Thursday, December 30, 2010

True or False?

Seems like most evenings around here consist of False Labor! 

Every evening, what goes on through my head is who can help us out, is my hubby ready to jot down the times to see how far apart these contractions are.  Are these the real deal or not?  Who is around to help watch the kids or do we all go to the hospital together so hubby can drop me off?  Should I call someone to see if they are around just in case?  Should I go to sleep to sleep it off or not?  Then I'd really know...

For the first time ever, we hired a doula to help us out...what a relief to know that I have someone that will be with me through labor and delivery just in case hubby cannot be there with me. 

As of Monday's check up, I am 2-3 cm and still 50%. 

The docs say that I can last at this amount for a while (since it is my 7th baby) OR I can go real quickly.  I am hoping to go quickly but who knows!?  Only God and His perfect timing.  He knows what is best.

I am going to *try* to go natural-at least for as long as I can.  My doula has given me some great ideas and hints that even I have not yet heard of!  I do not want to have any complications after having the baby, which is my biggest reason for opting to try to go natural.  I am no super mom and it scares me incredibly to go natural.  I have gone natural ONE time before; also had 2 c-sections w/babies #2 and #6; with 3 VBACS in between.  Let's just say that I have had my fair share of all birthing stories. 

And each baby is very different, each pregnancy was different, each labor and delivery was very different. 

Going natural is surely not something that I am choosing with excitement but I know it is best for both the baby and I.  (I can not go into much detail about it).

If you can say a little prayer for me for God to give me strength, courage and fortitude to go all the way natural, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!

I hope to have some posts soon about when I go into real labor and of course, the baby!

God bless,
Mary

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Christmas Pics Part 2


Making our #1 favorite...Sweet Potato Pie!
Thanks to kid #1 who helped peel and cut all the sweet potatoes and thanks to kid #2 who mashed them up!
Yummmmmmmmy!


Making Mashed Potatoes...Kid #2 and Kid #5:


They each had a part in making our homemeade gingerbread house....
First the milk mixture, then the flour mixture, beat it up w/the sugar mixture and REPEAT till done...


Christmas Cookies!!!
Homemade dough-5 cups of flour and that STILL was NOT enough!



The COOLEST gingerbread house EVER!!!
It was a cake then we decorated it---wait till you see pics of it-crazy!!! LOL



Cookies and milk ready for Santa:


God bless,
M

Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas Pics Part 1

I took so many pics these last number of days.
So, here is Part 1 of our Christmas pics.
Tomorrow, God willing, there will be Part 2~!

Merry Christmas!!!

Remember, it's not over yet...
It's only just begun!


Getting ready and deocrating our house with colored snowflakes...

and our homemade Family Christmas Card Making Party....



Decorating our Christmas tree with Santa's elves-the best helpers ever!...


Trying to figure out how to put our Christmas tree together...fake one this year again but we don't mind....


 And...our pretty Christmas tree!!!
God bless,
M

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas 2010



MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

  • Hubby and kids let me sleep in till 6:15am (they got up at 5:30! and I did not even hear them!)
  • Sang Happy Birthday to Jesus
  • Had hot cinnamon buns for breakfast
  • opened gifts in good timing of 45mins! that is really long w/6 energetic kids!
  • Snow showers this morning=what a treat on Christmas to get snow falling! :)
  • K served Mass
  • All kids had matching socks and shoes and we made it to Church with enough time to get in the 3rd pew
  • Hubby bought me new flannel Christmas PJ's, which I LOVE! and a new robe and an apron-sweeeeet!
  • My double trouble duo (2 and 3 yr olds) were crazy hyper at Mass and spent it in the back-oh well at least I did not 'loose it' and just took it in stride.
  • In laws flew down and surprised us 2 hours earlier than planned and our house was A TOTAL WRECK!  Humbling reality!
  • Baked and cooked all food yesterday on Christmas Eve so I did not have to make anything today! Oh yeah! 
  • Watched Toy Story 3
  • Kids made gingerbread house - so fun; will post pics tomorrow
BUT BY FAR...THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT I COULD HAVE EVER RECEIVED WAS A UNANIMOUS DECISION BY ALL KIDS THAT THIS WAS A GREAT CHRISTMAS B/C THEY DID NOT GET SPOILED WITH GIFTS (LIKE LAST YEAR-as they said that) AND THAT THEY COULD APPRECIATE THE GIFTS THEY GOT BETTER THAT WAY. 

woweee!  what a nice compliment! 

Thank you GOD for helping me see this as the best gift.  Thank you for coming to us as a wee little baby.  Thank you for giving us a chance to get to Heaven.  Thank you for my faith and my hope that there is so much more to this life.

Merry Christmas EVERYONE!!!

Pics to come so check back soon!

God bless,
M

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

2 more days!

...till Christmas Eve!

My kids will surely tell you and everyone else they see or bump into lately!

ONLY 2 more days!    Yipeeeeeeeee!!!

But...we have a smidge bit of school left to my kids' dismay.  It is sort of like "1/2 days"  and it has been very difficult to keep their attention this week...as you can imagine.  But to make it easier, I have also incorporated lots of artsy crafty stuff and they love that!  Currently our dining room and kitchen room look like art rooms, tons of scraps all over the floor and tons of creations hanging all over the walls! 

For me, these next 2 days consist of wrapping, wrapping and wrapping some more.  I don't know about you but I really don't mind wrapping, esp. when there is some great Christmas music to set the mood.  The only problem is that I cannot find the time ALONE to wrap!  To date, I have only wrapped 2 presents which are not for my kids.  With all the sicknesses abounding in our home, this time alone is far and wide between.

It's a great reminder that Christmas is NOT about the presents and even though my kids are just like any kid who awaits Santa's arrival, I hope that I have helped to instill HOPE in their little hearts as we have prepared this (crazy) Advent and  esp. in these last 2 days for the coming of the Christ Child. 

  • How will you receive Him this year?
  • Have you prepared well enough?
  • What can you do differently these last 2 days to help prepare?
  • Are you caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, loosing sight of the true meaning of Christmas?
  • Have you thanked God for the gift of His Son-the gift above all other gifts?
Lots to think about...

God bless,
M

Monday, December 20, 2010

Baby, you're a Win-Win for us!

The homemade chicken-cheese pizza is baking and our home smells oh-so-deliciouso! 

Hubby is working a bit late, kids are all occupied (for the time being!) and so now I have a few mins to post ...so here I am!

I am 36 and 1/2 weeks pregnant right now! 
The baby is constanting kicking to find room in my big jelly belly. 
The baby is full of hiccups and kicks and punches and all those movements we somehow wish to stop but then we love them at the same time. 
The baby is head down and ready.
The baby is making my legs swell by 5pm.
The baby is causing some big Braxton Hicks contractions in which I stop to think "Woa, maybe?" and then they stop.

This baby.
This sweet baby I cannot wait to hold in my arms and nurse and cuddle with.
(The labor and delivery I can do without, thank you.)

Here I am in the last part of this pregnancy and when I actually stop to think about it, those long 9 months, I am in awe that God has blessed us with another baby. 

I am curious to the BIG QUESTION-a BOY or a GIRL??? 

For the record, all of my kids either think it will be a girl or are wanting a little baby sister.  The boys, in the beginning, stuck with their own and wished for a boy but as time elapsed, they too figured a girl would be delightful.  (Truth be told, shh.....I too was hoping for a girl....) With 2 boys in a row with the last 2 babies, who wouldn't start thinking pink again? 

But then, about 2 weeks ago, a great calm came across my heart, mind, and soul.  I prayed and consecrated (in my own words) this new little blessing to our Blessed Mother Mary.  I asked her to help this child imitate her in her kindness, gentleness, generosity, calmness, obedience and all things that make our Blessed Mother Mary so wonderful, so "Blessed among women".  After hoping and wanting a little more pink in our household for a while, after that prayer time, I am at ease to whether this baby is a boy or a girl.  No more wishing and hoping just for pink.  I can go either way-pink or blue!  :)  I am trusting that Mary will cover this baby in her sweet mantle and make this child like her.

In this way, I cannot possibly be disappointed, huh?!  :) 

I think this is a win-win, wouldn't you say? :)

Here is a song that our family really likes and sings along to.  I think it is fitting to post it on this post:



Mary, this baby is yours.  Mary, I trust you. 
My Jesus, I love you.
My Jesus, this baby is All Yours.  May this baby grow ever closer to You all the days of his or her life. 
God bless,
M

Friday, December 17, 2010

Snowman!



Our FIRST snowman of this Winter Season!
Bring it on'~!
Who would have known that moving to the "South" we'd have more snow than the North?
Sorry guys up there, I know you miss this white stuff!!!
We're pretty happy to have some-just 2inches but it goes a looooooooong way with little ones.  Just perfect for them...not too much to not be able to walk in but enough that it does not melt right away :)

I do have to say that it is really funny to see that these folks down here have no idea what to do when it snows.  For ie:  yesterday it snowed and it is over 24 hours since it stopped and STILL there has been no plows to be seen!  Our road is still pretty much covered in snow still!  It's like they are at a standstill not knowing what to do!  so funny.

God bless,
M

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Today

We are recovering, thank You God. 
What a whirlwind it has been.

Today we've had some welcoming change-our First Snow of the winter season 2010!

My kids were so excited and even much more b/c they were well enough to enjoy that inch or a little more of it!  We have a little hill in our backyard-it is perfect for them to get real tired on-perfect for sledding down and hiking back up only to sled donw again and then hike back up to sled down again...you get the drift!!!

I am anxious to see if all this fresh air and outside exercise is going to help our little sleepers sleep a whole lot better!??!?  I'll keep you posted on that one...I do hope so, very much so.

It's so nice to be blogging about some better things other than complaining...I am sorry about that.  I needed to vent and I hope you did not mind too much! 

This crazy computer and blogosphere is my link to the outside world lately, as our road to Bethlehem gets less bumpy!

Today was great.  Lots of white snow lighting up our inside of the house, lots of hot chocolate to keep those insides warm, lots of little bowls of warm/hot water for those freezing hands after snow time, lots of fresh air, lots of hugs to keep them warm, & lots of love.

Here are some pics.












God bless,
M

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Sick

Here we go...
On Sunday, one kid has stomach bug.
On Sunday night,  another kid gets the bug.
By Monday afternoon, 4 kids get the bug.
By Monday night, 4 kids plus this Momma gets the bug.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that we are dealing with lice too?  Not sure if we have it, have not seen any little pesters yet but we were exposed so I am doing all this washing, shampooing, washing, drying, shampooing etc...just in case.

Yup, this has been some Advent.

All for Your Greater Glory, Lord.

God bless,
M

Friday, December 10, 2010

One thing to say


or rather SCREAM FROM THE ROOF TOP....



WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!
WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!
WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!

DO YOU HEAR ME?

WE SOLD OUR HOUSE...FINALLY!!!!

ALL THANKS BE TO GOD-HE SURELY INTERVENED AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL AND RELIEVED.  FINALLY.  FINALLY.

THANK YOU GOD!

God bless,
M

Thursday, December 9, 2010

St. Juan Diego, pray for us!

Woohoo!
I found a super great site for a St. Juan Diego craft activity.  My kids are working on it as I am typing right now.

HERE it is!


This morning, we went to visit Santa Claus at our little neighborhood library.  Believe it or not, this was our first time really ever doing this and having the kids sit on Santa's lap!  I almost feel sort of bad about not bringing them up until now!  I just never wanted to wait in line at the mall for -forever- to just have them cry hysterically and I go balistic with no patience left.  So, I never ventured out to do it.  But when I saw that at our little neighborhood library there was a story time and Santa there, I thought to myself  "Hey, I can manage something like that!"  And we did.  It was cute and harmless and it brought back so many memories of when I was little and I sat on that magical red suited man's lap. 

What joy my heart felt by such a simple thing.  I am grateful that I had enough pizazz to do it!  Even more so, I am totally impressed that my 2 yr old went straight up to Santa's lap as the 3rd kid on his lap-the 1st kid from our family to do so!!!  He did not have to watch his big siblings go and do this. 

He knew this is what he wanted and he went for it. 

What a sight!  It sure does show how very strong willed this little man is.  Now, if I can just work with this strong will and help aim it for God's glory.  Then that will be something!

We'll also be trying to find this movie to watch today too:


Have you seen this cute cartoon? 
If not, you must. 

It is worth it, along with all the othere CCC movies too.  They will be a welcome addition to your movies, I promise you! :)


St. Juan Diego, pray for us.

God bless,
M

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Tis' the photo Christmas card season!

Tis' the season for Christmas photo cards!

Are you done with ordering your Christmas cards yet?

If you are like ME and not done YET, then wait right there.

Check out these really cool, and I mean, REALLY AWESOME Christmas Photo Cards from Shutterfly
My family members have used shutterfly and this will be my FIRST time ever using them.  I can't wait!

(FYI---pics below are NOT my own kidos but samples from the Shutterfly website)

I think it will be perfect this year since I cannot decide on just one picture, I think it is time I change it up a bit and do something creative like this:

 
I like the black and white pics with the red and green standing out very clearly!  And the year 2010 is important too! :)

OR how about this one:



My favorite Christmas song is "Oh Holy Night" (esp by Josh Groban!) and so I think that this one is really nice but only fits ONE picture but still it's so pretty!  Here it is:



This one too!!!:



Oh wow, check this one out...

I REALLY like this one a lot since I can add in a little blurb about our family and how we moved with our new address.  Since we are now a bit further away from family...this would be perfect!  So far, this one is in the lead. 

Here is one that is simple and to the point and kind of like the ones that I have sent in the past years:


And this one too reminds me of ones that I have sent out:



This one is really cute too with lots more pics than just 1 or 2:


As I was looking through what shutterfly offers, I came across Birth Announcements too!  With our new baby due soon, this would be perfect, don't you think?

A few years ago my sister made some personalized calenders and I also have a friend who does it every single year for certain family members.  I did not think I could ever be that organized or on top of things to do it but Shutterfly makes it so easy.  Click HERE for the link.

I hope that I can get to these photo Christmas cards within these next few days! 

Friends, please keep an eye out for our card!!!

Gdo bless,
Mary

Give me a break

Ok, where do I start?

I feel like all I do lately is rant on this blog and I do hope you don't mind (at least not too much).  It sure seems like when it rains, it pours.  Such is this season for me lately.

I mentioned about our sleeping issues HERE and then our Advent issues HERE.

Then late Monday morning one of my little guys ended up getting sick to his stomach.  I think it was just too much chocolate from St. Nick so early in the morn.  Since then no one else has gotten it, so that is why I think so. At least I can hope! :)   It was enough to throw me for a loop as any mother knows---we become almost obsessed with every noise and movement they make running with a bucket after them or making sure a radius of 5 feet around the couch is covered in blankets and towels!!!  Ok, that is too gross too early in the morning to talk anymore about so I'll stop there...

Then yesterday was the bomb.

2 kids in the Emergency Room simultaneously...but for totally different reasons.  My oh my.

My little 2 yr old fell into the corner of the fireplace with bricks, right on the corner on his temple.  Anytime the head gets a laceration, watch out-blood everywhere!  It was so nasty.  It looked horrible and I flipped out.  My hubby made it home in his shortest time ever (thank God no cops sighted him!).

He was home no more than 5 mins then I took the 2 yr old to the ER.

I was there in the ER no more than 15 minutes and then I got a call from hubby that our 10 yr old was having a major allergic reaction with hives everywhere and he started to say his throat was sore.  (This is totally new to him and any of our kids-we never had anything like this before.  We have no allergies in our family and we still cannot pinpoint what the hives came from).   In less than 2 mins, he and all the 5 kids were en route to the ER. 

I was freaking out.  I could not be there for my 10 yr old, but thank God my hubby was.  But it still is not the same as a momma.

Once I saw him walk through to the ER, my heart sunk as looked absolutely horrible and to think I just saw him 20 mins before!!?!?  So, there I was with 2 of my kidos-my oldest and youngest both sharing a stretcher in the ER.

Never a dull moment.

After 4 hours, a little bit of nickelodeon and an Iwo Jima movie, 3 medications, special super glue for the hole in my 2 yr old's head, and no nap for the cranky 2 yr old... we were home.

The stress that comes with all this the past few weeks is close to unbearable.  But on this great feast day of Mary- the Immaculate Conception, I do feel some consolation.

May you have a blessed feast day.  May Mary intercede on my behalf with my greatest desires.  Amen.

God bless,
M

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Good ol' St. Nick, please no coal!


...to visit us tonight, I hope! :)

The kids all reminded me that tomorrow is the feast of St. Nicholas.  An old tradition (and a very cool one indeed!) is to put out our shoes near the chimney.
 
Why, you may ask?

Check out HERE for more details...
THIS is a whole website about St. Nicholas.

The short of the story of St. Nicholas is that he threw down some gold down the chimney of this family that needed it so that the 3 daughters could soon marry.  And that gold ended up in the stockings that were being warmed by the fire.  Hence,why we have stockings for Christmas!  Cool!

In our house and many others too, we put our shoes out near the chimeny so that St. Nicholas can throw down some golden chocolate coins into them!
Oh, those precious gold chocolate coins near the day of Dec. 6th!
It took me 2 stores to find these gold coins today.  I'm glad I did...I was starting to wonder what I was going to do!  My kids would be devasted without seeing those coins in the morning.

And I am still in need of finding 3 purple and 1 pink candle for our advent wreath.  I ended up actually buying an advent wreath this year b/c I could not find ours!?!? I think the movers took it!!! haaa.  Those special advent candles!  Argh, can't find them anywhere!  Been to 4 stores already.  So much for being on time and ready this year for Advent, huh? 

DO you have Advents like this too?

Anyway, Happy 2nd Sunday of Advent today!

There is so much that I would love to do with the kids to have us all experience Advent in a special way this year.   My expectations were pretty high, I guess.   Not this year, I guess.  It's been very hard of an advent for me.  (you too?  Oh,  please say you too!!??!) 

"It is what it is", some say. 

But it is hard for me to let go and not have everything go as planned or hoped for.  Even if I got 1/2 of what I would have liked for this Advent, actually being done, I would not be so bummed out.  Things such as I would have loved to do the Jesse tree (even to some degree) ...but can't swing it this year.  I would love to be able to keep our manger Nativity set up all day long, even all Advent long...but not this year.  My sweet -gone- wild 2 year old has made me use the glue gun too many times.  Mind you, we just found the nativity manger and JUST put it out yesterday.  So much for the change of scenery around here!  argh.  I would have also liked to have prayed certain prayers for the Sundays of Advent ...but not this year, b/c I just bought an advent wreath yesterday after spending over a week trying to find ours.   And...I am still on the hunt to find some candles too.  I would have also liked to do a "secret Santa" but not this year.  It is hard enough to keep some secrets untold around here and it would only end up in a fight and whining about doing more things for another sibling...at least this year.   I wonder when is a good age to start that.  It seems so fun to do! 

As many seasoned mommas have told me, and I truly believe it, is that things will change and time flies by.  Then remind me to just accept what life brings right now, and try not so hard to understand it as much to just accept it.  Sounds simple, but it's not.  It is my own will that gets in the way!   I believe what they tell me but man is it hard to accept when in the middle of it.  It is very hard to see that big picture, some days.

Well, that was a big of a tangent, huh?!?! :) 

Hey, Jolly and good ol' St. Nicholas, please pay us a visit tonight?
Then again, maybe some lumps of coal is what I deserve...

God bless,
M

Friday, December 3, 2010

I needed to read this today

"I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed."

-unknown

Thanks God. 
I needed You to get through to lil ol' me.
 
God bless,
M
 

fyi post

Have you ever been just so very very tired?

I mean, the tiredness of many many countless sleepless nights?

If so, then you know how I am feeling.
If not, then count this as a blessing!

My current out of womb 'baby' decided, oh about 2 months ago (yes, that long ago!), that he prefers to see and hold his mommy and daddy all night long.  If this request is not obliged, then he will let not just this house know but maybe this whole cul-de-sac know! 

Houses this close together should not have 2 year olds in them, at night that is.  It simply does not create a good neighborly friendship.  (Do you know what I mean?!?!)

Ouch.  It is really that bad.

I have not relinquished this info on my blog b/c I think it's pretty depressing, wouldn't you say? 
I don't want to disappoint my small number of readers with non-uplifting news on my family life and life in general.

But nonetheless, this is my real life. 
The reality of it. 
So there you have it.

So, it is on mornings and days like this that I wonder how I will make it through.  This momma does not have a 'sick day' to call on.   This momma does not have a bed that is open and ready for me to climb back into.  (Well, I do have one but I think you can agree that is not an option, eh?!?!)   

This momma needs lots of grace and patience and teh best idea yet...an extra hand to help out.  If only that extra hand was not 300+ miles away.  It stinks being new in town without anyone to depend on and understand my needs.  It stinks that I feel alone in this.  It stinks that my kids have to see me in an unpleasant state and that I know how to help this out but cannot do anything about it. 

But nonetheless, this is my real life. 
The reality of it. 
And it is not always peaches and cream as I may create it to be on my blog. 

Just an fyi post, that's all. 

Thanks for any prayer you can say today.  It's been a long 2 months and I need some rest before our newest baby arrives in 6 weeks!  Thanks.

God bless,
M

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

It's our Pajama Day~!

Today is a day my kids have been long waiting for.

Happy December 1st!

It also happens to be our family's
1st annual
PAJAMA DAY!!!

We have a lineup of fun games for today...
  • musical chairs
  • popcorn and a movie in sleeping bags and maybe even hot chocolate too! :)
  • duck duck goose
  • kneeling spoon and ball game
We're making the most of this rainy day.  And, can you believe it?...we have yet another tornado watch this morning.   What in the world?!?! 
We're making lemonade out of this lemon of a day...

O Happy Day!

God bless,
M