Doings

I have been mostly home bound due to my HUGE belly issues--see Kara Faith's blog for updates on how my pregnancy is going and such. BUT life still goes on. Jamie is leaving tomorrow for St. Louis for a visit for a couple weeks. I (and we) will miss him during this Christmas holiday and I pray Kara doesn't come while he's gone. Celeste has been busy working a lot and trying to save as she is moving out in January. I can't believe I'm old enough to have a child who can move out! I will miss her and she better come visit her mom...hint, hint.

The other kids have been pretty bored with being housebound. I'm going to try to bake some cookies with them this coming week and do some things around home that will be fun. Pray for energy for me. It's really hard for me to stand too long, so that makes things limiting. I hope your family is having a wonderful Christmas season!

Christmas Greetings!

God is BIG Enough

(Baby Kara Faith @ 29 weeks)

They say that I am crazy for letting you be born,

But one look at your angel face makes crazy all the scorn.

They say we can’t afford you–that you’ll need a lot of stuff,

But your pudgy cheeks remind us that our God is big enough.

They say it’s strange–seven kids so far–and ask what’s wrong with us,

How could we know that proof of married love would cause this fuss?

God’s Word tells me He made us, so when they look at you,

I’ll tell them not to ask me why, because He made you too!

Kelly Crawford

(I found this poem on Generation Cedar.)

Stu & Nancy--12 Years Together Today

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A look back over the past year...2009 in review.

30 weeks pregnant with Kara Faith

Yay For Eden!!

Super News! Eden is now officially potty trained! Woo hoo! Currently, we have one child in diapers. I was trying to remember the last time that was the case. It must have been over 3 years ago when just Tommy was in diapers. At one point, when Joshua was born, I had 2 in diapers and 1 in pull-ups for quite some time. For the past week, Eden has been wearing underwear and had NO accidents. I declare her trained. I told her I would buy her a pack of Cinderella underwear and she says, "No, Mommy, I want Tinkerbell!" I'm hoping they make 'em.

So we have a reprieve until Kara arrives. IF we get to bring her home, then we'll have 2 in diapers again, but I won't care. Kara is doing quite well. There are periodical updates on her blog page. We go for a 3D/4D ultrasound this Monday, November 16th. I can't wait!

Some Cuteness

After bath fun with Celeste & Joshua

This is what your brothers do to you when you fall asleep at our house...

Joshua loves Eden's Bitty Baby!

Not the best day

I'm having a difficult day. I am in so much pain with my right hip it is hard to think straight let alone deal with 5 active children who are at home with me. I called my chiropractor and they don't take my insurance anymore. Boo! Now I have an appointment with someone a friend recommended. Last time I saw someone I didn't know (when I was pregnant) I was in worse pain for 3 days afterward. Nervous.

Life is just really difficult for our family right now, so we would appreciate your prayers. I don't want to complain because I know that would not honor the Lord. It's so difficult, though. I'm praying, too!

A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

Joshua--Looks like trouble...
Pumpkin Patch Max

Eden--pumpkin sitting

Mommy and Joshua (What a cute smile!)

Dan and Tommy--Love this one!

My Cute Tommy

Me with my 5 littlest pumpkins

Help From the Lord

I don't have any great words of wisdom right now. Life is going by at a recklessly fast pace with lots of crazy diversions. We have one unhappy teenager's car which is broken at the moment and may be quite costly. We would appreciate prayers for a reasonable bill and the ability for said teen to pay it. ;) Chauffeuring an 18 year old around isn't making this mom's life any easier. Hopefully, a lesson will be learned for all of patience and moderation.

In church on Sunday a wonderful young man, David, led worship. He read Psalm 121 and it greatly encouraged me. I thought I would include it here. Enjoy!

Psalm 121--My Help Comes From the Lord

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Eden Joy is 3!

I am still excited about having a girl after 4 boys and 15 years of waiting! I enjoy Eden every day and fondly remember her as an infant. She was and is just precious! (BTW, her picture is the one featured in my header at the top of my blog...) We'll put up more birthday pictures as we get our day rolling. I'm home with just the 3 kids 5 and under today, so don't have a lot of time to be on the computer. ;)

JOSHUA 17 months old

Today Joshua Ezekiel turned 17 months old on the 17th! He is a really cute baby and has a wonderful personality! The whole family adores him...

I caught him reading the 5 ladybug book. He's pretty attached to his "Nah" (nuk) as he calls it.
In the bath playing with his alligator--GO GATORS!

Here is Joshua making a funny face for Mommy with the camera.

Peek-a-boo!

Sweet Tiny Baby

Kara's little hand gives us the "thumbs up" today. Hop on over to her blog for a full report!

Ordinary Day

Hey, I just found one of the many missing snack cups underneath the computer desk. (I had been looking for that one.) Such is the life of a mom of many or a mom with lots of littles. It's Labor Day. No plans today. Daddy (Stu) just went outside to mow. We have a riding mower, so I think he likes it now. Hey, maybe I should grab my iPod and be the one to go do it... (Mmmm, time alone) Nah, it's getting hotter by the minute out there and I'm almost 5 months pregnant. Since Joshua is taking a nap I think opting for a bath where I can actually shave this week might be the best use of my time... I just realized that Eden needs to get cleaned up, so it looks like a shower with her is it. At least it's well before lunch!

Cute Little Pregnancy Ticker

Happy 5th Birthday, Tommy!

Tommy was born 5 years ago on August 24th. He was my last "natural birth" attended by my favorite midwife, Jane. Jane and Stuart delivered him. I remember it like it was just a little bit ago and can't believe 5 years have gone by!! Now I am homeschooling Tommy for his kindergarten year. He is a great student and really enjoys learning. That makes it easy for mom!

Hurting and Hope

Sleep is elusive. Between our puking Jack Russell and cute Eden in our bed, I am awake in the wee hours. Since Kara's diagnosis I awake at odd hours and my thoughts click on and I can't seem to turn them off. We are hurting. Hurting and wishing for things that may never be. Hurting for there have been things done and said. Sometimes I don't even know what to do with myself. I have taken it to the Lord in prayer and await His response to my grief, my sorrow, my pain. And I believe He answered with this: "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Sweet little babies,
it’s hard to understand it ‘cause we’re hurting
We are hurting
But there is healing
And we know we’re stronger people through the growing
And in knowing-
That all things work together for our good
And God works His purposes just like He said He would…
Just like He said He would… (Glory Baby by Watermark)

Diagnosis

Kara Faith, 15 weeks, 5 days

Last Wednesday, August 12th, 2009, our baby girl was diagnosed with Holoprosencephaly (HPE). We saw Dr. Richards at Shands at UF. We weren't given too much information at the time of our appointment. Dr. R drew a picture and wrote the name of it down on a piece of paper. He told us our baby would not live very long once she is born. At almost 16 weeks, her other systems looked normal on the scan, which was good. He didn't detect a cleft lip/palate on the ultrasound. He said that my pregnancy should go to term. A possible problem could be overabundance of amniotic fluid due to the baby having trouble swallowing (polyhydramnios). We ask for specific prayer that this would not happen. We will go back to Shands for another ultrasound with Dr. Richards at 22 weeks. There is so much to tell, but the past few days have been trying. We are praying for a miracle from Jesus for our daughter. If that is not His will, then we are praying that He would transform us through this situation and use our baby girl as a testimony and instrument of His grace.



I had an appointment with my favorite OB yesterday. It was not encouraging, but the ladies that I have met on the holoprosencephaly support group I joined are very supportive. Meanwhile, I'm trusting in God and am thankful for ALL the prayers we are receiving. We really feel them!

Kara Faith comes from: Kara which means "Pure" and Faith which was given to me after some prayer. God gave me the word Faith and a scripture to go along with it a couple of weeks (8/1/2009) before we knew what we were having or that we would be on this journey of faith. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." I wrote this note, "For we do not always know where we are going, but we can trust in Him who does." Wow, God is so faithful to meet us at our need!

So, I believe that the gift of Kara Faith is going to take us on a journey of pure faith. I am thankful for a special name for my sweet little girl.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

I will be updating about Kara as I am up to it on her blog Sweet Kara Faith.

Changed forever

I am now almost 16 weeks pregnant. Yesterday I went in to see my OB and he did an ultrasound in which we found a problem with our sweet baby. She, yes she, has a partially developed brain. The outlook is not good. I know I serve a BIG GOD and He is going to walk me/us through this. I am praying for a miracle, but barring that I am praying for His strength to guide me as I go day by day. We have an in-depth ultrasound this afternoon and will be talking with a specialist. Please pray for our sweet baby girl and our family. Thank you!

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

I know I never blog anymore. I just don't know what to say... (without being too negative) I feel like one day runs into another and one is no different than the next. It's just a "get through it" and move on feeling. I am hoping I will feel better soon. Between the pregnancy and some other aches and pains I have some days are just quite difficult. I feel like I need something to look forward to, but don't know what that is. Fall? I enjoy that season. It is so hot here right now. Most days it's in the 90's. We have no tree cover, so the kids don't go outside. We're all just in the house here. I would take them swimming more, but I have no suit that fits and only the 2 older boys can swim. I don't feel too good about supervising 5 children swimming with 3 who can't swim. Right now, Dan, Max, and Tommy went to Grandpa's pool to swim. Eden is still sleeping. (I wish she could have gone, too...) Joshua needs to go down for a nap, but I don't know if I can handle the crying. We just moved him out of our room to the boys' room and he doesn't like it. He cries a lot. I wanted to have my bedroom to myself for just a few months before I have to share it indefinitely with another baby, so... I don't think I have ever been this challenged in my life. I don't feel I can say any more, but that's just the rub I'm in.