History Has Been Made!!

On Tuesday evening our country elected a new President - Barak O' Bama. As we were watching the poll counts come in and becoming more and more discouraged as the outcome of the election slowly became a stark reality I was stunned by the newscasters reactions. They were commenting on the fact that America's younger generation (who voted in full force) are colorblind when it comes to a person's race. I would have to agree that my generation and younger don't seem to have an issue with anyone that is black, latino, asian, etc . . . They have always been an equal part of our lives growing up and now that we are older it doesn't seem to phase us. However, I was apalled by the newcasters comments that the fact that Barak O'Bama was black and democrat were the sole reasons for his becoming President. I believe as this election has played out that it is true - we are colorblind - but the same should be said that the majority of the public seem to be blind to reason, morals and a lack of duty to our country and what it stands for. Some of the things that Barak O'Bama wants to do as our President completely astonish me and cause me to wonder about the future of our country. His stand on abortion for example and that he could willingly support partial-birth abortion or ANY abortion for that matter makes my toes curl and makes my stomach churn. His statement that he would like to bankrupt every coal company in America so that we do not have to rely on that kind of energy anymore is a concern for those who work the coal companies. They would be out jobs as will thousands of Americans who fall prey to his golden tax plan. Didn't he say that he is going to create jobs? The list goes on including his health care plan and his plan for the war in Iraq. All of which I do not agree with.


All in all, the damage is done and we will be answering to his government for the next four years and possibly longer. I hope and pray that Mr.O'Bama leads this country in a positive direction and he will have my respect as I believe that his position demands and expects it of me. However, in this great country I do not have to agree with him on everything. I also will be glad to see America get away from the bashing of a President. Barak O'Bama will not get the kind of treatment that George Bush did simply because the liberal media will not allow it, no matter what he does. I have to admit it will be nice to see a President respected in the media and I wish him the best of luck.


Throughout this campaign I have been nervous and fearful with the prospect of O'Bama becoming our President. However, as the campaign entered it's final days a few months ago I realized that Barak O'Bama will not have complete control of America. It has always and will always be God's. Our founding forefather's prayed and poored God into every aspect of America's government and how it was to be run. I am so grateful for a higher power that is in Jesus. And it is HIM that I will be looking toward for answers, it is HIM that I will be bowing down to, it is HIM in who the fate of America lies, it is HIM that I will be singing songs of praise to and it is HIM who is in complete control and so I do not live in fear of the start of the O'Bama reign in the white house. May God Bless Barak O'Bama who will be my President and may God continue to bless America.


I also want to give a shout out to my current President for the last 8 years - George W. Bush. No other President in the history of our country has gone through what this man has and I say well done Mr. President. He went through the worse terrorist attack in the history of this country, 4 natural disasters, two wars, the capture of one of the worst dicators in the history of the world and a fallen economy. He stood his ground and did the best he could under the circumstances, and did it with America spitting in his face. I want to thank him for his service to our country and thank him that we are still safe, we have food, shelter, jobs and are still free. May God Bless him as he passes the baton and I hope and pray that his future is one of health and happiness. You've done a great job George Bush and I thank you.

HALLOWEEN!!

Halloween kind of snuck up on us this year. We usually have a harvest party at church and this year we didn't so it didn't seem quite the same. Halloween night we had Jesse and Jeni over for some Monster Stew and finger sticks - then we hit the trick-o-treating trail. We first hit the family houses and then the kids went door to door in Jeremy's parents neighborhood. It was a fun-filled evening but Addison was very tired when her head hit the pillow. We look forward to seeing pictures of all our little friends who we weren't able to see in their costumes this year. Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween!!

Me and my little dalmation

Pirate, Poodle, Princess

Cutest pink poodle ever!!

My puppies!!

Pink poodle and her best!!

Addie's recipe for chocolate caramel

3 cups sugar
3 cups macaroni
3 cups salad
3 cups crushed carrots
3 cups chocolate chips
3 cups caramel

Sounds yummy! Enjoy!!

Autumn Fun!!

Just a few pictures that I took yesterday out in the autumn leaves. I love this time of year and all of the beautiful colors. Thank you Lord for Fall!!

3 Weeks Old and doing great!!

Today Rhett is three weeks old. It is truly amazing how much they can change in three short weeks. It seems like our entire drama with him was ages ago. He had a checkup on Tuesday and he weighed in at 8lbs. 13oz. Praise the Lord he's gaining weight and I'm still nursing. I'm only supplementing formula when I feel like I'm completely empty and he wants more which on average is about once every couple days or we are going out of the house for awhile (not entirely comfortable with nursing in public yet). His jaundice is completely gone and the bruising around his face has disappeared. He looks very healthy and content and I feel so blessed that he is doing well.

Sisterly Love!!

It's truly amazing how much love Addie has for her brother. I'm so blessed that she has taken to him so well and can't seem to get enough of him. I know there will come a time when she will have issues with her brother but I'm so glad they are off to a good start.

Rhett Douglas Franklin!!

Yes!!! He is finally here and I'm FINALLY getting around to blogging about him. He was born on October 3rd, at 11:40 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. He came out with the umbilical cord wrapped around his shoulder. The doctor apologized to Jeremy for having to cut it instead of him so that he could come on out. I don't think Jeremy was too upset about it!! My labor and delivery process was a breeze - some say that I'm lucky and I would have to agree completely. I had the lovely epideral around 7:30 a.m., was numb by 8:00 a.m., was dialated to a 5 by 10:00 and in one hour was dialated to a 9. He came fast!! Three pushes and he made his way into our world, with virtually no pain on my part and no tearing either!!

Apparently I've been blessed in this area of my life. However, with Addison the painful, emotional toil of this entire process came later and with a price. With Addie labor was a breeze but when I got her home I was stressed, I was having difficulty nursing, ended up having a bladder infection and developed Bells Palsy three days after she arrived and it lasted for 4 weeks, through Christmas. It was awful!! During the course of this pregnancy I prayed continuosly for an easy delivery and a semi-stressfree recovery but I think that as much as I am blessed in the birthing process I am just as cursed in the recovery process.

When Rhett was born I was so relieved to see him take to breast-feeding so easily and do it so well. I felt so good about myself as a mother and thanked God over and over for this blessing. However, a few days after we got him home he was beginning to decline in the nursing area. He fussed constantly, had difficulty latching on and screamed all night. I did not know what was wrong. He was wetting his diapers so I figured that he was getting what he needed. Well, on Tuesday morning I took him to the doctor for a wellness checkup and the doctor ordered lab work done. He said that Rhett looked jaundice and he had lost over a pound since he was born. I freaked out!! However, somehow I knew that he would be o.k. They sent us home and once we arrived we got a call from the nurse saying that his jaundice levels were too high and he was dehydrated and that I needed to bring him into the hospital. I lost it!! The hospital was not a place that I wanted to be taking my baby three days after I brought him home. I was emotionally a wreck and was angry with everyone, the doctor, the nurses, and myself. I felt like I was a bad mom for not supplying him with the nutrition he needed to survive. I was devastated and was fearful that Bells Palsy would return because again I was stressed out. I spent two days in the hospital with Rhett and it was not a fun experience. They had him under the bellirubin lights all day and would come in a poke him often to take blood samples. I never felt so helpless and responsible. Luckily his jaundice levels and sodium levels began to return to normal and as I could see the light at the end of the tunnel I began to feel better.

During the course of our stay at the hospital I was blessed with a few things. I was blessed with precious time that I got to spend with my new son (time is so precious when they are so little), I was blessed with wonderful daytime nurses who reassured me and were so good with Rhett, I was blessed with the fact that my milk finally came in (even though it wasn't much) it was a start and so Rhett is successfully nursing again (with a little supplemental formula), I was blessed with the time to reflect on what a precious and fragile thing babies are and how wonderful it was that he recovered.

So, we are home now and doing well. Although every day I check Rhett's skin color and wonder constantly whether or not he is turning more yellow again. I'm paranoid!! I look forward to the future that we have together and am so thankful and blessed that God gave us this special son.

Oh - and no Bells Palsy!! Hurray!

The Franklin Family

My three most favorite people in the world!

Rhett Douglas Franklin

Addison is a great big sister!