Headed to Haiti on Monday at 9:45 AM

Monday is a big day for our family. We fly to Haiti at 9:45 AM. It will be a long day for us, as we have to leave home at 6:15 AM and won't arrive in Haiti until 3:00 PM Central Time. Please keep us in your prayers. The boys have never flown, and flying makes me nervous. I will be so relieved and excited when our plane lands in Haiti!

Since we fly in late and Grand Goave is 3 hours from the airport, we will be spending Monday night in Port Au Prince at a "guest house" (rooms with hall baths for relief workers/missionaries). By spending the night in Port Au Prince we will be able to drive to Grand Goave while it is light outside and make a stop at a grocery store with American products on the way.

Our boys have no idea what they are about to experience, so please pray for them as they enter a country full of visible poverty, devastation, and less comforts than they have at home. They will be taking cold showers for the first time, sharing a bed for the 7 weeks we are there, eating different food than they are used to, and learning what it's like not to have air conditioning. That is just the beginning of the differences between the US and Haiti, but I truly believe God will use it for good, and that they will learn so much. I pray it is just the beginning of a life of service for them. :)

Thanks in advance for your prayers! You will hear from me again once we are settled in Grand Goave, Haiti. :) Please continue to pray for us until then- protection, safety, easy transition, and good health. Thanks!

Here are a few recent pictures:

Daddy and Samuel on the big testing day at the rubble home in Marietta on the Southern Polytechnic State University campus




















Samuel




















Vance
















Samuel and Vance
















Jeremy with the Atlanta Haitian Consulate and Southern Poly President




















To God be the Glory,
Marianna (and the boys)

The Latest

As most of you already know, Jeremy is currently building a rubble home on the campus of Southern Poly in Marietta, GA for the purpose of testing. They installed a live webcam, so you can watch the progress of the home. It is very interesting to see. Today we watched them put up the frame. They are still working on the frame. Tomorrow or Friday they will add rubble. Southern Poly also has a website for the project. If you are local and would like to visit the home, please let me or Jeremy know. He works there Monday-Friday (and some Saturdays). Come Sept. 15 he will no longer be there, as we will be in Haiti, so make a point to visit before then.

We want to thank our supporters for their prayers and financial support. Without them it wouldn't be possible! (If you would like to join our support team, let me know.) Our family of 4 leaves for Haiti in 2 weeks. Please keep our family in your prayers while we are gone. Here are some specific requests: no issues at our home while we are gone, safe travels, good health, specific prayer for Vance's lungs and Samuel's stomach, God's protection, quick adaptation for the kids, memorable times as a family, and that we would be salt and light to all we meet (Haitian and American). I am getting excited, but as you can imagine, I still have so much to do before we leave.

God has blessed our family with the opportunity to spend a little over 2 months in Haiti, and if you would like to follow my blog while we are gone, I am going to go private and will add your email address. If you have already told me to add you, I have your information, but if not, please make sure you let me know to add you. I will blog as I have time and internet permit. As most of you know, there is internet in Haiti, but the connection is spotty and doesn't allow for video (not even Skype). Phone service is also spotty. If you want/need to get in touch with us while we are gone, I will NOT have my cell phone. Jeremy will have his cell phone though. We will also be checking email daily if the internet is working.

One verse that is meaningful to our family as we prepare for this trip is Joshua 1:9- "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Even the children have learned this verse through a Youtube video (song). I know some of you may wonder what we are thinking going to Haiti during hurricane season or at all for that matter, but I think the above verse pretty much sums up my answer to that question. I am not afraid because my hope is in the Lord, and I know that fear is from Satan himself. I choose not to fear, and I pray you won't fear for us. When you watch the weather or the news, instead of being afraid for us, just pray for God's protection over us. He is in control!

Before I close, in November 2010 Chris Tomlin came out with a song called I Will Follow, and that song has meant so much to me that I want to share it with you. Jeremy has traveled back and forth to Haiti every month for 18 months (other than October 2010 when he had Giardia). It seems like just when I was missing Jeremy or having a tough day alone with the boys, I would hear this song: I Will Follow. It ministered so much to me! It was a clear reminder that Jeremy was following God, and I knew that, that is exactly what I wanted Jeremy to be doing. I praise God that he has etched this song on my heart, and regardless of the outcome, I will follow Him all the days of my life.

Thanks in advance for your prayers! We thank God for you! He has blessed us with so many friends and family who love us and lift us up to the Lord in prayer. :)

Marianna

6 month check-up and update on Vance

This post is mainly for family since it's all about Vance's growth and development.

Vance turned 6 months old this week. Jeremy took him to the doctor since I wasn't feeling great and don't enjoy watching him get shots anyway. The doc said he's doing well. He is growing like crazy. You will see from his stats that he is huge in every sense of the word.

Height- 29 1/2 inches (more than 97th percentile- actually off the charts)
Weight- 19 lb. 9 oz. (75th-90th percentile)
Head - Huge! (90th percentile)

Vance is developing a personality and is always smiling or laughing! I did just discover one fear he has though- the hairdryer. A few minutes ago I took him into the room with me, so that I could dry my hair. I always do this when he's asleep, so I had no idea what was about to happen. I have NEVER heard him cry that much. He almost screamed as soon as I turned it on and was fine when I would turn it off. Samuel was never afraid of the hairdryer, so this is news to me!

Vance is doing well in physical therapy for torticollis. He's made a lot of progress in the past 2 months- Thank you Jesus and Cheryl Miller.

Vance is now sleeping on his back instead of on the pillow. This was a tough weaning process, but it was well worth it. Now he has more freedom to move when he sleeps, and we don't have to lug the pillow to the grandparents' houses. He seems happier on his back too. Speaking of sleep, Vance is sleeping a lot better during the day and at night (knock on wood). He hit 6 months and decided it was time to sleep. (Mommy also decided it was time for him to cry it out some, which helped.) He still has to figure out how to sleep past 5:30, but that seems minor to me compared to the way it used to be. Thankfully, he will go back to sleep on my chest or beside me until about 7AM. Considering he goes to bed before 8PM , I don't blame him for not wanting to sleep in...

You may be wondering how the reflux is. We have been seeing a pediatric gastroenterologist named Seth Marcus. He is a great doctor and is a good listener too. We will begin to wean Vance from the Prevacid in the next week or so. The doctor says that only 50% of babies need the medicine after 6 months, so he tends to wean a baby to see if they are fine without it. We could start the weaning process today, but I want to make it through our trip to the in-laws without risking the weaning not going so well. We will begin the process when we return and see how it goes. We are praying to be done with the medicine shortly. Just think- we are free from the reflux pillow and soon could be medicine free too. God is good!

Lastly, Vance is enjoying solids- He prefers sweet potatoes, pears, and peaches to squash and mixed veggies. I guess he is just like his mommy then... He is eating 3 meals a day of solids. Once he reaches 9 months, the gastro says that he can eat more than a few ounces at a time. He probably won't be complaining about that. Now that Vance is eating solids, he is drinking less formula. I think he will slim down some because of it and also once he starts crawling he will lose a little of his weight.

I almost forgot to say that Vance is talking more now. I heard him say "da" the other day, so I expect to hear "dada" in the next couple of months. Samuel was 8 months old when he said "dada", but that doesn't mean Vance will say it by then. We shall see.

sweet brothers!

When it rains it pours!

The repair man can't fix the refrigerator... Now we are trying to decide what to do. Since we bought this one used on Craigslist, do we risk buying another used one to find that it too is in need of repair or worse? As if we needed the expense of another fridge!

Vance Thomas Holloman

This has been an incredible week for the Hollomans. The Lord answered two big prayers. We feel so blessed! I will post the other answer to prayer in a post below.

On Monday Jeremy and I went to my doctor's appointment as planned and ended up at Northside Hospital. After a few short hours, Vance Thomas was born weighing in at 8 lb 3 oz and measuring 20 in long. He is quite the miracle baby! The cord was wrapped around his neck twice, and there was also a knot in it. That made labor and delivery interesting since his heart rate wasn't as high as it needed to be. We praise God for a healthy baby! Samuel is enjoying being a big brother. Samuel loves to tell Vance that he loves him and he enjoys giving Vance hugs and kisses. We are so thrilled!

in 5 days or less

This picture was taken on May 31 at my dad's retirement party. It was my first outing since May 7th. It was funny to hear people's reaction when I told them that Vance was due in 23 days. Nobody seemed to believe that I was that close... I sure felt that close even then!

Today's update-

My body is definitely getting ready to have this baby. Several times this week I thought that I was in labor. I was even timing contractions the night before last in the middle of the night...

I go back to the doctor tomorrow morning. Since I was a good 3 cm a week ago, she told me to pack my bags because she's sending me straight to the hospital if I'm 4 cm. If I'm not 4 cm, then we will schedule my induction for Friday. I assume that means spending Thursday night in the hospital and then being induced on Friday morning. My mom is spending the weekend with my dad and will be back here tomorrow morning, so she will be here for all of the upcoming excitement. Vance will arrive in 5 days or less. It's so hard to believe!

Only 19 more days until my due date

Being this close to seeing Vance is almost like being at the beach... I am almost there! Praise the Lord that I made it to 37 weeks!!! I am happy to be 19 days from my due date. I go back to the doctor on Monday and look forward to finding out if I'm dilated more now. On Monday I was 2 cm. and 30% effaced. The nurse midwife said she will be sending me straight to the hospital if I show up 4 cm, so I made it my goal to have my bags packed before my visit on Monday.

My mom is here and helping out so much. I thank the Lord for her because right now I just don't have it in me to do what I normally do. She is taking wonderful care of Samuel and the chores.

I think I might have a touch of what Samuel has, but instead of a sore throat and fever, mine came in the form of just feeling yucky. I spent a lot of the morning in bed and will nap as soon as I finish this post. It doesn't help that I'm not sleeping well. That is my big prayer request now- That I would get better sleep. I'm getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night, which is not good and not normal for me. That could be part of the reason that I feel yucky.

Yesterday I worked on my list of what to pack, and I completed what I could. I'm still not able to do much, so I spend a lot of time resting in the recliner or on the bed. Thankfully now I'm not as nervous about Vance's health. That is quite a relief! He is kicking away and moving around a lot, and there just isn't much extra room in there, which makes it interesting!

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouraging words! I am grateful! I will update again once I see the doctor on Monday!

A Visit from Grammy and Uncle Doug

This weekend Grammy (Jeremy's mom) and Uncle Doug (Jeremy's brother) came to visit and help take care of us. They really enjoyed their time with Samuel. Samuel ran around the house saying, "Uncle Doug". Samuel loved playing with Uncle Doug, and they laughed so hard; I don't know who had more fun...

Grammy took over the cooking and cleaning, and Uncle Doug worked in the yard. Since Uncle Doug has a lawn care business, it was nice to have his help all day Sunday. You should see the number of yard bags they filled with leaves, etc.. I know that both of them are worn out today! All of the bushes and trees were overgrown when we moved in, so it needed a lot of work. It's amazing how long it took them to get it looking nice... Maybe Jeremy can take some pictures for me to post. Thanks so much for your help, Grammy and Uncle Doug!!! We appreciate it!

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Samuel filling his piggy bank from Grammy













Grammy and Samuel













Uncle Doug and Samuel













Grammy, Uncle Doug, and Samuel

Samuel's tricycle

Samuel is enjoying the tricycle that Uncle John gave him for his birthday. He's been riding it on the screened porch:

Some photos from bedrest

**This is my 2nd post of the day.**

On Wed., May 7, Tressa picked me up from the hospital and brought me home (Thanks, Tressa!). My Aunt Faye came to take care of our family from Wednesday to Monday. Since my birthday was Thursday, May 8, she also brought a homemade cake, which was so yummy!!!! (Thanks, Faye!!!)

















Samuel devoured my cake. It cracked me up because he wasn't interested in his birthday cake that we bought at Publix, yet he loved this one. I guess homemade is best! I will have to remember that next year. I'm not promising anything fancy, but I definitely could make a sheet cake.

















This was taken on my birthday, May 8. I was happy to be at home and with my boys. Here are two of my three boys. Jeremy, my other boy, took the picture. I never thought I would be in a house of all boys...
















This was taken in Samuel's playroom on May 8. (Before my dad painted it on May 15. Thanks, Dad!!!) Samuel was entertaining himself while Faye took care of me and the chores. I am so happy to have a child who enjoys playing by himself. He's so creative and such a boy!















This was taken on Monday, May 19. (My parents arrived on Tuesday, May 13, and they will be here until Wed., May 21. ) My mom took this picture of me and my dad before he took me to my doctor's appointment. (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)





















This was taken before lunch on Monday, May 19. Samuel and I were looking at pictures on the computer. Here I am in the recliner that a sweet neighbor loaned us. (She told us to cover it since it was old.) I am 35 weeks pregnant and happy to be home with my sweet family! I love my little Samuel so much, and I think he looks really sweet in this picture. It's hard to believe that soon he won't be my only baby... (I will always see him as my baby.)

My early riser...

Samuel's antibiotic really did the trick because he is playing, sleeping through the night, and happy. The only disturbing thing is that he has gotten up at 6:45 or 7:00 since the ear infection started. I'm hoping it's related to the ear infection and not a permanent thing since he's always been a good morning sleeper. My dad says maybe he's becoming an early riser, but I'm not giving up on him sleeping later for me. I know 6:45 or 7:00 is normal for some of your children, so you're probably thinking that I'm nuts or asking too much. Maybe so... Is it bad to feel like I deserve a break since he didn't sleep through the night until he was 15 months old? Maybe so, but this mommy isn't giving up hope just yet. Today my dad bought a blackout shade for his new room, which is very sunny in the mornings. Maybe that will do the trick, or maybe I'm just going to have to go to bed earlier. We live in close quarters, and I just can't sleep through him waking up.

A First and a Mommy update

Samuel is experiencing a first- not the good kind though. My parents just took Samuel to the doctor, and it turns out that he has his first ear infection. (I guess that's pretty good though since he's 2 yrs. old.) It might even be considered a double ear infection since he has an infection in one ear and an infection starting in the other ear. We thought he was just teething since 2 weeks ago at his 2 yr. check-up the doctor said that his 2 yr. molars were coming in. He has the teething symptoms... Well, yesterday after his nap he started tugging on one ear and crying. Then, last night he woke up crying in the night and couldn't be consoled. Poor baby! I feel so bad for him and hope the medicine kicks in quickly.

As far as a Mommy update, I'm still hanging out on the couch, bed, or recliner (that a neighbor loaned me :)). I will be resting at home from now until Vance is born. I should be ok to do more at 37 weeks (June 2), but the problem is that I am not at all comfortable on my feet and have contractions even when I'm resting and taking my meds. On June 2, I will no longer be allowed to take the meds, but they wouldn't stop labor at that point anyway. So, as of June 2, you can pray for me even more... I would love for Vance to decide to come early as long as it's after June 2.

One last thing- If you're a Mom of more than 2, I applaud you. You are stronger than I am. The end of pregnancy is just not easy for me. If I could skip from 32 weeks to labor and delivery, I would love to have a third child. After going through this stuff, I see our family as being complete with 2 boys; although, I would love to adopt a third child if it's financially possible. From the time we got married, Jeremy and I talked about adoption. We were offered a baby or two when we lived in Honduras, but it definitely wasn't God's timing for us. Then, I was researching adoption when I got pregnant with Samuel. I could see us adopting a child from a Spanish-speaking country one day if that's the Lord's will for us. We will wait and see what the Lord has in store for our family!

Thankful for my 2 sons

This isn't exactly the way I expected to spend Mother's Day, but even on bedrest, I can thank God for my two sons. I honestly didn't expect to be the mommy of two boys because I always pictured myself with girls, but I couldn't be happier with the way it worked out. Both boys were prayed for and longed for long before they were conceived. I know that it is God's perfect will for me to be their mommy! I am so thankful to be a Mom. I love both of my sons (as well as their daddy, who was crucial in bringing them into this world).

Samuel is a joy and is constantly putting a smile on my face. The Lord must have known that I needed his laid back personality in my life (as well as his daddy's laid back personality) since I'm such a type A. He is always laughing, talking, smiling, learning new things, and playing. He adds a lot to this household! I look forward to seeing all that God has in store for his life (and mine).

Now, when it comes to Vance, I don't really know what he is like other than how active he is in the womb. If his level of activity in the womb is any indication of his personality, I think he and Samuel will be a lot alike. I look forward to meeting Vance soon (but not too soon). I know that the Lord has a plan for Vance's life, and I thank the Lord for him. He is so loved already!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

On bedrest

Well, my life changed drastically on Tuesday afternoon. I was on the couch resting and blogging, but I kept having contractions. I had decided to rest like that because I had been having more contractions than I was comfortable having at 33 weeks... Well, my instincts kicked in, and I called the doctor's office. They told me to go straight to the hospital. I thought the nurses would monitor me for a few hours and send me home. Boy, was I wrong. I was having contractions a minute or two apart, and I was also 3 cm dialated (externally). I spent almost 24 hours in the hospital. The good news is that Vance is about 5 lbs. 3 oz., and doing beautifully. When I was discharged at 2PM, I was put on bedrest for at least the next week; although, I will probably spend the rest of my pregnancy on bedrest since I can't do anything without having contractions. I don't expect to make it to 40 weeks at this rate... We are praying that Vance stays in until at least 37 weeks. Will you please pray the same? Thanks!!!

It's in his genes...Poor guy!

Poor Samuel... I started talking in my sleep at Samuel's age, and then I started walking after that. This week Samuel started talking in his sleep. I went to bed one night and heard him say, "truck". It was just out of nowhere. I dismissed it thinking that I must be hearing things, but then Jeremy and I have heard it since then. Just today during his nap he said it again.

I'll tell you why I feel sorry for Samuel. Most of all it's because I most of my life I haven't gotten a good night's sleep because of it. I went to a doctor about it at one point and even had a sleep study done, but none of the medicine they prescribed worked. My neurologist went as far as to say that I would stop by the time I was 30. Jeremy and I think he was just trying to get me out of the door since he didn't have an answer for me. Thankfully, it has gotten a lot better since I had Samuel. I only walk and talk every once in a while, which is a huge improvement over every night...

I pray Samuel doesn't suffer like I did. I won't bore you with stories about walking and talking in my sleep, but I seriously could write a book about those dangerous and very embarrassing moments. If you ever want a good laugh, ask me to tell you some stories. Just remember that I only know what friends/family told me since I rarely remembered any of it.

(I could even tell you stories about my grandfather's walking and talking escapades. He even walked down the block to his grocery store one time. )

30 weeks

Today I had my 30 week appointment. All is well with my pregnancy. I wasn't surprised when the nurse midwife (that's going to deliver Vance) said that 2nd (and all subsequent) pregnancies are harder but with easier labor and delivery. I'm definitely more tired and uncomfortable than I was at 30 weeks with Samuel. I am READY for June 23 to get here!

I go back in two weeks, and I will let you know how that goes!

Vance is kicking me as I write this! He's definitely an active baby just like Samuel was. I am going to have my hands full!!!

So proud of my hubby!!!

Today my hubby made a wise decision to cancel the cable tv that we ordered almost two weeks ago. I could say it was because of all of the garbage on tv, but it was actually because we're trying to watch how we spend our money. There is a lot of garbage on tv, but my hubby was interested in sports. That is the hardest thing for a man to give up- live sports events. I, on the other hand, could take or leave cable. I was excited about On Demand for Samuel because they have cute cartoons for little kids, but that's not a big deal because he has videos that he can watch.

God working in mysterious ways??? Funny thing is that we ordered the cable almost 2 weeks ago, but they were unable to get it working for us. They were out here on Friday and then again on Saturday. I see it as God's way of giving us time to re-think our decision. Today I started thinking about how we could save that money each month, and I mentioned it to Jeremy. The cable guy was set to come back today to work on the problem, so we didn't have much time to call and cancel. I only mentioned it once to Jeremy, and before I knew it he said that he was going to call and cancel it. They didn't even give him a hard time when he called to cancel. (Before he called, he said to me that if he was going to cancel cable that I was going to have to quit buying unnecessary books and stuff at thrift/consignment stores. I agreed, so I guess both of us are going to sacrifice...)

I just wanted to say how proud I am of Jeremy. I know it wasn't an easy call to make, and I'm sure he's going to miss watching sports because we've always had cable (even in Honduras).
Once our house sells, we will probably reconsider our decision, but for now we will get used to life without cable. As I type this, Jeremy is reading a book we just bought called Heaven. It's by Randy Alcorn, and it was recommended to us by several people. Life without cable isn't so bad after all. Now if I can just put this computer down and pull out my book...

Counting and the ABCs

Samuel is learning to count to ten, and I'm going to post a video soon. He's counting to six without a problem. Sometimes he gets to seven. He knows nine too. I think he'll be counting to ten shortly. It's so cute!

He's also working on his ABCs. If you don't have Fridge Phonics, I highly recommend it. Samuel loves it, and it works! He carries it around the house while he sings along. Talk about funny...

I will post videos soon.

Are you sure this isn't Honduras????

A few things in our new house remind me of the good ole days in Honduras:

1. 2 dishwashers (Jeremy and Marianna) - We've been washing dishes by hand since we moved in. The dishwasher should be fixed next week. I lived 2 years without one in Honduras, but now that I've got a child, it's hard to imagine life without one...

2. no water pressure- Apparently we live in an area that is known for it's bad water pressure. This was commonplace in Honduras because of water shortages, but I never imagined it could be a problem in the US. It takes forever to fill the washing machine and to fill up Samuel's bathtub...

3. all wood or tile floors (except for Samuel's room)- It makes you realize just how dirty carpet is.... No joke! It also makes you run out and get a Swiffer WetJet for your own sanity. Oh, and just like in Honduras, I never walk around barefoot. Why? Because I don't have the time to mop each day, and I can't stand dirt on my feet. If I do end up barefoot, I grab a baby wipe to use once I'm about to put my feet in the bed.

4. mice among us- Thank the Lord that I haven't seen any, but they are definitely out there since they chewed a hole through the dishwasher motor. There were also droppings in the cabinets and possibly in the vent covers.

All that being said, we do like this house and hope to live here for 2-3 years. These are just some minor things that I am having to "get over".

Oh, and Samuel went down much easier yesterday and this afternoon. Thank the Lord!!!

the move or this age???

Samuel is still asleep, so I thought I would post... Before the move, Samuel was doing so well at bedtime and naptime. He went down easily (even said "night night" as you were singing to him) and never cried. The first 3 days here were fine. I assumed he was adjusting just fine until he started fighting sleep a week ago. Now it's a huge ordeal to get him to go down for nap and at bedtime. He is stalling by asking to read more books or go "poo poo" and crying when we put him down in his crib. It's been so frustrating. I've held him longer and sang to him longer, hoping to comfort him. Sometimes at naptime I have had to let him cry for 15 minutes, but that doesn't seem to work (and I'm not one to let him cry an hour). I end up going back in there and firmly telling him that it's time for his nap. At bedtime, we let him cry some and then Jeremy goes in to sing him one last song before he asks to go "night night". I sure hope this passes quickly! He normally goes to bed at 8:00; last night it was 9:00 before he went to sleep, and this pregnant mama went to bed too. I told Jeremy that we are going to have to put him to bed sooner if we're going to have any time as a couple. Tonight we're going to church, and I'll probably bathe him before church in order to put him to bed when we walk in the door.