Halloween 2010

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It is a time where I can sew and my basic sewing skills are appreciated. No perfection is required. We can wear make-up. The kids have so much fun.

I don't like the adult part of Halloween with the immodest costumes or the blood and gore. I don't like being scared. I don't like the dark. The kid part is where my love of Halloween is at.

I usually go all out on the costumes. The kids plan months in advance what they want to be. They even draw sketches. And then I find the fabric and similar patterns and then begin. I am not a procrastinator so it usually is ready well in advance.

This year was a little different. First, I planned to do the Halloween costumes after Gavin was born because I had no energy while I was pregnant. Plus, I had so much to do with my church calling that I didn't have time. Well, the recovery didn't go like it had with the other five and I found Halloween creeping closer and closer. My "high maintenance" baby wasn't letting me get anything done, let alone Halloween costumes.

I resigned to the fact that I would just have to buy all the costumes. Then my friend, Mandy, helped me realize I could just rob the dress-up box and make Halloween work without spending much. Plus, Halloween was on a Sunday so we wouldn't be going out that day anyway. It would just be the church party Saturday night.

And this is what we came up with:

My sister, Bonnie and her husband, Jarom, recently moved here. Bonnie came over and helped with costumes and make-up. It was so fun to have them over. Plus, they got a family group picture! So cool!

I thought Bonnie's costume was great and creative. She has such good ideas.

Thankful #13 Laughter

Life seems to throw a lot at us. It doesn't matter who we are, life is tough. I know there are so many others that have it a lot worse then I do. But I still think life is rough. Yes, it could be a lot worse, but my problems are real to me and I have to work through them just like everyone else.

When life seems to be getting to me, I wish I could take a nap. Reality is that I cannot. Yes, I could sleep, and my emotions wouldn't be so heightened. But the problem would still exist. So how do I handle most everything tough? I think how funny it is. I try to find laughter and humor in the bad. I try to joke about the tough. I try not to be so serious, because seriously, what good does that do? I can be crying and laughing at the same time.

Of course I feel immature when I get around adults that do take everything seriously. In that aspect I may never grow up. I don't think I ever want to grow up. I want to laugh, be silly, and enjoy life even when it tries to knock me down.

The other night Gavin's diaper got so full it busted open leaving those nasty beads all over him. I stripped him down in the wee hours of the morning and put his naked little body in the sink to wash the beads off. As I was waiting for the water to warm up, he starts peeing. He got the toothbrushes on the counter. I tried to aim for him into the sink and he stops. So I let go and he again pees all over the counter, but this time hitting the tube of toothpaste. Again I aim, he stops, I let go, and he pees again. I then get him washed off, am grabbing the towel, and he proceeds to poop all down the front of my pajamas. What choice do I have? I thought about crying but instead found myself laughing so hard. It made light of the moment. It really was funny. Gross, but funny.

Laughter. So thankful for that.

Thankful #12 Sleep

I used to think sleep was so overrated. Now I am convinced it is way underrated. Sleep makes everything better. When I am grumpy, a night of sleep makes me feel happy in the morning. If I am way emotional, sleep usually cures it or at least minimized the intensity. Same works for my children. Grumpy + nap = happy kid. And also a happy mom.

Of course between pregnancies and babies, it has been probably 11 years since I have slept through the night. But the sleep stuff still seems to help, even if I haven't been getting much. One day I dream of sleep. But for now, I am happy. I love my life. I laugh often. I enjoy almost every day. Imagine how happy I will be when I start getting some real sleep!

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie . . .

Nathan has a very independent will. He never took bottles, never would take a sippy cup. Went straight to a cup and rarely spills. He refused milk and juice. So we settled on water. My fridge has it's own water dispenser. Nathan learned at a very young age that he could get himself his own water. For the past year he has watered himself. I get him drinks at meals and he takes care of the rest.

Until Evan broke the water dispenser.

I started helping Nathan get drinks, but being out of the habit of getting him drinks, I only did it when he reminded me he was thirsty. I offered him drinks when I got myself one, but he was usually too busy to stop and take a drink. I often wondered if he was getting enough, but he had a lot of very wet diapers so I assumed all was well.

You take away Nathan's independence, he will find a way to do it on his own. He flooded the bathroom downstairs so I moved the stool out of there. Can't have that happen again.

And yesterday I caught him. He had again solved his problem. He found this dipper:

And this water:

And this was his drink. He was so proud of himself. I was so disgusted. I'm not sure which is worse, A puddle that has been sitting in the backyard for weeks or toilet water. I think they rank about the same to me.

You break Nathan's water dispenser and he finds his own natural one.

I told Evan and so after gagging a few times, Evan decided to get involved. He took Nathan outside and pointed out the nasty water and asked Nathan if he had been drinking it. Nathan proudly announced that he had been drinking the water. He was so happy he found his own solution to the problem. And then Evan dashed his spirits. Poor guy, but we can't have him drinking the water outside. Hopefully we have solved the problem. Probably not, but I am keeping a watchful eye.

Thankful #11 My Country

With today being Vereran's Day, I thought it appropriate to post today that I am very thankful for my country and those who fought for the freedoms I enjoy. The freedoms I often take advantage of. Every year at Veteran's Day I often feel a little guilty that I don't do more to honor those fallen soldiers that gave their lives for my freedom. A little more guilt that I know that I don't know just how blessed I am to live in such a wonderful country. I have never lived outside the United States, have only visited outside the United States a few times and those were vacations. I know I am naive to how blessed I am.

I have read books such as Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns and it does make me thankful for the choices I have. I can practice my religeon if I want, but I don't have to. I married the man of my choice and I am thankful for that. I have a lot of children, and even though I am given a hard time by strangers almost every time I leave my house, I am thankful that I was able to have all my children and that choice not taken from me because of a government.

I recently had to pay an additional $1100 to the IRS for a discrepancy in my 2008 taxes. And yes, that really hurts this time of year. But I am thankful for the soldiers who I am supporting by paying those taxes. Lets be positive here, I know probably only $.01 actually went to those soldiers.

I am thankful for those soldiers who fought for my freedom. For the soldiers who are fighting for my freedom. And for my brother-in-law, Lyle, and many cousins, who left their families to fight to maintain the freedoms I enjoy today.

Black Babies

When Gavin was born, aside from all the excitement of finally meeting the little guy, one thought I kept having was just how much he looks like the rest of my babies. They have all looked very much alike, all but one that was born with a lot of hair. I pulled out all the blessing pictures and compared. Yes, I compared. And look how similar they all are. Evan didn't even know which baby was which. Of course Gavin's is obvious to me because it isn't the final blessing picture, I haven't really played around with my camera to get one I am satisfied with. But see if you can guess who is who. I'll post the answers at the bottom. Guess before you look at the answers.

Top: Gavin, Nathan, Spencer

Bottom: Camie, Danielle, Taneal

Thankful #10 Make-up

Make-up hides almost everything. If you are having a lousy day, put on make-up and nobody will know. If you are tired, try the make-up. Again, nobody will look at you and realize just how tired you are. Make-up works the same for being sick. Believe me, I tried it for 9 months six different times. That's a total of 63 months! If I could have only kept my mouth shut nobody would ever had known I was even sick. And make up can also be fun. It can also be a curse. If everyone gets used to seeing you in make-up, when you go without, somebody thinks you are sick, even if you aren't. My friend asked me if I was pregnant because of the lack of make-up. She said since I never go without my make-up and she had seen me twice that week without it, she knew I had to be pregnant. And she was right. That was with Gavin. No, I am not pregnant right now. And I am trying the make-up, just never seem to find a free moment when I have my make-up bag around. I do feel go, I'm not hiding anything today. But I am thankful for the stuff, it makes this old barn look better painted.

Gavin's Baby Blessing

We blessed Gavin this past weekend. It was so nice to have family come into town. Dorias and Rebecca (my sister and neice) from San Antonio came,
Michael and Karen and Megan (brother and family) came from Ft Worth, Mom and Dad, and Bonnie and Jarom (local) all came for the blessing.

Others weren't able to come due to sickness and new babies. It was great to have family come into town to celebrate the birth of Gavin.

I didn't manage to get pictures of everyone, but they did get some of us. So nice to have others to take family pictures of us so I can actually be included in the pictures. I'm usually the one holding the camera (which I love taking pictures), meaning there is never proof that I go anywhere or do anything. We all know that isn't true, but it is nice to be shown at the scene of my baby's blessing.

Gavin was so good during his blessing. He slept through the whole thing. His dad was able to give him some wonderful blessings.

Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated this great occasion with us.

Thankful #9 My Dining Room Table

A few months ago some of our friends moved away and sold us their diningroom table for $100. It seats 12, has leaves in it, and fits well in the breakfast room. We took out one of the leaves so it seats 8. Perfect for my size family. I love the table, even though it is in the process of being refinished. The chairs don't match, the table still has flaws on it. But my family comfortably gathers around the table for breakfast and supper. We can sit around it and talk. We can be together around the table. The kids spend countless hours sitting at the table coloring. We play games at the table. And I scrub that table daily. I scrub under that table weekly. And I daily sweep the mess that created happiness around that table. Our table brings my family closer together. And I am thankful for that. One day I will have a pretty table and that will be nice, but my table not being pretty means it can take the abuse the kids dish out. And it gives me no worries. Another reason I am thankful for my table.

Thankful #8 Washer and Dryer

I am thankful for my washer and dryer. Silly I know. But I use those guys nearly everyday. Almost two years ago my old washer and dryer died. As Evan and I were searching Craig's list for replacements, Evan's wonderful boss stepped in and told Evan to go to Lowes and get me a nice washer and dryer. It was a bonus and I was thrilled. He told Evan to get me a nice one because it is something I would use everyday. So this is what he got me. I am in love. They are wonderful. They don't use nearly as much water or detergent. They clothes are nearly dry when they come out of the washer because it spins them so fast. There is hardly any dryer lint because they are gentle on the clothes. And one of my favorite features is the wrinkle remover on the dryer. It has a steamer that will remove wrinkles. So, if I don't promptly remove the clothing from the dryer, I can restart it on this cycle and it basically irons my clothes for me. And I avoid ironing like the plague, so this feature is very useful. I wash about 15 loads a week. But these suckers hold 2 1/2 time the amount of a normal washer and dryer, so I am doing a heck of a lot of laundry. They are my friends. And I am thankful for them.

Thankful #7 Friends

I am so thankful for friends. They are a blessing in every way. I don't even know where to begin, so I guess I will start with recently. My friends helped me so much over the last two months. They watched and played with my children when I couldn't. They brought countless number of meals over to my home to feed my family. They even came over and cleaned my house top to bottom when I wasn't able to. They listen to me without malice. The encourage me. They support me. They make me laugh. I have learned so many things from friends from crafting to parenting to building my testimony. They are answers to prayers. They are the angels God sends to answer my specific prayers. Friends. I couldn't live without them. Wouldn't want to live without them. And I don't need to live without them. I just hope I am as good of a friend to them as they are to me. So thankful for friends.

Thankful #6 Books

Books. I have loved to read since as long as I can remember. Some of my favorites are Charlie by Jack Weyland. Redeeming Love. These Is My Words. The Five Love Languages. The Book of Mormon. The Hunger Games. The Goose Girl. John Grisham books.

Books open a whole new world. They take my mind off my own troubles. They teach me things. They give me things to dream about. They strengthen me. They bring emotion, laughter, tears, heartache, sadness, love. They create bonds. They give insight. They make me feel like I still have a brain.

Thankful #5 Dr Pepper

Dr Pepper. I know I shouldn't love the stuff. And I am not addicted to it. I can go weeks without it. But there are times when I crave it. The carbonation on my tongue. The sweet taste. It brings happiness to me. I have to be careful with the stuff because it keep me up at night. And on days that I am dragging, it keeps me awake. On days that things just aren't going my way, it brings me satisfaction. It is a little bit of happiness.

Thankful #4 My home

I love my home. It isn't fancy. Most think it is too small for my family. But I love it. It is the nicest place I've ever lived. It has a great pantry. I love my closet. I love my master bathroom. I love the size of my breakfast room. I love the new back porch that was just completed Tuesday (pictures will follow). I love having a garage to park my car in. I love the play set in my backyard that the kids spend countless hours playing on. I love tile floors. I love the floor plan. And I even enjoy cleaning my home. I love the peacefulness and warmth I feel when I am here. I love checking all the rooms and seeing the kids snug in their beds as I go to bed at night. This is my haven. It isn't showy. It definitely isn't as tidy as I would like it to be. But it is home. And I love it!

Thankful #3 Jesus Christ

I am thankful for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is Christ's true church. It is the same church with the same doctrine that was established by Christ himself back when Christ lived on the earth. It was restored through Joseph Smith. It has prophets and apostles, just like in the time of Christ, who receive revelation for us today. And I can pray for myself to know that these things are true.

Aside from being a member of an amazing church, I am thankful for who I am and who I can become as I try to be a better person, which is what being a Christian is all about. I try to overcome the natural man and not take the easy road, but the road worth traveling. It isn't easy and I am far from perfect, but I try. I may be pretty far off, but as long as I am trying, that is what counts.

I love serving in church, even if nobody in my church is compensated. My calling takes a lot of time, but I am learning so much, being so blessed.

My church is who I am. My thoughts, my decisions. It brings me peace. It brings me happiness. And it makes my family eternal, not at "death do you part". We are a forever family that will carry on into the next life.

I am so thankful for the restored gospel on the earth. And I am thankful for my parents who raised me in the church, for grandparents who embraced the gospel.

I am thankful for modern day revelation of The Proclamation on the Family. I read it often and it helps me be a better mom and wife.

I am thankful for Jesus Christ who set the perfect example to follow. Who made it possible for me to repent so I can return to my Father in Heaven and be with my family forever.

I am not a good enough writer to describe the feelings of gratitude in my heart for my Savior and my membership in His restored church. I am very thankful.

Thankful Journal

I have been trying to post pictures to my blog and I CAN'T!!!! It won't let me. It did this about a month ago and took a week before it would let me post pictures. So, I will skip the cool Halloween photos for now and get on with what I have been wanting to do this year for Thanksgiving.

I want to write each day what I am thankful for all the way up until Thanksgiving. And in no particular order. So here goes for the first day. I will back-date this post so it will appear that I did it on time, and then I will play catch-up. I will post pictures as soon as Blogger lets me. Grrrrrrr! I wish I was more technology savy. Maybe one day.

Thankful #1
I am thankful for my children. They are amazing. They are wonderful. And even though I am biased, they are perhaps the best kids out there. They may not be obedient all the time, but they are good. They make me laugh. They make me smile. Sometimes they make me cry. But they have enriched my life, made me grow in ways I never imagined possible. They are my everyday. I wake up to them, go to sleep with them. And spend nearly every waking breath with them. And I wouldn't want it any other way. A break every once in a while is nice, but that could be said for anything. Almost 11 years ago I began my role as a mother and it was one I wanted for years. I was finally blessed with Taneal. And soon Camie came, then Danielle, then Spencer, then Nathan, and finally Gavin. Each one of them is so special in their own way and I love each of them so much. I love that they are all different. They all compliment our family and make us unique. Unique and wonderful. Indeed I am thankful.

Stake Conference

It is that time of year again when my church gathers together all the congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the area for what we call Stake Conference. The conference is always very uplifting and well attended. It is divided into two sessions, one in the morning and one if the afternoon and we are assigned which conference we will attend. We were assigned the afternoon conference.

Two weeks before the conference, I got a call from the stake president asking if Taneal would speak for 5 minutes at the conference. And they didn't want her reading it, it needed to be memorized.  How did he even know who Taneal was? I figured if he was sure, of course Taneal would do it. And Taneal was willing. I don't think she realized there would be approx 1500 people in attendance at our session.

Her assigned topic was "Why I believe in Christ." So we sat down and wrote her talk. Over the next two weeks she read and memorized. We went up to our chapel so she could practice using a microphone. The Sunday before, all on her own, she decided to fast. She wanted to do well and knew it was a big deal to speak in front of a huge congregation. She knew she would need Divine help to get over her nerves and say the things that Heavenly Father wanted everyone to hear. Can I say Taneal is amazing? Nobody had even suggested having her fast.

And the morning of Stake Conference arrived. Taneal had her talk memorized. She was very prepared. But nerves are another thing. I had butterflies in my stomach for her. So did Evan. Evan went early to save seats so we weren't in the back of the gym. As Taneal and I arrived with the rest of the crew and took a seat next to Evan before it was time for Taneal to sit on the stand, Taneal started crying. She shook her head and told me there was no way she could do it. I told her to picture everyone in their underwear, and that didn't even phase her. I hugged her and told her I was sure she could do this, we had been praying, fasting, and besides, it was too late to cancel now. It then was time to take her seat on the stand. I walked her up there, the stake president seated her next to the most awesome lady ever, the wife if the mission president. She started talking to Taneal and totally distracted her. The beautiful choir sang, the Stake President spoke, and then it was Taneal's turn. Remember, Taneal is 10. She is in the Primary. She is little. And she nailed her talk. She got right up there, recited verbatim the talk she had practiced with voice inflections and all. She looked at people in the crowd as she spoke, looked all over the place. She was confident and you could hardly tell she was terrified. And she said her words so clearly that all could understand her. I was so proud. I wanted to stand up after her talk and shout, "That's my daughter!"

Afterwards Taneal was beaming. She couldn't stop talking about what a great experience it was. She told me that as she was looking around she noticed a lot of people wiping their eyes. The spirit was so strong as she spoke. I attribute that to her fast and the prayers of the stake presidency as they selected the speakers that day. Taneal had the adrenaline that kept her on a high the rest of the day. It was a marvelous site to behold.

As we were sitting around the dinner table, Taneal asked Camie what she thought of the talk. And Camie, in her get-real voice said, "I could give your talk with as many times as I heard you say it. It was giving me a headache! I have the whole thing memorized, too!" Don't you love those siblings?

Way to go, Taneal!

The Rest of the Story

There is more to the story of Taneal's broken arm. And I think it is worth sharing. It goes to show how different men and women are, or maybe how different Evan and I are.

Last Tuesday when Taneal broke her arm, I was glad that Evan was home and could take Taneal to the hospital. I have always been a little hesitant when needing to go to the doctor to have Evan take the kids because he isn't much of a communicator and I always worried I would not get the instructions on how to care for the child in need. But really this time, I would have had a very hard time taking Taneal to a germ infested waiting room with a newborn. It wasn't reasonable and so I was grateful Evan was home.

After returning from the ER around 10:30pm, Taneal came upstairs in this huge arm wrap and told me she had broken her arm. The poor girl. Evan came on up a little later and I asked him what the doctor said. Evan said Taneal had not broken her arm, she "jammed" it like you would a finger. She could take the cast off the the hospital had put on her in the morning. He wasn't even sure why they had put the wrap on her because her bone was not broken. And I definitely did not need to fill the pain killer prescription. The doctor had told Evan we needed to follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon in a few days, but we really didn't need to, they were just out to make some money off of us. Okay.

In the morning I got up and was looking through all the paper work from the hospital. Every page said "right forearm fracture". Doesn't a fracture mean a broken bone? I called Evan to question this and he said she really hadn't broken her arm, the nurse must have just entered the wrong code in, or maybe they were just being precautious to cover themselves. I asked him if we should follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon, and Evan said something to the effect of, " no we don't need to, but do whatever you want! Sure, if the paperwork says to, go ahead."

What do I do? Evan was there and I was not. He knows what went on. So, I decided to call my brother who is a PA in an Orthopedic Surgeon's office. Unfortunately he lives about 5 hours away. I asked Rob to explain the hospital paperwork and why Taneal was in a hard wrap/cast if Evan says it wasn't broken. Rob said it sounds like it is broken, but we couldn't be sure without the x-ray report. He said to go ahead and schedule with an Orthopedic and I could always cancel. He told me to go up to the hospital and get the x-ray report and read it to him so we would really know what was going on.

So, I did that. And here is what it said: "Findings: There is a minimally displaced fracture of the distal radial metaphysis. There is also a fracture of the ulnar styloid process. Alignment is anatomic. Impression: Distal and ulnar fractures."

Yes, she has not only one broken bone, but two.

At the hospital, the nurse recognized Taneal from the night before. I asked her if Taneal had broken her arm because Evan was telling me she hadn't. The nurse said Taneal had broken her arm. I asked the nurse why she thought Evan was telling me it wasn't broken. The nurse looked at me and you could tell she was trying to figure out how to say it the right way, "Your husband was kind of . . . sleepy last night." For those of you who know Evan, you can imagine what had happened, why the confusion. I confirmed it with Taneal.

I called Evan to let him know what the hospital was saying, and his comment was, "Well, I guess the doctor did a poor job of explaining it to me."

So we did follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon. Taneal is now in a cast for the next three weeks. It isn't a bad break, but she does need to be in a cast. And it is a good thing I didn't have her remove the hospital bandaging.

And my sleepy husband. I love him to death. He is wonderful. He has such good intentions. But boy were we on a different page with this one!

Our First Broken Bone

Last Tuesday my sweet Taneal was outside roller skating on the back patio. The kids had been out there since the walked in the door and deposited their book bags onto the kitchen floor and headed out back. I even delayed supper because they were out having so much fun. As soon as Evan walked in the door, I called them in. Taneal helped the neighbor girl home and was just coming in when she caught her skate on the back door mat and slipped. She fell hard, caught herself with her wrist, and broke the two bones in her right arm.

Evan was home so he gave Taneal a few minutes to see if the pain would ease or if it was indeed a break. After about 15 minutes it was still pretty bad, so they left for the Emergency Room. Three long hours later they returned.

This is our first broken bone and I do count myself blessed. With six children, it is bound to happen, I am just fortunate they waited 10 years. And Taneal could not have had better timing. Last week would have been horrible with me having my surgery. The three weeks prior to that would have been tough with a new baby and a difficult recovery. She really had perfect timing. She isn't hurting too much, has really enjoyed the attention at school and home, and I think she really has enjoyed getting out of her jobs at home.

The cast they put on her is really cool. It looks like a brace but is hard like a cast. It is waterproof so she can shower. She was disappointed that it was black and her friends couldn't sign it. But it is not bulky at all and she can still write. I love modern technology!

Wintergirls

I recently read a book that really got me thinking. It is titled Wintergirls. It is about two girls, one anorexia and the other bulemic. It is written from the perspective of the anorexic girl. It isn't a book that I would give a 5 star to, I would probably rate it at about a 2, the first 100 pages were rather depressing. But it hooked me. Why would anyone starve themselves? What would cause an 18 year-old girl to do that? I really wanted to know. Why would you think you are fat when you are 100 pounds?

And then towards the end of the book it said something that really got me thinking. She said her goal weight was 95 pounds. After that her ultimate goal weight was 90 pounds. And then a few chapters later as she started to realize her illness, she realized that she would never be happy until her weight was 0 pounds. Even when her knees were bigger then her thighs, she still viewed herself as fat. Obviously her reality was warped.

So why did this book really get me thinking? Not really sure. I do remember being really thin as a teenager. I wasn't anorexic although a lot of people called me "Anorexic Anna". I was 5 ft 7" and 100 pounds. Then I got married. I remember being 110 pounds and thinking a had quite a gut. I dream of being that small again, how could I have ever thought I was fat? And then after I delivered baby #2, I went to my 6 weeks follow-up appointment and asked the doctor why my weight was above 120 pounds. He said most people dream of being as small as I was, yet I felt huge.

And here I am after baby #6 and I have the same feelings. My weight is obviously more. But when will I ever be at peace with where I am at? Will I be like the girl in the book that is never satisfied with her weight, even when her knees are bigger then her thighs? Thank goodness I am not willing to go to extremes to loose weight. Actually, I am eating as I please because I have a nursing baby and want to keep it that way. It has just been a thought. It has eased my mind knowing that I may never be content, so get over it and worry about the things that really matter.

Things that really matter. The paretns in the book never had time for the girl. It hurt her. They were too busy with their work. She looked at her ability to starve herself as a strength, as control. So what can I do? I have amazing children who I always want the very best for. I can not buy them much. My time is spread pretty thin trying to care for a baby and still cook, clean, laundry, church calling, etc. But I can make a concious effort to make time for each of my children, to let them know they are very important to me. And I can do this often.

I like books like these that teach me, give me a new perspective. It isn't a book I would give more then 3 stars to, but I am glad I read it. It helped bring me peace and to be okay with who I am, where I am at today. And to make sure I give my children my attention instead of some other thing.

I'm Back, almost

It has been one heck of a recovery. And the culprit? placenta. It didn't all come out after delivery, just a small amount remained. But enough to make me VERY sick. The Methergine didn't help the left-over placenta work it's way out. And as each day came and went, I got sicker and sicker and sicker. Monday I had a date with the OB/GYN again, an ultrasound proved the placenta was still there. The doctor said I needed a d&c to get the stuff out, scheduled it for that afternoon. Okay. I need to get better. I can't feel like I am dying any more. Enough is enough and I had certainly had enough, so ready to get better.

I have a nursing baby that is 3 weeks old. What do I do with a nursing baby that I have never given a bottle to? I can't nurse for 24 hours after the procedure. My baby will cry. I will be recovering from anesthesia. What do I do? I have 6 children and never has any of them ever had a bottle. EVER.

My dear friend from church and also the wonderful lady who was my labor and delivery nurse, came to the appointment with me. Did I mention how wonderful she is? She sat through the ultrasound with me. She listened as the doctors told me what needed done. And she comforted me, told me what I needed to do to make it through this, and she took my baby home with her, kept him over night, fed him a bottle, rocked him, loved him, and helped ease my soul. She drove me to the hospital and waited with me until Evan could get there. She helped me get a breast pump. She helped me think through all the details of what to do with my children. She made having the surgery to recovery doable. She was a blessing.

The surgery went well other then they had to stick me several times because I was dehydrated (at least I am guessing why they couldn't get my veins on the first try).  It was quick in and out and I came home that evening.

Another life saver. Becky. Becky is my sister-in-law and lives a few miles from me. I called her from the doctor's office and told her I needed her help, I was going in for surgery in a few hours, could she take all the kids. They were playing at my friend, Jana's house. Becky went and got the kids, left Camie and Danielle to stay with Jana (Jana has girls Camie and Danielle's age), and took Taneal and the boys home to sleep over at her house. We do NOT do sleep overs, never plan to do sleep overs. But this was an exception and the kids were all delighted. I could not care for my children and was so grateful that Becky was here and able to really help me. This was Monday. She kept my boys until Friday. Wow! I missed them so much, but I was able to sleep all day and recover with my baby. They would have watched tv if I had had them. They would have eaten bread for their meals with me. Becky was able to play with them, take them to the park, the library, to the airport to watch the planes take-off and land, etc. They had so much fun with Becky that I was afraid they would never want to come home. But at least I knew they were well taken care of and loved.

I had so many other people step in and help me this week. Angels. Heavenly Father sent them to help me and I am so blessed and loved. I feel amazingly better now. I feel whole again. I am healthy. I now just have to get my strength back after being down for so many weeks. But at least my body is healed. Now I can start to cook for my family. Clean my own home. Play with my children. Enjoy my family.

I'm so glad to be back and feeling better.

Methergine

Methergine® (methylergonovine maleate) is a semi-synthetic ergot alkaloid used for the prevention and control of postpartum hemorrhage.


It is in the same family as pitocin.


My recovery isn't going as smooth as I hoped. The doctor prescribed Methergine and it did not work. It caused a lot of leg cramping and flu-like symptoms. Didn't fix the problem. Glad I don't have any more pills to take. It was a horrible last 2 days. Hopefully we can figure out another way to a speedy recovery.
 
I want to play with my children. I want to enjoy them. I want to clean my own house. I'm tired of taking it easy.

Newborn photos

Extracurricular Activities

This is the first season in over four years that we are not participating in some kind of extracurricular activity. We started with two seasons of baseball. So much fun. The last six seasons have been full of soccer with swim team in the summer. We've thrown in a little choir. A little karate.

About a year ago I was talking to a lady who I go to church with and have so much respect for and admire very much. She has five children of her own who are all grown. I mentioned to her my busy schedule with four soccer practices that week, three games on Saturday, a speaking assignment to a congregation of about 100+ people on Saturday, a huge carnival at school in which I was PTO treasurer and needed to go help with $$, Sharing time on Sunday, etc. It was busy. She smiled at me and I can't remember quite how she said it, but in such a loving, tender way that it really touched my heart. She told me when her children were young they were involved in all those kinds of activities, too. One evening she pulled into her garage and realized that all her time was being devoted to all these extracurricular activities and she was loosing focus on what was most important, her children. I thought and thought about that and looked at my family. Were we doing what was most important? Were we eating supper together as a family? Were we having family prayer together daily? Were we reading scriptures together as a family or even individually? What about Family Home Evening? Date night? Was my patience short because of the tighter schedules? Was I able to develop relationships with each of my children so that when times were rough, we would be able to talk and feel comfortable? I then realized my priorities weren't in the right place. And so we decided to take a season off. Yes, it was also inspired by the soon-to-be addition to our family, but I think I would have taken the break anyways.

Last night Taneal asked me why all her friends could do soccer and she couldn't. She was sincere and not at all critical. She said it was tough having a new baby because it limited us in so many ways. She opened the door for me to really explain that it wasn't the baby at all. I asked her many of the above questions and then asked her what was more important: Our family or a season or two of soccer? I then told her we hopefully wouldn't take too much time off, but we needed to focus on what was most important and once we got that down we could start adding things to our schedule and see how it went. But until we figured out the basics, we were going call it quits to all the extracurricular activities. Taneal really understood and even agreed with me.

And this dear lady who helped me refocus said that once her children were grown, she asked them if they felt cheated or if they felt like they had missed out because they quit doing all the extras, and not one of them even remembered not doing all the extras. They were able to develop and focus on their family and create the strong family relationships that they still carry today.

We are all different in what we can do and what is most important. If I didn't have so many children maybe we could still do all the sports and activities. If I had a different personality, maybe that would enable us to do more. But for now this is where I am in my life and what my family needs. Maybe next year we will have a handle on the basics to where we can step up the game. But until then, this is my life, this is my family, and they are what is most important.

This MUST Be a Boy Thing!

Remember this post? I remember it all too well because the problem still persists. No matter how much I ask Spencer to stop, he won't. I even told him if he liked boogers so much, he'd have to start eating others every time I caught him eating his own. I never did follow through on that one. Maybe I should have. It is just gross. I can usually get in my kid's head after a while and convince them of things, but I couldn't on this one. And then the other day Spencer said something to me that made me realize it will take something greater and bigger then me to stop this problem:

"Mom, you know that stuff that comes into my mouth when I cough? Well, it tastes really good."

Oh my goodness.

Going Postal

For many families, it can be quite an adjustment to siblings when mom brings home a new baby. My children have always done really well, I can't think of a time where we had a jealousy issue or where there were any problems. I have counted myself fortunate because I have heard so many stories and the problem seems quite common.

Well, exceptions exist everywhere. Nathan had a hard time. I have to have my first with everything. My dad came into town the night before I had Gavin to help with the kiddos. My dad is so good with my children and they were very excited to have him come. Spencer even told me that Grandpa is much more fun them I am. I glad he likes his grandpa. Well, I think the kids were all in bed when my dad got here and I left for the hospital before the kiddos left for school. They were all happy when I left and I know the little boys who stayed home all day with my dad had a really great time.

Around 5pm they all came up to the hospital to see me. Nathan had fallen asleep on the way over. When he awoke, he didn't want to have anything to do with me. I don't think he had even met Gavin yet. I don't think I will ever forget the scene, Nathan was up on Evan's shoulders. Nathan glared at me and then pointed his finger at me and proceeded to "shoot" me, sound effects and all, with his finger turned gun. He really caught me by surprise. It took me a second to think through how to handle the situation, and then I pulled out my finger gun and shot him back. We got into a gun fight right there in my hospital room. By the end Nathan was smiling and took to me again. I still couldn't believe he shot me! I don't like guns, I discourage gun use by my boys. And here were are, me going against all I have taught my boys, and shot Nathan back.

The gun shooting didn't stop there. The next day at church he was shooting people during Sacrament Meeting. He had a mean look on his face. Nathan was mad. I don't know if it was because I had left him for a few days. He was sweet as pie with Gavin. It was mostly directed at me. Evan took Nathan with him through the rest of church to avoid catching something in his nursery class. One really sweet lady was sitting behind them, playing with the cars with Nathan. All of a sudden, for no apparent reason, Nathan got that mean look on his face and started shooting her. Evan ended up taking Nathan out where they ran into Uncle Troy (Evan's brother) in the hall. Nathan glared at Troy and shot him too.

Another thing Nathan started doing about a week before Gavin was born was spitting. He would stick out his tongue and let the spit fly, zoober like. He only did it when he was really mad, but he was easy to set off. First he would try to hit, so I would grab his hands and then he would spit. It is one thing to have your own little boy spit at you. It is another thing when his spits at his Aunt who was only trying to play with him and be nice. And then it is even worse when he spits at Grandpa. I warned my dad before he got here. And gratefully my dad thought it was funny. I would have been so embarrassed if my dad had taken it any other way.

Now that I have been home for a while (it isn't like I was gone very long, either), Nathan has put his finger pistol away and nobody has been shot for almost a week now. He hasn't spit at anyone for just as long. It is just interesting how Nathan knew something was up and using his finger pistol and spitting was how he chose to cope with the situation. The mind of a 2-year-old is very interesting.