We are a christian homeschooling family with currently six children and if the Lord sends us more we will take em. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Thu, 3 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0500 Thu, 3 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0500 Well I have set down to type this out several times, but just could not. The blessings of the Lord have just overflowed from beginning to the end of this birth experience and the best part was not only did I get the blessing of a new little one, I got a great friend and midwife. I guess my birth story actually started with Bethany’s. After having her come via c-section because of being breech, but not just that it was being in transition with her and not being able to push for so long and then the c-section itself, I was scared. Could I handle the pain? When I was pregnant with Isaac I would dream about her birth and wake up shaking. I could think about it, and still feel those pains that I had long since forgotten with the others. So this pregnancy was spent in a lot of prayer and fighting fear or better yet the author of fear. It was a growing experience. Toward the end of my pregnancy I had several nights of contractions that were crampy, but that did nothing. In fact, twice we called the midwife only to have her leave after midnight with no baby. So I prayed some more. I asked the Lord to give me a sure sign that this baby was coming otherwise I was not calling the midwife and Gary would have to deliver. Although he has delivered many calves, I preferred to have the midwife here ;-D. On the morning of July 2, I woke at about five to go to the restroom and upon wiping noticed a bit of blood(my sign that I asked for). I had no contractions. I came to the living room and sat down. I was shaking, so I prayed and called the midwife. She told me to call her back when things started happening and she would get ready. It was finally happening. I was excited and yet nervous. After I hung up I had my first two contractions. It was 5:15. They were five minutes apart. This concerned me as I have had fast labors in the past, so I called the midwife right back. She was on her way. Gary started filling the pool. I was actually looking forward to the pool and I bet no one knew that hahaha. Both times that we called the midwife that was the first thing I told Gary, “Get the pool ready, when it is time I don’t wanna have to wait!” In the meantime I walked and stayed on my hands and knees when I tired of walking. They began to hurt more and I could feel myself getting scared so we called the midwife to see if I could get into the pool. She said yes, but that it’s possible that it will speed things up and she might not make it. She was not far away, but I did not want to take any chances of her not being here so I waited. Becca and Leah were great. They fixed breakfast, walked with me, talked to me(when I was not having a contraction) and prayed for mama. As the contractions increased and hurt more I found that if I focused on God and praying and not the contractions, they did not hurt. I don’t remember a whole lot of who I prayed for except for Brian and Sandy who were both having some medical issues that they could not find a cause for. Sandy found out a month later that hers had been caused by a recent outbreak Fifths Disease and only after a rheumatoid doctor ordered blood tests. It was a total act of God as to how it came to be that they got the answer. Meanwhile, I was hurting enough that I did not feel like walking so I was up on my hands and knees with my head laying on the bed. A little funny here, both times that I had called the midwife this is the position that I liked best. Of course when you are in labor there is no need for panties. Bethany saw this and told me with the midwife standing behind her “Mama jou need to get jou panties on. The midwife’s gonna see jou butt!” This was said with her face right at mine. It was hilarious. The midwife arrived and did a quick check on the baby and me. When she palpated the baby she found that the baby was breech. During the night I remembered waking briefly and feeling light hits on the left of my tummy and harder ones on the right and then I dozed right back off to sleep. I immediately began to feel fear creep in. I got back up on my hands and knees again and started praying and rebuking Satan and the spirit of fear that I was feeling. I asked the midwife about her previous breech deliveries what her thoughts were and she said that her last one the woman had to wait 45 minutes after feeling the urge to push before she could push. We discussed a couple of options one was having the baby at home or calling the Dr and seeing if he would allow me to try a vbac at the hospital possibly under an epidural. We prayed some more and asked God what we should do and to give us peace. This was my third breech baby. The first two that were breech were both c-sections. Gary, the midwife and I talked. I knew that when I hit transition was when fear is at its worst for me. So much so that I ask for an epidural, which to me is a scary procedure. Once I have the urge to push it is very hard if not impossible for me to stop pushing. This was the part that was so traumatic to me with Bethany’s birth. I remember being on the operating table and trying so hard not to push that I would raise my bottom up off of the table and squeezing my legs together to keep her off of my cervix so that I could keep from pushing . We talked some more about calling Dr D and I just felt a total peace about doing that. I told Gary to make the call. I remember him calling and while waiting for him to call back I told Gary that if we were going let’s go ahead and head that way and then when he calls we’ll be that much closer in case these pick up and get worse. I did not want to deliver in the suburban, nor did I want to have a lot of pushing type contractions on the way to the hospital. Just before we left Dr. D called and agreed to at least check me. Gary readied the suburban and I made a bee-line for it. Gary was concerned that I had no panties on and I was not in the best position for modesty. I was in the back seat, again with my fanny in the air and my head on the seat. Thank goodness for tinted windows. The midwife was right behind us. No one got to eat the breakfast that Rebecca had fixed. On the way to the hospital I prayed that I would have very few contractions or none. I believe I had three until two lights before the hospital when I started having them close together and felt the urge to push. I put my head on the floor trying to keep baby off of my cervix so that I did not feel the urge to push and I told Gary to run the lights and put on his hazards. Those were the longest lights ever. I got out at the door of the emergency room and the lady wanted me to sit in a wheel chair. I looked at that thing trying to figure how I could get in and get my head lower than my bottom. I tried to sit backwards and it was a no go. I hate sitting during contractions. I told her to get me a bed lol. She took me to admissions and I told them there was no time this baby was coming and if they didn’t want to deliver it they better get me upstairs. When they found out I had been there before and this was our seventh baby, we took off upstairs. When I got upstairs the nurses wanted me in the bed. I was having contractions hard and fast and could not move until it passed. Somewhere between the wheelchair and the bed my gown was changed. I finally got in the bed on all fours. The nurses started yelling at me to turn over. I told them no I just needed a c-section the baby was breech and I could not move. I heard them ask Gary what he wanted me to do. At that point I hated to tell them I didn’t care what anybody wanted lol. I finally got turned over and they put that dreaded monitor on my belly. Dr. D came and found the baby had turned and I was at 8 cm. I remember Dr. D asking how much weight I had gained during this pregnancy and no one could tell him, I thought that was so funny. Here I was in labor and all he wanted to know was how much I had gained. I know now it was because he was concerned with how big the baby was, but the mind does funny things when you are in labor. It is amazing that you can be in so much pain and it is like your mind is a totally separate part of you. All I could say was give me an epidural lol. They said I was too close and he could break my water and make it better in 10 minutes or not and it be 30 minutes, but first I had to sign the papers saying that I wanted a vbac. I was having a battle in my mind. So they had taken away my epidural and the quickest way to get out of this pain was a c-section so I asked for that lol. Gary and the midwife reminded me that that was not what I wanted and I just needed to sign the papers. So now they were taking away my c-section option too lol. It was funny the way my mind was thinking. So I relented and signed/scribbled on the papers. I started having another contraction and I knew I could not take it on my back so I started to flip over and the nurses started yelling no. I said that could not take it and I flipped over. I heard Dr. D tell them to leave me alone I was okay. I immediately started to push. I felt my water break. The baby was coming down. For the first time I felt and was aware of the baby moving down the birth canal. I was totally inside myself. I heard no one. I felt the ring of fire and then relief. The baby was born and we had a big boy. Daniel Roger was born at 8:10 weighing in at 9 lb 13 oz and was 22 inches long. So many feelings flooded my heart. It was wonderful! I had had a baby naturally, again. I had prayed for so many things for this labor. I had an aunt that told me to pray specifically in detail and so I did. I prayed for as pain-free a delivery as possible, God answered this for as long as I kept my focus on him, I felt no pain. I prayed for a vbac and I had Daniel naturally. I prayed for my water not to break until I was ready to push and it broke as I was pushing. It was wonderful to pray during labor and see God move immediately. I remember at one point singing “How Great is Our God,” and just feeling his loving arms around me, totally wrapped in his love. Our poor midwife and Gary, I can’t carry a tune in a bucket on my best day and here I was in labor singing. It has been two months today since giving birth to Daniel and I still cry when I think of the amazing things that God did during this birth. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/723604/ Thu, 3 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/723604/ Aaaah we have had three days now without anyone being sick.  I spoke too soon, little Isaac is back to running a fever hmmmmmm.  Just when you think it is over someone else comes down with something lol.  The week of January 12th is what started it, we all had the stomach bug and it has been something ever since.  I thought it had ended after Lydia had a six day stay in the hospital in the PICU with her asthma/pneumonia, but that was not to be.  The week we came home we had two with ear infections, two with strep throat and three with a bout of a stomach bug and if that were not enough my dad was cutting down a tree and it kicked back and hit him in the leg breaking it.  The dad came home his older brother went into the same hospital just down the hall with pneumonia too.  I think they just thought the other was having too much fun.  Dad saw that Lydia got the remote to herself and then my uncle saw dad got it so they just had themselves a good ole time, we should be well known by now lol.  This past Sunday we actually thought we might all make it to church when Isaac woke up with a fever....fuuuuuuun.  Is spring just around the corner? Needless to say school has been a bit hit or miss.  We hit at least something each day, but not what I would like to.  And no my little Bethany would not be spitting her milk back into her glass and yes that is snow in the background and no they were not happy that they had to do school on a "snow" day  .  Their aunts and uncles did wear them out later that day though because we went to mom's to wash clothes(washer is out) and they had a ball sledding.  There are birdfeeders right outside the window that they were watching so they could do their bird notebooks.  Our cats remind me of the old Sylvester and Tweety cartoons, they like to sit in the window and look like they are pretending to be bird"feeders", boy would they like to feed on one lol. All in all though I have to say Praise the Lord!!!!!  Yes you heard me right.  First I am thankful that I have a house full of children, even though they are sick, it keeps me on my knees.  I am thankful that Lydia's asthma has been no worse than it is.  Though this bout landed her in the hospital she could have asthma much worse than she does.  It only seems to bother her when allergies or colds or pneumonia in this case has a hold on her.  And well I am very thankful that even though dad may have a long recovery period ahead of him the Lord was watching over him.  He could have been killed, instead he has a broken leg that will mend.  Here are a few pics for you(I will not post dad's leg though, he had 39 staples in it from the surgery to put him back together)... The first is Lydia while she was in PICU with her brother.... She did enjoy her stay.  She had the television all to herself and they had a great play room and she had a wonderful nurse that spoiled her rotten.  Last week we had a few days of really warm weather.  We planted three and a half rows of peas and a partial row of carrots and the kids had a great time playing outside without coats.  This picture is the only one that does not have a child with their tongue stuck out.  First it was Bethany and then she finally smiled and then Isaac had to do it.  Needless to say it took about six pictures to finally get one without a tongue in it. No she is not as innocent as she looks either one of them roflol This past Monday we woke up to this.... It is pretty, but this mama wants spring.  I guess we will have a taste of it as this weekend our highs are supposed to be in the lower seventies.  Doesn't that sound nice? And now for Isaac's hair cut picture.  It really does not do the hair cut justice as there were really big chunks cut out and several gashes that were to the scalp.  hehehe http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/665081/ Wed, 4 Mar 2009 09:03:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/665081/ Well I hope that everyone has had a very blessed Christmas.  The above picture was taken by my oldest ds.  It looks like a Christmas card picture.  I absolutely love Christmas and this was about all of the decorating that got done.  We have an artificial tree because of the wood heat and it sits right by the fireplace so a real one would dry out really fast. School is going.  That is about all I have to say.  With morning sickness we have done very little, but it has been going.  Lydia got glasses a few weeks ago.  When we went for a routine exam he asked how she was with reading, well that does not go well because I thought she was being lazy and just not wanting to do her work.  Bless her heart she could not see.  She could concentrate and get it, but it was such work so now she has glasses and is doing much better.  There is never a dull moment with Bethany.  Here are some of her latest things that she has done. Bethany has been asserting herself a little more....the other day the older four were in the dining room making the usual noise and talking when she walks in and shouts "SILENCE........My Kill You." I have no idea where she got it from, but it did not help the noise level....afterwards there were gales of laughter.  Oh well.  She must have heard me tell her dad that Isaac needed a hair cut because yesterday, she gave him one. He now looks like a little GI Joe with a few gashes here and there.  Yes I got pictures and will hopefully upload them later.  Rebecca had trimmed her bangs and left my hair cutting scissors down.  My aunt who cuts hair had decided to not cut hair yesterday unless it was an emergency......she said we qualified I looked in the Ag Review and found a milk cow for sale.  Unfortunately she was sold, but he had another.  I am so trying to talk dh into getting one.  After all if it doesn't work out they seem to sell really quickly and after all we are now going through 6+ gallons a week(if I buy six they drink six and if I buy eight they drink eight) and with my insomnia I am up earlier and and and........well we will see. So much has gone on since we announced our newest little one, including morning sickness which I have been so blessed not to suffer before.  That has now subsided, but the pregnancy induced insomnia has come to visit hehehehe along with the stomach bug that has been hitting about one person per week....at this rate we might be over it by February.  Do not take this as complaining, I love every minute of carrying a little one inside.  Those little flutters have come and just make my day to feel.  Well that is all for now.  I need lunch and a walk. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/638028/ Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:12:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/638028/ Did you see the ticker above?  While we were at the beach we found out we are expecting our seventh baby.  Thank You Lord!  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/606971/ Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:53:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/606971/ Sorry Guys!  I cannot believe how long it has been since I last updated.  I will do a quick run down of our events since March 4 UGH! Easter was great!  It always great to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  Spring is also one of my favorite times of year.  The girls baked and decorated a cake for Easter and it turned out very pretty.  They Clean Up Rather Purty Don't Ya Think? Little Isaac celebrated his first birthday on March 30th.  Where did the time go.  He is walking and climbing, although he was climbing before the walking.  He has given me many many near heart attacks. This tractor was given to Kaleb on his first birthday and so was the little boat in the background I had a great aunt to pass away and we had to drive up to Virginia for the visitation.  On the way we stopped at Pilot Mountain.  We did not walk around the pinnacle, but it was fun to visit again.    Next came Mothers day in May.  I appreciate my mom and mother-in-law.  They are both precious ladies.  Can't find my pics UGH! At the end of May we celebrated Bethany's 3rd birthday.  She cracks us up with her Bethanese.  When you would ask her to sing her ABC's she sings C IIIIIIIIIIIIII D, now she is really getting the hang of the ABC song errrr in her own way.  It goes something like this A, B, C IIIIII D, E, F, G etc lol.  Leading up to her birthday she would come running up to me grab my face in both of her hands and say "Mama, mama my birday comin".  Oh and no she is not 716 lol.  We could not find any birthday candles except for these...so we put three numbers for a three year old lol.  She also wanted a John Deere tractor and a Dora cake...so she got both. This rose bush is one that her aunt and uncle gave to us when she was born...they are both growing so fast. These two cousins are just two days apart.  The one on the right was first and we were supposed to bring them supper on the day they came home from the hospital.  We had to call them that morning and let them know that we would not be coming after all as we had had our little one.  Grandma got two beautiful granddaughters in one weekend lol. Then came Father's day.  I love my dad and he thinks I am perfect...what else can I say there.  He is too.  We love to say that around family, of course they just roll their eyes.  In case you don't know I am the only girl, I have four brothers so of course "I" am the perfect one lol.  We had a great time with our dads.  Dh got the same thing I got for Mother's day....quarter round to finish up our project at home.  I do have a couple of Father's Day pictures! First is my dad and then Gary's! Next came Lydi-Birds birthday.  She is becoming quite the young lady.  This is the one that we constantly say belongs to my sil.  They both have blond hair and both do not like strawberries.  WHO DOES NOT LIKE STRAWBERRIES?  Well not these two.  They both have dainty features too so she could pass for one of their children.  Coincidently one of theirs could pass for one of mine lol.  Then came Kalebs birthday.  He turned the big 17 and now has his drivers license.  He is a right nice looking young man.  And little brother enjoying big brothers cake the next day!  He was found sitting on top of the table having his own little party! And here are just a few pictures I really liked! My dad and Bethany And our day at the park last week after the movie!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/554955/ Tue, 1 Jul 2008 08:24:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/554955/ Sunday was so warm that we went walking on my fil land behind our house.  It was so much fun.  All of the children went except for Rebecca who opted to walk to grandma's.  Actually she wanted to read the comics before I did and read through the sale papers uninterrupted. We had a good time though with some hunting crawdads and others running from them lol.  I love the song I shall not be moved.  I kept thinking of the part "just like a tree planted by the water".  There were several instances to see tree roots where the water had washed away the soil surrounding them and they were huge.  Enjoy the pics....by the way for my birthday I received enough money to buy me a digital camera.   Thank you Lord for providing!     Crawdad Catcher Crawdad runners Bionic Man(alias dh) Mommy and Frogman   Ds and his brown jug(actually it is an old Clorox jug he found) Dh has a halo Sisters My heart was so full as I left the wood that day.  The wonderful blessings God has bestowed upon me.  Lord I pray that I can stand as tall and as strong as those trees....let me not move to the right or the left, but stay forever grounded in you.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/492113/ Tue, 4 Mar 2008 08:35:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/492113/ What a beautiful morning we woke up to.  Enjoy the pics and those Carolina blue skies. A view from the back porch   Our little house full of blessings and if you look really close you will see a certain almost three year old standing behind the wooden deer and the bottom of the porch railing in nothing but her night shirt and diaper....NO SHOES brrrrrrrrr! At the end of this field you may be able to see a tobacco barn...this is where my dh's family lives...not in the barn beside of it lol The Leah and Lydia Rebecca Kaleb Isaac with his Valentine's gift....sippy cups Our Valentine's Breakfast And one last pic of the snow Blessings! Holly http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/481551/ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:41:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/481551/ I am sitting here in a stunned silence.  I have just learned that a dear Momys and fellow homeschoolblogger’s little one has gone on to be with the Lord.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/raisingarrows   http://raising-arrows.blogspot.com/  Please pray for Amy and her family.  Her little one, Emily had been sick, but she was home and doing well…..I just cannot imagine the pain that this mommy is in tonight.  My heart just breaks for her.  We never know how long we will get to hold these little ones.  I think I will hold them a little tighter and squeeze a little longer.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/478936/ Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:03:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/478936/ Well I have decided to declare war once again on clutter and so I started with the heart of our home, um the diningroom/kitchen/schoolroom/sewingroom///////.  Well you get the idea.  Here is a before or two. Is this thing supposed to hold heirloom china or something???? And another And now the After I have history, geography, art/home ec, english, spelling, vocabulary, math and some bible study stuff here.  And of course my diaper making stuff.  I had to add another shelf because I got some more flannel.  I have my actual sewing stuff here and then cut out diapers ready to be sewn and then flannels on the next three and the soaker material on the last. And last but not least, we have had some warm temps here like in the lower 70's so we have been outdoors.  So here are a few pics from our days spent outside. Monkey on her bike Will have to upload more later.  Blessings Holly   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/476643/ Thu, 7 Feb 2008 17:05:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/476643/ As any of you that know me IRL know I am not an organized person at all....please if you ride by my house do not look in the garage lol, but one thing I do plan is meals.  This saves me lots of time and money.   I only shop every two weeks for groceries, although I will stop if I am out on another appointment and there is a good deal on the way believe me I am there.  I am not up on coupons, but will use them for good deals where I end up getting the item free or almost free or if it is much cheaper than the offbrand.  Anyway I plan two weeks worth of meals and I only plan for suppers/lunch.  That is in the right order....our supper leftovers are for lunch the next day.  Breakfast is always one of the following: muffins, pancakes, popeyes, fried eggs w/bacon or sausage, biscuits or homemade granola.  Once in a while I will buy cereal, but most of my bunch prefers my homemade granola. Here is our next two week menu: Monday 2/4 Corn dogs French fries Tuesday 2/5 Sloppy joes Curly Fries Pickles Wednesday 2/6 Chicken Salad Croissants Chips Apple slices Thursday 2/7 Tacos Friday 2/8 This night we always eat at mama's and I usually make a cake, but this time I am off.....we are celebrating my birthday.  Which one? I will be 36...just ask my dh....I had to the other day and he wouldn't tell me so I had to count from the year I was born.  What FUN! Saturday 2/9 Ham Baked beans Potato salad Sunday 2/10 We wil have leftovers for lunch Monday 2/11 MY BIRTHDAY! Split pea soup Bratwurst on rolls Tuesday 2/12 Beef stew with carrots, potatoes and onions Homemade rolls Wednesday 2/13 BBQ Chicken Mashed potatoes Green beans Carrots Thursday 2/14 Crockpot scalloped potatoes Rolls Friday 2/15 Pound cake to take to mama's Saturday 2/16 We are eating at mil's for my and bil's birthdays. Sunday 2/17 Chicken pie Stewed potatoes Green beans I do not plan for most desserts, I just fix what I have a hankerin' for lol, but I make sure to have fixins. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/475065/ Tue, 5 Feb 2008 14:08:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/QuiverfullMom/475065/