Our Precious Children....in honor of Leanne's announcement

In Honor of Leanne at My Supplications, I am reprinting this poem for her! Enjoy, Leanne! Blessings!
This is a poem that I originally wrote for my cousin's first babies (twin girls) that tells a tale of how it really is with new babies..

Nothing is more precious...
than your babies first smile,
their first laugh,
their first coo,
And don't forget...
their first kisses,
(They try to eat your face!)
And when they get teeth,...
their first bite!
(OUCH! right on your arm,
in the middle of church!)
When they say Mama and Dadda,...
your heart sings with joy!

Cherish these moments,...
because they grow up too fast!
Ask anyone who's been there,
they'll tell you the same.

Oh, and something else...
When they realize that
the diapers have velcro,
and the jammies have zippers,
and they are stinky...
What happens, you say?
Well, they unzip their jammies,
& unvelcro their diapers...
And WHOA!!!
What a stinky, rotten MESS!
(All over their brand new crib!)
Straight to the bathtub with you!!!

Enjoy these precious moments,
take loads of pictures,
and enjoy the rollar coaster
of PARENTHOOD!!!

Children are a blessing from the LORD.
They are our gifts from God.
Kiss your babies,
Hug your babies,
Cherish every moment,
for in the blink of an eye,
they will be too big for your lap!

Easy Button

Is there an easy button that I can push to make my day go smoother...

An easy button that makes...

• sweeping floors easier
• washing clothes in the washer easier (as mine kept going out of balance today...had to babysit it)
• hanging laundry out on the line easier...without the threat of being infested with ticks & chiggers
• getting little silly girls down for their naps easier
• having children help with the tasks around the house easier (without the distraction of a snake eating a frog)
  
• getting to eat lunch ON TIME easier
• getting baby girl to sleep easier
• getting the house in order for daddy easier
• keeping the room that was just cleaned clean easier

It sure would be nice if our homes had a reset button like our computers...that restarts everything fresh & new... of course it would have to reset the house as it was the last time you completely cleaned the entire house... ;O)

I just want to push the easy button or the reset button... then I can keep up with all the work, HA! HA!!!

Lord, give me patience,
Lord, give me speed,
Lord, help me with this day,
to give hubby what he needs!

Blessings!
Heather

A Birthday Wish

Today is my daughter's 5th birthday.
What a blessing it was when she was born.
I had a bad case of bronchitis and I coughed her out!
LITERALLY!!!
The nurses told me not to say how easy her delivery was because they didn't want the other mothers, in the hospital at that time, to be jealous!
She is a very sweet, soft-spoken (most of the time), and quiet little girl.
And what a blessing she is to me!

Blessings!
Heather

Finding Comfort in the Scriptures

Psalm 139

1O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

19Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

20For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

21Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

22I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Time to Restore Order Around Here...

As many of you know, last week was quite a challenge for me. However, you only knew part of it...

You see, my daughter got sick on Tuesday, I started to miscarry on Wednesday AND my friend (nearly sister) went into the hospital to have her baby on Thursday(she was induced). I had spoke of her earlier this year as she had several episodes of premature labor...well, she made it to 39 weeks for the first time in all her pregnancies. AND since she lives quite a ways away, when my hubby was up in their area for work he picked up their children and brought them home with us...so I had 9 children under the age of 11 (or almost 11) in my home for several days last week.

I had a 1-year-old (almost), a 2-year-old, a 3-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 5-year-old (almost), a 6-year-old, a 7-year-old, a 9-year-old, and a 11-year-old (almost) in my home all at once...

Now, maybe your thinking, "NO wonder she miscarried!" No, that's not the case as the extra children arrived Tuesday evening (when I still wondered what was wrong with my daughter) and all we had to do was put them to bed.

Since I started miscarrying on Wednesday morning (around 5 a.m.), my older children took care of the younger children outside...Yes, we sent them all OUTSIDE to play...so the house was nice and quiet (for the most part).

It was quite busy those few days as we had their children from Tuesday evening to Saturday afternoon...

Thankfully a family from church drove up (2 hours away) on Friday to provide a meal and help with the cleaning... Shortly after they arrived, I arrived home with my daughter from the doctor.

However, with all the down time that I had to spend while trying to keep from miscarrying, I made up a chore chart for my children so things could start getting done daily around here...We are still trying to make it work, but I thought I would share our chore list with you.

NOTE: Usually we are unable to complete our tasks, but sometimes they get them done early in the day...

First thing I did was buddy up my children... The buddies (groups) are:

1. 11-year-old (almost) with 6-year-old
2. 9-year-old with 3-year-old
3. 7-year-old with 5-year-old (almost)

Here are the jobs:

Group 1 does these jobs on Monday & Thursday, Group 2: Wednesday & Saturday, Group 3: Tuesday & Friday

• Unload Dishwasher
• Feed & Water Chickens (3 times daily), Gather eggs
• Pick Up & Sweep Living Room Floor
• Pick Up & Sweep Mudroom Floor
• Set Table for Breakfast & Clear food and dishes when done
• Pick Up & Vacuum Stairs
• Take ALL trash out & Replace trash bags
• Make Ice for drinks (which included emptying trays)

Group 1: Tuesday & Friday, Group 2: Monday & Thursday, Group 3: Wednesday & Saturday

• Load Dishwasher
• Help Potty Train 3-year-old
• Clean & Sweep Kitchen Floor
• Set Table for Lunch & clear food and dishes
• Fold Laundry
• Clean & Sweep Bathroom Floors
• Scrub Shower & Tub
• Pick Up Laundry in ALL Rooms

Group 1: Wednesday & Saturday, Group 2: Tuesday & Friday, Group 3: Monday & Thursday

• Changes baby's wet diapers
• Clean & Sweep Hallway Floors (upstairs & downstairs)
• Set Table for Dinner & clear food and dishes
• Make ALL beds (if not done yet)
• Changes Sheets (of assigned rooms once a week)
• Put away folded laundry
• Clean & Sweep Porch (our outdoor dining room)
• Scrub Toilets & Bathroom Sinks

I have made my own job chart, but will have to share that later...but one of my jobs is to help one group a day with the middle jobs (that starts with Load Dishwasher).

So far that is the plan and if my children do their work, they get paid a little something and earn special privileges. But if I end up doing the job, they pay ME for it... $.25, unless I have been assigned to help them.


This new system is still a work in progress, and NO we NEVER get it all done, but hopefully we will eventually get the hang of it and finish our daily task lists.

I am one of those people that is organized in the brain, but not too organized on the outside...so I am working on this.

And if you were to put me in a class, the groups being "Cleanies or Born-Organized people" and "Messies ," I'm afraid that I would fall into the "Messies" category... Just being honest here, as I can't boast about my ability to tackle the entire house in one day, one week, or even one month. I am a work in progress, and I will be until my children are grown and able to help me more efficiently.

But those are the goals, I hope it helps you somewhat.

Blessings!
Heather

Okay, Clarification time...

I know that there are some that are outraged that I waited until Friday (July 4th) to take my daughter to the doctor...

Well, I will clarify some of the details...

My daughter came down sick on Tuesday. I thought to myself, "Who has been to my house that had the flu?" I made a few calls to see if those that had visited had come down with the flu... No one had...and since we missed church on Sunday, I knew that it wasn't from church. But I still thought in the back of my mind that maybe it was a virus (not even recalling the fact that she had had painful urination a few days before...I have 7 children, it is really busy around here and I am a SCATTERBRAIN!!!).

I go by the rule, "If they have a fever for more than three days, take them to the doctor..."

As you know, the doctor isn't too concerned unless they have been sick with a fever over 103 degrees for more than 3 days*.

• NOTE: She didn't have a fever for three days straight...it went away for a day.

Wednesday my daughter seemed to get better, HOWEVER I started having a MISCARRIAGE (as most of you know who had been keeping up with my posts, I had been threatening to miscarry for a couple weeks)... I have had a miscarriage before, so I know the way things go...YOU STAY HOME...and hubby stays with you just in case you hemorrhage. *

• NOTE: I live nowhere near family or friends as we moved states in February.

Things didn't really start picking up with my miscarriage until Wednesday evening, I was having painful cramping and couldn't be on my feet for long. WE literally couldn't leave the house for anything!!! My daughter was doing okay, though I'd rather have taken her in to the doctor Thursday, BUT Thursday my miscarriage continued and I wanted to stay close to the toilet, as the bleeding was much heavier on Thursday. NO, the bleeding wasn't heavy enough for the ER, but heavy enough for me to stay close to home (and recalling my last miscarriage, I was expecting more labor-like pain).

Though, Thursday night was an allnighter with my daughter, we made it through. I kept a close eye on her temperature and planned to find a doctor first thing in the morning. My children haven't been sick much this year, so I hadn't taken the time to find a doctor in this area (since our move).

The first thing I did Friday morning was to dive into my phone book. I called some doctors offices at 8 a.m. only to find that they were either not in the office (on a holiday) or they didn't open until 9 a.m. AND I didn't have an on-call number for ANY doctors in the area. The closest doctor I knew of was 2 HOURS AWAY.

So I patiently waited and got myself ready so I leave for the appointment ASAP.

Upon returning from the doctor, I gave my daughter her antibiotic and started a sick journal to keep track of her temperature, her symptoms, and the medicine she took (including making sure that I gave her antibiotic twice daily because I will forget if I don't). That journal is GREAT, as I haven't forgotten to give her antibiotic to her once!!!

So far, so good! She is feeling a lot better and the antibiotic worked! NO FEVER, NO SYMPTOMS of infection!!!

So, to answer the question as to WHY I didn't rush her to the hospital the minute she came down with a fever...

First, I wanted to make sure that it wasn't a virus and I KNEW that it wasn't a virus when the fever returned.

Secondly....I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A MISCARRIAGE!!! What am I expected to do?

I apologize if I have offended anyone.

And to all of my supportive bloggy buddies, THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! For all of your prayers and concerns with my daughter and my miscarriage. God heard your prayers and answered them, HIS way!!!

Blessings!
Heather

After the Storm...

My miscarriage is over... and yes, I did miscarry. Today the pregnancy test that I took was negative. After such a long struggle with this miscarriage (not knowing if I was going to miscarry), I am relieved that it is OVER.

But I went through the storm after I started miscarrying...

You see, my almost 5-year-old daughter came down sick last week...very sick. She began running a very high fever on Tuesday (about 103.5 degrees). Earlier the week before she had complained of painful urination...then, with this fever she complained about her back hurting, and she wanted me to come with her to the bathroom. I started giving her cranberry juice immediately and I tried giving her a pain reliever to get the fever down, but she couldn't keep the fever reducer down. The cranberry juice also upset her tummy...so she was also throwing up. I tried giving her garlic in applesauce (because it is good for infection, garlic that is)... but that also upset her tummy.

I finally was able to get her fever down and once I did she began eating Multigrain Cheerios like she had never eaten in her life! But to no avail, the fever came back. However, it left on Wednesday again. She slept peacefully that night and I found some relief hoping that the storm was over...

but it wasn't.

Thursday it began again...with a vengeance. She woke up from her nap with another high fever. I again started giving her a fever reducer, but it spiked Thursday night and would not budge. So, after trying to go to bed that night, I found myself going downstairs with my daughter and being stirred every 30 minutes to take her to the bathroom...

(I had been searching online for answers earlier that week and found that she probably had a kidney infection...)

Friday morning came too soon as I did NOT sleep at all that night...nor did she. So, I began my search in the yellow pages for a doctor (we didn't have one here yet). It seemed forever to wait until 9 a.m. (on a holiday) to get to talk to a receptionist about an appointment, but I finally did and I made an appointment.

The doctor checked her all over...the also had me collect a urine sample from my daughter (she didn't even pee on me! ...I know, more info than you needed to know). Anyway, (O; there was a LOT of blood in her urine, she had an ear infection (that had not been detected by me) and her fever was 100.6 degrees. So with the ear infection and urinary tract (possibly kidney) infection, she was quite a sick one. The scary part was when the doctor told me that if she didn't get better from the antibiotic in 2 days, that she would have to be admitted to the hospital...because kidney infections don't usually respond well to Augmentim.

Well, so far she is better and it has been 4 days! Praise the LORD!!!

My daughter has NEVER taken any antibiotics, so that is probably why she responded so well to it, but the credit should be given exclusively to the LORD!!! I am amazed that every day she awakes, she is fever free and happy. She is still exhausted from the ordeal, as her naptime has been longer than usual and she has NO problem falling asleep, but I am extremely grateful that she is better.

I am resting in the LORD's strength...
He is my comfort,
He is my hope,
He gives and He takes away,
Thank you for giving me my daughter's health, LORD!
Thank you!

With tear in my eyes,
I bid my farewell!

Blessings friend!
Put you trust in the LORD!

Heather