The Mysterious Ways of the Lord

  Yesterday afternoon, we had our family tour of the "Family Birth Center" at the hospital I'll be delivering at scheduled for 4pm. Bob called earlier in the day to tell me that there would be no way he'd be off in time to come. There was too much to get done. (I'm not complaining about the work, very thankful there is so much work right now, just figures that we scheduled it late to make sure he could come and he still couldn't). He was quite discouraged since he really enjoys doing these things with us, hence the "family" tour. :) I was almost in tears because I figured, "What is the point in going if he can't be there? It'll just be another thing I do by myself." I was going to have a pity party. 

Then it struck me that I have two choices:

1) Cry about it like a hormonal mess and ruin the opportunity with a bitter attitude.

or

2) Don't let it steal my joy and pray that God would see to it that Bob made it there. 

  Thankfully I chose the second option. 3:30pm rolled around and still no call from Bob saying he was on his way. So I packed up the kids and we headed to the hospital. Arrived to find our lovely "tour guide" a very sweet labor and delivery nurse in her office. All 6 of us squeezed into her little space and she began. First she tried locating my pre-registration forms that I had filled out 2 weeks prior. She couldn't find me in the system! She asked if I was sure I registered. Yes, I even went into the gross ER to get the forms! Probably not the best place to be hanging out in when you are pregnant, with everyone coughing and sick. So yes...I did register.

   As we waited to hear back from the ER and the Admitting departments, we chatted about having both lived on the West side of the state and how we very much enjoyed the climate here compared to our previous addresses. Then we received the call that, No they couldn't find me anywhere. Off we went to the admitting department to fill them out again. They kept apologizing and I just kept thinking, "If I were in labor, I'd probably not be so happy, but I'm not so it's really no big deal!" The kids just followed along enjoying the sites of the hospital. We met with the admitting manager and she was super embarrassed about not being able to "find" me. Really people, not a big deal! lol She handed me forms to fill out and so I did. By the end of this process, having filled out all the forms again, and meeting with a woman to enter my info in the system, they got a call from ER saying they found me! lol, in the wrong file...not having ever been entered into the computer system (obviously). They again apologized and said the man would be spoken with...I felt bad, 'cause really not a big deal. I even got to speak with the lady who was entering my info into the system about our "big family" (I don't see it as really that big, but I guess to most people we are). As they all sat with me while we waited for her to finish she kept saying, "You are so lucky! I always wanted a big family, and my husband said, no! Two is enough." I felt for her. You could see the sorrow in her eyes as she said those words. (Again, I am reminded of how so undeserving of the wonderful husband God had for me! A man who is willing to pray and seek the Lord for guidance instead of what those around us, and what society deems as right or wrong to do.) She continued to tell me how kids are her life, and what a blessing they are. Couldn't agree more! It's refreshing for our children to hear that they are a blessing once in a while, instead of the people who are in disbelief that we would ever dare have as many children as we do, and state it in front of them. You start to wonder if maybe it gets to their little hearts, and they start seeing themselves as the majority of the world sees them as, a burden? I could see their little eyes light up as she spoke...it was precious! 

  Once we finally finished up with the admitting, we headed back to nurse lady's office. Once in there, we went over all the info that I just went over with the admitting department. By this time it was about 5pm (an hour after we originally got there). We finished up and she said, "Are you ready for your tour!?" I said, "Sure, but do you mind if I call and see where the hubby is?" I called and he said he was there!!! lol Coincidence? I think not! :) What are the odds that they happen to lose my paperwork (which everyone kept saying "this never happens") and just when we finish, there comes my hubby strolling down the hallway? God is good! It made sense now that during this whole process I wasn't annoyed at all. I had total peace over all the events of having to deal with redoing everything and pretty much wasting an hour with 5 kids in tow. Thank you, Jesus! Thank you to everyone who prayed for this. I know it probably seems small and unimportant, but it was important for us. 

   We continued down the hall to see the labor and delivery rooms with much surprise to find very lovely rooms. Most rooms have a huge shower stall with 6 jets on the wall to help relieve back labor pain! No climbing in and out of tubs, you just walk right in! Although they do have rooms with the jacuzzi tubs if your heart desires that instead. A menu full of delicious sounding meals, delivered to my room whenever I call...even a menu for spouses and family, so we don't have to send them out for their food! A couch that pulls out into a bed. They even have a special plush mattress that is laid over the top of your bed once you have given birth...no more sore body from sleeping in awful hospital beds! It's the little things in life! :) Bob and I about died laughing when Ty asked the nurse where the birthing ball was! The kids were checking out all the cabinets and he found it concerning that there wasn't a birthing ball. lol I think I have told my birthing stories too many times in his presence. :) You think?! She quickly reassured him that they had birthing balls, in small and large sizes, all we had to do is ask if we were in need of one. ;)

Tried to get a quick photo with the kids...definitely not great. I felt kinda dumb asking if I could get a picture, so I quickly snapped this one.

  All in all, I am very pleased with our decision to deliver here. My prayer is that things would go well and smoothly, and that it would be a wonderful experience. I can't forget...the nurses there have to be the kindest nurses I have ever met in labor and delivery. All of them being very helpful and informative. They answered all our questions and we left with a feeling of peace about it all. Nothing beats that...especially with all the unexpected changes and shifting that have happened during the last month of this pregnancy.

Blessings~Heather

Baby Update 2

  Yesterday was a crazy day! I had my appointment scheduled for 1:30pm and needed to call in at 12:30 to make sure the Doc would be in. Well, I called and sure enough he was in surgery! They asked for a number to reach me at when they were ready for me to come in. 3pm rolls in and I get the call (thankfully I was able to go) and get to the office...and wait...and wait...and wait. I was a bit annoyed. Got into the room around 4...and waited...and waited...and finally around 4:30 Doc rolls in. Let's just say, I wasn't expecting a giant man! :) I think he's about 6'4" and big (not in a heavy way, just big). Reminds me of a small town doctor, with salt and pepper hair, that knows everyone's name and takes his time getting to know ya. Different, but in a good way. :) I shouldn't be too put out by waiting, since when it's my turn to deliver, he will make others wait for me.

  So long story short, I'm now 2-3 cm dilated, baby's head is at 0 station (the good news I was praying for with all the contractions I've been having throughout the last week...it was for something!), and now it's just a waiting game. This is the tricky part for me. Patience is not my forte! Although, I got to thinking about why oh why we want the baby to come now? Once miss or mr gets here...no sleep...engorgement...sore other things...hormonal dives...and again no sleep. So, I have surrender to the waiting game happily...well for right now I'm fine with waiting. :) Although I really want to meet this little person! 

  Did I mention that I had a dream Monday night? I dreamt that I was in labor, a very quick and easy labor and delivered a 12lb 2oz little girl named Ireland Grace. And it was the least painful delivery I ever had and the baby was huge! hahaha   Don't you love the subconscious?


Blessings~Heather

 

The Lord Is My Shepherd...

A Psalm of David.

23 

 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

 Last week we studied the 23rd Psalm...The Lord is my shepherd.

 Do you like how I spelled shepherd wrong?! Don't know how I only did it on one and not the others. I'm going to claim preggy brain on that one. ;)

 In writing it on their fingers, it is there to help them remember the verse. 

"The, one and only one." "Lord, God, Creator of the universe." "Is, now and always will be." "My, own personal." "Shepherd, Guide and Protector."

If they memorize it this way, it will always be easier for them to look down at their hand, touch each finger, and recite the verse from memory, whether in a time of trouble, a time of thankfulness, or a time of feeding their soul. 

Psalm 119:11

¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
   that I might not sin against you.

 We did one project everyday to help us memorize Psalm 23. The kids traced their hands and flipped them upside down to create sheep...added glue and cotton balls and a white eye..voila, you have yourself a sheep! I love our Bible curriculum we have been using the last 2 years for school. It's A.C.S.I. Bible for anyone wondering. There are 4 days of lesson plans with a practical daily "life story" that goes along with whatever Bible verse/story they are learning that week. Then there is usually a craft/project for the kids to do too. We have been using the 1st grade level. I would like to use the 5th for Alexis, but I just don't have the time in one day to do 2 different Bible lessons + all their school work. Therefore she helps teach along with me to the younger ones. She reads verses, helps them figure out the answers to the workbook questions, and writes for them when they need it. Plus, we have such a range of ages that 1st grade isn't too advanced for the littles, and still keeps the attention of the older. You've got to find a balance somehow, and this is how I've worked it for us. :)

 Here they are with their sheep!

 One of the days they cut out 6 sheep and wrote one verse on each of the sheep. Each of the kids had their own sheep and I finished the 6th one.

This is a way of bringing the Bible to life. It helps it become exciting and fun for them to learn and feed their little souls, along with building that strong spiritual foundation they need. Something I've found in the last couple of weeks is adding hand motions to our verses is a tremendous help in memorizing scripture. I let them help in picking what motions should go where. Then at dinner they recite them for Daddy and we discuss what they learned in their lesson that day. I've seen a big difference in Addie (who just turned 4). She seems to really absorb all we discuss and learn. You will usually find her running up to me asking, "Mommy, is this good?" "Is this is good word to say, or is it a bad one?" "Mommy, I didn't lie today! I told the truth!" I find it refreshing to have a little one who wants to please so badly and is willing to ask questions as to whether or not her actions are right, or wrong. 

Praise be to God the Father, for any growth in our home...

Blessings~Heather

Baby Update

  Just got back from my appointment with my midwife...I'm 1cm dilated, 80% effaced, and baby's head is -2 station. Not the best news (usually I'm at least 3cm by now), but I'm just glad there is progress! Thank you, Lord! Next week I hopefully get to meet my Dr. He's kinda like Dr. Cliff Huxtable from the Cosby show! lol You go into labor, and he comes to the hospital. I've only ever had it where you get whoever is "on call" with Kaiser and just been blessed to get midwives for almost all of them. So this is new!

  My midwife was the last of 5 that lost their license at the only hospital that allowed midwives to deliver. I don't understand it, but this is the reality here. So I hopefully got the next best thing with my new Dr. who comes highly recommended by my midwife. The only other option would be to deliver at home with Rebekah, but I'm not that brave. :) Next week we scheduled a "tour" of the Family Birth Center for the children. Bob and I thought it might be fun for them (and us) to get an inside look at where we'll be headed in the next couple of weeks. The oldest 3 are pros when it comes to this...the little girls aren't. Especially Shelby. So this might be a good opportunity to take the wonder and fear out of it for them.  Alexis is wanting to join us for the delivery again (this would be her 3rd time welcoming a brother or sister into this world)...Ty is asking as well. Not so sure about that. He thinks it would be neat, but do I really want our 8yr old son there? Again, not so sure about that one, even though they don't witness any of the graphic stuff...it just seems strange. We'll be praying about that one. :)

  That's all I have for now~Heather

Revolutionary!

  Alright, now you might think I've lost my marbles, but I think there is some serious logic behind this post: "Why You Should Stop Doing Kegels..."

  I have always done this (squatting) with all my pregnancies and had nothing but great results with delivery! I'm kind of "old school" with the way they "used to do things." I figured it would help get things "ready" down there. Labor is long and hard sometimes, and why not get yourself flexible before hand in a position that might help with the difficulty of labor and stretch those leg and butt muscles that will be doing so much work. Women have been giving birth for thousands of years (most likely squatting in the fields)...why is it so difficult now? Because we focus too much on modern medicine and books of what works "now." When the real question should be, "why change something that wasn't broken?" Oh oh, I know! Because we think we are smarter than folks from the stone age. But are we really? God gave us instincts for a reason. He gave us women with great intuition. He also created the body that is built for birthing! (Obviously things happen and medical intervention is needed...that's a whole different conversation). But for a regular no complications labor/delivery...I'm just excited that I've been doing something right! Yippee :)

  25 days and counting! Can't wait, yet I'm not prepared at all. I had the nurse at my appointment today shocked that we haven't even bought diapers yet! :)  I figure all you need for a newborn is food (which as long as things go as planned is "on tap"), pajamas, a blanket, a car seat, nursing pads, and diapers (which you can purchase at the grocery store on your way home!) Yes, we might be crazy, but seriously that's all you need! When it's your sixth child you realize all those other trinkets and gadgets that everyone tells you that you have to have, are just a joke. You make it as difficult or as easy as you choose. We choose simplicity...

Autumn...Perfection!

  

  Is it just me, or is anyone else ready for fall? It's my absolute favorite time of year! And this heat has not been my friend the last few weeks. I adore the sunshine, but this pregnant body is craving some cool crisp autumn air! I can't wait till I can actually put on a pair of great fitting jeans, and actually be comfortable. I seem to be expanding by the minute this pregnancy and I'm not sure the next 5 weeks are going to be very pleasant. So this outfit from early this year that I posted is calling my name. 

  Won't it be wonderful to bundle up, drink a hot Pumpkin Spice Latte (fully caffeinated), and have the air smelling like football season! I will miss the smokey scents coming from all the wood burning stoves back home mingled with the sound of rainfall, but I will enjoy the sunshine that comes with the cool crisp air here in the desert. Kind of a "having my cake and eat it too" place I live! Gets freezing cold, yet is sunshine for miles in the wide open sky. Ahh, Perfection!! The best bonus of them all is that it also means our little baby will be arriving! Can't wait to meet this little one... :)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

¹For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: ²a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ³a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away; ⁷a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.

Blessings~Heather

Encouragement