Recovering

As most of you know, almost two weeks ago, I had an emergency appendectomy and was hospitalized for 4 days. I wanted to fill you all in on what occurred and let you know that all is well in our home!

I woke up on that Friday morning and stepped out of bed only to discover that I could not move. This was extremely unexpected considering I've had very minimal pain and sickness during this pregnancy. I was having excruciating pain on the right side of my lower abdomen and could not walk. After seeing my OB that morning, I was sent to the hospital immediately. The pain was absolutely excruciating! I was evaluated by 3 different doctors and they decided to do emergency surgery to remove my appendix. They said that if my appendix ruptured, it would kill the baby immediately and place my life in danger. We prayed and felt it could be my appendix and agreed that they should go forward with the surgery. I was nervous about being under anesthesia and the stress the surgery would put on the baby, but I continued to have peace. They removed my appendix around 5pm on Friday. I woke up from surgery in even more pain! At that point, they realized that there was something else causing me pain besides my appendix.

I literally could not walk for 2 days. I laid in a hospital bed in one position absolutely afraid to move because the pain was so intense. Finally on Saturday at 4:30am, I woke up and told Nathan I had to move because the pain was unbearable. I stood up for the first time on Saturday morning, but wasn't able to truly walk until Sunday. I walked to the restroom a few times Sunday and walked the halls Sunday night and Monday morning to prove that I could go home. I was released on Monday. I was so thankful to go home! Being away from Judah was the hardest part of all of this!!!

I was in so much pain for about 5 days, but the pain lessened each day. The doctors think that my appendix may have been infected, but that I also had a degenerative fibroid on my uterus that was causing excruciating pain and bleeding. Both have been extremely painful, but the doctors have assured us that neither will not seriously hurt me or the baby. At this point, they say that I will heal from the surgery and return to a very normal pregnancy and birth. The baby's heartbeat is strong and I feel sweet movement daily! I am so thankful that both baby and I are in good health! It may take me some time to fully recover, but knowing that so many other things could have been behind this pain makes me extremely grateful!

We are so thankful for all of our family and friends who have helped us during this time. My husband's bosses even flew my mother in the Sunday after the surgery to help us care for Judah. The doctors have asked me not to pick-up Judah for 2 weeks so I have needed a lot of help while Nathan is working. We have been blessed to be served by the body of Christ! I love to serve, but being served is always a struggle for me. I believe God used this time to show me the joy of being served! Thank you to everyone who has prayed for and cared for us during this time! God has been faithful to provide for us in every way! There have been nights when I wanted to look forward in fear, but God has drawn me nearer and asked me to once again trust in Him. The Lord is good, His mercies are new every morning!

We look forward to spending Christmas (and Judah's birthday) with family and friends. This time of year brings forth so many wonderful memories! I can remember being in labor with Judah on Christmas morning and thinking of Mary birthing Our Savior. Christ became even more real to me as I pictured Mary crying out to God as she brought forth His Son into the world. She birthed a living breathing babe much like the one I held in my arms after hours of labor. It's not that I didn't know these things, but birthing a child on this special day made it all so real to me!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I pray it is a time that your entire family will reflect on Our Lord!

Almost Free Nursing Cover

I heard about this great deal and I just had to share it with you all! Uddercovers.com is offering a free nursing cover (you have to pay $9.95 for shipping) with the coupon code cousin2. I just ordered "jones". Isn't it lovely?

* I did not receive any money from uddercovers.com for sharing this deal :). I just like to share a good deal!

Tired

Are you tired? Do you sometimes feel like being a wife and a mother is a thankless and exhausting job? There are times when I just want to scream, "but what about ME!" There are mornings when I feel so tired from Judah's frequent night wakings and the last thing I want to do is get up and cook for my family. I stand in the kitchen knowing that I have the choice to throw a pity party or ask God to give me the strength to serve my family on this day.

When we have these feelings, the world tells us that we just need to get some rest or have a little more "me time". Well, I would like to share a different message. One that I believe Jesus taught us oh so well! Check out this article that is chalked full of TRUTH!

" just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

" Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Family and Frist Trimester Updates

Family News
Nate turned the 31 on October 27th! He loves to tell everyone that your 30's are the prime of your life! I suspect he will say this for years to come :).

I gave Nate and MarMar tickets to a Titans game for their birthdays. The Titans won the game and the guys loved every bit of it! The gift was a big hit.


MarMar is still working hard on his school work. He spends several hours a night doing homework, but he tells us all the time that all the hard work is worth it. He comes home every day and tells us how much he loves going to school. He loves to play and make us all laugh. He adds so much fun and excitement to our home!

Pregnancy Update
I am currently 14 weeks and loving it! I am so thankful to say that I've had minimal sickness during my first trimester. I've had mild nausea and pain, but nothing that deserves true complaint. I was very tired during the early weeks of pregnancy, but I feel like I am getting my energy back! Nathan and I had a horrible stomach bug the other week that left us so weak that we could hardly care for Judah (who was also sick with the bug the day before we got it). Thankfully, Granna came to our rescue! As I laid in bed sick at night, I thanked God for sparing me from horrible first trimester sickness that so many experience. I know that God will tenderly care for me and my family as I carry His child regardless of my physical comfort, but I thank him for my health today! I pray that I never minimize the gift of carrying a child in my womb. It is truly amazing!

"We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands."
Psalm 78:4-7

9 and 10 Months

9 and 10

* He has FOUR new top teeth!
* He reaches for us when we come towards him and loves to stand at our legs.
* He can stand up for a few seconds by himself! One day MarMar came home and told us Judah could stand up on his own. We both laughed because we didn't really think he could do it, but they put our chuckles to shame!
* He can walk along the couch, window, and chair (he still holds on very carefully). He loves to stand up at the low windows and look outside.
* He loves to talk and make noise! He mostly says mama, dada, baba, and screams when he gets excited or upset.

* He has so much fun "working out" with MarMar and daddy. He loves to do anything they are doing. If one of them goes somewhere he follows them and begs to go.Daddy teaching MarMar and Judah

Working out with the guys

* He is eating table food (his eating is still pretty inconsistent, but we are working it out). He really likes bread, chunks of banana (he didn't like pureed bananas but he loves to gnaw on a big banana), apple slices, cantaloupe, carrots, and green beans.
* He enjoys looking at and then tearing apart magazines and books. He plays so rough!
* He loves to shake objects and talk to them. His "conversations can get intense". He loves it when we get him interested in an object and then make him come and get it. He will crawl across us daddy over and over again trying to get his glasses.
* He learned how to throw things. Throwing balls and blocks get him lots of laughs, but we are trying to teach him not to throw his food.
* He is currently having a reflux flare, but overall his reflux has been controlled. Teething, sickness, and new foods still can cause him to be in pain for weeks. Please pray for healing!
* He is very determined!!! His body is strong and he doesn't let much stop him.
* He found out (he may not fully understand) that he is going to be a big brother in May!
* Judah is such a fun little boy. He brings so much joy to our lives!

I wish I had more pictures to share with you all but we haven't taken many pictures these past couple of months! I will try to take more this month!

Cloth Diapers: What Works for Us

When I was pregnant with Judah, I started to consider using cloth diapers. I felt a bit lost when I started to look at all of the options. It wasn't until I met a woman who actually cloth diapered that I felt confident enough to purchase my diapers. I was so thankful to talk to a real live cloth diapering mama! So, if you are considering cloth diapers, know that there is a real mama out there that is cloth diapering and loving it! There are a lot of great cloth diapering products out there, but here are the products that have worked for us...

Diapers
FuzziBunz One Size Diapers
* These diapers do not provide for a slim fit, but if you aren't concerned about your baby looking slim on the bottom half, they save you a lot money because they grow with your baby. We purchased 16 diapers. As long as you wash daily, 16 should be plenty. We ordered our diapers from here, but I would get them from whoever is cheapest. Just watch for sales!
-As I mentioned before, I DO NOT recommend buying used diapers unless you can verify that they have been used and washed properly.

Wipes
Mother of Eden Wipes
I have a total of about 20 wipes, but the Fuzzibunz wipes are my favorite. In the beginning, I just used cut up receiving blankets. They work just fine, but I would suggest sewing the edges or they will fray in the wash.
* Even if you choose not to cloth diaper, using cloth wipes is super easy and will save on waste and cash!

Wipes Warmer
Price Lionheart Warmer (Price Lionheart makes a great warmer, but their wipes are terrible!!!)
* It is important to place new wipes in your wipes warmer each day or they will get stinky! I usually wet the warmer pad and add new damp wipes each morning. It takes me less than a minute to refill my wipes!

Wipes Solution Recipe
I just make this solution and put it in a spray bottle. Before I use the wipes, I spray the wipe with the solution. This solution should last at least 3 weeks!

2 Tbsp. Natural Baby Wash
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Cups of Water*
4 Drops of Tee Tree Oil
* Add the water first, then the other ingredients.

Accessories
I bought a trash can with a lid and this pail liner http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Planet-Wise-Diaper-Pail-Liner-PVC-FREE-Cloth-/380185316352?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item97571009dc but I've ended up just using a plastic laundry basket. The first is better, but you need to purchase two liners (so you have a liner in the pail while you wash) to do the pail and they are pricey.

Diaper Rash Protection
You cannot use any diaper creams with cloth diapers, but I have found that coconut oil and Balmex Diaper Rash Powder effectively prevent diaper rash. If you need to make a paste so the powder stays on a particular area of the bum, you can always mix a little bit of coconut oil with the powder to create a paste.
* Fuzzibunz diapers are famous for keeping baby rash free. Thankfully, Judah has been rash free so far!

Washing Diapers and Wipes
All #2 diapers should be shaken off and sprayed off (no soaking is required). Pee diapers do not require any rinsing or soaking. They sell sprayers for the toilet, but you can also rinse them in the sink.
* They are cheapest on Ebay. Make sure you purchase one with metal attachments!

Use Charlie's soap! I do 1 cold rinse cycle, 1 hot wash cycle (using one scoop of charlies), and another cold rinse (if you have hard water, I suggest using Calgon) . I line dry everything to save energy (I use a small drying rack because clotheslines are not allowed in our subdivision), but you can dry the inserts in the dryer as long as you don't use any dryer sheets in your dryer. An added benefit to line drying the diapers is that the sun acts as both an antibacterial and stain remover! I use Grapefruit Seed Extract to disinfect the diapers about every 2 weeks. I add 4 drops of GSE to the hot wash cycle and add an extra cold rinse.

These diapers are super easy to clean and let me just say that I HAVE NEVER HAD A SINGLE STAIN ON ANY OF MY DIAPERS! Cleaning the diapers takes me less than 10 minutes a day. All you have to do is add diaper duties to your daily routine (like brushing your teeth).

More Questions
If you are having trouble deciding if you want to cloth diaper, I recommend the following articles. This article will tell you the benefits of cloth diapering. This article will tell you everything you need to know about cloth diapering. This second article will show you the financial benefits of using cloth diapers. If you are married to a big numbers guy, he will love the second article!

Two, Three, Four, Five

It all started when two became one on September 26, 2008.


On December 25, 2009, God gave us an amazing Christmas gift, our first son.


In August of 2010, we discovered that our dear friend LaMarkus needed a place to stay during the week, so we opened our home and became the "Godparents" of an awesome 15 year old boy.


In September of 2010, we found out that we are expecting another sweet gift in May.


This is the story of how we went from a family of two to a family of five! We thank the Lord for entrusting us with these children! We are so unfit, but His grace is MORE THAN ENOUGH! We wait in anticipation for all He is going to do in us through these precious gifts!

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them..." Psalm 127: 3-5