the kids loved it. They made a "train" of kids to walk and sing up and down the aisles. Jarrett jumped right in the line with the big kids. When all the other kids sat down, Jarrett continued to entertain everyone by walking and dancing up the aisles. It was a wonderful time to celebrate another year of our sweet boy's life.

The next week was filled with Halloween festivities. First, Brett had his annual Hauntcert with his feeder middle schools. It was a huge success. The turnout was great and all the kids played wonderfully. Brett's students played the Overture to Barber of Seville. Brett adapted the arrangement so that it became the "Rabbit of Seville". The students played while the Bugs Bunny cartoon played on the big screen. Before the kids could put their instruments down after the final cut-off, the audience was on their feet. One of Brett's students looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Mr. Berridge, no one has ever done that for us before!" Brett has made such an impact on that program in such a short time. I am so proud of him and the students. The students are proud to be in orchestra. The administration is proud of the orchestra and enjoy coming to the concerts. Brett's parents were able to come up for the concert. I think they enjoyed seeing the boys in their costumes as much (if not more :)) than seeing Brett's concert!

On Friday, we went to our church's Fall Festival. The boys had a great time playing games and collecting candy. Because of Brett's concert, Brett and I had costumes this year. We were Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. The boys were Spiderman and Superman.

Well, I guess our novel of October is long enough. I'll be back soon with the beginning of November!