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.

The Slacker

Oh, I am such a slacker! This summer is just dragging on and I'm just trying to get through the "yucky" feeling part of pregnancy. I really miss my 15 year old son. He's my right hand guy during this time. He will be home from St. Louis in 16 days, yay!

This week, Dan, Max, & Tom have been attending VBS. They are really enjoying it. We've had some good conversations about God and Jesus. It has been good for them to have something to do instead of sitting around the house all day. Dan asked me today, "Who created hell?" His teacher couldn't answer that question. I did tell him that I believe "hell" is eternal separation from God. At 10 years old, it is good for him to be thinking about eternal perspectives. This is going to be a big year of learning for him. I always crank it up with my 5th graders.

I have a mom's night out for church tonight. I feel pretty crummy, but am looking forward to speaking with some adults. I have been very discouraged lately. It seems there isn't much immediately to look forward to and this always really gets me down. Please pray for my attitude. Thanks!

Coming Late January 2010...

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Psalm 139: 13-16
Wow! Some days that is all I can say... I choose to focus on the sovereignty of God. He knew all of this, that I would be a mother to so many, before I was born. I think He must have a huge sense of humor because I am really not doing this very well. We need prayers for provision more than ever. Please bless my husband in his endeavors to support our family--especially in this downturned economy and tenuous political time. I am currently 11.5 weeks along. I don't feel too terribly bad. I really could use more help. Too bad Jamie is gone for the summer. He loves to cook and does our family cooking when I am feeling sick. This ultrasound was from my 1st appointment. It looks like Dr. M wants to do another C-Section as it would be my 3rd. Also, please pray that some would have a kind word instead of criticism as my life is more challenging than ever and I don't want to deal with strife and others' negativity right now.

Celeste is 18 today!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow **Turn off the music at the bottom of the page before watching this!

Updates

Okay, why is it that whenever I get close to someone (make a really good friend) they move away?!? This has happened to me twice in the last year and now it looks like my good friend, Charity, will be moving to Ohio. God sure does have some interesting plans for us. Sometimes I wish I could have a peek into the future, just to calm my nerves. (Although, it probably wouldn't do that!)

Recently, we've had some medical stuff around here. Eden is dealing with a staph infection. I took her in last week and it wasn't that bad, so they didn't really do anything, but it got worse over the weekend. Daddy took her to the pediatrician yesterday and she is now on antibiotics. At almost 3 years old this is only the 2nd time for meds for her. She had an ear infection when she stopped nursing at 13 months. I wish she didn't need them. I think of them as rather a pollutant to the system. (They kill all the good bacteria, too...) Dan has had hives for the last week. He went with Eden to the ped on Monday and they say it's a reaction to a virus. He is taking Zyrtec to help with symptoms. Also, Celeste got her eyes checked today and what a blessing it was that my friend, Tara, stopped by and watched the 5 youngest for me!

I am missing Jamie. He will be home in another 5.5 weeks. Celeste is going to St. Louis for a visit later in the month. I didn't realize how much Jamie helped with cleaning and the kids until he wasn't here. He is an amazing 15 yo young man!

Cuteness

Eden put these sunglasses on Joshua last night. It was so cute! He was watching Daddy mow the lawn. Chipper was there, too!
Eden was dancing and singing in the kitchen. She is doing that a lot nowadays! Tommy is in the background.

My All Star

Dan is going to Orlando for the Florida All-Star Baseball Championship tournament today. Games run through Saturday and then depending on their win record, they may play Sunday, too! Grandpa (80 years old) drove him down and will do so again tomorrow because Daddy has to work and mommy is caring for littles. I wish I could see him play! Good luck, Dan!

A Summery Sunday

We're deep into what really feels like summer, but it doesn't officially begin until June 21st, right?!? Temps here have been in the mid-90's with heat indexes of over 100. Needless to say, we are trying to keep ourselves busy indoors. We only have a couple small trees on the lot, so we venture out after 7 p.m.

Jamie left for St. Louis today. Stu, Dan, Max, & Tom drove him to the airport in Orlando. He will be gone for 8 weeks. :( I will miss his help cooking, his fun card tricks, and long hair. Dan and Max are still in baseball All Stars and have a couple games and practices this week. I will be glad when baseball season is over. It's been long this year! They have learned a lot and are both better players, but all the nights home alone are wearing on me. It's hard to drag the little babies to the park in this heat, so we just stay at home. I have a sore throat today and a runny nose. I think I've got the cold the kids have been passing around. Ick! Now I'm off to figure out something for dinner. Have a super week!