My Little Loving Servants

So I wasn’t feeling too well last month. Something about this first trimester for me. It’s just so hard. I’m often collapsed on the couch, feeling super crummy and feeling like a super crummy Mama too.

One afternoon last month, I was resting and dozing and feeling yucky. Meanwhile the big kids were up to something…

They brought a TV table to my side and placed on it everything I might need: iPad, bible, water, house keys (?), puke bowl with paper towels (they are so right on) and my little green dino, of course. Oh and I see a teddy bear closeby too. For comfort, I believe. Sweet things.

They closed the curtains so it was darker and better for resting.

Then they started picking up the house…

The usually disastrous shoe cabinet was spic and span.

The enormous amount of various water drinking vessels that fill the kitchen counters were nicely lined up.

They made Lil A’s bed nice and neat.

And N straightened her bed.

And H shyly was hiding in his bed, tickled with himself and all they did.

I was so blown away by my wonderful kiddos. They totally bless me and bring me so much joy when I feel so sick.

Quote of the Day

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

(-unknown)

Worth a little pondering this Tuesday…

Aaaahhhh, Mother’s Day

This mother’s day was great. I try not to have big expectations, but if I’m honest it’s a day that’s kind of important to me. I literally pour my life into my kiddos day in and day out and it’s HARD HARD stuff. It’s nice to be recognized and celebrated, right? Mike often encourages me, but a whole day for this purpose? Yes please! It’s basically as good as birthday.

So here’s my day.

Breakfast in bed. Three courses. With two very enthusiastic and excited servers.  Here was course one… fruit cup and yogurt parfait. (And my water and vitamins of course).

And this precious paper that my girlie did. She was pretty close to right on. Except she got my age wrong by 10 years or so… ;)

Then Sweet N went on to tell me that “Da second course is going to have yots of internestingness because we made orange juice because we didn’t have any oranges.”

Yes it did sound interesting. And yes it was interesting! Also eggs and toast were served along with a precious gift that my boy made at school.

Isn’t that the best poem you’ve ever read?

No? Well, it’s the best one I’ve ever read.

Third course was coffee and a cinnamon roll and flowers. Mike told me later that when he took the kids shopping that they wouldn’t let him buy the cheap canned cinnamon rolls… only the best ‘expensive’ canned cinnamon rolls for their Mommy. I do love a good cinnamon roll. Ha! Train ‘em up right…

So after that we went to church, as usual.

I took along my fourth child as well. :)

After church we used a gift certificate at a Hawaiian Barbeque place. I didn’t think I’d love it, but I seriously cannot forget that beef teriyaki. So so good.

A little tick-tack-toe while we waited for our food.

Then we went home and the kiddos rested.

I enjoyed a treat of a (decaf) Starbucks.

And settled on the couch for some felt letter cutting (a project for church) while watching…

Phantom of the Opera! Coffee, ‘crafts’ and a musical? Now that’s what a call a good time. It seriously was dreamy and relaxing and felt luxurious. Am I easily pleased? Maybe.

The rest of the day consisted of watching some shenanigans.

And Facetiming with my Mama!

And I’m sure we ate something for dinner, but I can’t recall. Then I finished Phantom of the Opera after the kiddos went to bed.

It was a marvelous day. I’m so blessed to be a Mommy to (soon) 4 amazing kiddos. And blessed to be sharing the journey with an amazing man.

Thanks for a perfect day precious family. It’s my joy and honor to take care of you.

Two Tiny Pink Lines

Mike was gone most of February traveling overseas. I usually do okay when he is gone but this time around it was hard. HARD.

I wasn’t feeling well most of the time and was becoming so frustrated with myself. With Mike gone, I cook very simply for the kids, if I cook at all. It’s lots of bean burritos (okay, that’s normal) and lots of ‘kid food’ that isn’t the best for us. But it’s easy to make and it’s easier to get them to eat and easy is GOOD in these circumstances.

But I felt like weeks of eating poorly was catching up with me and I wasn’t feeling well. I was talking myself into doing a cleanse when he returned just to get back on track and hopefully feel better because of it.

Then.

Then one afternoon just before he arrived home I feel asleep on my bed in the middle of the afternoon and I could NOT get up. I was so so very exhausted.  As I peeled myself off the bed I had a thought…

“Wait. This feels like something I’ve felt before.”

No. It couldn’t be. I couldn’t be pregnant. This couldn’t be first trimester nausea and exhaustion. I had fertility help for my last two pregnancies. AND we had been contracepting (sorry TMI).  Each of our children had been carefully planned and I knew I was carrying them as soon as it was possible to know… weeks before the sickness even showed up. Pregnancy was entirely TOO unlikely. Indeed, I just need to do a cleanse and get my husband back to help with the kids so I’m not so exhausted.

Right!

Right.

A day or two after he returned I was feeling the same. Blech. So I swung by the store and grabbed a pregnancy test just to rule out the possibility, get it out of my head and move on with discovering why I was feeling so awful.

So I took the test.

And there was one tiny line, as expected.

And then there were two tiny pink lines.

…

…

I lost my breath for a few moments.

Are my eyes fooling me?

Are these things ever wrong?

How is this possible?

Oooooohhhhh mmmmyyyyyy this changes things.

Breathe.

…

…

I texted Mike to come home immediately before the children were out of school. I showed him the test.

Surprise. A fourth baby, honey!

He was shocked, but quickly declared what a blessing this baby was going to be. He’s so right.

…

The next few days and weeks had my mind spinning about how this change in ‘plan’ changed the picture I had of my next five years of life. Major adjustments. So many things have changed for me. This dear baby is due to be born the very WEEK we had planned to move overseas. And literally one week earlier I had given away the last of our baby things, Ha!

Slowly we have fully adjusted to the idea and we are very excited. It’s been a hard pregnancy so far, which is usual for me. And sometimes I think we are crazy for pursuing a move overseas with a newborn baby and three other kids. What. Are. We. Doing?!!!

But we are so certain that this new life is God’s will for us. This baby has already defied the odds, big time.

So here we are. Me and my fourth (fifth, actually) child, at 17 weeks. We’ll find out soon if it’s a tiny boy or a tiny girl.

We love you little one, what a blessed surprise you are to our family!

Cleaning Those Toesies

Sweet N went through a stage in Africa where she spent a lot of time trying to keep the sand and dirt off her feet. It was basically a lost cause, but she kept at it anyway.

Recently, I noticed A doing the same thing, although I dare say her feet are faaaaaar from dirty compared to Sweet N’s little toddler feet that ran around Africa…

For the Love of Cheeseball

I’ve posted before about my older girlie’s love of cheeseball from a young age. She got that from her father. If there’s one thing you want to pass onto your children… it’s to love cheeseball and how to properly serve oneself on holidays… (???!!!)

Oh she was so cute!!!

Some people have photos they take each year… traditions, right? Apparently mine is taking photos of my children sitting at their Grandma’s counter eating cheeseball. Ha!

Some things never change…

I mean, what better place to get the cheeseball than sitting on the counter right next to it?

Oh now brother joined in…

So it’s no big surprise that littler girlie caught on…

And just for fun… some shenanigans with Uncle Tony!!