11 weeks, Stomach Flu

Have you ever had the stomach flu?  You feel like you are emptying out from both ends (sometimes simultaneously) and just wish wish wish it would stop.  Now, imagine that this happens to everyone in the family at the same time.  Now imagine that you have severe morning sickness on top of that.  Welcome to my week!

My sinuses got hit right after the stomach flu left.  Sadly, most of the time my sinus goo turns into sinus infection.  I'm trying to ward it off using my neti pot, some herbal things (as per my midwife) and lots of prayer!

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart...

Jeremiah 1:5

Here's my link up to the Joy-Filled Life Pregnancy Journal.

Discussion Question:  This week's question is from Katherine over at Proverbs and Pacifiers.  "I'd love to ask all those nursing mommies out there about how their nursing relationship changed when they got pregnant. Did you have problems with milk supply or babies wanting to wean early? Did anyone have to supplement with formula? Oh and how difficult is it to nurse both a toddler and a newborn?" 

 - I can't answer this as I've never tandem nursed and my babies were mostly self-weaned before I got that big fat plus sign.



How far along are you?  I'm 11 weeks 2 days.  I found myself worrying last weekend that I wasn't feeling "enough" morning sickness.  The next day, I knew I needn't have worried. 


Baby's growth?  My baby is the size of a fig!  I've been certain this was a girl since the beginning, due to the excessive morning sickness (the worst it's ever been since I was pregnant with #1) and my Iridologist confirmed it.  Apparently you can read it in the eyes!  He was right on with the last baby, so I don't doubt him.

Baby is growing hair follicles, fingernails, and ovaries (if she's a girl). She has distinct human characteristics by now, with hands and feet in front of her body, with ears nearly in their final shape, open nasal passages on the tip of her tiny nose, a tongue and palate in the mouth, and visible nipples. What else makes her look human? Those hands and feet have individual fingers and toes, no more webbing! source

Weight gain (or loss)? I've gain about 2 pounds, according to my own measurements, since I discovered the pregnancy.  I'm a plus size woman, so to see the hard work I put into losing weight seemingly disappear is hard.  I'm reminding myself that I'm eating healthy, exercising and growing a new human life.  It's all okay.

Prayer requests?  For health.  It seems like this last week has just knocked us all right over.  I have so many responsibilities and my oldest three helpers are going on vacation starting soon so I'll be even more busy.  Having some health on my side will make it much easier for me to look after the three littles, chase the goats back into the field, run laundry for 7 people (including some bed wetters), cook for, feed & wash up for 7, as well as carve out a bit of time for sleep.

Honestly, I find that I'm letting my link up here turn into such whining!  It's probably because I have no one else to share it with as this baby is still a bit of a surprise that is still in the bag.  I shall endeavor to pack away the whining and tell you just how happy we are to be having another baby.  I purchased some cute fabrics for a raggy quilt and can't wait to get started.  For now, my current baby, Chicky Punk, is intent upon helping me type, so I better be finished.  See you next week!!
 

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!

Irena Sendler

To find out more about this beautiful, courageous women, you can watch more of the related YouTube videos, or visit her Wikipedia site: Irena Sendler



This is a scheduled post, since I'm in the hospital having the baby! More live person blogging before you know it.

Summer Boredom Busters for Kids

I hate summer in that the kids seem to come to me all day long whining their favorite new tune "I'm BORED!" Usually, it's a password to the bathroom cleaning, baseboard scrubbing world I live in, but I must plead exhaustion this time around.

I've been on the lookout for the $1 kid craft items this summer and found several great options at Michaels and Jo-Ann's, but what about just stuff around the house? It's early June here and still pretty windy and cold, so outside isn't the best option right now. When it is nice enough, you can bet your bippy I boot their butts out the door ASAP for as long as I can.

After reading my copy of Families with Purpose tonight, I thought I'd put together a short post of Summer Boredom Busters culled from many different sources, including TA DA! M.

Organize a Family Olympics
Have a backyard obstacle course
Join a book club or summer library reading program
Take a litter collection walk
Build a Colosseum in the sandbox
Make your own puzzle
Have a scavenger hunt
Spend the afternoon singing everything you have to say
Build your own pinata
Play with water balloons or in the sprinkler
Blow bubbles
Wash the dog
Give the kids some old unused shims, markers and glue and let them go to town!
Play stickers - paper and some old stickers, even old credit card ad stickers, are fun
Make musical instruments
Make Treasure Stones
Make Doorway Dangles
Make your own homemade books
Acrobats. Enough said.
Have the kids help menu plan, bake special treats, make place mats, play at washing dishes
Make a family newsletter and send to far away relatives
Make your own popsickles

From Family Fun:
Indoor Crafts List
26 Boredom Busters by Parents
99 Days of Summer Games for Kids





image courtesy Morgue File

Hail Holy Queen

My daughter requested this prayer tonight during our bedtime prayers. Since I only know the beginning and the end, not that pesky middle, I had to look it up. Here is it for you, in case you don't know that pesky middle either.

Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy!
Our life, our sweetness, and our hope!
To thee do we cry, poor banished
children of Eve, to thee do we send
up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this valley, of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us; and
after this our exile show unto us the
blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus;
O clement, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God

That we may be made worthy of the
promises of Christ.





from Catholic Supply

Poor Daddy...

The Mommy Test

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth.

I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that. "Why?" my daughter asked. "Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's dirty and probably has germs" I replied.

At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked, "Mommy, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart."

I was thinking quickly. "All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy."

We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information.

"OH... I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to be the daddy."

"Exactly" I replied back with a big smile on my Face!




(no, not my kid, but funny!)

The Rosslyn Motet

Imagine that an entire church was a hymn, a song in praise to God. Imagine it was in a code that was unbroken - until now.

Imagine no longer - the Rosslyn Motet is from the 15th Century Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland that is carved with angel musicians accompanied by cubes sequentially arranged and carved with geometric patterns.

A father and son team spent a total of 27 years on the puzzle, with the son producing the music with authentic 15th century instruments. The following video is amazing, touching, and beautiful with a haunting medieval sound.



You can find out more and even purchase this for yourself at The Rosslyn Motet.



Found while perusing US Catholic magazine, July 2007

Vocations

I picked up a bit of paper today, folded to look like an envelope. I opened it, assuming it was old homework or scratch paper, and discovered a "letter" written from a Poor Claire nun - my 9 yr old daughter's handwriting.

It touched me to know that the talks of vocations that we have sporadically have been on their mind more than a fleeting moment when we speak. My girls are playing NUNS!

That is so cool...

But I'm Not Ready to Get Up!

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."
--Mother Theresa

I think she's talking about me.

When I get tired, I get snappy and cranky and every other horrible thing you can think of to describe just downright unpleasant. And with four kids that happens more than you'd realize.

But I realized yester-weekend as I listened to my 2-1/2 yr old son play is that no matter how hard I have tried to remove all profanity from my speech, some still slips through. And it probably happens most when I'm tired.

You seen/heard that Rodney Atkins song "Watching You"? It's the words that hit home. Give a listen and you'll see what I mean.

My New Years' Resolution(s):

1. Stop swearing!
2. Help Hubby to do the same

...and more...