29 Weeks Pregnant, Halloween!

I've seen those pictures of pregnant women painting their big bellies to look like basketballs or pumpkins or what-have-you, but that's just not me.  I find it mildly repulsive.  I find it immodest.  Needless to say, I wouldn't do that to myself. 

So I will not have a painted belly for Halloween.  I am not sure that I will dress up at all.  Where we live is on a highway and we don't get many trick-or-treaters.  Last year, we had not even one kid!  The good news is that I get to stay home, warm and comfy, while Hubbers and the kids go out and troll for treats.  And bring them home to me to plunder sort check.

Meanwhile, my baby is 29 weeks!!  I start my every 2 week midwife visits next week.  I had a horrible itchy rash on my chest last time and we talked about a few different ways to treat it.  It doesn't look or act like a yeast, but she suggested I treat it as such.  The apple cider vinegar wash helped a little bit with the itches, but didn't remove or heal it.  The dandelion root herb didn't seem to do much.  The probiotic was expensive and perhaps unnecessary.  I finally took matters into my own hands.



A few months ago I had a case of ringworm.  It's not worms, it's a fungus you get from animals that spend time outside shaped like a ring on your skin.  The only thing that cured that was Absorbine Jr.  That stuff is a miracle!  It fixed the ringworm FAST, though it did sting.

I decided to try the Absorbine Jr on my unidentified rash.  It worked overnight.  The itching stopped dead.  The rash has disappeared.  I'm relieved in so many ways.  Going to keep a bottle of this miracle on hand for the REST OF MY LIFE!



I'm linking up at My Joy Filled Life today.  The question is to share some scriptures that have been on my heart.  I don't have any specifics, but the ones that speak of the care and love God the Father has for me in particular have been touching my heart so much lately.  We've had some financial struggles and been very worried over money, but every time I feel like I'm at the end of what I can handle, KLOVE's encouraging word or the daily missal reading swoops in to save me.

Praise you, Jesus.

Here's an update on the Baby Bean via The Bump:

Baby already measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long. Right now, we weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds but he's still got a ways to go -- can you believe he'll triple in weight before birth?

• She's getting a little cramped in there, since she's growing so fast. But you probably already realize that, since you're getting all those jabs and kicks.
• She's growing white fat deposits under her skin, and her energy is surging because of it.
• Feel a subtle twitch? It might be baby hiccupping.

If - Then

I am doing my best to raise my children as God intended me to in this vocation.  And I'm often at a loss, especially for the older kids, for a punishment to match the "crime".  It's easy to punish the three year old with a time out or quick swat to the butt (if it's serious, like running in the street when told to stop).  But what about the older kids?  Sadly, I don't always remember that they lost their computer time or dessert.  I try to write it down to remind myself, but don't always make it in the heat of the moment.

I have a copy of a nifty chart on the cork board in my bedroom.  It's right by the bathroom door so that I see it whenever I walk past.  I've had it for years, but when I saw it in full color on the Raising Arrows website, I knew I had to share it here.

The chart is a Biblical reference chart for punishment.  I'm putting a small image of the front of the chart here for your viewing pleasure, but you can get the whole chart, in its complete form, at the Raising Arrows post.  I know that Amy won't mind seeing you visit!

I Stand with Komen

By now, I'm sure you have heard that the Susan G. Komen foundation has severed it's ties with the nation's abortion giant, Planned Parenthood.  While I wish I could be snarky and write a mean epitaph instead of the horrible name that is about anything BUT parenthood, I will refrain.

Join me in signing the petition to thank the Susan G. Komen foundation for breaking off supporting this murder machine by visiting I Stand with Komen.  You can also see them on Facebook.

In my own humble words, on my own humble blog, thank you so very much for supporting the cause of life.

Walking Through Fire

A Twitter friend wrote this article and I just enjoyed reading so very much.  There is so much truth inside her words that I just couldn't NOT share it with you.  There is so much running away from the hard things in life, especially in marriage.  One out of every 2 marriages ends in divorce.  How sad is that?

True.  I have never had a divorce of my own.  But also true, my mother has been through two, so I have been through two.  My parents divorced when I was in the fifth grade.  Can you imagine what trauma that was to an on-the-cusp preteen who was already dissatisfied with her self image?  Not to mention that on top of the divorce, my mom went out and started dating immediately and eventually brought home the biggest loser of all: my physically and verbally abuse to children, unfaithful to her, first step-father.

Yes.  She apologizes left and right for this mistake.  And she is now married to the very best man around, other than my own dad.  But imagine what this taught my vulnerable self?  Marriage was temporary at best and not something to stay committed to for long.  And any old guy to hop in the sack with was okay: the kids and their feelings sure didn't matter.

I'm not saying stay married for the kids' sake, especially if the marriage is abusive.  But God doesn't want us to divorce, be abusive or make the wrong choices.  My religion tells me that no man can dissolve what He has united in marriage.

So read this article in its fullness.  Please take the time to read and ponder upon it. Pray about it.  Pray for those who feel that divorce is the easiest (and only) answer.  May God with them and you.  It starts out like this:

If ever there was a romance that started off with a bang it was ours. It was love at first sight—the kind of love affair that many have trouble believing exists until they find themselves swept up in one of their own. We fell, rolled head over heels, and saw stars. It was cliché, yes, but also extraordinary.

Continue reading Refined by Fire

Another great read by a Twitter "tweep": Hooking Up, Shacking Up & Other Marriage Busters


image courtesy MorgueFile

Have You Seen?

This is our newest miracle, baby M. 

 

She was born January 23, 2011 at 3.22 am.  She weighed 9 lbs 4 oz and was 21.5 inches long.  Baby M was born at home, right on our couch, with wonderful midwives in attendance.

She is 4 weeks old now and I still find myself reliving her birth each Saturday night.  It was an amazing birth experience, my first at home.  M is child number 6 for us, so there may be no other babies for us.  We're still praying over that one.

M was kind enough to wait until the day after we got the car to fit all the people in our house all at once.  The kids call it the Party Bus.

Fingertip Grips Holding Pattern

I'm  still trying to decide if we go Midwife for homebirth or freebirth (no attendant).  You can read the backstory here and here.  I bought several books on emergency childbirth and am asking Hubbers to read them, since it will all be on his shoulders if we freebirth.  As of now, he tells me he will be more comfortable with a professional attendant there.  I'm still freaked out by the money.  $3300 or more!

I've been praying for an answer to this question for several weeks now.  I haven't heard an answer yet, but God has His time, and I mine.  They don't often match up.  A good friend just told me that He will answer and she believes that a freebirth would be just fine for us. 

And it's true.  95% of labor and birth is completely free of problems.  But it's the remaining 5% that scares the socks off me.  I would be out of my mind if something happened to our baby that could have been prevented with professional attendance.

I read a post by A Wife Loved Like the Church today that provided me a Bible quote I really liked:

“They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.” Psalm 112:7

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” Psalm 103:4


Yes, this speaks to me today, worry wart control freak and all.  God is with me in all things, great and small.  My heart needs to relax and all will be revealed by Him in His time.  So pray for me, my patience, my listening, and my required answer.

Mary's Ultrasound

source

Today - A Visit to the Dr

I am off to the OB at 11 today to see what the reason for the spotting over the weekend was about.  Thankfully it's stopped, not continued into a miscarriage, but the fright is still there. 

In about an hour, I will see my baby on the screen again.  The greatest relief I had when I saw the heartbeat about two weeks ago is something I savor daily.  Life.  It's heartbreaking to remember when I saw Michael on the ultrasound, still and lifeless, and contemplate seeing this baby that way.

I am petrified.  I feel like the glass on the verge of breaking, so fragile and brittle.  I'm afraid to hope.  And yet I feel the peace of God around me like loving arms.  He is my protector and will see me through anything yet to come.  I cling to that.

So pray for me and baby7 as I know many of you are.  I can feel His love around me, and yours, through your prayers.

Buy Stock in Kleenex Now...

Oh my, this one is a tear jerker! Imagine your beautiful baby being born deaf.  Not hearing you from inside the womb, not knowing your voice instinctively, not turning a blinding smile on you from sheer joy in your sounds.  The thought is hard for me, as a mom of 5 "normal" children.  I wouldn't have missed that from them for anything.

But just imagine that your child was born this way in this day and age.  We have the technology to "fix" that!  Cochlear implants are amazing things.  (Remember on ER when Peter's baby, Reese, didn't get the implants?) I found this video so amazing and sweet, beautiful and heart rending that I just had to share it.

After you watch, kiss your babies and thank the Father of all for his blessings.

Hubble Ultra Deep Space

Five Things

There are five things that you cannot recover in life:



(1) The Stone..........after it's thrown,

(2) The Word..............after it's said,

(3) The Occasion......after it's missed

(4) The Time............after it's gone.

(5) A person..............after they die

Kissing the Face of God

A canvas by Morgan Weistling

Forest Gump and St. Peter

When Forrest Gump died, he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter said, "Welcome, Forrest. We've heard a lot about you." He continued, "Unfortunately, it's getting pretty crowded up here and we find that we now have to give people an entrance examination before we let them in."

"Okay," said Forrest. "I hope it's not too hard. I've already been through a test. My momma used to say, 'Life is like a final exam. It's hard.' "

"Yes, Forrest, I know. But this test is only three questions. Here they are."

1) Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'?
2) How many seconds are in a year?
3) What is God's first name?

"Well, sir," said Forrest, "The first one is easy. Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'? Today and Tomorrow."

St. Peter looked surprised and said, "Well, that wasn't the answer I was looking for, but you have a point. I give you credit for that answer."

"The next question," said Forrest, "How many seconds are in a year? Twelve."

"Twelve?" said St. Peter, surprised and confused.

"Yes, sir. January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd ..."

St. Peter interrupted him. "I see what you mean. I'll have to give you credit for that one, too."

"And the last question," said Forrest, "What is God's first name? It's Andy."

"Andy?" said St. Peter, in shock. "How did you come up with 'Andy'?"

"I learned it in church. We used to sing about it." Forrest broke into song, "Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me, Andy tells me I am His own."

St. Peter opened the gate to heaven and said, "Run, Forrest, Run!"

God's Answers

HANDY LITTLE CHART - GOD HAS A POSITIVE ANSWER:

YOU SAY	GOD SAYS	BIBLE VERSES
You say: 'It's impossible'	God says: All things are possible	(Luke 18:27)
You say: 'I'm too tired'	God says: I will give you rest	(Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: 'Nobody really loves me'	God says: I love you	(John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )
You say: 'I can't go on'	God says: My grace is sufficient	(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: 'I can't figure things out'	God says: I will direct your steps	(Proverbs 3:5- 6)
You say: 'I can't do it'	God says: You can do all things	(Philippians 4:13)
You say: 'I'm not able'	God says: I am able	(II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: 'It's not worth it'	God says: It will be worth it	(Roman 8:28 )
You say: 'I can't forgive myself'	God says: I Forgive you	(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: 'I can't manage'	God says: I will supply all your needs	(Philippians 4:19)
You say: 'I'm afraid'	God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear	(II Timothy 1:7)
You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated'	God says: Cast all your cares on ME	(I Pete r 5:7)
You say: 'I'm not smart enough'	God says: I give you wisdom	(I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: 'I feel all alone'	God says: I will never leave you or forsake you	(Hebrews 13:5)

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Welcome 2009!

O God of new beginnings and wonderful surprises, thank you for the gift of a new year.

May it be a time of grace for me, a time to grow in faith and love, a time to renew my commitment to following Your Son, Jesus.

May it be a year of blessing for me, a time to cherish my family and friends, a time to renew my efforts at work, a time to embrace my faith more fully.

Walk with me, please, in every day and every hour of this new year, that the light of Christ might shine through me, in spite of my weaknesses and failings.

Above all, may I remember this year that I am a pilgrim on the sacred path to You.

Amen

Unto Us He Has Come

Jesus is the Reason

*T'was the time before Christmas*
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*

*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*

*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
*At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*

*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*

*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*

*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*

*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*

*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*

*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS , not Happy Holiday !*

Please, all Christians join together and wish everyone you meet MERRY CHRISTMAS

Jesus Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas Season!

On God's Wings

A little something to put things in perspective...

After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park , forest rangers
Began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage.

One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched
Statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat
Sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick.
When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under
Their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of
Impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the
Tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing
That the toxic smoke would rise.

She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her
Babies. Then the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her
Small body, the mother had remained steadfast ...because she had
Been willing to die, so those under the cover of her wings would live.

'He will cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you will find refuge.'
(Psalm 91:4)

Being loved this much should make a difference in your life.
Remember the One who loves you, and then be different because of it.

My instructions were to send this to people that I wanted God to
Bless and I picked you. Please pass this on to people you want to
Be blessed.