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Pregnancy Tickers

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Pregnancy Tickers

Announcement!

Well, I woke up two hours ago and can't get back to sleep, so I thought this would be a great time to blog!

I announced this on Facebook, but I don't think I have put this on here yet.......I'M PREGNANT!!! I am 10 weeks and 2 days as of today. The due date is around November 20th, the weekend before Thanksgiving. We are all extremely excited as this will be our biggest gap (Jack will be 3 in June), and we've been waiting on God to bless us again with another teeny babe for what seems like a very long time! Jayla is about to make herself sick because she wants a sister so badly! I think we would all love to have another girl, but another boy would be awesome too! Whatever God has in store for us. :)

I am seeing a doctor this time. I haven't gone to an OB since my 2nd pregnancy! I don't "feel" like there will be anything wrong with this pregnancy, and actually, I feel like it will be pretty normal, more like my first three and not like the last. However, I suddenly feel like I've done my best with a natural home birth (both home birth attempts ended up in c-sections), and the desire to continue that journey has left me. Now my only desire is to focus on a healthy pregnancy and baby. And I feel good about that! I am sad I never got to have a home birth, but I feel like the time for that has come and gone, ya know? And that's okay.

I have had all the normal pregnancy symptoms EXCEPT morning sickness! YEA!!! I was feeling a bit fuzzy-headed for about 3 days a few weeks ago, but I determined it was because of a supplement I was taking that had gone bad. I stopped taking it and was instantly better! Another time I took some prenatal samples from the doctor that made me feel a little nauseous. Once again, I stopped taking them and immediately felt better. So as long as I stick to fresh, good supplements, I am feeling perfectly fine! I am just thoroughly exhausted!! This pregnancy is definitely more like my first three though, so I am hoping, praying and expecting to go full term with a healthy pregnancy and baby! Pray with me!!!

I want to add, the doctor who did my last c/s (the horribly rude one!!!) didn't seem to believe me that it was the first time I had HELLP and that all 4 of my kids had the same father (meaning, I wasn't sleeping around). Well, my current doctor (who happens to be the same one who did my first c/s), asked me the same questions, but at least he was nice about it! He just said something like he'd never heard of it before and it is very rare, or something to that affect. So I'm sure it was just because Jack has some kind of genetic abnormality that my first three did not. This pregnancy is much more like my first three, so I really do expect this one to be normal.

Announcement!

Well, I woke up two hours ago and can't get back to sleep, so I thought this would be a great time to blog!

I announced this on Facebook, but I don't think I have put this on here yet.......I'M PREGNANT!!! I am 10 weeks and 2 days as of today. The due date is around November 20th, the weekend before Thanksgiving. We are all extremely excited as this will be our biggest gap (Jack will be 3 in June), and we've been waiting on God to bless us again with another teeny babe for what seems like a very long time! Jayla is about to make herself sick because she wants a sister so badly! I think we would all love to have another girl, but another boy would be awesome too! Whatever God has in store for us. :)

This is how I announced it on Facebook, or actually, Jack did.

I am seeing a doctor this time. I haven't gone to an OB since my 2nd pregnancy! I don't "feel" like there will be anything wrong with this pregnancy, and actually, I feel like it will be pretty normal, more like my first three and not like the last. However, I suddenly feel like I've done my best with a natural home birth (both home birth attempts ended up in c-sections), and the desire to continue that journey has left me. Now my only desire is to focus on a healthy pregnancy and baby. And I feel good about that! I am sad I never got to have a home birth, but I feel like the time for that has come and gone, ya know? And that's okay.

I have had all the normal pregnancy symptoms EXCEPT morning sickness! YEA!!! I was feeling a bit fuzzy-headed for about 3 days a few weeks ago, but I determined it was because of a supplement I was taking that had gone bad. I stopped taking it and was instantly better! Another time I took some prenatal samples from the doctor that made me feel a little nauseous. Once again, I stopped taking them and immediately felt better. So as long as I stick to fresh, good supplements, I am feeling perfectly fine! I am just thoroughly exhausted!! This pregnancy is definitely more like my first three though, so I am hoping, praying and expecting to go full term with a healthy pregnancy and baby! Pray with me!!!

analogy

I don't even know if anyone ever reads this, but I love getting my thoughts down here as I am growing in my understanding of God's word!

I could add a couple of verses to this, but I'll just share my thoughts for now. Feel free to ask for verses though!

I heard an analogy yesterday that I thought was great, but misunderstood.

This radio personality likened the body of Christ to a potluck dinner. Everyone brings something different. Many times the same people bring the main dishes, others always bring side dishes, and some never bring anything.

Okay, I can agree with that.

Then he went on to ask rhetorically, "Shouldn't we all bring MORE? Shouldn't the people who bring a main dish also bring a side dish? Shouldn't the side dish people be bringing a main dish and a dessert as well? And the ones who never bring anything, shouldn't they pitch in and do their part to make the meal better?" (paraphrased)

I disagree with his thinking!!!

If he was referring to the spiritual gifts that each person has in the body of Christ, and we are all a part of the body (some are hands, some are feet, some are eyes, etc.), then no, each one of us should bring to the table what we are gifted in. Maybe we could do MORE of what we are doing, but when we try to do things we are not called to do, we don't do as good of a job. We also get distracted from what we are called to do, and therefore, others will suffer as well! And those who are doing very little or nothing, obviously they are in need of some discipling. Instead of criticizing or gossiping, how about teaching them and guiding them in their own journey?

I would rather have the best main dish and side dishes that someone can make and savor every bite, rather than some cheap cafeteria food in large quantities. For those who usually do not bring anything, maybe they could bring a drink (with a friendly reminder call.....a.k.a. encouragement and prayer!) as they are learning how to cook.....or maybe bringing a drink or two is what their gift is!

Am I the only one who is so stinkin' tired of "churchianity" and their misunderstanding of God's word and the body of Christ? I don't have all the answers, not even close, but God has shown me so much lately, and I need to have patience and remember that everyone is at a different place. I just hope that many more get fed up with churchianity too so we can move on into true, biblical Church fellowship, living for Christ, loving our brethren and discipling those younger (in faith) than we are!

Jack update

Jack-Jack is such a little stinker! I guess he is probably at that "terrible two" stage, but it's not bad at all. (My kids have all been fairly laid-back.) He does try his limits, but he is learning what no means, and we really have to watch him for his own safety as he explores his little, growing world!

Jack has always loved to sing. It's so cute to hear him sing along as Jayla practices her song for the banquet. He even hums (ON KEY!!!) to the vacuum cleaner! He loves to dance too, so he will often sing and dance at the same time.

He also loves to play with Legos and K'Nex. We give him just a handful when my mom comes to do her teaching with Jayla (for reading), and they keep his hands busy for quite a while. I can't decide yet if he is really "into" them as much as Jacob, but he definitely likes them a lot! He loves to read though too, so Jonathan has been reading to him a lot at night lately as we are trying to transition him into the other bedroom. Jonathan reads him to sleep, then sometimes he stays in there all night while other times (like last night) he comes back to our room in the middle of the night. I enjoy the cuddles, so I don't mind! :)

Jack's speech therapy is going well! Sometimes I wish he would progress a little faster, but he is making progress, and I love that he signs most of the common words, so we can still communicate pretty well. He only says (clearly) a handful of words. I'm sure if I counted, it would probably surprise me, so I'll guess maybe around 50? He is still pretty hard to understand though, so I'm not sure about that.

I am looking for a smaller tricycle for Jack so he can ride with his brothers and sister! The one he did have has a worn wheel from Jacob (it is flat on one side), but it was too big for him anyway. He loves riding Jacob's Rip Rider, but it is bigger than the other one, so he mostly just scoots around on it. I am wanting something he can learn to pedal on, but I don't want to pay full price for a brand  new one!

Jack hasn't had any seizures in a while (praise God!!), so we have not had any more doctor visits in a couple of months. His next genetics appointment is in July. We still have not noticed any sweating, but his ears will turn red when he gets hot! I will update when we find out something about all this stuff!!

Jacob update

Jacob is not technically kindergarten age yet (birthday is in November, but we homeschool so it doesn't matter anyway!), but he is starting to join in the homeschooling fun! He is in the beginning stages of reading, mostly things he has picked up on his own, and he is finally showing a little interest in it. He has never really been a book junkie like his older siblings. He knows the alphabet and most of the sounds. His hand writing is surprisingly neat too! He is not really interested much in karate or PE yet, but I'm sure he will be very soon. Right now he'd just rather have free play time while his brother and sister are in class!

The kid absolutely LOVES building things! He has always loved his train tracks, which we have had put away for a while due to lack of space, but he has also loved Legos and, more recently, K'Nex! Oh, my, he could just sit and build things all day long! He's pretty good at it too. He is always making some form of transportation, such as a car, truck, motorcycle, airplane or helicopter. And they are very detailed! He also loves building garages, houses and towers. What kid doesn't like building a tall tower?! :) It seems that most kids, especially boys, love building things, but Jacob is one of those who takes it to the next level!

He is also showing so much maturity these last few months in social situations. His toddler-like tantrums come out every so often, but he is learning to talk things out and reason with others. He is displaying kindness and consideration for others, and he is becoming quite the "Daddy's boy" lately! Jacob is also making friends everywhere he goes, and I am trying to teach him to ask other kids what their names are. He has one good friend at some of the regular activities we go to, and they are just too cute together. Jacob got two monster trucks for Christmas, and as soon as he opened it, he said he wanted to save it for Jeremiah. :) And he gave it to him the next time he saw him! I just love his sweet personality! It comes out especially when  he plays with Jack. The two of them are such good friends. I pray they always will be.

Oh, and Jacob is learning to ride a bike with no training wheels too! He's not great at it yet, I think because he hesitates, but he has gone a few yards! He'll take off in no time and will want to ride with his older siblings very soon!

kid-isms

I will update on Jacob and Jack in the next day or two, but I had to get some quick things down before I forgot!

One of the kids said one day, several weeks ago, "MEANIE!!" I'm not sure who they said it to or why, but Jack has been spontaneously saying "MIMI" ever since then, and sometimes the other kids start it because they think it's cute. :)

Another favorite saying of Jack's is "Mamma mia!", which actually comes out, "Mamma mimi!", so the other kids think it's funny that he is calling me a meanie. I admit, I think it's cute too and start it myself sometimes!!

Jacob and Jayla were having a conversation the other day about getting married. They were both being positive about it until Jacob said, "But I HATE the kissing part!", to which Jayla replied, "Well, you only have to do it that one time, then you never have to kiss again, if you don't want to!"

Jayla update

Jayla is going to be 8 years old in just a few weeks! She's still a tiny thing, and she is so very sweet and has such a servant's heart! Now, she does have her bossy moments as she tries to "mother" her brothers, but most of the time she gets along with everyone very well and plays nicely with them. She is such a helpful person too, always asking what else she can do!

Jayla is also in karate and PE and she is still in dance class. It is nearing time for the annual recital. The theme this year is Peter Pan, so the first 45-ish minutes will be a Peter Pan ballet! I'm so glad she is just in the first (of three) parts so we can leave early! She always does so well. In fact, she is scared to death to speak in front of a crowd, but she does not hesitate to dance or even sing in front of a crowd!

Speaking of singing, she has been invited back to the church I used to go to in my single days for the Mother/Daughter banquet to sing a solo! Remember our duet 3 years ago when I was HUGE because I was pregnant with Jack, and she started giggling and totally messed me up for the rest of the song? Well, they asked HER to come back and not ME! Hahahahaha!!!! I think it's great though, and I'm kind of done with that anyway, so I'm excited that she will be doing solos now! :) I will definitely post a video. She will be singing one of my very favorite songs from when I was a kid, "I Am A Promise"! Great song, and she sings it so well. :) The banquet will be on the last day of this month.

Jayla has always seemed to have incredible faith and asks the most brilliant questions. The ones I remember right now I shouldn't post on here, but her faith and her love for others and for God just amaze me. I pray that she will continue to grow in that. In fact, we have been just reading or playing the bible on CD lately. It's not a substitute for studying or memorizing, but we know that ".....faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17) So we just need to HEAR God's word as much as possible and it will build our faith! It has been so great! It is leading into deeper bible studies and memorization for all of us!!

Back to Jayla, she is becoming quite the little home maker! She knows how to wash dishes, do laundry, clean just about any room and is learning to cook a few things. She finally told me today that she hates doing laundry. Ha! Join the club! She doesn't complain too much though. :)

She just got herself a "new" bike that is the same size as Jonathan's, but the seat is lower. She is still trying to adjust to it, but she loves it and wants to ride all the time. She also still loves to run a lot too. They are really looking forward to the Homeschool Olympics coming up very soon!

Oh, Jayla is also excelling in reading lately! She has struggled for a while now and has not really progressed much at all in the last two years or so. We decided she might be dyslexic, at least a mild form of it, so we have read a couple of books and are using some manipulatives, and something has finally "clicked" for her! She's doing so well now! It also helps that Grandma (my mom) is coming up once a week for "reading lessons". She loves it! :)

I'm sure there is more about each kid.....I need to jot this all down on the computer and then just copy and paste it when I'm out! That would make it much faster, and I wouldn't forget as much! I'll have to start doing that, but for now I need to say good night. I will write about the rest of us next time, hopefully tomorrow. :)

Jonathan update

Jonathan has been much more heavily involved in Cub Scouts this year. He is in Webelos I (4th grade) and Myles is in training as a leader, so they have been doing pretty much every activity they have time for, which makes much less time that we see them around the house. But it is usually no more than 1 or 2 days a week and a camping trip once or twice a month. In fact, they just got back from camping again where they camped in cabins (usually they camp in tents) at some caverns! Fun stuff! Jonathan even made breakfast for everyone this morning and cleaned up afterward. (I'm sure he had help??)

I cannot believe that my "baby" is about to turn TEN YEARS OLD in just a couple of weeks! Wow! Time sure does fly, and that really isn't a figure of speech! Where has the time gone? I wish I could just freeze time and keep them all young, but it's also very exciting to see them grow and mature. They each have special God-given talents and passions in life.

Jonathan has always said he wanted to be an animal rescuer.....until recently. On one camping trip, they met a Game Warden and were given some kind of guided tour or something (I wasn't there!), and he thought it was so cool. Evidently he had a hard time hearing the guy though because now he wants to be a "game board". :) He knows the correct name now, but we got a kick out of that one!

Jonathan has finally met a neighborhood kid who is close to his age, so they have been riding bikes together some. He seems like a nice kid. I think it's funny though how he just feels so welcome at our house.....he will ride MY kids' bikes in OUR driveway when we're gone! Haha!! No harm done though. I'm glad he feels comfortable around us. The boys have a lot of fun together, and so far I haven't noticed any "red flags" about this kid. I watch closely though since he goes to a government (public) school, and it is just a much different environment where he is exposed to a lot more than my kids are!

We have also been having another (homeschool) friend over every Friday who just turned 10, so they have a lot of fun together too. They mostly play the Wii and ride bikes together. It has been a good experience as far as adding another personality to the family dynamic. It's been fun. He's a great kid and pretty goofy!

I guess friends and Cub Scouts have been most of the "things" that have taken up Jonathan's time lately. Other things he does alone or with siblings are taking care of the animals, playing outside a lot lately since the weather has been nice, trying to find ways to earn his own money, karate, PE, reading......and he has always been very good at the academic stuff. We still pretty much "lifeschool" in everything, and if I had to guess, I think he would still be right on or even ahead of his grade level. He knows all kinds of information from books and magazines, and he is just a smart kid! He has really matured a lot this past year too. He doesn't seem like a little kid at all anymore! :(

We really appreciate Jonathan. He has always had more responsibility than the other kids just because he is the oldest, and he is turning in to a nice young gentleman! :)

I know, it's been a while........

For all 3 of my readers out there (hahaha!!), I don't have internet at home anymore, so that is why I haven't blogged in so long! I'll try to get just a few quick things down tonight.

By the way, who is this person leaving comments in Chinese? I think that's what it is, anyway. Well, I don't approve them because I don't know what they say, so could you please leave comments in English? I'd love to hear what you have to say!!!