tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24337764066266253082024-03-21T20:35:13.967-07:00Mayhugh MinutesA blog about my life, my family, my journey to homeschool my kids, and my walk with the LordAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-87247864582419641502013-05-06T20:19:00.000-07:002013-05-06T20:19:27.881-07:00It helps to take a look backI am tired and grouchy, overworked and underpaid, ha!<br />
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Silas is 2 months old now and I am still trying to get out of bed in the morning with a happy heart after no sleep. I am still having to remind myself to feed and take care of the rest of our small village. I am still trying to squeeze in a day of homeschooling. It's been a tough time adjusting to 6 kids in this house. <br />
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The past few weeks I have really felt like I am just not doing well emotionally. I have tried to figure this all out and do it all and I just cannot. Realizing that I cannot has left me frustrated all the time and weary. Add lonely and useless and well, you can guess where it takes me...<br />
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I have had some amazing friends and family step up and step in. Some have just shown up at my house and told me to leave and get some air and time to relax. Some have had just the right words to encourage me for the day. <br />
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Tonight my dear friend Tasha and her husband watched ALL 6 KIDS so that Craig and I could get out and talk, really talk. We had a great night, great food and great conversations! I felt like I could sit and breathe after tonight. The kids were mostly in bed when we got home so I was able to finally get my computer out and start to blog. The only problem is I wasn't sure WHAT to blog. Do I give a recap of the past 2 months? Do I talk just about my wonderful date night? Well, I instead decided to go back to the beginning of my blog and read through it and I am so glad I did!!<br />
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I LOVED reading about my confidence in the Lord, my desire to remain in Him even through the tough times. It was awesome! I encouraged myself! Just when I feel inadequate for this role as a mom of 6, and start to throw my own pity party, I am reminded that I CAN! I can and I will but it can't be in my own strength and in my own power. I have to go back to what I know and what works, my confidence and faith in the Lord to BE my strength in this season of doubting and weariness. Reminding me of who I am in Him and wake up renewing my mind daily.<br />
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I loved looking back tonight and being so thankful for the journey I am on, even though this season is full of sleepless nights and screaming children, I will someday miss it. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-7194357046931108422013-05-01T12:32:00.001-07:002013-05-01T12:32:57.033-07:00Paul Silas, the story of my little life... (so far)<i>This is an old blog that I never published. I wrote it March 10. Silas was one week old. Since I am back blogging, here is the story of the day Silas was born...</i><br />
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Completion. That's the only word to accurately describe how I feel today and how I felt last Sunday around 4:19pm.<br />
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I was home on bedrest, the norm for me. It was Craig's birthday and he was celebrating by serving me all day, lol! In fact, when I woke him up I said "Happy Birthday babe! Sorry it's so crappy!" <br />
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I woke up feeling like I needed to rest. I was contracting but they weren't painful and there was not pattern. I really wasn't concerned until around 2pm when they started to last a little longer and come a little more frequently. Still no major pain. I didn't need to breathe through them so I didn't panic and they were still pretty spaced out. I did call my doctor just to ask advice. She said to go in, just to be safe. I was scheduled for a c-section and she did not want me laboring long and risking a possible uterine rupture since my c-section scar is only 15 months old. So Craig came in and we talked and very reluctantly decided to obey the doctor. I was frustrated and did not want to go back to hospital only to sit and be observed. I tried to take a nap to just see if it would go away.<br />
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It did not. I told Craig we should probably go soon, just in case I was in labor. I wanted to get there in time to either stop it or get the c-section. My dad had just left the house to take Trent to church so I called Bonnie and she came over right away to keep Isaac.<br />
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Bonnie wasn't in our house 5 minutes when she looked at me and said "your contractions are 2 minutes apart, you need to go now!" That put a little pep in our step and we grabbed our bag and took off. At this point I am not speaking. I am just trying to breathe and not cry. As soon as we pulled out of our neighborhood I knew. I just knew I was having a baby and soon. I really did think I wouldn't make it to labor & delivery. I barely did...<br />
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Very quickly I was told the plan that we had signed for was no longer going to happen. Paul Silas decided to show up at 4:19. I hadn't even been admitted into the hospital yet. I had no IV, so no drugs, no epidural, and not much time to get to the OR. The next 5 minutes were a blur. The pain was like nothing I could even attempt to describe or compare it to, really. I kept saying I couldn't do this and Craig was a rock star. He so calmly and quickly reminded that I could, it was almost over and it was this sentence that helped me get through the delivery, "Baby, you can do this! This is exactly what you wanted, this is exactly what you prayed for!"<br />
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<i>(Oh...that's right! I did!!! Throughout my pregnancy I did not have peace about having a c-section, I knew it was the safest option for me and baby but I just did not have peace. I also did not have confirmation that I would carry full term so my specific pray was that the Lord would literally give me a fast labor, so fast that I wouldn't have time for meds or a c-section! Can you believe that the Lord blessed with EXACLTY what I prayed for and then I was crying against it in the moment?!)</i><br />
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Well, the second I saw that sweet boy, all pain disappeared completely. It did. We are all so in love and so blessed that although he was nearly 7 weeks early, he is extremely healthy and will be home with us in no time!<br />
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<i>There it is, the story of my last labor! I went out with a bang! </i><br />
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<i>Thank you Lord for once again answering my hearts cry, you are awesome!</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-11069915326435728162013-04-30T21:55:00.002-07:002013-04-30T21:55:56.919-07:00Back BloggedI love to blog, love it! It is a release for me and a great way to share my heart and my family with those who I don't get to see all the time too. I have been anything but consistent with my blog recently and was nudged by a few friends to get back on the blog, so here I am...<br />
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I am back blogged, so I will be posting some blogs that were written recently and not yet published. I feel like I must start with the birth of our precious little Paul Silas. His birth rocked my world from the minute I started labor and I haven't slowed down since!<br />
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Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-79569413380398465642013-02-03T08:33:00.000-08:002013-02-03T08:33:11.510-08:0030 Weeks Down!I am now 30 weeks pregnant! I have been very silent this pregnancy. Not out of choice. There are so many times I have a great blog in mind or an update to share but then the reality of my life kicks in and I forget!<br />
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It's been quite a journey this pregnancy! Last pregnancy was EXTREMELY different! I was on bedrest from 24 weeks on with Isaac and stayed on bedrest until 35 weeks. I carried Isaac to full term and he has been so healthy and so happy!!<br />
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This time, I have attempted that but with Isaac being a baby, its been really tough to rest and take it easy. I have a terrible time asking for help so we are winging it and doing great! Craig has been more busy than ever so Trent and Macey have been my little life savers for sure! They are very eager to help and aware of when I need to rest. I am so thankful for them, so thankful! Some may say I take advantage of my kids help and I absolutely do! We are a family, we jump in and help when help is needed and I have no regrets for teaching my kids to come to the needs of others.<br />
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Baby is doing great! We are having a boy and are beyond thrilled! He is growing like a weed, just like all the others, measuring big, just like all the others have. We can't wait to meet him but will wait and enjoy this last 2 months preparing for him to join our family. Isaac points to my belly and says "baby" and then points to everything else and says "baby". He totally understands, ha!! <br />
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Have a great Sunday! Enjoy the Super Bowl!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-22146963138276529612012-11-27T05:46:00.005-08:002012-11-27T05:46:53.160-08:00Happy 1st Birthday Isaac Sullivan!Yesterday our baby turned 1!! All day I was thinking of last year at this time and was so thankful for a full term, healthy boy that came at the right time.<br />
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At 1 years old Isaac is such a love and boy is he loved! Developmentally he is:<br />
*Saying words, and trying to copy our tone<br />
*Crawling, not even worried about walking. He is a pro crawler and walking is just not necessary yet, he is carried too much, ha!<br />
*A Great eater! This boy loves to eat and will rarely turn down food!<br />
*A gadget guru already! I really am trying not to brag but you should see this boy on the iPad! He scrolls through, opens up the photos and then looks through them, its hilarious! Toys are sooo 2011, he would prefer your iPhone or iPad, ha!<br />
*Isaac is very content and only throws a fit if he is hungry or his big sisters are up in his face, he hates that.<br />
*Loves cars already! Anything on wheels is pushed through the house with loud noises, its so cute!<br />
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We are all so blessed by this sweet boy! He snuggles each of us the same, loves to fall asleep on Trent and Macey and thinks that Maggie and Izzie are his 24/7 live entertainment. I can't wait to see how much he grows this next year although, I am a little sad how fast this year has gone by:(<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-52985701721460071832012-11-20T06:42:00.002-08:002012-11-20T06:42:22.736-08:00In order to create balance...Yesterday Craig and I went to to doctor for a checkup and found out we have once again established balance in our home. We are having another<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">BOY!!!!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">3 Girls, 3 Boys :)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-87453015513820037072012-11-15T08:48:00.000-08:002012-11-15T08:48:12.763-08:00So much to do in so little timeMy mom is great! Yesterday she drove back to Virginia to pack up some more things and blessed me by taking <strike>Thing 1 and Thing 2</strike> Maggie and Izzie! <div>
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I have grand plans to get done what I have been unable to accomplish these past 3 months of being sick all day and night. I have plans to dust, mop, organize, complete laundry, clean out our 2 unfinished rooms, and the list goes on! I am down to only a few short weeks before the real bedrest kicks in and TONS to get accomplished before that happens. </div>
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I did not make plans to read or sit around, which happens to be all that I want to do in this quiet and peaceful house...</div>
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Dilemma...</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-17115354058866014992012-10-31T21:10:00.001-07:002012-10-31T21:10:14.478-07:00Isaac & Jude: BudsIsaac & Jude: Buds<br />
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Getting a quick hug in before the festivities begin<br />
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A superhero and a monkey<br />
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Taking care of each other and staying warm in the wagon<br />
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I believe Jude got tired and rested his head on Isaac's lap, ha!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-15417696440374301782012-09-26T09:40:00.000-07:002012-09-26T09:40:04.281-07:00Isaac "Sully" Mayhugh is 10 Months Old!Our big boy is 10 months old! Where did this time go?! Our last update was his 6 month and SOOOO much has changed since then! We missed his 9 month appointment, so I have no clue how much he weighs or how long he is. I just know he is heavy and outgrowing 12 month clothes so we are good! He's growing!<br />
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He is still such a happy baby! He LOVES his family! In the morning he cannot get enough of his "big" sisters Maggie and Izzie and he goes nuts when Trent and Macey walk down the stairs to see him.<br />
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Isaac feeds himself now. As long as it's not mushy. If its mushy, he just smashes it into his tray. He cries when his bowl is empty. He NEVER has enough food, never. I don't remember the last time I steamed and made his baby food, he just eats what we eat and I chop it up really good. Even though he only has 2 bottom teeth and one growing in up top, he hasn't stopped him from eating food. The boy loves to eat!<br />
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Sitting is soooo 6 months old! He started crawling around 8 months and getting into everything right away! I thought he would crawl in phases but no, not him...<br />
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Isaac went straight to pulling up in his crib and then walking all over while hanging onto something! Now that he has figured out HOW to move, he just doesn't stop! I am praying he doesn't walk soon, I need to catch up emotionally to his growth!<br />
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In fact, just a few days ago he began climbing stairs... HELP!!<br />
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He is growing too fast and trying so hard to hang with the big kids already! All this positive growth, I must interject a negative. Isaac started throwing fits. Major fits. A 45 minute fit for taking drumsticks out of his hands. Maybe he is trying too hard to be like his older siblings!<br />
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He is never above a great snuggle, never! He will snuggle anytime! He is still known to fall asleep with Trent at least 3 times a week still. His bond with his big brother is so sweet! I can't get him to doze off with me anymore but Trent, he just snuggles up and goes right off to dream land!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNTachyCplxKdVBdckDZO5IohGSDvt_B1aHr3VI6_sunWYx9Zz1wt3MICGJNTq-AtHGZryWDOvtpNzdIcTnCCkGZwGL13H7p2Tj3n_MTXHgf2L6f99TYXKB2hJkvffIDqgsR3iXpy3sL2/s1600/sleeping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNTachyCplxKdVBdckDZO5IohGSDvt_B1aHr3VI6_sunWYx9Zz1wt3MICGJNTq-AtHGZryWDOvtpNzdIcTnCCkGZwGL13H7p2Tj3n_MTXHgf2L6f99TYXKB2hJkvffIDqgsR3iXpy3sL2/s400/sleeping.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
Lately I have had a tough time being a mommy. I have been so sick all the time (thank you baby #6) and tired and grouchy, but I love our family to pieces and wouldn't trade this season for the world. Kids grow up so fast... too fast. I just hope to remember all this sweetness as each one enters the teen years!<br />
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Now, if I could only find a house cleaner and a chef I could get some stuff done around here, ha!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-43881540675013043902012-09-12T05:21:00.000-07:002012-09-12T05:21:19.432-07:00And then there were...On March 31, 2011 I blogged about some pretty big news in our family. We were expecting baby #5! What a great pregnancy that was! This morning I went back and read through my old blogs while I was pregnant and was overcome by emotions. God was my strength in my weakness, no doubt! His hand was over me during that entire season and blessed us with a precious miracle, Isaac Sullivan. Isaac has always been a joy, a complete joy to all of us! Well, Isaac is 9 months old now! He is crawling, pulling up, walking on things and learning to talk! I can't put into words how in love we all are with this boy. He is growing up too fast, too fast...<div>
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So you know what that means...<div>
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Time for another baby!</div>
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Spring will bring warm weather, showers, and a precious newborn baby to our home in 2013!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-22137493751545698882012-06-26T20:20:00.001-07:002012-06-29T06:22:52.765-07:00D A D D YFather's Day has come and gone, but I couldn't resist sharing our daddy gift with everyone! This year I wanted to be creative so I started asking around for ideas. I love photo ideas, so I took an idea that my friend Nadia gave me and made it my own. Being that I have 5 kids, I am pretty sure that not too many other families could've pulled this one off, and I barely did! I immediately called my only <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/ySsw1">friend with 5 kids</a> and we joined together and came up with this:<br />
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And after many attempts, and silly faces...<br />
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You must now go check out how hers turned out, completely adorable as well! <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/ySsw1">Her blog </a>is so fun to follow, so just go ahead and spend time reading it, it will be well worth your time :)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-10628467700614837232012-06-13T14:17:00.002-07:002012-06-13T14:17:59.398-07:00Isaac Sullivan Mayhugh - 6 Months OldMy precious little (big) sunshine is 6 months old!! I can hardly take it! <br />
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Isaac weighed in at 17.5 pounds (50%) and was 27.75 (85%) inches long! <br />
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Isaac is sitting up all by himself, for a few minutes at least and then just tumbles over when he gets tired of it!<br />
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He eats 3 meals a day and loves it!<br />
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Isaac is already a talker, we better watch ourselves! He started saying dada and is already moving on to gaga and baba! He loves to make noise! <br />
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He was slow to roll over but finally got it!<br />
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I thought with Isaac I would be like "most" parents and be pushing him to meet those milestones. Nope. I think that after 4 preemies, God has taken away the over-achiever in me! I do have a few friends that just had their 3rd, 4th, or even 5th kid and they are just like me! It's those babies that end up crawling at 4 months old and walking at 8 months old because we are so determined to keep them little, ha!! Kids grow and develop at their own pace, no matter how hard to try to push them (or try hold them back:).<br />
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Isaac has the sweetest personality!! Isaac is full of himself! He knows he is loved by his momma for sure! When his eyes meet mine, he about has a seizure with excitement! He eats my face and squeezes me close with all his strength, I LOVE every second of it too!! He KNOWS his big brother and enjoys being rocked to sleep by him at night. He laughs until he has the hiccups at his loud and sassy sisters and just loves to sit and chill with daddy. This boy has us all completely wrapped!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-33402519983148006182012-02-06T08:05:00.000-08:002012-02-06T08:05:04.354-08:00Average is A-mazing!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
For the first time EVER I have an average size newborn who is growing above average!! Isaac's 2 month check up was a great visit! Here are his stats at 8 weeks:</div>
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Weight: <b>11 pounds 5 ounces in the 50%</b></div>
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Height: <b>24 inches in the 80%</b></div>
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I have a baby that actually showed up on the growth charts and made a percentage that was average!! For the first time I saw average as AMAZING, the best! He is meeting his marks developmentally too:</div>
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By 2 months your child should:</div>
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Begin to smile at people<span style="color: red;"> Check!</span></div>
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Can briefly calm himself (may suck on hands) <span style="color: red;">Check!</span></div>
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Tries to look at parent <span style="color: red;">Check!</span></div>
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Coos, makes gurgling sounds <span style="color: red;">Check!</span></div>
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Turns head toward sounds <span style="color: red;">Check!</span></div>
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Pay attention to faces <span style="color: red;">Check!</span></div>
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Begins to follow things with eyes <span style="color: red;">Check!</span></div>
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Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn't change <span style="color: red;">Check!</span></div>
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Can hold head up & begins to push up when on tummy <span style="color: red;">Working on it, we hold him too much!</span></div>
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Makes smoother movements with arms & legs <span style="color: red;">Check!</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Most of you may laugh at my excitement but typically my babies are 1 to 2 months behind on everything, EVERYTHING! It's nice to read the milestones and rejoice that he is on track instead of being sad that he won't meet them for another month :) </span></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-32594830479050155252012-02-06T05:57:00.000-08:002012-02-06T05:57:48.255-08:00Fat Guy in a Little Coat!This is the first phrase I thought of while taking these pictures!! You will only get it if you were a Chris Farley fan back in the day, ha! My dear friend, <a href="http://awaken-photography.blogspot.com/">Amanda</a> came over to love on Isaac and of course take some pictures! He was just 1 month old! She was so excited because she had made him a nest to lay in for these pictures. There was only one issue...He grew too fast and was not fitting the "nest" the way we would have liked him to :) Check it out, they are still the cutest pictures but knowing he is way to big makes them even cuter!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-80945442560357026872011-12-05T13:31:00.001-08:002011-12-06T05:08:16.295-08:00The Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was me on November 24, Thanksgiving Day. Two days before we had Isaac. I think I changed 3 times before deciding on sweatpants and a shirt for the holiday apparel, ha!<br />
Now I look at the picture and it makes me smile, I was so big! I was carrying a 7 pound baby and was feeling pretty good other than the typical aches and pains and swelling.<br />
Thanksgiving Day was great! We had wonderful food, great company and a nice relaxing day. It's a good thing because Friday morning I was up and out of the house by 5am to get my Christmas shopping done! I knew that I would for sure have the baby before Christmas and my goal was to complete my shopping before he came. I was on a mission, had my list and was ready to shop!<br />
My mom and I shopped ALL DAY! We didn't get home until almost dinnertime! All & all I felt great that day, had some contractions but maybe one every once in a while, and certainly none that seemed to be labor. I did however notice that when I was contracting there was a burning sensation where my previous c section scar is. I decided that when we got home I would call the doc and see what she thinks. The doc wanted to monitor me for a while and was at the hospital so Craig and I headed up to WakeMed for what we thought would be a quick check and maybe an hour of monitoring...<br />
When I was checked around 8pm I was 3cm and not contracting, so the plan was to stay at the hospital overnight and go home in the morning if the burning went away. Sure enough, the burning went away so I sent Craig home to get some things so he could stay with me until morning. While he was gone, I started to contract pretty regularly. First they were every 7 minutes, so I sent him a text with my contractions timed out. Then they quickly went to every 5 minutes and suddenly became VERY painful!! The doc came in and checked me and said I was 5cm so I would not be going home, I would be staying and having a baby! Craig was back at the hospital by now and we were so excited! The excited quickly turned into tears from the pain. I couldn't tell if it was the burning sensation back again or if labor was really this painful. I requested an epidural and it worked for 10 minutes before falling out, so sad! My contractions were now every 2 minutes for over 2 hours and the worst pain I have every felt so the doc thought for sure I was complete and ready to push only to find out that I was still at 5cm... This was around 4am, I think. I wasn't really watching the time so much by now. She really stressed the importance of considering a c section again. The fact that I was in so much pain and contracting so close together for such a long period of time may be an indication of many things, one thing being a uterine rupture which would be very bad but unable to detect unless we did a c section. Craig was not comfortable at all waiting to see and really felt more comfortable going in for a repeat c section knowing that it would be safe, and the baby would be safe. So, off we went for a c section. At first I was a little nervous, actually a lot nervous! I have only had 1 other c section and it was an emergency and was very emotional and sad. This time was to be happy and peaceful, but I would not know that until I experienced it myself.<br />
I was given a spinal and as I lay there waiting for Craig to join me I prayed for peace and then felt like I needed Craig to be there, praying for me so as soon as I saw him walk in the room and sit with me I asked him to pray over us before they got started. I cannot explain the peace that came over all of us. Now we were ready to have a baby!<br />
The room was quiet, peaceful and everyone was very calm. No team of 20 NICU nurses and doctors waiting to run the baby off immediately, no emergency team on hand. We were having a full term healthy baby! In fact, Adele was playing in the backgroud and we were all VERY excited to hear the sweet sounds of a crying baby.<br />
Then it came, Isaac was here, crying, BIG!! We were able to see him immediately, hold him, and KEEP him! I was out of it for a while after because of all the drugs that were pumped into my system prior to surgery but to know he was fine and in the room with me and Craig was just priceless.<br />
Did I ever even think that I would have to have a repeat c-section? No, not at all. Izzie was breach and an emergency situation. All my other labors were very fast and there was never a problem dilating or delivering so the thought never even crossed my mind. Isaac was head down and ready to roll but the Lord had something else in mind. He took away my fear and anxiety over another c-section and replaced it with his peace. I knew that the Lord had this and was taking care of us no matter how Isaac entered the world and I have no regrets about our decision to have a repeat c-section.<br />
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I have had a tough time writing all of this out because its been such a long journey and I am still completely overwhelmed with the reality that we have home with us a healthy full term baby after 4 previous preterm labors and births. I won't go over the past 9 months because I have been blogging, but the Lord has really shown himself faithful to us. All we prayed for over and over was a full term healthy boy and the Lord graciously gave us our hearts desire. Yes, all other times we have prayed the same thing, but I cannot say honestly that it has been our hearts cry like it was this time. I have felt the Lord carry me through this pregnancy and the evidence is this little miracle at the end. Isaac Sullivan is a complete gift, a full miracle.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-16727521839059051432011-12-04T17:17:00.001-08:002011-12-04T18:45:44.222-08:00Introducing Isaac Sullivan Mayhugh!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our precious little man has finally arrived! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Isaac Sullivan Mayhugh </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">born November 26 at 5:12am</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> 7 pounds 7 ounces </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">20 1/4 inches long </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He is perfect, he is full term, he is healthy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He is our little (big) miracle.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are completely in love with him, completely.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stop growing sweet boy, cause I am enjoying every minute...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I will tell the whole story of my labor another time, for now, soak up his sweetness...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>I cannot believe we have FIVE kids!!</i></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-84523071466987703842011-11-21T18:20:00.001-08:002011-11-21T18:26:07.305-08:00Why am I just learning that a pregnancy is 10 months, not nine!!Truth is, I have always known that but never had to really think about cause I never get to this month!<br />
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Now that I am 37 weeks, mentally I am ready to have this baby, I am 9 months pregnant, let's get this show on the road baby!! I also know that I have 3 more weeks of growth for this baby to go through so I need to be patient and relax, 2 things I am no good at!<br />
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Today, I had a busy day and thought for sure I would go into labor. My mom had me walking the mall until I was begging to go home. My feet were soooo swollen and it actually hurt to walk to them. Why is that??<br />
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Just had to vent. I am so grateful to know that I am having a full term baby, I just didn't realize how tough this last month of pregnancy is! No wonder nobody ever talks about the 10th month, it's the torture your body month!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-4851225818842165832011-11-20T05:17:00.001-08:002011-11-20T06:01:43.782-08:00Even If...<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This has been me almost everyday this week: "Baby, wake up, I think I am in labor"only to find out each time it is either gas (embarrassing), fatigue, or normal aches and pains of being FULL TERM!! I am full term! I am going to go into labor and have a baby sometime in the next 3 weeks and have not a clue what this is going to look like. I have had 4 other children but labor has always been a bad thing. It's always been traumatic. This time I don't know what to expect and it's kind of funny since it''s my 5th child! I think my body is confused too. One day I am a puffy mess, the next I am fine. One day I am contracting and it hurts the walk, then I go to bed and wake up feeling great! </span></i><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Craig and I just laugh at all this stuff, cause it's funny to see me so large, and pregnant. We have officially gone from praying these labor signs mean nothing weeks ago to anxiously awaiting the moment when it is time to head to the hospital. Craig is sooooo excited. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>I should know that I am not going into labor until I am full term, that's what we prayed fervently for and that is the confidence that I have been surrounded by this entire 9 months. I shouldn't' be surprised, but oh I am sooo surprised!!</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>9 months ago when we found out we were expecting, our struggle all along was believing in God's abilities, to know that he is still sovereign and in control and loving on us even if this pregnancy did not go to term. I have been reading through the bible and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego really spoke to me months ago when I was early on in my pregnancy. I started to feel anxious and wonder how I would handle having another preemie and how would I explain my confidence in God if he didn't come through for us and give us a full term healthy baby? </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Many verses I have clung to but this story gave me a confidence. These 3 men are being thrown into fire for not worshiping idles and before being thrown in they are asked "How will your God save you once you are thrown into the fire?" Their response I loved </i><sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-21800" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">17</sup><i> If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, <b>the God whom we serve is able to save us</b>. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. </i><sup class="versenum" id="en-NLT-21801" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">18</sup><i> </i><b style="font-style: italic;">But even if he doesn’t</b><i>, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>This story gave me a clarity and confidence that God is still God, a loving God, EVEN IF he doesn't answer our prayers directly, or so specifically. God's love NEVER fails, NEVER changes. Our hearts may, or our doubts may creep in, but God, He remains the same. Ever since I read that and prayed for that confidence I have felt that confidence. I have had moments of doubt but been gently reminded that God is God, even if...</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>I had to make a choice to rest in His love and peace regardless of what lies ahead, and so I did :)</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Now, I am 37 weeks today!! I am so blown away that I almost feel undeserving of this blessing. He has given us our hearts desire and yet I am so humbled but this gift. Now my prayer has changed to full on praise. I knew God was able, but now I have seen his sovereign hand of protection over me and this child and give Him ALL the credit, all the praise. It took 4 traumatic little miracles babies to bring me to my knees and realize this. 13 years of wondering why me, poor me.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Now I see it... God wanted me to love Him, believe in Him, serve Him, EVEN IF...</i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-36406541990255047622011-11-19T06:15:00.000-08:002011-11-19T06:15:12.341-08:00A Family Torn...If you follow me on twitter or happen to be my "Facebook friend" you have seen my never ending posts about our dear friends Josh & Tasha Via. Since last October they have been going through the process of adopting a child from the orphanage that our church built in Uganda. In September they were finally given a court date and traveled over there with their 3 kids to bring little Alethia home. I remember the day they left and feeling so excited that the time had finally come to go get this precious baby! I had the privilege of meeting her and putting new shoes and clothes on her when I went to Uganda last October, so I feel like she is my little niece :)
Since the day they arrived there they have faced situations that to us seem so frustrating and hopeless, and yet to them they are resting in their faithful heavenly Father every step, every obstacle, everyday. Through a series of delays and things they were finally approved, given custody and set to come home today! Their very last appointment was a no brainer, obtain a visa at the US Embassy. It is the US after all right? The hard part was over, getting a Muslim Ugandan judge to grant custody to a US Christian family was the tough part right?
They were denied the visa for reasons that are truly unknown cause they keep changing the laws in the embassy. We could sit and guess and wonder but what's the point. The reality is they are trying to bring their new child home and cannot. The sadness in all of this is that many many people have pulled from their many many resources and unless the embassy changed their mind, there is nothing anyone can do.
But God...
God is still in control, He is the mountain mover, not our senators, not our embassy workers, or lawyers, but God. So today I beg everyone who reads my blog to share it with everyone they know and get on your knees in prayer for this family. Follow their blogging, they're story just over these past 2 months is such a great story of a hope and faith that I only dream of having. (http://alethiagrace.wordpress.com and the password is TRUTH)
Today Tasha is flying back to NC with her 2 older children leaving behind her husband and new child in Uganda. This family is literally being torn apart and need prayer and support. They do not know what lies ahead, they only know that this could be a very long process and they are resting completely on the Lord for a miracle.
God is able. I know it. I have seen him at work and KNOW this is only the beginning of a great work of the Lord. When I see how many people the Lord has brought together over the past week I am amazed.
Today is National Adoption Day and many families are still waiting for that precious child to call their own, let's all pray today to fill them all with hope that someday soon they will..Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-11042030618777898052011-11-13T17:35:00.001-08:002011-11-13T18:06:01.301-08:0036 weeks :)So, I have been off of bed rest for 1 week today! This week, I enjoyed cleaning the house, taking care of my children again, cooking a few meals, taking Maggie to preschool, and today I got up and went to church!! I haven't been to church in nearly 3 months, so you can imagine the reactions I received, ha!! Most of my friends at church have never seen me this pregnant, or this big. Usually I deliver before I swell, or outgrown maternity clothes, ha! It was awesome, the highlight of my week was for sure going to church again and being able to worship with my church family and sit and listen to our pastor preach very passionately on the end times, what a perfect Sunday to come back!<br />
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This has been the busiest week of my life, I am shocked this baby has stayed put!<br />
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My parents came into town with my grandparents on Tuesday. They were traveling to Florida so stopped in on their way down and stayed overnight. I LOVE my grandparents, love em!! We have a great time listening to stories, and watching my grandma play the piano like a pro still!! Maggie LOVES grandma and I will say she loves my grandpa too, but he likes to scare her so she was not a big fan this time, ha! Izzie, however, LOVED grandpa!! She loved to talk to him and call him silly names like peanut butter!<br />
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Did I mention that my dad is back from Iraq and we finally got to see him too!! Maggie and Izzie were a little possessive of him, which I knew they would be! It was sooo nice to see my parents together again, even if it was for not even 24 hours, but they are coming back for the baby's birth, I hope! Right now they are spending the week with my brother's family in Georgia and praying this baby stays put through this week. Time will tell...<br />
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On Wednesday my sisters surprised me and came to my house on Wednesday night so they could help me out for the weekend. Little did I also know that my dear friend from way back in middle school also surprised me and came down for the weekend. I promised, I have not laughed that much in a long time!! I needed that time with my girls, we had a blast!! I am pretty sure they were all hoping little Isaac would make an appearance this weekend, but nope! He is holding on strong!<br />
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Thursday I had another ultrasound and Isaac looked great!! He is a big boy, ready any day and looking like he will be a strong healthy boy! God's protection over me and this baby throughout this pregnancy still overwhelms me when I sit and think about the past 9 months. How could you ever doubt God's abilities when you see my odds!!<br />
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Also this weekend I had a celebration luncheon to celebrate this full term baby!! It was so nice to sit and hang out with my dear friends and sisters and stuff ourselves full with appetizers and cheesecake. Now I am ready to have this baby!<br />
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Saturday we celebrated my son Trent's birthday! I cannot believe that he is 13, where oh where did the time go?! I may be ready for a newborn, but I am not ready for the teen years, that's a fact!<br />
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Whew! Today, we went to church, I came home and crashed!!<br />
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With all this activity, you would think this baby would be out by now, but nope! My only issues after a week full of activity would be my poor puffy hands and feet. They are sad, really sad. I had to buy new shoes for my cankles and that made me very sad. Everyone tells me that the swelling goes away when I deliver the baby, lets hope so! I have also been having a few crazy episodes where I start to sweat, shake and feel like I will pass out. It lasts about 10 minutes and then I am okay. I mentioned it to the doc and she said BP, pulse, and sugars look good so maybe at times the baby is sitting on a nerve that causes those symptoms. It is not my sciatica nerve, I know that.<br />
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36 weeks, I am carrying a nearly full term big boy! He weighs around 6 pounds and still has 4 weeks to grow. I am tempted to tell my prayers warriors to take it easy on the "full term" prayers, ha!!<br />
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Thanks for the prayers, every single one of them! They have carried me through times when I don't want to pray, when I am tired, grouchy and want to give up on bed rest. I know I am protected, covered in God's healing hands and I am confident in His abilities and only pray that through this others will see God and only God. Yes, I have been on bed rest, I am taking a lot more supplements, and seeing a chiropractor, but God lead me to those decisions. He convicted me to take bed rest seriously and sacrifice this time for His child and I did. He provided amazing help for me and my family at the right time and I am so thankful for how God has provided for us.<br />
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I cannot wait to hold this little (big) miracle in my arms, welcome him into our home, and raise him to love the Lord that kept him safe in my womb for 36 weeks (and counting)!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-32102033793511065782011-11-07T12:15:00.000-08:002011-11-07T12:15:06.029-08:00Perspective can be such a B...Blessing! Really, did you really thing I would go there?! At least I got you to open this blog post, ha!<br />
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Today is my first day off official bedrest, I am 35 weeks and in the clear. Craig headed back to work and I am back to my duties as a mom and homemaker. One problem, I have somehow forgotten how to be a mom with order, peace, patience, and a happy heart. I have forgotten how to take the kids to the grocery store and have the girls sit in the cart without fighting and trying to get down. Ohhhhh, I have been a very grouchy, very mean mommy today. So I started to write this blog about how tough my day has been, how it is so hard to go from bedrest to no rest. Then, I got an email from one of my <a href="http://www.alethiagrace.wordpress.com/">most treasured friends</a> and what she had to say brought me to my knees, literally. I was in tears for her, in tears over my poor attitude. So, I thought I would share her story. I know she won't mind because IF you read this, you MUST pray for her family IMMEDIATELY, and I know she will covet your prayers :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.alethiagrace.wordpress.com/">Josh & Tasha Via</a>, our dear friends, are in Uganda. They have been in Uganda since September 26 wrapping up a year long process of adopting their precious little Ugandan daughter, Alethia Grace. The plan was to fly over a week before their court date of October 5 in order to bond with their new daughter before they were granted the adoption. Did I mention that they also flew over to Uganda with their 3 children; Areyna (6), Zeke (5), Cai (2), and Tasha is pregnant and was 20 weeks pregnant when they left! They appeared at their first court appointment only to wait from 10am until 5pm and find out the judge was not even there! So, they had to wait to be issued another court date. Fortunately they were issued one pretty quickly, but the date was over 3 weeks later than the first court date. Already, they are 4 weeks into what is supposed to be a 6 week process and nothing accomplished. Over the 3 weeks of waiting, they have held on strong. Teaching the kids the culture, learning the Uganda way, and bonding with their new little girl. They were thrilled to find out that Josh's mom and sister got on a plane to support them for a few weeks. Can you imagine feeling so drained and then your mom and sister show up to help, ugh, it makes me cry just to think of it! So, October 28 came up and they appeared in court and yes, the judge was there, yippee!! The story of their day of court is amazing, a true miracle and gift from the Lord. They were granted the adoption, from a Muslim judge, a judge that was not a fan of Christ followers in his country. Tasha was a rock start that day and the Lord used her words to soften the heart of this judge, praise the Lord! The next step is the next court date, which is typically a week later. All they need at this court date is a paper with a signature from the judge allowing the adoption so they can then take all the papers to the Embassy and get this family back home. Sounds so simple, right?! It looked like it was simple too because they got word that the letter was typed and waiting for the judge's signature. So, they drove a few hours, lost the suitcase that contained EVERYTHING in it, pulled over only to recover it just in time from a man who was attempting to load it into his car, only to find out that no, the judge didn't show up to court again. Day after day, which leads us to today. Today Tasha went to court for that paper that just needed a signature. Yes, the judge was there, yes! So she waits and waits, hours, only to find out that they had lied. The paper was not typed up therefor the judge had nothing to sign...<br />
The Via's are currently in week 7, they should be flying home today on a plane, with their whole new family. Instead, they are still waiting for a signature and then to go and wait on the Embassy to decide when they will complete their paperwork. Today they had to reschedule their flight home from November 7th to November 20th. Please pray that there is not one more hold up and that they will be able to fly home on this date, together, as a family...<br />
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I tell their short story to explain my perspective shift. I was so grouchy over a few stressful hours of disobedience, tears from my toddlers, and an occasional hitting problem. My friend has been in Uganda, dealing with touch & go electricity, handwashing clothes for their family of 6, taking cold showers with critters watching her, praying she doesn't get Malaria, and doing a great job keeping her 4 kids content in a 3rd world country. Not to mention the emotional roller coaster her family has been put through hanging onto every positive word they can as they wait on the Ugandan courts to grant this adoption. All of this has yes been very tough for them, and she has been VERY honest about her feelings, and yet her faith in the Lord to get her through this is unshakable! I hope she comes home and writes a book! (hint hint, Tasha!)<br />
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Here is a quick recap of her stressful day today...<br />
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<i><b>"I should have started bawling right then and there, but the tears
never came. Only peace and reassurance that can only come from God. It
was kind of surreal. I’d been talking to Farouk, our agency contact
over here in Uganda, and he has such wisdom and encouragement. He is
sympathetic while still be realistic in a way that no one else has been
able to be. He just looked at me, clearly saddened by our
circumstances, but hopeful that Thursday was the day and that we would
be able to submit everything to the Embassy on Friday. Then he told me
that everything happens for a reason and we just have to be patient,
reminding me that at least we knew that we had a favorable ruling and
that is the hardest part!</b></i><br />
<i><b>So, although I miss carpet under my feet, paved roads without all the
pot holes, ice, a predictable schedule, no fear of Malaria, good toilet
paper, my sweet Micaiah, my spacious house, friends and family, and the
list goes on and on, I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord is
at work, and we are in His favor and He kept our documents safe, and
the boda driver alive, and He is watching over our son, as well as
perfectly mapping out the signing of our ruling, as well as the
remainder of our journey here. I know that because He promises to watch
over His children and He promises not to give us more than we can
handle. I clearly just need a little more refining in the patience
department;)" - <a href="http://www.alethiagrace.wordpress.com/">Tasha Via</a></b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b>(Side note: Please click on the link with their name and read their entire journey, its amazing! It is password protected and the password is TRUTH)</b></i><br />
<i><b> </b></i><br />
You see, I have electricity, I have running water, an abundance of food, clothing, a car, internet, electricity that doesn't fail. I have everything I need and yet I allow my kids grouchy hearts to ruin my day and make me unaware of all of our blessings, our health, our comforts. If I could only keep an eternal perspective in the heat of any moment, maybe my kids wouldn't struggle so much with obedience, kindness, anger, and yelling. If only they saw mommy being obedient to the Lord, they would understand what complete obedience is, how to surrender every thought and action to the Lord and allow Him to redeem it. <i><b> </b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><br />
<i><b>You see, perspective can be such a B, can't it!</b></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-23680032387813093782011-11-06T07:00:00.000-08:002011-11-06T07:00:06.029-08:00I've Never...I've never been 35 weeks, until today!!<br />
<br />
I've never had time to be scared of labor and delivery, until today!!<br />
<br />
I've never had time to think "is this a normal pain, or is it labor?", until today!!<br />
<br />
I've never grown OUT of my maternity clothes, until today!!<br />
<br />
I've never felt such a strong baby kicking my insides, until today!!<br />
<br />
I've never been so tired, until today!!<br />
<br />
I've never known what it was like to go into labor and know that my baby is going to be okay, until today!!<br />
<br />
Until today, I have always feared for the worst, prayed for the best, and just wondered what it would be liked to be heavy, full term, and desperate to deliver this baby! I am not even technically full term for another 2 weeks, but to me, this is full term. To my doctors, I am full term!<br />
<br />
My appointment on Thursday went great! I love my practice, every week I show up pregnant they are sooo thrilled to see me! We had fun guessing when I would deliver, how big the baby would be, and how much of a miracle it is to see that I am still pregnant! My doctor's guess is this...<br />
Born: November 17/18<br />
Weight: 6 - 6 1/2 pounds<br />
Length: 19/20 inches<br />
<br />
I can't wait to see if that is true! In the meantime, since I have gone this far, I have had a ton of requests. Let's see, my mother is in panic mode and is begging me not to go into labor until November 20. That is the soonest she can get here. My sisters are coming to visit me next weekend and would LOVE if I went into labor while they were here. My son thinks it would be really cool to deliver on his birthday, November 13. My Macey is<br />
going to Florida for a Taylor Swift concert and is requesting that I hold out until she comes home around the 14/15th. My husband has in his head that I will have the baby on November 26. My dear friends are leaving for Uganda for their adoption on November 22 and would love to see this baby before they leave. My other dear friends are coming home from Uganda with their new little girl around November 20 and would love to see me still pregnant!<br />
<br />
I love it! I love that I have come far enough that I can even hear these requests. Just so everyone of you know, I have told little Sully each request, he is considering each one carefully, but so far is happy where he is. I am happy where he is and would love to see how much farther I can go! Who knows, maybe I will actually go into labor when he is full term! Maybe I will be like all the other miserable 40 weekers out there trying to pay off their OBGYN to get this baby out! Only the Lord knows, and I can't wait to see when that date will be!<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I will be praying more specifically as fear is setting in! I am praying for a healthy baby, a fast labor, a drama free labor, a sweet "little" baby, and a daytime delivery! I have always gone into labor in the middle of the night and this time, I want my family here with us, to celebrate! I want my children with me loving on their new sibling. So, I am praying specifically for my desires. The Lord has carried me so far and I can see Him smiling so big, even as I write this. He just thinks its so great to give us our hearts desires! I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father that delights to please us! It's like watching our children open a gift that they have begged for and seeing the joy in their eyes as they realize they got just what they asked for!<br />
<br />
Oh, 1 more "I've never"<br />
<br />
I've never been so confident in the Lord and I never want to be at a place of doubting Him again. He is able!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1 Samuel 1:27-28</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-7240" style="line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">27</sup> I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-7241" style="line-height: normal; vertical-align: text-top;">28</sup> So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” </b></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-71120764067659505502011-10-30T07:13:00.000-07:002011-10-30T07:13:59.036-07:0034 Week Goal Reached Today!Huge, no appetite, nauseous, tired, baby kicks hurt instead of tickle, can't stop peeing, did I mention tired already?!<br />
All of this is completely normal and yet I have not ever been to this point! At the same time, I am only telling you how I am feeling these days, I am NOT complaining, not yet, ha!! I am beyond thrilled to be able to feel all of this nearly full term aches and pains cause it is one day closer to having a full term baby boy! Which leads me to my next thought...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYnTsYnGvSZUYLSsqZMw6VSgq04pVVf5PqJb0Y1UplqD9u4mXNQPx9EDS2mgeeOgYEFjtbD7sTL4Wuu9CsAZkPUt8sIMK2HC_dixlrhsz7UTgUvdtNAU6oRJ-CyoAX1u6pdH1oAfffzYn/s1600/Image+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYnTsYnGvSZUYLSsqZMw6VSgq04pVVf5PqJb0Y1UplqD9u4mXNQPx9EDS2mgeeOgYEFjtbD7sTL4Wuu9CsAZkPUt8sIMK2HC_dixlrhsz7UTgUvdtNAU6oRJ-CyoAX1u6pdH1oAfffzYn/s640/Image+4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
My 4th and final goal is reached!! I am 34 weeks pregnant!! Have I ever come this far? Yes, I had Trent at 34 weeks, but the drama that led up to his delivery was awful. I started labor around 28 weeks and was put on awful meds to stop the labor, then sent home to bed rest, which didn't last long. Then I lived in the hospital until they could hold me no longer at 34 weeks. When he was born, I had a fever, he had a fever, we were both pretty sick...<br />
<br />
Moving ON...<br />
<br />
Thursday I had my weekly checkup. Since I am high risk, I have been seen every week since week 28, just to keep a watchful eye :) Well, when the nurses saw me this week you would've thought I was the president (Maybe not Obama, lets go with a Bush, or Reagan)! They were so excited to see that I am still here, still pregnant! They know me very well by now and I love them all! Since I have never been this far, I was given work to do. I have to preregister to the hospital, carry around my records, and count kicks? This is all of the sudden feeling like my first pregnancy!!! My appointment went GREAT!! There is nothing going on, even though I am contracting a lot, it's all normal. I am not dilated at all, and the baby is not dropping yet either, all great news! I was also told that as of this coming week if I were to go into labor, I would have a "normal" labor and delivery! No stopping labor, no drama, just what happens in the movies, you wake up, figure out you are in labor and go to the hospital for a blissful delivery :) I am not that naive!! This is my 5th baby after all. At this point I am praying only for a healthy baby. If it takes 36 hours of labor to get there, so be it (Maybe I will start praying for a short labor too)!<br />
<br />
Anticipation is now setting in. Not that I have ever been prepared for the babies cause they come so early, but this time I have the opportunity to plan and so I am prepared to have a baby! I packed for the hospital last week, yes! This week I purchased all of my last minute things and found a great stroller, the car seat is loaded with the girls baby doll in it, and the bath is ready for a tiny boy to relax in:) The bath, by the way, is so cool! I love gadgets and so does Craig so we are suckers for new gadgety things! Look it up, the <a href="http://pujbaby.com/products-page/puj-tub/puj-tub/">PUJ</a>. Its small, fits into a sink and then unfolds flat to dry and weighs NOTHING! I love gadgets! Speaking of gadgets, Craig's step mom Terri has been down helping us and she took me to pick up my last minute things and surprised me by getting the gadget of all gadgets! It's by <a href="http://www.4moms.com/mamaroo">4moms </a>and it the the smallest, coolest swing I have ever seen! It doesn't take batteries and you can plug in your iPod while it adjusts to 5 different types of motions for the baby! It is amazing how things change in 3 small years!! Don't get me started on the diaper options, breastfeeding accessories and developmental toys! I had to stop myself and remind myself that we were sticking to the basics and be proud, we did!<br />
<br />
Pray for us as we enter the next 6 weeks. I have never entered the next 6 weeks. I have never felt these weird pains, so every ache and pain I wonder if its labor. I need to chill out and know that I HAVE been in labor before so I will know when its the real thing. So, this is me at 34 weeks, free of hospital, free of IV's, but still on bed rest. I will take it!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-24887375868369406612011-10-29T06:48:00.000-07:002011-10-29T06:48:25.314-07:00Doing better now :)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last week I realize that my post what sort of sad. I shared my heart and what I was struggling through. I thought it was only right to update everyone on my emotional state:)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God is so great! He hears our cries, he knows our hearts and wants to lift our heads out of the pit. Being honest about where I was happened to be a great step in the right direction. I could think back and give myself a little bit of grace for the moment. I could remember that it is God that lifts my head, not myself, or Craig or my family or even my wonderful friends. I will say, the encouragement I have received has been awesome, but I know that is a result of God putting the perfect people in my life to surround me right now. He knows my needs before I even speak of them, that just amazes me!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Psalm 3:3-4</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">But you, O LORD, are</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><sup class="xref" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-13961E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">a shield</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><sup class="xref" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-13961F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">about me,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> my glory, and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><sup class="xref" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-13961G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">the lifter of my head.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><sup class="xref" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-13962H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">cried aloud to the LORD,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> and he</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><sup class="xref" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-13962I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">answered me from his</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><sup class="xref" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.5em; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-13962J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">holy hill.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">So today, I am resting in the Lord, I want to, I have to. I have a few short weeks left on bed rest so knowing I may have another meltdown is fine, it's how I choose to handle it; alone or with the Lord fighting for me, lifting my head...</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433776406626625308.post-35445288022334543892011-10-25T12:30:00.000-07:002011-10-25T12:30:40.358-07:00This too shall pass...<br />
<br />
I am in the home stretch of bed rest and have gone through many phases of emotions while on bed rest...<br />
<br />
Phase 1: Weeks 20-26, the "I can do this" phase!<br />
I felt great but knew that I needed to rest and learn to accept help when offered. I did a great job at this considering that I NEVER ask for help, I am self sufficient and do not like asking for help, at all. I know, totally a pride issue, but God clearly smacked me in the face with this one and gave me no choice but to swallow my pride and accept the help, so I did! My attitude was great (in my opinion, but don't ask Craig!), I was relying totally on God for a happy heart and good perspective. Phase 1 was a great phase!<br />
<br />
Phase 2: Weeks 27-32, the "Wow, look how far I've come" phase!<br />
This is when STRICT bed rest came into play. I had Craig's stepmom come live with us for a few weeks, then my baby sister came down, to make sure that I did NOTHING. I had to get past the "danger" zone and that I did!! I was determined to get through the point when I had preterm labor and then delivered Izzie, Maggie and Macey. I did it! I had soooo much help from friends and family and am soooo incredibly grateful that the Lord carried me through this phase with no major issues. Seeing how far the Lord carried me got me through this phase.<br />
<br />
Phase 3: Weeks 33-37, the "I think I can, I know I can, but I am just too tired to listen anymore" phase!<br />
I just started this phase and feel like a brick has hit me square in the face this week. I am done. I am exhausted. I am feeling failure, anger, sadness, guilt, anxiety, etc. Everything that I need to give up to the Lord, I am not. I am holding on tight to these terrible, no good emotions and feelings and so far this week not doing anything to change my current state of mind. The only good thing is that I am WELL AWARE of my state of mind, I know it is not doing me any good, but I am quickly melting down... Let's just wait until this phase is over to truly evaluate it. Today is NOT the day...<br />
<br />
I say all of this to remind myself of something that my <a href="http://www.takeajourney.org/">great pastor</a> said on Sunday. When we are on the mountaintop, God is pruning us, preparing us for the valley. God is strengthening our souls for what is on the horizon. Yes, I was moody and had my moments the first 32 weeks of pregnancy, I am not saying that I was a walking praise song by any means, but really, I was on the mountaintop! I was praising the Lord for every positive appointment, every week that passed and Isaac was still in my tummy growing like a weed! I was thankful, thankful just to be given any opportunity to praise Him for the miracle he is about to perform by keeping His hand on me during this pregnancy. I accepted the help, I was thankful for whatever came my way and appreciated all the little things Craig was doing to keep me happy and comfortable. Once again, don't ask Craig's opinion on this, I don't claim to be perfect :)<br />
<br />
So what changed? I don't know. Maybe it was Izzie throwing up all Saturday night and feeling so helpless. It could've been that my birthday was Thursday and I spent the entire day at the doctor. Yesterday was Izzie's birthday and I failed her. If it wasnt for my precious daughter Macey, there would've been no party at all. She baked and decorated a cake, went into Harris Teeter with my debit card and bought balloons to celebrate with pizza for dinner! She is truly amazing. It could've been when Maggie started throwing up at 4:30 this morning and I had to go into mom mode, getting no sleep the rest of the night, cleaning up puke and disinfecting, washing sheets, towels and toilets and realizing, yes, today is the day that I am SUPPOSED to celebrate 14 years of wedded bliss to my husband Craig, only I am exhausted, grouchy, and in no mood to celebrate anything. Basically, this week has been an epic fail and it's only Tuesday. I am feeling the affects of bed rest this week because it is a busy week. Typically, I LOVE to celebrate my birthday. It's a big deal to me, and maybe me only, ha!! I LOVE to celebrate my kids, and didn't do that well either, and our anniversary. The day isn't over, but I am still in my pjs. Not very romantic for Craig to come home to. You can call me Debbie Downer today. I am going to shower, pray, read and pray that the Lord delivers me from this pit of self pitty. It's not a fun place to be..Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02983661317115865633noreply@blogger.com6