Seventy Things I love about my Deddy

1.     He loves Jesus more than anything else

2.     He tells really good stories

3.     He doesn’t let others determine what he thinks about himself

4.     He taught me that you have to like yourself because you’ll always be with yourself

5.     He works so hard and has always taken care of our family

6.     He tells people about Jesus with ease

7.     He spends time with people from all walks of life

8.     He easily shares his tears

9.     He enjoys writing stories

10. He is a talented artist

11. He will do work for people and expect nothing in return

12. He enjoys playing with Graham

13. He took care of Graham when he was an infant so I could go back to work and would bring him by my office at lunch time

14. He fixed up the downstairs so I could have my own bedroom and bathroom

15. He calls me Miss America

16. He sacrifices his own desires for all of us

17. He dropped everything and moved to Philadelphia for two months for Hudson

18. He would get up before all of us and walk to the hospital just to check on Hudson

19. He takes Graham down to the creek even after playing for hours

20. He is a good teacher of many different things

21. He is patient

22. I’ve never heard him raise his voice

23. He shares stories about Vietnam

24. He makes me feel pretty

25. He encourages me to use my skills

26. He celebrates my successes

27. He encouraged Corey to stick around 😊

28. He has always been an example for the kind of man I should marry

29. He would do anything and has done anything for his kids

30. He is funny

31. He always jokes that we should move to a remote hut he finds in National Geographic

32. He built us the zip line, tree house, creek swing, life size doll house

33. He spoils Graham with so many toys

34. He is the best Papa Joe

35. He sings and dances with Graham

36. He always made Jesus a priority for our family

37. He taught us the Bible

38. He was committed to our church by leading Sundays schools, Bible studies, doing carpentry work, etc

39. He is a skilled craftsman

40. He would work on my house in Charlotte on top of everything else had to do

41. He always brags on me

42. He will fall in the floor laughing when telling a story or watching something funny

43. He sacrificed his own time to teach at the prisons

44. He spends time playing pool at the beer joint so that he can be there for people who need Jesus

45. He would pick up hitchhikers and let them stay in our basement and give them work

46. He has prayed and prayed and prayed for our family

47. He is an avid reader

48. I have clear memories from my childhood of Deddy lying in bed reading his Bible

49. He joined a singing group to learn how to harmonize

50. He has used his skills as a carpenter to bless so many families

51. Corey likes his hair, laugh and that he helps people

52. He is handsome

53. He always gets teary when he talks about his wedding and marrying mama

54. He is forgiving

55. He has lifelong friends who I love to see him laugh with

56. He would take us to the beach for family vacation

57. He would take us to church camp

58. He gave many years to children’s ministry for no pay

59. He has been a dad to many, many people who did not have stable home lives

60. Many people call him their best friend

61. He has supported me in my dreams even if that meant having to be away from home

62. He won’t talk about people unless it is bragging on them

63. He is quick to share what he is learning from scripture

64. He can take apart and put a tractor back together with no help

65. You can hear his laugh from far away and others laugh with him

66. No matter what, he clings to Jesus

67. His mind is set on eternity and not on this temporary world

68. He loves me very much

69. He has always made life fun even when hard things were going on

70. He has lived a life of sacrifice, forgiveness, laughter, joy, fun, faith, hope, love and is the best deddy in the whole world.

I love you very much, Deddy!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY!!!

Love, Amy

(for Corey, Graham and Hudson)

He Should Be Two Years Old

Hudson Taylor Alexander Sylvestre

July 17, 2015-March 20, 2016

He should be two. He should be running. He should be saying, “Mama” and squealing with all his might. He should be having tantrums in Target and stealing his big brother’s toys. He should be wearing hand me downs from big brother. He should have been at the water park with us last weekend. He should be in every family photo. He should be slightly shorter than big brother with slightly darker, crazier hair. He should be growing taller and losing some of his baby rolls. He should be grinning ear to ear and running down the stairs when daddy gets home. He should be in the bathtub splashing his big brother. He should be promoted to the two year old class at church this Sunday. He should be friends with all those cuties. He should be sharing a room with his big brother. He should be hiding while we are seeking. He should be singing, “Wheels on the Bus” and learning his alphabet. He should be saying silly words and pronouncing words in his own way. He should be refusing to eat his dinner and getting gum in his hair. He should be mixing the playdough colors together to make them turn that yucky brown. He should be under my feet as I try to cook. He should be leaving his shoes in the hall so to trip to me and daddy.  He should be the little brother to his big brother. He should be at weddings and on the farm with grandparents. He should be asking for more “Daniel Tiger” and ice cream. He should be buckled in his seat at dinner time. He should be learning about God and singing, “Jesus loves Hudson, This I know.” He should be the youngest cousin to the big ones in the pool.  He should make us a family of four when we go out to eat. He should now get his own seat on the plane. He should be in my arms and not just my heart. He should be two.

Thanks so much to these sweet new friends who did a party in the park for our precious Hudson! That just meant the world to me!!!

Why I Cry on My Birthday

A birthday can bring many emotions. I don't know about you, but I cry at least a little almost every year on my birthday. There are many reasons this has happened over the years. Some significant, some silly. Yesterday I was taking a walk and thinking about my life, my family, friends. You. Reflecting on so many things and of course, the tears came.

Over the years, I've cried on my birthday...

because I was single
because a certain person didn't call
because my heart was broken
because of the friends who surrounded me
because I was away from people I love
because I laughed so hard
because I felt lonely or misunderstood
because I was leaving for Africa the next day
because I felt fat and had nothing to wear


I cry on my birthday this year...

for Hudson...that we still have you and you are stable!
for my super fun Graham
because its my first bday without any grandparents
for my cousin who only got 37 years
(we miss you, Darin! I shouldn't get older than my big cousin.)
for my husband's dreams of flying
for being so far from home
for my career
out of thankfulness for God's provision
for the sacrifices my friends and family have made for us
for the "love of my life" birthday card from my handsome husband
for the card from the CHOP nurses and my sweet mother and father-in law
for the card and flowers
for all the messages, posts and texts
for Paris...oh Paris

The tears come from joy, sadness and being overwhelmed.

I'm a loved girl.
Thanks for a great 37th bday!

Ways to Help Hudson's Family

Several folks have asked how to help Hudson's family. Here are a few ideas....

To save Hudson’s life, Corey and Amy had to relocate without notice to Philadelphia from North Carolina and will likely be in Philadelphia for several more months. Their personal finances have increased significantly with having to set up an apartment and adjusting to city life in Philadelphia. Additionally with insurance, out of pocket medical expenses will be around $28,000 for 2015 and 2016.

If you would like, here are different ways to continue to help Hudson’s family:

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!

Donate on their Go Fund Me site (http://www.gofundme.com/havehalfaheart)

Choose something from Hudson’s Wish List: https://amzn.com/w/35FWJ54G0CI82

Donate Delta Skymiles (For details message Hudson’s Mom on  www.facebook.com/hudsonsheart)

Gift cards to Walmart, Target, Babies R Us, Bed Bath and Beyond or for gas

Have dinner or groceries delivered through seamless web or another site

Share Hudson's Facebook page and Go Fund Me page with your family, friends and churches

Hudson’s family is thankful for your partnership in prayer and encouraging words as they go through such a difficult journey. Thank you for praying for Hudson and the whole family.

For a mailing address, please send a message here: www.facebook.com/hudsonsheart 

I'm in Philadelphia....

I came back to Philadelphia on Monday morning and spent the whole day again at the hospital. They had to drain 1.5 liters of amniotic fluid from me and fluid from the baby's lung.  I had grown unbelievably miserable over the weekend and the fluid is the reason. I thought I was going to burst! They had to observe me from 1pm to 6:45pm because I started contracting a little bit. The doctors do not know why the fluid is happening. Please pray it stops!

It was great to be home for a few days to get some work done for my job and few other things that were weighing on me. The best part was seeing my family and my sweet Graham. I'm missing Corey so much but we Skype everyday so that helps some. Keep praying for him. He's living in a hotel and is working straight with no days off.

We got a test result back yesterday and our baby's chromosomes are NORMAL!!!!!! Praise the Lord! I've been begging God for this. We do have one more pretty scary test result lingering. We hope to hear good news about that next week. Please pray that this test would be clear and we can move forward knowing that our little one does not have any mental, developmental limitations.

Continue to pray for his heart to grow and development along with all the arteries, veins, etc. That he would be strong enough for surgery and survive such an intense situation. We are begging God for a new heart all together. Pray that the fluid would not hinder any other growth (lungs, intestines, etc). That he would be growing big and strong in all ways. Please also pray that I do not go into labor until very close to my due date which is August 26th.

So...looks like I live in Philadelphia now. I am on modified bed rest (meaning I can shower and sit back down) and cannot travel back and forth from North Carolina for appointments. We are staying at friend's of a friend's place this week and co-workers/friends from my days at Redeemer in NY are helping us find housing for the coming weeks. I am beyond overwhelmed at everyone's generosity.

Crystal is with me. That's an understatement. We've joke that all of our pictures are "Amy & Crystal in Mooresville," Amy & Crystal in South Africa," Amy & Crystal in France," "Amy & Crystal in Myrtle Beach," Amy & Crystal in NY." We've gone through so much together and she is supporting me beyond belief right now. Getting food, sitting for HOURS at the hospital, being away from her husband, my bro, Bradley. Get this....she dropped her grad school classes...pushing her graduation date...just to be here with me. I'm so overwhelmed by her but not surprised. So now its...."Amy & Crystal in Philadelphia."

We are navigating so much with doctors, finances, living, insurance, care for Graham, work, etc. Thank you for loving and supporting us. We are overwhelmed with gratitude.

Keep praying!!!!

http://www.gofundme.com/havehalfaheart

Monday Appointment Update

So not to hold back....yesterday was horrible!

We arrived at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) at 6:45am and left at 6:45pm and the entire time was in appointments of some kind. I had an MRI for over an hour...that was horrific....then a three hour sonogram which involves lots of pushing on my abdomen. We then met with a specialist who gave us very difficult news. They needed to remove the fluid from the baby's chest pretty much immediately because it was pushing the heart to one side and deflating one of his lungs.

They could not give me any medication as they pushed the needle to my belly and then into the baby. I am a massive chicken but I survived and it did not start labor. I got shots, blood work and they did another electrocardiogram on the baby for over an hour.

We will be getting results back from the fluid in the next few days. They are trying to determine why this is happening. It could be genetic, a virus, an infection, etc. We are begging God that the fluid will not return and that our little one is completely normal in all ways, mentally and physically.

Pray for Corey as he is flying everyday now. Pray for peace and for safety.

Pray for me as I undergo more testing today and tomorrow.

Pray for our sweet baby. We want the best for him, whatever that is. We want God to show us His healing power and His supernatural peace.

There are many, many decisions to make and that is very overwhelming in the midst of so much.

I appreciate the prayers and emails. It means a lot.

http://www.gofundme.com/havehalfaheart

Urgent Trip to Philly for Procedure

Friends and family, much prayer is needed for our family as I have to travel to Philadelphia for a procedure to have the fluid drained off of the baby. I don't know how long they will keep me .

I hate leaving my family and especially little Graham. Please, please pray for us. This procedure is risky and painful and this is extremely overwhelming to have to drop everything with work and home to go to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with little to no notice but this is what the specialists say is best.

Pray for my incredible husband as he is enduring so much right now as well.

Thanks to my family and friends for helping in so many ways including creating this site for us:

http://www.gofundme.com/havehalfaheart

Thank you for partnering with us and being in this valley alongside us!

Graham is 13 Months and BIG NEWS!

Our sweet boy, Graham, is 13 months old today. Time is flying by! He's growing like a weed and eating like crazy. Just for breakfast he had scrambled eggs, a whole banana, vege straws and milk.

Plus, we are so happy to share that Graham is going to have a baby BROTHER in late August!!!! Woohoo!

We are so excited to meet this little on the way and introduce him to his big brother, Graham.

Graham turns ONE today!

Our sweet boy turns one today on February 23, 2015. I cannot believe it has been a whole year since we had him. So much has happened and changed but the year has been the fastest of my life. We had a little family dinner to celebrate Graham's first year!

This was Graham's face when we sang Happy Birthday to him!

Graham had to have a picture taken under the table, of course! 

It is an Alexander tradition!

Graham is WALKING! He is so cute! He walks with his arms above his head we think because that is how "Papa Joe" and his daddy have taught him as they hold his little hands.

Graham is talking up a storm. We don't know what he is saying just yet but he sure does have a lot to say. He does say, "hey!" and he says it so clearly that someone in the grocery store asked me, "Did your baby just say hey to me?"

In the pic below Graham is sitting on Papal Avery's rock in the front yard. Walking in the ice and snow was not his favorite!

He absolutely loves his Pooh Bear and sleeps with him every night. He has created two games on his own. One where he throws his ball against a cabinet and it comes back to him and the other where he throws a marker to me and I throw it back across the table. He loves doing both of these and just laughs so hard. He loves music and sounds and tries to imitate them. He also likes to shake his little head and dance. He's growing and is curious. He has a big smile when he sees you and big sparkling blue eyes. Corey gave him a hair cut and I think his little head looks like my Papal Avery.

Please say a prayer for my Papal Avery and our family as he is very sick and in the hospital.

Graham, we love you so much. You are such a wonderful gift to us. We pray that as you start a new year and continue to grow that you would know Jesus personally.

Christmas 2014

We had a quiet Christmas this year.
Christmas Eve we spent the night with The Humphrey's eating amazing southern cookin' and being with extended family. I've spent many, many hours in their home in middle and high school and many since then. They always spoil our little Graham!

On Christmas we spent the morning at home with Graham. It was nice to have a lazy time just the 3 of us. I attempted to read from the Jesus Storybook Bible, "He's here, He's here!" to Graham about Jesus coming. I had to skip a bit for his 10 month old attention span but he heard most of it :).

Then we went down to my parents for a little while before loading up to go and visit my Papal Avery.  Bradley and Crystal also went. We took him Christmas yummy food and spent a while with him, sang Christmas carols and he opened some gifts. He wasn't feeling his best but it was a nice time to be with him. He has told us many times that if he got anything for Christmas, he would get an orange and a peppermint stick. He's spoiled us grand kids our whole lives.

I've also taken advantage of the time off work to catch up with friends. I had a Hannah dinner with college friends. That always includes Crystal, Brooke and Kristin. It was long over due and we spent hours just going around sharing our hearts over a meal.

The day after Christmas I got to see some wonderful New York friends. Sandi Taylor and her girls were in Charlotte visiting her mom. Plus, the Burke's stopped by and I got meet their adopted son, Beniah! On my way home I stopped by Concord Mills to catch up with the totally amazing Tracy Thornton. I sure miss those two friends and mentors. I hope to be like them when I grow up ;). They were brief visits but mean so much to me to stay connected to them even though I don't live in NY anymore.

I got to catch up with some UNCC friends this past week. Clay, Pamela and I survived being French majors at UNCC, studied abroad in Limoges, France at the same time and traveled all over Europe together. With me living in NY, Clay in Texas and Pamela in Chicago, it has been so hard to be all together the last several years. We finally made that happen.

Also this past Saturday morning Heidi, a friend Campus Outreach/UNCC days, came for a visit as well and got to meet Graham. Such a fun couple of days catching up with some wonderful friends!

On the Sunday after Christmas we cooked a big Christmas meal together with my brothers and their wives (Jeff, Jenn, Bradley, Crystal) and my parents. Jeff and Jenn spent Christmas up in Ohio with Jenn's family. It was nice to finally be all together for our Christmas. After eating we opened gifts and had yummy dessert. Graham got spoiled once again with some fun toys and cute sleepers.

 YUM!

Graham being twins with Uncle Jeffrey and Papa Joe! Silly boys!

Notice Bradley's sweater insert like cousin Eddie. The tree on the car and he's holding National Lampoon's Christmas vacation. "It's the gift that keeps on giving all year round, Clark." That movie is my family!

Baby's First Christmas!

Christmas means a lot to me. Growing up, both sets of my grandparents would come over in the morning as we opened gifts. Then we would have lunch with the Alexander's. At some point late afternoon we would join my Drake grandparents for supper in the house we now call home.

I've been thinking a lot about how chaotic the holidays can feel. This year was much simpler and I hope to keep it that way and to celebrate what really matters. Less running around, worrying about gifts and things. I really just want to soak up the people. I'm not sure why I was thinking about this but on Christmas morning I kept thinking, "We only get a certain number of Christmases." It is true. While this season can be overwhelming and take a lot out of us, I want to savor these memories. My Paw Gene got 96 Christmases. My Papal's had 87. My Nanny got 72. My cousin Darin got 37. I've had 36. My dad's had 67. Graham's had 1.

Christ the King as our Emmanuel, God with us. This is what I hope to remember on this 36th Christmas and always.





We are excited to celebrate and spend time with the Sylvestre's in a couple weeks! Bring on the New Hampshire snow!