Update

Hey everyone... just wanted to post a little update for Ben. He is doing well on the medications - although they made him sick and tired at work this weekend, but I think he's feeling better now. He will be on the medication for 4 weeks, and then at 6 weeks they should be able to tell him something more definite. He will continue to have blood drawn every few weeks so they can monitor everything. I was strangely calm about this for a while, but in the last few days it has caught up with me. I think I was just pretending it didn't happen... but the Lord is faithful in that He is my Rock - and strong enough to carry this burden for me. For that I am very thankful...

I just want to say that we obviously know that this needle stick didn't catch God off gaurd, or surprise Him. We serve a sovereign God who is all knowing and all powerful and in charge. He will use this situation for His glory - and I am sure of that. One thing He has done so far is to remind me how WONDERFUL our friends and family are, and what a blessing they are from Him. We received so many phone calls and emails letting us know we were being prayed for - and countless offers for people to come to give me company, help with Campbell, etc. The fact that you all love us that much has overwelmed me at many moments this past week, and I want to say thank you. God hears and answers the prayers of His children, and they are getting us through this!

I will pass along any updates as we receive them... we love y'all!

How could this happen?

Ben was on call last night, and he usually calls me around 10 before he lays down - but by 11 or so last night, I still hadn't heard from him. I called him around 11:30 to check on him and he sounded really down. I assumed, he must have had a busy night - or, I'm sure he is exhausted. I was not prepared for what he said next...

He had a patient with HIV, and got stuck by one of his needles. I still can't believe it as I type it. All I could think was, "How could this happen?!?" Its not April, right? This would be a cruel April Fool's joke - I was speechless. After being with Ben through 4 years of medical school, and now going into his second year of residency, you would think I would be more prepared for something like this. There are probably a lot of things that could happen to him everyday - or things he could bring home and spread to us - but I try not to think about those things...

He assured me that the chance of him getting it is low, but still - THERE IS A CHANCE?!? What?!? my head is still kind of spinning... he had to have a lot of blood work done right away, and had to start several medications to prevent it - and they supposedly make you sick. Of course I was thinking, can Campbell and I get this? I guess there is always that chance - so we will have to be taking measures to prevent it... all this said, I trust the Lord to take care of us in this situation - but please pray. Pray for Ben to not be sick on the medication, and for protection against something like this happening again. Pray that he will not get it - and that Campbell and I will be protected too.

I just can't believe I am actually asking God to protect my husband and my family from HIV...

FINALLY!

finally - several things... campbell took her first steps! yes, she IS 16 months old, and yes - she is just taking her first steps. but we are SO proud of her! it happened last tuesday - she stood up on her own, and i called her to come to me - and for the first time she did! i wouldn't consider her "walking" yet, but we know she can - she just lacks a little confidence. we also went for her 15 month appointment last week (a little late - whoops!) and she was 22 lbs 4 oz (25%), 75% for head measurement (yikes! :) ), and 30 inches long. she's a petite little thing! she is saying so much now - her new favorites are thank you, please, bubbles, and uh-oh.

also, the new hard drive is finally here, so now i can post pictures! yea! i know thats all y'all really care about, so i'll get right to it...

i didn't have the time to label each picture, but these are from our trip back to mobile, our trip to visit friends in atlanta for memorial day weekend, mothers day, her one year photo shoot and several random pics of her over the last few weeks. enjoy!

Very Soon . . .

Hey, new hard drive is up and running, Katie should have some new posts with some pics soon. Here is one picture from Campbell's photo shoot that I like the best. Anyway, hope this will be some good fodder for you blog trollers out there, you know who you are. And maybe I'm biased, but is she not the cutest thing you have ever seen in the entire history of the world? I mean come on . . .

P.S. And thanks to all you folks that prayed for me for boards, I know it helped.

Update

Ben passed boards! YEA! We are so very proud of him - not only did he pass, but he did very well! Thank you for all your prayers...

Also, we are STILL waiting for our new hardrive - sorry for all the posts with no pictures, but I will put them up ASAP.

We had a great Memorial Day weekend and thankfully Ben had several days off. We got to go to Atlanta to see our wonderful friends the Morrison's and Brown's in Atlanta. Thanks for hosting Brown's! It was such a good time of fellowship for the adults, and the kids! We also took Campbell to see my grandparents at their lake house and really enjoyed our time with them - we don't see them enough!

On that note, my sweet grandfather might be having kidney surgery soon to remove a possibly cancerous lesion. Please be praying for him and my grandmother... I am also having to go to the doctor in the morning because of an ovarian cyst that ruptured several weeks ago. (that Ben had to take me to the ER for) I am still having some problems that could be associated with more cyst, and infection - or something... so hopefully they will do an ultrasound in the morning and figure it out. It has thrown my blood sugars all over the place, and that is never a good thing. I'll keep you posted.

I hope you all had a good Memorial Day also - and that you remembered all those who have, and are still fighting for our country... we owe them everything.

Please excuse the delay...

I have SO many cute pictures to share with y'all, but unfortunately, our hardrive is full! I have been waiting on Ben to order the new one so I could put the pictures on the computer, but its not here yet... hopefully soon!

Campbell is still not walking, but she is pushing this walk-behind toy she has by herself... she just won't let go and walk on her own. She is definitely not going to be a risk taker (she gets that from me)- she is a very skeptical little girl! :) But I will say, I LOVE how social she is... she wants to greet everyone she sees, then ask them to hold her. It doesn't matter what sex they are, what color they are, what age they are - she just loves people. And I love that about her. She also has these conversations now where she is so sure of what she's saying - but no one else is! I love it - I could listen to her jibber jabber all day long!

Still haven't heard back about Ben's boards yet - so keep him in your prayers! Campbell and I too - he has a really tough call month in June, then has night float in July... meaning he will work everyday from 5pm till 6am - crazy! Hope you all had a great weekend!

I've been tagged...

taylor tagged me, so here's my list...

what was i doing 10 years ago?

loving my sophomore year of high school (i would go back in a hearbeat if i could...), dating someone that had been one of my best guy friends, just had
first kiss (sad, i know), getting ready to leave for Camp Seale Harris - a
camp i worked at for kids with diabetes

5 things on my to-do list:

1. unpack from trip (i hate this part)
2. organize my closet (i LOVE this - and would do it for a living)
3. take campbell for a walk (it's really pretty - and not too hot)
4. spend time with God (always on my list - and way too often neglected, plus shouldn't it be my number one? hmmmm...)
5. pay bills

5 snacks i love:

1. CHOCOLATE (dark is my favorite)
2. cheese (all kinds, especially blue and sharp cheddar)
3. fat free doritos (but i can't find them anymore - what happened?!?)
4. caffeine free diet dr. pepper
5. roasted garlic on anything

5 things i would do if i were a billionaire:

1. give lots - to my church, to several friends in ministry, to CMMA - the christian medical ministry, several overseas ministries
2. pay off our medical school loans! :)
3. move - i love our house, but i would move if we had the money...
4. save (for campbell, retirement, etc)
5. buy ben the gun he's been wanting
6. shopping spree for me!

5 bad habits:

1. don't drink enough water
2. waste too much time on tv/computer
3. have major sweet tooth (and i'm diabetic!)
4. like to be in control
5. people pleaser

5 places i have lived:

1. nashville (born)
2. starkville, mississippi (through elementary school)
3. auburn, alabama (through college)
4. mobile, alabama (for medical school)
5. birmingham, alabama (currently)

5 jobs i've had or have*:

1. heartstrings - high school & college
2. camp seale harris - high school & college
3. debra's (boutique) - when first married
4. grace community church - second job in mobile
5. arbonne skin care consultant - currently

*my favorite and most challenging job has been being a mother, and i have a dream to be a personal shopper, and have a fashion blog - just FYI :)

i want to know more about*: (you're tagged!)

1. robyn villacampa
2. annie parks
3. lindsey slagley
4. katie isaak
5. christina brannen

*now you all hate me....

Prayer for Dr.Compton

Poor Ben has been studying for Step 3 of Boards in the small amount of free time he has after work... he is a genius, so I know he will do well - but its a REALLY expensive test, and he wants to make sure he gets it right the first time... Campbell and I took a long overdue trip to Mobile this weekend for baby Davis's baptism - and to meet him for the first time! (I'll post pics soon) It also gave Ben some peace and quiet to study... his test is Tuesday and Wednesday - please pray for him these next few days.

Hope you all enjoy your Monday - I'm off to take a nap... Campbell has had lots of EARLY mornings lately due to some new teeth, and my first out of town trip without Ben was fun, but tiring!

Campbell Update

Poor little Campbell had a rough week last week... she has had a cold for about 3 weeks, and finally got an antibiotic. It didn't seem to be helping, then last week she spiked a temp of 104. She has never had a fever, so I was frantic of course. Dr. Dad calmed me down, and we got it down to 101 before bed, but she kept the temp for several days. When we went to the doctor, everything looked okay - except her white blood cell count. They wanted to start doing some test, and the worrier in me had ridiculous things like cancer flashing through my mind... They had to prick her finger, draw blood, giver her 2 bad antibiotic shots, and since they couldn't get a urine sample - cath her twice. Needless to say, it tortured me to watch them do all this. Thankfully, her temp eventually came down - and she is back to her normal self. Who knows what it was... but Campbell is never sick, so this was a scare.

On a lighter note, she is getting more and more verbal - and closer to walking. She loves to say hi and bye while waving frantically - to anyone that will notice. This is really funny when we are in public... she never meets a stranger and is now best friends with all the check out ladies and greeters at Wal Mart, the waitresses at our favorite restaurants, etc. She is quite a people person! My mom got her some "big girl shoes" with hard soles, and she actually stood by herself for a little bit. She still only walks when she can hold onto something, but she is getting a little more brave each day - hopefully I will be chasing her soon! (remind me I said that :) )

We also had her first professional pictures taken... and they are beautiful! The photographer (and model!) were great - I don't know how we will choose! You can see her pictures at http://www.heatherswannerphotography.com/OnlineViewing. Scroll down to Katie Compton, click Enter Gallery, then use campbell for the password.
I'll post some pictures soon...

My Little Fashionista

Well, I just couldn't resist posting this... my little girl has started exploring the world of fashion! :) I was making the bed the other day, and looked down to find Campbell "reading" Hapers Bazaar - one of my favorite fashion magazines. Like mother, like daughter I guess... it was a proud moment. haha

We had a pretty busy Easter weekend. One of my best friends got married this weekend in Auburn - so we got to celebrate with our families there. Uncle Brian came down from Atlanta and gave Campbell the sweetest story Bible, and Honey and Papa spoiled Campbell as usual with new pj's, toys, and other Easter goodies. We went to church with them and ate Easter brunch with Ben's parents and Uncle Gavin. I don't have the Easter pictures on the computer yet - so stay tuned...

The wedding was wonderful - and Joy was the most beautiful bride. My friend Kimmie flew in from Florida for the wedding, and it was so good to see her. It was a very fun, and very busy weekend! I'll post some pictures of the wedding soon too.

A Campbell update: she is saying momma, dada, dog, and today I got her to say apple! She still isn't walking, but is crawling so fast I can't catch her. She is pulling up on things now, which is a relief, but I am still going to have her evaluated by a pediatric physical therapist just in case. Her legs seem a little weak, but who knows - she might just be a late walker. She is so lovable - she LOVES giving kisses (with her mouth open) and big hugs. I love this phase! Bailey (our dog) is one of her favorite things - and luckily, Bailey is starting to warm up to her. When Bailey goes out to the backyard "bathroom", Campbell sits at the back door and watches her every move through the window. She can't keep her eyes off her!

Hope you all had a great Easter weekend - praise God, He is Risen!

Campbell's First Birthday

Well, it happened... my sweet baby girl turned one! I can't believe it - I feel like it was yesterday that I was in the hospital wondering how I would take care of that tiny thing - and now she is so big! She is such a joy - Ben and I love every minute with her. She laughs constantly - and is turning into a little social buttefly. I took her for her 12 month appointment, and she is almost 20.5 pounds, 29 inches. Things looked great - except the doctor was a little worried she isn't pulling up on things, and has little interest in trying to stand. So, we are going to have her evaluated by a pediatric physical therapist just in case. I'll keep you posted...

Back to the party - we had her party on Sunday, February 3rd - her actual birthday. Lots of friends and family made it really special - and we missed those of you who couldn't be there. It was a cupcake themed party - and I made monogrammed apple cupcakes (some in ice cream cones, some not) with cream cheese apple butter frosting, chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese filling, and good ole' plain yellow cupcakes with chocolate icing. Campbell didn't really know what to do with her cupcake at first - she had more fun smushing it in her hands than she did eating it!
Honey and Papa (my mom and dad) got her a really cute birthday outfit to wear that was pink with a cupcake embroidered on it with one candle. Too cute!

Everyone completely spoiled her - she got lots of great books, toys and clothes. Even a pair of monogrammed scrubs to match daddy's! My Aunt found a Bible cover that my late grandmother Zadie Belle made, and gave it to Campbell. My grandmother was very special to me - and I miss her very much. So of course, I cried. I'm sure you are all surprised... Also - my brother Brian made Campbell a rocking chair to match her room - so again, I cried! All in all, her birthday was wondeful - we enjoyed every second of it. But part of me (okay, all of me) wishes she could stay little forever...

One more thing...

When thinking about that song, I came across a wonderful sermon by Spurgeon on the same topic... as much as feel like we love our Lord - it is, and never will be, anything compared to His love for us. Praise God!

http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/3228.htm

Oh, how He loves us!

It is late, and I am tired - but I must share this with you... Ben is working late tonight, and I came to check my email and look at a few blogs after putting Campbell down. I first went to Katie McDowell Isaak's blog (she discipled me in high school) and found a YouTube video she posted. It is the video of a praise song called "Oh, how He loves us". Katie titled the post - "The strength of His pursuit is tireless"... how true.

For those of you who know me (Katie), you know I love to worship through music and can, at times, become emotional. :) Lately, I haven't really been feeling "good enough" in many areas - not a good enough mom to campbell, not good at keeping my house clean enough or organized enough, not being a good enough wife or even child of God... Satan has really been getting to me.

Then I listened to this song tonight, and something hit me... something I already knew, but had easily forgotten. God doesn't love me because I AM good enough - He loves me becuase I'm NOT - and I need Him. Oh, how I need Him! So as I listened over and over again, and tears fell - the Lord sweetly reminded me that He doesn't care if my house is perfectly cleaned or perfectly organized. He loves me. Anyway.

The chorus to this song is simple, but the few verses are really neat...please take the time to listen. I hope you are encouraged as I was. You can find a link to Katie's blog on ours under Links - Jerry and Katie.

Oh, How He loves us

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane
I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy

When all of a sudden
I am aware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful you are
And how great your affections are for me

And Oh, how He loves us!
Oh, how He loves us!

We are His portion
He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean
We're all sinking...

So Heaven meets Earth like a sloppy wet kiss
and my heart turns violently inside my chest
I don't have time for regrets when I think about

How He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us
He loves us!

So, in conclusion...

Campbell is now talking - saying dada and momma (as of October) and crawling (as of 2 weeks ago, has two bottom teeth (as of December) and will be ONE YEAR OLD in less than a month... scary. I can't believe my little girl is getting so big. I am including some random pictures from the last few months - enjoy!

I think thats it - you are all up to date! Now, if I can just stick to my resolution and keep you posted AS things happen... then maybe this will be the last time I post 100 things in one day! :)

Girls Trip to Bradenton

Every year my best friends from high school (Joy, Jessica & Kimmie) and I try to take a trip together - even if its a small one. This year, we decided to go visit Kimmie in Bradenton, Florida. Unfortunately because of her pending wedding and work schedule, Joy couldn't come... we missed you Joy! The trip was great - the 7 hour drive was totally worth it. We went to eat at some of Kimmie's favorite places (including the hole-in-the-wall BBQ place in the picture - we were the only ones in there under the age of 80!), shopped at the outlets, and went to Busch Gardens! I love roller coasters - but got the ride of my life on the Skeikra... it has a 90 degree drop - seriously - and it holds you over the edge for 5 seconds before dropping you. Of course, Kimmie made us ride on the front row! Because the park is owned by the Busch family, there is free beer! Which might be nice if I liked it, but I don't... we took pictures anyway. :) I don't have all the pictures from the park - so I will include more later...

PS - I did the slideshow in movie style as a tribute to Kimmie the theater teacher! Good luch with the play Kimmie!