Quiet Time for Moms

I don't hear God a lot in the rush of daily life.  I'm not saying he's never gotten a hold of me in the middle of daily distractions, but I have a harder time hearing him.  Last  night I was worn out!  Ian has been ill.  Before that Ashton and I were ill.  The house keeps going crazy despite my attempts to have it consistently under control.  I was tired, hormonal and needed some air.  Daniel sent me in for a nap but then everyone decided that the door was revolving and I was needed or the chaos outside of my bedroom demanded my attention.  Some days rest just does not come.

Daniel made dinner and I laid in bed. I could not go to sleep.  I came out to find dinner gone and the only thing left was frozen.  It was time for me to get out of the house.  I thought I was going to Bojangles to grab something fast. As I was driving, the AC and the radio were making too much noise. I turned them off and the quiet was amazing.  I started talking to God. It was the moment.

For me, quiet time is essential to my walk with God. During my time with him, all the thoughts coursing through my head come together.  Well, not all of them.  The important ones I figure out. Some just go back into the pot for circulation!  Last night I had so much on my mind.  A lot of it I had not even realized was bothering me or that I needed direction on.  I skipped Bojangles and just rode around talking with God and listening.  By the time I made it home, I was at peace with all the craziness.

I highly encourage you to take some time God today.  Talk to him like you are talking to your best friend and see where He leads you!

New Beginnings

This morning Daniel and Sarah walked out to new beginnings.  Daniel was offered the Drama position at a local high school at the end of last year.  He had been teaching in special ed for the past 8 years. If you know anything about teaching, special ed, while rewarding, it's also quite stressful.  Teachers these days have mounds of paper work and meetings that never seem to end. Daniel is extremely talented and also has a Drama certification.  When the position became available, he jumped at it. I can't wait to see what he does with the program!

As for Sarah, we had to move her to be in the same district as Daniel. He takes her to school each morning and it would not be possible for him to drop her off and then get to work on time.  Not to mention the pick up nightmare.  So now she starts at a new school.  This time though she has some teachers that we go to church with and students from the youth group to help her settle in.  We're praying that she finds some life long friends here and the transition is an easy one for her.  Sarah is one of the brightest kids I know and I'm so proud of her.  As the year moves along, she will grow in unexpected ways and it's humbling to know that God gave her to us to see these transitions and walk beside her as she goes through them.

I don't believe in luck, but I do believe in God's blessings.  I pray that both Daniel and Sarah are blessed by the coming year and all their new experiences!

Hurry Up and Wait

Some days never seem to end. My MIL went under the knife and had some tumors removed.  What can I say about it?  I'm so grateful that there are doctors and medicines that help her stay alive.  But it's hard. I don't know how she does it. If it's this hard watching her go through it, if it's this hard watching my family grieve this disease... Well, each day is one step in front of the other.  How much more can ones heart stand? I don't know.  I held Sarah the other day as she realized the gravity of her grandmother's illness.  I held Daniel as it hit him that this vicious beast may win the battle for his mother's life sooner than we expect.  And the kicker is that we can't do anything in our power to stop it from happening. I hear Blessings by Laura Story over and over in my head.  What if your blessings come through rain drops, what if your healing comes through tears..."  What if... I'm telling you, one of the hardest lessons to teach your kids is that life is not fair.  And when you are an adult, you know that it's not fair but it's still hard to live through the unfairness of it all.

Off to Surgery

At 2 p.m. my MIL will be going into surgery.  Her doctor was optimistic about the success of the surgery and her chances for recovery. I have to tell you that your prayers are making a difference.  Even with a blocked intestine, Nancy has started looking a lot better.  We still covet your prayers as this road is still a long one filled with many bumps and a lot of emotions.

The Clock Ticks

My mother-in-law (MIL) is spending her second night in the hospital. We did not receive any more answers today and that feels even worse than knowing something.  That in itself is the kicker.  We all know something is coming.  We know that we every day with have with my MIL is a blessing.  We know that ball can drop at any moment and are standing in fearful anticipation of the answers that may come.   Tomorrow.

Hello Roller Coaster

Wow, what a week. School has let out and having the kids home all has totally changed the dynamic of the house.  You would not think having one extra kid home would change things, but it does. Add to that planning for a vacation and you have a recipe for non-stop action.

While all that has been going on, I've been a bit worried about my mother-in-law.  I've mentioned before that she has ovarian cancer. She's such a fighter and has been enduring chemo treatments for years to keep it in from taking over.  We found out that the new chemo has not been keeping her cancer marker numbers down. Those numbers were pretty high as of her last test.  It takes your breath away when you hear something like that about someone you love so much.  Right now we are waiting to hear if there are any more chemo treatments for her to try or if the current one is doing anything to halt the onslaught of this disease. It's a hard road that she faces.  And we all want her here for years to come.

As I write this, she's in the emergency room.  We all fear hearing that the cancer is slowly taking over. I can't even type it without crying. Grammy means so much to so many people.  She's an amazing wife and mother.  Shes a good friend and the best grandmother my children could have.  It kills me to even think that there will be a day that she will not be a phone call away. And yet it is something we live with when tests or illness' smack us in the face.

I hate this for her but trust that God has a plan even in these hard times.  That is right.  God knows why this is going on and will carry us all through it.  In the meantime, please pray for healing.  Pray that the doctors find new treatments. Pray for peace for all of us as we go through this together.

And Yes, I Changed A Law!!!

Remember when I posted about the SC Cottage Food Law that I've been working on?  Well, Sheryl, Carol and I have done it!  Yesterday the law passed it's final vote in the House and is headed to the Governors desk for her signature!!! Can you believe it?  I helped start a statewide movement that changed a law that will better people's lives!

Honestly, I'm amazed that it only took one session to get this thing passed.  We had to do a little give and take on some of the provisions, but overall it's a solid bill that will all South Carolinian's to sell homemade baked wares to whomever we want!  We can advertise and not worry about a bakery turning us in.  I'm so blessed that the Lord has given us victory in this!  It all started because I wanted to sell some cakes and advertise a bit and now I get to do just that!

I've started work on a blog to help walk folks through the in's and out's of the new law as I find out what the new definitions will be and how they will effect us all.  It's exciting times in our little abode!

I'm Still Here

I hope to be doing some update posts soon!  We've been busy with illness' and a crazy life lately!  I do promise to start posting more pictures.  Here is a quick list of what's new:

• Daniel is co-directing a play at Pickens High School
• Sarah made straight A's on her report card!
• Ashton has really gotten into learning lately. He loves his schoolwork!
• Brenna is our little diva and a great big sister! 
• Ian was diagnosed with FPIES allergies and we will be narrowing down what that means over the next weeks.  He also slept through the night the other day. I love that kid!
• As for me, the Cottage Food Law is moving! It's going to the Senate floor next Tuesday.  I'll be testifying for a house sub-committee next week! That little petition I started a while back is close to having 1000 signatures.  I'm humbled by the support for our proposed new law!

There are more things that have been happening but that will come later.  For now, I hope you enjoy Ian's little sleeping picture.  He was so cute laying there holding his foot! Please ignore the fact that he's covered in food. He takes after Brenna when eating!

Stomach Bug Times 3!

Wow, I thought the cold was bad!  Sarah, Ashton and Brenna came down with the 24-48 hour stomach bug.  That's a whole lot of vomit for two worn out parents.  I know, it's a gross thought but it was I thought you would like to share my life for a bit.  Needless to say, for a couple of weeks (minus a few "well" days) we were taken over by the sick bug. It was a long, intense couple of weeks and I'm glad we are past it.  I would never wish three kids with the stomach bug on anyone!  But praise God we are healthy again and back to the normal insanity.  This week has started out very well and I'm glad that we are moving forward on a good note.

Three Sick Kids

We are in for a ride right now.  The three youngest kiddos are sick with some sort of cold.  There is a little coughing, some lovely fevers and all the runny noses a mom could ask for. And did I mention that it gets worse for all of them at night?  Well it does.  Brenna and Ashton get hit the worst from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. and then Ian wakes up with a spiked fever around 4 a.m. (give or take a half hour).  This time certainly tests even the toughest of moms.  As all that goes on, I must admit that I'm grateful to my heavenly father that they are fairly laid back during the day regardless of their symptoms.  Ian is the only one that is giving me a little trouble but that is more because he is a Mommas boy and does not believe that anything is more important than me holding him any time of day! 

Tomorrow I'm going to face the doctor dilemma. Do they have a standard cold or is it something more.  Should I take them to the doctor for a strep or flu test or do I wait it out 4 more days.  Most colds last 7-10 days and I may just be in the middle of things.  I really hate going in and hearing, "It's just a virus that's going around."  I know it should be reassuring, but I like my illness' with names and medications that treat them. 

Just keep praying for us.  I could use some down time to process all the things that have happened this past week. My mom's health continues to decline.  While the doctors will not say how long she has left, I know that there is a good chance that she will not live to see the end of January.  But for now I have the kiddos to focus on and it's taking most of my mental capacity to be on alert for all of them. Each day I have to draw up a medicine chart just to track the times they can have each one.  Have I mentioned that I'm being distracted by the Christmas decorations that are still up?  They are driving me nuts.  So many trivial things and other deep things.  Beginnings and endings all in one.  And laundry. There is always laundry!

2012 is Here!

The new year has started off and I don't even know what to say about it.  Right after Christmas, my mother's condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital in Key West, Florida.  She's had colon cancer for the past few years and it stopped responding to treatment in October. The relationship that I have with my family is strained at best.  I've talked with my mom a good bit over the past few years and found out about her condition by chance. My aunt and cousins came from Virginia to do the 16+ hour ride to Florida for our final visit with her. My aunt said that mom lit up when I came in the room.  I'm just glad I got to see her before the end.  Her mind is still working great, it's only her body that's not keeping up with her.  One of these days I'm going to write what I remember of our family story. 

My cousins and I decided to piece together all that we knew to see how things got to be so dysfunctional. It was eye opening and helped me to understand some stuff that I still questioned. I love seeing how we've all made a commitment to be different from how we were raised and to raise our kids in a different manner. 

On another note, the SC Cottage Food Law is still in the Medical Affairs Committee.  My friend in Edgefield is meeting with Senator Shane Massey to discuss what's going on.  I was going to go, but Ashton, Brenna and Ian are sick with some kind of head cold/fever combo.  I sent her my questions for the senator and I can't wait to hear about her meeting.

Sarah is doing great this year. Her violin playing is going well and I'm exited at how it has progressed.  Daniel and I are talking about looking into a private tutor at some point.  If possible, I think having one over the summer would help move her forward more.  She's doing great in school and loves being part of a few clubs.  She's smart and witty and hormonal.  I think that says it all! Ha!

Daniel is looking forward to the new year as well.  He's going to help direct a play at Pickens High this year.  Yes, I know he teaches in Easley, but he has a drama background and this may lead to a new opportunity career wise.  He's so gifted in teaching and I love seeing how he uses it to help another generation learn and grow.  I'm also very impressed with the new bed that he and a friend built Sarah.  We've wanted her in a loft bed for some time, but the expense has been more than we could afford.  After looking at some plans, we decided that we could build one and not pay a fortune!  After a little nudging, Daniel got together with a friend and in a day they had the thing cut and put together. I'm going to be painting it soon!  Sarah is excited to finally have her own bed and I'm glad to see one of them up!

This year we are looking forward to a lot of new things going on.  We're planning a trip to Williamsburg in the summer.  Ashton is already planning his next birthday.  Brenna may need her first root canal.  Okay, I'm not really looking forward to that but I thought I'd throw it in.  My baby boy will turn one!  We'll hopefully get to go to the beach and so much more will go on that we haven't even planned yet.  Oh, I almost forgot - I'm going to run a 5k (Lord willing)!  No matter what happens, it's going to be an exciting year for our family and I'm looking forward to it.

God Bless!

What's Happening?

Life never seems to slow down.  This past Sunday, my pastor preached on how Christians need solitude and how we are bogged down with the sickness of being in a hurry.  He told of how Christ regularly pulled away from the crowds for some alone times.  I'm one with Christ on that front.  I need solitude. I need my time away. I love being a wife and mother but have sorely missed my recharge time since assuming those roles.

You see, I had time for solitude before marriage.  Sarah's grandparents would take her for a night or she would go with her dad for a day. I would veg out on the couch or do something just to recharge.  I had time to rest and figure out my thoughts.  I sometimes would clean the house.  Other times I would order Chinese food and watch a movie or read a book or journal.  I could breath and think.  I relished in not being "needed" for a short time and solely focusing on my needs.

In this day and age,  that may sound selfish.  We have so much going on and we should be doing something all the time or else life our time is not being utilized properly. As a mom, I've noticed that whenever the kids are home, my mom sonar is active at all times.  I'm on the job 24/7 whenever they are around and it doesn't matter if Daniel is here of if someone else is helping with them.  When they are out of the house with someone else and I am here alone, my state of being relaxes.  That part of me that is constantly sending out sonar and waiting for the pings to come back takes a break.  I'm officially off duty and can rest.  And as I become rested, I'm better able to meditate.  My mind starts working through questions that have been sitting on the back burner waiting for a turn to be processed and I pray more effectively. 

When we got married and moved here, my regular down time disappeared.  Daniel is the type that constantly needs something to do.  He's never really understood the down time thing. Don't get me wrong, he takes alone time here and there, but it's not as vital to him as it is to me.  God made us different in that regard.  Lately that fact has put a big "time" strain on our household as his schedule has ballooned with activities.  I wish I could say that I've been perfect at handling it, but I'm human and when I have no down time I get a bit grumpy!  But as we listened to the message this Sunday, I think it sunk in that going all the time was not what God wanted us to do and it gave him a little more perspective on his crazy wife! 

As for what's going on now, Daniel is working to get through the last week of play practice!  Hallelujah!  He's going to be awesome, but we all miss him being at home in the evenings. He'll still be teaching home bound kids after school which will ongoing throughout the year.  In addition, he's running for City Council.  I know that if he wins, he will do an amazing job.  He cares so much about finding ways to bring our town back to life.  When we moved here it was filled with cute shops and restaurants.  Now the restaurants that are left are struggling and most of the shops have moved out.  I know that he'll work to push a change there.

Sarah is enjoying middle school.  She's excited to continue learning more about the violin.  A few weeks ago, her grandmother took her to Clemson to hear a visiting violinist play.  It was such a treat for her and she loved having some girl time with Grammy.  At school, she's joined the history club and Teens for Christ.  (And no, even though she thinks she is, she is not a teen...yet!)  The only part that she would gladly give up is the homework!

Ashton is becoming an amazing young man!  He's so sweet and funny.  I wish I could record a lot of our conversations so that I could always remember the funny things that he says.  I love the wonder and awe that he shows for everyday life.  I pray the more of that rubs off on me each day!  I've been working with him on the K4 Abeka home school. He's tracing letters and learning sounds, colors and shapes.  He's even working on memory verses.  I was going to do one a week with him, but he seems to get them better if we do one every week and half to two weeks. I love being able to go at his pace.

Brenna is a mess. She confident and authoritative.  She loves her brothers, but struggles with not always being her Mom's baby.  I've been trying to make more of an effort to hold her when Ian is down and give her some additional snuggles.  She's so determined and focused on doing things the right way and making sure her hair looks good while doing it.  It cracks me up!

And Ian. I can't get enough of the little guy.  He has such a sweet spirit and reminds me so much of Sarah as a baby. We had to take him to the doctor for an ear infection and he weighed in at 16 pounds.  And he's so tall!  If it were possible, he would be standing up on his own.  Ashton and Brenna were late bloomers when it came to moving, so it amazes me to watch him work to do these things so early. I think he'll take after big Sis and be walking by the time he's one!  The time sure does fly. 

As for me, I'm trying to get back to the gym.  I still struggle with finding the energy to pull the three little ones to the gym each day, clean, home school, cook, blog, etc.  I stick with the more important ones for the family, but things like the blog tend to fall behind. 

On a positive note, I started a little facebook page called the SC Cottage Food Law at the end of August to see if it was possible to allow South Carolinians' to sell cakes and other baked items made in home kitchens to the public.  It was slow going for a little while. I gave it over to God and he send a new friend to help push things through. Her Senator agreed to sponsor legislation to pass a cottage food law.  After I heard that, I got on the phone to my Senator and he agreed to cosponsor.  Even better, he emailed me a few days later to let me know that another Senator wanted to cosponsor as well! I also started a petition as well so that our Senators could see that this was important to South Carolinians'.  I checked a few minutes ago and we now have 345 signatures!  This bill should be before the state representatives in January. I know that this is just the beginning and many things could derail this bill before it passes, but I'm still encouraged by the success of it so far.

And on that note, I'll end this extra long update and head to bed!

It's September Baby!

Life with four is an amazing thing.  It's crazy and wonderful all at the same time.  Some days I feel as though I'm super mom, but there are many where I find myself wondering if I really accomplished anything.  Seriously though, have you ever cleaned a house and then twenty-four hours later it looks worse than it did when you cleaned it.  And don't get me started on laundry!  The piles, they never end!  But that's all part of being a mom of four and I wouldn't trade that for anything!

Tomorrow is a big day here.  Sarah will start middle school.  Do you remember how it was when you started?  I was so excited and nervous.  I remember one of my first bus rides there.  One of the guys that bullied my older sister came up to me and said something stupid.  But when it came to a war of words, I could hold my own.  I came right back at him and he backed down.  That was so empowering. Then there were many drama filled moments. Middle schooler's are so emotional.  Hormones start coming into play and the world can erupt on any given day.  I don't miss that part at all!

But now my baby girl will enter it.  She'll face the whims of emotions.  She'll barrel through her fears and find new dimensions to herself.  She'll become confident about her ability to navigate a strange new school.  Lord willing she will find life-long friends on her way.  This year she'll learn to play the violin and experience the rigors of gym class.  I'm so excited for her and proud that I get to walk beside her as she starts her new adventure.

Daniel is also entering the fray.  He was tapped to teach a new style of class for special-ed students at the high school.  He spent a good deal of this summer making lesson plans and figuring out how to teach 4 different grade levels in one room.  On top of that challenge, they've doubled the number of students that were meant to be in his program.  He's not even certain that his class at the new school will hold them all!  Daniel also signed up to do another play and is running for city council.  This fall is going to be packed.

Ashton will begin K4 homeschooling this week. We did a small start last week, but I decided not to push things too much.  It's pretty easy in the beginning. He's excellent at auditory learning. His biggest challenge will be to slow down to do his coloring and writing assignments.  And did I mention he turns four this month!  I'm seeing a Yo Gabba Gabba cake in his future!

Brenna will have a new "first" as well.  This week she'll be seeing the dentist for the first time!  My little princess was playing in her room with her brother and somehow chipped her front tooth. It's a sizable chip and I'm surprised that it's not causing her any pain.  But, the edges are very sharp and I'm afraid that she'll fall and cut her lip or tongue before we can get it fixed! So far we've avoided that. I haven't mentioned this before, but she is a little dancing diva as well!  One day I'll have to video her and post it here!

And my little Ian.  He's really not that little, but who cares. He reminds me so much of his older sister as a baby!  He's good natured and quick to smile.  He's started talking (baby talk) and if he could figure out the balance thing, he would be standing up on his own!  I have to go out and get some six month pants for him because he's too big for his 3-6 month clothes.  (He'll be 3 months old on the 7th.)  He shared a check-up visit with Brenna last month and weighed 14.6 pounds.  I have a feeling that he's already over 15 pounds now.  The funny part is that his sister is only 29 pounds!  He'll outweigh her by the time he's one!

As for me, I'm working on getting the state law for home bakers changed.  I want to run a little cake and pastry shop from the house to help provide for our family.  I've not had a lot of time to put into the effort this week, but hopefully will get to it soon.  In order to legally sell food from home, I would have to install a separate kitchen or rent a kitchen.  I can't afford either of those options.  Lately many states have passed cottage food laws to allow cooks/bakers to use their home kitchens and I hope that we can mirror that here.

I also found out a few weeks ago that my mom's colon cancer has moved to her liver.  She's going through chemo now. After watching my mother-in-law go through a relapse with her ovarian cancer, I know just how hard it is for my mom.  So if you have a  moment, lift her up in prayer.  I pray that if it's God's will that he will remove all traces of cancer from her or allow the chemo to keep it under control indefinitely.  Cancer is such an ugly beast.

This week, Daniel started leading a small group at church. Our first night went great and we got to meet some new folks and get to know some better. I'm so excited about our group and can't wait for our next meeting!  I enjoy spending time with God on my own, but he knew something when he called us to fellowship with other believers.  And I got to meet another stay-at-home mom!  Her son hit it of with Ashton right away!

We also were invited by another friend to go apple picking.  I don't have the pictures downloaded, but when I do I'll post a few. Ashton is still asking if we are going to "Apple Mountain"!  It cracks me up!  I fear that he's a bit like I am though. I don't like cooked apples unless it's applesauce.  I made German Apple Pancakes and Romanian Apple Cake this weekend.  Each had larger chunks of apples in it and he picked them out.  I can't wait for the Granny Smith Apples to come in season.  They are my favorite!  By then I hope that Daniel's grandmother is out of the hospital and able to teach me some about canning.  And if I'm lucky she may lend me all her canning gear!  I would love to have homemade applesauce all year long!

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Deep Conversations with Grampsy

 Hey Grampsy!

I love watching Ian with people.  He just stares at them as if he gets everything they are saying! 

 And it was obvious he was having a serious conversation here!

I think Grampsy was trying to impart some wisdom on growing hair.  I could be wrong, but hair is a serious matter when it comes to the Graybeal men!

Our Trip

Wow!  They said that adding on a second our third child would be challenging.  But I think it's the fourth that makes things a little nuts!  Maybe it's just the breastfeeding part or I just blocked some stuff out from the past.  Or it's because we are traveling and three of them are 3 and under!  But, it's worth every minute of the craziness!

We went to Nashville and visited with our dear friend Cheryl.  The kids loved playing with her and her sweet little dogs.  Plus her son has a set of drums that the kids loved!

While in Nashville, we decided to take advantage of the reciprocal membership and visit the Nashville Zoo.  It was a built on an old plantation and the designers did an awesome job of keeping most paths shaded.  We loved everything except for the heat.  And the zoo couldn't do much about that one!

 Checking out the Meerkats.

 Checking out the flamingos.

This was cute.  Water came out of one end of the birds for washing...

 ...and air came out of the other end!

 Sarah feeding the birds.

And Ashton too!

The zoo was built on an old plantation. The preserved the home (which we didn't take any pictures of) and we managed to get our first family photo there!

Do you know how hard it is to get a good picture with four young kids?  It's like herding cats!  But they didn't do too bad in the end.  As for me, I'm normally the picture taker, but I was carrying Ian in a wrap and it's extremely difficult to bend and snap pictures while wearing him!  We loved the zoo and I've posted all the pictures over on facebook. 

This Is the Stuff...

Today I had to take Ian to the doctor to get checked out for reflux.  The Ear, Nose and Throat doctor scoped him when he was cutting his frenulum (the bit of skin beneath the tongue) and found out that it was most likely cause some issue he's been having. To be honest, I didn't see why the doctor had to see him.  We had the diagnosis and all we needed was a prescription.  My appointment was at 3 p.m.  At 3:35 p.m. the receptionist informed me that someone canceled my appointment.  Since the nurse set it up and called me with the time, I was a bit shocked.  Instead of honoring my appointment time, the receptionist put me in the pool and I ended up waiting another 45 minutes to see the doctor for five minutes.  But I walked out with a prescription for Zantac.  

Then I went over to Chick-fil-a for some lunch.  It was 4:30 and I had not eaten anything since breakfast. (I get very grumpy when I miss meals!) A nasty storm was fast approaching and I wanted to grab some food and get home as quickly as possible.  The kids at the drive-thru window were playing around and messed up my order.  I had to park and go in with Ian to have my order fixed.  And the kids in the drive-thru were still goofing off.  If the storm were not threatening to come at any moment, I would have asked to see a manager.  And because of the delay, I ended up driving through driving rain and hard winds for most of the ride home.

I could go on, but this snapshot reflects my week in a nutshell!  This is the stuff that drives me crazy!  That Francesca Botticelli song rings true each day for me.  I had to stop myself when I got home and remind myself that I was blessed that Ian could get medicine to help him and that we were able to see a doctor so fast.  I was blessed to get food after the appointment.  I was blessed to arrive home safely.  Each time I wanted to complain, I reminded myself of the good that came out of each situation. 

So often we get stuck in the moment of frustration and forget to see the blessings and good things that come out of those aggravating circumstances. But when we turn it around and start looking for the good things, we see how blessed we are. My day started turning around once my focus shifted to what was good and right.  It brought me back to one of my favorite bible verses - Philippians 4:8-9.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Family of Six Update

Wow!  It's always so amazing to add another little one to the family.  We are blessed to watch each child enjoy Ian.  I can't tell you how much fun that has been.  Sarah is old enough to hold him and walk him around as much as we let her!  We have to have to have some limits because she would willingly keep him all day!  Ashton is taking his big brother roll seriously.  He loves to hold Ian and help burp him.  Brenna thinks he's a little doll.  One of of the first things that she says in the morning is "I want to hold the baby!"  She's like her big sister.  If it were possible, she would carry him around all day.

And how is Ian handling all this attention?  He ignores them and sleeps right through it!  If I was not present at the hearing test, I'd think the kid were deaf!  Every now and then he'll open one eye and peak at them. It's so cute. 

As for me, I'm healing.  We knew that the c-section recovery would come, but can not wait until it's passes!  Sadly, healing can not be rushed.  Last night I had to skip my pain medicine because Ian was waking up every hour to feed.  He did that the night before and I was scared I was going to drop him because I would nod off while feeding him.  Big mistake.  I was in so much pain this morning.  But Daniel decided in the early morning hours to try letting him sleep in his bouncy seat and it worked like a charm. I slept for 3 or 4 hours straight!  It was amazing.

I've also been busy enjoying all the little squeaks and noises he makes.  And that baby smell and the little jerky movements that they make.  You would think that those things would get old, but they do not!  Plus, he loves to cuddle up on my chest and sleep.  He's so peaceful and laid back. I do wonder how if he'll be this calm and laid back as he gets older.  I love watching them grow!

I've also been really happy with how the baby weight is coming off!  I know, I know, I should not be worried about weight. But, I would be a liar if I said that I didn't step on the scale daily to monitor it!  Regardless, I've dropped 22 pounds since the little guy was born.  Granted Ian was 10 pounds of that!  And I retained a lot of water as well. Did I mention my feet now look normal and not like miniature blimps?  It's true.  You can even see between my toes!  As for dieting, I'm not.  I still enjoy ice cream, but am working to keep up the healthy diet that started before the little guy arrived. And in 4-5 more weeks, the gym and I will be seeing each other again. We have been apart far too long!

Enough of that though!  We've been blessed to have so many wonderful friends bring food by.  And Daniel has been doing the Mr. Mom thing so well.  I do think he may be fully gray by the time I heal up though!  The kids are really giving him a run for his money.

We are in need of prayer this week.  While we were at the hospital delivering Ian, we found out that Daniel's uncle was being prepped for emergency surgery. He had a perforated bowel and was septic.  After the surgery was finished, they could not get him to wake up properly.  Further testing was ordered and the discovered that he had three strokes, multiple blood clots in his brain and one in his foot.  If he awoke, he would be partially blind and paralyzed and would need his foot amputated.  Yesterday or today they decided he was doing better and took him off the respirator.  That did not go as well as was expected and he is too weak to go back on it.  Sadly, the news is not good and Tommy is not expected to pull through.  Please pray for our family. Tommy is so incredibly sweet. A dear friend of mine accurately calls him "The Mountain Man."  He's a good old country man with one of the biggest hearts around and this news has hit the family hard. 

12 Hours to Go

Big Belly and the Family!

 Ashton is convinced his baby brother is kicking him!

 Brenna has not decided if she wants to have her picture taken.  She could care less about the size of her mother's stomach!

I'm sitting here at midnight downing my last glass of water before the big to-do tomorrow.  You see, my little man will be arriving not long after 12 p.m.  I was praying and hoping that God would allow me to somehow go into natural labor before this day, but it was not to be.  The second part of that prayer involved being at peace with a c-section if that was the best option for the baby and I.  I believe with my whole heart the c-section is God's plan and for the first time I feel peaceful about it.  To be honest, it's a bit strange.

 Now, tomorrow may be a different matter.  I don't do well waiting for surgery.  Heck, I don't do well waiting to give blood.  I have no issue with doing it.  I'll even watch as they stick a needle in my arm, but I get extremely anxious beforehand.  It's nuts.  Lord willing this peace that I have now will overcome that nervousness tomorrow.

Anyway, Daniel and I took the kids for the final Family of 5 swim today at the YMCA.  I love watching how they each are growing. Sarah has always been a water child.  She goes off and swims all over the place.  She enjoys the slides and meeting new people.  I love watching her freedom in the water.  She's also been a great help to me in the pool.  I don't keep her in the kiddie section much, but she constantly comes back over to check if I need help with the kids.  She's even taken to catching Brenna when she goes down the kid's slide. I can't tell you how much of a blessing that's been during this past week.

Ashton loves the water as much as his older sister!  He loves to jump off the side of the pool and has even started practicing holding his breath underwater.  I hate to jump into water, so I find it amazing to watch him do it fearlessly at the age of 3.  We purchased a life jacket for him last week and he's taken to it amazingly well.  Daniel and I have been taking him in the deep end and he's slowly becoming more confident in his ability to swim with it on. Today he wore his new goggles for the first time.  His big sister has a pair and he wanted to be like her.  He kept them on almost the entire time!

As for Brenna, she is going to follow in her older siblings footsteps.  Her main desire, other than splashing in the water, is to go down the slide.  She took a tumble on the steps the other day and ended up with a scratched, slightly bruised eye.  But that didn't stop her.  She went right back to it today.  She's been watching Sarah and Ashton jump into the pool and today was trying to figure out how she was going to jump in!  She reminded me of me!  She would go up to the edge and make to jump in and then you could see that uncertainty and fear pull her back.  She'll certainly outgrow it, but it was funny to watch her do something that I do to this day! 

And me, I enjoyed watching them all.  I sat back and watched as Ashton splashed around and even through him in a few times for good measure.  I waved to Brenna as she set off down the slide and I watched Sarah swim and play with her friends in the deeper section.  I laughed as Daniel dunked Ashton and Sarah and tried to teach Brenna how to jump off the pools edge.  It was such a fun time and I will treasure it always.

While I sat back, I was excited to think of how this new little guy would fit into out family of five.  He'll make a big splash of his own and shake everything up.  Our "normal" is about to get a makeover that will change each of us in some way.  Sarah will still be the oldest, but she will have a little more responsibility around the house for the next few weeks.  Ashton will have a brother who will one day be as rough and tumbly as he is.  And Brenna, poor Brenna... She's going to be kicked out of the youngest child category. While she'll always be our littlest princess, she'll have to give up some of her limelight to a squishy little boy. 

In twelve hours, our family is going to change in an amazing way.  Another of God's blessings will be added to our household and I couldn't be happier!

I'll post pictures as soon as I'm up to it.

Sometimes A Store is Just Too Big

The next town up from us got a new Walmart a little while back. I have steadily avoided venturing into it. The store is massive and new and I don't really know where things are at.  And now that I'm into couponing full time, Walmart rarely has the best prices.  But yesterday I needed to look for some odds and ends and a few groceries and did not have the energy to the next county for a Target run. 

I parked at the lawn and garden section because I could get a spot closer to the front doors and went in.  Overall the store is very nice.  They did a good job with the layout and I love the fact that it's clean and open. The store that it replaced was overcrowded with goods and pain to navigate.  The produce section is lovely and I enjoyed walking through it.  We even found some large, delicious strawberries to take home.

But then I got to the deli section.  This is where my sense of too much came in. We are going to a picnic on Sunday and I'm bringing subs for the family.  I asked the lady behind the counter what were the cheapest varieties of meats. The reason I asked is because there are 3 large coolers with meats and they have little tags at the bottom that are not clearly matched with each one.  I'm huge, the extra water weight has altered my eyesight and bending is not a pleasant thing.  Finding the prices and matching them up with two kids in tow was not an option that I wanted to explore.  She looked at me and said, "I would have to come over there and look at the prices.  You just need to tell me the brand you want and I'll cut it."  I asked her if she didn't know the prices of what she was selling and she gave me a blank stare.  I told her I'd go to a smaller deli for the meat I wanted and left. The hormones that control patience are not with me right now and sometimes it's better to not say anything at all.

That said, I realized that I forgot to look at swim vests that were on the other side of the store.  It was an exhausting hike back to the other end. And to top it off, they didn't have what I was looking for. I'm sure it will be better after the baby, but I think I'll stick with smaller stores. I like a more personal experience and I like being able to walk from one end of the store to the other without feeling as though I've completed a long distance walk. 

On the plus side though, the new Walmart has decided to double coupons.  It's not a nationwide policy, it's just our store and only as long as the management decides they want to continue that policy.  I'm sure I'll stop by there again, but for right now I just think it's too big.

19 Days... But Who's Counting?

I think this picture is very appropriate.  This little guy is the size of a watermelon!  His head is fully engaged in my pelvis and is constantly squishing my abused bladder.  The only thing missing from it is little green legs and arms that are using my kidneys, lungs and ribs as punching bag/jungle gym combo. 

To be honest, I was wishing this little guy would slow down some in his movements.  On Sunday I got just that.  We had an exhausting day and the little guy stopped moving as much. While it was nice to get some sleep, I started to get worried that something was wrong.  Every few hours, I had to lay down and count his movements to make sure he was still doing his thing.  That's lasted all week.  I certainly prefer the kick boxing kid to the barely moving one. That's the kid I'm used to. Thankfully nothing was wrong.  I believe he just descended a bit and was not sure what was going on.

Last night he made up for all that rest.  Between the braxton hicks and the little guy moving, I didn't get much sleep at all.  To be honest, I'm thankful!  With my other three, so little movement would not have been a huge concern, but this guy is active all the time!  And now that he's back to his old ways, I can rest easier. 

That said, I would love it if he decided to come early!  But then again, I would miss some important stuff with the end of school coming up.  That was part of the reason he's scheduled for a c-section 3 days after my due date.  That and it's the first day my doctor was on call during the delivery window.  However, as of June 1st, those constraints are out of the window and he welcome to show up early.  I don't really care who delivers him!

So how's the family taking the impending birth?  Daniel is a bit stressed out. He's working his tail off trying to pull together all the final meetings for school and deal with his back/leg issues.  On top of that, he's taken over a good deal of the chores that I can no longer bend for or put a lot of effort into.  Sarah has been a great helper as well. When I need to sweep, she goes around and picks up things that I need off the floor.  She also helps to keep the TV babysitter going when I need to lay down for a nap in the evenings.  Ashton is excited that his brother is coming soon.  He regularly comes over and pushes my stomach around or shouts, "Hello baby brother!"  And his little brother responds to his voice!  Brenna is the kid that's going to get the biggest surprise.  We've told her there is a baby in my belly, but she so young and it makes no sense. I think she's going to be partially fascinated by the baby and extremely jealous that this little guy is going to need so much hands on time! 

As for me, I'm tired of being tired!  I can't wait to get my energy back...or what's left of it anyway!   And to be able to sleep on my back or stomach - I dream of that right now!  Last night I dreamed of being in labor early. I hope that's a sign from God! Ha. But if not, I'll be here waddling around for a few more weeks.