Thankfulness Day 6

Today I am thankful for:

That fact that my husband will go grocery shopping with me when I need him to. He took me grocery shopping the night before I had Lincoln, because I was having a ton of painful contractions, but needed to go to the store to stock up for the kids before I was stuck in the hospital. He made it not so embarrassing when I had a contraction and was bent over the cart because I couldn't move. :) Then he went with me today and packed Lincoln around in his car seat while I shopped. I tried yesterday to do it myself, and Lincoln cried and cried and I had made the mistake of going to the goodwill before hand to see if they had any jeans in my "new" large size in long, they didn't, they never do, and decided to try on a few tops. I left the dressing room almost in tears (just can't believe I let myself get this big) and headed to Freddy's. Once in there he started fussing, so I took him out of his car seat. Then he started wailing and then Bob called, then I started to get teary again, and was trying really hard not to out right cry like a baby myself in the middle of the store (I just love hormones!). So I headed to the suburban to nurse the baby, and when I got there, I just kept thinking...seriously Heather, this is your 6th kid. Why are you having such a hard time doing this? Then I started really crying. And by the time he finished nursing, my eyes were ridiculously red and puffy, and there was no way I was going back in that store! So I headed home, all the while having a pity party for my hormonal self.
So today, my loving husband took me to the grocery store! He helped me "think" while we shopped, since my thinker isn't working as of late. :) I did it without the water works, and Lincoln made it until check out before he got restless.

For this I am truly thankful...

Thankfulness Day 4 & 5

Day 4

Today I am thankful for:

The ability to homeschool our children. I never thought in a million years that I would make that statement, none the less, with joy in saying it. Thankfully the Lord changed my heart 5yrs ago and we haven't looked back! It's the best opportunity to raise up your children in the way they should go. To build that solid biblical foundation that God commands you to do. 

Deuteronomy 11:19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and walking by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise.

It's a perfect opportunity to actually know your children. To see their strengths and weaknesses. To give them the chance to study true life subjects, that are geared specifically to your child's future career or calling. To be able to be flexible to fit our family's structure and life. 

What a blessing it is to homeschool (no matter who says you're crazy)!

Alexis and Ty at one of our homeschooling field trips.

Day 5

I am thankful for good old friends! I didn't realize the rarity of "old friends". You know the ones from junior high, and high school? It is such a blessing to have a group of girls who you go way back with. You all know each others history (the good and bad) and yet you still love each other. It's so much fun to get together with them and enjoy the families that God has given them, and even just to talk about old times! And every time you get together, no matter how long it has been, you just pick up where you left off the last time. :)

Dejah, Me, Katie, Jamie, & Socorro at Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Portland for my 30th birthday!

 For these things I am truly thankful...

Thankfulness Day 3

Today I am thankful for:

Meals! As in the last 2 weeks of meals that all my lovely friends and church body have brought to us after Lincoln's birth. The first week I had my mom here cooking every meal for us, and the last week and a half the meals have come almost every night. They have been delicious! What a blessing it has been NOT to have to cook and clean up every night. And there has been leftovers, so that has taken care of lunch daily. :) Plus, I have found a few new recipes to put into our rotation of dinners! Yum!!

For this I am truly thankful-

Thankfulness Day 2

Today I am thankful for:

Hot running water. The ability to think, "I'd love a hot shower" and 30 seconds later be taking a hot shower. Instant gratification when you're cold is for me! I went from being roasting hot almost all day and night, when I was pregnant, to freezing 75% of the day after I delivered. The only thing that seems to get me warm is a good hot shower, or holding my little man (and I already used him for my first thankful day!)


So for this I am truly thankful.

What Are You Thankful For?

  As November begins, I feel it necessary to remember to be thankful. Thanksgiving is such a special holiday and we definitely take it for granted. I'm going to try and post everyday something I am thankful for.

Today I am thankful for:

  Our precious little Lincoln North! Oh the joys this little man has already brought us in his few days he's been with us. He truly is a joy, and delight to all of us. His contented spirit is like a soothing balm to our hearts. He will sit and gaze at you with his precious baby blues, studying your face. He seems like a wise old soul at the ripe age of 14 days. Maybe he will take after his namesake, the best president this country has known...for now I will rest in the fact that our Mr. Lincoln seems to be a kind, wise, contented person, or at least I pray that will be the man he becomes.

  It's a wonder how you can fall head over heels in love with someone you just met! The smell of his sweet little head...the little whimpers that escape him as he dreams in his sleep...the adorable back stretch he does when you take him from his car seat. These are just a few of mine and Bob's favorites! Addie would say she loves his long skinny fingers. Shelby would say she loves brushing his hair. Gabe would say he loves it when he opens his eyes and looks at him. Alexis would say she loves everything about him. Ty would say he loves to hold him. 

  For these things I am truly thankful~

Baby Update 3

  Hopefully today was my last doctors appointment for this pregnancy. I'm trying to be optimistic, but only God knows. The Dr. did confirm my fear that this baby is "sunny side up". I had that with our first and let just say, "it was no walk in the park to get her here!" I was telling Bob that I really didn't know how bad it was until I had a few more babies to compare it with. It didn't seem so horrible at the time (or right after), but now knowing how less painful labor is without all the back labor, I'm kinda freaked out! I shall be spending many a hours on all fours trying to get this baby to flip! I already mopped the kitchen floor and wiped down all the cabinets while I was down there...now it's just a matter of playing on the floor with the little ones...since all I have left is carpet to vacuum (which you can't do on hands and knees).  :)

  On an interesting note, I got to know my Dr. a bit better today. We talked about the kids being at the delivery (at least the older ones) and he is all for it. He has 10 children of his own (all adopted) and he told me a bunch of fascinating stories about how his boys came to "work" with him and looked in on many a labor and delivery. Another was about a 6 year old boy who was trying to get as close to the "action" as he could, so doc decided to put a gown on him and allowed him to sit on his lap through the whole delivery! That ones a bit out there for me, but I found it refreshing to see how he truly loves his job. He thinks birth is such a wonderful opportunity for families to welcome a little one into this world and was very much encouraging us to bring all the children with us. I asked him about how he felt about it being too graphic and scary for them, and his reply was, "Yes, they see it all happen, if you want them that close, and you could call it graphic, but they will forget about that, and remember that wonderful experience that not many get of welcoming their sibling into this world. That is a beautiful thing!" I seriously sat there in disbelief! I think if I hadn't been aware of my jaw, it would have been on the floor! lol  I couldn't wrap my brain around how "natural" this OB doctor was. He finds children to be a wonderful blessing, and he thinks it's best to use every opportunity to teach something to them.


  As I told Bob all of this he kind of smiled and said, "Sounds good!" :)  If we do decide to bring the kids with us, I'm pretty sure ours will be a PG rated delivery. No one from my waist down! lol Think about it this way: How many times does a little one walk into a L&D room after baby has arrived and wonder "why on earth is there a baby in my moms arms?" "where did that come from?" I think plenty. What if the little ones were there to witness at a distance the arrival of their sibling baby? Do you think maybe it wouldn't be such a strange sight to them? I think so. Now I'm sure that 95% of you reading this think we've fallen off our rockers, but I think it's definite food for thought. Alexis was 7yrs old when she witnessed Addison being born. She has begged to be there ever since. Bob and I asked her why she liked going and her response was, "I loved being the first one to see the baby!" It's a special time for a family. You just brought a new life into the world! You can't ever get those moments back...it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Never again will that same situation come about.

 




The boys overheard our conversation and came downstairs packed for the hospital. They even packed a stuffed animal for the baby. A boy and a girl one. They have their pj's and I noticed Gabe even packed a notebook so he could color while he waited! I found this adorable :)


Blessings~Heather

A Few Of My Favorite Things!

  I thought I'd share some of my favorite baby items with you. Like I've said before, I'm pretty simple when it comes to babies. There are a few things though that I absolutely love!

  *First off, all in one cloth diapers from bumGenius are a must. They are user friendly and save you a ton of money in the long run. I will however be using Pampers Newborns until this little one stops needing to be change 18 times a day...that would be way too much work with cloth.

 *Babylegs are such a great product. They keep your little ones warm without having to undress them to change a diaper. The bonus is they are super cute!

  *As for blankets, I am stuck with the soft chenille ones from Target. My friend Jamie gave Gabriel one for a baby gift 6yrs ago, and I won't ever look elsewhere! Addie had one in the girlie color and Shelby just used hers. They are soooo soft and stretch, yet don't slip off like some super soft blankets. I do have to say that I'm not super fond of the boy blanket color they have this season, but the girls is adorable. If this tells you anything...even though I'm not a big fan of the coloring for the boys, I'd still buy it if this is a little man! :)

  *When it comes to shoes you can't buy anything for a wee one but the Robeez. They keep their socks on and they stay on as well. So many different patterns to pick from that it's hard to have just one pair! They're so dang cute :)

  *The Mary Jane's from Trumpette are a bit impractical because they are socks, and they do fall off when they are really little, but they are adorable!!! I received these as a baby gift with Shelby, and they were a big hit everywhere we went.

  *As for a diaper bag, Petunia Pickle Bottom is the way to go if you don't mind spending a small fortune. I fortunately didn't have to with Shelby since a sweet friend gifted it to me! I loved that diaper bag! It's in shambles now, but it was great. It has a fold out changing pad built into the front that zips up and in, plus is removable for washing. Not to mention the fabrics from Petunia Pickle Bottom are gorgeous! I love the brocade patterns, especially the one above with the gold and aqua colors. It can be carried on your shoulder, across the chest like a satchel, or worn as a backpack. Bob especially liked that fact...backpack is more man friendly that a shoulder worn diaper bag. :)

  *If this is a girl, we will be doing earrings again. I absolutely love a baby girl with earrings! It gives them that extra touch femininity. At least we find it adorable. :)

  *The Chicco's car seat is a great one. I love the form that is for the infant size. It doesn't trap heat around the top of their head like most of the head cushions. So no more sweaty baby.

  *Since we are coming into fall/winter a cute little hat is a must! I just thought these were cute :)

  *Also, the flower hair clips are a great addition to any little girl or the headbands for the bald little lady~

  *The Bébé au Lait Nursing Cover, is dangerous! Once you go there, you can't go back! Where these have been my whole nursing life, I don't know? I do know that if I didn't have one, my job of chasing kids would become much harder. As a mom to 5, well I guess it will be 6 shortly, you have to be mobile while you nurse. It's just a reality, at least for me it is. 


  *Aveeno baby wash is to die for delicious smelling! I always have loved the Johnson & Johnson baby wash, but I have to say that the Aveeno beats it in the smelling test. Nothing like the clean scent of a newborns head...

  *Lansinoh's lanolin is purely the best at what it is for, cracked, sore nipples from breastfeeding. It is totally natural and has super healing strength. I know most lactation nurses would say to just use your own breast milk in the same manner, but for me that didn't work. At least not as quickly and efficiently as using the lanolin. Along the lines of breastfeeding, you'll need nursing pads. I prefer the Lansinoh brand over others I have tried. This is definitely one of those products that I'm sure works for some and not for others. For me they work great! 

  Anyways, I hope you enjoyed looking through my favorites list. What are your "Can't live without!" items? I love hearing what others have found! 

Blessings~Heather