Today its been a Month!

Its hard to believe its been a month on one hand because I cant imagine life without him and then on the other, phew, what a month it has been! The first week was just a blur of pain pills, pain, and baby snuggles and feedings. Then the second week I lost the pain meds and slowly began getting back to normal with 4 little ones. Normal life things like laundry, reading books together, walks, and cooking meals again were all day-to-day activities resumed that week and it felt so good to sloooooooowly begin making progress towards our new normal. The third week was even better-- the baby and I were able to attend church again and re-enter the land of the living for short little jaunts. This week we actually took a trial run down to see my parents before the wedding and it wasn't easy, but we made it through the long car ride. I know people say time flies, but I feel like I have been savoring every minute and loving just being alive and healthier and home with my kids. We also couldn't have asked for a better fourth baby to be the caboose so to speak-- he is such a joy, so cuddly and sweet, and really-- just a huge blessing! Here he is-- actually finally fitting into his newborn clothes at one month old (although if he is anything like his brothers, he'll grow like a weed these next 3 months) and every day seems to be more alert and have longer waking times. Now just to give you a zoomed out perspective so you can see how small he is in regards to the entire sofa: Last night we went out for our anniversary and ran into a couple with a little boy born the same day as our little guy only full term and it was amazing to see the size difference, but neat to hear that even though Declan isn't full term yet, he seems to be doing the same things the other baby is-- what an encouragement to hear how God has blessed him with health despite all my body put us through! And now, my little man is just waking up and I don't want to miss a minute, so night all :)

School Year 2013-2014---- It's Coming!!!

Weve been on "summer" break for a little over a month now; however, our books for the new school year which begins for us on July 8th (maybe sooner if we really just can't wait) are here, organized, and just ready and waiting. I get asked often what we use and since many people shared with me, I'm going to share here our current school year picks. There are some newbies thrown in, but most are a continuation of curriculums we've already used. BIBLE: We akways begin our morning with Bible. While the kids eat breakfast I read from Egermeier's Bible Storybook and Aesops Fables. This is something from a sonlight core but I like them so much we still incorporate them into our morning. I love this children's Bible-- it takes us over a year to get through it once and we aren't quite done our second read through. It covers way more than the average sunday school lesson and childrens picture Bible while telling the stories in a child-friendly format. This year we are branching out and trying apologia's Bible curriculum Who is God? Im excited because my 6 and almost 4 year old have a coloring book that corresponds to my older sons notebook. I went back and forth about getting the notebook journal for my 6 year old but since this is her first year with more writing and reading, I decided to keep it simple for her and just have her do the coloring book. My little guy is excited to have his own book that matches the older twos. I am really hoping one day the add coloring books for their science curriculums as well. Math: We are sticking with Singapore math because I love, love, love Singapore. I love math and the way they present it makes so much sense and isn't overwhelming to the student. Each day there is 1-3 workbook pages to do and if I ever feel that we're tackling a tougher concept, I spend some extra days doing that lesson. I think that's the beauty of homeschooling and Singapore. Its a very visual and mental math focused textbook, but I do have some manipulatives that I keep on my hand for my daughter as she is a kinesthetic learner and needs to touch and see. Spelling: We used spellwell for the first time last year and really liked it. My almost 8 year old will be using the 4th grade book and my daughter is starting her first book with them. I think its a pretty straightforward spelling book but my son liked the games and amount of words they gave him each week. It wasn't too overwhelming and actually for the most part something he could work on by himself while I helped someone else. Logical Thinking: This is new for my son this year, but he is a very logical thinker like his mother and I found it appealing when I saw it online so I am hoping he enjoys these as well. Im hoping it will build on his math and thinking skills. http://www.amazon.com/Logic-Safari-Book-Bonnie-Risby/dp/1593630891/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369328278&sr=1-1&keywords=logic+safari History: This year we are venturing into the second book of Mystery of History. We have really enjoyed this curriculum as it offers an activity for each lesson for three different age groups-- younger, middle, and older. Its all from a Christian perspective as well and Im looking forward to continuing on with it and our discovery of the mystery of history. Science: Last year we did apologias astronomy based on a friends recommendation and we loved it and so this year we are continuing with botany. I like that we're going in order of things God created-- space and then plants. Both of my kids have the junior notebooks, but there are older notebooks available so again, you can do multiple age groups with the same subject. I also like that this too is from a Christian perspective which makes a huge difference. Art: My little guy saw me taking pictures so you have a model for showing off the art category ;) For his age this again a book from sonlight that we are using with him-- the come look with me series is really nice for his age group. It shows them a famous piece of art work and asks some great questions to get them to really appreciate the piece so much more. My older two are trying something new this year-- the draw write now series. I got my daughter one about animals in different forests which I thought would go well with our botany lessons in science. I got my son one that has more of a history focus and I tried to match it up to where we are in history or more accurately, where we will be. But what boy doesn't want to learn to draw knights and the like? I do like that these are reusable books and they'll do their art work on a separate drawing pad. I love art and having it a part of our school day as its something not very stressful and something they can work on independently a bit while I do math with someone else. Reading: I did find a reading list of literature that corresponds to the Mystery of History we are doing this year and will be having my oldest son read through those. My daughter will be reading through some books that I have from an old sonlight core and we still have those books sitting on the shelf and I know my son enjoyed them, so I am hoping she'll be ready for those and enjoy them as much as he did. So that's what our gang will soon be working on and we are looking forward to another wonderful school year..... coming soon!

Movie & Concession Night

Like all great ideas these days, the seed for this one was planted in my mind by a similar idea I happened upon on pinterest. I took the original idea and tweaked it a bit and made it work for our family. Tonight will actually be our third movie and concession night so after doing this for almost a month straight, I can honestly say this works and it works well. The premise is simple-- the kids earn tickets by practicing first time obedience and doing some extra jobs around the house. The tickets can be cashed in once a week for a movie and snacks. Here are some simple guidelines for our movie night: 1. All tickets earned that week are only good for that week-- there are no carry overs till the next week. We did this so that they wouldn't work really hard one week and then slack off the next-- we want them to learn the value of consistentcy and diligence each week. 2. The person with the most tickets picks the movie-- a little extra incentive even if you have enough tickets to afford everything 3. Your tickets can't be taken away. You can loose the right to earn a ticket for a job if your attitude is less than desirable, but once you have earned the ticket, its yours for good. 4. We announce which night will be movie night a few days in advance so the kids know when they need to have all their tickets by. How the kids can earn tickets: This varies by age. For our 3 year old it might be wiping off the table, emptying the small drying rack, wiping off the bathroom sink, and other small tasks that are a big deal for our little one. For our 6 and 7 year olds they do things like vacuum a room, sweep steps, dust, windex the front door, water plants, and other helpful things. We had a plumbing emergency one week and our 7 year old was a big help to my husband and so we rewarded him with a few tickets in appreciation. On certain days if mommy, baby, and 3 year old desperately need a nap, they can earn a ticket for resting and reading quietly in their rooms. This is going to vary by family, but these are just a few ideas. They do not get a ticket for their regular morning jobs (making beds, getting dressed, and one household job each morning) or if they earned a job for misbehaving. What Tickets are good for: 10 tickets earn you the right to watch a movie. 3 tickets earn you snacks and 3 more tickets earn you a smoothie. Even though its a very special night, I still try and keep the treats healthy. On the first night my husband got a little carried away with some candy, but since Mommy and our oldest son cant have it, we have left it out the following weeks. This has worked really, really well for us. Especially after having a baby and having mommy doing feedings-- they aren't constantly begging to watch a movie, but rather asking how they can earn some tickets. The house is being kept tidier by everyone-- again a huge help after the baby. We also are currently on break from school, so this has made sure we aren't plopping in front of the boob tube all break long either. I did make one extra movie exception one day when daddy was working a longer week-- but they had all earned a good amount of tickets that day so it was a bonus and mommys pick (Annie get your gun). Hope this becomes a family tradition for years to come-- the best part is seeing the proud ticket bearers counting their tickets on movie night and then "buying" their snacks on their own! And check out a post from long ago on caught being good tickets--

The Fingerprint of God

I think I could writes book on our labor and delivery experience, but I don't want to share anything right now but my favorite moment. After my c-section, I was taken up to the OR with all the other surgery patients from the hospital. After two hours there I hadn't seen my husband the entire time and had only seen my newborn for maybe 30 seconds before they were both gone. Or rather I was gone. My nurse Betsy was trying to get my toes to wiggle and her other patient Marie to keep her clothes on. Nurse Betsy and I began to talk and she shared that her son had passed away. My heart was heavy for Betsy especially upon the arrival of our new baby boy no matter what we had been through, our son was alive. I was a little foggy then and Betsy had decided to sendme back to labor and delivery so I could get better help, but typing this now has shown me that I need to send Betsy a card. That's a fingerprint of God right there. --------------------------------------------------- as a hospital courier wheeled me back to labor and delivery, my heart was sad again. Because our baby had been born at 35 weeks, he had to spend 12 hours in the hospital. Furthermore, because I had full blown preeclampsia, I had to stay in bed for the next 24 hours. No new baby snuggles and just pictures my husband could share as he ran between our two rooms. When I got to the maternity floor there was one of my favorite nurses Sherry. All the nurses were so special, but Sherry will forever remain in my heart. As she relieved the courier of my bed, she took a different turn. She leaned down and whispered, I'm sneaking you into to see your baby. And she did...she maneuvered my whole big bed with all it's lines and tubes straight into the nursery.There was my husband. there was another nurse with raspberry lips stretched into a big smile. And there was my baby with his feathery soft jet black hair whimpering just a bit. The nurse brought him over and laid him upon my chest. Tears rolled down my face as my husband held him place. As soon as I spoke, he was soothed and just nuzzled in and went to sleep. It was one of the best moments ever. Sherry was beaming from ear to ear the nursery nurse was saying something about how babies need their mamas. And as I weakly stroked his back, his hair, his face... I couldn't agree more. This was such a God orchestrated moment. I had thought I wouldn't see him for twelve long hours of pain mostly alone, and God had worked in these nurses hearts to orchestrate such a beautiful moment for my baby, husband, and I. Asi sit here almost a week later still recovering, I'm reminded once again in sharing this how great is our God and how perfect are His plans.

when you plan to plan

You know the saying when you fail to plan you plan to fail. I love that saying as I'm a planner at heart. About two weeks ago everything was going according to my plan. For the moment my BP was behaving and it seemed as if the steroid shots were working their magic. We finished up our last week of co-op with our homeschool family, submitted our oldest sons affidavit and objectives so he can legally be homeschooled in the coming year, planted and mulched outside, co-hosted a team meeting for thirty-one, and a few other random things. Yes, our ducks were all in a row. Or more specifically my ducks were all in a row. As we began the next week I had it all planned out as well. Monday was our last day of school so we had a little cowboy inspired theme dinner (pictures will come one day) and my husband had most of the week off. Sure we had two nst but I was sure we could still enjoy some small day trips throughout the week to fully enjoy some special family time before the baby came. Tuesday came and we had to go for a non stress test (nst) and we planned to be in and out and then go for a nice little walk at valley forge park. That's what we planned but when a test that should take a half an hour begins to take 1 then 2 then 3 and almost 4 hours you realize things aren't going according to plan. My BP had gone up... Both the top and bottom number so they did blood work which revealed that once again my platlets had dropped too low. I was placed on strict bed rest. So strict I can only use the bathroom and I'm only allowed to sit up to briefly eat my meals which still need to be low carb. The rest of the time I must be on my side as its the only way to control my BP. Just getting up to go to the bathroom makes me feel dizzy and brings on a headache since my BP is rising. Then when we went for an ultrasound to check baby's weight on Thursday and blood flow, the doctor got a little nervous, took my BP and it was 162/105 which is dangerously high. He called my obgyn doctors and it was decided I needed to be admitted to the hospital so they could observe me for 24 hours and check over that time to make sure I wasn't spilling proteins and my platlets weren't still dropping. When we got there, I hadn't eaten for quite some time and so then my sugars dropped and my contractions became 4 minutes a part. They got my BP calmed down and my platlets were actually up, so now they were watching and hoping I'd just go into labor while there. I didn't and managed to pass the protein test. On a side note, it really is important to drink a lot of water! Water helps your body in so many ways-- with blood pressure, diabetes, etc. you really do need 8-10 glasses a day! At 6 our lovely doctor came in and said I could continue being on bed rest at home or in the hospital. I was feeling pretty sick at that point and just wanted to go home. So,with our instruction and discharge papers in hand we were about to leave when they called a code OB. One of the babies was struggling and it really showed us how much we didn't want to deliver just yet. The NICU doctor had explained to us that if he is born before 35 weeks he'll have to go to the NICU no matter what. I was feeling so awful at that point I couldn't imagine being physically able to go through labor and then have the baby taken away. We began praying for things to stay calm until at least this weds. When I'd be 35 weeks. On our Sunday visit back at the hospital my contractions had all but stopped and my BP was back to normal bad, not dangerously bad. With my other two I had false labor that looked and felt pretty convincing but then stopped and took all the contractions mostly away for about a week and then we delivered. I'm thinking we've entered the same calm before the storm. Last night my husband was sitting with me in bed and I said last week certainly didn't go as planned, why don't we just see what happens this week? He chuckled and said yeah, I think we should just trust God and see what happens. The verse God kept speaking to me last week was Jeremiah 29:11! "for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord." when we got home from the hospital, I saw that my friend Jenni had posted that very verse on Facebook. We are trusting that God has this all planned out because we know He does. So is anything going according to plan? Well, not mine that's for sure, but His ways are not our ways. Tomorrow when we go we'll talk labor plans to kind of tie all the strings up on what to expect. We already know my nutritionist will have a special solution in my IV for the diabetes, I'll have magnesium sulfate for the blood pressure, possibly antibiotics for group B strep (something that normally happens to diabetics), and possibly some blood waiting off to the side. That's a pretty interesting cocktail and we are attempting our third v-bac so that adds another level of risk. It's a little hard to wrap my brain around, but guess what? Gods got this thing all planned out and we're trusting him to bring us through.

Gearing Up for Summer/ Spring Vacation!!!!!!!

We are down to single digits left of our school day. Most of our textbooks are finished, recycled, and laid to rest and we now are spending our last few days reviewing and playing some educational games. But, we are so excited for our Summer Spring break that begins soon. Its technically more in the months of Spring than summer, but we still call it our summer vacation. I still would like us to be good stewards of our time off and not merely letting the days lazily slip away. So, we made a family checklist of some things we'd like to do: And then I got some journals and decorated them for each of the kids so we can record in pictures and with words some of the special memories that happened: We're also going to do a unit study on the fruits of the Spirit and then give each person some verses to work on memorizing that correspond with a character trait they need to work on. For example, Mommys will all be centered around patience. ********************************************************************* Oh, and we plan on having a new member of the family who will need lots of snuggles and kisses. We are anticipating this break and looking forward to using the time to grow closer to each other and to our Lord :)

Rethinking Easter

We have never been big fans of the Easter bunny. Growing up we were both raised with a focus on Christ and thats how we want our children to celebrate the special day to believers as well. I even cringe at calling it a holiday, because it is so much more than memorial day or thanksgiving-- its the day we celebrate the fact that our Saviour conquered the grave-- He paid the ultimate price and came out victorious. However, our facebook feeds were both overloaded with pictures of the Easter bunny visiting, visiting the Easter bunny at malls, and egg hunts. It seemed like Easter had become a combination of Halloween (all of the candy) and Santa. There was little about how parents were using this special day to turn their child's eyes towards Christ or to use it as a way to further their training and young relationships with Christ. I couldn't tell the difference between families who know Christ and those who don't. And thats kind of scary. I dont mean to judge, but I want to offer some ideas on how to put the focus back on Ressurection Sunday and less on the Easter Bunny. I have everything against the Easter bunny-- its basically a bold face lie that you're telling children if you say someone came to your house, left candy and eggs, and "brought" easter. The Bible and ten commandments are pretty clear when it comes to deceit and even in the name of fun and what can it hurt, the fact remains, its still a deception. So, back to the point, ways to put the focus back on Christ: 1. Have some special family devotional times and read the story of Christ's coming back from the dead. Go beyond the sunday school basics and have some time as a family discussing this special event. 2. We did do an egg hunt, BUT we filled 30 eggs with only "silver" coins. Jesus was sold out by his friend Judas for 30 pieces of silver. We wanted the kids to have an understanding that money is fun to find, but guess what? Its not everything as Judas learned. 3. We didn't give the kids Easter baskets, but rather picked out some things for the family to enjoy that would deepen all of our walks with the Lord. This year we did a vegie tales DVD, Jonathan Park CD set, and some Mooody Family books. Other ideas could be Odyssey CDs, Bibles, devotional books-- anything that you can do together as a family is a wonderful start. These are just some general and foundational ideas, but ask yourself, do you spend more time talking about a bunny or Christ around this celebration? What do your kids talk about the most? What is the real focus of your family's celebrations?