On My Plate

Okay, I said I hopped to get on more this week, but I've failed to follow through, because, well, I've got a lot on my plate. Ha, don't we all! :)  So, here's a super fast run down of what I'm juggling: 4 kids, refinancing the house (Jaime's really done most of the work on this one), cleaning the house, teacher conferences, laundry, dishes, cleaning the house, Downton Abbey, 4 kids, researching schools to go back to school, reading too many books at one time, cooking, 4 kids, cleaning house.  Did I mention 4 kids and house cleaning? :) 
Some of the above reasons are perfectly important and take priority over blogging.  One that doesn't, did you catch it in the list? Downton Abbey.  I'm hopelessly hooked!  I stayed up until almost midnight last night watching 3 episodes in a row!  You can watch full episodes on Netflix and PBS. 
Check out this little girl, our Stella Lulu!  She's getting so big so fast, 8 weeks today.

And, I must be doing something right...check out this little mama! :)  She's even got the sway down!

Penelope has pretty much given up her daily naps, but a couple times a week I can catch her having some down time. 

Alexander having an after school snack of popcorn.
Things are good and crazy...love it!

Blessings and Thank you

I realized this morning before Mass started that I have not thanked everyone who prayed for Stella and me during my pregnancy and delivery. 

Prior to Mass starting,the cantors sang the song, Blessings by Laura Story.  I'd never heard this song at Mass before.  I've heard it twice now in the last week.  I haven't heard it since March.  I can't hear it without getting teary eyed or crying.  When I heard it in March, it was just after a miscarriage.  At the time, obviously, I had no idea of the blessings I would receive as time went on.  We found out in April that we were pregnant again, and again unexpectedly.  The miscarriage was my first cycle in 3 years, then to immediately get pregnant again...so many emotions.  Our doctor said we could be cautiously optimistic about the pregnancy. 

I found myself being much more private about this pregnancy, but at the same time needing and asking for prayers.  I was humbled from the beginning.  I was tired and didn't feel well--as is normal with early pregnancy.  Then I had to start progesterone injections.  I continued to feel sicker and throw up so often that it didn't phase my kids anymore and they would even mimic me. 

By June when I was just about 11 weeks along I found myself in the hospital for 3 days to rehydrate and recover from some anemia.  It took the rest of June before I finally had some energy back.  I was determined that we'd go on our family vacation to the beach and south Texas to see Jaime's extended family.  In August school started and then we had our sonogram.  We'd had a couple early on due to the previous miscarriage and when I was in the hospital, but this was the exciting one.  This was the one where we got to find out boy or girl, see baby's profile, hands, and feet.  Also, I was finally starting to feel better!  It'd been a LONG 22 weeks!  At my next prenatal visit we found out that not all was well.  The radiologist suspected something called amniotic bands.  These could cause malformations, amputations, or death of the baby.  A week later we met with the perinatologist for a level 2 sonogram.  Relief swept over us as he ruled out amniotic bands, but then he diagnosed velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord.  Not near as serious as amniotic bands, but still a serious condition.  We started our weekly sonograms and non-stress tests.  Many many prayers were prayed.  We thank everyone who prayed for us.  We have truly been blessed to have you in our lives, to have you to pray for us, and to now hold a healthy baby girl.  I pray that 2012 brings you many blessings and much happiness.

Amazed and Blessed

I am so amazed and blessed.  Yesterday we had to have a level 2 sonogram to check on what could have been a very serious problem with the baby.  Praise God that all is good and we just have a semi-minor issue that requires biophysical profiles each week until delivery (12 weeks to go...this also means 12 weeks until Christmas!).  Still an issue, but one that should be fine.  My inbox was flooded yesterday with prayers and well-wishes from so many friends and family.  Just knowing that there are so many out there caring enough to say a prayer and then to also let me know they are thinking of us and praying is so amazing, humbling, and comforting.  Though it's not really enough, thank you.  Know that each one of you are in my prayers too.

Labor Day

Today is Labor Day.  A day off of school.  A day off of work.  Time for a last summer hurrah.  Right?  Do you give a second thought to what we celebrate this day?  Wikipedia says Labor Day is the day that "celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers."  There are so many jobs out there.  So many that go unrecognized, thankless, unknown.  Of course there are those that get praised and recognized and thanked almost daily.  Today, I give thanks to the people who work without recognition in those jobs that no one wants, those jobs where they don't get paid what they should, those jobs that require workers toil day in and day out without a chance to get ahead.  I've read a couple of books that are quite eye-opening about this topic.  The first I read a couple of years ago, called Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.  For this book, Barbara left her home and became part of the low-wage working class to explore if she could make it.  It's quite a read and just might cause a paradigm shift for you.  I sure do appreciate the work and people who take those low-wage jobs in the hopes of providing for themselves and family, and who want to honestly earn money and do the best they can with what they've been dealt.   The second book I read recently that somewhat covers this topic is Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook.  While the book talks about many things regarding the tomato, it devotes a couple of chapters to those who pick the tomatoes and their lives in this line of work.  Did you know that today, here in America--the land of the free, slavery and indentured servants still exist?
So, on this Labor Day, consider thinking about and giving thanks to those who work with little to show for all the work they do.  And, the next time you encounter one of these workers, show them your appreciation, because chances are we wouldn't be able to get by and live the lives we do without their work.

Baby Sonograms

There is something both incredibly awesome and exciting and yet anxiety-filled about having a sonogram of the baby.  With each baby, I have looked forward to and dreaded the sonograms.  The dread has increased with each pregnancy.  I think it's because I recognize the true gift and miracle of life and how much can go wrong and how some of this can be revealed during the sonogram.  If something were revealed to not be right, we would of course still love and care for the baby, but like all parents, I'm sure, we hope and pray for healthy and the best.
Today we got to take a peek at our little one, who is now 22 weeks.  We still have a due date of Christmas Eve.  We have a healthy baby growing.  I am so thankful and praise God for this blessing.  I feel like I can now enjoy this pregnancy and look forward to holding her in my arms.  This pregnancy hasn't been easy.  The last 2 weeks have started to improve and I'm delighted to be off all my meds.  In the last 2 weeks, she has started kicking and moving...feels like a constant party in there.  With each movement, I'm reassured that all is well.  And the sonogram confirmed that too.
Here are a few pics of our daughter:

Waving hello :)

Looks like too many toes, but really only 10 there.

Baby profile

 

Blessings

I heard this song, Blessings, sung by Laura Story recently and I heard it at the most perfect time.

Blessings
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

(Chorus)
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Chorus

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

Chorus

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise