A LOOK BACK ON 2015

January

Our Family was expanding once again! I started the year at about four months pregnant and it was in January that we found out it was another boy.

We all enjoyed some time outside in the snow!

                         

February

This picture sums up the month for me and the kids. We did a lot of school work and spent a lot of time indoors. I was being a major germaphobe since it was cold and flu season and I was in the middle of my pregnancy.

February was also the month that we took a huge leap of faith and Aaron took on a new job with Ashley Furniture. It was a very scary step since it is a commission based job, but we trust God as our provider and believe that this is a door he opened wide for us.

March

March came in roaring like a lion! This was our biggest snowfall of the season. Needless to say, we had a blast in it.

                                    

And just one week after the snow, it was warm enough for Garrison to take his first bike ride with Daddy!

Oh...And Grisham lost his first tooth!

April

Finally, spring was here! Here we are before church service. I was feeling very pregnant. I only had 2 months left.

My sweet boys!     

 In April we got some amazing pictures of the little guy in my belly. I believe this is around the time that we finally settled on a name, but we decided to keep it a secret (from most people) until he was born.

  

Mom and Dad finally decided to come back from Florida! I had missed them so much and I was so happy that they made it back before the baby was born.

May

This month was all about getting ready for the new baby and celebrating a special little man's 2nd birthday. I also gained a lot of clarity about who my real friends were. It seems like this was a year where God weeded out a lot of the bad crops (people) in my life. I didn't know they were bad for me, and the process was extremely painful, but it has stretched me so much. I have learned a lot about forgiveness, grace, and letting go (still working on that part) and moving on to God's BEST for our family!

Mommy's Little Prince

June

My due date was June 10th, but our little guy came just a couple of days early. I was all prepared for a natural birth, but God had other plans. I get so emotional when I think about the day my last son was born. God truly had His hands on us. We both could've died, but He saved us. He and I are meant to be here on this earth for a greater purpose than ourselves. For all the details of my birth story and to see more pictures, click HERE.

Finally resting with my sweet baby after several hours of traumatic events concerning my health.

I still can't believe that God has entrusted me with four amazing boys and that we are now a family of six!

July

This is always a really busy month for us. There are 3 birthdays to celebrate in this house, but of course the only one that truly mattered was the little man who turned 7 this year (which also means that we have lived in Kentucky for 7 years). G4's first month of life flew right by. It was a very trying month with him though. He was a pretty fussy baby and never let me sleep at night. I had a hard time healing emotionally from his birth. I suffered with postpartum depression and for the first time in my life, I experienced major anxiety. Throw that on top of an infant and 3 other kids to raise, and it's safe to say that it was one of the most trying times of my life...but I made it. God put the right people in my life and pulled me out from under that dark cloud!

The boys got new sand and water tables and spent most of their summer playing with them.

This handsome little man finally got his very first haircut. It made him look so much more grown up.

One of my proudest mom moments of the whole year is when G1 graduated from the police department's explorers program. It was an extremely intense week of hard, physical activity that pushed him to his limits, but he did it!!!

                                                                                  

Below is a picture of G3 at his birthday party at Gattitown. We were so thankful for all of our family and friends who were able to come. Here he is with his new set of golf clubs. We plan to get him lessons next summer because he's pretty awesome at it.

  

G3 with his friends and his cousin on one of the rides.

I just had to throw this picture in here because it's a great one of me and my grandma! She also made it down for G3's big day.

August

August was a pretty good month. We had a lot of fun in the sun and then finally decided that it was time to get back to homeschool. I now have a 10th grader, a second grader, a toddler, and an infant.

September

What a great month this was. We started homeschool gym and swim, which G3 loves. Grandma Barb came to visit and she took me and the kids to a local farm festival where we had so much fun. We all really needed to get out of the house! Baby G turned 3 months old and started grabbing toys with his hands. We went to a church camp out and G1 participated in a huge youth event at the church where they got completely covered in mud on the very last obstacle. Me and hubby celebrated our anniversary by taking a train ride and trying out a new restaurant. It was our first date since the baby was born.

October

October was an emotional roller-coaster for me because I had some health issues surface (one of which we are still trying to figure out), and it would also be the last time I saw my parents before they left again for Florida. Before they left, they took us to Shaker Village and to an old orange tree to recreate some memories. G2 started playing basketball, I got my hair cut really short, we took a field trip to Salato Wildlife Center, and we went out with a bang like we usually do in October, by having the craziest Halloween costumes!

G1 & G2 ~ 5 years ago on the left, and this year on the right.

 

November

Baby boy turned 5 months old and my very first baby turned 16 years old. I cannot believe that it has already been 16 years since God blessed me with my first son. We carried on our tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving at Cracker Barrel. 

December

This has been an awesome month. Aaron had a week of vacation and we finally got to spend a lot of quality time together. We went to the zoo with his family, I took the boys to the horse park for their light show and festivities, we did a lot of shopping and tried new places to eat. Aaron and I finally got some one on one time with G1. We took him to Malibu Jacks and then we had dinner at A&W Root Beer Stand. G4 started sitting up all on his own, he has two teeth completly through, and now he's crawling all over the place. G2 ended basketball for the season after scoring a couple of points for his team. G3 is as crazy as ever. He's always coming up with stuff that makes us laugh so hard. He's unlike any 2 year old I've ever known. 

We celebrated the birth of Christ by going to a Christmas Eve service at church. Christmas day was very nice, but exhausting. The Grinch and Santa came as always. the kids opened their gifts and spent the day playing with their new things and Grandma Barb cooked us dinner. And today we end the year with the news of another promotion for Aaron. He works his butt off and truly deserves it!

G2 and G3 ended the year with new hair cuts!

Baby's first trip to Ohio. 1st trip to the zoo,
and 1st train ride too!

 

2015 has been a very blessed year for our family. I am looking forward to a new year, with new hope for the future. Here's to a million more wonderful memories!!!

BIRTHDAY PARTY HIGHLIGHTS

Fun Decorations

Ready for the fun to begin!

Who's due first? 

With one of my best friends!

Holding his gift up with his feet!

Mamaw & Papaw Loving on him.

Daddy's side of the family.

Besties

Awkward pic with one of my besties! Haha

OUR BABY BOY'S 2ND BIRTHDAY PICTURES

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON

I'm now counting down the weeks and days until our 4th boy will make his grand entrance into the world. I'm starting to slightly panic, feeling like I have too many things left to do and too little time to accomplish it in. One of the things I've been trying to do is to carve out some quality with each of my close friends and family members. I just feel like once the baby is here I won't be able to get out and do much for a little while so I'm trying to create special memories now. Having a newborn is hard and I imagine that having a newborn and a toddler isn't going to be any easier.

A few weeks ago I had a girls day out with two wonderful friends. We watched a movie, ate at a restaurant that neither of them had been to before, and we got pedicures. It was a picture perfect day (but I forgot to take a single picture of any of the fun). 

Today I got to spend the day out with another one of my best friends and ended the day with a one-on-one trip to the movies with my oldest son. I hope that I can get one more date with my hubby and some one-on-one time with my middle son before the baby is born. My friend and I did something I haven't done since I was a small child. We painted pottery! It brought back memories of when my mom would take me to this little pottery store in town. I remember going there a few times, but I specifically remember one time when I picked out a ceramic duck to paint. I have no idea what happened to that duck. I wish I still had it, but at least I have the memory!

It took my friend and I three hours at the pottery place from start to finish today, but it was so nice and relaxing. It's a great way to spend quality time with friends and family. We also ate lunch at Olive Garden and ended the day with cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. 

Here's a picture of my friend painting her piece. She did a cross in the middle and hearts on all four corners. I think it's going to turn out great. The finished product will look very different once they put it through the kiln. Until then, our paint colors appear very light and dull.

Here's a preview of my artwork. The baby's area is grey, white, and teal, so I incorporated those colors into my work. I can't show the finished product because we are not announcing his name until he's born. So yes, we have picked out a name, but most of our friends and family will have to wait until he's born to know what it is. I think it's exciting to have a little secret like this! If you look closely, maybe you can figure out a letter or two in the name. I just love to keep you guessing!

Be blessed my friends!

NEW FACEBOOK PAGE

Come follow me on my new Facebook page by clicking HERE! Please be patient. It's a work in progress, but I have deactivated my old Facebook account in order to put more focus on blogging and loving on my family. God has been tugging at my heart for a while to get rid of my regular Facebook account because it was really a time drainer for me. He has called me to be a mother and a writer and because of Facebook (sadly), those two things have been slightly neglected. Facebook has also been a source of depression and frustration for me. It's so hard to not compare ourselves to others, even when we know they are not being completely truthful. I look forward to sharing more of my journey with you as a homeschooling, Christian mother who wears her heart on her sleeves and shares it in her writing. My hope, as always, is to encourage others by being real. Life isn't always easy, so my posts aren't always going to be peaches and cream, but they will be honest. I like to share the good and the bad (but mostly the good).

Be blessed my friends!

LESSONS FROM THE MAN IN THE RAIN

Sunday as we were driving to church in the morning, it was raining lightly and the forecast called for heavier showers. For the first time in a long time, we were actually early for church. I noticed a man up ahead of us on the left walking through the rain with no umbrella. I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me and telling me to give that man one of our umbrellas. We only had one in the car, but I knew we'd be fine without one. I pointed out the man to my husband and asked him if he thought we should try to give him one of our umbrellas. Sadly, this world that we live in makes me second guess a lot of things. In the back of my mind I'm thinking stupid things like, "I hope he doesn't pull out a gun on us." I could tell my husband was a little hesitant, maybe even a little annoyed because he knew he would be the one doing the talking. I'm not really sure what he was thinking, but he agreed that we could try. 

I made a u-turn at the next intersection and we made our way back to the man. We pulled off to the side of the road as he was walking towards us. My husband rolled down the window and asked if he would like an umbrella. The man appeared to be somewhere around 50 years old. He had long grey hair and was wearing a long sleeve shirt and blue jeans. He smiled and kindly said, "No, that's okay." We asked if he was sure and he said yeah. So my husband said okay and possibly something else as we drove away. 

As we drove off I fought back tears. There were so many thoughts and emotions going on with me. Why didn't he take the umbrella. I hope my husband wasn't embarrassed. Maybe we just made his day, because someone was so kind to even try to help him out. My mind kept pondering over and over why he didn't accept it, if God truly did put it on my heart to give it to him. My husband suggested that maybe God was just testing my obedience with a smaller thing so that He knows we will be obedient with bigger things.

For days I just couldn't get this situation out of my mind. I prayed about it and asked God for answers. I felt like He was trying to teach me a lesson, but I wasn't sure what the lesson was. I'm still trying to figure it out, but I do believe it's not just one simple lesson. There was so much to be taught here. 

Whenever God prompts you to do something for others, remember these facts:

1. You reap what you sow. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." ~ Galatians 6:7 (KJV) Perhaps God was seeing if I would try to sow a good seed when I thought this man was in need, so that the next time I am in need, He can speedily send someone to help me. 

Here are a couple more Bible verses that back up the principle of reaping and sowing: 

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." ~ Luke 6:38 (NIV)

God "will repay each person according to what they have done." ~ Romans 2:6 (NIV)

2. By being obedient to God, you are not denying Him. Regardless of whether or not the other person receives what you are trying to give, whether its a gift, a kind word, or even just a wave or a smile, you can rejoice knowing that YOU did what God wanted you to do. "They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." ~ Titus 1:16 (NIV)

3. If you have children, they are paying attention. I feel like we taught our children a valuable lesson that day. As I turned the car around, our six year old knew something was going on. He asked us what we were doing. I explained to him that we were just going to try to show God's love by seeing if the man wanted an umbrella because he was walking alone in the rain. 

4. Expect NOTHING in return! Luke 6:34-36 (ESV) says, "If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

5. You may be entertaining angels. "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." ~ Hebrews 13:2 Wow, what a thought! The man in the rain could've been an angel! That gives me chills to think about. I cannot make this stuff up. It's right there in God's word. 

6. Pride leads to destruction. Last but certainly not least, remember to remain humble and to not boast about what you have done. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."

Several days after the incident regarding the man walking in the rain, I was talking to my husband again about what God might be trying to teach me. The very second that I stopped talking, I turned up the radio and heard these words in a song for the very first time: 

"It's like I'm standing in the rain 

and you offer me a raincoat. 

But I would rather stand there being wet 

than take the handout. 

What's wrong with me? 

You said, you've always got your hands out."

So then I started thinking about the man even more. I wonder if he's a broken man in need of a Savior. Could he have possibly smiled at us, but asked himself what's wrong with him as we drove away? I just hope that no matter what God was trying to teach us or that man, that Christ was glorified through that little act of obedience. 

If you would like to hear the full song that I heard on the radio, just click on the video.

Be blessed my friends!

OUR LITTLE KIWI

Here are the latest ultrasound pics of our baby boy. He is in the

perfect position, perfect heart beat, weighs about 3lbs 11oz, and is

on track to weigh around 7 pounds.

That may look like a hand over his 

face, but it's actually his feet. It 

amazes me how flexible babies are 

in the womb.







The placenta has moved up and is no longer a concern and my 

previous scar area looks great. I met my doula and think she's a 

wonderful fit. Everything is falling into place and I give God all 

of the glory!

Be blessed my friends!

MY JOURNEY TO A VBA2C

It's almost been 2 years since I have last given birth. Up until now I just accepted the way things went. I was exhausted and hungry and the baby's heart rate started to decelerate so my doctor suggested a c-section in order to avoid another emergency c-section.

The only picture of me and baby just after the c-section.

Now here I am just a couple of months away from giving birth again and I'm thinking about the way I am hopeful that birth will go. I have been educating myself for over 7 months because I want to try to deliver vaginally after having had 2 c-sections. Because of all the reading and researching I have done, I now realize that a c-section most likely could've been avoided the last time, had I educated myself more then. Almost 2 years later and I sit here fuming over my last birth experience. No, I didn't need a c-section! I needed food! And I needed to move off of that hospital bed. I didn't even think about it then, but looking back I remember that I didn't move from that bed once I was I was admitted, except to go to the restroom. I'm also upset because for my last two births, I missed my baby's first bath. While everyone else was oohing and aahing at my little boys and taking pictures, I was in the recovery room. I'm grateful for those pictures, but so sad that I missed that special moment. Now that I'm writing about this, I'm even more upset because I can't find a picture of my baby's first bath. Apparently they are on someone else's camera.

Things WILL be different this time. I am doing everything I can to have a natural childbirth experience. And even if something happened and I needed another c-section, I will NOT miss my baby's first bath! I will make sure they are clear on that. Of course if there is a medical reason that the baby needs cleaned up right away, I will understand that.

Here are some of the things I am doing to have a better birth experience this time around:

PRAYER ~ The most important thing I have done is praying specific prayers for this pregnancy and birth. My prayers started before conception and it is amazing to watch what all God has already done for me. I recommend writing your prayers down so you can go back over them later and see the work God has done.

EDUCATION ~ I have been reading and researching for over 7 months. I have joined several VBAC (Vaginal birth after cesarean) groups, cesarean groups, ICAN, and other pregnancy groups on social media. A couple of great books I have read are "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth", and "Supernatural Childbirth". I am currently watching "The Business of Being Born" series.

CHIROPRACTIC CARE ~ This week I will begin working with a chiropractor. I've heard a lot of women's stories about how going to the chiropractor relieved certain prenatal symptoms like leg and hip pain. I am particularly interested because I have read about how they can help align everything properly, which in turn can help speed up delivery by helping the baby pass through the birth canal easier than if you hadn't been adjusted.

EXERCISE ~ I am SO happy that the weather is finally warming up where I live! I now get out and walk every chance I get. It sure wears me out, but I know I'm doing a great thing for my body and for this baby. I believe that staying active will help me achieve a better birth experience.

HYDRATION ~ I have a history of preterm labor. I also have a history of major leg cramps during pregnancy. I suddenly realize now with my 4th pregnancy that both of these things were most likely linked to dehydration. I try to drink water throughout my day and I do my best to avoid pop. My new rule with pop is that I will only drink it when I go out to eat. No pop in the house! This has really helped me drink more water. So far I've had no leg cramps and no signs of preterm labor. Praise God!

HIRE A DOULA ~ I feel blessed that I have met a doula who seems very compatible for me. My favorite thing about her so far is that we are like-minded spiritually. She is a Christian just like me and she's not afraid to profess it. I am looking forward to her reminding me of God's love for me during labor. This is my 1st experience with a doula, but from all of my research and reading people's stories, not once have I heard anyone say that they regret paying for a doula.

LABOR AT HOME LONGER ~ Here's where I feel that I really missed the mark with the birth of my last son. I know that I went to the hospital too early. Even though I had been contracting all through the night, they weren't really painful. I probably could've just drank more water and tried to relax more. Then maybe I could've walked and moved around more at home before going in. I guess I was just so exhausted and ready for it to be over with, that I thought going to the hospital would speed things along and I could find relief. I'm sure it sped things along, but not in the way I was thinking. I don't know what I was thinking actually. But once we were admitted to the hospital, I was put on their time clock and before I knew it, one intervention led to another, which eventually ended with my 2nd c-section.

EAT, DRINK, AND RELAX ~ Another huge mistake I made before going to the hospital the last time, was going in completely exhausted and on an empty stomach. Now, I'm not suggesting a huge meal before going in, but I definitely will put something healthy in my belly before arriving at the hospital. I'm also sneaking in a small protein snack of some sort. I refuse to try to labor while feeling completely starved. I know there are risks of aspiration if a c-section becomes necessary, but I'm going with my gut on this one and I choose to eat! I will also try to relax as much as possible while I'm still at home. I was just way too anxious for the baby to be here the last time.

THIS IS MY BIRTH EXPERIENCE ~ Above everything else, I have learned that I have a right to say NO. I hired my doctors. They work for me! I can't believe it has taken me this long to realize that I have a voice and I need to use it. I feel so much more educated this time around and it's not just because this is my 4th pregnancy. I have learned so much because I so desperately desire a better birth experience this time around. Even if things do end up with another c-section, I will know in my heart that I did everything that I possibly could do to prevent it, and I think that is what will finally give me the peace that I need.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't tell the doctors no to everything. I have agreed to be monitored, but I will not labor in bed for hours upon hours like I did with the last child. I will move around beside the bed and bounce on a ball if I feel like it. I have also agreed to have an IV in place, but nothing will be running through it unless a c-section becomes necessary.

The only picture of have of me in labor. That's the bed I stayed in until I was
taken down the hallway for the c-section.

Some examples of what I have said NO to this time around:

Pap Smear ~ I don't know exactly why I turned this down because I have had a pap smear with all 3 of my previous pregnancies and all of my babies were fine. For some reason, I just didn't have peace about it this time. When I don't have peace, I feel like that is God's way of telling me to be careful. My doctor agreed to wait until my 6 week postpartum check up to do the pap smear.

Screening Tests for Genetic Abnormalities ~ Because of my age, this is something that some doctors would try to push. The risks for diseases such as Down's syndrome and other chromosome abnormalities increases as the mother ages. I turned down the screening because I knew in my heart that even if my baby had any kind of defect, I would love it just the same. There is no way I would abort my child, even if my own life were at risk. Although knowing ahead of time that something were wrong could help me better prepare, I still thought it would be best to just turn down those tests and put it all in God's hands.

3 hour glucose test ~ I failed the 1 hour test, but knew in my heart that I would pass the 3 hour test, however, I wasn't willing to put myself (and the baby) through the hours of fasting and blood work because the 1 hour test made me so ill. As a compromise, I agreed to monitor my sugar at home for 2 weeks. It turned out that my numbers were so great that I didn't need to continue monitoring after the first week. See, I knew it!

I have yet to write my birth plan, so I'm sure there will be other things I will be saying NO to. I plan to have the baby room in with me as much as possible. We will be delaying cord clamping and eye drops. I'm not really sure what else I will include yet. Just taking one day at a time. I will be writing that out in the next week or so and I will share it with you. Until then...

Be blessed my friends!

OVERCOMING THE STORMS

This was the view from my back porch almost exactly 4 years ago to the day. I believe we were under a tornado watch and I had been freaking out over the weather for several days prior to it even becoming bad. This looks like a tornado, but it's actually a wall cloud (the front line of the storm). I remember this day very vividly because it was just like every other time that we were expecting bad weather. Days before the storm, while it was still beautiful outside, I would constantly look up the forecasts and make myself sick over the possibilities. To say that I was afraid of storms would be a huge understatement. It paralyzed me. For days on end I couldn't eat much. I would make several trips to the bathroom because my nerves took over. I literally made myself sick. It was embarrassing. I know most people wouldn't understand. I couldn't even understand.

I prayed constantly. I cried out to God to take this fear away. I knew that worrying was a sin and I so desperately wanted to be delivered from it. I would constantly repeat my favorite Bible verse, 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  What I didn't realize at the time is that even though I still felt overcome with fear, God was working in my life. Each storm that came my way was getting easier and easier for me to handle.

Fast forward to today. I'm home alone with the kids and we have a tornado watch. We've had torrential rain and lots of lightening and thunder. An amazing thing has happened. I didn't run to my neighbor's house. This is something I usually do because I have always felt safer just being around other people. But that's not even the most amazing part. The best part is that I had peace; the kind of peace that the Bible talks about in Philippians 4:7, "and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

I write this post to encourage others who are dealing with fear of any sort. Whether you are dealing with fear of bad weather or other storms that life brings, I pray that you will experience the peace that I have found through Christ. Yes, it took many years, but I have such victory and you can too! Keep on leaning on God. Say 2 Timothy 1:7 out loud over and over until it resonates in your soul. Don't give up! If you need prayer, it would be an honor to pray for you. Just message me in the comments or at BibleMomma99@gmail.com.

Be blessed my friends!

It's been over a month again since my last post. I want to make my blog a priority just like so many other things in my life, but it's just so tough these days. I am extremely exhausted with this pregnancy. I try to do things like let sun shine into the house as much as possible, when it's actually shining. I have started taking B vitamins on top of my regular prenatals. I get out and walk as much as I can. I try to force water. I just don't know what else to do. I don't think it's mostly the pregnancy's fault, but rather, this guy:

His personality is as big in real life as it is in this picture. Man he sure keeps me on my toes! He's constantly throwing things, dumping things, and tearing up things. He's a runner and a screamer. One of his new favorite words is "NO". He's a mocker and since I have two older boys in the house, one of his other favorite words is "penis".

There's never a dull moment in our home!

Be blessed my friends!