Surviving Motherhood

We are a month into life with four girls and I'm going to be honest, it hasn't been the easiest adjusting this time around. The transition from one child to two was pretty easy, two children to three wasn't much different, but three children to four has seemed to be a little overwhelming lately. 

I feel as if I'm just not on top of my to do list as I used to be, my patience level is low, I constantly have mom guilt, and I feel stretched just a little too thin.

You might think reading this that it's the baby that's making me feel all of these things. Guess what, it's not. I prayed for a mellow baby this time, and God sure knew that I was going to need it.

It seems to be silly little things that are overwhelming me.

Could it be "baby blues?"

I'm worrying about things that I don't need too. I'm stressed because my housework isn't getting done. I'm getting irritated with things that aren't a big deal. For example, when my daughter accidentally gets a comb stuck in my hair, because she is trying to curl it, or when I'm trying to clean one room of my house, and a bomb is exploding in another. 

I don't want to feel this way so what was I going to do about it? First, accept the fact that I can't do it all. Second, prioritize better. Third, don't sweat the small stuff. If I can't do that then I'm going to miss out on the more important things and the sweet memories that are being made.

Did any of you have the baby blues? What advice do you have?

It's beginning to look a lot like....

It's 85 degrees here and I've got all the windows open. So as much as it doesn't really feel like Christmas here, we're getting ready to go get a tree today. The debate is do we get a American style full Christmas tree, a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, or maybe just a palm tree and hang some pineapple lights !?!  Presents fit under all three so what difference does it make?

This is how my kids spent their day yesterday, and my son even hot sun burned. So, I'm having a hard time really getting into it this year. 

If you ask the kids, they think we need all three... But I'm not really for that plan because that just means three trees in the house that I have to keep them from climbing on. No thank you. I am having a hard enough time keeping our crawler/almost walker from killing herself on the stairs. Why are stairs so attractive to a baby??

The kids have decided they want bikes and monkeys for Christmas this year. One may be possible, the other.... not so much. I'll let you figure out which one we're actually considering. 😏

It's also hard to feel Christmasy when there's fishing involved, and not the ice variety. Ya, I know, majot subject change, but my son got to go fishing for the first time and I had to slip it in somehow.

Isn't he just the cutest?!?! 

Allright, back to the main topic. What kind of tree do we get? Suggestions would be great!!! 

What's Christmas to you?

With a title like that, you might think I'm going for some deep reflection on the true meaning of Christmas.

You'd be wrong.

If you follow me or some of my boys on facebook or instagram, you might have seen our big discussion on the appropriate time to start listening to Christmas music. In case you missed it, the answer is whenever you feel like it. Most Christmas songs are cheerful and full of joy and if that gives you a pick-me-up, then you don't need to wait until after Thanksgiving for the boost.

Side note:  if your favorite carols include Blue Christmas or Christmas Shoes, then you have bigger issues than I can deal with in a single blogpost. Also, Christmas Shoes is not a Christmas song. It's a travesty that ought to be destroyed.

So I have a few questions for you about the holiday season. Feel free to answer one or all. Feel free to listen to Christmas music while you answer. Or Easter music. I don't judge.

1.What's your favorite Christmas movie?

2. What's your favorite Christmas song?

3. Name a holiday tradition that you always observe.

4. Finish this statement:  "My home's not decorated until ..."

5. What one decoration do you absolutely hate?

6. When do you put up your Christmas decorations?

My answers are in the comments.

Along Came Amelia (Part Two)

If you want to ready the whole story of Along Came Amelia, you can go to part one. I mean you should because who really likes to start a story in the middle of a book, right?

For the next two hours after Amelia was born nurses were in and out of the room, checking on me and checking on her. Amelia was doing well, however, I wish I could say the same for myself. There were no complications with the actual delivery but afterwards I was having postpartum Hemorrhaging.  The nurse came to my husband and I and told us that I would need to have a D and C with the possibility of having a hysterectomy. As she was explaining it to us out loud, and the words actually came out of her mouth, "If it ends up being a hysterectomy, you wouldn't be able to have any more children." It was heartbreaking and I couldn't help but to cry. 

**For a while I have been asking my husband how many children he actually wants to have. He never really has given me an answer other than, However many God wants us to have. I agree with that but I still have a number in mind, you know? You may not be sure that you want to have anymore but for someone to decide that for you is devastating.

I had tears streaming down my face as they took me from the delivery room to the Operating Room. Matt and I agreed there was no point in him waiting in the waiting room outside the O. R. when he could be with our newborn daughter. I was sad and scared heading to surgery for the very first time. They told me this surgery would be about an hour. One hour turned into three, because as I was having the D and C, my doctor found a second Placenta. This happens one in every 100,000 pregnancy. I was that one. I didn't end up getting the hysterectomy.

After the surgery, they moved me back to my room. I was back in my room for about 20 minutes when the doctor came to check my progress from the surgery. They weren't happy with it and before I knew it, I was heading back down for my second surgery. I was still too out of it from the anesthesia from the first surgery to realize what was actually about to happen. They were taking me in for a hysterectomy. My husband had to leave to go take care of some things for our other daughters and my mom was in the room waiting with Amelia, both of them were left thinking we weren't having any more children... 

At least that was the plan. My doctor discussed the situation with one of his colleagues before heading into surgery and he suggested a procedure that would keep me from having a hysterectomy. My doctor agreed to give it a try but we wouldn't really know if it would work or not until the next day. 

After the surgery was finished, and before I came back to the room. The doctor came into the room where my mom was and had told her about the procedure that he had done and that he didn't do the hysterectomy after all. She called my husband to tell him the news and he praised God for a miracle. 

After a restful night, the doctor came in the next morning and...

The procedure worked! Praise The Lord! 

Two weeks after being discharged I had a short consultation with my doctor. He said to me, "I bet you're wondering what I did in there." We had a laugh together and then he became serious as he explained to me what had actually happened. He shared with me that he was scared, which came as shock to me. Doctors aren't supposed to be scared, are they? He told me that my family gave him comfort as he talked to them each step of the way. He shared with me how calm they were and how nice of a gentleman my husband was. That made my heart happy, but I knew the only way that we were able to be calm and positive through it all was because God was there with us. Not to mention we had so many people praying for us.

If you're reading this blog today and you were one of those people praying, Thank You!

With just having finished Thanksgiving and being reminded what we just went through while writing this story. I've got a song on my mind and want to share.

New traditions

Well, we just finished our first holiday in Brazil! It was fun, but different than what we're used to.

First of all, it's hard to wrap your head around Thanksgiving and Christmas when it's 90 degrees outside.

Then there's the fact that Thanksgiving dinner is a little different due to the fact that you can't always find the same ingredients.. For instance, if you like green bean casserole (don't admit it if you don't because that is just wrong) you have to make the cream of mushroom soup from scratch and make the French fried onions from scratch.

On the dinner menu, my husband cannot have Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. I had never made a pumpkin pie before... Or any pie..  Or pie dough... Ya, so that was a lot of firsts.

I started with a test pie. The dough seemed to turn out fine, and the pie mix seemed to turn out ok... After making the pumpkin puree, and realizing too late that I needed to strain the pumpkin so it wasn't too watered down. Finally,  the pie was in the oven and it would be done just in time to eat after dinner...

Did I mention, along with never making a pumpkin pie that I had never eaten one either. And that I didnt know you don't generally eat the pie hot... It's better room temp or cold. Or so I've been told.

Ya, so the pie was finally done when my hubby shared this little fact about not eating it hot. So the next morning he had pumpkin pie for breakfast. 😂 And I'm happy to say that hubby loved it!

First pumpkin pie.. Success!

Thanksgiving day came and we had some other missionaries over and celebrated together! This Thanksgiving I am thankful for friends over here to get together!!

What’s It All About?

Good Thanksgiving-Eve Morning! (Is that even a thing?) I was going to post something deep and thought-provoking about the upcoming holiday tomorrow, but then I was up for twenty hours yesterday while cleaning, running errands and doing some baking and prepping for Thanksgiving. Then we had church and then I drove six hours to go pick up Joel and bring him home for Thanksgiving. I've had four hours of sleep and we're about to get back on the road so unfortunately, I'm not nearly as profound and thought-provoking as I'd hoped.

In lieu of that, I know that many of you may be stressing out about making sure everything is done and ready for family, food, etc. If I were not so exhausted, I know that I would be. So as you stress over the details:

• do I use my nice plates and have more dishes? Is a plain ol' paper plate too boring? Does any store still have any Thanksgiving plates and napkins that I could pick up?--and by the way, they don't
• If I don't make a pumpkin pie this year, is it still really Thanksgiving? What do you mean it takes more than a day to defrost a turkey?)

I'd like to point out that, as important as a defrosted turkey is, none of those details you're stressing about is what makes Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is a day for thanking God for all He's given you and making memories with your loved ones. If those memories include frozen turkey and flimsy paper plates, so be it.

And that's as profound as I can be right now. So let me ask you, what one item MUST be on the table tomorrow? What would you never go without for Thanksgiving dinner? 

Along Came Amelia (Part One)

In the beginning weeks of this pregnancy I had a feeling that something might be different this time around. I wasn't sure how or why yet, but I was thinking maybe it would be a boy this time or maybe the baby will be early. My previous pregnancies were pretty much textbook, quick appointments, no issues, no concerns. I say that not to sound proud, but to say I was blessed!

Little did I know that things were going to be different this time around in an entirely new way.

At 19 weeks, we found out we were having another little princess! ( Yes, we were excited!) 

At 27 weeks, I had my Glucose test and failed. 

At 28 weeks, I had to do a  3 hour fasting glucose test just to be sure, I failed again and I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes at my very next appointment. 

At 32 weeks, I went in for a non stress test each week for baby girl. Also, started testing blood sugars 4 times a day!

At 34 weeks, I was put on insulin for the Diabetes. I also went from one non stress test a week to two! 

Due to being on Insulin my doctor told me that I should expect to deliver at 39 weeks.

After each appointment that I had it was "Just one more thing" that I had to deal with. The night before my 38 week appointment, I was in tears because it all became so overwhelming. I was uncomfortable and so ready to have our baby girl. The morning of my last appointment my doctor asked me just how ready I was, she asked if I wanted to be induced early. I couldn't believe I didn't just shout "YES!" I was trying to think it through and not just base the decision on "how I felt".  It was only 5 more days until I was induced anyway, and baby was doing just fine. So, I told her I would wait.

Who does that? Who chooses to be pregnant 5 more days?

As soon as I had left the office, I knew that I made the wrong decision. I called my doctor back as soon as I got home. She called me back early that afternoon and scheduled my induction for the next morning.

We arrived at about 4:30 AM on October 31st to be induced. However they couldn't actually do anything except hook me up to monitors until about 9 AM because they didn't have any orders in the computer. As soon as the doctor arrived to the hospital that day they decided to give me Cytotec which is another form of medicine used to jump start labor. Then, the waiting game began. I was having a lot of contractions in the early afternoon. They gave me another dose of the Cytotec by mid afternoon and I was dialated to a 3 by early evening but I didn't make much progress after that. They told me 9 PM they weren't going to do anything else until morning and that I should rest. At about 6:30 AM, Nov. 1st. I was still only at a 3 and they started the Potocin. The nurses were coming in every 30 minutes to check my blood pressure and each time they came in they upped the dosage of Potocin. At about 9:30 I quickly progressed and was dialated to an 8! At 10:15 I finally called for an epidural, they were there within 5 minutes and by 10:30 I was all good to go. They told me it would take about 20 minutes for it to take full affect and that I would start feeling at ease. A little less than that 20 minutes and I was fully dialated and ready to push! At 11:54 our beautiful 9 lb 3 oz. baby girl was finally here!!

Phew the hard part was over, or was it?

To be Continued...