Day Fifteen
I’m thankful for the invention of the steam washing machine and its sanitize setting.
The stomach bug has made it’s way to our home. 🙁 Thankfully I KNOW these pillows, towels, sheets, etc. are getting very clean.
Tag Archives: motherhood
30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 12
Day Twelve
I’m thankful for a lazy day at home.
It has been weeks since I’ve gotten to spend a whole day at home with all my little ones, and today is my last chance until about Tuesday of next week. We are enjoying it by coloring, playing with play-doh, and watching Ninja Turtles in our pajamas on this really cold and windy day. On the agenda for this afternoon: a Christmas movie with popcorn and hot chocolate.
Filed under 30 days of thankfulness
30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 5
Day Five
I’m thankful for my Sylvia-Kate.
My word of the year last year was joy, and oh how she brought joy to our lives! Even before birth, she was teaching me so much about seeing the joy in life, even when it’s hard. One year ago today she arrived in a whirlwind, and she hasn’t slowed down.
We named her after her great-great grandmother, Sylvia.
She’s happy and silly, snugly and loving. She loves her brothers and our cat.
Her brothers love her too. 🙂 They take good care of her.
She gets excited when she sees her best baby friend, Irie, who is less than two weeks younger than her. They’ve been chatting over coffee and bibles since they were both in the womb, and I pray their friendship continues that way. 🙂
She’s pretty obsessed with her daddy.
He arrived home from a twelve hour drive, less than 24 hours before she entered the world. She’s been a daddy’s girl from the start and was waiting on him.
She wears hairbow a for me, even though she’s rather pull them out.
She loves baby dolls.
She can walk, and has taken several steps at a time on two or three occasions, but she’d rather crawl or bear crawl.
She says mama, dada, kitty, hey, bubba, nana, uh oh, and a few other words.
She only weighs about 18 pounds, and can still wear 3-6 month onesies if they have short sleeves. She’s our tiny, happy girl. We wouldn’t trade her for the world. I am so blessed that God chose me to be the mother of this little joyful soul. I pray she never loses that joy and continues to share it with others.
Happy birthday, Sylvia-Kate!!
Filed under 30 days of thankfulness, birthday
30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 4
Day Four
I’m thankful for a rare chance to sit on my couch with a book.
Filed under 30 days of thankfulness, Uncategorized
“Is Daddy coming home?”
This year hasn’t been the easiest. We started the year off with the biggest blessing and answered prayer – to be together every day as a family. But with that has come lots of stress, changes, adjustments, and quite a bit of uncertainty along the way.
One of our biggest hurdles has been the stress and expense of two houses, and this week, when we were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, things changed again. I’ve been frustrated, angry, and worried. Then this morning, my three year old asked the same question that he asks nearly every single day. “Daddy, are you coming home tonight?” And his daddy said, “Yes, Baby. I’ll be home tonight.”
That makes it all worth it.
I smile, but it breaks my heart. Most kids ask all day, “When is Daddy coming home?” My son asks me everyday, “Mama, is Daddy coming home today?” Even after a year of my husband being home nearly every night, my baby boy still carries that uncertainty. But each time he asks me that, I stop grumbling about the bills, the tiny house we’re all piled in with no yard, or not having a dishwasher and I remember my favorite verses, Psalm 30:11-12.
“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.”
Then I remember Deuteronomy 4:9…
“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”
Ouch. I pray I never forget, and I pray I can impress upon my children how God has so greatly blessed our family over the last year.
Filed under Christian Living, linelife, linework
Things not to say to a pregnant woman
*Let me apologize ahead of time that I’m a bit worked up about this subject after a conversation with a friend this morning. I’m climbing up on a soapbox 🙂 I told her it might end up in a Facebook status rant, but the more I thought on the subject the more I had to say.
When I was pregnant with my first son I came to the conclusion, for many different reasons (including a recommendation by my doctor), that I wanted to experience birth with no pain medication. Who knew that such a personal decision would bring forward the opinions of so many people I knew! Many of them even being people who had no opinion about anything in my life prior to that moment. I heard everything from, “Why?!” to “Oh, you’ll want that epidural honey!” to “Wow, you’re crazy.” I can’t think of a single person that told me, “You will never regret it,” or “It’s really not a terrible experience.” (But that’s the not-so-scary truth.) And the crazy thing? I’m not sure any of those opinions came from people that had done it. Actually, one of the most popular things for people to tell me was how I would really want an epidural, but theirs didn’t work, so they got some other pain medication. Um, great argument there gals. I even remember someone asking me, just a couple of hours after the birth of my sweet son, “So, are you going to do that again?” I wish I could remember who it was and their face when I said, “Sure!” Two more kids later and I think everyone finally understands that I’m a little stronger, and hard-headed, than they first imagined me to be.
Unfortunately, that’s the one piece of advice I give other moms who have a desire to have a natural birth, “Be hard-headed.” Why, in this day and age of all-about-me must moms throw a hard-headed fit to have a child without pain medication? All the ridiculousness over a stinking epidural! It should not matter to anyone a single, tiny bit if their sister, friend, cousin, sister-in-law, daughter, grandaughter-in-law, or next door neighbor chooses not to get one. They were created to ease the mother’s pain during childbirth. They are not intended as life-saving devices.
Over the last year or two, I’ve had many, many moms-to-be contact me with questions about or seeking support on their choice to go med-free in the delivery room. Sadly, most have shared the same experiences. Very few people in their lives are supportive of their decision. Why? That is so sad. Pregnancy and giving birth should be a happy event, filled with smiles, encouragement, laughter, and love. If you are one of those Debbie Downers saying, “You can’t,” “You’re crazy,” or “That’s stupid,” or rolling your eyes and saying, “Oh-kay. If you think so…” I ask you to take a look at your motives. Is there really any good reason for your comments? I highly doubt it, and if there is a reason at all, it might have more to do with you than them. I’m also quite certain that if that mom-to-be had said hurtful things about your choice to have pain medication in labor, you would be very offended and have hurt feelings. I’ve even heard stories of my friends and aquaintances being told these things in the labor and delivery room! Let’s take a moment to think about that situation. Is it really a good idea to say anything mean to a mother in labor with no pain medication? Joking aside, unless you were there when the child was conceived, you do not have the right to be in the delivery room in the first place. If the mother allows you to be there, even if it is just for a few minutes while she is the early stages of labor, that is a privilege! That is a very private and special time and experience. Your job is to be supportive, calm, and probably quiet. Not condescending, not rude, not ugly in any way. I simply do not understand why everything we are taught about being kind and helpful suddenly goes out the window when a woman chooses natural birth. It’s almost as if she’s committing a sin.
If someone chooses to go straight to feeding their baby formula, that’s okie dokie with me. If a mother chooses to get an epidural, that’s okie dokie by me too. What’s not okay with me, is doctors, nurses, family, friends, and mere acquaintances being rude, unsupportive, and even mean and making fun of mothers because they want to experience something that God made their body to do with less medical intervention. There’s no excuse for such ugliness.
So to those moms that want to go pain med-free, I say – You can do it! It’s a wonderful experience, and you won’t regret it. It’s hard work more than it’s pain, and worth every second. And the whole no catheter thing is pretty great too. Oh, and getting up to take a shower as soon as you want after the baby is born… And leaving the hospital 24 hours later…
Filed under pregnancy
Motherhood: Live a life worthy of it
Moms…
Was yesterday a bad day? It was for me. Really, bad isn’t the word. Terrible? Nope, still doesn’t fit. Anyway, you get the picture.
Don’t dwell on it. Pray. Repent.
Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. (Proverbs 1:23)
Hug the sleepy little one that just shuffled down the hall to sit with you on the couch. Write a scripture or two on your hand, and pour a cup of coffee.
Look at your children and remember your calling. Motherhood.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Ephesians 4:1)
Live your life today worthy of that calling.
Live a life worthy of the children God blessed you with.
Live a life worthy of the hugs and laughter.
Live a life worthy of the tears.
Live a life worthy of the hot baths (however rare they may be).
Live a life worthy of the messes.
Live a life worthy of the late nights.
Live a life worthy of seeing the sun rise.
Live a life worthy of the crying baby and ornery toddler than gave you both of those.
.
Live a life worthy of your calling.
Live a life worthy of being chef.
Live a life worthy of being housekeeper.
Live a life worthy of being laundress.
Live a life worthy of being taxi driver.
Live a life worthy of being personal assistant.
Live a life worthy of being teacher.
Live a life worthy of being wife.
Live a life worthy of being friend.
Live a life worthy of being missionary.
Live a life worthy of being mom.
Live a life worthy of your calling.
Don’t expect to do and be all those things perfectly. We are not perfect. Live a life worthy of those opportunities and blessings though.
God gave us all of these because He wanted us to have them. We didn’t earn them. We were blessed with them.
(This is just as much, if not more,a post for myself as it is for you.)
Filed under Christian Living, family, home, parenting
WFMW: Table Chores for Littles
On this Works For Me Wednesday: making life easier with lots of littles… Oh, and teaching those littles some responsibility too 🙂
I have 2 1/2 year old and 3 year old boys, (and an almost 9 month old girl) so there is lots of cleaning and picking up at our house every day, but obviously their house cleaning skills and abilities are a bit limited. However, since we recently downsized to a 900-1000 square foot rental home with no dishwasher and very limited laundry area, I was pretty excited to get the boys started helping out with chores. I started by letting them help with dishes, but that proved to just be too much for them at this point. With their limited attention spans, it turned into a bigger mess for me. Then I tried “table chores.” Oh, what a difference such a simple thing has made in my life!
After breakfast, lunch, and snacks the boys are responsible for putting any scraps of food from their plates in the trash, putting their plates and utensils in the sink and their cups on the counter. I then give them each a wet rag to clean the table and chairs. After I’ve inspected their work, I give them a dry towel to dry it all. This must be done before they move on to the next activity. If they finish eating before everyone else, they sit at the table until we finish. After supper is a super busy time, so I haven’t had them help with that yet. These chores are simple enough for them to handle with little supervision, allowing me to get started on washing the dishes or putting away the dry ones from our last meal, but still being close enough to keep them on task and give instructions.
Rejoicing comes in the morning
Having three young children is a joy, but it is also difficult. Add to that them being very close in age, moving to a new town, downsizing your home (by about 250 sq. ft.), losing almost all your family help and babysitters to distance, and a husband working 50-80 hours each week, and you have a recipe for a very stressed, exhausted, overwhelmed mama. I almost became that mother. I let The Enemy tear me down. For months. It wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was very, very ugly. I had prayed for this opportunity for my family for years, but the answer God handed us didn’t look anything like the answer I thought we would get. This answer was hard, uncomfortable, and for a long time, lonely. And to be transparent, it still is those things some days.
But, late one night I was standing in the kitchen washing a huge pile of dishes for probably the 4th time that day, staring out the window at the plain little house behind ours with tears streaming down my face. I was wishing I was looking at a rice field with a single tree standing in the distance – my kitchen window view for the past 20 years. I remembered a book I had once read about a mother in a similar tiny home with lots of littles. Basically, she found herself crying over some chore at midnight and started singing praises to God, so I did the same.
“Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name…”
I reminded myself, happy or sad, smooth sailing or difficult trials, God is still worthy of praise and obviously my whining and pity party wasn’t going to help anything. Even through my tears, I recognized my blessings and His worthiness.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
The next morning I felt better than I had in months. I suddenly realized Satan wasn’t winning anymore, but he had been. As long as he kept me feeling lonely and overwhelmed, he was silencing me. I wasn’t telling anyone about the awesome blessings God had given me in my children and how He had taken care of us and blessed our entire family. Rejoicing comes in the morning… when that bright light breaks through the horizon and highlights all those shadows you were staring at in the darkness. Then you see what was making those shadows. Miles separated my husband and I for years, but He made our marriage strong. Then he brought us back together on this new journey. He answered my prayers that our firstborn would have a wonderful bond with my husband, despite the time spent apart. My second son will never remember Daddy not being home all week, and for that I am grateful. Lincoln still asks if Daddy is coming home nearly every day, and it breaks my heart…but that’s a shadow of the amazing bond they share.
There will always be hard days. After all, being Mama to lots of littles isn’t for sissies. 🙂 However, now a few lines from the song Trading My Sorrows always comes to mind when I’m feeling frustrated at washing dishes for the 4th time in the same day, or my ears are ringing from the sound of the dryer echoing off the tile in the kitchen all day, and when I’m really just having a pity party because I don’t have a yard where I can send the rowdy boys out to play.
…I’m laying it down for the joy of the Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord…
Singing to my Lord reminds me that every step of my day is a step in which I can worship Him, even if it is through scrubbing dishes or teaching my cooped up wild ones how to do jumping jacks to burn off some energy*. It’s not about me. It’s about me laying down my own discomforts and selfish desires and saying “Yes Lord, I’ll do this now for my family and meet their needs,” or “Yes Lord, I won’t complain. I will be thankful for this situation because I’m truly blessed to be seeing my husband every day.” I’m not alone. He’s by my side. He does care. That’s why I am here. I will look past those shadows to the blessings. And I will continue to tell the world of those blessings.
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:11-12)
God answers our prayers, but not always how we want. They’re still answers though, and that is worth rejoicing over. Maybe even more so than when we get the answers we do want. Those surprises show that we serve an amazing God that sees all and knows all, and chooses to give us what we need instead of what we want, and certainly not what we deserve.
*Am I the only linewife that can’t type energy without accidentally typing Entergy first? :-p
Filed under Christian Living, family, JOY, parenting
Gonna take a walk outside today….
Gonna take a walk outside today! Gonna see what we can find today!
The boys watched Milo & Otis this afternoon while I was cooking supper, and I’ve had that song stuck in my head ever since. (Later found out my sister had been singing it all afternoon too, 35 miles away. We’re awesome like that.) Anyway…the boys and I ventured out for a walk to the library after lunch today.
Please excuse the mess in this picture (and the blurriness *hangs head in shame*). Cleaning, cooking, and two toddlers dragging stuff out of every room into the kitchen made for a big disastrous mess.
I promise I put two matching shoes on this boy. That wasn’t good enough for him though. Just like everything else in life, he had to run off and put his own spin on it. It made me laugh, but I also saw it as a true picture of who my second son is. God created this silly little boy to have fun and make people laugh everywhere he goes, even if it’s just by wearing two different shoes.
We have the cutest little library just a couple of blocks from our house. I really need to take my real camera and take some pictures on our next visit. Being in a small town, I wasn’t expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised to find walls filled with lots of recent titles and brand new books. It will definitely be a frequent stop for us from now on.
When we got to the library, Lincoln seemed to have a sixth sense about where the kids’ books were and quickly found one and sat down to look at it while I helped Bubbi pick some books.
It’s amazing what a mature little boy he is becoming. He sat there looking at that book until his brother had books too. Then Lincoln picked out a couple more and we were ready to go check out with mommy’s new library card.
In unrelated news, Sissy has been rolling around for a few weeks, but she’s really picking up speed now. See her little jeans in the bottom corner? That’s where she was lying when I got up to go grab the baby wipes to change her diaper. Sigh. Too fast, too fast.
Filed under daily adventures, family
