2017 Watts Family Year Ender

Dear friends and family,

We hope you have had a great 2017 and are looking forward to the new year. We’ve had lots of ups and downs this year in the Watts family.

Patrick and Adam have made several trips to see family this year, including a Spring Break trip to Texas and three trips to Ohio to see Patrick’s grandparents, who just celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. Their Memorial Day trip included stops at Dinosaur World in Kentucky and Kings Island near Cincinnati.

In June, they went to CentriKid camp in Campbellsville, KY. This was a new experience for both of them, and they had a blast!

We had the amazing experience of being in the “line of totality” of the solar eclipse on August 21. Patrick’s cousin, Ray, is an astronomy professor and came to observe the eclipse in our driveway. It was a fantastic learning experience for all three of us and especially for Adam, who wants to be an astronomer when he grows up.

In October, Adam came down with what we thought was a bad cold, but he was soon diagnosed with pneumonia. After a week of treatment at home, our pediatrician sent us to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital at Williamson Medical Center for an in-patient stay to get IV antibiotics. Adam responded more quickly than expected to treatment there, and we were sent home at the end of our second day. This happened during Adam’s fall break, and so he had quite the story to tell when he went back to school. Unfortunately, Patrick then came down with it... followed shortly thereafter by Lydia as well, but we both managed to avoid the hospital. We are grateful to live in Nashville with great medical care. All of October and most of November were consumed with illness, and so we got a little behind on Christmas preparations and cards.

Also in November, Patrick’s office moved to LifeWay’s new building in the Capitol View development in Nashville’s “North Gulch”. Nashville is growing by leaps and bounds, and the area around the new building is surrounded by new businesses and residential buildings. The new, high-tech building is a big change from the aging buildings on the old campus, but many of the architectural elements were incorporated into LifeWay’s new home. Patrick continues to work on web-based projects including a training site for church planters with the North American Mission Board.

Adam is a fourth grader this year, which in our school district, is the last year of elementary school. We have been looking at our options for middle school next year and are prayerfully considering what will be the best fit for him and our family.





We enjoy everyone’s Christmas cards and greetings. Even if we aren’t able to see you in person, our family and friends are always close to our hearts. We would love to hear from you. We pray you will have a happy and healthy new year.

-Patrick, Lydia, and Adam Watts

taking care of my mama

I have been very busy learning to crawl lately, but that's not the only exciting thing. I had an adventure this past week. My Mama didn't feel good because she had something called a "procedure" the week before. I don't know what that is, but it must make you sleepy because she slept A LOT. Anyway, I was taking a nap Monday afternoon when my daddy WOKE ME UP! I didn't understand why he did that. He put my coat on me and told me we were going to take Mama to a place called the "emergency room."

Daddy put me in my van, and then he helped Mama get in the van. I watched her while Daddy drove. The van goes faster when Daddy drives. Mama didn't say very much. When we got to the hospital place, I felt like I had been there before, but I couldn't quite remember. Daddy went inside and got a stroller, but it wasn't for me, it was for Mama. He put her in the big-person stroller and put me on her lap. Then he pushed us into the hospital - whee!

When we got inside, Daddy talked to a nice lady, and she put a bracelet on Mama's arm. There were so many people there! After that, another nice lady called my Mama's name. I don't know how she knew her name, but we all went and talked to her. She put something on Mama's arm and something in her mouth that beeped! My Mama is brave! I watched everything that was going on.

After we finished talking to that nice lady, Daddy talked into the light-up box. Then he took me outside, and Mister Philip and my good friend Alysa were there! I was so surprised! Daddy put me in my van, and Alysa got in too. Here's where things really got strange - Mister Philip got in my van and DROVE US AWAY! Alysa talked and talked and talked while we were riding. It was so much fun. When the van stopped, we were at Sara and Alysa's house. I was worried that I might not get to eat dinner since I wasn't at my house, but Miss Susan fed me my dinner!

I played and played with the girls. They are so funny. There was a color I didn't recognize, though. Sara calls it "pink." I was so tired after all that excitement that I fell asleep. When I woke up, Daddy was there and he put me back in my van. Mama got in next to me. I knew she felt better because she smiled at me. Daddy drove us home and gave me a bottle and put me in my warm bed. I had such a good time. I want to do that again!

day 2 - lots of friends on a busy day

12:45 a.m.

"Up and Adam!" (My great-grandfather likes that joke a lot.)

I decide that it's time to eat "in the middle of the night," whenever that is. I haven't ever seen "day" and "night" before, so I don't really care about it. All I can tell right now is when I'm hungry, and when I'm dirty. By the end of the day today though, I can tell something else.

2:18 a.m.

I have a full tummy, so it's sleepy time again. I can tell my parents are new at this, because Dad keeps sitting up, looking over at me while I'm asleep like he's worried or something.

4:49 a.m.

When I wake up, I get that dirty feeling, so I let Mom know the only way I know how... "Laaaaah! Laaaaah!" She picks me up and takes a look. This is an indescribably dirty diaper... but she does a great job of cleaning it up. Only problem... there's more where that came from! I'm so good at this! Once I'm cleaned up, it's time to rest again.

7:32 a.m.

Time for all the ladies to come into our room again. The first one is a mommy doctor, and Mom gets to tell her the whole story about yesterday again. I knock out another hour of sleep before the visitors start coming.

10:00 a.m.

Look, it's Yia Yia and Papa again! They come just as the special lady shows up to take me to my hearing test, so they come and watch so they can stand outside and brag about me to all the other grandparents.

10:45 a.m.

After I pass my hearing test with flying colors, I go back to the room, and there's Miss Annessa talking to my Mom about yesterday. She looks so happy to see me! We can't visit long, because I have to go to my first photo shoot.

11:00 a.m.

Mom and Yia Yia change my clothes, which I don't like very much. Once I'm changed, they put me under this special light which I also don't like for a little while... but I get used to it, and my Dad is right there, so I'm brave again. Then the light flashes lots of times. I poke my face and it hurts, so Dad holds my hand down. The nice man with the black eyeball thingy says it's "taking pictures," but I didn't see anybody take anything.

11:45 a.m.

After we are done, we go back to the room, but not before we run into Courtney, Scott and Karen. They all have something to do with Dad that he calls "work." They follow us back to our room where Mr. Shull is waiting. He has something to do with that "work" place and that "church" place. Miss Karen and Miss Courtney get to hold me. I think they will be good friends.

12:30 p.m.

Mom gets lunch, and so do I, and then one of the nurses comes to take me to a special doctor. Dad calls him "the rabbi," but I think he's trying to make a joke.

1:00 p.m.

I don't like what "the rabbi" did.

1:30 p.m.

Dr. Lambkin tells Mom how she needs to take care of me for the rest of today. I'm grumpy. And, something else is weird. I hear a whistle sound, but I can't tell what it is. Maybe a little nap will help.

3:00 p.m.

I wake up from my nap, and the whistles are louder and there are two of them. It seems to happen all the time. I'm getting annoyed, and my face is starting to hurt a little.

4:00 p.m.

Pastor Rus from the "church" place shows up. He's very good to me, rocks me and talks to me, and talks to God about me. I don't see God, but he sounds important. I like knowing about God.

4:30 p.m.

Mr. Stan and his wife Mrs. Nelda come to visit. They're nice... and they're from this "work" place too.

5:30 p.m.

Now I'm mad at the whistles, and my face is hurting. This is time for crying. Mom thinks I'm hungry and feeds me some. That feels really good. Dad says something about "sinuses." If it makes me feel better, he can call them anything he wants.

7:30 p.m.

Crying isn't helping, but it's all I know to do. Mom is really tired, so Dad holds me. When he puts his pinky finger in my mouth and I suck on it, the hurt goes away. It feels so much better. Dad has his finger in my mouth off and on for about two hours.

9:30 p.m.

A nice nurse takes me to the nursery to see how much I weigh. Six pounds and ten ounces, and she says I'm right on track for babies my size and how old I am. When I get back, I'm still cross, but Mom feeds me and magically turns me into quiet baby again. The whistling is less now, but still bugs me. Enough not to let me sleep.

11:30 p.m.

My nose is bugging me so bad now. I have to suck on a pacifier or Dad's finger to make it not hurt. Mom is very tired, so Dad takes me back to that Nursery place and leaves me with a friendly nurse. He comes back not too long after... and says something about "Kroger" to the nurse. All of a sudden, I feel something wet INSIDE my nose! It scares me at first, but then it feels soooo good, and the whistling is gone! Oh... here he goes again, a little more wet... just a couple of drops. OH, this is so relaxing. My last nap... was so long... ago... I... feel... like... I... could... drift... off...